It's been snowing all afternoon, we have 3-4 inches of heavy stuff right now and they're (of "they") predicting 6" by morning. Totally unnecessary. We had rain this morning but then it turned to snow here in Hawkeye. I went to the laundromat at 7:30 this morning, thinking I'd have the place to myself but noooo, who knew that's when other people do their laundry? Anyway I did a big wash then came home to snow falling and falling and falling. There go my crocuses (I have 5) and buried are the daffodils.
The dogs are not doing well--they got into something edible the other night and ate too much of it. Treasure looks as if she swallowed a balloon. Bear is better, he was all swoled up yesterday but now seems as normal as he knows how to be. Treasure is not better and it's scary. I think I'll call the vet in the morning, of course I'm convinced she has a blockage and will be dead soon. I haven't let them out loose all day, they are cabled every time they go out so at least they're not getting more of whatever it was they ate.
It looks like an easy week for me--my calendar is almost empty! Just waiting to be filled with vet visits I'm sure. Meanwhile I'm going to the gym in the morning with 2 friends, then will hit the dump unless I have to drive to Westport to the vet. Tuesday is work, Wednesday is thrift store, Thursday is work. That's it! I was at the thrift store on Saturday and man oh man was it busy. Lots of shoppers and droppers, plenty of donations coming in and plenty of shoppers buying treasures.
Sunday, April 29, 2018
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
Rain melts snow
It's raining HARD and plenty. We've lost a lot of snow and I can see daffodils brave and hardy in parts of my yard. Oh boy! Looks like a good year for blooms.
I'm home from the trip to Potsdam/Canton for an archives-relevant workshop/training session. It was good but a long day. We left my house at 7:30 or so, had an easy and uneventful trip going and coming. It rained all the way home but that was nice, rinsed off my car. How was the workshop? It was good but a tad detail-oriented with a lot of attention paid to policies and mission statements. Someone else took care of those long before I showed up in Keene Valley so I'm lucky.
I got to see my friend at the Network and say farewell to him--he's retiring at the end of this week. Boy do I like having people I know retire, it's such a gift.
The dogs were (apparently) well-behaved while I was gone, but then I put chairs on the couch to keep them off. They were happy to have me home, happier to have me feed them. Now they're dozing. Me too.
Today would be my brother's 69th birthday. I can't picture him as a 69-year-old, but I can't picture myself as a 65-year-old, either. He was a special person. I miss him, think of him pretty much every day. A sibling is a special and wonderful treasure.
I'm home from the trip to Potsdam/Canton for an archives-relevant workshop/training session. It was good but a long day. We left my house at 7:30 or so, had an easy and uneventful trip going and coming. It rained all the way home but that was nice, rinsed off my car. How was the workshop? It was good but a tad detail-oriented with a lot of attention paid to policies and mission statements. Someone else took care of those long before I showed up in Keene Valley so I'm lucky.
I got to see my friend at the Network and say farewell to him--he's retiring at the end of this week. Boy do I like having people I know retire, it's such a gift.
The dogs were (apparently) well-behaved while I was gone, but then I put chairs on the couch to keep them off. They were happy to have me home, happier to have me feed them. Now they're dozing. Me too.
Today would be my brother's 69th birthday. I can't picture him as a 69-year-old, but I can't picture myself as a 65-year-old, either. He was a special person. I miss him, think of him pretty much every day. A sibling is a special and wonderful treasure.
Monday, April 23, 2018
Mud
We're having an extended mud season this year--it started a few weeks ago but because it was cold and cloudy the mud never had a chance to dry out. Soooo, my driveway is off-limits for now. I'm to smart to get stuck in deep mud but too lazy to never drive through the mud. Deep ruts at the bottom of my driveway but oh well.
I've had good days--last week Annie was here and we went to the gym and had dinners together. She went back on Saturday. I've been taking care of a friend's cat while my friend and her husband are out of town. I had to have help with that last week because their driveway was impassable. Their house is high on a hill with an incredible view of the bluffs at the foot of the lake, which is really lovely but man the driveway is hell to get up. Anyway the cat is fine, she's pretty much deaf and blind but otherwise healthy. I feed her and scratch scratch scratch her until she purrs.
