Holy October!

Well September came and went, I must have been busy, too busy to post.  Some of my friends who read this blog agree with me that posting to my blog is a winter-type activity.  Summer is busy with dock time and visiting.  September was like the summer we didn't have as far as weather went.  It started cold and rainy but man oh man was it a lovely month.  I went to the Midwest at the beginning of the month, met up with 17 friends from Rockford.  We get together every 2 or 3 years and this was truly one of the most fun trips I've made.  It was just a nice gathering of interesting and wonderful women.  We didn't have a lot of activities--some years we do more, but this year was about visiting and spending time together.  I totally enjoyed it all and found myself surprisingly cheerful at being back in the middle of the country.  That was a treat.  I'm looking forward to our next gathering 2 years from now.

Linda and I had 3 fantastic weeks of docksitting and swimming.  Her dock is great for sitting and swimming so that's what we did.  And boy did we.  We were still doing it last week during a heat wave.  I did swim day before yesterday but that was cold, very cold.  Her thermometer measured 67 but that was close to the surface.  We noodled our way out into the lake and just had a wonderful month together.  She leaves next week and I'll have my annual post-summer, pre-winter adjustment period.  This weekend is the neighborhood's swan song, there will be many visitors for Columbus Day.  Some summer friends have left already, some will be closing their camps this weekend.  I have done nothing at all about closing our camp or even the boat house.  Yesterday I had a lovely time with friends on the boat house porch--we walked the bog then walked to camp and had coffee and pumpkin cake together.  Man was that nice.

Today I helped Linda a bit, mostly we just visited but did get some camp closing tasks done.  It's hard for both of us to have her leave.  Life goes on.

The dogs are great.  Bear is loud and enthusiastic about having visitors.  TOO enthusiastic.  I had a long visit with the breeder the other day and said he and I need work at my getting control over him.  Man do I love talking with her, she knows SO much about dogs it's just a joy.  Bear had a bad cough after I got home from Wisconsin and I freaked right out, rushed him to the vet.  X-rays and exam, antibiotics, no big crisis after all.  That was huge for me.  Now he's fine and Treasure never did catch the cough.

Life is good, very good.  I have lunch with friends in Plattsburgh, I have book group, I have morning visits and coffee with friends.  I've been walking nearly every morning--we switched from treadmills at the gym to outside walks and man has that been wonderful.  Sometimes we've walked the bog and I get to include the dogs, other times we walk on a dirt road into the woods near my friend's house so the dogs can join us there.  This morning we started treadmilling again--its too dark in the morning to walk outside now so we'll be hitting the gym.  It sure seems to take longer to walk the same amount of time on a treadmill!

No big plans for me other than busy socializing this weekend.  I have a couple of volunteer things I might get involved with.  I have weekly lunch with friends.  I have a good life.

Now September

WHERE HAVE I BEEN???
Not really been anywhere, just going along.  August went by quickly without any significant events or drama.  I spent time with Linda on her dock, that was always a treat.  We watched the loons--the young loon now has a white breast and is diving along with the parents though they seem to still be feeding him the fish they catch.

I'm still walking with Carol, we walk outside in good weather.  We have our favorite routes, either the bog boardwalk here by my house or the road near hers or old logging roads in both places.  We try to take Bear and sometimes Treasure along but he is bad bad bad on a leash so when we walk roads with cars on them he stays home or in the car.  One morning I left him in the car with Treasure and they both howled and screamed as Carol & I walked away.  OMG they sounded like a pack of coyotes wailing away.  Luckily we don't go places where there are other people.  What a racket they made!  We could hear them far far away.

My college friend Ted came to visit in August, that was a treat.  He lives in Conn. and came last year.  We laugh a lot and talked very little about the past so that was nice.  Last year was his first visit to my house and mostly we only relived the past.  We went to Lake Placid, he likes to go there, and we sat on the boat house porch, I like to sit there, and we went out for dinner one night and breakfast one morning.  It was a nice time.

There are still summer friends here so I've been visiting.  It was a fairly quiet summer as summers in Hawkeye go, not as much socializing as some years.  That's OK, we know we all care about each other and are happy to be together.  Duncan and Sue will arrive this week and stay through the month (I hope).  Others have left or will leave soon but there will be friends here into October.

My big excitement is my trip to my Homeland--I'm going to the Midwest this week to visit with my Rockford friends.  We'll stay in Lake Geneva, Wisc. and have a good time being old friends.  I fly out from Burlington on Weds., return on Sunday.  Some years there are 15 of us, some years more and some years fewer.  I'm looking forward to being with these women, although our lives are very different and we've taken different paths into adulthood we care about each other and have fun together.  These are friends from elementary school, junior high school and high school, all of us turning 65 this year.  What a surprise I found in my mail the other day: my Medicare card!  Boy did that make me feel old!  Anyway, this group of women gets together every few years and it's a joy to be with them.

I'm boarding the dogs while I'm gone.  It's Bear's first time at this kennel and I hope he does well.  He's a sweet boy but does NOT like other male dogs, plus he barks some times.  Treasure is a perfect lady and has been to the kennel several times so I know she'll be just fine.  Bear is a good dog but I'm a little nervous about kenneling him.  He's crate trained so should be fine.  Oh yes, just fine.

The weather has been up and down, cold and warm (not really hot).  We had temps in the 30's the other night, now it's 62 with some sun.  The fall color is coming fast, whatever that means.  We always try to guess how the color will be--will it be a brilliant year?  Will there be much color?  Any reds?  Mostly yellows?  We're not good at predicting and no matter what we hope for it's always beautiful.  I do love this time of year.

Still August

August is moving right along.  I've been busy but not overwhelmed.  Right now I'm waiting for my friend from college to arrive--he's driving from Conn., was here last year and we had a good time.  He'll be here this afternoon and we'll maybe go to the boat house to sit on the porch and visit a while.  I have no plans beyond that, he likes Lake Placid so we may go there tomorrow in the rain.  Today is a nice sunny day, temp is 62.  It was 52 earlier but is sizing up to be a great day.  I should be mowing the lawn and pulling weeds but nooooo I'm hanging out.

I've spent most of this week cleaning my house because I did no cleaning all summer.  The dust!  The cobwebs!  The dog hair!  My oh my what a messy house I had/have.  It's cleaner now but still cluttered.

