Well, not the last day of civilization, as some think the Mayans predicted, just my last day at work for a week. Last week I asked where winter was--it's here. We're supposed to have snow (or maybe rain, no one seems to know really) and it's supposed to be 0 next week--while I'm in RI. Swell. This year I'm planning to leave more heat on in more rooms, hoping to prevent the inevitable freezing of pipes. My New Year surprise has traditionally been returning to frozen pipes and/or pump. I'll turn the heat on in the cellar to keep the pump warm, and will be more careful about heat. Last year I didn't leave the heat on in the bedroom and the pipes in the laundry room split massively. So I learned about THAT part of the house. The upstairs stays warm, more or less--but there's no heat at the back of the house so the downstairs gets down to mid-40's sometimes.
I spent a day in Tupper Lake this week, which was a nice change. They're far from us and have a different mindset in terms of being part of the community of libraries in the system. I cataloged their stuffed animals (as in taxidermy) and a bunch of old photographs. They have a huge collection of photos, some of which are labeled and some are just mystery groups. Too bad about the ones that aren't labeled.
I bought a big roast (standing rib) for Christmas dinner at Liza's. I'm taking this huge winter squash (mystery kind) that they gave me last weekend when I bought my Christmas tree. The woman who gave it to me said the best thing to do with it is to smash it on the floor then cook it like acorn squash. Mark hates winter squash so I'll have to do better than that for Christmas. Our tradition is lobsters on Christmas Eve, and roast beef for Christmas. What will Anna eat?
I got my tree last Saturday and had it up and decorated by that night. VERY PROUD of myself. It's a really nice tree, since I bought it rather than cut it on my land. I couldn't find any likely candidates though I looked all over, so I gave in and bought one. Boy they're expensive. Anyway, I cut off the bottom foot or so and it fits perfectly on my dinner table, hitting the ceiling. I keep forgetting to take pictures of it. It's a good tree this year and I'm very happy with it.
Dogs are doing well. I put out a bunch of D-Con last night because the mice are really feeling too comfortable in the kitchen and living room. Am hoping the dogs don't find it, don't think they will because it's in the kitchen drawer and at the back of the counter. There was a mouse in the living room this morning, very busy running back & forth. I don't know if it was moving little blue pellets, or what. Treasure was sitting right there but was staring into space (really) so missed the whole thing. Not a good mouser, that dog. Times like that are when I miss my cat. I thought of getting another one, but determined that I want THAT cat and not another one. Last year I spent $200 boarding the cat at Christmas, so it will be nice not to have that expense this time.
I pick up Anna in Montreal tomorrow night. It will be a lot of fun to be with her, and we'll have a good trip to RI on Sunday and a good visit with Liza and Mark. I communicated with my cousin in Hanover and we made plans for a visit on our way home from RI. Just a quick visit to say hello. He's a wonderful person, one of my favorite people and we never see each other. He said some lovely things at Henry's memorial all those years ago and I think that's the last time I saw him.
I bought the new Barbara Kingsolver book, just because I had the money and felt like reading it at my convenience. Also bought the Louise Erdrich book, which won the National Book Award. I tried reading it before but couldn't finish it. Am hoping this time around it'll be more interesting to me. Sometimes those award winners just aren't that great. I taught my book group that lesson the hard way.
Hoping we all enjoy the holiday season--
Friday, December 21, 2012
Friday, December 14, 2012
Where's winter?
I've been writing out my Christmas cards, with little to report for the year. Mostly I write about the weather--like, when will winter get here? We have just about no snow and I know it's not too cold because my electric bill was only $250 for the month of November. I have been good about keeping a hot fire going, more conscientious than in past years, so that no doubt helped keep the cost down.
What I mostly write about are my nieces, of whom I am so very proud. Anna is getting her doctorate in botany at the Univ. of British Columbia in Vancouver and Jenica is very successful as a library director, considering earning her doctorate as well. I'd like to say it's in their genes... Anyway, I'm really pleased and excited for them. On top of being such great achievers, they're both really nice people and I enjoy being with them.
I'll have a chance to be with Anna during Christmas week--she flies into Montreal next Saturday, and on Sunday we'll drive to Rhode Island together to spend the week with Liza and Mark. That will be great fun. Liza, Mark and I have really nice Christmases together, and having Anna will be a bonus. I usually see one friend during my Christmas break in RI, and expect to see her this year. She was a neighbor for several years when I lived in RI, and we sort of lost touch but re-discovered each other some years ago. Her sister was murdered and I was totally oblivious to the pain that caused at the time, but realized much later what an awful thing that was (and what a lousy friend I had been during that time). So Linda & I get together for a lunch/afternoon visit. Sometimes we go to Newport, sometimes we're on the other side of the bay.
I had a wonderful birthday. Almost worth turning 60 for. I won $100 on a gifted lottery scratch ticket, which wasn't even the highlight of my day. I had many calls, cards, greetings and feel cared about and loved. How lucky am I? I'm not thrilled at being my age (but then, who really is?) and take some comfort in the constant "You don't look 60" comments I hear. But let's face it, 60 is 60. I'm in good health (mentally and physically) and have a really nice life. I do worry about my future, and how I'll arrange my life when I get older. How many years can I continue to carry wood for? And will I be able to stay on OHR, spending so much time alone? I know Annie Holt will be spending more time there, but basically my nearest neighbor is half a mile away, and that's not even someone I spend much time with. Pat & Jim will be there, though they're in their 70's now. Oh I don't mean to sound dreary, I'm just thinking.
I started weaving baskets for Christmas presents (swell, now I've ruined the surprise)--spent hours last weekend trying to figure out a pattern that used to come easily to me. I've already accepted the fact that I can't shape baskets anymore, but to have so much trouble with a simple pattern was really depressing. I finally mastered it but made too many mistakes in the final product to do anything with it but burn it. Then I made some baskets that I KNEW I could make. Do I enjoy making them as much as I used to? I don't think so, but maybe it will come back to me. I'm not sure why I soured on basketmaking. I was working full time and weaving in every spare moment, which was tiring and less fun than doing it just when I wanted to. I had a good business with lots of wholesale customers. I'm amazed at how many baskets I made and how easy it was for me to weave. Yes, I still enjoy the process of seeing something evolve as I weave--but my level of skill is not what it used to be and that's frustrating.
This weekend I hope to get a Christmas tree & put it up. A tabletop tree again--that seems to work really well and is easy for me to handle alone. I think I'll buy one; I've been scouting on my land and don't see anything that's big enough yet small enough to cut down. So I'll buy a bigger one and cut it in half. Or something. I like having a tree--partly because I love to display my collection of ornaments, and partly because I like the sparkly lights in my house. White lights or colored? I like colored on the indoor tree but have white lights on an outdoor tree. Some years no one but me sees my tree, which doesn't bother me. This year I'll share the tree with Anna.
What I mostly write about are my nieces, of whom I am so very proud. Anna is getting her doctorate in botany at the Univ. of British Columbia in Vancouver and Jenica is very successful as a library director, considering earning her doctorate as well. I'd like to say it's in their genes... Anyway, I'm really pleased and excited for them. On top of being such great achievers, they're both really nice people and I enjoy being with them.
I'll have a chance to be with Anna during Christmas week--she flies into Montreal next Saturday, and on Sunday we'll drive to Rhode Island together to spend the week with Liza and Mark. That will be great fun. Liza, Mark and I have really nice Christmases together, and having Anna will be a bonus. I usually see one friend during my Christmas break in RI, and expect to see her this year. She was a neighbor for several years when I lived in RI, and we sort of lost touch but re-discovered each other some years ago. Her sister was murdered and I was totally oblivious to the pain that caused at the time, but realized much later what an awful thing that was (and what a lousy friend I had been during that time). So Linda & I get together for a lunch/afternoon visit. Sometimes we go to Newport, sometimes we're on the other side of the bay.
I had a wonderful birthday. Almost worth turning 60 for. I won $100 on a gifted lottery scratch ticket, which wasn't even the highlight of my day. I had many calls, cards, greetings and feel cared about and loved. How lucky am I? I'm not thrilled at being my age (but then, who really is?) and take some comfort in the constant "You don't look 60" comments I hear. But let's face it, 60 is 60. I'm in good health (mentally and physically) and have a really nice life. I do worry about my future, and how I'll arrange my life when I get older. How many years can I continue to carry wood for? And will I be able to stay on OHR, spending so much time alone? I know Annie Holt will be spending more time there, but basically my nearest neighbor is half a mile away, and that's not even someone I spend much time with. Pat & Jim will be there, though they're in their 70's now. Oh I don't mean to sound dreary, I'm just thinking.
