What is this? I saw it on my bog walk this morning. It grows all over the place in the bog and elsewhere. It looks really dramatic but is not really very exciting. It grows on dead things. Why, it's lichen!
I had a nice walk this morning. The snow is all gone from the bog. It was a little drizzly and pretty cold but certainly peaceful. Last night I heard a thrush at dusk. Way cool. I've heard woodcocks, which is certainly a spring sound. Another sign of spring: dead beaver in the middle of the road. Always is one in the same spot on my way to work. If I believed in reincarnation I'd say it's the same one, not learning anything from previous lives.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Bog pond
This is the tiny pond/big puddle in the bog. There are 3 of them all in a row. Earlier this week they were all linked because the water was so high. Now they're separated. Isn't it amazing how much the landscape can change in just a few days?
This is coyote poop, or scat (as some naturalists) or spoor(as my aunt) would call it. I think this coyote's last meal was a rabbit. When my dogs come across fox poop they stop to sniff it and usually rub their shoulders in it. They walked right by this, though--they're intimidated by coyotes. When we hear them yipping as they run around at night the dogs perk up their ears for a minute, then put their heads down without even barking. Lots of domestic dogs feel that way about coyotes.
People around here insist on calling them "coydogs" as if coyotes and domestic dogs have interbred. There are those of us who strongly dispute this--I think it's highly unlikely that the 2 species have mixed. I mean really--do lions and leopards mate with each other in Africa?
For some reason I call them "cai-yotes," while most people call them "cai-yoties." Must be that Roy Rogers called them cai-yotes, or else it's a Midwestern thing. Or it's just one of those wierd things about me.
People around here insist on calling them "coydogs" as if coyotes and domestic dogs have interbred. There are those of us who strongly dispute this--I think it's highly unlikely that the 2 species have mixed. I mean really--do lions and leopards mate with each other in Africa?
For some reason I call them "cai-yotes," while most people call them "cai-yoties." Must be that Roy Rogers called them cai-yotes, or else it's a Midwestern thing. Or it's just one of those wierd things about me.
progress
This is one patch of daffodils, coming along nicely. Since the snow melted (during the past week) they have really popped right up. There are lots and lots of them growing really quickly. I have dozens of crocuses in bloom, too. Good work!
Thursday, April 26, 2007
april sunrise
This is a Silver Lake Mountain sunrise from a bit further up the lake. Yesterday morning I walked the loop encompassing the camps of my friends up the lake. I used to do it all the time and check on their camps for them but that was a while ago. I enjoy walking now and like being up early in the morning light. I need to come up with some new routes, though--so far I only have 3 walks to take (the bog; down to camp; and up the road then back along the lake). I just bought a clip that attaches to 2 leashes so you can walk 2 dogs at once, thinking maybe I'll walk the dogs down the road. It sure would be good for their nails! Would wear them right down on the concrete. I asked the vet once why their nails got so long & he gave me one of those looks before telling me it was because they never walked on sidewalks. duh. Their nails get really bad in winter when all they walk on is snow. I have to cut them at least twice during winter months. Tess sees me open the clipper drawer and she crawls under her couch. Chances lies down dramatically and heaves a heavy sigh.
We have Little White Dog Hugo visiting us right now. He got right back into the routines of our house, following me to bed last night and picking out his spot on the bed. Followed me to the treat cupboard when he came in last night and this morning. He'll be with us for 4 or 5 days. Tess is much braver dealing with him now and doesn't take his growls at all seriously. Hah! So there, little dog!
We have Little White Dog Hugo visiting us right now. He got right back into the routines of our house, following me to bed last night and picking out his spot on the bed. Followed me to the treat cupboard when he came in last night and this morning. He'll be with us for 4 or 5 days. Tess is much braver dealing with him now and doesn't take his growls at all seriously. Hah! So there, little dog!
ice
Contrary to what I thought the other day, there's still plenty of ice on the lake. During my tour of the neighborhood I found lots of ice up the lake. Ken checked on the lake yesterday too and found plenty of ice as well. Looks as if we'll go at least a few more days.
iceout
This is a big "swimming rock" at a neighbor's camp. The people who own this camp are from the Webster family. The patriarch was a doctor named Dan Webster. He used to commute to Plattsburgh all summer, parking his car at the foot of the lake. He had a red speedboat (we used to call them speedboats in those days) and it was the fastest boat on the lake (probably had about a 60 horsepower motor). He'd fly down the lake in the morning to where he parked his car and back up the lake after work. It just seemed so exotic to me to live a life like that. His daughter now owns the camp and it's a real mess. Junked cars all over the place. Her son is a friend of mine and was a lot of fun to be with, a good friend just after Jamie moved out. He was really nice to me, even if he was only 19. He lived in the camp pretty much all winter, in that way that 19 year olds do, with no running water and no heat. He finally found somewhere else to stay when it got really cold, like -20.
rock dog
Tess liked being on the rock but she wouldn't walk the gangplank--she'd leap from shore to the rock and back again. Once I stood on the rock in wind so strong I thought I would be blown off of it. That was amazing, and a little scary.
gray cabin
This is a cute sleeping cabin owned by my friends the Grays. The Grays are pretty old, in their 80's these days. They have a nice camp with a pretty view of the water. They can't see any other camps from theirs, nor any lights of other camps. A big advantage, from my point of view.
