Friday, September 29, 2006

My Thursday
I went to a meeting in Canton yesterday (and spent the morning with one of Jenica's colleagues--will we ever get used to sharing our professional lives?). I left from my house rather than from Plattsburgh, so I got to drive the back roads. There's not as much color as in some years, and the color there is is very muted, not the brightness we usually have.

It was great to be away from CEF for a day, and I really like the people at the network office where the meeting was held.

Today I'm scrounging around for things to do, trying to decide which tasks I will attempt to accomplish. I leave at 3 to go to Lake Placid to pick up my new glasses. That will get me home a little early--quite a luxury. Yesterday I got home early and actually made good use of my time, trimming the brush around the driveway and playing with my dogs. Tess took a long walk on her own, which scared me because there wasn't anyone in the bog. I didn't know if she had gone in another direction or if someone had taken her home, as everyone warns me someone will do. I checked the hardtop for her body and didn't find it. That's not a cheerful exercise.

My well is dry again--or maybe still. It was running when I got up on Weds., then did the "refuse to shut off" thing last night. I'm afraid I left it on when I left for work this morning and hopehopehope it won't run out of water and refuse to relax again. Tomorrow it's supposed to be sunny and 60. At 10:00 Bill's Boys from the Hood are coming to stack my firewood. This is the 4 cords I had delivered recently. They stacked the 6 cords I bought in May. Is it worth $100 to get my wood stacked, not doing it for free myself? Apparently it is, because that's my plan.

I need to get to camp to close the boat house. This is a job I have completely ignored. Somehow it just doesn't seem right to do it until it's about 40 degrees and raining. Maybe I do it then because it speeds up the process--I work fast and throw it all together so I can get home to warm up. Did my cousins shut the power off, thus creating a moldy mess in the b.house refrigerator? The suspense is killing me.

McCollums dogs


McCollums dogs
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
Each barrel represents one dog. This guy is a dog sledder, which explains why he has about 20 dogs. I've always been fascinated by this collection, reacting half in horror that these dogs are tied up all the time, living in barrels, and half in wonderment of anyone who has this many dogs. I'm sure he loves his dogs, all mushers do.

Jones Pond


Jones Pond
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
I've always wanted to take a closer look at a pond that's on the road from Paul Smiths to Onchiota. It's named Jones Pond and is really pretty. This is the "road" that goes along the shore to some really nice campsites. No water, no facility campsites.

Onchiota


Onchiota
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
As Greg Allman says, "The road goes on forever." This is what a lot of the trip from Canton to my house looks like.

Union Falls 9/06


Union Falls 9/06
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
Isn't it cool how the mountain in the foreground matches the silouette of Whiteface, in the background? This is from the foot of the lake next to mine. It's actually the Saranac River dammed up.

yellow tree


yellow tree
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
I like the yellow tree in the middle of this picture--it's very graceful, I think, and the contrast between yellow and the dark tree trunks makes such a nice effect.

goldenrod


goldenrod
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
This is pretty cool, I think. It's what goldenrod looks like after it goes to seed. It looks like a living creature, suitable for a horror movie called Desication. This is also why my sinuses rebel each morning, calling out for Zyrtec and Tylenol.

old house


old house
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
This is a really pretty house, which used to be out in the open and very visible. The forest eventually reclaims just about everything.

Bog making


Bog making
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
This may not be interesting at first glance, but it's actually way cool. It's the process of a pond's turning into dry land. In the foreground is the remnant of what used to be a pond. Land is encroaching upon it, first in the form of mud, then grass, then dirt with grass. This is such a cool thing to see.

bog 9/06


bog 9/06
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
And here's my own bog--this is a roadside view of the bog I live next too. It's really interesting to see the regrowth of trees after the original trees have died of bogginess. I like this view there are trees as far as the eye can see.

Monday, September 25, 2006

Classical music
sucks to catalog. I'm ensconced in a bunch of CD's for Lake Placid. Although it's mostly copy cataloging, so there's minimal interpretation for most of them, it's endless typing of alien combinations of numbers and letters, so it takes an excruciating amount of time for each one. And there are about 40 of them. I'm tired of typing "Sonatas--Piano and violin" and BWV, whatever that means, and A major and E flat minor, blahblahblah. So I'm taking a break.