We had book group last night and barely mentioned the book (we had more pressing things to discuss). We're skipping the month of May, too many conflicts so we'll meet again in June at Linda's camp. That seems so far away but then I'm reminded that next week is MAY! The weather has made it hard to believe in the passage of time but we're making progress. The sun has been out for 2 straight days with more to come (if you want to believe predictors).
Tomorrow is the Archives, we'll do some more scanning. Wednesday I'm going to a day-long training session in Canton with the woman I work with in the Archives. It's not training I'm very interested in but it's relevant, about conservation of the collection. All day??? I promised my co-worker we would go.
I'm sitting on my new couch. I sleep on my new mattress. WOW such big changes!
I've had good days--last week Annie was here and we went to the gym and had dinners together. She went back on Saturday. I've been taking care of a friend's cat while my friend and her husband are out of town. I had to have help with that last week because their driveway was impassable. Their house is high on a hill with an incredible view of the bluffs at the foot of the lake, which is really lovely but man the driveway is hell to get up. Anyway the cat is fine, she's pretty much deaf and blind but otherwise healthy. I feed her and scratch scratch scratch her until she purrs.
We had book group last night and barely mentioned the book (we had more pressing things to discuss). We're skipping the month of May, too many conflicts so we'll meet again in June at Linda's camp. That seems so far away but then I'm reminded that next week is MAY! The weather has made it hard to believe in the passage of time but we're making progress. The sun has been out for 2 straight days with more to come (if you want to believe predictors).
Tomorrow is the Archives, we'll do some more scanning. Wednesday I'm going to a day-long training session in Canton with the woman I work with in the Archives. It's not training I'm very interested in but it's relevant, about conservation of the collection. All day??? I promised my co-worker we would go.
I'm sitting on my new couch. I sleep on my new mattress. WOW such big changes!
Sunday, April 15, 2018
Third winter
I recently saw something called "The 11 Seasons of the Adirondacks," which said that we are currently in Third Winter, just before Mud Season. We're really having both at the same time. My driveway is a mud wallow, I'm parking at the end of it and slog through snow-covered mud to get to the car. Probably my least favorite walking condition is this, mud under snow, which will suck the boots right off your feet--no, really, it does.
I've been doing all right in spite of the weather. Weather is one of those things you can't change so I try, in my life to not fuss about things I have no control over. Do I succeed? Sometimes, sometimes moderately, sometimes better, sometimes worse. It tends to improve the quality of my life, I think.
I had a good week. Two trips to Potsdam, that was a big much but both trips were good. The training session on Tuesday was geekily fun. REALLY geeky but I got to see a good friend in the process and I learned that I'm doing the work at the Archives in a successful way. The second trip was on Thursday afternoon to attend the same friend's retirement party. I went with a friend and we really REALLY screwed up the trip there, taking a "short cut" that added many miles and almost an hour to our trip. Oh well, we made it and had a nice time at the party. It reminded us that we have been here for a LONG time and have come in contact with many many people.
I did the gym most mornings. Well, some mornings at least. Yesterday we met at the gym and quit after 15 minutes because my friend was sick and neither of us felt like treadmilling so we went to Stewarts for coffee instead. We did walk at Taylor Pond twice this week so that was good for the dogs and also really nice to be outside even though it was 19 degrees. Not windy and semi-sunny so a pleasant time.
Today is my friend Annie's 75th birthday. She's choosing to ignore the number. Today is the day that Fred always drives down North Shore Lane to his camp, except NOT this year. Too much snow still and icy roads today. Our precipitation is something hard to describe--snow, no, not quite. ice, well maybe. sleet, yes, probably. Just a messy combination of all of this. And it's supposed to get worse and be windy ("damaging" winds, swell, just swell). I'm hoping to get to Plattsburgh tomorrow, have to pick up meds and am hoping to have lunch with a friend. Today I'll go visit P&J, I hope, after I go to AuSable to get milk and maybe a bottle for James. Which is more important, milk to make yogurt for myself or whiskey for Jim?
I've been doing all right in spite of the weather. Weather is one of those things you can't change so I try, in my life to not fuss about things I have no control over. Do I succeed? Sometimes, sometimes moderately, sometimes better, sometimes worse. It tends to improve the quality of my life, I think.
