I'm sick, so sick

But it's just a cold with a fever, I'm lucky it's not worse.  I bark like a dog and can't sleep well.  I was taking an antihistamine a few times a day until I read the package that said to take one a day.  Oops.  This is Day 4.5 and man do I feel lousy.  I have a very good friend who's been coming to visit me and brought in 2 days' worth of firewood for me.  The temp this morning was 5 so that is much appreciated.

I went to the holiday party Friday night (I was feeling much better then) and I'm afraid I infected about 50 people.  My mother has a cough but I can't say I infected her, I think we were mutually infected.  Where?  by whom?  Anybody's guess.  We went Christmas shopping and we went to the grocery store.  It's pretty pointless to try figuring out where this came from.

The party was very nice, lots of good friends and some new neighbors.  There is a place on the south shore of the lake that sold for more than $800,000 and we were all stunned.  I met the buyers and they seem nice enough but they're crazy to have spent that kind of money.  I confessed to watching their 2 Labs from a dock on the north shore using binoculars.  Embarrassing much?

Saturday I rested for most of the day but the day started at 4 a.m.  I did go to AuSable, got some groceries and cold meds, gassed up the car and came home.  This morning I went to the neighbors' for the newspaper but came straight home, no visit with them, just a quick hello.  I don't have to go anywhere until Wednesday.  Wow that seems forever from now.  My friend is coming in an hour to bring me a hot toddy and a snack.  She is a good friend.  A very good friend.  I seem to have a lot of those.

Home at last

I drove home from RI today, left there just before 10 this morning and got home around 4.  It was an easy trip but there was more traffic than I'd expected.  A surprising number of travelers in the North Country, there's usually very little traffic north of Glens Falls but no so today.  huh.

I have a cold and cough--because of my asthma these things always settle in my chest.  bark bark.  I'm happy to be home.  My friend came to see me tonight, bringing clam chowder, flatbread pizza and a delicious hot toddy.  All were perfect.  She stayed a while and we caught up on out lives and Christmases.  That was great.

Tomorrow night is the neighborhood holiday party.  I have many many pears, two friends sent me pears and apples for Christmas treats so will make a pear dessert.  Yum.

We have snow here but have lost a lot.  It rained while I was away then froze so under the 4 or so inches of snow is ice.  Watch out!  My house was just fine in my absence but my sump pump is temperamental.  There was water in the cellar hole when I got home but I'm sure not as much as there was during the rain so that's a relief.

The dogs are happy to be home but are exhausted--it's not easy to complain for 6 hours in a car.  Bear moans and whines.

We're supposed to have freezing rain in the morning but I'm oh-so-lucky and don't have to go anywhere. 

Christmas Eve

It's the afternoon of Christmas Eve and I'm I'm in Rhode Island at my mother's house for a week. I have the dirtiest car in the state because of the snow and salt at home. A couple of people have commented on how dirty my car is. We had a lot of rain here and that helped but it still looks bad

We've had a good time together my mother Mark and I, with some shopping lots of reading, and some napping. I heard from my friends at home that most of the snow and Hawkeye has melted. There's no snow here and I'm loving the bare ground.

We have a quiet Christmas time here. Tonight we will have lobsters and steamers for dinner and then Mark will finish decorating the tree. Tomorrow morning our breakfast will be lox and bagels with stocking presents. For Christmas dinner we are having a huge roast of beef. My mother is worried that it won't thaw in time. I can't be worrying about that because I don't care. I like Christmas and I especially like our very quiet and private Christmas time. It

Can it be true?

Am I really as ready for Christmas as I think I am?   How can that be?   I just mailed the last of the packages I had to ship, bought the roast for Christmas dinner and went to the dump.  I still have presents for my mother and Mark to wrap but I usually do that in RI.  Maybe I'll do that before I leave (but I doubt it).  I've send my cards, the tree looks cute and crooked, I put up the outside lights.  I do have to feed the birds and go to my friends' house to check on their thermostat and modem and do laundry there (I'm still being very careful about my water usage). 

It's a cloudy dark day but the temp is 31 so who can complain.  I've got chores to do around the house before leaving but I also have 3 days before I leave.  I have to put the new seat cover on Bear's seat in the car--he's ripped up the cheaper one I had before, plus pulled out some of the stitching on the seat (ratpig).  I have dishes to wash.  Clothes to put away.  Other clothes to pack.  My but it feels strange to be so well organized.

Let there be lights

I finally dealt with my Christmas tree--I bought a full-sized one, which is what I do, and cut off about 2 feet of the bottom.  Put lights on it and put it in the stand and on the dinner table.  Only it wouldn't fit, it was still too tall.  Boy did I feel stupid.  OK, I cut off a bunch of the top.  Plugged in the lights.  Even though I checked them out BEFORE wrapping them around the tree most of the lights refused to light up.  HUH???  Oh brother, what a pain.  OK, this morning I drove to Peru (half an hour away) to the hardware store there, bought new lights, took the tree off the table, putting it on the floor so I could reach the top and put the new lights on it.  A work of art!   A thing of beauty!  Well, it leans to one side and the boughs are lop-sided but it lights up and has some ornaments.  The top 1/3 is empty of ornaments because I have to stand on a chair to decorate it.  Which I will do maybe tomorrow.  I need to hang more shiny ornaments on it, there's not enough sparkle.  Every year I put on fewer ornaments and give more away to the library for their sale.  It turns out there's another box I didn't realize I had, with ornaments in it.  Since I haven't used them in at least 2 years I think I can give them away.

Other things I did today: fed the birds, brought in firewood (even though it was 35), fed my friend's cat, laundry, put solar lights on posts of the wood shed so I can see wood at night, watched too much TV.  Not a whole lot to report on but I'm mostly satisfied.  I did use up all of my WeightWatchers points for the day by 4:30.  Nasty.

Ripe old age

I turned 66 yesterday.  I'm lucky to have many many friends of many many ages, some of whom insist I am still young.  Thank you, all who tell me that.  I feel young.  I also feel loved and fully birthday-ed.  What a lot of attention and good wishes I received.  I have collected a wide and wonderful crowd of loving generous kind people in my life, from my early years in Rockford to my years here in Hawkeye.  Phone calls, emails, cards, messages and just a lot lot lot of attention.  All making me feel fortunate and happy, very happy.

And now it's back to reality.  It's -7 right now.  The dogs have had their midnight snack and each went out for a short time.  Quite short, announcing to me that--BARK--its cold out there and could they please be let in NOW.  It will get colder before daybreak but it won't be -20, those are the temps that make me nervous.  "I can remember when" is often heard here, and I do remember when we first lived in this house it was -40.  I stayed home that day, refusing to put my car to the test and worried about my house.  Cold and snow, snow and cold.  "That's what winters USED to be like" I hear a lot.  I have to agree, we don't generally have the massive amounts of snow we had in my memory here but we still hit 100 inches I think.  At least that's what my plow bill indicates, at $50 a pop every time he plows my driveway--and he only plows for 6" or more.

It's a work day and there are 2 people who would like to use the resources of the Archives.  OH NO!  One person is researching the boundaries of the Town.  I'm not sure what exactly he's hoping to find, we have a map collection in the library, not in the Archives but it's in the mountaineering collection.  I'll sic Margaret on these people and she'll find something akin to what they're looking for.  She's a wonderful assistant, she is actually my assistant but it's foolish to call her that.  She's my colleague and does the research while I just mess around with metadata and scanned images and pleasing the Board members by being charming to them.

I have half of my Christmas shipping wrapped and packed but not yet shipped.  And lying in my driveway is my tree, not yet cut to size or brought indoors, looking more like a carcass than something of Christmas.  I'm hoping to get to the post office this afternoon.  More like committed than hoping.  Tomorrow is lunch with a friend who shares a December birthday, I've yet to wrap her presents.  There will be errands taken care of in Plattsburgh too, then maybe I'll be close to completing my Christmas present-like tasks and I'll focus on the tree.  In my younger days I made a point to have my tree up by my birthday but that seems less important now.  The tree will be viewed by my book group in January and probably the friend I see several times a week but other than that the dogs and I will enjoy it.  I like seeing my collection of ornaments, and I really like having the little colored lights on that side of the living room.  Maybe some year I should just spread the ornaments on the table, surrounded by the lights.  Yeah, that sounds like a plan.

And on it goes

It was winter today, -4 this morning, high in the teens.  Right now its 11.  That's not too bad because we've no wind.  This house is so much nicer with spray foam insulation underneath!  duh.

I've been to the gym a couple of times this week, boy would I like to get back into that routine.  We're planning to go again this morning but my friend hosted a wonderful party last night and I wouldn't be surprised if she thought maybe it would be good to stay home and put the house back together.

I enjoyed the party--it was all couples but that rarely even occurs to me until I describe a group to someone (or in this case someTHING).  I had too much wine and am suffering the effect of that now with a headache in the middle of the night.  Someone filled my very large wine glass too full and I wasn't paying attention and drank it all.  And that wasn't my first glass of the evening.

I was taught in high school journalism that one should never start a sentence with AND or BUT or HOWEVER.  Do these rules still apply?  Grammar rules have changed.  It's always interesting to me what specific things we remember (OK, maybe not ALWAYS interesting)(but often enough).  Moments, rules, events of no particular significance perhaps are seared into our brains.  Like the zip code of Waterville, Maine, where my brother tried to go to college (04901), and yet I can't remember my close friends' cell phone numbers.  Not even close.

