Car is fine, weather is not

It's been a busy week.  I did get my car cleaned, then got the brakes fixed--now she sparkles inside and out (for a while at least).

I spent most of last week cleaning, resting and getting ready for a visit from a good good friend, someone I worked with in Providence in the late 70's and early 80's.  Yikes, we've been friends for 40 years.  She now lives in Pittsburgh and was able to fly into Plattsburgh on Friday.  It was so very very nice to see her and spend days with her.  We had a grand time--walked up the bluffs, bushwhacked our way down.  Dinner with friends.  Walked up Silver Lake Mtn. but didn't quite make it to the top.  Walked around Mirror Lake in Lake Placid and had a nice lunch there.  Went out for breakfast.  Lost power.  Lost phone for 3 days.  Spent hours on the boat house porch, reading.  Laughed a lot.  No, really, a LOT.  We are good friends.  We went to Stewart's for ice cream--she was surprised to find out that, after much discussion about "Let's go to Stewart's for ice cream" was followed by a trip to a gas station.  OK, I corrected her, it's NOT a gas station, it's a convenience store.  She thought Stewart's was an ice cream parlor.  Close, but not close.

The dogs were wonderful with her but were terrible at staying home.  Both dogs disappeared one day.  Bear disappeared another day.  BAD BAD DOGS.  Is it because it's spring?  It can't be hormonal, neither dog has any hormones.

Flight from Plattsburgh this morning was cancelled so we went to Burlington.  That was a relief and a nice treat for me--we shopped at Gardeners Supply, I got a few things I absolutely needed.  I dropped her at the airport then went to Trader Joes and spent some more money on groceries and wine.  A fine time was had by all.

Sun, yes, car? not so much

We have had some very nice weather, some good sunshine along with thunder and rain.  Good spring weather.  My car, not so nice.  On Thursday while I was at work Bear threw up all over the front and back seats (after moving the seat cover out of the way).  I couldn't get it clean so ended up having it cleaned all day Saturday.  That was fine, I got a ride home from the place in Jay, had a day with no car that was uneventful, got a ride to pick it up that evening.  OK, all was fine.  Yesterday I went plant shopping with a friend in my deliciously clean car and the brakes started grinding and growling.  HONESTLY!   Will it never end?   We had a good time and got some good plants (though I now have maybe more plants than containers to put them in) but I freaked out about the noises.  This morning I called lots of repair places, all of whom convinced me the rotors were damaged (most likely) and would be covered under warranty so they didn't want to fix the car.  I took it in to AuSable, where the nice and helpful people took the wheels off to show me the damage to the rotors and need for pads in the front.  OH NO.  I'm not driving the car until that is fixed, so I had another day at home.

I finally found a solution and will take the car to the dealer in Plattsburgh tomorrow, though they can't guarantee they will get to it.  It can spend the night and all day Wednesday there.  Service maven says I have an 80-90 percent chance of getting it fixed.  Please, please please help me.  I have good friends, one will meet me there in the morning, bring me home (inconvenient) and pick me up Wednesday afternoon (again, inconvenient) to retrieve the car.  I need the car this weekend, my friend is coming and I have to pick her up Friday and take her to the airport on Tuesday, plus wouldn't it be nice if we could actually GO somewhere while she's here?  I don't think she'll want to watch distraction television.

I did get some plants in containers, that is always nice.  The black flies are out and boy are they hungry and thriving.  Bloodsucking little creeps.

What's that? It's raining?

I don't remember when we last saw the sun but I think it was last week.  It snowed this morning, just a dusting for the effect.  I can remember 6" of snow in May other years so it's not really that unusual.  May and October have snow just for the hell of it, it doesn't usually amount to much and seldom lasts long on the ground. 

I've been walking with friends in the morning, chilly times but nice.  Bear sure appreciates it but Treasure gets rooked towards the end of our walks because she's on a leash.  Although it seems counter-intuitive based on behavior patterns, Treasure is the ring leader when they go for their "long walks" to places far away.  She'll start to run off, stop and look back at Bear--you'd swear she was winking at him.  He'll join her and I won't see them for hours some days.  Bad dogs.  I can prevent it just by putting her on a leash.   Why does Treasure get punished?  Because she's GOOD on a leash and Bear is so NOT good on a leash, he pulls and suffers mightily.