Good weekend, although I didn't get much done at home. I did manage to boil and smush and strain the huge bag of grapes Julie gave me last week. I was going to make jelly last night but I realized I need an apple or two for the pectin, to make it jell. Good excuse to put the juice in the refrigerator and forget about it. Until tonight, after I stop to get apples and my favorite cider on the way home. Don't expect to feel much more like doing it tonight, but it must be done.

The pump was running when I got up yesterday morning so I assumed the well was dry. I should have checked the faucets, though, because I think it was just doing its "coming up to pressure" thing and all is really well. There's a slow leak somewhere in my house--I'm suspecting the upstairs toilet--and this causes the pump to lose pressure periodically. Anyway, I assumed the worst and showered at Ken's. I think things are fine because last night I turned it back on, did dishes, flushed, brushed my teeth and all was fine. And the drama continues.

Saturday night I had dinner with a friend I seldom see. She and her friend had been in the bog and Tess joined them. Maybe I'll post the pictures she took, one of Tess The Bog Dog. Anyway, she's co-owner of a really nice camp, is an architect from Boston. She was thrilled that I would join her and her friend for dinner. She got a little tipsy, I think, and told me I was her idol--because of the way I live. I hate hearing this, because I'm just living my life, not a big deal. Then her friend said, "Oh you're a librarian! That's so sexy." That's sure not something we lbns. often hear. So the evening was a little too full of admiration for me, but I had a nice time and we sat in front of the fire after dinner. These are nice people, not a surprise for my neighborhood.

Yesterday afternoon was book group. I finished the book (Snow Flower and the secret fan, by Lisa See). It's all about Chinese culture and female relationships in the 19th century. Lots of footbinding stuff. Yeow. Even though Mary Lou wasn't there we talked about the possibility that the central character was a lesbian because she liked sleeping with her female soulmate so much. Only Kristie thought she was, the rest of us were skeptical. Must get Mary Lou's take on this. We met at Lin's camp, which is a nice place on Union Falls (next lake over from Silver Lake). The power went out just before everyone else arrived, due to incredibly strong winds we had yesterday (gusts up to 50 mph). On the way there I had to drive around 3 downed trees across the road and move one to get through. Ah, life on the frontier.

Coming home from Karen's on Saturday night I saw TWO kangaroo mice. I'd seen one recently coming home from Fred's at night. It was funny to see 2, one right after the other on my road. Caught them in my headlights, hopping across the road. They're really funny to see in motion, more amazing to see close up when you can see their huge hind legs. Cute little buggers they are. They're relatively rare, but apparently not in my neighborhood.

Went to the doctor this morning. He's great, we always make each other laugh (needless to say, this is not my psychiatrist). Last time I was there (4 months ago) he suggested I think about losing weight. Today I told him (with a smile) I'd thought about it and decided not to. He said at least I was following his direction. And now I must rise to the occasion and try to lose some weight. I'm planning to walk with people from the book group, around the lake in Lake Placid once a week. That's 2 miles. I can take a dog with me--well I could take both but that's not much fun. We're planning to walk once a week, starting at 6 p.m.

I have plenty of firewood to stack (again), 4 cords to get done right away. I'm paying Bill's Boys to do it on Saturday. And I wonder why I don't lose weight and have no money. We'll see how much they get done and I'll do the rest.

Back to Bach.

nose


nose
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
This is how it starts, a dog at peace being imortalized

watching


watching
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
She's awake now and knows what I'm doing. She is not amused

toes


toes
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
Sometimes she sleeps with her paws in the air, as if rigor motise had set in. These are not perfect Lab toes, but it's a nice paw anyway

eye


eye
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
This reminds me of the shots of whales, when they zoom in on the eyes

peace at last


peace at last
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
And finally, peace

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Nature
It's starting to get really beautiful here, lots of yellows and oranges as the soft maples turn. Should be more red, but maybe the weather has influenced the hues. Anyway, the woods are starting to glow and the weather is brisk--I love September, it's one of my favorite times. Almost universally people here talk about how much they love this month. The weather is clear with lots of sun, and just cool enough so you can enjoy being outside without a jacket, but not in shorts.