I started weaving baskets for Christmas presents (swell, now I've ruined the surprise)--spent hours last weekend trying to figure out a pattern that used to come easily to me. I've already accepted the fact that I can't shape baskets anymore, but to have so much trouble with a simple pattern was really depressing. I finally mastered it but made too many mistakes in the final product to do anything with it but burn it. Then I made some baskets that I KNEW I could make. Do I enjoy making them as much as I used to? I don't think so, but maybe it will come back to me. I'm not sure why I soured on basketmaking. I was working full time and weaving in every spare moment, which was tiring and less fun than doing it just when I wanted to. I had a good business with lots of wholesale customers. I'm amazed at how many baskets I made and how easy it was for me to weave. Yes, I still enjoy the process of seeing something evolve as I weave--but my level of skill is not what it used to be and that's frustrating.
This weekend I hope to get a Christmas tree & put it up. A tabletop tree again--that seems to work really well and is easy for me to handle alone. I think I'll buy one; I've been scouting on my land and don't see anything that's big enough yet small enough to cut down. So I'll buy a bigger one and cut it in half. Or something. I like having a tree--partly because I love to display my collection of ornaments, and partly because I like the sparkly lights in my house. White lights or colored? I like colored on the indoor tree but have white lights on an outdoor tree. Some years no one but me sees my tree, which doesn't bother me. This year I'll share the tree with Anna.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
12/12/12 Happy birthday to me
Well I had to take a picture on my birthday. This is a view from the road to Wilmington. Fred & I always joke because a few times I drove on this road with friends who said "OH!! What a beautiful view!" So now every time I see this view I smile.
Wednesday, December 05, 2012
A week later and a week to go
Yes, I've got exactly one more week to enjoy my 50's. On 12-12-12 I turn 60, which is pretty dramatic for me. I have enough "older" friends to know that 60 is not a big deal, but I can't believe how old I am! How did this happen? I noticed that an award show on TV was celebrating its 40th year. Yegads I remember 40 years ago quite clearly.
Speaking of television, I'm having trouble with my Dish receiver, which means I stare at a blank screen on the TV waiting for something to happen. I get a warning message, I get "Starting up" but the 3 lights on the receiver are not lit. So I'll have to call customer service. I just went through this and the problem was diagnosed as a bad power strip, so I plugged it into the wall. Now I'm having the same problem. I'll have to go through the diagnostics with Technician #1, who will be about 15 years old, will mumble and be hard to hear, and won't want to pass me along to anyone who really knows how to solve problems. Oh what I'll do for television! I stared at the screen for quite a while this morning at 6 a.m. (wistfully). I got up at 2 and dozed off & on on the couch until the TV quit. I'm hooked on Jump Start videos on VH1 Classic.
I had my blood work done this morning, plus stopped at the bank and Starbucks and still was early to work. Oh it pays to leave the house at 6:30. I have an appointment with my doctor Friday afternoon and am desperately trying to lose a few pounds before then. So far=1 pound lost this week. I'm supposed to be treadmilling and/or walking regularly too keep my cholesterol levels down. And up. Good & bad. Anyway, I walked the bog with the dogs over the weekend but found that to be pretty dull. There was 6" of snow. The dogs loved it. Me? Not so much.
We had all that snow, then we had rain and warm weather and now we have no snow. Which is OK--there's plenty of time for snow. It was down to 1 at my house one morning, indoor temp was 51 another evening. That's what happens when you let the fire go out and don't turn the heat on. Now the heat is on low in the living room only and it's OK. But then, it was 50 yesterday.
I've been feeding the birds but so far I only have chickadees. In the summer Linda and I sit under her feeders and watch Channel Chickadee. They are cute little things, and they're quite tame. They nag when I don't fill an empty feeder. I had one in my house last month--a warm day when I left the door open. I often have hummingbirds in the house in the summer, but this was a first. I finally convinced it to get low enough so I could throw a dish towel over it & set it free. They are tiny things. I also have blue jays, which, if you look at them objectively are quite pretty. They're too annoying to be really pretty, though.
The dogs are doing well. They still seem to be visiting Dead Deer Alley and I have to retrieve them pretty much daily. This morning they were gone for a long time so I honked the horn. That sometimes work, and today was one of those times! Yay for Tess, who came running up the driveway. Treasure has yet to learn about the call of the honking horn=dog biscuit. She came soon after. I don't like it when they get separated, probably because of the trapping incident. WHY DON'T I KEEP BETTER TRACK OF THEM??? Because I'm lazy. And I like to have them entertain themselves without me. But now that I have no TV maybe that will change. It's dark when I leave in the morning, and dark when I get home, but I could at least entertain them in the living room.
I've been doing some Christmas shopping but must admit that I'm not inspired this year. Maybe because I don't have "the perfect gift" for Mark or my mother. Just odds & ends of things. A Coleman lantern for Liza for when her power goes out. Clothes. I still haven't got the Italy stuff yet; looks as if those presents will be late this year. Like that's any different.
Tomorrow I'm going on a tour of a library in Montreal. My director's idea. I don't really know why we're going but it will be nice to see another library. Friday I have a meeting in the morning. Today? Not much going on. I really, really need to clean my desk but cannot bring myself to start. Where do I start? That's the problem. I shuffle papers around and look at the books needing my attention every day or so, then put everything back. rats.
Speaking of television, I'm having trouble with my Dish receiver, which means I stare at a blank screen on the TV waiting for something to happen. I get a warning message, I get "Starting up" but the 3 lights on the receiver are not lit. So I'll have to call customer service. I just went through this and the problem was diagnosed as a bad power strip, so I plugged it into the wall. Now I'm having the same problem. I'll have to go through the diagnostics with Technician #1, who will be about 15 years old, will mumble and be hard to hear, and won't want to pass me along to anyone who really knows how to solve problems. Oh what I'll do for television! I stared at the screen for quite a while this morning at 6 a.m. (wistfully). I got up at 2 and dozed off & on on the couch until the TV quit. I'm hooked on Jump Start videos on VH1 Classic.
I had my blood work done this morning, plus stopped at the bank and Starbucks and still was early to work. Oh it pays to leave the house at 6:30. I have an appointment with my doctor Friday afternoon and am desperately trying to lose a few pounds before then. So far=1 pound lost this week. I'm supposed to be treadmilling and/or walking regularly too keep my cholesterol levels down. And up. Good & bad. Anyway, I walked the bog with the dogs over the weekend but found that to be pretty dull. There was 6" of snow. The dogs loved it. Me? Not so much.
We had all that snow, then we had rain and warm weather and now we have no snow. Which is OK--there's plenty of time for snow. It was down to 1 at my house one morning, indoor temp was 51 another evening. That's what happens when you let the fire go out and don't turn the heat on. Now the heat is on low in the living room only and it's OK. But then, it was 50 yesterday.
I've been feeding the birds but so far I only have chickadees. In the summer Linda and I sit under her feeders and watch Channel Chickadee. They are cute little things, and they're quite tame. They nag when I don't fill an empty feeder. I had one in my house last month--a warm day when I left the door open. I often have hummingbirds in the house in the summer, but this was a first. I finally convinced it to get low enough so I could throw a dish towel over it & set it free. They are tiny things. I also have blue jays, which, if you look at them objectively are quite pretty. They're too annoying to be really pretty, though.
The dogs are doing well. They still seem to be visiting Dead Deer Alley and I have to retrieve them pretty much daily. This morning they were gone for a long time so I honked the horn. That sometimes work, and today was one of those times! Yay for Tess, who came running up the driveway. Treasure has yet to learn about the call of the honking horn=dog biscuit. She came soon after. I don't like it when they get separated, probably because of the trapping incident. WHY DON'T I KEEP BETTER TRACK OF THEM??? Because I'm lazy. And I like to have them entertain themselves without me. But now that I have no TV maybe that will change. It's dark when I leave in the morning, and dark when I get home, but I could at least entertain them in the living room.
I've been doing some Christmas shopping but must admit that I'm not inspired this year. Maybe because I don't have "the perfect gift" for Mark or my mother. Just odds & ends of things. A Coleman lantern for Liza for when her power goes out. Clothes. I still haven't got the Italy stuff yet; looks as if those presents will be late this year. Like that's any different.
Tomorrow I'm going on a tour of a library in Montreal. My director's idea. I don't really know why we're going but it will be nice to see another library. Friday I have a meeting in the morning. Today? Not much going on. I really, really need to clean my desk but cannot bring myself to start. Where do I start? That's the problem. I shuffle papers around and look at the books needing my attention every day or so, then put everything back. rats.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Thanks for Thanksgiving
Had a good trip to Rhode Island for Thanksgiving, got to take Weds. off and drive there in the morning. Got there early afternoon, which was nice--traveling in daylight. Jenica arrived that night and we were complete. Mark & I walked the dogs in the park on Thanksgiving morning, then we had our usual ceremonial breakfast of fresh bagels and lox. Yum. Dinner was at 3:30, supposed to be at 4 but the bird was done early. Good food--mashed potatoes, lima beans (2 kinds), boiled onions, stuffing, squash, gravy, turkey. Did I leave anything out? I made 2 pumpkin pies, using fresh pumpkin puree from Lin and Martha Stewart's really good recipe. We hadn't finished the second one when I left on Sunday.