I had a good week. Two trips to Potsdam, that was a big much but both trips were good. The training session on Tuesday was geekily fun. REALLY geeky but I got to see a good friend in the process and I learned that I'm doing the work at the Archives in a successful way. The second trip was on Thursday afternoon to attend the same friend's retirement party. I went with a friend and we really REALLY screwed up the trip there, taking a "short cut" that added many miles and almost an hour to our trip. Oh well, we made it and had a nice time at the party. It reminded us that we have been here for a LONG time and have come in contact with many many people.
I did the gym most mornings. Well, some mornings at least. Yesterday we met at the gym and quit after 15 minutes because my friend was sick and neither of us felt like treadmilling so we went to Stewarts for coffee instead. We did walk at Taylor Pond twice this week so that was good for the dogs and also really nice to be outside even though it was 19 degrees. Not windy and semi-sunny so a pleasant time.
Today is my friend Annie's 75th birthday. She's choosing to ignore the number. Today is the day that Fred always drives down North Shore Lane to his camp, except NOT this year. Too much snow still and icy roads today. Our precipitation is something hard to describe--snow, no, not quite. ice, well maybe. sleet, yes, probably. Just a messy combination of all of this. And it's supposed to get worse and be windy ("damaging" winds, swell, just swell). I'm hoping to get to Plattsburgh tomorrow, have to pick up meds and am hoping to have lunch with a friend. Today I'll go visit P&J, I hope, after I go to AuSable to get milk and maybe a bottle for James. Which is more important, milk to make yogurt for myself or whiskey for Jim?
Monday, April 09, 2018
Still moving toward spring but slowing down
We're stuck in this weather pattern where it's in 30's during the day but down to 11 or 12 at night. Although we do like to firm up the mud, this is doing little to bring spring. I recklessly turned off the heat in my cellar hole and bingo! my pump froze this morning. No harm done and it thawed while I was running errands in town so all was well. But really??? Is that necessary?
Life goes on in Hawkeye. Huge wind storm last week caused power outage that lasted almost 2 days while temps were in the teens. That was nasty. House was 47 when I got up Thursday morning. I went to work, convinced as I always am that the power would be back on ANY MINUTE. Only it wasn't and the house did not warm up during the day. I lit a fire and got it up to 57 before going to bed on the couch by the wood stove. What a drag. Power came back on of course and all was fine. Just a reminder of how dependent on running water and television I am in my daily life.
My new couch was delivered on Friday after my friend Lin spent hours cleaning my bedroom as a favor so my new mattress would have a good home. Except there was a problem with the ordering of the mattress, of course so it won't come until this week. Not to worry, the bedroom is still clean and the couch arrived without incident. The dogs think it's not as nice as the old couch (yes, I know what they think) because it's higher, cleaner, you don't sink to the floor when you sit on it and it doesn't smell bad. Aw, too bad. Wait until they find out we're getting a new mattress. Yikes.
I'm still getting to the gym most mornings, the thrift store on Weds. and Sat. and the Archives on Tuesday and Thursday. A busy time but not too much. I've been promoted at the thrift store and am learning to accept the responsibility of receiving and pricing donations. Yes, there's a philosophy and a method to the madness. Somewhere between "one less thing to the landfill" and "this could be valuable." Always "one person's trash..." Yes, we get a lot of trash, most of which is no ones treasures.
Tomorrow I'm going to Canton to a workshop on metadata for my work in the Archives. It's about 1 1/2 hours away and the training is 3 hours long. I have always maintained that meetings or training sessions should last at least as long as it takes to get to them so this session is very satisfying.
Later this week I go to Potsdam to a retirement party for a network director friend. How do I feel about retirement parties?
Life goes on in Hawkeye. Huge wind storm last week caused power outage that lasted almost 2 days while temps were in the teens. That was nasty. House was 47 when I got up Thursday morning. I went to work, convinced as I always am that the power would be back on ANY MINUTE. Only it wasn't and the house did not warm up during the day. I lit a fire and got it up to 57 before going to bed on the couch by the wood stove. What a drag. Power came back on of course and all was fine. Just a reminder of how dependent on running water and television I am in my daily life.
My new couch was delivered on Friday after my friend Lin spent hours cleaning my bedroom as a favor so my new mattress would have a good home. Except there was a problem with the ordering of the mattress, of course so it won't come until this week. Not to worry, the bedroom is still clean and the couch arrived without incident. The dogs think it's not as nice as the old couch (yes, I know what they think) because it's higher, cleaner, you don't sink to the floor when you sit on it and it doesn't smell bad. Aw, too bad. Wait until they find out we're getting a new mattress. Yikes.