Dinner at Fred's last night. Something called No Peek Beef, which cooks in the oven for 8 hours in a covered pot. Fred cheated, of course, and peeked. It was delicious and accompanied by roasted vegetables. Have to do that myself, they were very good. Carrots, rutabagas and potatoes roasted for an hour.

Ken enjoyed the change of scenery and he loves going to Fred's camp, which is really beautiful. Bill arrived mid-meal, was a nice treat (is there such a thing as a disagreeble treat?). All very festive.

Julie gave me a huge bag of grapes from her arbor--at least 10 pounds worth. I was planning to make jelly, which I did last year with fantastic results. I left the bag, however, on the dinner table this morning, forgetting to put it outside in a safe place. I'm sure Chances will eat a lot of grapes during the day. She's exhibited very bad behavior recently and I don't know why. I've been paying a lot of attention to her every day and I say her name at least 50 times. ChancesChancesChancesChances. She practically purrs when I do that, but is still intrusively destructive when I'm gone. Yesterday she ate 2 peaches I mistakenly left within reach; last night while I was at Fred's she ate a bunch of wax. Maybe the grapes today will be a wax-chaser and I should be relieved that she will clean out her system.

I seem to be pretty cheery this month. All the meds apparently are working their chemical magic on my brain. I'm looking forward to the weekend, even though it's supposed to rain. I need to trim the branches around my driveway--I can't drive the circle anymore because there are 4 cords of firewood which were dumped in the middle. Instead I have to use the half of the circle which was (until recently) blocked off by 6 cords of wood delivered in May. My life must be pretty great if these are the problems I face at home! I need to get this load stacked posthaste so it can do a decent job of drying before I'll burn it next year. I arrange my wood in a very systematic way. Some in the woodshed--last year's dry. Some in a pile on the LEFT side of the shed, the rest in a pile on the RIGHT side. Location based on the dryness of the wood. Oh the games we fireburners play.

We've had 2 serious frosts, but not a killing frost yet. My snapdragons are having their second bloom and my cosmos looks nice. Nothing much else in the pots on the deck, but a few things blooming in the perennial bed. I ordered a bunch of daffodils and got a free batch of tulips. Daffs haven't arrived yet. I'll have to figure out where to put them--all the good spots are already taken, but it's been a dozen years since I planted those bulbs and some are getting tired. I should put flags up in the sparse patches so I'll know where to put the new ones. Some people draw diagrams or pictures of their gardens on graph paper. Now there's something I'll never do.

Today I'll spend the day doing authority work on the latest records put in the data base. This is very tedious but rewarding work. Have to check the forms of author's names and make sure the correct subject headings have been used. There are probably 1500 records for me to check. Lots of caffeine and good music needed here. I often get really frustrated when I do this because the member libraries put in short records for paperbacks and they're always a mess. Oh we catalogers are a goofy bunch. Detail, detail. And yet what we do determines whether anyone can find the information in the data base or not. That's why it's called AUTHORITY CONTROL. Emphasis on CONTROL.

Impressionable


Impressionable
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
This is perennial lobelia, which isn't all that pretty if you look at individual plants. As a bunch, however, the blue and white ones are really pretty. From a distance they look like an Impressionist painting. They're moving around the garden, and two plants have migrated to the lawn. Obviously this garden needs my attention.

Turtlehead


Turtlehead
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
This is a flower called Turtle's Head. It's supposedly hard to grow, but mine is moving around the garden, in different spots each year. Right now it seems to be moving southeast. I don't think the blossoms look much like a turtle's head, but then I didn't name it.

'Shrooms


'Shrooms
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
Not particularly attractive, but sort of cute--toadstool-ish. Expect to see the tiny plastic babies we called "LittleBills" underneath them.
These are at Fred's.

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Wedding trip
I drove to Ithaca for Jenica's wedding--a 5 1/2 to 6 hour trip. The trip going there on Friday was more fun than the trip home on Sunday. I stopped a lot, poking around different places and getting coffee in interesting diners. I stayed in a motel room with my mother and we had a great time. I was apprehensive because of our different sleep patterns, but it turned out we were both so tired the 2 nights we stayed there that we slept straight through the night and woke up simultaneously. Mark stayed in a room upstairs and the three of us got to have lots of silly time together. It was a really nice visit.