We spent a lot of time visiting in the living room--Jenica and I were knitting, Liza and Mark were reading. I went through TV withdrawal. We watched To Kill a Mockingbird, which I bought for Liza because she'd never seen it. All stayed awake for it, which was pretty amazing.
We went on a long beach tour to see hurricane damage. We had lobsters and clams. We slept well. The weather was OK, not too cold. The dogs had a good time, especially because there's a pen there and when they come in from the pen they gets BISCUITS. They traveled well, didn't chew anything in the car either day.
I came home on Sunday, leaving early because there was rumored to be heavy traffic (10% of Americans traveled more than 50 miles--or some combination of those figures). The traffic was fine, though, and I made good time, getting home by 3. Snow on the ground and a cold house (44) when I got home, but I could at least warm the house. Can't do anything about the snow. It's been snowing every day since then, but we only have a couple of inches on the ground. It's supposed to get colder this week, down to 8 with a wind chill of zero. If you believe in wind chill. I've been having great luck with my firewood, keeping the fire going day and night. It's great.
I got up at 2 this morning, couldn't sleep so figured I might as well get up. What did I do with this "found" time? NOTHING. The dogs ran off to Dead Deer Alley and I finally dozed for an hour or so before getting ready for work. I hate to do housework in the dark, which is why I did NOTHING.
We spent a lot of time visiting in the living room--Jenica and I were knitting, Liza and Mark were reading. I went through TV withdrawal. We watched To Kill a Mockingbird, which I bought for Liza because she'd never seen it. All stayed awake for it, which was pretty amazing.
We went on a long beach tour to see hurricane damage. We had lobsters and clams. We slept well. The weather was OK, not too cold. The dogs had a good time, especially because there's a pen there and when they come in from the pen they gets BISCUITS. They traveled well, didn't chew anything in the car either day.
I came home on Sunday, leaving early because there was rumored to be heavy traffic (10% of Americans traveled more than 50 miles--or some combination of those figures). The traffic was fine, though, and I made good time, getting home by 3. Snow on the ground and a cold house (44) when I got home, but I could at least warm the house. Can't do anything about the snow. It's been snowing every day since then, but we only have a couple of inches on the ground. It's supposed to get colder this week, down to 8 with a wind chill of zero. If you believe in wind chill. I've been having great luck with my firewood, keeping the fire going day and night. It's great.
I got up at 2 this morning, couldn't sleep so figured I might as well get up. What did I do with this "found" time? NOTHING. The dogs ran off to Dead Deer Alley and I finally dozed for an hour or so before getting ready for work. I hate to do housework in the dark, which is why I did NOTHING.
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Here's a peaceful, resting trio. We spent a lot of time visiting and sitting around the living room. This is Liza trying to take a nap while sharing the couch with the dogs.
Mother at the beach
That's my mother. Isn't she cute? It was a cold, windy day with just a litle sun now & then. We went to about 5 beaches to survey damage done by Hurricane Sandy. The movement of the sand/beach was incredible.
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Our favorite breakfast place (Jim's Dock), now on I-beams with no deck or place to eat outside. They're rebuilding the deck, though, and will doubtless put the building back. It doesn't look as if it suffered too much damage.
pavillion at Town Beach--no more pergola
There used to be an elevated walkway and places to sit on the front of this building. There also used to be a beach in front of it.
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This house is a landmark--much like Silver Lake Mtn., and it's photographed as often. They're going to tear it down, though, it's just not feasible to keep it. It used to be on the beach but not ON the beach.
Only damage to this one was lost stairs
This is a nice house but it's too close to the water. They fared OK, though.
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The house in the middle of the picture used to be about 8' closer to the ground. The ground moved.
Surf's up--way up
I like this picture. It looks like something an artist might try to paint a picture of. The wind was whipping and the surf was up. Pretty cool.
SHE WENT IN THE WATER!
Treasure would absolutely NOT go in the water at Silver Lake all summer. On our beach walk, though, she was chasing Tess and they ended up in the pond next to the beach. WOW! She ran way in but when it got so deep she had to swim she turned around. I don't think she realized what she was doing, but she didn't seem to mind. Come on, Treasure, you're a WATER DOG.
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They spent a lot of time doing this. Luckily my mother has other places to sit in the living room.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Friday YIPPEE
Not that I have any big plans for the weekend, but I like my time off. I stayed home until late this morning, using up time. I love mornings at my house--dont' know why, it's not that much more peaceful than any other time, but it's just nice to be at home and enjoy where I live in the morning. More than in the afternoon? I doubt it.
The dogs visited Dead Deer Alley this morning and I had to wander over there to get them. So far we have a good collection of deer parts--I'm hoping for a full skeleton so I can prop it up in the yard and put lights on it. not. I have a ribcage and spinal column to go with the leg Treasure brought home last week. Yuck.
What's up for the weekend? Lin & I are planning a trip to Wilmington to visit the gallery of friends, plus make a stop at the world-famous thrift store there. Will we see Marylou?
It's still cold in the morning, 13 today, with highs in the 40's. Jacket weather, but NOT winter coat weather. And sunny, clear and sunny. Very nice. I had lunch with Fred, which was a nice, unplanned treat. We had a lot to say to each other and enjoyed our visit.
Am still weeding the collection here at work, but today I worked on the fiction collection for a change of pace. Much simpler than the non-fiction, the decisions make themselves. Now I have to pack up the discards & send them off to a correctional facility. Inmates will read just about anything.
I'll stop at Pat & Jim's tonight, bur first must get to drug store for drugs, and store for CO2 cartridge for my soda maker. Cannot make it through a whole weekend without seltzer water. I had a great time this morning, stopped at the dump on the way in, then went grocery shopping so I don't have to do that this afternoon. Oh I'm so clever.
Cute pictures from my friend Barb--of her really, really sweet grandchildren. So many of my friends are now becoming grandparents--there's really a big bunch of them. And they're all thrilled, just thrilled to have grandchildren. My mother doesn't remember how excited she was when her first grandchild--or subsequent grandchildren--was born. She adores her grandchildren now, and was truly thrilled when they were born. As was I. I like having nieces and a nephew, it's reallly great to have relatives that you love, really love.
My cousin's son (and ex-husband's brother) has gone to Kuala Lumpur (or however you spell it) from Lake Placid. He's divorced, had a girlfriend for a long time but apparently met this woman online and has taken off and left his very conventional life behind to be with her. So far he's happy to be there but boy oh boy is it hard to picture him so far from home. I hope it all works out for him, he's very excited and is enjoying the experience. Would I ever do that? Well, I traveled a thousand miles to be with someone when I was young (very young)--what would I do now? Doubtful that I'd leave what I have.
The dogs visited Dead Deer Alley this morning and I had to wander over there to get them. So far we have a good collection of deer parts--I'm hoping for a full skeleton so I can prop it up in the yard and put lights on it. not. I have a ribcage and spinal column to go with the leg Treasure brought home last week. Yuck.
What's up for the weekend? Lin & I are planning a trip to Wilmington to visit the gallery of friends, plus make a stop at the world-famous thrift store there. Will we see Marylou?
It's still cold in the morning, 13 today, with highs in the 40's. Jacket weather, but NOT winter coat weather. And sunny, clear and sunny. Very nice. I had lunch with Fred, which was a nice, unplanned treat. We had a lot to say to each other and enjoyed our visit.
Am still weeding the collection here at work, but today I worked on the fiction collection for a change of pace. Much simpler than the non-fiction, the decisions make themselves. Now I have to pack up the discards & send them off to a correctional facility. Inmates will read just about anything.
I'll stop at Pat & Jim's tonight, bur first must get to drug store for drugs, and store for CO2 cartridge for my soda maker. Cannot make it through a whole weekend without seltzer water. I had a great time this morning, stopped at the dump on the way in, then went grocery shopping so I don't have to do that this afternoon. Oh I'm so clever.
Cute pictures from my friend Barb--of her really, really sweet grandchildren. So many of my friends are now becoming grandparents--there's really a big bunch of them. And they're all thrilled, just thrilled to have grandchildren. My mother doesn't remember how excited she was when her first grandchild--or subsequent grandchildren--was born. She adores her grandchildren now, and was truly thrilled when they were born. As was I. I like having nieces and a nephew, it's reallly great to have relatives that you love, really love.
My cousin's son (and ex-husband's brother) has gone to Kuala Lumpur (or however you spell it) from Lake Placid. He's divorced, had a girlfriend for a long time but apparently met this woman online and has taken off and left his very conventional life behind to be with her. So far he's happy to be there but boy oh boy is it hard to picture him so far from home. I hope it all works out for him, he's very excited and is enjoying the experience. Would I ever do that? Well, I traveled a thousand miles to be with someone when I was young (very young)--what would I do now? Doubtful that I'd leave what I have.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Getting colder
It's cool outside right now, much colder than it was yesterday and the day before. Yesterday was perfectiion--65 and sunny. What a fantastic day it was. I spent a lot of time outside with the dogs. And helped a stranded motorist at the bog (flat tire). Found out about a closer AAA garage, which might come in handy. If I ever join again.