Now it's more like winter

It's 15 now, temps due to be in single digits overnight.  And I got chilled today, darn it.  I'm hoping I sure didn't get acclimated to warmer temps.  No, I'm not that fickle and silly.

I've been keeping busy.  really?  no, not really.  Mostly I just do my household things: dishes, laundry, firewood, feed the birds, shovel and hack at ice on the deck.  The driveway is deep iced ruts, I drove too much through the slush of the weekend, now I deal with the results.  It's hard as rocks out there.

I went to work today and it wasn't the most productive day as far as Archives tasks went but we did what we did.  I met with the president of the newly-formed historical society.  They have finally wrestled away the historical collection from the home of the Town Historian and it's now waiting in the Keene library for organizing and sorting and making accessible.  The president of the society met with me today to get ideas on how to proceed and what to try to accomplish.  I was feeling inadequate to the task but we worked out a plan and came up with some ideas on how to proceed.  If it were nearer my home I'd be more involved but driving the 40-minute drive twice a week to the Archives is as much as I feel like doing (I guess).

Tomorrow I have a busy morning, stress test and EKG at 7:45.  That means leaving home at 7, which isn't a problem.  What is a problem is that I'm not supposed to ingest any caffeine before the stress test.  I hate to be so rigid but I sure do like a cup of coffee when I get up and when I have to drive to Plattsburgh in the morning.  Too bad for me.  I'll survive.  My instructions are to wear comfortable clothes (I don't really have any other kind of clothes) and not to eat a big breakfast (I never do unless I'm with summer friends at the restaurant in Upper Jay).  OK, this will be easy.

The dogs are fine in their new collars.  Bear was wearing the pink & purple one but when the new blue one came for Treasure I realized the folly of my choices.  Now all is right with the world.

Rain? Really?

They're predicting 1. snow    2. sleet/ice   3. rain for tonight and tomorrow.  So far nothing is happening.  We saw the sun for about 5 minutes today but that's the first time we've been exposed to Vitamin D in days and days.  It didn't snow at least.

I had a good enough week.  Was at the Archives on Thursday, where someone came in needing help doing research.  A rare sighting. 

This morning I worked in the thrift store though I only stayed until 11:30.  I don't understand how the other volunteers can work for 5 hours, I just get exhausted and my feet get tired.  Concrete floors, lots of walking around and standing the whole time.  It was busy with shoppers and there were a lot of droppers too, lots of stuff to process when I left but did that make me stay to help the only other person in receiving?  Hell no, once I decide to leave there's no stopping me.

The dogs are fine.  Bear got a new collar just before Thanksgiving and today Treasure's new collar came.  How exciting!   Life in Hawkeye is pretty slow-paced but really, that's not exciting nor is it newsworthy.

No big plans for tomorrow.  I'm very curious about the weather, it's 28 degrees right now.  Will it rain?  That would be nice, should make it easier to shovel the stairs and path on the deck.  But then...will it freeze before I can shovel?  or will it not rain at all but just freeze?  OMG I just don't know.  How lucky am I to have those be the questions on my mind!

It just won't stop!

I'm guessing we have 2 feet of snow on the ground by now.  It's just snowing and snowing and snowing.  Snowed all night, off & on during the day, still spitting snow now.  Man oh man this is a lot for November.  We won't be seeing bare ground for a long long time.

It's warm, 32 out there now, which will make my shoveling harder in some ways but at least not unpleasant.  I already shoveled the steps once but you'd never guess that.  I think we got 6 more inches last night AFTER my driveway was plowed.  It could use some tidying up but that's not going to happen I'm sure.

Went to Plattsburgh this morning, the roads were good on the way in but were worse on the way home.  Side roads are a problem but nothing dangerous or scary.

My house warms up quickly when I stoke that fire.  The spray foam insulation has made a huge difference and is really a great thing.  I used to lose a ton of heat to the upstairs but the insulation has cut way down on that (no draft coming up from under the house through the floor).  It seems very strange to have such a warm house!

And wait for it...it's coming again

Another storm is predicted for tonight and tomorrow.  A foot, maybe more.   maybe less.  Do they ever really know?

I'm home today from my Thanksgiving trip to Rhode Island.  I had a good time, Thanksgiving was nice.  Started with a beach walk with the dogs, a very abbreviated walk because it was 10 degrees and very windy, so windy that I cut it short.  I didn't take my winter clothes to RI because you never need those at Thanksgiving.   WRONG.  Anyway we had another, nicer and longer beach walk later on and the dogs had a great time.  They don't get to run free at my mother's house, there's a pen for them but that's all they get for exercise.  And it's a small pen.  Mark and I try to get them to the beach at least twice a week when I'm there.

My drive down was fine, I went through Worcester and it was a shorter trip but too many miles spent on the Mass Pike to suit me.  I went on Tuesday.  Wednesday, of course we went to town, just a quick trip.  Thanksgiving was fine with a 10.5 pound turkey.  Mark did a lot of the cooking and the food was all great.

Friday we went to town of course, several stops including the grocery store for my mother to do her weekly shopping.  It was cold here at home, -10 reported to me, -21 in Saranac Lake I think.  I worried and fretted about my house.  I had left all my baseboard heaters as high as they would go but sill I worried.  For naught.

Anyway on Saturday my niece, her daughter (4 years old) and her husband came for the afternoon and evening.  In the morning Mark & I went to the seafood store for lobsters and clams, yummy delicious small littlenecks and lobsters from cold water.  We all had a good visit, such a nice time with my family.  The little girl is a wonder and is just as sweet as a child can be.  Who's one of her best friends?  TREASURE!  They left after lobsters, went to Mystic Aquarium on Sunday before they headed home for Potsdam.  A lot of driving.

We had a quiet Sunday, mostly read, visited, I struggled for hours with the Sunday crossword puzzle.  Did I finish it?  Only with help from an atlas and Wicktionary, and even then there were 4 empty spaces.  Oh my.  

It warmed up considerably.  My friend came to check on my house on Thanksgiving and reported that it was warm and fine, then she returned this morning and reported that the living room temp was 79.  Well OK so I spent a fortune needlessly heating my house but my pipes did NOT freeze so that was swell.  My friend laid a fire for me and brought in mail and delivered packages.  How lucky I am to have a kind, generous and considerate friend. 

Now the temp outside is 32, the living room is 69 and I just lit the fire.  I've turned off all the heaters.  Man oh man am I glad I had the insulation sprayed under the house!

The dogs were so very very happy to be home.  Bear whined nearly the whole way from Albany to the house.  I thought he was desperate to pee so stopped at a rest area but oh no, he didn't HAVE to, he just sniffed a lot and peed a little.  What a pig.   I assume he was sick of being in the car.  Well hells bells so was I!

So we're supposed to have this storm tonight (it's raining right now) and tomorrow.  I'm supposed to go to Keene Valley to work in the morning, let's wait and see what the conditions are.  It feels as if I've been gone for a very long time but of course it's just about a week.  I'll be going back to RI for Christmas and will spend almost a week there then.  What will I set the heat at?  Oh such a good question.

Oh no! not again!

Predictions for a big storm tonight and tomorrow!   Run for cover!   Their best guess is that we might get a foot of snow.  It's cold so it should be fine, drier snow.  Right now the temp is 4, I think it's supposed to get up to 20 today.  Makes me think of my friends in Georgia and chuckle--don't they wish they were here today?!

Life has been good and without incident.  The car is still clean, my wood stove works well, the insulation I had sprayed under the house is working admirably.  It's true that the living room is cold at 59 but it will warm up and there's not the draftiness of the past.  The upstairs is much cooler, yay for that, not losing as much heat from the downstairs.  That's what the sprayers predicted, there's not the big draft coming through the downstairs with all that cold air being blocked.  I'm so happy!

Although I was convinced it was Saturday when I got up this morning at 5:30, it's really Thursday.  A work day.  I'll head out around 8 or so, be home by 1 if I come straight home.  No anticipated stops today.  So what will I do this afternoon?  I have glassware for the thrift store that needs to be washed--I brought a box home weeks ago to wash before selling it but then my well ran dry so it's been sitting in my mudroom all this time.  I'm so cocky about my water supply that I'm doing laundry right now, just a smallish load but I don't feel like going to the neighbors' to do it.  Oh I'm living close to the edge all right.

Hard to believe Thanksgiving is next week.  I'm leaving on Tuesday but packing is no big deal.  I have a LIST, a long list.  At the top of the list is TURKEY, don't forget the turkey.  Then we have dog bowls and dog food, don't ever forget those!

It's 0 in Saranac Lake right now, we're so much better off than they are.

SNOW! But just a little bit

We didn't get as much snow as I expected, only ended up with a couple of inches.  Of course it's still here, didn't melt...

I had a good weekend, worked at the thrift store for a couple of hours on Saturday morning.  They needed me in books so I didn't work in receiving, books are much easier to deal with and a lot less tiring.

Went to the dump Saturday afternoon.  It was really windy and snowy a bit.  Some friends were here to take out their dock, they got that done without my help (yay) and we went out for dinner that night in Saranac Lake at the Hotel.  My friends spent the night there instead of their unheated, waterless cabin in the cold.  We had a good dinner and nice visit.  I had a long dark ride home in blowing snow but it wasn't a problem.  I have a good car (Crosstrek) with snow tires.  And a CLEAN Crosstrek too!