We had a good time at the rehearsal dinner on Friday night, got to see lots of people and note their progress. Good pizza, good beer. Saturday we drove back to The Barn because Mark had to do the flowers. Liza and I got there an hour before he did because he got lost. We sat in a swinging bench for that time and had a really nice time together. After that we drove back to Ithaca to a park on the lake, where we had arranged to meet Liza's sister, her husband and their son's family. We had a nice visit, which was really important to Liza. She doesn't get to see her sister very often anymore--they moved to NH and it's too far for Liza to drive by herself. Her sister has Alzheimers but is doing pretty well. She's on that med that freezes your deterioration so you don't get any worse, but you don't get any better either.

The wedding was great. We had a good time looking over all the medievally dressed people, I got to visit with Grace and Margaret a little, and one of my favorite Rogers cousins, Rob, showed up. Good for him! He lives in New Paltz, so it wasn't a short drive for him. My cousin Elsa was also there with her 2 kids and daughter's boyfriend (Duke--do you suppose that's the name on his birth certificate?). Elsa is a photographer so she was busy taking lots of pictures. We sat with Liza's sister's family and Rob and ate the good food. It still seems amazing to me that Jenica is now married, but I suppose I'll get used to it.

The trip home was a drag. I was very sleepy and had to pull over at one point and take a nap. I stopped in Pulaski (Pull-ass-keye) for coffee at a really nice diner. I was sitting at the counter being ignored by the wait staff and the hostess, a woman about 60 years old, called to me "Do you want a cup of coffee?" I said yes, how did she know, and she said "You have that anxious look about you." We had a nice chat and I told her of my travels. When I left she said "Have a nice trip!" Some people are just really nice. Pulaski is famous for its fishing, and right now the salmon are running. I drove over the river and there were at least 20 fishermen in waders standing in the middle of it within about a 20-yard stretch. And this is fishing? A crowd was watching from shore and I was tempted to stop and watch to see big fish, but I just wanted to get home.

I got home and Fred called, wanting to sit on his dock for one of the last evenings of the season, drinking gin & tonics with me. We had a great visit and the sky was incredibly pink, reflecting a beautiful color in the water. The pink moved across the sky, from east to west as the sun set. Really pretty and peaceful.

When I got home from my trip I found 4 cords of wood dumped in the middle of my driveway. The reward for buying wood from the same people year after year--Lee knew exactly where I wanted it dumped, and trusted me to pay.

I picked up the dogs at the kennel. They like it there; when I dropped them off the pulled Joan into the kennel building, wagging their tales and skipping up the steps and in the door. What a couple of sweeties are my dogs. They were thrilled to see me and Tess stood in her usual spot on the armrest, diligently watching the road all the way home. What would I do without her guidance?

Yesterday I spent the morning in Keeseville with member library directors at a meeting. I really like those people, they are some of the nicest. We had lunch together and everyone brought us all up to date with what's going on with them.

Last night Fred called, wanting to go out to dinner at this diner-type place in Wilmington. That was a disaster. Terrible food, but we giggled and mocked each other and the food for the duration. Then we stopped for ice cream, had to settle for Drumsticks from the local convenience store. We laughed a LOT.

And today I'm at work, getting ready to catalog a video series of Shakespearian plays. Yawn, big yawn. Yesterday was a beautiful fall day, with that hazy look in the air. Wow. Supposed to get colder this week, a high in the 50's later on. And so autumn progresses.

Sisters


Sisters
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
This is my mother (on the right) and her sister (on the left). My aunt looks a lot like her father, I think.

Frosted tree


Frosted tree
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
This is how trees turn in the Adirondacks. This is just outside of Tupper Lake, about an hour east of my house. Mark and I agree this is one of our favorite sites in the fall.

Split personality


Split personality
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
And some trees change like this. Very odd looking, and I don't know what causes this pattern. This was in Pitcairn, which comes before Natural Bridge, NY.

