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!
Friday, June 29, 2018
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
Midnight musings
Well, if you go to bed at 8 sometimes you are wide awake at 11:30. So you have a nice nap then have a cup of coffee and watch late night TV. Poor Bear, he can't go out until Treasure comes back and she has no interest in doing that, apparently. She barked and disappeared. I don't like having them out at night like that.
The weather has been wonderful, my favorite days at 70 and sunny, clear and cloudless. I got to spend some time reading on my deck, an all-time favorite thing. I mowed the lawn but didn't weed or do the trimming but there's always another day. We're expecting very very hot weather this weekend and beyond, temps in the 90's elsewhere. That means we'll be in the 80's and maybe the 90's but worse than that is the anticipated humidity. Ugh, my least favorite. I used up my tolerance for hot and humid during my formative years in northern Illinois. At least here I have the boat house. It's usually cooler there but if there's no breeze it's hot there too. I don't complain. much.
Work is good. I have a lot of catching up to do, we've scanned many images that need editing but I haven't been able to convert them to jpg until now (no Internet in the Archives, how frustrating). I got a lot done today but it was boring stuff, the entire Memorial Day parade from 1976 and many incarnations of Gilbert & Sullivan shows by community theater groups in the 1930's, 50's and 80's. No, really, MANY incarnations.
Friends have arrived down the hill from my house. They have an annual "Workfest" to open their camp and enjoy being friends. They called tonight to invite me for pie but nooooo, I said I had to go to bed. That was the wrong decision.
The weather has been wonderful, my favorite days at 70 and sunny, clear and cloudless. I got to spend some time reading on my deck, an all-time favorite thing. I mowed the lawn but didn't weed or do the trimming but there's always another day. We're expecting very very hot weather this weekend and beyond, temps in the 90's elsewhere. That means we'll be in the 80's and maybe the 90's but worse than that is the anticipated humidity. Ugh, my least favorite. I used up my tolerance for hot and humid during my formative years in northern Illinois. At least here I have the boat house. It's usually cooler there but if there's no breeze it's hot there too. I don't complain. much.
Work is good. I have a lot of catching up to do, we've scanned many images that need editing but I haven't been able to convert them to jpg until now (no Internet in the Archives, how frustrating). I got a lot done today but it was boring stuff, the entire Memorial Day parade from 1976 and many incarnations of Gilbert & Sullivan shows by community theater groups in the 1930's, 50's and 80's. No, really, MANY incarnations.
Friends have arrived down the hill from my house. They have an annual "Workfest" to open their camp and enjoy being friends. They called tonight to invite me for pie but nooooo, I said I had to go to bed. That was the wrong decision.
Sunday, June 24, 2018
Sunday afternoon
My sister often says on a Sunday morning "I'm glad I don't have to go to church today." We used to dress up all fancy-like, anklets (until nylon stockings), nice shoes, good dresses and of course something on our heads--a requirement in the high-church that was Emmanuel Episcopal in those days. We sang in the choir, we taught Sunday school, we were members of the Youth Group, man we did it all. Then it all came to a grinding halt when we left home. I realized that organized religion was not something I wanted to be part of, and the church I had invested so much emotion, time and energy in was not representing my true self or my spiritual needs AT ALL. The part that really got me was "we are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under Thy table." I didn't need any more proof that I was not worthy. Anyway, now I'm an atheist and I don't struggle with any of it.
I've had a peaceful day so far, I woke at dawn (4:30) but stayed in bed frustrating the dogs until 6:30. Did NOT go for a walk or even really entertain them but instead went to AuSable for supplies and gas. Went to see the neighbors, then went to Linda's to help her open her upper camp. She has company coming this week. I didn't really do much but it's so much nicer and easier to do those chores with help.
I'm having friends come for snacks and wine to the boat house porch in a couple of hours. It's not the nicest day weather-wise but it's always pretty there no matter what's happening.
I had a busy day yesterday, started with a walk to camp to swim the dogs. I went to breakfast with friends then came home for a bit before driving to Keene to visit with a recently-retired friend who is having some trouble adjusting to the huge, HUGE change that retirement is. Came home then went to dinner with friends, to a newly opened bar/restaurant. That wasn't a very good idea. It was loud and the food wasn't very good--but we had to at least TRY it. We've scratched that itch.
Looks like a pretty quiet week ahead for me. Appointment with the eye doctor tomorrow in Saranac Lake after a quick trip to the dump. Work, thrift store, hot weather coming. Next week is the 4th of July.