I've been having a busy time, lots of dinners with good friends.  I was visiting with friends who have a porch right on the water the other night and we had a huge, huge storm.  It poured so hard that we had to shout to hear each other, but it was just wonderful and of course after that there was a rainbow on the far shore.  Very pretty.

I've been walking with Carol pretty regularly.  We either walk from my house down the hardtop or we walk from her driveway down another road.  That road is tough walking though because it's uphill all the way home.  Great exercise.

I took my contractor friend down to camp to look over the situation with the main building, which seems to be leaning.  No, not SEEMS to be, IS leaning.  One of my cousins was there so that was a relief for me, he could ask the questions and listen to the answers.  My assignment was to find a contractor to submit a bit for the work.  Whew, I did that.  This is the woman who built the boat house and does wonderful work so I'm totally pleased to have her look it over.  She's not sure she'll put in a bid but it's so nice to have that task taken care of.

I've had a couple of nice dock days with Linda but none of our perfect dock days when it's hot, calm and quiet.  Those come in September.

The dogs are fine but yesterday Bear found his way to some children renting a camp down the hill from my house.  He had a great time and they walked him home, very nice kids.  I made brownies and took them to the kids and Bear was thrilled to see them again.

Not much else going on.  Life is good.  I have no big plans for the rest of August but in September I head back to the Homeland--visits with my Rockford friends.  I'm looking forward to that.

Busy time

I'd forgotten that August is such a busy time in Hawkeye.  I always consider July's weather to be the best of the summer but I often forget that it's August that is hot and humid and escapable elsewhere.  We had a fairly miserable bunch of weather in July and August seems to be sort of variable but mostly days with sun, no, rain, no, sun, no drizzle, no, hot.  On it goes.  I guess I missed one of the best dock days of the year yesterday--I went to the boat house (I've been staying at home) to enjoy the day but then it clouded over and was windy so I came home.  As soon as I got home it got sunny, still and hot (too hot to enjoy my deck) so I did indoor chores.  But not very many of them, it would seem when I look around my house.  I have company coming next week so I'd better hustle and do some serious cleaning and straightening up.  I haven't had a very industrious summer AT ALL and things are out of control.

I had dinner with friends the other night, made a delicious vegetable tian--verified delicious by others so I didn't have to rely on my own evaluation.  Tonight I had dinner with other friends and took a good salad, verified by my own evaluation.  Tomorrow I'm dining with other friends (I guess that would really be tonight, since it's 1:30 now) and Monday dining with other friends.  What's up with that???  I've had a fairly quiet summer socially but all hell seems to be breaking loose now.  I have a friend coming to visit from Conn. on Thursday.  I don't know how long he'll stay for but I do know that I have some real work to do to get ready.  I don't even know where to begin!

The dogs are fine, getting along and settled in.  Bear still wants Treasure to play with him A LOT and very roughly but she prefers a quiet approach to entertainment.  They do run around the yard together from time to time but mostly she just makes unpleasant noises at him and he leaves her alone.  So maybe it wasn't the wisest thing for me to get another dog after Tess died, and maybe I would be better off with only one dog, but this is the balance I've achieved for now.

I'm still walking in the mornings with a friend.  We walk outside now that it's summer, either down the road near my house or down the road near her house.  I saw my doctor recently and yes, my cholesterol levels are very good, and my lung capacity has improved a lot but no I haven't lost weight since I last saw him.  boo.

August already

 Loon baby (we call him Fluffy) with a parent, probably the mother, off of the boat house.  They're very vocal this year.  Fluffy makes some pretty funny sounds attempting to warble or yodel.

OK, to be truthful this picture was taken in July, but it suits August as well.  This is the view from the boat house.  Very, very pretty.

I've been busy but not too busy.  Lots of time spent with Linda sunning on her dock and swimming together.  Plenty of trips to Plattsburgh for lunches with good friends.  Walking with Carol outside on beautiful summer mornings.  Visits with summer friends aplenty, all really nice.

Today I walked with Carol, then talked to my mother for an hour.  She's fine but (as always) minds very much being so old.  She doesn't have the energy of, say, an 80-year-old and she minds this.  At 91 she's most impressive and doing very well.

I'm having lunch with a friend in Plattsburgh today, then will get some groceries and supplies.  Tomorrow morning is a walk with Carol then coffee with friends then in the afternoon a meeting of the shoreowners' association.  A chance to visit with lake neighbors and work on some of the things that concern us.  This organization is nearly 50-years-old and has accomplished a lot in its history.  I hope to write a comprehensive history of it, I'm the keeper of many of the old papers and archives and sorted through them recently.  It's a most impressive history, I think.

Sunday I'm hosting book group and will roast a big fat chicken to serve in the boat house.  There will be people in camp so I'll do most of the dinner prep at my house.  That's easy.

The dogs are just fine.  Bear love love loves to launch himself off the dock to retrieve sticks.  He's a great swimmer and I love that because it's a good way to wear him out in the evening.  That means, of course a wet bed but it's worth it I think.  Treasure is doing well and sometimes even allows herself to enjoy running around with Bear.

My sister made it safely home to Naples.  I miss her, what a really nice 3 weeks we had together.

Summer marches on.  Fall approaches.  I have cucumbers on my deck and have even eaten a few.  They're tasty all right.

My thoughts are with my Midwestern friends as one undergoes surgery for a brain tumor today.  I'll be visiting with them in September.  Another friend was recently diagnosed with cancer.  Life is complicated but I am a very lucky woman.

Post Vacation Post

This was my sister on the beach in RI. 

I've had a busy and wonderful last 3 weeks.  Lucky me!  I picked up my sister in Montreal on the 29th of June (she flew in from Naples) and we got to spend three uninterrupted weeks together.  I took her back to Montreal on Friday (7/21) so she could fly to Vancouver to be with her husband and daughter.  How did we spend all those days together?  With cousins, then with my niece and her family and my mother, then alone here at Silver Lake.  What a grand time it all was.  I had the dogs with me the whole time and Bear bonded with Molly (who is a great dog trainer, which is what he responds to).  Our 10 days in RI were great with much visiting and some taking care of motherly business.  We got to the beach a few times but the waves were mostly too big for me to swim comfortably so I mostly just jumped in the waves and waded.  My mother is wonderful and in great health but it was hard to say goodbye.