Treats & 'Tiques


Treats & 'Tiques
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
Someone's idea of a clever business name. Yuck.

Willows


Willows
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
The biggest willow trees I've ever seen. Stewart Park in Ithaca, on Cayuga Lake. The two figures under the tree are my mother and her sister.

Rest stop


Rest stop
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
Where I stopped to take a break from driving. I had a hard trip home, very sleepy and not interested in driving on Route 3 for as long was necessary to get me home. The scenery gets progressively attractive the farther east you travel. This is "The land of the pointed firs."

Magic ride


Magic ride
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
The 'bile that made it all possible. Note dent on rear panel. Note hole in front bumper. You can't see the remains of the rear seatbelts, dangling like participles. But it's my car, and it gets me where I want to go. And even where I don't want to go.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

moonlight


moonlight
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
This is an art shot of the moon last night through the trees at the edge of my forest. There was haze around the moon and it was really pretty. It didn't look much like this but I had fun doctoring up the picture.

watercolor


watercolor
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
This is a painting done by someone in "Art Camp." My friend Barb has a bunch of women come to camp (she rents Bill's camp for the month of August) for a week and they work on art projects. This year's theme was paper and they did a whole bunch of artistic stuff with paper products. This watercolor was on an invitation to the "opening of the exhibit" of their artwork. They had a reception and put their works up around the room. I was really sorry to have missed it but I was floating in the Atlantic Ocean in RI at the time. I like this painting a lot. It's small, about 3" X 5" and I have it on my refrigerator door.

sleepy girl


sleepy girl
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
Like me, Chances found last night's TV offerings pretty dull. She's lying in MY spot here and was forced to MOVE OVER (a command she's very familiar with and obeys instantly).

bat cave


bat cave
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
And this is Tess' second favorite spot (the back of the couch is her favorite). Sometimes she goes under this couch when she thinks I'm going to do something unpleasant to her, like brush her or cut her toenails. Other times she just goes under there to sleep. Dogs surely are strange animals.

Monday, September 11, 2006

Deck view


Deck view
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
This is what I saw from my front door this morning, standing on my deck. It was 30 degrees when I got up and my windshield was coated with ice, pretty heavy ice. Guess it's time to round up my scraper.
I can usually see the mountain in the middle of this view, but not today. The lake was covered by a ton of mist, which will burn off pretty quickly later this morning. I wore a jacket today, which is really surrendering to the elements (but we have no choice about that, do we).

Silver Lake Mtn 9/11


Silver Lake Mtn 9/11
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
This was pretty cool to see. The mist is from the lake, obviously. This is from the top of the hill as I head down toward Ken's house.

Saranac River 9/11


Saranac River 9/11
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
Cauldron effect again. This is far from my favoite view of the river, but I didn't stop to shoot the best shots, was concentrating on getting to work I guess.

red leaf


red leaf
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.
Proof that fall is coming. The soft maples have started to turn, and it seems to be happening pretty quickly. I can't believe we're well into September--I'd expect more color by now. There's always much speculation about when the foliage will peak and how bright it will be. Usually the end of Sept. or 1st of Oct. is peak, though last year it was Columbus Day. Nothing to do but wait now.

Thursday, September 07, 2006

So clever, like foxes making a mistake, they outfoxed themselves

This reminds me of some of Molly's students--it came from a public librarians' listserv, proving once again that librarians are easily entertained:

Every year, English teachers from across the country can submit their collections of actual
similes and metaphors found in high school essays.
These excerpts are published each year to the amusement of teachers across
the country. Here are last year's winners:

1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides
gently compressed by a thigh Master.

2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like
underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.

3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy
who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those
boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at
high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one
of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E.Coli, and he was
room-temperature Canadian beef.

5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes
just before it throws up.

6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.

8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because
of his wife's infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a
formerly surcharge-free ATM machine.

9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a
bowling ball wouldn't.

10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled
with vegetable soup.

11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie,
surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city and Jeopardy
comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30.

12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.

13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you
fry them in hot grease.

14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the
grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left
Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19
p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that
resembled Nancy Kerrigan's teeth.