Whiteface
The camps at the upper part of the lake have a nice view of Whiteface Mountain. We can't see it from our end, we just miss it. There's still plenty of snow on the mountain and last weekend the mountain was still open for skiing. Don't know about this weekend, though.
french class
This is where my father took French lessons when he was a child (or so the story goes). It goes with the camp below and is a gazebo (I guess). This type of building isn't uncommon in the Adirondacks, built next to the water, where you could sit, dine, whatever, and enjoy the water. Not screened in, though, so of limited use.
the 'hood
This is the camp owned by some friends of mine. It used to be owned by an elderly couple, also friends of mine, who were notoriously tight with money and slow to do things. Like, if you went there for dinner she wouldn't have started making dinner when you got there so you'd have to wait while she prepared dinner. But they were nice people and it was too bad when she got Alzheimer's and they had to sell the place. The people who bought it are former campers and are very, very nice people from Cambridge. (Mass., of course)
april holts
This is what Rush & Annie's house looks like right now. It's almost finished. Rush's silo looks great. The second floor part of it is a sleeping porch, screened in. The top part is Rush's space, where he can look out over the lake and hopefully can look at the stars at night. It's really a great house.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
distant ice
I walked to camp this morning at 6. The ice is almost out. You can see the line of ice off in the distance here. It looks very, very cold. it was chilly this morning but also very nice. I heard a winter wren singing up a storm. They are very busy birds and usually nest around camp. One year we had a family nesting under the sleeping porch and when the babies left the nest they all lined up on the clothesline. Boy were they ever cute.
I didn't have time to go inside the boat house, but I can report there are no trees down or damage to any of the cabins or main camp. Whew! Any no one stole my kayak or my canoe (so far).
I didn't have time to go inside the boat house, but I can report there are no trees down or damage to any of the cabins or main camp. Whew! Any no one stole my kayak or my canoe (so far).
thin ice
Looking across the lake from the boat house. You can see that there's still ice in the middle of the lake, but it's very thin ice and it might go out today. What usually gets rid of the final bit is wind, which knocks it around. Some people think the ice sinks. I've checked this out with Rush, who's a physicist. He pondered it for a long time and basically dismissed the idea.
Ken won't be at home today so I'm guessing he'll declare iceout tomorrow--my brother's birthday. For years I picked the 25th as my date but I never won the pool. This year? of course not. I don't know who the winner will be. I thought for sure the ice would last until May 1st or 2nd.
Ken won't be at home today so I'm guessing he'll declare iceout tomorrow--my brother's birthday. For years I picked the 25th as my date but I never won the pool. This year? of course not. I don't know who the winner will be. I thought for sure the ice would last until May 1st or 2nd.
april lake
And finally, the view that's most familiar to everyone in my family, Silver Lake Mountain from the boat house. This is just before the sun came up. Here's what it looks like at the end of April. Pretty bleak, not even hopeful, really.
Monday, April 23, 2007
overhead
This is just one patch of crocuses--I have 3 so far and two more coming up. I plopped in a bunch of bulbs in the fall and now I get to reap my reward. Yeah for me!
These are cute little things. There are giant crocuses, and deep purple ones, which are rarer. My grandmother on my mother's side had giant purple crocuses on her front lawn. They were very pretty. My father used to plant crocuses throughout the lawn so there would be little spots of color all over the place. Maybe I should do that next. I just have them along the borders of the gardens now. They are very bright and colorful.
These are cute little things. There are giant crocuses, and deep purple ones, which are rarer. My grandmother on my mother's side had giant purple crocuses on her front lawn. They were very pretty. My father used to plant crocuses throughout the lawn so there would be little spots of color all over the place. Maybe I should do that next. I just have them along the borders of the gardens now. They are very bright and colorful.
closeup
This is what they look like up close and personal. Saffron comes from the center parts of crocuses, though probably not ones like these. These ar the small kind: the giant crocuses are really impressive. I like these striped ones.
vertical
We had beautiful weather over the weekend. It was in the 60's on Saturday and nearlly 80 on Sunday. We lost a lot of snow. This was Sat. mid-day. By late afternoon there was lots of bare ground. I sat on my deck in the sun and read--a favorite past time. When the sun moved around I put the chair on a bare patch of lawn in the middle of the snow and read some more.
Yesterday there were lots of crocuses in bloom and it was very warm. I spent a little bit of time on the deck, talking to my sister. It got pretty hot.