Sunday was quiet, I walked with my friend in the morning but the dogs took off on the way home.  BAD DOGS!  My friend found them on her way home, down the hardtop more than a mile away.  We walked the bog again today but I put Treasure on a leash on the way out.  Boy was Bear sad about that.  He doesn't seem to take off from our walks unless she tempts him.

Today is Veterans Day--no mail.  I wrote a letter to my dear niece who is now a Doctor, doing research in Bozeman.  Talked to my mother for a long time, she was very very chatty.  I went to a farm stand, got delicious Fuji apples, carrots, got cider at another stop and picked up a few low-point and pointless vegetables.  Man, Weight Watchers is killing me.  I have so much trouble staying within my daily points!  Tonight's dinner will be scrambled eggs=zero points.

It's 36 degrees outside and there was some sunshine so my living room is HOT, too hot at 73.  I do not like it that hot.  It's much like winter here now, snowy ground and dark afternoons.  Well what do I expect?

SNOW!!!! Heavy snow!

It's snowing hard and adding up.  Predictions had it starting at 3:00 and guess what time it started snowing?  Just before 3.  How do they do that?

I was up during the night, decided to be productive as long as I was up so did 2 loads of laundry at my friends' house, bringing them home to dry here.  Did dishes.  Brought in firewood.  Dumped some deck pots (those that weren't frozen) and brought the rest inside to thaw.  Cleared the deck.  YAY cleared the deck.  I walked with friends at 7:30, that was nice at 30 degrees.  I like 30 degrees, it's not too cold for me.

We ended up meeting in Lake Placid for lunch, that was really nice.  I ran some errands, did some shopping (hello dog food and dog biscuits) and met up with my friends at the Pub.  Nice time, very nice time. 

Now I'm home in front of a nice fire in the stove, watching it snow knowing I'll have to go out for more wood even though I have plenty in right now.  I'll go out for more when I go out for the mail in an hour or so.  Predictions are for us to get 3-6 inches.  I'll take 3, thank you.  But I have new snow tires on my car and I don't really HAVE to go anywhere tomorrow.  I feel I should show up at the thrift store tomorrow so will try to get there if the roads aren't bad.

Now I've put away the laundry, oh I love clean clothes.  I have to take apart the bookcase in the bedroom and replace it with the new one I bought but that just doesn't sound like fun right now.  Instead I'll watch dumb TV and maybe go to sleep.

Busy busy busy

I worked THREE mornings this week, last week as well.  OMG that's almost like working full-time (not, so much not).  We finished up the project with the schoolkids and it turned out well, the kids were excited and interested and engaged so it was a success.  I can't take credit, I just furnished the materials, the ideas and follow-through were done by others. 

I finally FINALLY got my car detailed.  What a disgusting mess it was, but now it's nice and sparkling clean.  Cost a fortune but had to be done.  Now I have to put on the seat covers and take better care of the poor car.  I really like the Crosstrek, I've been driving my friend's Impreza for the last 2 days--my previous car was an Impreza and I didn't like it much but it was fun to drive a car closer to the ground, I felt very sporty.  But boy am I happy to have my car back.

I have a long list of tasks to accomplish both indoors and outdoors.  Too many things to get done in just one day.  or two.  I'm not good at accomplishing tasks, mostly.  I still haven't emptied the deck but I did get a start on it.  It's supposed to snow this weekend, starting tomorrow night I think.  Many inches are expected in higher elevations, which usually includes us.  But wait, maybe it will turn to rain.  or sleet.  So I'm guessing we don't really know what will happen.

I have friends coming to their camp for the weekend to take out their dock.  Man that sounds like a miserable job but I offered to help.  I'm working at the thrift store Sat. morning but may help them in the afternoon (or not).

I haven't been walking, my walking partner has been busy with other things (she still works full-time).  We are planning a walk tomorrow morning and that will be good.  I did walk half a mile to the hardtop this afternoon to meet the friend who took me to Plattsburgh to retrieve my car.  Not much but something.

Rain and more rain (good for the well)

We're in the middle of a rainy spell, seems to rain every day and all night.   That is OK with me, water from the sky makes its way to my well eventually (or so I like to think).  No, not really, I know the water in my well comes from the vein underground.  This year was the year of spray foam insulation, I'm hoping next year will be the year of the well.  We'll see how things go.  It's the one thing everyone nags me about ("You should have a well drilled"), but who has thousands of dollars handy?  (Oh I know there are people who do, I'm just not one of them)

It's another middle-of-the-night postings.  I got some good sound sleep for a few hours but woke up at 1 with 2 antsy dogs and decided to get up.  Yes, the dogs get a snack and then get to go outside in the rain but then they collapse into a deep sleep, lucky buggers.  I'll no doubt be asleep soon.  I don't have to be at the thrift store until 9 so I'll get some more sleep.  I'm looking forward to earlier sunrise after tomorrow, I like having light in the early morning.  I used to stay in bed until the last possible minute when I worked, now I get up at least an hour earlier than I need to be anywhere.  I like having a quiet time.  as quiet as it can be with 2 bouncy black dogs.

I got new shoes for my car, snow shoes!  I spent much of yesterday in Plattsburgh--got the tires and had them installed while I waited, then ran a few errands before coming home.  Next week it's back to Plattsburgh to have the poor car detailed and ionized.  When my friend and I have our morning coffee at Stewarts we look at the displays--aspirin, candy, condoms and of course air fresheners in a number of scents.  We were intrigued by the "Black Ice" scent so when I bought my car my friend gave me a Black Ice dangler for my new car.  It finally came in handy this week--VERY handy and is pretty good at masking the Odoban/dog poop smell that has saturated the seats. 

It' supposed to be ("supposed to be") sunny and 40 tomorrow and I have high hopes for finishing my outdoor chores.  Have to get these things done!   Put the mower in the shed, empty the flower pots and put away the deck furniture then finish the boat house closing. 

The birds are eating a feederful every day, mostly chickadees but nuthatches and a few finches as well.  Woodpeckers are chowing down on the suet, blue jays are trying to grab anything they can.  Red squirrels gnaw on the suet but they don't seem to really enjoy eating fat.  Who can blame them?

Middle of the night

Or early morning, whichever you choose.  I woke at 2 a.m. and finally just got up at 2:30.  The dogs were pleased, they seem to think a snack and trip outside are appropriate for this time.  I'm a sucker and eager to please so they get what they request.  Some of the time.

I'm all fussed about the car, I've tried everything to clean the backseat with no success so I have an appointment to have it detailed.  This is really embarrassing, the car is disgusting and I hate to have anyone have to deal with it.  Then I remind myself that they've probably seen worse and had to deal with more disgusting things.  But still... I hate to be the one to make people deal with unpleasant things.  But still.. it's what they do for a living.

I'm watching The Baroness von Sketch Show, which is very funny VERY funny women's humor, short vignettes by a women's comedy troupe.  Some of these make me laugh out loud.

A group of us had lunch in Plattsburgh to celebrate Pat's 79th birthday.  79!  Wow, next year she'll turn 80, amazing.  Of course that used to seem so old but now, oh no, it's not old at all, we'll all soon be in our 70's then 80's.  We had a good time, there were 8 of us so it was festive.

Our weather was nice yesterday, supposed to be even nicer today with maybe even some sunshine.  That would be pleasant.  It was in the 40's and drizzly but actually quite a nice day.  I went to the dump in the morning before driving to Plattsburgh for lunch.  There is still some color in the woods, the beeches and birches, aspens still have darkish gold leaves.  They're clinging to their leaves all right, it's almost November and we still have a nice bit of brightness out there.  Of course it's snowing right now but we're not supposed to have much.

A week? really?

Didn't realize it had been so long.  Maybe I had a busy week.  but probably not.

I had to go to Plattsburgh Monday, then to a meeting in Keene that evening before dinner with friends who were here for the weekend.  A lot of driving.  Tuesday was a work day and that was fine.  Wednesday I spent a few hours at the thrift store, got to do bagging instead of receiving because they needed help out front.  Nice work, bagging--the only decision you have to make is what size bag (or maybe a box?) to put things in as they're paid for.  I love it.

The dogs ran off one afternoon and were gone long enough to find someone else's food to eat.  It was better food than they usually get, or at least richer food because on Thursday SOMEONE (hello Bear) had explosive diarrhea in the car.  What a spectacular mess.  A real shitstorm.  Oh what a disgusting thing that was and the car still stinks because it's all over the seatbelt, carpet, seat, dashboard, etc.  I did some cleaning but it was all frozen so too tough to get everything cleaned.  It still stinks only now it smells like poopy Odoban.  I'll take the car in to be detailed as soon as I can. 

Yesterday was a day at home and a pretty productive one.  I did a ton of laundry, I closed the boat house, I tidied up a bit in prep for book group, which I'm hosting tomorrow night.  I put plastic on one window (two more to go).  I dumped some deck pots and did a little clearing of the deck.  Of course the dirt in the pots is frozen so I have to bring them in a couple at a time to thaw out.  I love me.  I pretty much have to do this every year because I don't get the pots dumped early enough.