16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had
also never met.

17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River.

18. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap,

only one that had been left out so long, it had rusted shut.

19. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do.

20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil,
this plan just might work.

21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating
for a while.

22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but
a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or
something.

23. The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and extended one slender leg
behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.

24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.

25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells,

asif she were a garbage truck backing up.

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

September is here
...and it so completely looked and felt like autumn this morning that for some reason it was very satisfying. I don't really get sick of green leaves on trees, but by the end of August I am ready for a change. And change is coming. Still haven't had a killing frost yet, which is impressive in my neighborhood. I have a total of 4 tomatoes on my big tomato plant and they are actually turning red. I have hundreds of tomatoes on my grape tomato plant and that doesn't include the ones that have fallen to the deck. Tess is making it a personal goal to eat every single one off the deck. Good girl, otherwise I step on them.

The social whirl continues but is winding down. Linda and Erdvilas are here through the week, then it will be up to Fred and me to entertain ourselves. He'll be here for another month or so, then it's back to normal with my visits to Ken. Although I love having so much company and stimulation, I need to get control of my life again and settle into a routine. It's not good for my psyche (or behavior, it turns out) to be so unsettled.

I actually hosted Paul and Bobbie for dinner the other night. I don't often entertain at my house because it's so cluttered and messy. There's a short list of people who are allowed in. This summer those who did come wanted a house tour. This is very embarrassing, but heck, I (apparently) have no pride so away we went. Paul is a contractor so he looked at completely different things than most do. "Do you know you have a hole in your ceiling?" Do I confess that it's been there for years, many years?

Tess spent more than 3 hours climbing the bluffs and walking the boardwalk with strangers on Monday. This was a drag, but since there were 3 cars parked at the entrance I knew it would be fruitless to walk in and call her: she was doubtless at the top, sharing lunches. I always panic that someone will take her home with them, but she snuck off while I was cleaning the living room. I love to leave the front door open for the fresh air and for the dogs' freedom. Plan backfired on me, though. Poor Chances spent the entire time pacing and staring down the driveway.

Tess is having a terrible time with her allergies (just so Cat doesn't feel alone) and is scratching like mad. I'm supposed to be giving her Prednisone every other day but that doesn't seem to be effective enough. And Chances is either licking in sympathy or she too has allergies. And what about me? Headaches abound.

I found out yesterday that a good friend from Rhode Island recently died during surgery. He was part of a social group I really enjoyed being a member of. We'd go out every week and talk about library stuff (he was a librarian at the Dept. of State Library Services, though the rest of us could never figure out exactly what the staff of DSLS did...) and have a nice, raucous time. It's very sad that he's dead.

I also found out that a friend from high school is dying of cancer. She's in the hospital right now but will be going home for Hospice care soon. I haven't seen her in a million years but I can picture her clear as day in our youth. My good friend the Organizer of our high school clan sent a message to all of us telling us about Donna and how to send a e-card through the hospital's service. That was really thoughtful. I sent a note about what I'm doing, etc., but what do you say to someone you don't know very well who is dying?

There was a phone message for me yesterday from a college friend who has lived in Hawaii for the past 20 or so years. She'll be in Maine and wants to know if we can get together. I haven't heard her voice in nearly 25 years so it was very strange standing in my living room listening to a voice that once was so familiar. I haven't called her back yet: I have no idea what the time difference is, and I don't know what I'll say to her. Will find out when and where their Maine trip is and if there is any way to connect. Maine is a long way from Hawkeye but I should make the effort. We have continued to send Christmas cards all these years and she's sent pictures of her 2 kids each year. Her daughter went to Beloit College, which was a shocker. Beloit is about 15 miles from Rockford, and at one time in my college career I applied to and was accepted there as a transfer student. I changed my mind, though, and stayed in Connecticut. Have always wondered what, if any difference it would have made in my life if I'd gone there.

I made cole slaw last night--the right time to make it, for today's luncheon. That's the 3rd batch of cole slaw I've made in 3 weeks. It tastes different every time I make it.