I've had a peaceful day so far, I woke at dawn (4:30) but stayed in bed frustrating the dogs until 6:30. Did NOT go for a walk or even really entertain them but instead went to AuSable for supplies and gas. Went to see the neighbors, then went to Linda's to help her open her upper camp. She has company coming this week. I didn't really do much but it's so much nicer and easier to do those chores with help.
I'm having friends come for snacks and wine to the boat house porch in a couple of hours. It's not the nicest day weather-wise but it's always pretty there no matter what's happening.
I had a busy day yesterday, started with a walk to camp to swim the dogs. I went to breakfast with friends then came home for a bit before driving to Keene to visit with a recently-retired friend who is having some trouble adjusting to the huge, HUGE change that retirement is. Came home then went to dinner with friends, to a newly opened bar/restaurant. That wasn't a very good idea. It was loud and the food wasn't very good--but we had to at least TRY it. We've scratched that itch.
Looks like a pretty quiet week ahead for me. Appointment with the eye doctor tomorrow in Saranac Lake after a quick trip to the dump. Work, thrift store, hot weather coming. Next week is the 4th of July.
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Early morning bog
I finally took my camera for a morning bog walk. Here's what it was like at 6 a.m., 50 degrees, sunny and still:
Cinnamon ferns in bloom--I love these, they look prehistoric when they're at their peak
Bunchberries blooming in a bunch
Bear, or is it Treasure? Anyway, a black bog dog
Definitely Bear, this is the view I usually get--Bear walks in front, Treasure (always a lady) walks at my feet, just behind me.
Bear is a Handsome Boy, isn't he?
My favorite fern, whose name I can't remember. Something like Victoria or some other queen's name. There's only one example along the boardwalk.
Middle of the night musings
Well when you go to sleep early sometimes you wake up well-rested in the middle of the night, craving a cup of coffee to watch a British police show. The Brits have much more peaceful police shows than we Americans do--no violence, no gore, just a dead body and lots of people figuring out who killed the victim.
It's a nice cool night, too cool for me to sleep in the boat house, comfortable here at home. We had some very hot, muggy days then all hell broke loose and there were storms while a front came through and now it's clear and cooler. Quite pleasant.
I went to a retirement luncheon on Monday in Champlain. Takes a long time to drive to Champlain from here! It was a nice time, I saw some people I've known for many many years, all library people but we didn't talk about libraries the whole time. That was nice. This is an interesting group of people who all have good stories to tell--the director of the library on the reservation, another director who has a gardening/landscaping business on the side, the hostess whose house is on Lake Champlain and has a Lab named Hershey, my former director (who said I was sometimes a pain in the ass but she loved me--to which I replied "You weren't always charming yourself"--I can say things like that, she's not my boss any more), some people I was less than interested in seeing (and didn't have to spend much time with), and many others. It was a nice time I guess.
Wednesday is a thrift store day, I'll only stay a couple of hours. Cannot do the entire 5 hours that the store is open, I never had a job in which I was on my feet so I find it quite tiring. Not to mention being charming while being on my feet. I do get tired of being charming to strangers but it's something I seem to do well. Thank you to my father for teaching me that.
It's a nice cool night, too cool for me to sleep in the boat house, comfortable here at home. We had some very hot, muggy days then all hell broke loose and there were storms while a front came through and now it's clear and cooler. Quite pleasant.
I went to a retirement luncheon on Monday in Champlain. Takes a long time to drive to Champlain from here! It was a nice time, I saw some people I've known for many many years, all library people but we didn't talk about libraries the whole time. That was nice. This is an interesting group of people who all have good stories to tell--the director of the library on the reservation, another director who has a gardening/landscaping business on the side, the hostess whose house is on Lake Champlain and has a Lab named Hershey, my former director (who said I was sometimes a pain in the ass but she loved me--to which I replied "You weren't always charming yourself"--I can say things like that, she's not my boss any more), some people I was less than interested in seeing (and didn't have to spend much time with), and many others. It was a nice time I guess.
Wednesday is a thrift store day, I'll only stay a couple of hours. Cannot do the entire 5 hours that the store is open, I never had a job in which I was on my feet so I find it quite tiring. Not to mention being charming while being on my feet. I do get tired of being charming to strangers but it's something I seem to do well. Thank you to my father for teaching me that.
Sunday, June 17, 2018
Oh what a beautiful morning
When I was in 5th grade we had a teacher named Pearl Prout, who fancied herself to be quite a musician. There was a piano in the classroom and she thought Liberace was the greatest pianist of all time. Anyway we had to sing a solo, accompanied by her on the piano. What a horrible thing! I sang "Oh what a beautiful morning" and she was thrilled by my performance and gave me an EXCELLENT on that. My one shining moment in elementary school. I never was much good at singing but now I sing loudly (LOUDLY) in my car, which probably hurts the dogs' ears a lot but it feels good.