Meanwhile back in Hawkeye we spent a week in the boat house together.  Actually the first 2 nights we were back we stayed at my house because it was rainy and cold.  Then we settled right in at the lake.  We visited with lots of my friends, hosted some, had morning coffee with people.  Lots of swimming--and I discovered that Bear is indeed a retrieving retriever.  He loves to jump off the dock into water to chase tennis balls or sticks.  He's a bit weak on delivering them back to me but he drops them nearby.  Molly and I had lots of gorgeous sunrises together and took turns cooking dinners.  It was all grand.

Now I'm alone, the last cousin left today so camp is empty.  I was very sad after taking Molly to Montreal, stayed at home that night but then returned to the boat house.  Today I visited with the neighbors and then mowed my lawn.  YIKES!  I actually mowed my lawn.  I didn't do a very thorough job but it sure looks better.  In need of more attention for sure but an improvement.  What's next?  I think I'll head back to the boat house for the night.  Tomorrow is a dump day, I have the fridge in the boat house and the one here at home to clean out.  Lots of dump material.  One day this week I think I'll have lunch with Julie, maybe.  Carol is out of town until Thursday so I'll not be walking with her mornings.  We did pick up walking last week and did pretty well.  I may walk without her but that's not historically what I do.  Who knows.

Silver Lake is in full summer season swing.  Yesterday afternoon there were many, many, many jet skis and boats in the afternoon.  We have a pair of parental loons that spend a lot of time in front of our camp with their young 'un.  Lots of fun to keep track of them.

FAT dog

I took the dogs to the vet this afternoon, time for their annual visits.  It was Bear's grand opening at this vet's and he was a big hit.  Very well behaved and charming so he got lots of treats.  Treasure was less enthusiastic about being there and I found out why when she was weighed: she's gained SEVEN pounds in the last year.  Wow, for a 50-pound-dog that is a lot, a whole lot.  I was giving Tess a lot of treats and extra food at the end of her life and I guess I hated to leave Treasure out so she puffed right up.  No more of that!  I'll cut back on her food and give her half a treat instead of a whole one.  She won't notice.

The vet told me of a study that found that Labs are lacking the part of the brain that humans have to let us know when we've had enough to eat and feel full.  HAH, who didn't know that?  These 2 dogs are the piggiest eaters I've ever had but they're wonderful.

Other than the vet visit there's not much to report.  I've been busy and visiting a lot with friends.  Still going to the gym at 6:30 in the mornings with Carol.  Actually we've been walking outside quite a bit, just recently returning to the gym.  We've walked around AuSable and around Carol's driveway, which is near here.  The other day we had a great walk on an old logging road through the woods on Carol's property.  It was wonderful.  Bear joined us and was good about being off the leash.  He stuck around for the most part and came when he was called.

It's been very hot and humid, too hot to do much.  Now it's cooler and less humid but is rainy.  Some real downpours today, a thunderstorm the other day.  I have good friends and one fixed my lawn mower then mowed most of my lawn when it was returned.  Wow, how lucky can a girl get?  I've been waiting to finish the mowing, it was too hot and now it's too rainy.  Thursday is the designated "nice day" this week so hopefully I'll get that taken care of.

I had a nice time in the boat house during the hot days.  Bear loves to swim and has convinced Treasure to go further into the water than she used to.  Sometimes she actually swims but then she acts as if that was a terrible mistake.

Book group is at the boat house on Sunday.  We're reading a Liane Moriarty book about triplets that's enjoyable.  More summer people arrive this week and it will be fun to see them.  MY SISTER comes next week!  That's very exciting.  Our family's annual gathering is on the 1st of July and we're hosting this year so Jenica, Molly and I will be busy.   Not sure how many people we'll feed lunch to but I figure maybe 20-25.  Hard to tell but not a big deal.

Life is good, very good.  I have my flowers, cukes and tomatoes planted and they all look pretty good.

Summer at last

We've had sooooo much rain (I heard recently that we've had 18", double our usual amount) but yesterday and today were marvelous summer (or pre-summer) days.  I spent time sitting on my deck reading in the sun yesterday morning--that's a very favorite pastime.  The black flies were in evidence but the swarming didn't happen.  Deer flies were out, though, and when I did some actual gardening they were biting like mad.  I planted flowers in the ground, weeded a fair amount and transplanted the overbearing globe thistle plant so the snakeroot/cohosh/whatever it is could get more sun and have more room to grow.  That was successful.  I tried to mow the lawn but dinged the deck of the mower getting it out of the shed so the blade won't turn.  Today I dropped it off at a friend's house--he fixed it masterfully for me in the fall and I'm embarrassed to have trouble with it again but maybe he can work his magic again.

Today I went to Plattsburgh--haircut, groceries, liquor store, lunch and bought some dirt.  It IS pretty funny to pay money for dirt but I'm covering the grass-filled area that used to be a garden and am planting some annuals as well as tomatoes and cukes there.  So I buy dirt.

I slept in the boat house last night and it was wonderful.  The moon was incredibly bright.  It was a tad chilly but mostly it was just lovely.  Bear is now mine, the AKC transfer has taken place and his microchip has been re-registered to me.  He is wonderful and is very happy here.  He doesn't roam, not even when he and Treasure are out together.  He didn't much like sleeping in the boat house, yet another change of scene for the poor boy.  He whined a while but once he realized that Treasure was sleeping on the bed he settled down near her.  They get along but she hasn't endorsed him yet.  He is very fond of her and they do run around together a bit.  He's a swimmer (a REAL Lab!) and insisted of cuddling up against me in all his wetness last night in bed, to make sure I didn't sneak out while he wasn't paying attention.

I've left them together in the house unchaperoned for 7 hours at one spell and they were just fine.  I never did crate him, didn't put the crate together and he's been happy and well.  He did get into the back of the car the other day and ate a package of cube steak.  I worried that he had eaten the styrofoam so peroxided him royally and he (poor boy) had to relinquish his special treat.  I later found the styrofoam intact, he didn't eat any of it after all.  Oh well, I was pissed that he ate what was going to be my dinner that night.

Linda's docks have gone in and she had a dock day today while I was in Plattsburgh.  We had porch coffee this morning and that was nice.  I'll head down there in a little while for either docktails or maybe just porchtails if it rains, as it might.

I'm back into the gym routine now that Carol has returned from her vacation.  Man does that feel good!  We meet at 6:30 and treadmill away.  It hasn't really been nice enough to walk outside and we also know that we get better exercise on treadmills than walking.