Today I walked with friends this morning then went to the thrift store.  I only stayed a couple of hours, receiving was well staffed and I didn't feel like staying.  It's been snowing here for 3 hours but it's only just starting to stick.  This is supposed to be a huge and complicated storm with sleet, rain, ice, snow, a wintry mix.  They like that term, the weather people, a wintry mix.  It's pretty windy but not what was really predicted yet.  Maybe later.

Tomorrow I'm making dinner for book group although book group consists of 3 of us in the winter season.  That's OK, we have a nice time and sometimes even talk about the book.

It got cold and we survived

It even snowed, just a dusting and it's long gone now.  Today it's 50, sunny but windy.

I had planned to volunteer at the thrift store today but on the way home from our bog walk this morning the dogs ran off.  They were gone for 1 1/2 hours before my friend called from her house FOUR MILES away to tell me that the dogs were there.  They've never been inside her house and have only been there in the car, never been out of the car there.  Did they know it was her house?  or did they just get lucky?  or what?   I didn't know whether to laugh or cry--she lives on top of a mountain down the road from the hardtop at the end of my road.  Did they follow the power line?  Did they run down the road, which is so so dangerous it makes me crazy?  I just don't know what to think but am struggling with this.  I guess the solution is to always have a leash and put one of them on a leash on the way back from any walk.  BAD dogs BAD BAD dogs.  Poor Treasure is exhausted but Bear sill has plenty of energy.  Oh this is a big problem.

Other than that I'm fine.  I had a good enough week but went all the way to Plattsburgh yesterday to get meds which were "not ready until Monday" at the pharmacy.  Pissed me off but I did get some errands done so it wasn't a totally wasted trip.  Just partly.

So what will I do today?  Hopefully I'll get off the couch and put plastic on the windows at the back of the house.  Go to the dump.   Go to the bank.  Be productive.  I'm exhausted emotionally though.  A tracking collar would only work if I had cell reception at home.  The nearest hot spot is miles away.

I put up the suet feeder for the woodpeckers who keep hanging around and I filled the birdfeeder.  Chickadees, finches, blue jays, nuthatches.  Friends are here with company this weekend.  There were 5 of us walking yesterday morning but only 2 today.

Meeting of the historical society in Keene on Monday followed by dinner with friends.  Otherwise a quiet week I think.  But then I always think that and it doesn't turn out that way.

Run for cover! It's coming!

They're predicting a cold night and colder morning for tonight and tomorrow.  OH NO!   Wind chills will make temps in the teens (maybe) and we'll have a hard frost (maybe).  My friends are nervous because the water in their camps has yet to be taken out.  There's not much I can do to help but I check on things.  Some friends are coming for the weekend but they'll have a lot of guests so maybe I won't see them (which would be all right).

I went to Plattsburgh on Monday, haircut and lunch with a good friend.  Again, I don't have any friends who AREN'T good...

Yesterday I got chilled at work, the heat in the library wasn't working and it was a day like today, 40's with wind and rain.  brrrr.

This morning I worked at the thrift store for 3 hours, things were a mess there because it was very busy on Saturday but there was only one person working in receiving.  We got things in pretty good shape but then a bunch of donations came in plus it started to rain so we had to move everything inside where there wasn't enough room.  Yikes, what a mess.  I felt bad leaving but there were enough people working there and I had chores to do for friends.

Tomorrow I'm working in the Archives and I volunteered to stuff envelopes at the Adk Land Trust.  Why did I do that?  I need to save time for my friend who has company coming tomorrow night, we need to make beds and arrange furniture.  I'll get it all done but I'll be tired.  whew.

We have some yellow leaves left but there sure is a lot of brown in the hills now.  I think I'd rather have winter than this weather, it's just damp and chilly and uncomfortable.  In January I'll remind myself that I wrote that.

Brighter woods

I forget how much brighter the woods become when they're naked of leaves--I can see Silver Lake Mtn. (sort of) now and can look into the forest in a way that I haven't been able to for months.  I like that.  Yes, I miss the bright green of spring, the warmth of summer and the brilliant fall colors, but I do enjoy change and change is what's happening now.

It was 33 this morning, up to 42 4 hours later and expected to be 50 today.  Bright fall sunshine, a blue blue sky.  Just wonderful.  I walked with my friend and my dogs, such a nice visit with her and fun watching the dogs.

I have a good fire going--have yet to turn on the heat.  That's amazing and wonderful and totally unusual for this late.  I'll take it!

Dinner last night with good friends (summer people), dinner tonight with another couple of summer friends, then it will officially be the end of the season.  I'll put my lawn mower in the shed down the driveway, I'll start feeding the birds, I'll start closing the boat house and this week I'll order my snow tires and have them installed.  SNOW TIRES???!!!  Yes, it's time for that.  There was snow in the mountains yesterday, just a dusting for effect.  We always have that in October, just a harbinger of winter.

Life is good.  No, life is VERY good, I'm happy and enjoying the days.  Do I wish summer would last longer?  Not this year, we had a long extension of the season.  I live here because I like having 4 different seasons (well, that's only one reason I live here, there are more).  It was time for a change and that's what we have.

Uh-oh, past peak today

I think maybe yesterday was peak (boy do I sound obsessive about this).  Today there are way fewer leaves on the trees and the mountains are starting to have the purple-gray they have when they're empty of leaves.  I had a really nice walk yesterday in the warm oh-so-warm weather of these 2 days.  I went to work yesterday, that was easy and nice, and the drives there and home were truly spectacular.  Some fog, cloudy but that helps deepen the colors in a way that bright sunshine does not.  Today it's 76 with bright blue sky and hot sun.  I was at the thrift store for a while but came home sort of early.  Had coffee this morning at a friend's camp with others, our final gathering on the porch.  Man was it nice, what a gorgeous morning.

Here are images from my walk yesterday.

Naturally the camera doesn't do justice to the brightness of the colors but you get the idea.

Must be peak by now

It's hard to tell, there's heavy fog out there.  Can't see the far shore or the mountains.  I was hoping to go on a photo-taking tour today but nooooo, there's not a view to be found in the fog.

It's been a relatively quiet Columbus Day weekend, not as many people visiting Hawkeye as in some years.  I had visits with friends, cooked a dinner for friends, and tonight will go to a pork dinner with friends.  The weather has been less than ideal but that doesn't upset me.  I'd like to take the dogs for a bog walk but there are 4 cars at the bog right now so I won't do that.  Maybe later on, dinner tonight isn't until 6 so I can go in the late afternoon.  maybe.

Meanwhile my pump/well is not behaving well.  Last night the pump was acting strangely so I showered at a friend's house and shut off the pump.  Today I turned it back on and it spit and sassed and finally spit out dirty water so I'm conjecturing that we've hit the bottom of the well.  Rats, why did I insist on doing a lot of dishes AND doing the laundry yesterday?  I've been being very careful about water use lately.  I suppose it was inevitable anyway, there's just been very little rain this year.  I'll leave the pump off for a while (days) and see what happens.  I have access to the Holts' house where there's unlimited water and that's great consolation.

My week looks pretty quiet.  Yes, the Archives and the thrift store, plus a meeting of the Cemetery Association one night.  Maybe a trip to Plattsburgh (ugh) to pick up meds.  Lunch with a friend tomorrow after the Archives.  The weather is supposed to improve, 70 degrees on Wednesday.  If one can believe the forecasters.  I have to close the boat house one of these days.  I usually wait until it's cold and unpleasant but maybe, just maybe this year will be the exception to that.  Maybe, I said maybe.

The dogs are fine.  They wanted to run off this morning but I managed to corral them.  Now they're sleeping soundly in the warm living room, where there's a hot fire in the stove.  THEY don't care that there's no running water.

Still not peak yet

Colors are coming along but still haven't reached peak.  Someone at work today said "When do you know it's peak?"  The answer is easy: once it's past peak.  There's a dramatic change just after peak color, the leaves fall and only the yellows and golds are left.

It's been an easy and good week, nothing very dramatic.  I volunteered at the thrift store yesterday, stayed until noon (which is longer than I usually work) because there were only 2 of us in receiving and I didn't want to leave the other worker alone.  Well, I DID leave her alone but only for 1 1/2 hours.  Luckily it wasn't busy with droppers.  There were enough shoppers but we fared well in receiving and were able to keep up with the traffic.  I was thinking of staying home Saturday but that would really be unfair--it will be busy busy busy because of the holiday weekend.  It's not just an American holiday, it's Canadian Thanksgiving as well.  Yikes the region will be packed.  Sort of like peak color, it will be peak tourist season.

Work in the Archives was just fine today.  We did some scanning, laughed a lot and I messed around with images we had emailed to us from a summer person.  Some nice images.

Tomorrow I head to Plattsburgh, get my flu shot in the morning then have made plans to visit with the new director of CEF, where I used to work.  It just felt like a nice thing to do--I'm not eager to meet him, nor do I dread, nor do I particularly care, it just seemed right.  There was a reception for him a while back.  I was invited but didn't go, it was in Plattsburgh one night and I didn't feel like seeing the people who would be there.  This way I can just show that I'm friendly and pretend to care about what happens at the System.

We walked to the mailbox and home with the dogs this morning--that's nearly a mile so we felt pretty righteous.  Too wet to walk in the woods.

Life is good, very good.