Work has been fine, we're still scanning images and laughing a lot.  At what?  At the costumes from the 1800's, at the poor quality of photographs, at our inside jokes.  It's enjoyable and nice.

It's been busy at the thrift store, enough shoppers but lots of people dropping off as well.  The weather hasn't been conducive to thrift-storing but people have their agendas so they come in the rain to drop and to shop.  We've been a little short-handed and that will continue but we're not in crisis mode yet.

We still don't have leaves on trees in Hawkeye though there is a hint of green on the poplars.  The shad and cherry haven't bloomed yet, it seems late for them.  I suppose the cool weather is responsible for the delay.  My daffodils are a little confused but most of them are in bloom right now--there's usually a gradual bunch of blooming but not this year: most of the varieties are blooming at the same time.

Hard to believe next weekend is Memorial Day!   My friend is coming from Pittsburgh and I have much to do to prepare.  I've been concentrating on getting the house ready but tonight it occurred to me that I should be getting the boat house and Dockside cabin ready in case we decide to sleep there.  I had planned to open the boat house this week but then I forgot about it.  oops.  I'll get some double bed sheets for the cabin at the thrift store (I hope).

Life continues rolling along in a good way--a very good way.

And rain

Hard to believe we had a sunny day this week but I guess we did.  I remember sitting on my deck reading the newspaper in the sun.  Just a vague memory now.  Boy did it rain today, heavy rain mixed with showers.  Last night's rain was loud on my metal roof.  On it goes.

I went to Plattsburgh today, switched over my car tires (as if I had another kind of tire) and ran a couple of errands.  Best errand by far was plant shopping but I showed remarkable restraint, mostly because I didn't use a cart and couldn't carry more than half a dozen pots.  I've made plans to go plant shopping with a friend on Sunday but tonight I feel more like going tomorrow--suppose all the good plants are gone by Sunday?   Hah.  As if.  Anyway I should work at the thrift store tomorrow because I suspect they'll be short-handed and it might be busy.  If the sun comes out.  That's a big if.

This weather is tiring and discouraging.  I've planted several varieties of flowers in peat pots indoors and they're all germinating nicely.  That's optimism, something I'm not always known for.  My co-worker in the Archives says I always see the good in people (little does she know...) and that I always assume the best.  I don't feel that way about myself, maybe that's good, to convince others that I'm an optimist who looks for good things.  I grew up with people who did NOT see the good in things but had pretty dismal outlooks so maybe I AM cheerful as a reaction to that.  Anyway, the weather has not helped me be an optimist.  We had thunder and lightning last night.

My bird feeder is the hottest place in Hawkeye these days--bright yellow goldfinches, purple purple finches, white-crowned sparrows, chipmunks, blue jays, juncos.  In the woods I hear white-throated sparrows, ovenbirds, drumming grouse and I've seen flickers so spring is here.  I have a friend who can identify warblers and reported seeing some this week at his camp.  I can only recognize one warbler's call, the black-throated blue warbler, which nests around my house every summer.

Life is good.  No, really, it is.

SUNSHINE

Although it's a tad cool at 54, the sun is warm and bright and there are no clouds.  Wow, what a gorgeous day.  There are just the tiniest of leaves on the poplars now, hinting at a green tinge in the hills.  Very pretty.

My hummingbirds are back.  Goldfinches are brilliant yellow.  Purple finches brilliant purple.  Rose-breasted grosbeak hanging around.  White-throated sparrow singing away.  I heard peepers outside a restaurant in Wilmington the other night, that was a treat.

I've been doing the things I do.  Went to Plattsburgh on Monday, my final visit with one of my doctors (he's retiring) after 24 years of being treated.  It was nice to say farewell, we talked about how well we have worked together.  blah blah blah.  Next up is a visit to the vet with the dogs (there goes $500).  No, wait, next is taking the car to Plattsburgh for tire switching and oil change, that happens on Friday.

Yesterday was a work day, I went to the gym first and spent 25 minutes on the treadmill.  Not a lot but not bad.  I've been walking outside with friends most mornings,which the dogs appreciate but it's never really enough for Bear.  MORE!  He needs MORE!