I did laundry, lots of laundry. CANNOT get dog hairs out of comforter. Note to self: only buy dark-colored bedding.
I knitted. Am knitting a scarf that, though very pretty, is too stiff to be comfortable or useful. But I'm having a good time knitting.
I watched a LOT of music videos. I love VH1 Classic. When I was recuperating from a nasty and depressing surgery many years ago a good friend taped hours and hours of music videos for me to watch. At that time I didn't have access to MTV or VH1 so was bedazzled by music videos. Now I've rediscovered them, plus some nice other features. Oh my, I can waste a lot of time with this...
Back to work after 3 days off. Very nice days off. I didn't get a whole lot accomplished, but I enjoyed myself and my dogs. We went for a couple of road trips, which were very nice. I went out for dinner in Saranac Lake with a friend. I walked my dogs. I tidied my house. And I did NOT have to light any fires. Until this morning. And that was to hedge my bets more than anything else. It's supposed to be pretty cool this week so I'll be back into the fire-making routine. I kept the fire going for about 5 days last week, using coals to start new fires. Didn't light a match for days, felt great.
Tomorrow I have my snow tires put on--this is incredibly early for me to be doing this, but I have the money right now and will just spend it on something else if I don't do it now. It's expensive because I only have one set of rims. How many times have I paid for a second set in charges for putting tires on rims? Many times I figure. But that's why I'll never be wealthy--I don't do what's fiscally smart, I do what works for me at the time. Anyway, good for me to be getting this done in November, before we have snow.
Life is moving at the right pace. And in the right direction.
I did laundry, lots of laundry. CANNOT get dog hairs out of comforter. Note to self: only buy dark-colored bedding.
I knitted. Am knitting a scarf that, though very pretty, is too stiff to be comfortable or useful. But I'm having a good time knitting.
I watched a LOT of music videos. I love VH1 Classic. When I was recuperating from a nasty and depressing surgery many years ago a good friend taped hours and hours of music videos for me to watch. At that time I didn't have access to MTV or VH1 so was bedazzled by music videos. Now I've rediscovered them, plus some nice other features. Oh my, I can waste a lot of time with this...
Back to work after 3 days off. Very nice days off. I didn't get a whole lot accomplished, but I enjoyed myself and my dogs. We went for a couple of road trips, which were very nice. I went out for dinner in Saranac Lake with a friend. I walked my dogs. I tidied my house. And I did NOT have to light any fires. Until this morning. And that was to hedge my bets more than anything else. It's supposed to be pretty cool this week so I'll be back into the fire-making routine. I kept the fire going for about 5 days last week, using coals to start new fires. Didn't light a match for days, felt great.
Tomorrow I have my snow tires put on--this is incredibly early for me to be doing this, but I have the money right now and will just spend it on something else if I don't do it now. It's expensive because I only have one set of rims. How many times have I paid for a second set in charges for putting tires on rims? Many times I figure. But that's why I'll never be wealthy--I don't do what's fiscally smart, I do what works for me at the time. Anyway, good for me to be getting this done in November, before we have snow.
Life is moving at the right pace. And in the right direction.
One more picture of the mtn.
No particular reason to take this shot, just a random picture of a cold lake on a relatively warm day. I have a friend who suggested I take a picture of the mountain every day for a year. Well, I think we've collectively done just about that. There are times when it really doesn't change much from one day to the next.
Whiteface from Norman Ridge
Just a nice sight. Taken on my way home from Saranac Lake Friday afternoon. Not so much snow left on the mountain after the weekend's high temps in 50's and 60's. Wow what a weekend we had.
Lovely ladies
I took about 15 pictures like this, trying to get them to look nice and pose for Christmas cards. This is about as good as it gets. Tess hates to pose & walks away when I take out the camera. Treasure puts her ears back and looks ugly. I guess I do about the same thing.
Friday, November 02, 2012
Drama in Hawkeye
Since the storm offered no drama, my dog Treasure decided to add a little something to our life. She disappeared on Wednesday night, didn't return with Tess as she ALWAYS does. I was concerned, but waited a while. A while turned into hours, so I got hysterical and drove around the neighborhood, calling and calling. I checked our camp, hoping she had closed herself in on the back porch--nope, that's not where she was. I slept on the couch, hoping she'd wake me up by banging on the front door. Morning came and there was no Treasure. By now I was beside myself, not knowing what to do next. I walked (with Tess) to each camp in the neighborhood, walked around and called her. Most of the camps have screen doors that open out so she didn't get in and get stuck anywhere.
This was the pits. Finally I decided to walk across the land to Fred's camp, hoping she was there. Well BINGO! She was in the field across from my house, with her toe caught in a trap. Very dramatic, the whole thing. It was hard to open the trap but I did, she freed herself and refused to put any weight on the damaged toe all the way home. I felt the toe, the leg, the paw--there was no obvious damage. To her body, maybe, but her psyche suffered considerable damage. She's barely recovered, limps when she remembers to, moans and whines quite a bit (while wagging her tail). Tess, ever the jealous one, seems to have dismissed the entire thing. She knew where Treasure was but wouldn't tell me. So, Timmy, if you're ever lost in the mine, don't rely on Tess to bring help. And Treasure was too stupid to make enough noise for me to hear her. I walked past the gated entrance to the field in my searches, but she didn't respond to my calls. What a pair they are, those dogs. The whole thing was awful but did let me know how much Treasure means to me and how important it is for me to keep track of my dogs. Now when they go out they're only allowed to be loose for about 5 minutes before I call them back in. This means I'll have to walk them so they'll get at least a modicum of exercise. But that will be good for me, for sure.
I just walked 20 minutes on the treadmill at work. I walked so much the other night that I felt very righteous, but since I couldn't think of an errand to run during lunch, I did the right thing and walked. Good for me. This is a pitiful attempt at what could barely be called exercise, but it's a start. I'm still carrying the weight I gained over the summer.
The weekend looks quiet from here. No big plans, nothing going on. I should finish the projects I've yet to complete for my friend Barb's grandchildren. I could always start sorting the crap that fills the master bedroom. I'll watch a lot of TV.
My mother finally got electricity, this morning at 5:30. Their power went out after the storm on Monday, so she's been playing Pioneer Girl all week. She did very well but got really bored and tired of reading by candle light. Don't blame her. We agreed that washing dishes and flusing toilets use a lot of water. Mark did water runs to the Wakefield branch of his bagelry, so at least she didn't have to fuss with that. She's a peach.
This was the pits. Finally I decided to walk across the land to Fred's camp, hoping she was there. Well BINGO! She was in the field across from my house, with her toe caught in a trap. Very dramatic, the whole thing. It was hard to open the trap but I did, she freed herself and refused to put any weight on the damaged toe all the way home. I felt the toe, the leg, the paw--there was no obvious damage. To her body, maybe, but her psyche suffered considerable damage. She's barely recovered, limps when she remembers to, moans and whines quite a bit (while wagging her tail). Tess, ever the jealous one, seems to have dismissed the entire thing. She knew where Treasure was but wouldn't tell me. So, Timmy, if you're ever lost in the mine, don't rely on Tess to bring help. And Treasure was too stupid to make enough noise for me to hear her. I walked past the gated entrance to the field in my searches, but she didn't respond to my calls. What a pair they are, those dogs. The whole thing was awful but did let me know how much Treasure means to me and how important it is for me to keep track of my dogs. Now when they go out they're only allowed to be loose for about 5 minutes before I call them back in. This means I'll have to walk them so they'll get at least a modicum of exercise. But that will be good for me, for sure.
I just walked 20 minutes on the treadmill at work. I walked so much the other night that I felt very righteous, but since I couldn't think of an errand to run during lunch, I did the right thing and walked. Good for me. This is a pitiful attempt at what could barely be called exercise, but it's a start. I'm still carrying the weight I gained over the summer.
The weekend looks quiet from here. No big plans, nothing going on. I should finish the projects I've yet to complete for my friend Barb's grandchildren. I could always start sorting the crap that fills the master bedroom. I'll watch a lot of TV.
My mother finally got electricity, this morning at 5:30. Their power went out after the storm on Monday, so she's been playing Pioneer Girl all week. She did very well but got really bored and tired of reading by candle light. Don't blame her. We agreed that washing dishes and flusing toilets use a lot of water. Mark did water runs to the Wakefield branch of his bagelry, so at least she didn't have to fuss with that. She's a peach.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
What happened to Sandy?
We got lucky. Well, so far anyway. I suppose things could develop still and we could have some trouble. Still have high wind alerts, though not really very high winds. It's 65 and sort of sunny this afternoon. Whoa. Very strange. Due to get cold, highs in the 40's, which I suppose we should be expecting in November.