Life is good.  Summer might come after all.

2 dogs yet again

Yes, I went to see Bear the Big Black Dog and he came home with me on a trial basis.  He is a sweet, sweet thing and is fitting in beautifully here at 58OHR so I think he's found a permanent home.  He seems to love it here (why wouldn't he?  He hopped on the bed the first night and slept all night there).  I was cabling him outside but today he got to go out unchaperoned and he didn't wander or leave the yard.  No, I'm sure that will come later.  I haven't walked him around the neighborhood yet, or taken him to the water.  As far as he knows our world consists of the house, the yard and the car.  He's excellent in the car but insists on sitting in the front seat (that's where Tess always sat).  Treasure does not approve of him much but she's a good girl and hasn't objected too strenuously.  She did growl (quietly) at him twice and pretend-snapped at him once (a snap in slow motion) but mostly she just ignores him and when he gets on the couch she mostly gets down with a heavy sigh.  It will work out.  He is not a brown girl but he is a very nice dog.

This weather is so very tiresome!  It's raining again.  We had a nice day yesterday, sunny and comfortable.  I didn't really take advantage of that.  I did get to the gym with Annie yesterday, then went to visit with the neighbors then went to Plattsburgh to get a collar and ID tag for Bear, then picked up Marylou at the Pbg airport and took her home to Wilmington.  That was all fine.  Bear was an excellent passenger.

Today I went to Fred's for coffee, then Bill, Linda, Fred and I went out for breakfast and had a really nice time.  I love going out for breakfast.  Don't bother ordering the pancakes at the former Pancake Haven in Wilmington, but the eggs are consistently good and L. reports that the sausage gravy is tasty.

I did what I rarely do this afternoon: I napped.  A long, deep sleep.  Wow that was something, but what else could I do on a rainy day like this?  Tomorrow I absolutely have to clean my house, and hopefully will do some planting in the morning.  I have to drag the mower out of the shed and at least start to think about mowing the lawn.  It's not very long yet, fortunately.

Tonight is dinner with Annie, her brother and his wife.  That will be nice.  I think tomorrow I'll hit the gym  with Annie in the morning, then I will be productive oh yes I will.

Nattering at night

I'm up at 11:00, went to sleep earlier but woke and now am perky and full of (not-quite) energy.  OK, not perky, either, but wide awake.

The black flies are bad this year, even this early.  I remember years ago when they were so thick you really couldn't be outside, even to walk to your car, and they're not that bad yet but man are they thick and hungry.  I did some outside planting today and had to take breaks to come in for relief.  We had some very hot days last week (wow, was that just last week?  seems long ago) and that really revved them up.  It's cool in the morning and they're not too bad (maybe).

I have a busy morning, meeting Carol to walk at 6:30, phone call to my mother after that, then coffee with Linda and Fred, then my friend the potter is coming to pick up a couple of bicycles so she can use the gears for an art project in Plattsburgh.  I have 3 bicycles in my shed--1 was my sister's when she lived in Colorado in the 70's, 2 are more than 25 years old and were hardly ever used.  Boy wouldn't it be nice to get rid of them, or at least one of them!  We'll see.

I called my dog breeder today, which took courage.  I wanted to know if she has any dogs to place and yes, indeed she does.  She has a 3-year-old black male she needs to find a home for, plus she has a litter of pups born today.  I don't really want a male and I don't really want a puppy so I'm wondering.  I'm going to meet the male on Saturday afternoon.  I won't know if I want this dog until I get to know him so I need to RELAX about the whole thing.  As soon as I hung up the phone I started to cry--no, I don't want a different dog, male or female, I want my brown dog back.  Too bad for me.  That does NOT mean it's too soon to get another dog, it just means I miss Tess.  Treasure and I are doing well but we tend to cling to each other.

I was thinking of sleeping in the boat house tonight but it's chilly so I stayed home.  I think I'll sleep there tomorrow night, that would be nice.  The woods are intensely green, a very bright green, one of my favorite things.  The far shore practically glows.

Going to Plattsburgh tomorrow, have errands to run and may meet Julie in the afternoon.  or not meet her, she doesn't know what she's doing.  I'm going to town anyway, have to pick up meds and get DEET, lots and lots of DEET.  Plus more geraniums.  I've been plant shopping 3 times so far and have all I need for my deck but I still need a few more geraniums for the cemetery.  3 for my father, 3 for my brother, 2 for my grandparents and 2 for my favorite cousin.  I hogged some of the ones I already bought for my deck planters.

Life is good.  I'm slowly adjusting to summer pace with summer friends.  Better speed up the process--all hell breaks loose this weekend. 

Springing fast

Wow what a difference 2 days make.  I spent yesterday in the 1000 Islands region with Julie.  It was gorgeous there, the hotel was right on the St. Lawrence and we had a lovely little balcony overlooking the river.  I had my morning coffee on the balcony yesterday, then went to the fitness center and did 20 minutes on the treadmill.  I would have done more (wuddashuddacuda) but I couldn't get the TV on the treadmill to work right so I got bored.

I went to the meeting and 2 presentations but did I really care?  Is it possible to remove yourself completely from a profession you were proudly a member of for almost 40 years?  Apparently.  Or else maybe I'm just so self-centered that I'm not interested in anything that doesn't relate to or have to do with me.  At any rate it was an OK day and I saw some good people, it was nice to see them.  We had and OK drive there and back but it's 3 1/2 hours no matter which way you go.

Treasure boarded well and was happy to see me.  I wondered if she expected to find Tess at the kennel but who knows what dogs think and she was fine.  I asked Deb (kennel owner and dog breeder) if Treasure was, perhaps a little fat: YES she said without hesitation.  I realize I've been over-feeding her especially with doggie junk food because I was trying to get Tess to eat and you can't feed one dog without feeding the other, right?  Anyway now poor Treasure has to deal with dietary restrictions.  This will not be easy.

Today I met Carol in AuSable at 6:45 and we had a really nice walk around town.  It's warm (too warm, at 81) so we walked outside.  Tomorrow we'll go back to the treadmills if it's as cool as predicted.  I took some things to Linda's this morning.  She arrives this afternoon.  YIKES.  This afternoon I think I'll go to the boat house, put the furniture on the porch then sit there in the cool breeze off the lake and maybe read a while.  or nap.  I was up at 4 this morning, felt troubled and couldn't sleep.