Waiting patiently

We're still waiting for peak color, unusual for the 1st of October.  Friends are coming for Columbus Day--some years they get a muted showing because it's past peak, some years they hit it on peak color but this year it looks as if it will be pre-peak.  But beautiful nevertheless.  Not, maybe the brilliance of oranges, yellows and reds we sometimes have but you can't argue that fall color in Hawkeye is a thing of beauty.

I've been busy but winding down my social activities (though someone at book group just asked me if I EVER eat a meal at home)(the answer is yes but not often recently).  Most people have left/are leaving.  I had a delightful and wonderful evening with one of my favorite relatives, my cousin's son and his wife (blonde-haired Betsy) on Saturday.  We always laugh a lot when we're together.  We usually see each other only once a year but we can easily pick up where we left off.  They LOVE my dogs (who wouldn't?).  They were in camp for the weekend so I took the dogs down to see them but OH NO the dogs ran off together.  My fault, I was distracted and having a nice visit.  Turned out the dogs went down the lake and visited with some friends at their camp.  Only Bear wouldn't leave.  Treasure went back to camp but Bear refused to leave.  Of course, their feeding him biscuits and letting him in the camp to play with their dog didn't encourage him to come home.  I waited too long for him to show up at our camp, finally came home 2 hours later to find him in my living room--they left me 2 phone messages and ended up driving him home and letting him in the house.  I'm sure he appreciated the ride.  Anyway I was embarrassed but thankful, now will do something nice for them to repay.  They are nice people and have a wonderful male from the same breeder so we share that.

I'm heading to Plattsburgh today for a doctor's appointment and lunch with a friend (see?  I never really DO eat at home, alone).  This is the doctor who tried convincing me that I do indeed have a soul (this was last year).  No, I do not believe in an afterlife.  But you MUST, declared the doctor, we all have souls.  I KNOW this.  I've FELT the soul of my dead daughter leave her body.  blah blah blah.  Not my circus, not my monkeys.

I worked at the thrift store but only briefly.  People working there seemed to be pretty grumpy so I stayed 2 hours then left, feeling guilty because of the stuff that was piled up outside of receiving, waiting for sorting, cleaning and pricing.  Too bad, I don't volunteer there to be among a bunch of grumbling and suffering fellow volunteers.  I'll return on Wednesday unless something else comes up and one of the grumblers will have left town by then.  We usually have a good time working together, we laugh, we tease each other, we talk and I enjoy the companionship and sharing.  Hopefully that will work out this week.

I'm going on morning walks pretty regularly now, we've been walking on an old logging road with a gorgeous 180-degree view of the mountains.  That only works if my friend can go to work late because it doesn't get light as early anymore, rats.  Today we're heading back to the treadmills at the gym at 7:15.  I think I walk faster on the treadmill.  or maybe not, I can't tell.  Anyway the view isn't as nice but the conversation is still good.

Coloring the woods

We're getting more and more color, some oranges and reds though a bit faded maybe, and yellows around my house.  I love this time of year, the woods glow and it's so much lighter outside.  We had rain this morning but now we have some clouds and some sun.  Temp is 65, a nice day after all.

Didn't walk this morning, just had coffee and a visit with my friend because it was raining.  We've made plans to walk tomorrow unless it's pouring.  I promised Bear.

Work yesterday was fine, we scanned images from 1911-1913 and that was fun.  We're loving the time we spend on black & white images of mountains and scenery that look boring.  I question the validity of scanning ALL of the images but then I realize that the physical images won't last forever and who knows who will want which images in the future.  And my assignment is to scan the 6,000-7,000 images so scan I do.

I visited with friends who are leaving on Monday, our farewell cocktails together for this year.  Neighborhood is emptying fast.  It's feeling funny to have so much time to myself but I'd better get used to it.  This morning I went to Peru, to the laundromat to wash a big BIG load of bedding, clothes, seat covers, etc.  I love the giant machine there but opted to dry everything at home so that's what I'm spending my afternoon doing.

I watched some of the Kavanaugh hearing yesterday but was so very very disgusted that I couldn't spend much time on it.  That man is NOT Supreme Court material, no matter how he behaved earlier in his life.  I do believe his accusers but regardless of that a whining, weepy, screaming judge is not a good candidate.  Now we'll wait to see the outcome.

My weekend looks pretty quiet.  I'll spend time at the thrift store tomorrow morning.  Book group meets Sunday and I'm only about halfway through the book so should be reading instead of watching Death in Paradise.  or even the Senate vote.

Rain is good

It's a rainy day, the second one this week.  That's good news, my well may appreciate it.  Poor Bear went out this morning and got caught in a downpour--he decided he could wait to do his pottying until the rain let up a bit.  Must be nice, Bear, to pick and choose like that.

It's been a busy few days but I've seen my friends a bunch of times and that's been nice.  They leave today for home (Minnesota) and I won't see them again for a long time.  This is a couple I really enjoy visiting with, lots of laughter.

I cooked lobsters for friends the other night.  One of the easiest meals I know how to cook.  This was a thank-you dinner for people who feed me when they visit the North Country.  The lobs were good but I have to say not as tasty as the ones I have in RI.  Can that really be true?  They were very lively when I put them in the pot but the ones in RI are so much fresher.  Oh well, they were tasty and everyone had a good time.

I've been doing my usual stuff (minus dock time), worked yesterday, ran errands in Plattsburgh on Monday (got lobsters and groceries).  Sunday was nice, went to breakfast with friends then spent some time tidying up the living room.  I'm getting ready for the solitude of winter, preparing myself for the absence of my good summer friends.  Some are leaving today, some leaving Monday.  We'll have one Last Hurrah Columbus Day weekend and the following week but then it will be a return to my off-season normalcy.

The spray foam insulation seems to be working well.  I've had a fire a few times and the house heats up well but the main difference is that it STAYS WARM!!   Imagine that!  It was 70 in the living room last night and is 69 this morning, unheard of even though it's 63 outside.  It's a rainy day and that usually feels chillier.

Have not been walking in the mornings and really really need to get back into that as well as modifying my diet.  We did walk yesterday so that was a good start.  Not walking today.  I'm going to get back into a Weight Watchers diet, oh yes I am.  I only gained a few pounds this summer but that was bad, very very bad.

Blown away

It's incredibly windy tonight/this morning.  I really like the sound of the wind, which doesn't make much sense--trees come down, I lose power, trouble trouble trouble in high winds but maybe it's just the variety of sound that I find entertaining.  Anyway it was windy all day with some heavy rain.  Again, I like that now because I'm so worried about the water level in my well.  ANY rain is welcome.

I had 2 crises this week, both expensive.  My refrigerator was making a nasty noise so I went to town on Wednesday and bought a new one ($600, but delivered, taxed and including removal of the old one for that, not bad I thought).  It was delivered the next day because the young salesman (Joseph) was wonderful and very very helpful.  That was Weds. and Thursday.  I did go to the Archives after the fridge was delivered but only for an hour because it was after hours--I went because there was a patron there (I still call them patrons, left from my library days) who wanted my help and with whom I've been working for a few weeks on her exhibit.  It was a long way to drive for a short time spent there but it was the right thing for an archivist to do.  Yay me.

My next crisis was a toothy one.  Rats, I hate dental crises.  We had a horrible dentist who believed in novacaine-free dentistry when we were kids.  We didn't see a dentist until we were fairly old, I think I was in 4th grade, maybe 3rd so of course we had cavities and problems.  We didn't trust the dentists in Turkey and weren't in one place long enough after that.  Anyway, I have had a near-phobic fear of dentistry as an adult but this time I was totally relaxed and calm.  I had a cleaning in the morning (I know, who gets nervous about a cleaning?  I DO!) and they were able to fix my broken filling later in the day so that was a bonus.  I wasn't thrilled with the dentist (he was the son of one of the partners, visiting to do surgery on his regular schedule) but he did a good enough job I guess.  It was practically painless and quick so what more could a girl ask for?  Lots of novacaine, or whatever they use now and when it wore off there was no pain.  This tooth may need a dreaded root canal in the near or distant future.  RATS!   Now there's something I'm really really really afraid of.  I had one done when I lived in RI and it hurt a lot.  A whole lot.  I know that was 30 years ago.  No, 35 years ago but I still live in fear of having another one.

I've had dinners with friends most nights this week--there have been many (many) September visitors here in Hawkeye.  One night I ate alone at home and it was lovely.  I know it will be a long solitary winter but right now I'm almost ready for that.  Most people will be gone by the first of October but then we have a busy weekend for Columbus Day.  After that the leaves and people disappear.

The wind is blowing a lot of leaves down before we get the full colorful effect.  We always have windy times and lose leaves but usually not until they're prettier than they are right now.  Let's hope the maples at least hold on to their leaves a while longer.  It's getting brighter in the forest with leaves turning yellow now and there are red hues in the mountains starting to show up.  It's pretty.

LOVE September!

This is one of the absolutely best-ever times to be in Hawkeye, the weather couldn't be better.  I've been having wonderful dock days with Linda and the swimming is cold but grand.  The lake has been pretty calm and almost deserted, what a fantastic gift this time of year is!

It's a busy time in Hawkeye, the 'hood is full of friends and more friends.  Some are arriving, some are leaving, there's a lot going on.  Tomorrow is the neighborhood breakfast, lots of people and lots of food on a porch.  Dinner last night with friends I totally enjoy being with, they make me laugh and laugh.