The storm was great here--nothing very dramatic, just some noisy wind and a little rain. Whew! Dodged that bullet. I was set to lose power, figured it was a done deal. My poor mother, in RI, lost power and phone, so I can't contact her. I left a message with the person who lives with her that I'm OK and we didn't have much of a storm. Hoping she's fine, fairly certain she is.
I had a really nice evening--dinner at Big Daddy's diner with Fred, Bill and Pat. For P's birthday. Everyone was in rare form and feeling very, very cheerful. We laughed a lot, and the food was actually pretty good.
I feel bad for the flooded areas south of us. Water damage is hard to fix, and rising tides are scary. They kept showing the seawall at Narragansett (RI) on TWC last night. Funny place for them to park, but it was scary enough. I guess there were mandatory evacuations along the coast, not far from my mother's house. Well, a few miles anyway. But she's inland and in the woods and doesn't have flooding with tides.
Haircut tonight (just a trim) then home. I'm still adjusting to the solitude of my normal life. People have been gone for a while but it still seems strange to go straight home and not talk to or see anyone. The dogs like it, and I like them. No sign of Kitty. He came down from the tree last week and disappeared. I'm suggesting he will reappear at Lin's, which is at least 15 miles away.
I've found myself being a little bored at home lately. Too much boring television, not enough activity. I need to get out and walk the dogs. I need to return to camp to shut the power off--that will be a nice dog walk. Maybe tonight. Or not.
The storm was great here--nothing very dramatic, just some noisy wind and a little rain. Whew! Dodged that bullet. I was set to lose power, figured it was a done deal. My poor mother, in RI, lost power and phone, so I can't contact her. I left a message with the person who lives with her that I'm OK and we didn't have much of a storm. Hoping she's fine, fairly certain she is.
I had a really nice evening--dinner at Big Daddy's diner with Fred, Bill and Pat. For P's birthday. Everyone was in rare form and feeling very, very cheerful. We laughed a lot, and the food was actually pretty good.
I feel bad for the flooded areas south of us. Water damage is hard to fix, and rising tides are scary. They kept showing the seawall at Narragansett (RI) on TWC last night. Funny place for them to park, but it was scary enough. I guess there were mandatory evacuations along the coast, not far from my mother's house. Well, a few miles anyway. But she's inland and in the woods and doesn't have flooding with tides.
Haircut tonight (just a trim) then home. I'm still adjusting to the solitude of my normal life. People have been gone for a while but it still seems strange to go straight home and not talk to or see anyone. The dogs like it, and I like them. No sign of Kitty. He came down from the tree last week and disappeared. I'm suggesting he will reappear at Lin's, which is at least 15 miles away.
I've found myself being a little bored at home lately. Too much boring television, not enough activity. I need to get out and walk the dogs. I need to return to camp to shut the power off--that will be a nice dog walk. Maybe tonight. Or not.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Early morning water
Up at 4:30 this morning--excited, maybe about having running water once again. No, not really--it's exciting, but since I went to bed just after 8, by 4 I was ready to get up. The dogs love it when we get up that early, but they pretty much pass out within an hour. Right now they're both snoring on the couch next to me. I'm watching VH1 music videos (what else do you watch at this hour?).
So I have water. The problem was in the foot valve, as predicted, and once that was fixed it took a couple of hours to prime the pump/line, but now all is well. No pun intended. Water level in the well is very low, so I'll continue to do laundry elsewhere, but I have a toilet! That flushes! Very exciting. No more begrudging the dogs their water. No more resenting plants that want to be watered.
It's warm here, very nice. The calm before the storm, apparently. We're supposed to have mostly a wind issue, with some rain but not too much, not as much as we had with last year's big storm. Winds are an irritant--power outage is almost a certainty. Swell, now that I finally have water again I'll lose it when the power goes out. I have lots of jugs of water, and can cook on my propane camp stove, but OH NO there will be no TV. I have books to read. I have a wood stove to keep me warm. I have dogs to play with. How bad can it be? Boring, that's all.
I talked to my sister this morning--one of the advantages of having a relative in Europe is that you can call them at 5 in the morning. We had a nice chat. They're doing big things with their house, which is very exciting. New floors. Should be great, and I'll get there to see it all one of these years.
What's up for today? I'll do laundry at the Holts, put away my kayak, clean out the camp fridge, finish clearing off the deck (get rid of potentil projectiles--who wants a planter flying through their window in a hurricane?), will visit Pat & Jim at noon, and probably fall asleep this afternoon. I'm not too worried about the storm, just wish it would hurry up and get here. The anticipation is sometimes worse than the event.
All is well with me. Life is returning to normal.
So I have water. The problem was in the foot valve, as predicted, and once that was fixed it took a couple of hours to prime the pump/line, but now all is well. No pun intended. Water level in the well is very low, so I'll continue to do laundry elsewhere, but I have a toilet! That flushes! Very exciting. No more begrudging the dogs their water. No more resenting plants that want to be watered.
It's warm here, very nice. The calm before the storm, apparently. We're supposed to have mostly a wind issue, with some rain but not too much, not as much as we had with last year's big storm. Winds are an irritant--power outage is almost a certainty. Swell, now that I finally have water again I'll lose it when the power goes out. I have lots of jugs of water, and can cook on my propane camp stove, but OH NO there will be no TV. I have books to read. I have a wood stove to keep me warm. I have dogs to play with. How bad can it be? Boring, that's all.
I talked to my sister this morning--one of the advantages of having a relative in Europe is that you can call them at 5 in the morning. We had a nice chat. They're doing big things with their house, which is very exciting. New floors. Should be great, and I'll get there to see it all one of these years.
What's up for today? I'll do laundry at the Holts, put away my kayak, clean out the camp fridge, finish clearing off the deck (get rid of potentil projectiles--who wants a planter flying through their window in a hurricane?), will visit Pat & Jim at noon, and probably fall asleep this afternoon. I'm not too worried about the storm, just wish it would hurry up and get here. The anticipation is sometimes worse than the event.
All is well with me. Life is returning to normal.
Friday, October 26, 2012
Dog pictures
I just deleted a semi-obscene comment posted about my dog pictures. From anon., of course. It beseeched me to never write about how they don't like to have their pictures taken together again. Well, too late, I did that today. But noted, I won't do it again. Pardon me for thinking it's funny that they walk away every time I try to pose them together. But, boring to some, OK. Offensive? I don't think so. But then you never know who's reading your blog.
It's a beautiful day today, sunny and warm. Really, really nice, especially for late October. There have been lots of predictions about what a terrible winter we're going to have, so let's enjoy what we have now. The weekend is supposed to be warm, also, but maybe rainy. I'll have to finish my chores--YES!! FINISH MY CHORES! this weekend. I had some time off yesterday afternoon and did about 10 minutes' worth of chores, then lay down on the couch. Must break this chain!
I still don't have water, am sort of used to it but also tired of it. Am hoping that this weekend will bring Steve to my house. Meanwhile, the Holts has become my 2nd home. The dogs are patient and wait outside while I fill my water jugs or do laundry or shower. They probably think the whole thing is very entertaining. Well, in some ways it is.
I no longer have a cat. He lasted at 58OHR for one day. Monday when I came home he came right to me when I called, but then I let the dogs out & they treed him. He came down from the tree but hasn't been seen since. I left food for him but the dogs ate it the next morning, as he didn't eat it that night. Funny kitty. I sometimes feel as if he's watching me from the woods around the house, but that's probably not the case. I warned my friend Lin that he might show up in Peasleeville yet again. She said if that happens she'll welcome him in.
I went to Burlington this week for my mammogram. Always nice to get to Vermont, always nice to be reminded that I don't want to live in a city. Even if the city only has a population of 50,000. So many cars, so many people. It was a nice trip and I resisted the impulse to shop at their giant, beautiful Goodwill store. I DON'T NEED ANYTHING. Except now I realize I'll have to dig out some wineglasses for the boat house, since Animal X broke some.
Lin & I cleaned & closed the boat house last weekend, in record time. She's a great friend and makes me work diligently and quickly. We cleaned up the mess and more, then took 2 giant bags of garbage to the dump, then had lunch at the local diner. She's pretty sure the hamburgers they serve are the same one's you can buy at Sam's, and I suspect she's right. But I like going there anyway. Am taking Pat there for her birthday celebration on Monday.
Not much else going on. Work is fine. Back to inventorying & weeding, no big projects ahead for now. I need to schedule a trip to Wadhams, which will be a nice trip. They have a bunch of local history stuff that they'd like to have me look at and maybe catalog. Am I surprised that I work with local history materials so much? I suppose it makes sense, since I did major in history in college, and originally wanted to do original research for a living. I think it's more of a lucky coincidence--I'm a cataloger and that's what needs attention right now.