I planted a bunch of seeds--asters, cosmos (3 kinds), violas (who plants those? but this is a really cool kind), cleome and some other things. Morning glory seeds are soaking to soften up the coating so they'll germinate faster. Nasturtiums will be planted later, cukes too.
Yesterday there were lots of crocuses in bloom and it was very warm. I spent a little bit of time on the deck, talking to my sister. It got pretty hot.
I planted a bunch of seeds--asters, cosmos (3 kinds), violas (who plants those? but this is a really cool kind), cleome and some other things. Morning glory seeds are soaking to soften up the coating so they'll germinate faster. Nasturtiums will be planted later, cukes too.
horizontal
Tess will miss this pile of snow. She loves to lie down in snow and roll around on her back with her legs in the air. Sometimes she scoots along on ther back, propelled by her hind legs. Oh she's amazing, all right.
snowy woods
I went for a bog walk at 6 this morning. It was really nice, very quiet except for some busy and vocal birds. Heard a whit-throated sparrow, and nice spring sound.
There was lots of snow in the woods, in some places but not all. The dogs had a great time, back in their bog. Tess, of course, has been running the bog all winter with anyone who's been in it. Chances hasn't been in it since last fall.
There was lots of snow in the woods, in some places but not all. The dogs had a great time, back in their bog. Tess, of course, has been running the bog all winter with anyone who's been in it. Chances hasn't been in it since last fall.
bare walk
Some sections of the boardwalk were bare--places where it was exposed to the sky and the sun had warmed it enough to melt the snow.
boggy
Some parts looked like this--sort of a miniature mangrove swamp. Everything underwater. Expected to see a miniature Rip Torn poling a john boat around, looking for gators.
Flowers
These were the Easter flowers at Liza's. I never posted the pictures from that weekend. There wasn't much of interest to take pictures of--the weather was cold & windy so we didn't go out much. The dogs played & slept. Liza & I talked a lot. I napped. Mark came & went & napped. We ate a lot of candy.
Peace
This one puzzled me at first, until I figured out it was Chances' hind foot against Tess' cheek. Too many feet for one dog. Tess gets all worn out at Liza's house.
tina
If I didn't know better I'd think Tina was wondering when these visitors were going home. She likes to have me and my dogs come to visit, though. I pay a lot of attention to her, and she & Tess like to play. Chances--another story altogether. She picks fights with Chances and bites her, attacking her & snarling. Not a good hostess.
fashion
The very latest in lobster antennae fashion. Mark, ever the designer, came up with this delight. It tasted as good as it looked. Cold spring water makes sweet lobster meat.
froze
I guess we were pretty desperate for entertainment because I thought this was pretty funny. Froze, huh.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Where've you been?
It's been a long time. Has a lot happened? In Virginia, yes. In Hawkeye, well, yes I guess so. We had a big storm and got 16" of heavy wet (as opposed to dry) snow. The politics of Black Brook (my town) are going hot & heavy as the proposed development down the lake continues to be proposed to the Town Planning Board. I've been working with Jacalyn Lawyer from Albany and went to the Planning Board meeting this week. We've managed to delay the inevitable for quite a while and hope to lessen the number of lots Evil Man can divide this plot into. Issues are roads (he built a road on my cousins' land, not his land), wetlands (the road crosses wetlands: FORBIDDEN in the Adks., plus it's likely that one of the lots is part of the wetlands portion of the property), environmental impact, drainage, and so on. Jacalyn Lawyer has demanded a long, long list of things that will keep Evil Man busy for a very long time. Neither he nor his lawyer showed up at the meeting so Team Silver Lake had a private audience with the Planning Board. That was good and worked out pretty well. We convinced them not to approve his preliminary plan.
I've been suffering from plantar faciitis for months now and finally went to the doctor last month, who referred me to a podiatrist this month. I think people who want to touch other people's feet all day are strange. This doctor was about 17, didn't seem to want to touch my feet, wore latex gloves that were a size too big (honestly, what doctor wears baggy gloves?) and seemed disappointed that I had such an ordinary and boring problem. I already knew that's what it was and that there's not much that can be done for it so wasn't really disappointed or surprised. He gave me a cortisone shot in my heel and had the nurse tape my foot. Told me what kind of inserts to get ("Be sure to get one for each foot so you're legs will be even" duh) and not to walk barefoot. Don't keep tape (which is glued on) on for more than 5 days. Well right now my whole foot hurts incredibly, as opposed to having just my heel really, really hurt. Hurts where the shot was, hurts where it's taped. Hurts when I sit, hurts when I walk, hurts when I stand. I'm sure it will be better soon. No I'm not, I'm just saying that.