This morning I walked with my friend in a new spot, a logging road that goes up and up and up (wheeze, huff and puff) but there are tons of deer tracks and even a bonus few moose tracks and a spectacular mountain view, wow was it ever pretty.  We're returning tomorrow morning and I'll take pictures of the view because why not?

Busy week coming up.  Monday is changeover day in the thrift store and I said I would help.  I don't know what that entails--we're switching from summer to winter stuff.  It will be a lot of work, that much I know.

A few dinners this week, people are getting ready to leave during the next few weeks so there's a mad rush to spend final times together.  What will it be like after Columbus Day?  QUIET, very quiet.  I'll no doubt be ready for that by then, I love these people, they are my closest friends but I have to move on toward winter's solitude.

Moving along

We didn't have an honest frost but it was frosty at 33 here.  The bog was beautiful with a hazy sun shining through icy covered fir trees.  That was a nice walk.

It's been a busy week.  I had a bad scare with my dog Bear and still haven't figured out what was wrong with him--Monday morning he was lethargic and not at all himself (well who was he then?).  I got very upset but had to take friends to the airport so getting him to the vet in a hurry wasn't going to be an option.  When my walking partner showed up Bear rallied and was almost normal so I felt better leaving him for an hour & a half.  When I got home from the airport he was better and now he seems pretty much back to normal.  Very scary and I sill don't know what that was about, maybe he got into some poisonous, maybe he has some illness, who knows.  It's very worrisome and I think I'll have to take him in one day soon to have him checked out.  OH BOY!   Blood tests!   Urine sample!  Lots of money spent!  But I was devastated when he was ailing so I know I want to get this taken care of.

I went back to Plattsburgh later in the morning on Monday and had lunch with a good friend (I have no bad friends so that sounds redundant).  Yesterday I worked in the Archives, that was good, then my friend (a good one) came for dinner and to finish cleaning my mud room.  We started the project on Sunday and generated 5 contractors' bags of garbage/trash.  Oh my how did I ever accumulate so much stuff???  We've now finished the downstairs, having purged in the library, pantry and mud room.  On to the upstairs: the master bedroom/storage unit and 2 closets.  That's a massive job that I've been putting off (and compounding) for years.

Later this afternoon I'll take the garbage to the dump (after a trip to the bank to get cash to pay for this) then am visiting with summer friends.  They have a dog from the same breeder, he's a lovely male black Lab with way too much energy because he never gets to run.  He's much like Bear in appearance and bounciness.  The husband of this couple has dementia so it will doubtless be a sad-ish visit.  He has his good days and his bad days, naturally.

I'm not planning to work in the thrift store today--feels like a day off from school, hooray.  It's Bag Sale time, just before we change over from summer to winter stuff.  Fill a bag for $5, come on everyone!  I assume it will be a zoo and I just don't have the energy to be there for it.  Saturday I'll only be there a short time, my friend is bringing his work crew to stack my firewood.  I only bought 6 cords this year, I still have 2 cords of last year's wood in the wood shed.  And with my new and improved insulation I'll probably only need to burn 1 cord.  KIDDING!  I expect to use 6 cords at least but I also expect to be much much warmer than ever before.

The trees are starting to turn, it's very subtle still but there are some oranges and yellows, a modest showing so far.  Much debate, as always about what kind of year it will be for foliage.  It's been a dry summer--will this mean muted colors?  We always think that will be the case but somehow it ends up being spectacular and a wonderful showing.

Autumnal day

No frost yet but warnings for tonight.  I brought in my house plant, don't much care about the rest of the deck plants.  The tomatoes had plenty of fruit on them until Bear discovered the ones on the deck and Treasure discovered the ones in the ground.  Thanks, kids.

The insulation was a huge success.  They came back on Friday and finished up.  This morning the outside temp was 47 and inside was 62.  Earlier this week outside temp was 48 and inside temp was 58.  Can this really be true?  I don't know but it sure was fun comparing.  And I am so, so happy not to see fiberglass insulation falling down under the house.  What a huge deal.

I skipped the bloody Mary party this morning, good for me!   I went to the thrift store after walking the bog with my friend and the dogs.  The thrift store was very slow until just around the time I left then we had many shoppers, not too many droppers.  There was a fall festival in Wilmington so I expected a lot of passers by and that's how it went.

Went to the dump this afternoon then I mowed the lawn.  Yes, it's true, I finally mowed the lawn.  The lawn is in terrible shape, such a dry summer.  At least it looks slightly better now.

Dinner with friends tonight, just 3 of us.  I'm allergic to big groups these days so am looking forward to a quiet night.  Last night I picked up other friends at the airport.  Their plane was 2 hours late getting in so it was a long dull evening but that was all right.

Weather is beautiful, temp now is 60 with some late afternoon sun and very still air.  The trees are starting, just barely starting to show some change in color.  I love this time of year.

INSULATE!

The process has begun.  A very nice man is here now pulling down the fiberglass insulation under the house.  YAY!   This is exciting and wonderful.  This man (Joe) likes dogs and has a goldendoodle so he must be a nice guy.

It's been hot, ungodly hot.  Last night I did NOT go to the boat house, which would have been one option.  Nooooo, instead I slept in a hot bedroom and didn't use the fan my friend lent me.  It's rare here that you sweat just lying in bed but that was what last night was like.  Whew.  I slept pretty well anyway, got up before 6 because Joe was coming at 7 and I had some things to get done before he got here.

I've had wonderful times on my friend's dock, we sit on the dock until we get too hot or bored then we swim and swim and noodle out into the cool water.  Boy am I lucky and boy is it nice to do this.  Like good friends, we never run out of conversation and we each have binoculars to keep track of activities on the lake.  Since Monday (Labor Day) there are far fewer activities on the water so it's even nicer, quiet and peaceful.  Of course we have less to look at, mostly now it's just the loons we watch, plus the great blue heron. 

There is still a lot of social life this month with more people coming.  4 couples will be here, that's 8 people as well as the usual suspects.  People have realized that September is one of the best times to be there.  Maybe the best, though May is also lovely.  I love summer and it's certainly a great time to be here but I'm ready for the change of seasons--the reason we live here, 4 seasons.  I'm almost always ready for fall, I like the change in the air, the weather, the people.  Lovely, just lovely.  Oh, and the changing of the leaves, let's not forget fall foliage.

Craw, yes it's a word

Hah!  Makes good sense to have something stuck in your craw--the crop of a bird or the stomach of an animal.  I feel vindicated.  small victory.

Still sick

My ears!  My ears are so plugged!   I hate that.  I still have my cold but it's no worse, just dragging on I guess.  This morning I had breakfast at our new favorite breakfast place then I went to the thrift store.  I felt lousy but they were extremely short-handed so I stayed a while and priced stuff and put it out for the zillion shoppers who showed up.  There weren't too many people dropping off at least, and we had good men running interference between Receiving and the Droppers.  I came home and lay on the couch, watching Oceans Eleven because boy are those men good looking.  Now I'm home from the dump and watching Oceans Twelve because boy those men are still good looking.

I had a good week, work was fine and not too taxing, but then it never is.  I do enjoy my Archives job.  Tuesday we're celebrating the end of summer with a luncheon.  That will be nice.  Also what will be nice will be the end of summer.  I'm hoping the thrift store settles down too.

So it's Labor Day weekend and there sure is a lot going on.  Dinner with friends tomorrow night.  Helping a friend clean up after her pig roast (because I feel guilty for not going to her pig roast) on Monday morning.  Lunch with friends Monday afternoon.  Dinner (maybe) with other friends Monday night but that may just push me over the edge.

Good friends arrive this week for long visits at their camps.  September is a busy time mostly with people who come for long visits, people I enjoy being with.  At the end of the week I'm having my house spray foam insulated.  That's exciting.

It's warm but not too humid.  Some people thought the end of my driveway must be a parking lot, there are 2 trucks and a motorcycle there.  I pretend not to care but it sticks in my craw (what's a craw?  must Wikipedia that).  Happens often.

Sick, I'm so sick

Or else I just have a mild cold.  Very mild.  I always get nervous when I (rarely) catch a cold because sometimes it will turn into bronchitis or exacerbate my asthma.  This cold, however, is turning out to be little or nothing.  It's only been a couple of days but it's not getting worse.  So that's enough about my cold.

I've had a good week, walking with my friend in the warm mornings.  I worked in the Archives yesterday and actually had patrons to help.  I knew they were coming and was prepared for them.  I entered more metadata--geez I love metadata, what a dork I am. 

I spent some time on the boat house porch this afternoon in the wind.  It's a hot day, 84 right now but the breeze is great.  Humid but not unbearable.  I was going to sleep in the boat house last night but decided I didn't feel well and would rather be at home.   Tonight?  Probably not.  I'm having dinner with friends and will probably just want to sleep at home.

I'm excited about having spray foam insulation installed under my house next week.  I can't believe I'm actually doing this, I never get around to doing things that benefit me when it comes to my house.  It's exciting.  They're going to take away the fiberglass insulation that's under there now, which I had installed maybe 5 years ago but is falling down and never seemed to make much difference.  It's not so much that I think my house will be toasty warmer this winter but it's more that this is a permanent and good solution to insulating under the house.  Next up is to hire someone to put skirting around the house.  Will I get that done this year?   Anybody's guess.  Next year I'm hoping will be the year of the WELL.  My water smells terrible right now but is potable, just unappetizing.  It's been a very dry summer and I have no doubt that the water level is low, very low.  Scary.