We're supposed to/maybe get the hurricane (Sandy) next week. The rain would be fine--great, even, but the wind could be a problem. I don't want to lose power. What little power I have. I haven't turned the heat on yet, have been very conscientious about having fires at night instead. And feeling very self-righteous about it. I have good dry wood that starts right up. Need to order more.
What's up for next week? Not much. Hard to believe it will be November. We didn't get our usual October snow this year, though it's been cold at night sometimes. 29 the other morning when I got up. Too cold to pee outside.
It's a beautiful day today, sunny and warm. Really, really nice, especially for late October. There have been lots of predictions about what a terrible winter we're going to have, so let's enjoy what we have now. The weekend is supposed to be warm, also, but maybe rainy. I'll have to finish my chores--YES!! FINISH MY CHORES! this weekend. I had some time off yesterday afternoon and did about 10 minutes' worth of chores, then lay down on the couch. Must break this chain!
I still don't have water, am sort of used to it but also tired of it. Am hoping that this weekend will bring Steve to my house. Meanwhile, the Holts has become my 2nd home. The dogs are patient and wait outside while I fill my water jugs or do laundry or shower. They probably think the whole thing is very entertaining. Well, in some ways it is.
I no longer have a cat. He lasted at 58OHR for one day. Monday when I came home he came right to me when I called, but then I let the dogs out & they treed him. He came down from the tree but hasn't been seen since. I left food for him but the dogs ate it the next morning, as he didn't eat it that night. Funny kitty. I sometimes feel as if he's watching me from the woods around the house, but that's probably not the case. I warned my friend Lin that he might show up in Peasleeville yet again. She said if that happens she'll welcome him in.
I went to Burlington this week for my mammogram. Always nice to get to Vermont, always nice to be reminded that I don't want to live in a city. Even if the city only has a population of 50,000. So many cars, so many people. It was a nice trip and I resisted the impulse to shop at their giant, beautiful Goodwill store. I DON'T NEED ANYTHING. Except now I realize I'll have to dig out some wineglasses for the boat house, since Animal X broke some.
Lin & I cleaned & closed the boat house last weekend, in record time. She's a great friend and makes me work diligently and quickly. We cleaned up the mess and more, then took 2 giant bags of garbage to the dump, then had lunch at the local diner. She's pretty sure the hamburgers they serve are the same one's you can buy at Sam's, and I suspect she's right. But I like going there anyway. Am taking Pat there for her birthday celebration on Monday.
Not much else going on. Work is fine. Back to inventorying & weeding, no big projects ahead for now. I need to schedule a trip to Wadhams, which will be a nice trip. They have a bunch of local history stuff that they'd like to have me look at and maybe catalog. Am I surprised that I work with local history materials so much? I suppose it makes sense, since I did major in history in college, and originally wanted to do original research for a living. I think it's more of a lucky coincidence--I'm a cataloger and that's what needs attention right now.
We're supposed to/maybe get the hurricane (Sandy) next week. The rain would be fine--great, even, but the wind could be a problem. I don't want to lose power. What little power I have. I haven't turned the heat on yet, have been very conscientious about having fires at night instead. And feeling very self-righteous about it. I have good dry wood that starts right up. Need to order more.
What's up for next week? Not much. Hard to believe it will be November. We didn't get our usual October snow this year, though it's been cold at night sometimes. 29 the other morning when I got up. Too cold to pee outside.
005
If you pretend you've got food, Treasure at least looks interested. Tess knows it's not really food and is just bored.
Monday, October 22, 2012
I think his name is Gus.
This is what arrived at my house this weekend. I don't know how old he is. He was someone's pet but was dropped off near Lin & Ralph's. They don't want him and I'm not sure I do but I'm giving him a shot. He's a neutered male and was obviously loved by someone sometime.
He loves me and lives upstairs.
He won't go near the dogs. The dogs think he's a way cool moving target toy.
Friday, October 19, 2012
Rainy day
Raining pretty hard today, which is nothing but good for my well. Which is low. But it doesn't matter because the pump won't pump water into the house anyway. What's wrong? I hope to find out soon--last weekend I found out that the problem is most likely a problem in the well, with the check valve--or there might be a leak in the line between the house & the well. That would really suck, since it would require cutting trees and backhoe work to find and fix the leak. Yikes! It's bad enough that someone will have to go into the well to check the valve. Augh. So for a week I've been without running water, which is made OK because I have easy access to the Holts house, where there's plenty of water, warm and cold. I've been showering there, having done my laundry there for weeks to save water in my well. They're very generous and don't seem to mind that I help myself to their water. They have plenty.
I've lived without water before, for months the year Ken died, in the winter. It's amazing how readily one can adapt to it. It's much easier now because of the Holts--I walked down there last night with Tess to fill a jug, and it was very pleasant and pretty. Where was Treasure? She disappeared with Tess and didn't come home. I started to worry, then though maybe she was stoopid enough to shut herself in on the porch at camp, which is exactly where she was. Why can't dogs learn from experience? Does she think that ONE time the door will magically open for her once she gets shut in there? Well, does she?
I traveled a bit this week, which was nice. Spent an afternoon in Port Henry, working on mining journals and brochures of the 350th anniversary of the discovery of Lake Champlain in 1959. And postcards, always old postcards. The drive there was really pretty, still plenty of color in the hills. Lots of golds, yellows and pretty browns. In my neighborhood there are a lot of bright yellows, and the tamaracks are starting to turn gold. The last hurrah.
I spent an afternoon in Saranac Lake working on their Adk collection. Cataloged Robert Louis Stevenson's dictionary. Signed by RLS. Should that be a thrill? Because it wasn't, not really. But I like working in that library and being in that town.
Just got back from a meeting in Champlain, on the lake at a director's house. Very nice place, right on the water, nice people at the meeting, tons of good food as well.
This weekend I'll be cleaning & closing the boat house. Yes, yes I will. Lin is going to help me and she's not just a great worker but nudges me hard to get things done. I'm looking forward to having that job FINISHED. Then what can I obsess about?
Dogs are doing well. Aside from Treasure's stupidity. Tess was very worried when Treasure didn't come home, which was strange because the left together, so didn't Tess know where Treasure was? Tess went to Holts cheerfully, the opposite direction from where her sister was. Oh if only they could talk.
Had book group at my house on Sunday. We barely talked about the book (Pat Tillman story) but had a really nice time anyway. Lots of good conversation and laughter. And good food. I cooked the ham Fred's way (crock pot) and it was good. Next book is The night circus, which I haven't started yet. I'm reading a bunch of different things right now and need to pick one and work on it. I've been reading The New Yorker in bed at night, which means it takes weeks to get through a single issue, and they come every week. So that's not a good plan.
I don't know what the weekend will bring (but I hope it's water in my pump) aside from cleaning the b.house. Will go to P&J's on Sunday, visit with Bill there. Watch TV. Read a book or two. I've been watching less TV because there's not much on that's worth watching. No, I didn't watch the debates. It makes me nervous when people argue, so why would I spend my spare hours watching that? I don't need to know what an ass Romney is.
I've lived without water before, for months the year Ken died, in the winter. It's amazing how readily one can adapt to it. It's much easier now because of the Holts--I walked down there last night with Tess to fill a jug, and it was very pleasant and pretty. Where was Treasure? She disappeared with Tess and didn't come home. I started to worry, then though maybe she was stoopid enough to shut herself in on the porch at camp, which is exactly where she was. Why can't dogs learn from experience? Does she think that ONE time the door will magically open for her once she gets shut in there? Well, does she?
I traveled a bit this week, which was nice. Spent an afternoon in Port Henry, working on mining journals and brochures of the 350th anniversary of the discovery of Lake Champlain in 1959. And postcards, always old postcards. The drive there was really pretty, still plenty of color in the hills. Lots of golds, yellows and pretty browns. In my neighborhood there are a lot of bright yellows, and the tamaracks are starting to turn gold. The last hurrah.
I spent an afternoon in Saranac Lake working on their Adk collection. Cataloged Robert Louis Stevenson's dictionary. Signed by RLS. Should that be a thrill? Because it wasn't, not really. But I like working in that library and being in that town.
Just got back from a meeting in Champlain, on the lake at a director's house. Very nice place, right on the water, nice people at the meeting, tons of good food as well.
This weekend I'll be cleaning & closing the boat house. Yes, yes I will. Lin is going to help me and she's not just a great worker but nudges me hard to get things done. I'm looking forward to having that job FINISHED. Then what can I obsess about?
Dogs are doing well. Aside from Treasure's stupidity. Tess was very worried when Treasure didn't come home, which was strange because the left together, so didn't Tess know where Treasure was? Tess went to Holts cheerfully, the opposite direction from where her sister was. Oh if only they could talk.