Busy time here, this weekend.  There will be much greeting and happy times.  To celebrate we have leaves on trees.

Long week

It's been a hard week.  Tess' cough was terrible and getting worse so I took her to the vet on Weds.  He xrayed her lungs and found a large mass so I had her put to sleep.  It wasn't  hard decision, she clearly was suffering.  It was a hard thing to do but it's such a peaceful procedure and the vet is a compassionate and gentle man so it was I suppose as easy as it could be.  Anyway it's over.  I'm cried out (well, almost) and moving on.  What does Treasure think?  who knows what dogs think but she stays pretty close to me and stares at me ALL the time.  I've been giving her lots of affection and attention.  We're a good team I think and I do know that all will be fine.  I don't know when or if I'll get another dog.  I may contact my breeder to see if she has any adult dogs she's looking to place--that's how I got Treasure, and Chances Are.  I've had 4 of her dogs, all sweet.

So that was last week.  The weekend was all right.  I went to the gym twice--Carol was out of town so I went by myself but there were people there I knew so time didn't drag (too much).  I had lunch with Barb on Friday, she's a great comfort to me so that was good.  Saturday I had coffee and a long visit with Julie.  Tomorrow Julie and I are going to the 1000 Islands for an overnight.  We'll have a good time together and doubtless it will be an adventure of sorts.  It's a library thing.  I don't belong at library things any more.

Today I went to the dump and had to tell Bob the Dump Man that I only need one biscuit for my dog, not two any more.  He was sweet, gave Treasure an extra one and told me how sorry he was for my loss.  People are good.

The weather has been rotten but right now it's 59 and the sun is out.  We've had cold and rain for a long time but it's due to warm up this week.  This is a big week in Hawkeye, summer people start arriving on Thursday.  Soon enough it will be Memorial Day weekend an then all hell will break loose.

I have a pair of rose-breasted grosbeaks at my feeder, a trio actually, 2 males and a female.  That's pretty cool.

BIG feet, REALLY BIG feet

This is what the snowshoe hares look like these days.  They're really called varying hares because they change their colors with the seasons, but we call them snowshoes because, really, look at the size of that hind foot!

Treasure remains unimpressed, however.  She chases the bun-buns but never even gets close.  Turns out those huge feet make for massive speed.

Midnight musings

Haven't done this in a long time, but I'm up (I'M UP!!) and wide awake and it's not quite midnight.  Tess has been coughing and hacking ceaselessly so it's hard to get back to sleep.  I'm wondering if this behavior has become as much a habit as a symptom, but that's probably not right and a mean thought.

I've been reading The stranger in the forest, about a man who lived hidden in the Maine woods for 27 years with no human contact.  It's supposed to be a true story but man is it suspiciously like a made-up story.  It's interesting but worth a whole book?  I'm not sure.  Anyway the author posits that some people have a predisposition to living a solitary lifestyle.  It makes me wonder about myself--although sometimes I feel I'm swimming in social contacts, I spend a lot of time by myself with just 2 dogs to keep me company.  And they are great company, but they are not human.  I don't mind being alone, fer shure, mostly when I spend a day without human contact it makes me feel as if there's almost something wrong with me.  Not so much that something's missing from my life, but more that there must be something missing from ME.  I don't think I've ever spent more than 2 days without seeing anyone, and I almost always talk to someone on the phone.  I certainly email my friends and sister every day at least once so I guess in modern days I'm never without human contact of some sort.  Does email count?  I think it does.

Anyway I have my daily fix of human contact at the gym most mornings now.  That can do it for the day.  Carol and I talk for the half hour we're treadmilling, rarely do we run out of conversation (though that does happen sometimes).

It was Derby Day and my horse didn't win, or even come close to winning.  I wonder if the winner (whose name escapes me) will end up being a Superhorse this year.  Seems doubtful.  I didn't really enjoy watching the race, I'm always nervous that something bad will happen, especially in mud.  How can they not slip and slide in that stuff?

Sunday looks quiet.  Gym time is 8:00, then I'll come home, read the paper and watch Sunday morning television (thank you, Jane Pauley), visit with the neighbors around 11 or so, be home by 1:30 or 2 and most likely call that a full day.  What I hope I'll do is take my winter clothes, now nicely packed in bins upstairs and out of sight, which means I'll need to do some work in the master bedroom to make room for the bins.  As my grandmother used to say "Horrors!"

It always snows in May

So it was no real surprise that we had snow this morning.  Nothing really worth reporting, just splashes of white on windows.  What we mostly have now is mud, even though I'd call "official" mud season over.  It's just rained and rained, and with the exception of tomorrow is supposed to rain more.  There are signs of spring for sure and the poplars continue to green up the hills.  This afternoon I watched an ermine (weasel) climb trees and run along the edge of the woods on my lawn.  It was still almost totally white except for the black tip of its tail.  Where was my camera?  In the car of course, so I retrieved it and later took this shot of a varying/snowshoe hare.  Very different from the ermine, the hares have almost turned into their summer fur of brown.  They have white footies and underbellies but are hard to see against the dead leaves on the lawn.  Hard for me, maybe, but Treasure and Tess have no problems spotting them.  Treasure is convinced that someday, just maybe someday she'll catch one but she never returns with rabbit's feet in her mouth.  When I was growing up we had a female dachshund that was the greatest huntress.  Once we found her with several baby bunny feet sticking out of her mouth ("They're MINE, I found them, I get to keep them.").  She was a sweet dog but incorrigible about running off.

Anyway here's the hare of the day:

Green! I see green!

You could almost watch the poplar leaves pop out today.  After some very nice, very warm weather spring has busted out all over.  I drove to Keene today and there were teeny tiny but green leaves and some shad was in bloom.  Very exciting!   I heard a loon the other day.  Very exciting!   My daffodils are blooming like crazy.  Very exciting!  Goldfinches are bright yellow and at my feeder.  Very exciting! 

Oh I'm so easily entertained.  But really this spring stuff is very exciting to me.  I realize that it's almost May (very exciting) but still it just feels as if it's been a long, long time coming.

I had a good week but spent a fortune on my car.  Spent much of Friday at the car place having my winter tires switched out, oil changed and brakes fixed.  What a relief that was, the brakes were making an incredible and embarrassing noise.