It's taking forever for the snow to melt. Forever. It might be down to about 6-8" now, with water-stuff and mud underneath it. I can't drive to the house so have to walk through snow/mud back & forth. This is truly a part of the year I do not care for. We're seeing sun for the first time in probably a week today, and it's supposed to attempt to get near to 70 degrees this weekend. That will be like magic. Once again my deck may be bare of snow. I may get to read in the sun.
Massive fish kill. Wore paper bag on head & bought replacements. Told them I used algicide and all died. Response: "Huh. That shouldn't have happened. Huh. Isn't that strange. Did that happen before?" No--do you think I would have done it again if it had? I don't need chemical help killling my fish, thank you. Anyway, I bought a frisky yellow guppy and an algae eater who is truly the most disgusting thing to pass for a fish. A Plecko. Totally gross, big sucking mouth with tiny beady eyes on the top of its head. Biggest fish in the tank, sucks all the time. Can't tell if it's dead or alive because all it does is sit there and suck. But it should keep the tank clean so I won't have to kill everyone to clean it. It's coming upon algae season, when the sun shines on the tank (spring and summer) and lots of algae grows.
Got my flats ready to plant seeds. My but I move slowly. Meant to plant seeds on Monday, which we had off because of big storm (state of emergency in 2 counties, STAY OFF OF ROADS--Everybody to get from street!). It took longer to soak the soil, though, and now they've been sitting there eagerly awaiting their seeds.
I watched The Departed, which is an excellent film but pretty (very) violent. Leonardo DiCaprio is way cool. I don't need to see Blood Diamond--too much excitement and violence, plus he's got that pretend accent. But he's a really good actor.
And now, though I can't stand the thought of it, I must catalog. It's a rare occurance but I have no desire to catalog ANYTHING. Only other thing I can do is clean my desk but I'm motivated even less to do that. I could look at the book Gardens Adirondack style, which has great color photos, but that won't kill the whole afternoon and I have to work until 5. I can't do anything that involves walking or standing so weeding is out. So is socializing. Man oh man this sucks.
It's been a long time. Has a lot happened? In Virginia, yes. In Hawkeye, well, yes I guess so. We had a big storm and got 16" of heavy wet (as opposed to dry) snow. The politics of Black Brook (my town) are going hot & heavy as the proposed development down the lake continues to be proposed to the Town Planning Board. I've been working with Jacalyn Lawyer from Albany and went to the Planning Board meeting this week. We've managed to delay the inevitable for quite a while and hope to lessen the number of lots Evil Man can divide this plot into. Issues are roads (he built a road on my cousins' land, not his land), wetlands (the road crosses wetlands: FORBIDDEN in the Adks., plus it's likely that one of the lots is part of the wetlands portion of the property), environmental impact, drainage, and so on. Jacalyn Lawyer has demanded a long, long list of things that will keep Evil Man busy for a very long time. Neither he nor his lawyer showed up at the meeting so Team Silver Lake had a private audience with the Planning Board. That was good and worked out pretty well. We convinced them not to approve his preliminary plan.
I've been suffering from plantar faciitis for months now and finally went to the doctor last month, who referred me to a podiatrist this month. I think people who want to touch other people's feet all day are strange. This doctor was about 17, didn't seem to want to touch my feet, wore latex gloves that were a size too big (honestly, what doctor wears baggy gloves?) and seemed disappointed that I had such an ordinary and boring problem. I already knew that's what it was and that there's not much that can be done for it so wasn't really disappointed or surprised. He gave me a cortisone shot in my heel and had the nurse tape my foot. Told me what kind of inserts to get ("Be sure to get one for each foot so you're legs will be even" duh) and not to walk barefoot. Don't keep tape (which is glued on) on for more than 5 days. Well right now my whole foot hurts incredibly, as opposed to having just my heel really, really hurt. Hurts where the shot was, hurts where it's taped. Hurts when I sit, hurts when I walk, hurts when I stand. I'm sure it will be better soon. No I'm not, I'm just saying that.
It's taking forever for the snow to melt. Forever. It might be down to about 6-8" now, with water-stuff and mud underneath it. I can't drive to the house so have to walk through snow/mud back & forth. This is truly a part of the year I do not care for. We're seeing sun for the first time in probably a week today, and it's supposed to attempt to get near to 70 degrees this weekend. That will be like magic. Once again my deck may be bare of snow. I may get to read in the sun.
Massive fish kill. Wore paper bag on head & bought replacements. Told them I used algicide and all died. Response: "Huh. That shouldn't have happened. Huh. Isn't that strange. Did that happen before?" No--do you think I would have done it again if it had? I don't need chemical help killling my fish, thank you. Anyway, I bought a frisky yellow guppy and an algae eater who is truly the most disgusting thing to pass for a fish. A Plecko. Totally gross, big sucking mouth with tiny beady eyes on the top of its head. Biggest fish in the tank, sucks all the time. Can't tell if it's dead or alive because all it does is sit there and suck. But it should keep the tank clean so I won't have to kill everyone to clean it. It's coming upon algae season, when the sun shines on the tank (spring and summer) and lots of algae grows.
