Last of the last

The last of the color is the tamaracks (larches).  They're beautiful, probably because the only other colors come from the firs.  They are gorgeous, too, in the spring when they have a florescent green (we always call it "tamarack green"--not very creative, but easily identifiable).

 No matter what's going on on the boardwalk, there's always something more interesting along the edge of the bog.  Sometimes it's fox poop, sometimes it's bunny buttons, sometimes it's just an unidentifiable scent.  Whatever it is, it smells great.

This is a close up of the tamarack leaves.  Oh they are a thing of wonder and beauty.  My favorite tree.

I went for a bog walk, two actually, to see the tamaracks.  The second time Annie was with me, as was her Gordon setter Milo.  Milo runs around like a maniac, literally running circles around us.  He starts ahead of us and 2 minutes later comes running full bore from behind us.  What a goofus.

I've been having a nice time with Annie, she's here for several days without Rush, who is in Asia on business.  Last night we had dinner at the Mirror Lake Inn, which was grand (as always).  We pretend we're fancy rich people (well the rich part is pretending for me at least) and totally enjoy ourselves.

Other things I've been doing: toting firewood into the house.  I'm hoping that I can alter my behavior this winter and keep a steady supply inside the house, big piles next to the stove.  Will I be so eager to do that when it's windy and -10?  or even just 0?  How much strength of character do I really have, will be determined.

I bought a utility knife and insulation for my laundry room pipes.  That's where the pipes always freeze, inside the wall between the bathroom and the laundry room, so I'm planning to cut a bigger hole there so I can reach inside the wall and put insulation around the pipes.  Annie is always a great help to me and she keeps offering to help me with this but I'm very bad at accepting help so I keep saying no, thanks.  Yesterday, though, we took the pile of metal trash that was next to my deck stairs to the dump in her car.  It all fit, with bungie cords.  Wow what a difference it makes, not having that crap to look at every time I go anywhere or look out the window.  Nice, very nice.

Tuesday I had a hair appointment, then had lunch with Barb.  We had our usual good time.  I stayed home the rest of the week, with a trip or two to AuSable (groceries, bank, gas) and on Friday I went back to Plattsburgh to have my winter tires installed and the oil changed.  That was expensive!  My car uses synthetic oil (WHY???), which makes an oil change an expensive task, and of course it's expensive (by my standards) to have the tires mounted.  Anyway I'm all set for winter, but my car needs a new air filter, they report.  It's due for a Burlington servicing but that will have to wait.

Tomorrow (Monday) I'm going to Plattsburgh to make phone calls for my preferred Congressional candidate.  I'm having dinner at Annie's with the Ruders.  Tuesday I'm voting, of course, on my way to have lunch with a friend.  What will I do the rest of the week?  Maybe I'll just cut a hole in the wall in the laundry room and insulate the pipes.  Yeah, right.  No, really.