Today I went to  neighborhood yard sale in Upper Jay and found a grand wicker rocking chair for the boat house porch for $25.  Very pleased with myself, I motored on to Keene to have coffee and a nice visit with Julie.  Home after that, then to the boat house to drop off the chair--there I realized that I left the cushion to the chair on the ground in Upper Jay.  duh.  Oh was I pissed at myself.  Back to UJ I drove and the nice woman had put my cushion aside so it was still there.  On the way home from that trip I stopped at another sale and bought a perfectly respectable $10 dresser (50% off), which is now in my living room waiting to be filled with...oh whatever things I need places to hide.  It wasn't easy getting it into the house but I'm proud to have managed that.  Next I need to empty the dresser upstairs and bring it to my bedroom to replace the bookcase I store my clothes in.  Not attractive, a bookcase full of clothes.  I have 4 dressers upstairs and another in my bedroom already.  Does this mean I collect dressers?

I went to the gym most days this week, but didn't go yesterday or today.  Carol is out of town and apparently I'm incapable of going by myself.  My goal=going there tomorrow morning.  Since I have no other plans (aside from the Brousseau visit at noon) for the day I think I can manage it.

Cleaning day

It's been raining for 3 days but now it's clearing a bit and warmer (64) so I have the front door wide open and ahhhhhh spring air!  I have on patch of daffodils blooming with a lot, no, really a LOT more to come.

I had a good weekend, spent nice time with Julie on Saturday, then had a busy Sunday.  Went to the gym, went to P&J's, then had a very nice visit with Fred at his camp.  Boy it was good to be there with him.  Book group was that night, I made delicious scalloped potatoes but am a fool and filled the casserole too full so now I have cream and potato juice all over the bottom of the oven.  What a doofus I am.  Anyway book group was nice but Marylou gave us too much chocolate and I ate like a pig.  I froze some of the chocolate, hoping what? that I'd forget about it and never eat it?  No, that won't happen.

Monday was Windshield Day and Mr. Fix-it came in the afternoon.  For some reason I got hysterical while waiting for him (he was 2 hours late but what difference does that make?).  I do not, do NOT like having people come work on my house.  Anyway he was fine and I now have the cleanest best windshield in Hawkeye.  Bad brakes on the damn car, but a clear windshield.  I went to Plattsburgh yesterday, ran errands, got groceries (at Hannaford, Joe), and had lunch with Julie.  The brakes are grinding like crazy so I went to the car place but they couldn't fix them yesterday--I have an appointment with them Friday to switch my tires anyway, so I'm grounding the car until then.  It freaks me out to drive it like this so I skipped the gym this morning.  Tomorrow Carol will come here and we'll either walk around Hawkeye or she'll drive us to the gym. 

So what did I do this morning?  I got up at 5:30, waited until 7:15 to call my mother, had a nice long talk with her, then slept for nearly 2 hours.  I do enjoy a good nap.  Anyway, I'm slowly cleaning the living room, bathroom and kitchen now, have dusted and relieved the floor of its dog hair burden.  Still have to vacuum the rug.  Oh how I hate to vacuum.

I got some of Tess' pills yesterday but of course they didn't have the full number I need for a week so I'll have to go back for more.  How is she?  I think she's marginally better but that could just be wishful thinking and fantasy on my part.  She's old and both she and I are tired of her hacking.  But she's a sweet thing.

Sunday I tried to watch the horrible and stupid TV movie about the prison breakout of 2015--it was mostly about the woman who helped the inmates escape and boy oh boy was it a bad show.  I didn't watch the whole show.

Linda called last night and we talked and talked.  It's hard to believe that in 3 weeks the neighborhood will be buzzing.  MAY is coming!  Amazing.

Yesterday was my brother's birthday.  How old would he be?  Does it matter?  He died and we all miss him terribly.

OK, back to work.  My latest music crush is Elvis Costello so I'll crank him up and finish the downstairs.  Except for the bedroom, that's just too big a project to start.

What happened to spring?

OK, so it's not snowing, and it's above freezing but really, what's up with this weather?  It's rainy and in the 40's every day, which isn't really miserable but it's pretty close.  I long to see sunshine!  Tomorrow is predicted to be almost better than today, Sunday for sure is supposed to be warmer and maybe even sunny. 

Tomorrow morning I'll meet Carol at the gym at 8:15, meet Julie for coffee at 9:30 in Keene, then at some point take my garbage to the dump.  Oh, first I'll call my mother in the early morning.  OMG that's 4 things in one day.  We'll see if I can really pull it off.

Monday I'm supposed to get my new windshield.  A passing truck sent a rock/stone flying into my windshield on my way to RI and now the crack has spread two-thirds of the way across the windshield.  I have visions of the window breaking in half, flying into the car and decapitating me as I drive merrily along listening to Elvis Costello.  No, I've been assured this will not happen, they don't call it safety glass because it's dangerous.  Oh I just don't know.

Tess is not doing well and will soon start her anti-fungal med. once again.  I talked to the vet this afternoon and he's phoning in a prescription which I'll drive to Plattsburgh to pick up.  But probably not until Tuesday.  Oh the poor dog is coughing sooooo much.  Then she looks at me.  We don't know what they're saying, our animals, but is she pissed off because I haven't solved her problem yet?  or is she sorry to be making such horrible sounds?  or is there something going on that I can't even imagine--  I don't know what to think.  I'm really tired of listening to her all day and all night but I feel so bad for her, so very very bad for her.  This is a dangerous fungal infection, blastomycosis, and the treatment is expensive and also dangerous.  Liver failure.  Loss of appetite.  Inability to eat.  Blood tests.  It just goes on and on.

My daffodils are up but they're stalled at about 4" high.  Who can blame them?

Easter came, Easter went

Just home from Little Rhody, went there on Thursday and drove home this morning.  Had an easy trip home, trip driving there wasn't so sweet--my windshield was hit with a rock and how has a big crack in it.  When I checked my banking from RI I found that someone had charged a bunch of stuff from online dating sites to my account.  Fortunately my bank KNOWS I have no need of such help so denied the charges.  Unfortunately they also canceled my debit card and are sending me a new one with a different number.  I'll have to update online accounts as I think of them.  Oh well whatever happens happens.  The irony of someone cheating on a Christian online dating site is not lost on me.