It's a busy time in the 'hood, there seem to be a lot, LOT LOT of people here. Isn't it early for summer traffic? I've been walking the bog (as opposed to walking the dog, only the dogs go along) every morning with friends, sometimes one friend and sometimes 2 friends. I'm waiting for a friend to call this morning so we can head out together. Bear is very antsy and eager to go.
Had a lovely dinner with friends last night--these friends have a beautiful house near the top of a mountain with a magnificent view of the bluffs at the foot of Silver Lake. It was a gorgeous evening, we sat outside for a while before dinner, and the view from their dining room is really grand. Good food, great friends, a really nice time. I made my signature cheesecake and that was good.
Today is Father's Day and I have very few friends who still have fathers though I have many friends who are fathers. My father died in 1981, so long ago. He was 68 and took a fairly long time to die, poor man. I did get to have an adult relationship with him and we enjoyed each other's company the last few years of his life.
Tomorrow I'm going to a retirement luncheon for the former director, it will be full of member library directors. Do I want to spend an afternoon with them? Not so much but then I'll be reminded of what nice people they are (mostly)(nasty comment) and the luncheon is at someone's house on Lake Champlain so it will be pretty. It's 45 minutes from my house, man I do a lot of driving.
I worked at the thrift store yesterday but it was sort of slow and I was sort of bored so I only stayed 2 hours. Felt bad leaving but not bad enough to stay. I had lunch with friends at a nice restaurant in Upper Jay, that was a treat.
Dogs are fine, I'm fine, the 3 of us are happy. I got the boat house opened up and the bed half made so maybe I'll sleep down there tonight. It's supposed to be a hot day and hot night tonight. Too hot to mow the lawn, rats.
It's a busy time in the 'hood, there seem to be a lot, LOT LOT of people here. Isn't it early for summer traffic? I've been walking the bog (as opposed to walking the dog, only the dogs go along) every morning with friends, sometimes one friend and sometimes 2 friends. I'm waiting for a friend to call this morning so we can head out together. Bear is very antsy and eager to go.
Had a lovely dinner with friends last night--these friends have a beautiful house near the top of a mountain with a magnificent view of the bluffs at the foot of Silver Lake. It was a gorgeous evening, we sat outside for a while before dinner, and the view from their dining room is really grand. Good food, great friends, a really nice time. I made my signature cheesecake and that was good.
Today is Father's Day and I have very few friends who still have fathers though I have many friends who are fathers. My father died in 1981, so long ago. He was 68 and took a fairly long time to die, poor man. I did get to have an adult relationship with him and we enjoyed each other's company the last few years of his life.
Tomorrow I'm going to a retirement luncheon for the former director, it will be full of member library directors. Do I want to spend an afternoon with them? Not so much but then I'll be reminded of what nice people they are (mostly)(nasty comment) and the luncheon is at someone's house on Lake Champlain so it will be pretty. It's 45 minutes from my house, man I do a lot of driving.
I worked at the thrift store yesterday but it was sort of slow and I was sort of bored so I only stayed 2 hours. Felt bad leaving but not bad enough to stay. I had lunch with friends at a nice restaurant in Upper Jay, that was a treat.
Dogs are fine, I'm fine, the 3 of us are happy. I got the boat house opened up and the bed half made so maybe I'll sleep down there tonight. It's supposed to be a hot day and hot night tonight. Too hot to mow the lawn, rats.
Thursday, June 14, 2018
Still chilly
Rainy and cool today, not a nice day at all. It's supposed to warm up this weekend, maybe high 80's and 90 by Sunday. OK, that's too warm for me but at least I've got the boat house open and the bed there made so I can sleep there if it really does get that warm.
It's been an uneventful week, just the usual thrift store doings and Archives work. We scanned photos from the 80's today and that was pretty boring, truly. Oh well, they can't all be entertaining images from the early 1900's and late 1800's.
This morning a wonderful friend helped me set up the furniture in main camp. What a relief to have that done. I can't do it by myself and every year I fuss and fume about getting it done. I don't know, I truly don't know why it's become my responsibility to get this done but the family likes thinking that it's important for a local to do it so that's me I guess. Oh well, as long as I have helpful friends I can do the basics. We did no cleaning, I'm leaving that to others.