I've planted lots of seeds indoors, that entertains me.  Morning glories are up, nasturtiums just starting to come up, zinnias are slow to appear but there's slight "movement" in the soil.  I should be outside today cleaning up the yard, getting the mower out, uncovering the hostas (buried under ashes dumped from the wood stove this winter).  Should be.  But not.

Yes, it's still raining

It is starting to seem a bit like spring here (the first week of May).  I have some daffodils blooming but not a lot, I don't think it's going to be a good year for them.

I had a good week, yesterday was a nice day for the most part.  Work on Thursday was fine, uneventful.  I have to work 3 days this week (or is it next week?  which is it when it's the one coming up?).  I also have to be in Plattsburgh Monday afternoon and again on Friday.  Monday is a doctor's appointment, Friday is a car appointment (having my snow tires removed!  if that's not a sign of spring, what would be?).

Yesterday was going to be a nice relaxing day with no commitments.  My friends and I walked the dogs to camp, checked on all the cabins and main camp--everything survived the winter.  The dogs, of course took off while we were there, OK, that's stressful but not too bad.  My friends went home--their house is 4 miles away on top of a small mountain.  Of course the dogs showed up there, the second time (we know of) that they've done that.  Oh was I stressed about that!  Bad bad dogs!   I went to get them and ignored them for 2 hours.  Did they notice?  What does a dog notice when it's eyes are closed and it's snoring? 

I went to AuSable, came home and planted some zinnia seeds in peat pots.  That was a nice exercise, it felt good to do something akin to gardening.  There is outdoor work to do but there's no good weather for it.  Now is the time to get things in good order, to deal with the bramble bushes that always want to take over, to spread the ashes I've dumped in one spot all winter, get the mower out to see if it will start and pretend to be a gardener.  But nooooo, it's wet and cool (temp is 46) so I'm not interested.  Instead today I'm meeting a friend at a big yard sale (as if either of us needed more stuff) then I'll work at the thrift store for a couple of hours.

It was lovely to be at camp yesterday, the lake was like glass with a heavy cloud hanging over it, so peaceful and quiet except for the wailing of a loon, who was sitting off the boat house.  Really nice.

So much NOT like spring

It rained, sleeted, snowed and then we had hail today.  There was the most spectacular red sunrise, which I guess I should have heeded (red sky at morning...).  Luckily it was clear for our morning walk at 6:30 with the dogs, that was chilly but pleasant.  So pleasant we're repeating it again tomorrow.

I worked at the thrift store this morning, was asked to work in receiving because there's a huge backlog of stuff to be processed.  I like being a bagger but mostly I just do what's needed, work wherever people need help.  I do like that, doing different jobs there.  A good friend came in to the store and we went to lunch together.  That was a special treat.  During my darker times we used to go to Plattsburgh together every weekend to shop and have lunch and Kahlua Coolattas from Dunkin Donuts.  Those were nice times that got me through some complicated years.  Anyway we both have good lives in retirement now and are happy to be together.

It's almost 10:30 and I can't sleep.  I started reading Wallace Stegner, the print in the book is incredibly small and the prose is dense but wow it's well-written.  I ordered The angle of repose, which won the Pulitzer Prize decades ago, let's see how it compares to this one (Crossing to safety), which is about 2 couples and their long friendship.  Right now they're just getting to know each other in Madison, Wisc., so it's got some good Midwestern stuff in it.

It made me think of reading all the Pulitzer Prize winners as a goal.  But since I'm so NOT goal-oriented I doubt I'll do that, plus I have a zillion other books in my house that need to be read.  I started reading an old Anne Tyler book, one I don't remember ever reading.  I didn't finish it but haven't given up on it yet.  My mother read it while I was with her at Easter and she didn't remember that we read pretty much every Anne Tyler book at one time and I have her collection--she thinks she doesn't remember reading them so I'll send them to her.  It's hard to find the right things for her to read these days.  Her taste has changed a bit, she doesn't so much enjoy the well-written, "deep" books that she even recently liked reading.  She is an avid reader and I have tried keeping her in books but it's getting harder.  I take 10 books to her and she summarily rejects 7 of them, keeping 3 that she "might try to read."  Oh well, I'm happy if I can offer her 3.  She still amazes me.

It's raining hard right now.  I would so much like to have the sun shine and was hoping for a sunny Saturday, supposed to go to a couple of yard sales with a friend but the forecast is a bit vague, seems there might be rain in the morning.  poo.