Got my flats ready to plant seeds. My but I move slowly. Meant to plant seeds on Monday, which we had off because of big storm (state of emergency in 2 counties, STAY OFF OF ROADS--Everybody to get from street!). It took longer to soak the soil, though, and now they've been sitting there eagerly awaiting their seeds.
I watched The Departed, which is an excellent film but pretty (very) violent. Leonardo DiCaprio is way cool. I don't need to see Blood Diamond--too much excitement and violence, plus he's got that pretend accent. But he's a really good actor.
And now, though I can't stand the thought of it, I must catalog. It's a rare occurance but I have no desire to catalog ANYTHING. Only other thing I can do is clean my desk but I'm motivated even less to do that. I could look at the book Gardens Adirondack style, which has great color photos, but that won't kill the whole afternoon and I have to work until 5. I can't do anything that involves walking or standing so weeding is out. So is socializing. Man oh man this sucks.
Friday, April 13, 2007
So it goes
Yes, Vonnegut died. I felt very sad when I heard the news. He certainly was one of my heroes. I read his stuff when I was young and impressionable. I thought Billy Pilgrim was a great character, right there with Heller's Yosarian from Catch-22. The meaning of life. I can remember reading The Sirens of Titan while lying on the bed in Dockside Cabin at camp. It wasn't called Dockside Cabin yet, it was still called by the name of the aunt & uncle whose cabin it had previously been. When I got to the end of the book I thought it was like magic: how cool would a person be to think of that! I still think it's a great book, but when I read it again recently it was disappointing. I think you have to be young, it has to be the '70s and you have to be naive for it to be magical.
Big storm--really, really big storm forecast for yesterday. Guess what? Didn't happen. We were supposed to get 7-12" (me in the "higher elevations") but we ended up with, maybe 4". Oh how I love meteorologists who don't know shit from shinola. Right now there's more snow in the Champlain Valley than at my house. Take a good long look at that sentence because you may never see it again.
The ice on the lake may never go out. Ken & I talked about ice out the other night. I think the latest I've seen the ice go out was May 2nd. We may hit at least that date this year. My date is April 18 (which I couldn't remember the significance of until, sadly, I remembered it was Jamie's birthday. So then I remembered it was also the birth date of my first dog). I used to pick Henry's birthday, the 25th, but stoopidly not this year. ANYWAY, the lake is now covered with snow, which will insulate the ice and delay iceout. The rivers are clear, though, and if the sun ever shines again I will see sparkling diamonds on the Saranac River in Cadyville on my way home.
There were these funny tufts of snow on tree branches on my way to work this morning. They looked just like cotton balls stuck in the tops of trees, very pretty but odd. I took a picture but haven't figured out how to post pictures to Flickr directly, or even to this computer without loading them on the computer (must leave computer sterile, remember) so picture will have to wait. It amazes me just how little I really know about computers, when I think back to the years I spent teaching everyone DOS and how to use a mouse, and the zillion times I took IBM PS2s apart to add boards for external 5 1/2 inch drives or external CD-ROM drives. I am SOOOOO old!
Yes, Vonnegut died. I felt very sad when I heard the news. He certainly was one of my heroes. I read his stuff when I was young and impressionable. I thought Billy Pilgrim was a great character, right there with Heller's Yosarian from Catch-22. The meaning of life. I can remember reading The Sirens of Titan while lying on the bed in Dockside Cabin at camp. It wasn't called Dockside Cabin yet, it was still called by the name of the aunt & uncle whose cabin it had previously been. When I got to the end of the book I thought it was like magic: how cool would a person be to think of that! I still think it's a great book, but when I read it again recently it was disappointing. I think you have to be young, it has to be the '70s and you have to be naive for it to be magical.
Big storm--really, really big storm forecast for yesterday. Guess what? Didn't happen. We were supposed to get 7-12" (me in the "higher elevations") but we ended up with, maybe 4". Oh how I love meteorologists who don't know shit from shinola. Right now there's more snow in the Champlain Valley than at my house. Take a good long look at that sentence because you may never see it again.
The ice on the lake may never go out. Ken & I talked about ice out the other night. I think the latest I've seen the ice go out was May 2nd. We may hit at least that date this year. My date is April 18 (which I couldn't remember the significance of until, sadly, I remembered it was Jamie's birthday. So then I remembered it was also the birth date of my first dog). I used to pick Henry's birthday, the 25th, but stoopidly not this year. ANYWAY, the lake is now covered with snow, which will insulate the ice and delay iceout. The rivers are clear, though, and if the sun ever shines again I will see sparkling diamonds on the Saranac River in Cadyville on my way home.