Had a great trip to the nursery with Fred and Linda on Saturday. Bought 2 hostas and a pretty perennial called snakeroot, also called bugbane. Now I just have to dig up the grass that's well established in my garden and plant them all. I love going there with Fred, he is so happy to be among plants, and in that spectacular setting. I didn't get to see the Lab puppy that F. and Linda had seen when they were there last week. Nor did I see Maggie the gray cat. Rats.

Time for the farewell luncheon. This has been a very long, possibly uninteresting post and I thank you all for staying with me.

Friday, September 01, 2006

Saranac River 9/1/06


Saranac River 9/1/06
Originally uploaded by woodsrun.

Play Misty for me
This doesn't begin to capture the beauty of mist that forms when the air temperature drops below that of a body of water. This morning Silver Lake was hidden under a huge dry-ice looking mass of mist. Very pretty and also one of the best indicators that yes, summer has ended. This picture is of the Saranac River, and as I say isn't really very dramatic. Looks like a simmering cauldron.

Busy week, people still encamped in the neighborhood. Nice dinner with Calif. friends on Tuesday, Ken there and seemed pretty perky. We had to eat indoors, not usually done at their camp--they have a nice screened in porch where we eat all summer. The rest of the week has been a flurry of Linda, Fred, Erdvilas and tennis. Erd. discovered that he can watch live tennis at my house, thanks to my satellite dish. He's been there for the past 3 days, all afternoon. The dogs are reaping the benefit because he is an Excellent Dog Companion. He lets them out, then spends an inordinate amount of time petting Chances. Yesterday he called me at work to see if it was all right that they were drinking out of the toilet. Yes, I said, but you can fill their water bowl as well.

One night I ended up at Linda's for dinner (chicken cooked over a campfire--doesn't get much tastier) and Fred joined us at the last minute. I ate too much but man it was good. Then we went to Hot Dog Man for ice cream. Sunday is their last day so I suspect we'll head there Sat. night. Last time I had a caramel sundae (discussing my pronunciation: KAR-mel, as opposed to the East Coast CAHR-A-mel), this time I tried the butterscotch, which is what Jenica has. Not so tasty, I discovered. I'll stick with my hot fudge, their's is mighty good.

Last night dinner again at Linda's, this time marinated flank steak cooked on the grill. Isn't this stroll down culinary lane fun? After dinner Erd. went to my house to watch Andre Agassi while L, Fred and I went to Fred's to watch The Philadelphia story. Much as I enjoy watching Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn, I went to sleep. Not in the mood. I went home and ended up watching tennis with Erdvilas until nearly 1 a.m., until the end of the match. Who would have thought I could get caught up in tennis on tv like that. It was a great match, though (although it would be ok if they stopped saying how well Agassi is doing for a 36-year-old). Too late too bed, too little sleep.

What's up for the weekend? Not time spent at my camp, that seems certain. The place is crawling with cousins. Two sisters and their husbands and children, their (yuck) mother, plus another cousin and his wife. That about does it for me: might as well put up a picture of me with a diagonal red line through it. I think it's going to be rainy and cold anyway. I have enough chores to do at home so I won't feel cheated out of a weekend at camp. September is one of the best months there, as long as the dock stays in for a while, once the crowds thin.

Surprise luncheon for a woman who's leaving CEF coming up. I thought it was today, busied myself making cole slaw for thousands last night. Nooooo, the luncheon is on Wednesday. So what do I do with a bucket of cole slaw? Take it Linda's, I suspect. Am looking forward to the luncheon--no one will mourn the loss of this woman.

Today? Cataloging like a mad fool. Have discovered a bunch of stuff that needs to be done for Tupper Lake and Upper Jay. Yesterday Tracey (clerk) and I entertained ourselves skimming the autobiography of the father of two trustees/volunteers from Upper Jay. I've worked with these women for years, and Tracey has recently worked with them as we barcoded their collection. They are a funny pair of sisters (will Molly and I be like that in our dotage?). Anyway, there were pictures of these two women, taken when they were in their 20's or so and were very pretty. Plus it was fun reading about their life stories. A bit voyeuristic, but fun. Hell, they sent the book to be cataloged--you have to know what it's about to catalog it, right?

Time to plug in the earphones and warm up the keyboard. Catalog Ho!