Had book group at my house on Sunday. We barely talked about the book (Pat Tillman story) but had a really nice time anyway. Lots of good conversation and laughter. And good food. I cooked the ham Fred's way (crock pot) and it was good. Next book is The night circus, which I haven't started yet. I'm reading a bunch of different things right now and need to pick one and work on it. I've been reading The New Yorker in bed at night, which means it takes weeks to get through a single issue, and they come every week. So that's not a good plan.
I don't know what the weekend will bring (but I hope it's water in my pump) aside from cleaning the b.house. Will go to P&J's on Sunday, visit with Bill there. Watch TV. Read a book or two. I've been watching less TV because there's not much on that's worth watching. No, I didn't watch the debates. It makes me nervous when people argue, so why would I spend my spare hours watching that? I don't need to know what an ass Romney is.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Whew! Quite a week.
I've had a great week. It was Columbus Day weekend, and foliage was just barely past peek for all the visitors to Hawkeye. I had the usual flutter of activity and social contacts, but not as much as some years, so it wasn't overwhelming. Didn't get to visit with the Nadals for more than a few minutes, but we'll keep in touch. Got to spend a lot of time with the Neels, which was extra special. CUTE grandson pictures. I visited them on Sunday morning for a little while, wanting some one-on-one time. That was really nice, sitting in front of the fire.
Had dinner with friends from Baltimore that I didn't see all summer, which was a treat. They have one of the camp buildings, a very pretty place.
Linda hosted a duck dinner, which was a big success. She cooked the duck to perfection, slowly at low heat. Used up much of her produce. She's leaving on Saturday, which will leave a big hole in my day-to-day routine, but it's inevitable, no?
Monday morning I hosted a meeting of the Hawkeye Conservationists, which was a nice gathering. We talked about business, then spent good time visiting. By then I had the house nice & clean. Dusted, even.
I took Tuesday off, ostensibly to close the boat house, but never made it down there. I had been to camp on Monday, to visit with Jim & Keela, and help go through the myriad crap left in the fridge by summer visitors. Why do people think we want their leftovers? Most of it went to the dump. Later I inherited a bunch of leftovers from campers (some of which were actually edible and desirable). Ken always used to be the depository for the contents of campers' kitchens at the end of the season. I've inherited this, to a certain degree. I don't get it all, but I have my regulars.
Tuesday night Linda hosted a nice pork dinner, which was a special and unexpected treat. A very nice evening with "everyone in the neighborhood." Before leaving for Linda's I let the dogs out and they disappeared. I went to Linda's anyway, feeling confident that they would be waiting for me at home when I returned. Three hours later they were STILL missing. This (needless to say) was distressing. They both have collars and ID tags so should never be mistaken for strays, but it's not like them to be gone for that long, especially at night. I walked around, I drove around, I called and cajoled but all to no avail. The light finally came on, however, and I drove to camp, where the fools were stuck on the back porch. The door opens inward and they know how to get onto the porch, but don't have those handy opposable digits that make it possible to open a door from the inside. So there they were, with their 4 glowing orb-eyes when I drove down the driveway. Big relief for them and for me. Treasure took great pains to remind me that she does, indeed, love me more than almost anything.
Yesterday I went to Canton for a meeting at the library system there. It was a pretty drive, though we're way past peak with colors. The meeting was good and worth the trip.
I have water problems (again)--or maybe that's not the best way of putting it. I have NO WATER problems. Recently the pump ran constantly but no water came out of the faucets, which signals an empty well. That was resolved overnight, though, and there was fine water for a while. Now the pump won't come up to pressure, runs constantly and there's no water coming out of the faucets, but it didn't refresh itself overnight. RATS! I don't know what this means--other than "I have no water." I did laundry at the Holts and can shower there. But this situation has to be resolved, doesn't it. I will check it out tonight when I get home, then call Steve if it's still a bad situation. I'm hosting book group on Sunday, but they're all hardy souls and have met plenty of times sans water.
Dogs are well. Colors are still pretty but fading fast. Had my chimney cleaned on Tuesday and he complimented me on how clean it was. YES!! Burn dry wood, dear, and amazing things happen. All of wood for the winter is under cover (thanks to Bill and the PINS) and I have plenty. I need to order 2 loads for next year but have to get finances straightened out first. It's always about money, no?
Had dinner with friends from Baltimore that I didn't see all summer, which was a treat. They have one of the camp buildings, a very pretty place.
Linda hosted a duck dinner, which was a big success. She cooked the duck to perfection, slowly at low heat. Used up much of her produce. She's leaving on Saturday, which will leave a big hole in my day-to-day routine, but it's inevitable, no?
Monday morning I hosted a meeting of the Hawkeye Conservationists, which was a nice gathering. We talked about business, then spent good time visiting. By then I had the house nice & clean. Dusted, even.
I took Tuesday off, ostensibly to close the boat house, but never made it down there. I had been to camp on Monday, to visit with Jim & Keela, and help go through the myriad crap left in the fridge by summer visitors. Why do people think we want their leftovers? Most of it went to the dump. Later I inherited a bunch of leftovers from campers (some of which were actually edible and desirable). Ken always used to be the depository for the contents of campers' kitchens at the end of the season. I've inherited this, to a certain degree. I don't get it all, but I have my regulars.
Tuesday night Linda hosted a nice pork dinner, which was a special and unexpected treat. A very nice evening with "everyone in the neighborhood." Before leaving for Linda's I let the dogs out and they disappeared. I went to Linda's anyway, feeling confident that they would be waiting for me at home when I returned. Three hours later they were STILL missing. This (needless to say) was distressing. They both have collars and ID tags so should never be mistaken for strays, but it's not like them to be gone for that long, especially at night. I walked around, I drove around, I called and cajoled but all to no avail. The light finally came on, however, and I drove to camp, where the fools were stuck on the back porch. The door opens inward and they know how to get onto the porch, but don't have those handy opposable digits that make it possible to open a door from the inside. So there they were, with their 4 glowing orb-eyes when I drove down the driveway. Big relief for them and for me. Treasure took great pains to remind me that she does, indeed, love me more than almost anything.
Yesterday I went to Canton for a meeting at the library system there. It was a pretty drive, though we're way past peak with colors. The meeting was good and worth the trip.
I have water problems (again)--or maybe that's not the best way of putting it. I have NO WATER problems. Recently the pump ran constantly but no water came out of the faucets, which signals an empty well. That was resolved overnight, though, and there was fine water for a while. Now the pump won't come up to pressure, runs constantly and there's no water coming out of the faucets, but it didn't refresh itself overnight. RATS! I don't know what this means--other than "I have no water." I did laundry at the Holts and can shower there. But this situation has to be resolved, doesn't it. I will check it out tonight when I get home, then call Steve if it's still a bad situation. I'm hosting book group on Sunday, but they're all hardy souls and have met plenty of times sans water.
Dogs are well. Colors are still pretty but fading fast. Had my chimney cleaned on Tuesday and he complimented me on how clean it was. YES!! Burn dry wood, dear, and amazing things happen. All of wood for the winter is under cover (thanks to Bill and the PINS) and I have plenty. I need to order 2 loads for next year but have to get finances straightened out first. It's always about money, no?
Giant pumpkins--they're for sale if anyone wants them (ca. 350 lbs each)
Giant pumpkins--they're for sale if anyone wants them (ca. 350 lbs each), a photo by woodsrun on Flickr.
Lots of my friends came across these as they went on their foliage tours over the weekend. I drove past them yesterday. They're most impressive--giant pumpkins, about 350 lbs each. Yikes. What does one do with something like that?
One year I took a picture like this that was really pretty. Not so great this year.
One year I took a picture like this that was really pretty. Not so great this year., a photo by woodsrun on Flickr.
Sometimes a picture like this is really pretty, and effective. This year I think I waited too long.
Something got into the boat house & left it looking like this. Raccoon, most likely.
Something got into the boat house & left it looking like this. Raccoon, most likely., a photo by woodsrun on Flickr.
This is what I get for a) not closing the boat house when it was warmer, and b) leaving the front doors open and a hole in the screen door.
I've been to the b.house twice since discovering this, each time just shaking my head & walking away. Saturday I MUST get started on this!
This is what I see when I lie down on the couch at night
Tess likes the new couch, though it's not really big enough for the 3 of us.
Friday, October 05, 2012
Pretty color along the Saranac
This is what I get to see on my way to work, along the Clayburg road. Very pretty. I think we had peak color earlier this week. There's still a lot of color but it's not quite as bright. There was heavy rain in Hawkeye yesterday, which probably knocked off a lot of colorful leaves. There are plenty of leaves on the ground now, which is also pretty. I hate to see the leaves go, but it IS time to move on to the next season. Which will happen this weekend, when temps are due to be in the 50's during the day and 30's at night. Maybe snow. But they always say that in October, just to get us used to the idea.
On the way to Saranac Lake
This is the Saranac River outside of Sar. Lake, a nice stop I sometimes make to take pictures. I get to go to Sar. Lake twice this week--once for work and once for an easy appointment with my eye doctor.