I'm still getting to the gym most mornings, the thrift store on Weds. and Sat. and the Archives on Tuesday and Thursday. A busy time but not too much. I've been promoted at the thrift store and am learning to accept the responsibility of receiving and pricing donations. Yes, there's a philosophy and a method to the madness. Somewhere between "one less thing to the landfill" and "this could be valuable." Always "one person's trash..." Yes, we get a lot of trash, most of which is no ones treasures.
Tomorrow I'm going to Canton to a workshop on metadata for my work in the Archives. It's about 1 1/2 hours away and the training is 3 hours long. I have always maintained that meetings or training sessions should last at least as long as it takes to get to them so this session is very satisfying.
Later this week I go to Potsdam to a retirement party for a network director friend. How do I feel about retirement parties?
Monday, April 02, 2018
Moving toward spring
What a beautiful day in Hawkeye! It's cool, 35 but the sun is bright and warm. Funny when you think about the snow that people like my mother are having today. We still have 6-10 inches of snow on the ground but days like today have a big impact on that for sure.
Easter was a day all right. I woke up at 3:30 because the dog barked, then I discovered the power was out so I called the elec. company and went back to bed. The power had been out on Saturday for a little while too (who knows why) so I wasn't worried. What an inconvenience, though--no power, no water, no television, no hot coffee (off I went to Redford for that). Oh suffer suffer. I went to P&J's and had a nice visit with them in their very cool (as in chilly) living room. I had a fire in my wood stove so my living room was much warmer. After that I went out for Easter dinner with friends who live across the lake--they have a generator so it's nothing to them to have the power out. I really think I need to work with my mother to get her a generator set up like that. She's interested I know.
The power came back on around 3 p.m. and life was good again.
Today was dump day but I went too early, once I started doing some cleaning I found more dump-worthy stuff but didn't feel like making a second trip today. Later, baby, later.
I'm still going to the gym most mornings. This week I'll work in the Archives solo, my assistant is off to Texas this week and next. Rats, it's school vacation and the 7th graders have been told to visit the Archives to work on their projects. Oh crumb. Wednesday is a trip to Burlington with Lin, my annual mammogram and doubtless a trip to Trader Joe's. I need dog food though so may have to stop in Plattsburgh on the way home. No planned trips to Plattsburgh this week other than a pass-through on Weds. Friday my new furniture is due to be delivered and of course I'm worrying about the mud in the driveway. It's bad, very bad. Freezes at night but I have 2 spots that are pure wallows between the end of the driveway and the house. And of course it's supposed to rain, no, snow, no, rain later this week. Oh drat.
Easter was a day all right. I woke up at 3:30 because the dog barked, then I discovered the power was out so I called the elec. company and went back to bed. The power had been out on Saturday for a little while too (who knows why) so I wasn't worried. What an inconvenience, though--no power, no water, no television, no hot coffee (off I went to Redford for that). Oh suffer suffer. I went to P&J's and had a nice visit with them in their very cool (as in chilly) living room. I had a fire in my wood stove so my living room was much warmer. After that I went out for Easter dinner with friends who live across the lake--they have a generator so it's nothing to them to have the power out. I really think I need to work with my mother to get her a generator set up like that. She's interested I know.
The power came back on around 3 p.m. and life was good again.
Today was dump day but I went too early, once I started doing some cleaning I found more dump-worthy stuff but didn't feel like making a second trip today. Later, baby, later.
I'm still going to the gym most mornings. This week I'll work in the Archives solo, my assistant is off to Texas this week and next. Rats, it's school vacation and the 7th graders have been told to visit the Archives to work on their projects. Oh crumb. Wednesday is a trip to Burlington with Lin, my annual mammogram and doubtless a trip to Trader Joe's. I need dog food though so may have to stop in Plattsburgh on the way home. No planned trips to Plattsburgh this week other than a pass-through on Weds. Friday my new furniture is due to be delivered and of course I'm worrying about the mud in the driveway. It's bad, very bad. Freezes at night but I have 2 spots that are pure wallows between the end of the driveway and the house. And of course it's supposed to rain, no, snow, no, rain later this week. Oh drat.
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