Labor Day is this weekend, which really means little to me.  People will be in camp so I won't be there.  Good friends are coming next week for the month of September and I'm looking forward to that.

Sunny Sunday? Not quite

It was sunny until about 10 minutes ago.  I was up at 6:30 and it was bright and lovely.  I walked the bog with my friend (and the dogs) then we had coffee and scones in my living room while visiting.  Her husband has cancer and is often the topic of our discussions.  Yesterday I had coffee with them on their deck with an incredible view of the bluffs near the lake.  We talked then about someone in their lives who is mentally ill, the details of which don't really matter.  I shared a lot--A LOT about my experiences with my own illness(es) and how it is from the perspectives of living it and living past it.  It was emotional for me but I was surprised at how well I managed reliving the dark dark days of my past.  "Is this all right with me?" I asked myself while I was talking to them, "Am I going to cry?"  But no I didn't and it WAS all right with me.  I hope I offered some insights and support to them.  Mostly what I meant to say was that there's not a lot you can do when dealing with someone who's in the throes of an episode, don't try to reason, just be patient.  Like me, this person they deal with is a rapid cycler--BANG! it all comes suddenly but disappears just as quickly.  And life goes on.




OK, enough about that.  What else is going on?  I worked at the thrift store yesterday, spent more time socializing with friends I think than actually being productive.  I did help with the books, threw out a lot of donations.  It's tricky, deciding what to keep that might sell, or might not sell, and what to discard right off the top.  Yesterday it was someone's extensive collection of exercise and diet books, mostly good and relatively new titles.  No, those don't sell.

What does this week look like?  A dinner with friends, time at the gym tomorrow morning, a dump run tomorrow.  I think it's supposed to rain today so maybe I'll get stuff together by cleaning out the fridge, haven't done that in a long time and man oh man is that needed.

Cool morning

I can't call it COLD, it's 47 and that will be lovely in just a few weeks but it is chilly.  I like cool, brisk mornings (especially when they're followed by lovely sunny warm days).

I haven't been doing much lately, the usual stuff.  It's funny to be at home with nothing pressing to do--the hard work my friend and I did on cleaning and purging in my house has left me without the guilt of "I'm sitting here and I should be cleaning."  We're planning on hitting the mud room next, and eventually I think we'll move upstairs.  The master bedroom has become a storage unit for me and is in dire need of organizing and purging.  There are 2 closets upstairs as well, both full of stuff and old clothes.  There was a time when my co-worker friends and I bought a lot of clothes from Eddie Bauer and Lands End, buying variations on the same dresses and sweaters.  We sure were cute, this was 30 years ago.  Anyway a lot of those clothes are in the closets and should be purged.  Not to the thrift store but to the dump.   That was when I wore a size 6.  Many sizes ago.

It's an Archives day, what will we work on?  We could scan photographs, I could enter metadata for already scanned images while my assistant works on the vertical file.  There are a couple of reference questions that the other assistant is working on, hopefully she finished them up on Tuesday but knowing her I doubt it.  Oh well.  She is a school librarian in Vermont and will be back there.

My good friend returns today--she's been away for a week.  I've been feeding and visiting with her cat Cedar.  Cedar is blind and mostly deaf but is now used to having me show up to feed her.  We call her Feedar.  My friend and I are walking partners and winter gym partners and she wants to be sure we walk tomorrow.  I had planned to walk this morning with my poor neglected un-walked dogs but no, I don't think so.  They'll survive.

It's a beautiful sunny morning, now that the sun is up.  I wake up around 5:30 and it's still pretty dark then.  What I see when I open my eyes are 2 hulking dark forms sitting on my bed staring at me.  BURNING me with their "it's time to get up NOW" looks.  I spoil my dogs terribly but they're good company and treat me well.

Oh no not again

I tend to sleep well for a few hours then am wide awake--if I took a nap in the afternoon, or some time during the day would I sleep through the night?  I doubt it, I think people my age often wake up during the night.  Many of my friends, as well as my sister have this happen to them too.

I've been having very nice dock times with my friend, the weather has been cooperating nicely (is that redundant? can you cooperate rudely?  I suppose so).  The lake water is getting cooler, earlier this summer it was warm and not refreshing in 90-degree heat, now it's a tad chilly after 20 minutes or so of noodling.  I'm sure if we actually swam it wouldn't be but we just sort of bob and float.

My book group met tonight.  We get together once a month ostensibly to talk about a book we assign ourselves to read.  We talk a bit about the book but then stray in our conversations.  Gardening, grandchildren, boyfriend, dogs, families, but seldom politics in detail, always general discussion and agreement about the state of things.  Next month we'll meet at the boat house and it will be September.  Holy crap, September.

I have to call the foam insulation people back, both people I called returned my call and left messages.  I was going to call tonight (Sunday) but didn't get home from book group until a little later than I thought it polite to call (but mostly the reason was that I didn't feel like calling).  I absolutely HAVE TO call this week.  No, that's too easy, I have to call MONDAY night.  Let's get this ball rolling.

I have an appointment at long last to have my windshield replaced--it was struck by a rock coming home from RI in July with my sister and has a respectable crack running up nearly the whole length of the glass.  They couldn't get a replacement part for some reason but have finally got one in their shop--I was hoping to have them come to the house but of course the only day I can do it this week it's supposed to rain so I've changed the appointment to take place in their shop.  I love the Internet, there's a picture of their small shop in Platts. and it looks pretty crummy, no big TV in a comfortable waiting room with free coffee and wifi.  I may try to meet a friend for the hour and a half it's supposed to take.

This week looks busy but just about busy enough.  I'm hosting lunch for good friends (I don't have any bad friends) in the boat house while the Ex Husband and his wife will be in camp.  Does it bother me to have them down the hill from my house for a week?  A bit but not much, I just try to stay away from camp while they're there but this is my last chance to visit with these friends, who are leaving next weekend.  I could host them at my house but the boat house is a lovely spot.

Dogs are fine.  Bear is outside now, barking at something that's not me.  He's on a leash nearly all the time he's outside but since it's 1:30 a.m. I figure he'll be OK and not roam right now.  I walk him sans leash in the early morning and he likes that, doesn't stray and comes when I tell him he's too far ahead of me.  Good boy, Bear.  Treasure so far seems to stay close to home when she's outside.  Or so I like to think.  She's never out long enough to be far away.  They are quite a nice pair.

Early morning (too early)

I was awake before 5 this morning but managed to fool the dogs until 6, a more respectable time to get out of bed.  They can tell when I wake, it's a combination of my movements and the change in my breathing (and maybe the groaning I do).  Now we're up and both dogs have had their morning meal and walk though we didn't do a decent bog walk, I just am not in the mood.  My walking partner is in North Carolina and it's sure not as much fun to walk with just dogs who don't carry on a stimulating conversation.

I'm off to Platts. this morning, fasting blood test so I'm drinking my coffee black, ugh.  I really do like milk in my coffee but am such a creature of habit that I insist on having hot coffee when I get up.  Anyway I have errands to run in stores and places that don't open until 9 so I have to wait before heading out.

It's been a good couple of days--much time spent on my friend's dock and in the water.  We use noodles to swim out fairly far (by my standards) then hang out and visit in the cool water.  Very very nice, I am a lucky duck. 

The heat has taken a bit of a break, it's 58 this morning but there's no sign of the sun.  Supposed to rain, big storms this afternoon.  That's OK, my plants need watering.

I've called 2 people about getting spray foam insulation for my house--the house is on posts and the insulation is falling down and coming loose so it's been suggested I have the work done.  I put off calling and that's typical of me: don't do what you don't want to do.  Now I have to return the call of one of the men and set up a time for him to come look it all over.  Oh sometimes I just hate being an adult!  At least I did make an appointment to have my cracked windshield replaced.  Yet another adult task.

Public service!

I worked at the library for 4 1/2 hours today: how did I ever work full-time???  I was exhausted, staffing the circulation desk and helping people.  No, it wasn't as crowded as other libraries I worked in but it was pretty much non-stop helping and answering questions.  Yikes.  Just let me be in the Archives, minding my own business and messing with metadata.  Well the Director needed desk coverage today while she set up the benefit and I offered (that will teach me).

It's muggy here and still warm at 6:30, temp is 74.  I should be in the boat house but I'm happy to be at home (and there are people in camp but not in the boat house).  Tomorrow morning I'll volunteer at the thrift store for a couple of hours and then what?   Errands in AuSable, some stuff to take to the post office, some banking to do.  That will give me most of the day to be productive: MOW THE LAWN!!!  The house is in great shape thanks to my wonderful friend who helped me prepare for company last week.  This just makes me complacent and lazy (lazier).  My friend weed whacked the heavy growth around the house so I could actually mow it now.  Do it, girl, do it!

I have to go to Platts. one day soon for blood testing, have a visit with my primary care doctor next Friday.  The worst part of the whole thing is being weighed at the doctor's office.  No, I haven't been losing weight.  Let's just hope I haven't gained anything lately. 

I watered my deck plants today--they were so thirsty!   I have quite a few blooming flowers now, they've got their second wind.  I have a lot of tiny cucumbers, which I need to protect from Bear.  He munches on the cukes, crunch crunch.  My tomatoes are coming along but aren't close to being ripe.