We had a happy time visiting, Mark, Liza and I.  Easter was a good day, we had our ceremonial lox and bagels breakfast (huge) then Mark & I went to the beach with Treasure for a nice long walk in the fog.  We had a lamb dinner at the end of a nice day.  We dyed eggs on Saturday--

(there are only 11 because one was too cracked to dye)

It was a pretty quiet visit, a couple of trips to town, mostly a lot of reading and visiting and resting.

Tess is not great, she's still coughing.  I thought she was better but maybe the trip home was hard on her because she's been coughing a lot since we got home.  I talked to the vet--Tess has lost her appetite, which is upsetting.  The vet recommended we stop her med., which is fine with me because it's getting harder to get her to eat the pills.  Oh dear.  I'm not feeling optimistic about this.

Treasure is exhausted and passed out cold on the living room floor.

The ice is out of Silver Lake.  I don't know when that happened but it happened while I was away.

The fog was thick at the beach in RI.

The dogs exhausted themselves playing with the Easter toys.

Spring has arrived

It was 70 yesterday, 67 right now and some of my daffodils are up (though only a few inches).  I even have a few crocuses showing (but no blooms yet).  There's still snow but there is also bare ground in spots and the driveway is muddy but not sloppy.  I drive to the house once in a while and am very proud of the lack of ruts this year.  I'm not usually so careful.

Tess has been maybe a little better but she's still hacking away.  This is the 4th day of her meds and I had a conversation with the vet last night--he said it could take a week before a dramatic change would be seen.  Oh boy I hope he's right.  Today Tess seems to be hacking a little less but she's still sounding too human in her coughing.  She's hard to have in the bedroom at night, I wake up several times to her noises and she seems to be worse in the night.  She's a trooper, though, and is very perky and active.  We walked to the mailbox the other day, which is nearly a mile and she went along but oh my goodness is she ever slow.

I went to the gym Sat., Sunday and yesterday but we skipped today.  Tomorrow we meet at 6:15.  We agreed that soon we have to pick up the pace, increase speed and/or incline.  I'm winded at my present pace but still able to talk fairly easily.  I've lost 14 pounds, coming along, coming along.

I had a fairly uneventful weekend, saw the neighbors on Sunday.  Had to go to Plattsburgh too many times last week.  Went yesterday to have lunch with Barb and deliver her Easter basket.  I made 2 baskets handily and was pleased to find that I enjoyed the weaving and that the baskets turned out well.  I'd make more but what for?  I may weave a few to have on hand, I don't know.

Going to Plattsburgh tomorrow to pick up more meds for Tess and have lunch with Julie.  She's returning from DC today so we can compare notes on our travels.

Thursday I drive to RI for my Easter visit.  I'm looking forward to being there.  We'll do our usual visiting and maybe hit the beach.  It's pansy time in southern New England so I'm hoping we get to buy some.  It feels early for pansies here but I think we're past the worst of hard frosts so they should be all right on my deck.  Color!  Flowers!  I didn't plant any seeds this year, deciding to wait until the ground thaws and direct sow the seeds. 

Treasure is just fine.  I try to give her lots of attention and affection to make up for the extra time spent with Tess and worrying about Tess.  Dogs don't measure how much time you spend with the others, I know that. 

Fungus dog

Tess' test came back positive, a little ambiguous but positive so she's taking an anti-fungal med. as of today.  The vet, who is wonderful called last night with the results of the urinalysis and then called in the prescription to the drug store I use in Plattsburgh.  This morning I went to the pharmacy and got the 10 pills, a 5-day supply for $150.  Honestly, America is a wonderful place but there are things about it that are just unacceptable.  The vet called me this afternoon and told me how to order the same drug from a Canadian firm for 1/7th the price.  Now we'll see how she responds to this med.  I sure hope it works, I feel so sorry for the poor girl.  She hacks and coughs and sputters so much, then looks at me with such a sorry look in her eyes.  I have faith in this vet so I have hope that Tess will be OK.  If left untreated blastomycosis can be fatal.  Does this treatment make sense for a 14-year-old dog?  Well now that I know how to get the drug at a lower price, yes I think it does.

Yesterday I went to Plattsburgh, too just to get a few things.  I made a couple of baskets this week (!) and needed some supplies to finish them.  Both baskets turned out well but they are simple designs.  I don't seem to be able to do anything fancy and I don't seem to remember how to shape baskets except in squares and rectangles.  At any rate I really did enjoy making these baskets and it was nice to be good at it.

Skipped the gym this morning but will meet Carol there tomorrow morning.  Let's get back to the routine!  We skipped Monday this week, too.  I do know that I can go there alone, duh, but we have a good time there together. 

It's snowing right now.  Been spitting all day and my house is so no-warm.  I can't seem to get my fires hot lately and boy is that frustrating.  We may get a few inches of snow overnight tonight, then Sunday is supposed to maybe, just maybe be sunny and 50.  Right now it's 37 and gray.  Been gray all week. 

D.C. travelogue

 A familiar sight.  Always impressive, I think.

At the FDR Memorial.  Very moving memorial.

The guitar Eric Clapton played in the Concert for Bangla Desh, seen at the Newseum.  Way cool.  Way, way cool.

FDR quote from the Memorial.

"when doing the dishes is the highlight of your day you have to laugh"

So says my friend Carol.  That's because doing the dishes in hot water WAS the highlight of my day.  Because the water came out of my own faucet.  yes, it's true, I have indoor plumbing again.  I turned on the pump tonight and it came up to pressure just the way it was supposed to.  Boy was I relieved, I was worried that the frozen line (if that's what it was) had burst somewhere between the house and the well.  I like to think I'm an optimist but sometimes I just feel the worst will happen.  Anyway it's all good.  I just took a shower in my very own shower, first time in more than 3 weeks.  So now I'm back to what passes for normal at 58OHR.

I'm still going to the gym in the morning, this week we meet at 6 a.m. because of my friend's work schedule.  That means I'm up at 5 and out of the house by 5:30.  This morning that meant walking down the driveway.  in the mud.  in the rain.  in the dark.  Oh I was thrilled.  But I did it--we agree that our dedication to treadmills is mostly due to our allegiance to each other and our promises of showing up.  Whatever works, and this works very well.

I made a basket this week, not something I do often any more.  It's an Easter basket for my friend's grandchild and I'm quite pleased with how it turned out.  It only took 2 hours to make, the large baskets tend to take less time because there's less weaving involved if you use big weavers.  I never used to time myself making baskets but I was curious yesterday so kept track.  Will I make more baskets?  I was tempted to make another one yesterday but decided not to.