There were these funny tufts of snow on tree branches on my way to work this morning. They looked just like cotton balls stuck in the tops of trees, very pretty but odd. I took a picture but haven't figured out how to post pictures to Flickr directly, or even to this computer without loading them on the computer (must leave computer sterile, remember) so picture will have to wait. It amazes me just how little I really know about computers, when I think back to the years I spent teaching everyone DOS and how to use a mouse, and the zillion times I took IBM PS2s apart to add boards for external 5 1/2 inch drives or external CD-ROM drives. I am SOOOOO old!
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
AUGH!
Just before I left work on Thursday--for doctor's appointment, then to head home, to pack, organize, relax before leaving for RI early Friday morning: the motherboard on my work computer crapped out. Couldn't turn the computer on. No access to hard drive, where oh-so-much of my treasured information lives. Now I'm working from a laptop for 2 weeks until my new computer arrives. Can't load anything on this computer, can't play with it, must leave it as sterile as it was when I got it.
Here's the real downside: I've lost all of my email addresses. ALL of them. So I need to have all of my faithful blog followers (if there are any) send me their email addresses. If you have 2 , please send them. Book groupers please send as many of them as you have. Barb, send me both of yours, please. Even Molly and Jenica need to send me yours. See, I had everything loaded so that all I had to do was type the first letter or two and BINGO! there you'd all be. I never needed to know your addresses, like speedial on a phone. So thanks for your help.
Easter weekend was nice. Weather not so nice--40's with cold wind. I got there mid-afternoon on Friday, plenty of time to relax and visit. Saturday Liza and I ran a few errands but mostly visited. Mark had just returned from a week in the Bahamas, staying on the small island of Eleuthra in a friend of a friend's house where there was a 2-mile long private beach, so we talked a lot about that. Oh, how nice it sounded! We had delicious cold-water lobsters Saturday night and watched The Devil Wears Prada. Much discussion afterward about whether an actor should be nominated for an Oscar if the performance was good but the movie sucked. Determination: probably not, but maybe exceptions could be made. Not in this case, however.
Sunday we lazed around until afternoon, when we did Easter baskets with our cocktails (frozen daiquiries made with newly acquired blender), then Liza's delicious dinner. All very relaxing, companionable and nice. My dogs love going there, couch is nice and big, Tina bullies them but in the end they all like being together. Tina is my mother's dog, of course. This visit Tina spent a lot of time nudging me to pet her. A LOT of time. Basically she's a not very nice, semi-aggressive dog but she does have her moments.
I left Monday at 10:30 and had a fine trip home. I'm listening to an Iris Johansen book. Never read her, don't particularly care for her but it was entertaining enough to keep me awake. Not much traffic or many assholes on the road.
Home to Arctic conditions. About 4" of snow, 30 degrees, house was 53. 2 fish dead. Took a long time to get the house up to 64. Snow still there today. They plowed the road and pushed a bunch of mud around in my driveway. We're supposed to/may get a whole bunch of snow tomorrow. The tips of my optimistic little crocuses are dark brown and sad-looking. They may recover, but even if they don't I think there are enough to come up and bloom still. Heard a red-winged blackbird this morning, which is an absolute sign of spring (how deceiving!). Also have tree sparrows at the feeder, hopping on the ground to scare up some seed. Also house finches. These are all good signs, but reality bites.
Bought replacement fish last night, paper bag over my head so no one would recognize me. One of the rasboras had a rough time in transit, or was damaged when netted at the store because it was dead this morning. Now THERE'S a death I cannot be blamed for. I put it in the freezer and will get a new, free one tomorrow. The male guppies are spectacular colors and swim really fast so I think sometime, after some future deaths I'll get some of those. I think I may have better luck with them. Or maybe I should just get some plastic fish.
Have done very little work yesterday and today because there have been a lot of problems with this computer. Trouble logging into automated system, staying on automated system, logging onto Web, staying on Web, locking up, not being able to logon--oh, the list goes on and on. I've spent a lot of time wandering around the building, visiting with everyone and killing time. Can't catalog without computer and access to automated system. I did weed the paperbacks, though.
Onward and upward.
Just before I left work on Thursday--for doctor's appointment, then to head home, to pack, organize, relax before leaving for RI early Friday morning: the motherboard on my work computer crapped out. Couldn't turn the computer on. No access to hard drive, where oh-so-much of my treasured information lives. Now I'm working from a laptop for 2 weeks until my new computer arrives. Can't load anything on this computer, can't play with it, must leave it as sterile as it was when I got it.
Here's the real downside: I've lost all of my email addresses. ALL of them. So I need to have all of my faithful blog followers (if there are any) send me their email addresses. If you have 2 , please send them. Book groupers please send as many of them as you have. Barb, send me both of yours, please. Even Molly and Jenica need to send me yours. See, I had everything loaded so that all I had to do was type the first letter or two and BINGO! there you'd all be. I never needed to know your addresses, like speedial on a phone. So thanks for your help.
