I've been busy--everyone wants to spend time together now that the season is drawing to a close. My mother asked me how I got involved with "those people who always want to eat together." Yes, it's true we like to have dinners together--she said, "What's wrong with snacks? Why do you always have to have dinner?" Sometimes we have coffee in the morning, sometimes we just have drinks and snacks, but I guess I mostly report the dinners to her.
I hosted dinner for Duncan & Sue and J&M the other night, that was a lot of fun and very nice. I can only fit about 5 at my dinner table comfortably so it worked out. I really like entertaining, now that I'm retired and no longer fuss about how much work it is to clean and prepare for company. It's a leisurely activity for me and I like cooking and hauling out the silver and good glasses.
I spent most of the day in Plattsburgh, without the dogs. I always take the dogs but today had to have the car inspected so The Ladies had to stay home. They didn't seem to mind and mostly just slept when I finally came home. I was only home for an hour or so, then went to a delicious dinner at J&M's, had a really nice time there. Hard to believe how much my life will change after next week, then even more after Columbus Day. Yes, winter will come and here I'll be.
I went to the campaign headquarters of our Congressional candidate in Plattsburgh to offer my volunteering services. I was all set to do some phoning tomorrow afternoon but then I remembered that I have to go to Westport to get pills for Tess. Westport is in the opposite direction from Plattsburgh, about an hour from my house, so I decided to postpone my volunteering until next week. What a wuss. I will do it next week, though. I talked to the young man who is staffing the headquarters and regaled him with tales of my earlier campaigning efforts. Gene McCarthy, George McGovern, Rush Holt. And some phone bank work for fundraisers. My mother had us go door-to-door for school board candidates when we were young, I think we hated that but it was good experience and got me trained for campaigning later in life. Who DOESN'T go door-to-door for something as a kid? Selling cookies for Girl Scouts, and my poor sister went around peddling light bulbs one time. Light bulbs? Sure, why not.
The weather has been near perfect, maybe a little too warm for reality. It's been in the 70's and near 80 with a very warm sun but cool wind/breeze. I've had some really nice dock time with Linda, our annual Fall Festival of Cool Water. The lake is still pretty warm but it's getting colder and harder to get into. This weekend it might be only in the 50's so maybe there will be no docking, but I can sit on my deck in the sun and read to the dogs.
The mice have settled in here at 58OHR. I've got the definitive trap collection, I think I have every kind of killing trap. I don't do live trapping and I sure don't do the glue traps. Anyway, I found the rodent raceway under my kitchen sink--and WHACK! I just heard another one giving its life for me. That makes a total of 18 I've killed since July. We all agree it's odd to have indoor mice in the summer, they don't usually move in until the weather changes (or maybe they're responding to autumn leaves...) but this year they settled right in early. My record is 21 and I think I'll pass that soon. Yesterday I caught 4 under the sink in a single day. I've found the best bait is not the traditional peanut butter, but Tootsie Rolls. Much much more appealing to North Country mice. Does this all sound disgusting? I suppose it does, but mice are so much a part of life here in the woods that I don't fuss, I just trap.
The dogs continue to thrive. Tess is doing very well, is slightly deaf but still very mobile for a 13-year-old Lab. Treasure is a true treasure and I love her dearly. She's only 6. I worry about Tess, which is natural, but she reassures me regularly that she can bark at the bogeyman just like a 3-year-old dog. She's a sweetie.
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