Still walking Bear on a leash although in early morning I walk him sans  leashing and he does very well.  If there's no one in the bog or around he listens to me and comes when I call him.  Wonder of wonders.

August, and well into it

I took a break from blogging for a month or so, also taking a break from work and from the thrift store.  My sister was here in America for almost 3 weeks and I wanted to spend time with her and be unfettered.  That happened and was wonderful.  We had a lovely time together.  The beginning of her visit was spent with many relatives in camp because it was the weekend of the family meeting.  Too many people for me but we stayed in the boat house and kept mostly to ourselves.  We're good at that.

We went to RI for a week with my mother that included some beach days, good seafood and lots of down time spent reading and relaxing.  When we first got there it was too hot to go to the beach and it was very humid and unpleasant but then it cooled a bit and we had great beach weather.  Her town has 2 town beaches, one with lifeguards, radios and children and the other part of a federal natural area which very few people visit.

This is taken standing with the ocean at my back, looking toward the road and parking area.  There's a pond there and a lovely long mostly deserted beach.

The dogs got to go to RI and my sister was wonderful about walking them on leashes.  Bear has had some "unfortunate" incidents involving the neighbors here so he's leashbound nearly all the time.  He visited a friend's camp and helped himself to the dog food in their kitchen.  Well I can't help it if they don't latch their screen door!  That was extremely embarrassing and was followed by a visit to another friend's camp, tromping through the very-important-to-my-friend-nasturiums.  Oh Bear, why, oh why?

So we spent a week at my mother's house, wallowing in the prettiness that is southern RI before coming back to the North Country.  We had camp to ourselves (unheard of! what a treat!) and had a lovely time reading and visiting.  My sister swam but I didn't, we don't have a dock at the boat house this year and I didn't relish walking through the mucky bottom or climbing over the rocks to get in the water.  I've been swimming at my friend's since my sister left--we have dock time together and swim and float with swimming noodles when we're not looking at neighbors and loons with binoculars.

I'm back into my usual routines now, I worked in the Archives and volunteered at the thrift store for the last 2 weeks.  I had a wonderful lunch with a friend in Saranac Lake, someone I enjoy visiting with, from my past in Library Land.  I've been walking with my morning friends, we mostly do the bog so Bear can stretch his legs off-leash in the early morning, followed by coffee on the boat house porch.  Nice, very nice.

This morning I met up with a friend, her daughter and grandchildren at the bog and had a very nice time seeing them.  That was followed by a lovely dock sit and swim, then a trip to the laundromat to catch up on laundry.

I have a wonderful WONDERFUL friend who saw that I was overwhelmed by the sad condition of my house when I was having company come for a few days--she helped me purge and clean nearly the entire downstairs.  Wow has that been fantastic.  She vacuumed, washed floors, helped me sort through decades worth of stuff and then took a load to the dump with me.  The Big Dump, not just the transfer station we usually hit.  I have the best organized pantry in the North Country now.  How long it will stay that way is yet to be determined but it's been a week and so far the spices are still in alphabetical order.

My visitor was a friend from childhood times in Rockford, a family friend who has been in my life for more than 50 years.  She currently lives in DC and was traveling this way.  She's been here before and we talk and talk about my family and our lives in Rockford as well as what our lives are now like.  Her visit was a big success.  It's very nice to talk with someone who remembers my distant past and the people I grew up with.  She remembers my father well, one of the few people I have to talk about him with.  Oh he was a colorful character all right.

This is a tubby 65-year-old woman with her dog.  Man oh man do I need to lose weight!  I'm seeing my doctor next week and he'll gently remind me that I should "find a diet and stick to it."  Wt Watchers is effective for me but the sticking to it part seems to be nearly impossible.

My sister took this sunrise shot from the boat house.  It's Silver Lake Mtn., heavily photographed over the years.

A pensive Bear sporting his new purple collar.  It was a major (MAJOR) change to get them both new collars.  Little did I realize how dependent friends and I were on the "Bear has the blue collar, Treasure's is green" of my life.

New collars.  Not different enough.

Cool at last

Temp right now at 2:30 p.m. is 69, wow does that feel amazing.  I slept in the boat house last night, it was hot when I went to sleep but I slept really well and it cooled off during the night.  We had some rain and thunder and that was a relief (I don't have to water my deck plants).  I should be mowing the lawn, it's a good day for it but instead I'm watching an Eric Clapton concert I've seen before.  I can't help it, I just love that man's music!   Watching him live is like magic.

I went to AuSable this morning, got groceries and supplies for book group, which I'm hosting on Sunday at the boat house.  Nothing fancy or complicated that's for sure.

I've been busy making lists today, assigning myself tasks for each of the next few days and pretending that will make me efficient and productive.  It never really works but I don't give up.  I have to clean my house, mostly the upstairs because my sister is coming (MY SISTER IS COMING!!! how great is that!) and it's a good reason to do some cleaning that I've been putting off.  I don't like cleaning the shower.  Does anybody?  There's dog hair all over the place in my house, both dogs have been shedding. 

I've had some really really nice swimming times with Linda, we use her noodles to paddle out away from shore then float and chat and visit.  What a lovely thing that is.  The water was 82 degrees yesterday, though, which is warmer than I can ever remember and not very refreshing but still lovely for swimming.  The heat has just been awful and everyone is worn out from it.

Busy times coming up--road cleanup tomorrow morning with the shoreowners' association, a trip to the dump for me, a meeting of the association in the afternoon.  Sunday I'll host book group.  Monday I go to Plattsburgh for a car appointment and taking care of some errands.  Tuesday morning I'll go to work then in the afternoon I'll head to Montreal to pick up my sister.  After that it's all gravy.  We'll be here until Sunday, Saturday is our big family meeting then we'll go to my mother's in RI for a week or so.  The weather here is supposed to be good while we're here, 80's and mostly sunny I think.  Camp will be full of cousins but we'll stay in the boat house and mind our own business.

It's a pretty day, some sun, some clouds and a nice breeze.

BREAK! in the heat

It's 60 this morning, boy does that feel cool.  Our heat has been incredible, 90's, humid and sunny.  The lake was absolutely beautiful yesterday.  I worked in the morning in the Archives then went to the boat house for a while in the afternoon, read on the porch and enjoyed limited boat traffic and a gentle breeze.  Really lovely.  If I had a dock in...   well I refuse to live my life wishing for things that aren't, so no, I don't have a dock and swimming is difficult without one so I don't swim.  I am extremely lucky to have a nice screened in porch with comfortable seating overlooking the lake and the mountains.  LUCKY.

I went out for ice cream with a friend last night.  This has become a regular trip and that's OK, I'm weaning myself from hot fudge sundaes and having things with fewer calories and fat.

Had a lovely evening with friends the other night, Rib Night at their camp.  These are friends who come from far away to open their camp each summer, all men who remind me so much of my brother and his friends from high school.  Henry used to really enjoy being with his friends, and these men are like that.  Much, much laughter and good times.

Today I'm walking with friends then having coffee on the boat house porch.  I'll go to the thrift store for a couple of hours, I'm taking the rest of the month off so feel I should show up.  I don't really want to go but won't stay long and it's something I have agreed to do.  There are more volunteers working there these days so I don't feel bad taking time off.  It was busy on Saturday, many shoppers and not too many dropping off stuff, with many workers.  Hopefully today will be like that too.

My sister comes next week!  That will be nice, very nice.  We'll be here for a few days, go to the family's annual meeting and on Sunday we'll drive to RI for a week with my mother.  I'm looking forward to it all, I truly enjoy being with my sister and always enjoy visiting with my mother.

Life is good.  VERY good.  I have peppers on the pepper plant someone gave me, I have blossoms on tomato plants and many blossoms on my cucumber plants.  Now if we can only get these blossoms to mature into edibles that would be a miracle.

Hot and getting hotter

It's 74 at 10:30 today and due to be a lot hotter as the day progresses.  They're getting a lot of mileage out of the forecasts these days, it might hit 100 on Sunday.  or not.  I doubt it will be that hot here in Hawkeye, we're usually 5 degrees cooler than the Champlain Valley, which is where most of the forecasting is done.  But still...that's mighty warm and I guess this "warm spell" is supposed to last well into next week and maybe beyond.

We had a nice rainy day yesterday, I liked that because it meant my plants all got good soakings.  I've got some tomato plants that were given to me, some are in pots and some are in the ground and they're doing well, have lots of blossoms.  I also have one pepper plant with peppers on it, that's different for me, I don't usually grow peppers but someone gave me the plant.  My flowers are doing well but are in need of deadheading.  I'll try to do that today.  Other things I'll try to do today: clean my shower and the upstairs bathroom (yuck), take stuff down to the boat house and swim the dogs while I'm there, tidy up the boat house a little bit, rearrange the fridge there so there will be room for other people's food.  Jenica and her family are coming tomorrow so that will be nice.  Lot's of library talk maybe, Jen and I like talking to each other about our chosen profession.  I will probably sleep in the boat house tonight especially if it's as hot as threatened.

I've had a good few days.  Went to work yesterday, that was fine.  We scanned family photos from 1901-1905 and they reminded me of the Rogers family images.  That was kind of sweet. 

Last night I went to the Beach House for dinner with friends, more friends showed up while we were there.  It was as it always is, food is OK, beer is good, people are nice.  Let the season begin!