Easter weekend was nice. Weather not so nice--40's with cold wind. I got there mid-afternoon on Friday, plenty of time to relax and visit. Saturday Liza and I ran a few errands but mostly visited. Mark had just returned from a week in the Bahamas, staying on the small island of Eleuthra in a friend of a friend's house where there was a 2-mile long private beach, so we talked a lot about that. Oh, how nice it sounded! We had delicious cold-water lobsters Saturday night and watched The Devil Wears Prada. Much discussion afterward about whether an actor should be nominated for an Oscar if the performance was good but the movie sucked. Determination: probably not, but maybe exceptions could be made. Not in this case, however.
Sunday we lazed around until afternoon, when we did Easter baskets with our cocktails (frozen daiquiries made with newly acquired blender), then Liza's delicious dinner. All very relaxing, companionable and nice. My dogs love going there, couch is nice and big, Tina bullies them but in the end they all like being together. Tina is my mother's dog, of course. This visit Tina spent a lot of time nudging me to pet her. A LOT of time. Basically she's a not very nice, semi-aggressive dog but she does have her moments.
I left Monday at 10:30 and had a fine trip home. I'm listening to an Iris Johansen book. Never read her, don't particularly care for her but it was entertaining enough to keep me awake. Not much traffic or many assholes on the road.
Home to Arctic conditions. About 4" of snow, 30 degrees, house was 53. 2 fish dead. Took a long time to get the house up to 64. Snow still there today. They plowed the road and pushed a bunch of mud around in my driveway. We're supposed to/may get a whole bunch of snow tomorrow. The tips of my optimistic little crocuses are dark brown and sad-looking. They may recover, but even if they don't I think there are enough to come up and bloom still. Heard a red-winged blackbird this morning, which is an absolute sign of spring (how deceiving!). Also have tree sparrows at the feeder, hopping on the ground to scare up some seed. Also house finches. These are all good signs, but reality bites.
Bought replacement fish last night, paper bag over my head so no one would recognize me. One of the rasboras had a rough time in transit, or was damaged when netted at the store because it was dead this morning. Now THERE'S a death I cannot be blamed for. I put it in the freezer and will get a new, free one tomorrow. The male guppies are spectacular colors and swim really fast so I think sometime, after some future deaths I'll get some of those. I think I may have better luck with them. Or maybe I should just get some plastic fish.
Have done very little work yesterday and today because there have been a lot of problems with this computer. Trouble logging into automated system, staying on automated system, logging onto Web, staying on Web, locking up, not being able to logon--oh, the list goes on and on. I've spent a lot of time wandering around the building, visiting with everyone and killing time. Can't catalog without computer and access to automated system. I did weed the paperbacks, though.
Onward and upward.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Just coming up
These little spikes are some of my crocuses. I planted a whole bunch of new ones last fall (showing my new-found faith in the future) and some of them are just starting to poke through the soil now. The ground is still frozen except for the very top layer. I've been looking closely at the bare patches in my gardens for a week or so and was rewarded for my efforts on Saturday. Hooray! There will be color soon!
Hoofin' along
You might think this dog has a stick in her mouth, but if you look closely you'll see a hoof on the end of the stick. On Sat. I heard Tess playing with something on the deck, making a THUMP-A THUMP-A sound. I figured she'd found a nice big stick & was jumping around with it in her mouth. No...she found a deer's leg and was playing "make the deer walk around on the deck."
She had a great time gnawing on the leg and of course wouldn't give it up until the end of the day. I finally got it away from her (when she left it lying on the deck, just outside of the door). I put it on the dinner table until I could figure out what to do with it. GROSS.
Molly, always a source of solutions to my problems, said I should throw it into the woods along the road somewhere, then it would be someone else's dog who'd be chewing on it. I did just that on Sunday, on my way to Ken's. Wouldn't you know the only car to drive on that road all day drove by just as I had the leg poised in the air above my head?
She had a great time gnawing on the leg and of course wouldn't give it up until the end of the day. I finally got it away from her (when she left it lying on the deck, just outside of the door). I put it on the dinner table until I could figure out what to do with it. GROSS.
Molly, always a source of solutions to my problems, said I should throw it into the woods along the road somewhere, then it would be someone else's dog who'd be chewing on it. I did just that on Sunday, on my way to Ken's. Wouldn't you know the only car to drive on that road all day drove by just as I had the leg poised in the air above my head?
Monday, April 02, 2007
It's April, that's good news. Ken says that we always have bad weather during Holy Week and I think he's right, thinking back to previous years.
I'm leaving for RI Friday morning, the land of daffodils and bare ground. I have more bare ground after this weekend, really very little snow left. I may even walk to camp one of these days. I don't like to take the dogs now because the ice is too thin and they'll try to go out on it. My yellowLab Emma was really smart about that & wouldn't go out on thin ice. These chocolate guys, not smart at all & last year went through the ice & struggled to drag themselves out. Terribly scary for me, awful to witness.