Tomorrow is a day off for me. If the lawn is dry enough I may mow the lawn. I may do some cleaning in the boat house. I'm walking the bog in the early morning with a friend. May have coffee with another friend (or not). At any rate I'm looking forward to having a day free of real obligations.
It's been an uneventful week, just the usual thrift store doings and Archives work. We scanned photos from the 80's today and that was pretty boring, truly. Oh well, they can't all be entertaining images from the early 1900's and late 1800's.
This morning a wonderful friend helped me set up the furniture in main camp. What a relief to have that done. I can't do it by myself and every year I fuss and fume about getting it done. I don't know, I truly don't know why it's become my responsibility to get this done but the family likes thinking that it's important for a local to do it so that's me I guess. Oh well, as long as I have helpful friends I can do the basics. We did no cleaning, I'm leaving that to others.
Tomorrow is a day off for me. If the lawn is dry enough I may mow the lawn. I may do some cleaning in the boat house. I'm walking the bog in the early morning with a friend. May have coffee with another friend (or not). At any rate I'm looking forward to having a day free of real obligations.
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Cool mornings
Temps in the mornings have been in the 40's, which at some times of year would feel balmy and wonderful but in June, not so much. I've been walking the bog in the early mornings with various friends--the dogs are pleased and Bear barks and sings until we leave for the bog. Ratpig.
Yesterday I went to AuSable, mailed some things to my mother and went for a few groceries, then went to the dump. Mondays and Wednesdays are dump days, along with an occasional Saturday. Keeping track of dump hours is a big deal in Hawkeye--all hell broke loose last year when they changed the days AND the hours.
Today was an Archives day and that was fine. I worked on my own, my colleague only works on Thursdays in the summer because she tends the lock in Saranac Lake, living in a cabin by the lock. She's an interesting person, that's for sure. She has to paddle in to her cabin and post, taking provisions that way and coming out that way on her days off.
I went to camp this afternoon and did a little bit of work in the boat house. It needs cleaning! and I am so not motivated to do that. People have used main camp but no one has done anything about opening it. That really REALLY irritates me, if you're putting 4 chairs on the porch for you and friends to use, why not put out ALL the chairs on the porch, as well as the dinner table??? I can't do it all by myself but will do a little now and then I suppose. Each year I swear will be the last year I open camp--I don't use the main building and there are relatives who will live there for a week, 10 days, two weeks with lots of company and THEY don't do anything about opening. There, I've ranted. should be out of my system by now. Some things won't change, will they.
Tomorrow is a thrift store day then I'll either clean my car or do something at camp. maybe. I'm walking the bog with a friend at 7. I'm volunteering at the thrift store Wednesday and Saturday mornings, working in receiving. Yes it's true I see all the stuff that comes in before the shoppers do but it's more responsibility than I want because I have to inspect, clean and price the goods. And what a variety of goods we get! Lots of stuff. Well I enjoy the people I work with there and it's a good way to spend my time, a worthwhile endeavor.
Yesterday I went to AuSable, mailed some things to my mother and went for a few groceries, then went to the dump. Mondays and Wednesdays are dump days, along with an occasional Saturday. Keeping track of dump hours is a big deal in Hawkeye--all hell broke loose last year when they changed the days AND the hours.
Today was an Archives day and that was fine. I worked on my own, my colleague only works on Thursdays in the summer because she tends the lock in Saranac Lake, living in a cabin by the lock. She's an interesting person, that's for sure. She has to paddle in to her cabin and post, taking provisions that way and coming out that way on her days off.
I went to camp this afternoon and did a little bit of work in the boat house. It needs cleaning! and I am so not motivated to do that. People have used main camp but no one has done anything about opening it. That really REALLY irritates me, if you're putting 4 chairs on the porch for you and friends to use, why not put out ALL the chairs on the porch, as well as the dinner table??? I can't do it all by myself but will do a little now and then I suppose. Each year I swear will be the last year I open camp--I don't use the main building and there are relatives who will live there for a week, 10 days, two weeks with lots of company and THEY don't do anything about opening. There, I've ranted. should be out of my system by now. Some things won't change, will they.
Tomorrow is a thrift store day then I'll either clean my car or do something at camp. maybe. I'm walking the bog with a friend at 7. I'm volunteering at the thrift store Wednesday and Saturday mornings, working in receiving. Yes it's true I see all the stuff that comes in before the shoppers do but it's more responsibility than I want because I have to inspect, clean and price the goods. And what a variety of goods we get! Lots of stuff. Well I enjoy the people I work with there and it's a good way to spend my time, a worthwhile endeavor.