Saranac River in the fog
This is a spot I often stop at to take pictures. It's on Rt 3, just outside of Redford and offers a nice view of the Saranac River. It's one of those "how I measure the weather" places.
Monday, October 01, 2012
October!
I greet the new month with mixed feelings. It's wonderful to be close to Columbus Day, when I'll see many good friends. October means we're well into fall, which the foliage is already telling me. I'll post pictures of leaves this week. The color is most impressive this year--brilliant reds and oranges. It's reaching the point where the woods are so bright it looks as if the sun is shining all the time. Even when it's raining, as it has for the last 3 days. I don't really mind rain (good for my well) but hate to have heavy rain or wind that knocks leaves from trees. SAVE THE LEAVES for my friends to see this weekend. We figure it will be peak this week, maybe for the weekend. Will still be magnificent by then, anyway.
Had a good weekend, a combination of lots of activity and lots of down time. Saturday I had coffee with Fred & Linda, then F & I went to Big Daddy's diner for breakfast. yum. From there on to the cider pressing at Lin's, where I spent a few hours. Really nice time, and excellent cider. From there I went home for a bit, then to Linda's for dinner with Joe & Martha, Duncan & Sue, with cocktails with the Berry-Jacks. Linda had a bottle of special wine (1961 vintage) to share. It was great wine--but how would I know, really? I liked it a lot, but it was reported to be excellent. As was dinner.
Sunday I visited with Pat, Jim, Bill & the Atkinsons (+ Katelyn's new beau). K's birthday so we had lots to celebrate. I left there early, picked up Linda & went to Lin's for Day 2 of the pressing. It rained pretty much the whole time, but that didn't stop the crowd from pressing on. Lots of cider was made, lots was consumed. By me especially.
Home in the afternoon to watch TV and nap--I got up at 4:30 on Sunday, having had a bad dream & then being unable to go back to sleep. In the morning I made Katelyn's cake, then some gingerbread for Lin's, then watched TV. Should have walked the dogs--bu IN THE RAIN? They took themselves for a long walk this morning, came home separately, panting heavily (presumably from running in the woods). I knew if I started to make coffee they'd come home so I wouldn't be able to drink it at home. Wasn't late to work, but wasn't very early, either.
The neighborhood is full, full, full of deer and turkeys. The deer are on the move, combination of bucks in rut and people in the woods I guess. They're everywhere, and starting to be a bit reckless. The turkeys are as stoopid as everyone says they are.
I need to get my birdfeeder up and running--Linda has a lot of birds at her feeder right now.
I made arrangements to have my deck stairs re-built. YES!! Haven't had a sturdy railing for a couple of years, and now the steps are getting old. Ken put them on, using wood from one of the camp cabins. So this year I'm having REAL steps put on--can still use the stringers, thankfully. Am also going to get the heater at the back of the house working, or replaced, whichever needs to be done. Again--YES! What I really need is to have the bottom of the house insulated, but that's not happening this year ($$$). I should also order 2 loads of firewood. That might happen, but I need more money for that. It's always about money, isn't it.
Tonight is dinner with L&E, WDL and Stephanie at McDougall's. D&S are leaving later this week (sad) so we're all seeing a lot of each other. They'll be back in Feb.--Duncan in January, Sue in Feb., to ski and be in a Hawkeye winter. That's not really so far away, it's just that so much happens weather-wise during the intervening months that it seems like years away.
Will go to Saranac Lake on Weds. to do some cataloging and consulting. I love going there--it's a wonderful library and great town. Nice people, a lot going on.
FOUR DAY weekend coming up--I'm taking Tuesday off to have my chimney cleaned. $$$. Yikes it just goes out the door & up the chimney, doesn't it.
But life is good. I love the fall.
Had a good weekend, a combination of lots of activity and lots of down time. Saturday I had coffee with Fred & Linda, then F & I went to Big Daddy's diner for breakfast. yum. From there on to the cider pressing at Lin's, where I spent a few hours. Really nice time, and excellent cider. From there I went home for a bit, then to Linda's for dinner with Joe & Martha, Duncan & Sue, with cocktails with the Berry-Jacks. Linda had a bottle of special wine (1961 vintage) to share. It was great wine--but how would I know, really? I liked it a lot, but it was reported to be excellent. As was dinner.
Sunday I visited with Pat, Jim, Bill & the Atkinsons (+ Katelyn's new beau). K's birthday so we had lots to celebrate. I left there early, picked up Linda & went to Lin's for Day 2 of the pressing. It rained pretty much the whole time, but that didn't stop the crowd from pressing on. Lots of cider was made, lots was consumed. By me especially.
Home in the afternoon to watch TV and nap--I got up at 4:30 on Sunday, having had a bad dream & then being unable to go back to sleep. In the morning I made Katelyn's cake, then some gingerbread for Lin's, then watched TV. Should have walked the dogs--bu IN THE RAIN? They took themselves for a long walk this morning, came home separately, panting heavily (presumably from running in the woods). I knew if I started to make coffee they'd come home so I wouldn't be able to drink it at home. Wasn't late to work, but wasn't very early, either.
The neighborhood is full, full, full of deer and turkeys. The deer are on the move, combination of bucks in rut and people in the woods I guess. They're everywhere, and starting to be a bit reckless. The turkeys are as stoopid as everyone says they are.
I need to get my birdfeeder up and running--Linda has a lot of birds at her feeder right now.
I made arrangements to have my deck stairs re-built. YES!! Haven't had a sturdy railing for a couple of years, and now the steps are getting old. Ken put them on, using wood from one of the camp cabins. So this year I'm having REAL steps put on--can still use the stringers, thankfully. Am also going to get the heater at the back of the house working, or replaced, whichever needs to be done. Again--YES! What I really need is to have the bottom of the house insulated, but that's not happening this year ($$$). I should also order 2 loads of firewood. That might happen, but I need more money for that. It's always about money, isn't it.
Tonight is dinner with L&E, WDL and Stephanie at McDougall's. D&S are leaving later this week (sad) so we're all seeing a lot of each other. They'll be back in Feb.--Duncan in January, Sue in Feb., to ski and be in a Hawkeye winter. That's not really so far away, it's just that so much happens weather-wise during the intervening months that it seems like years away.
Will go to Saranac Lake on Weds. to do some cataloging and consulting. I love going there--it's a wonderful library and great town. Nice people, a lot going on.
FOUR DAY weekend coming up--I'm taking Tuesday off to have my chimney cleaned. $$$. Yikes it just goes out the door & up the chimney, doesn't it.
But life is good. I love the fall.
Dexter and Hannah mixing up the apples at the cider pressing
Went to Lin & Ralph's on the weekend for their cider-pressing party (where were the book group women?). It was grand. Lots of fun, lots of fun, lots of time with Lin's grandchildren. They loved playing with the apples, and especially enjoyed dancing in the mash after the cider was made.
And the cider was excellent.
Supervised cider-making
Just a few of the people who were there. It rained pretty much all day on Sunday but wasn't bad on Saturday.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
They really do not like to have their pictures taken together
I'm trying to get a good portrait of my dogs. This is a big undertaking, it turns out. They do not like to sit still, nor do they like to sit still next to each other. I could take pictures of them while they're sleeping, but then they'd just look dead.
I walked to camp yesterday afternoon to get some plastic jugs for the cider pressing that Lin is having this weekend. I had a few in the boat house, and it was a beautiful day for a walk. I'll pick up a bushel basket of apples probably tomorrow on my way home (I hope--I asked at one orchard & she said she'd put together a basket of cider apples for me). I'll make something like a dessert or salad or something to take. Guess I'd better decide and get going on that project, huh. I also have to make a cake for Sunday--Pat's granddaughter's 19th birthday.
Had a nice evening with the Holts and McDougalls last night--dinner at Barn Swallow. What a nice group of people. I walked home alone in the rainy darkness, which was really great. I used to walk at night a lot, when I was depressed and feeling lonely. I don't feel depressed or lonely anymore, so I don't walk so much at night. How do dogs see at night?
Getting some good color in Hawkeye
We really are getting some pretty trees. It's not peak yet, maybe another week or so. We need more oranges and yellows. I love it when the leaves are so bright that they light up the air. It's like walking in bright sunlight even when it's cloudy.
Ken used to say this was like money in the bank
Here's my wood for the winter. YIPPEE! It's stacked and under cover. Bill's "boys" did it for me. I think I moved,maybe, one wheelbarrow load and they did the rest. Poor boys, they've handled some of this wood several times, moving it from one place to another.
I need to order another load (or 2) for next year. But I need money to do that.
Monday, September 24, 2012
488
Just threw this one in because I like it. It was taken at Champlin's in RI in August. That's my sister.
I look very tall, don't I.
I like this effect. Except that my sweatpants look like bellbottoms. Which they ARE NOT.
They look great, except they're all BLURRY
A good picture, if you're not wearing your glasses so everything looks blurry anyway.
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