The highlight of weekend was a wonderful walk with Fred & Bill from my driveway to Bill's camp and then to the Holt's new house. I love being with them, the three of us have such a nice time.
I went to the dump on Sat. and got a wonderful, huge stationary bicycle. Most people would realize it was at the dump for a reason, but I was too excited to think about that. I charmed a guy into helping me stuff and bungee it into my trunk, then dragged it up the deck stairs and to the back of the house. Here's the deal: it only has one speed, like high gear so you have to spin like mad to get any exercise. I moved the good TV, the one that gets all the local channels out from the bedroom, so if I'm ever inclined I can spin away and watch the news. I have high hopes, though unrealistic ones.
I had a great visit with the couple who recently bought the small lot (less than an acre) that's half a mile from my house and was subject to wide neighborhood speculation. These guys travel around the East Coast 8 months of the year, are never in one place because they sell kayaks to dealers. They wanted a place in the Adirondacks to spend a few nights a year in the woods. They were clearing the brush and cutting just a few smaller trees. The first time they were there Leroy the neighborhood bully came up to them in the dark with a gun and bellowed "WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON MY LAND???" This guy (whose name I forgot already) said," What are you doing on MY land?" Pretty cool. Then Leroy called the local Dept. of Environ. Conservation Officer, after telling these guys they were going to burn 1000 acres with their tiny bonfire. Larry came out, looked it all over and said, "I came out here for THIS?!!" So all is well and these guys are cool. They spend winters in Central America, living right on the beach of the Pacific. Although this life sounds incredibly cool, they spend 8 months of the year being massively charming to people, demonstrating kayaks and selling their wares. Not really a life I could stand.
Tomorrow we go to Dannemora to barcode their collection. Dannemora is home to Clinton Correctional Facility, an old maximum security prison. It's a very small town, and smack in the center of town is the prison, surrounded by a huge concrete wall with guard towers on top of it. The wall is at least 30 feet high and solid. Imposing, scary and ugly. I've been inside of Clinton, doors slamming shut behind me. It's intimidating, smelly, ugly and awful. Enough to make you never steal even a piece of gum for the rest of your life.
I'm leaving for RI Friday morning, the land of daffodils and bare ground. I have more bare ground after this weekend, really very little snow left. I may even walk to camp one of these days. I don't like to take the dogs now because the ice is too thin and they'll try to go out on it. My yellowLab Emma was really smart about that & wouldn't go out on thin ice. These chocolate guys, not smart at all & last year went through the ice & struggled to drag themselves out. Terribly scary for me, awful to witness.
The highlight of weekend was a wonderful walk with Fred & Bill from my driveway to Bill's camp and then to the Holt's new house. I love being with them, the three of us have such a nice time.
I went to the dump on Sat. and got a wonderful, huge stationary bicycle. Most people would realize it was at the dump for a reason, but I was too excited to think about that. I charmed a guy into helping me stuff and bungee it into my trunk, then dragged it up the deck stairs and to the back of the house. Here's the deal: it only has one speed, like high gear so you have to spin like mad to get any exercise. I moved the good TV, the one that gets all the local channels out from the bedroom, so if I'm ever inclined I can spin away and watch the news. I have high hopes, though unrealistic ones.
I had a great visit with the couple who recently bought the small lot (less than an acre) that's half a mile from my house and was subject to wide neighborhood speculation. These guys travel around the East Coast 8 months of the year, are never in one place because they sell kayaks to dealers. They wanted a place in the Adirondacks to spend a few nights a year in the woods. They were clearing the brush and cutting just a few smaller trees. The first time they were there Leroy the neighborhood bully came up to them in the dark with a gun and bellowed "WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON MY LAND???" This guy (whose name I forgot already) said," What are you doing on MY land?" Pretty cool. Then Leroy called the local Dept. of Environ. Conservation Officer, after telling these guys they were going to burn 1000 acres with their tiny bonfire. Larry came out, looked it all over and said, "I came out here for THIS?!!" So all is well and these guys are cool. They spend winters in Central America, living right on the beach of the Pacific. Although this life sounds incredibly cool, they spend 8 months of the year being massively charming to people, demonstrating kayaks and selling their wares. Not really a life I could stand.
Tomorrow we go to Dannemora to barcode their collection. Dannemora is home to Clinton Correctional Facility, an old maximum security prison. It's a very small town, and smack in the center of town is the prison, surrounded by a huge concrete wall with guard towers on top of it. The wall is at least 30 feet high and solid. Imposing, scary and ugly. I've been inside of Clinton, doors slamming shut behind me. It's intimidating, smelly, ugly and awful. Enough to make you never steal even a piece of gum for the rest of your life.
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