Saturday, June 09, 2018
What happened to me?
Not much of anything unusual happened to me, I've just been negligent. I'm working at the Archives, scanning photos and attaching metadata to an online spreadsheet so they can be posted online. I volunteer at the thrift store 2 mornings a week but cannot stay the full 5 hours it's open so I leave feeling guilty while others stay and work and work and work. I can't stand for that many hours, my poor feet and knees complain. I come home after 3 hours and lie on the couch for an hour to recover from my brief stint.
I'm still walking in the mornings with my friend--now that the weather's good and it's light early in the morning we tend to walk outside. Our favorites are the bog near my house, a boardwalk through a gorgeous forest where the dogs feel proprietary and free, and a logging road near her house where the dogs feel excited and wonderfully brave and explore the woods. I walked the bog alone with the dogs (a contradiction no?) at 6:30 or so this morning and it was truly lovely. The ferns and bracken are getting tall and are starting to bloom. Their blossoms are far from pretty but it's a sign of the seasons moving along. Bunchberries and Labrador tea are in bloom.
I started opening the boat house yesterday afternoon. The weather has been up and down, some nights in the 40's but then some very hot and humid days. I haven't been very tempted to spend time at the boat house but decided to swim Bear and get the opening process started. I left a pretty good mess at the end of last year but mostly things are OK. It needs a day of cleaning from me and a trip to the dump. Not a big deal but getting me to do it won't be so easy I'm afraid.
No big plans coming up. I went to a workshop yesterday on collecting and preserving photographs. Spent 2 hours on the history of photography because that's what the presenter's specialty was. Well I don't really care what kind of processing the 7000 photos we're scanning had and they're about as preserved as they're ever going to be, in some kind of "preserving" plastic sleeves. Too many of them to put in newer, better sleeves so there they'll be. There are a lot of photos from the late 1800's and early 1900's, then we hit a batch from the 1980's so it's always an adventure. So far we've scanned 1200 images but I haven't kept up with the metadata for all of them. Keep getting distracted by other tasks.
It's a gorgeous day, due to be 70's and sunny. The lake was beautiful yesterday afternoon when I put the boat house porch together. Linda is here and we've had some nice visits. Other summer friends are in residence and it's wonderful to be with them. Today is the Belmont but we'll celebrate more quietly than some years. That's fine, I watch horse races with great trepidation, fearing for the safety of the poor but beautiful horses. Do I care if Justify becomes a Triple Crown winner? Not really, I didn't watch the Preakness. It's entertaining anyway.
I'm still walking in the mornings with my friend--now that the weather's good and it's light early in the morning we tend to walk outside. Our favorites are the bog near my house, a boardwalk through a gorgeous forest where the dogs feel proprietary and free, and a logging road near her house where the dogs feel excited and wonderfully brave and explore the woods. I walked the bog alone with the dogs (a contradiction no?) at 6:30 or so this morning and it was truly lovely. The ferns and bracken are getting tall and are starting to bloom. Their blossoms are far from pretty but it's a sign of the seasons moving along. Bunchberries and Labrador tea are in bloom.
I started opening the boat house yesterday afternoon. The weather has been up and down, some nights in the 40's but then some very hot and humid days. I haven't been very tempted to spend time at the boat house but decided to swim Bear and get the opening process started. I left a pretty good mess at the end of last year but mostly things are OK. It needs a day of cleaning from me and a trip to the dump. Not a big deal but getting me to do it won't be so easy I'm afraid.
No big plans coming up. I went to a workshop yesterday on collecting and preserving photographs. Spent 2 hours on the history of photography because that's what the presenter's specialty was. Well I don't really care what kind of processing the 7000 photos we're scanning had and they're about as preserved as they're ever going to be, in some kind of "preserving" plastic sleeves. Too many of them to put in newer, better sleeves so there they'll be. There are a lot of photos from the late 1800's and early 1900's, then we hit a batch from the 1980's so it's always an adventure. So far we've scanned 1200 images but I haven't kept up with the metadata for all of them. Keep getting distracted by other tasks.
It's a gorgeous day, due to be 70's and sunny. The lake was beautiful yesterday afternoon when I put the boat house porch together. Linda is here and we've had some nice visits. Other summer friends are in residence and it's wonderful to be with them. Today is the Belmont but we'll celebrate more quietly than some years. That's fine, I watch horse races with great trepidation, fearing for the safety of the poor but beautiful horses. Do I care if Justify becomes a Triple Crown winner? Not really, I didn't watch the Preakness. It's entertaining anyway.
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