Tess is still hacking and a mess.  She's good during the day but nights are worse.  It's hard to get a good night's sleep with her coughing and hacking so much.  I shouldn't complain, I feel really sorry for the poor dear.  I did finally collect enough urine for a sample, which I delivered to the vet on Saturday.  They had to mail it out (postage included in the $180 charge) so I won't hear the results until the end of the week apparently.  I just feel bad for Tess, she's tired of this. (so am I, but then I'm not the one with the problem)

Next week I head to RI for an Easter visit.  I'll get pansies, that will be nice.

Tess update

Tess, Treasure and I drove to Westport yesterday to see our favorite vet.  I was hysterical, the dogs thought it was a nice day for a drive.  Tess was sedated and David looked at her larynx (no sign of paralysis or any growths) and x-rayed her lungs (which were "hard" but just old dog lungs).  He says she doesn't have what we thought she did, instead he's guessing she might have a fungal infection called blastomycosis.  Oh swell.  Could my dog have a simple limp?  Oh no, we have to go for an infection that costs $200 worth of urinalysis to diagnose.  I was terribly relieved and cried a lot.  Today I'm trying to collect $200 worth of urine from a most uncooperative dog.  I collected 1/2 a teaspoon this morning, called Westport to see if it was enough and they said no, they need about 2 tablespoons.  Yikes, see you next week, folks.  I'll keep trying but man is Tess not helpful.  I had hoped to get the sample to them today to hasten diagnosis.  oh well.

Meanwhile I went to the gym every morning with Carol--we had a lot of catching up to do.  Walking on a treadmill is different from walking on the streets of Washington.  No sore knees, no shin splints.  I have lost a total of 14 pounds but seem to be stuck.  Gee, I wonder if the raspberry jam from Marylou has anything to do with that?  Man oh man is that stuff delicious! 

Tomorrow I'm due t meet Julie in Keene for coffee.  If we believe the weather predictors we won't be able to drive there but I'm optimistic.  Apparently we're getting maybe 3 inches of snow or maybe 10 inches of snow.  or maybe rain.  but no, snow.  It's snowing right now but it's not the big flakes I expected.  Temp is 35 so that doesn't make sense.

I still don't have water in my house.  No news on that front, nor do I expect any change in that for a few weeks probably.  We still have about a foot of snow on the ground.  OK, so maybe it won't be a few weeks, but a couple at least.  I'm going to RI for Easter--should I just go there now, where water comes out of the faucets?  No, I like being at home.

Long time gone

Things are back to (more or less) normal for me now.  I just got home from Washington (DC) where I spent 5 days with the Holts.  We had a grand time but man oh man did we walk a lot.  I thought I'd be in better shape but I blame my sore knees and feet on the shoes I took.  I thought they'd be good walking shoes but I think I was wrong.  Anyway we walked.  and walked. and walked.  They live in the Watergate, which isn't far from Georgetown and the Metro stop and Whole Foods, but you do have to walk to all of those places.

We went to museums.  My favorite?  By far the Newseum.  They have great exhibits and films, and just my luck are featuring a big exhibit on rock and politics.  Oh so many fantastic things to see and watch!  Springsteen's draft card.  Film on concerts.  Clapton's guitar.  Ahhh, I basked in it.  We went to the Botanical Garden, an art gallery, Georgetown for dinner, the Kennedy Center for a concert, the Museum of Natural History to the butterfly room, Rush's very impressive office at AAAS, Whole Foods a couple of times, the FDR and MLK memorials, the cherry blossoms, and more.  It was good with lots of visiting.  And some resting.

I almost missed my flight coming home this morning, as only I would do.  I was waiting at the wrong gate until I heard my name on the intercom telling me to go to the right gate.  Ahhhh, to be me.  The flight was fine, as was the flight going down.  I got home this afternoon, retrieved the retrievers and am settled in now.  Tess is all right but the kennel owner reports that she was coughing up small amounts of blood so I called the vet and will take her in on Thursday.  He said they will probably knock her out, maybe there's a mass by her larynx.  So the surgery I was not planning on may happen anyway.  Oh what the hell, it's only money.

Going to the gym with Carol in the morning.  That will be nice.  Life goes on.

Can it be? Oh yes, it's on its way

So much like early (very early) spring today!  It was -8 in the morning but up to 38 in the incredibly bright and warm sunshine this afternoon.  I love this weather.

The plumber returned, replaced the pressure tank but oh no! the pump still won't come up to pressure.  I diagnosed the problem, at least I think I did: the line between the house and the well is frozen (and frozen GOOD).  The pump won't pull water from the well but the line going to the well has water in it so the well is probably not dry.  What difference does it make, really?  I don't have water and won't for a long, long time.  I think it was a perfect storm while I was in RI--bare ground, subzero temps, no water moving through the lines.  I just hope the line hasn't burst, that's all I need.  Anyway I have generous and wonderful friends and have easy access to water. 

Went to the gym yesterday and today with Carol, that was nice.  Yesterday I went to Plattsburgh for lunch with Barb and taking care of a few errands.  Today I took a shower at Carol's then visited for a bit over coffee, very nice.  They have one of the best views in the Adks for sure--panorama of the Silver Lake Mtn. bluffs.  Really spectacular.  After that I went to the dump, then stopped for a short visit at P&J's, then came home and was industrious.  I swept and started tidying up the living room (hosting book group tomorrow), did 2 loads of laundry at the Holts (got to use my freshly re-wired dryer for the first time in a long, long time), visited with a friend who was here to check on his camp, finished the book group book, which I really enjoyed (The Flood Girls).  Now I'm in for the night and can only eat lean protein and fruit for the rest of the night because a friend brought me delicious cookies and I ate 2 of them.  I gained a couple of pounds this week.  I think I got too cocky, deciding I didn't need to count or measure, I "just know" how many points foods are.  NOT.  So now it's back to recording everything I eat, which is just fine and works.

Tomorrow I'll finish the laundry and cook a corned beef dinner in the crock pot for book group.  yum.

It was a stellar day.  A banner day.  A wonderful day.  But I still have to vacuum and dust.

Tess is not better but not worse so I guess she'll survive kenneling.  I just worry about how difficult it might be for the kennelers to deal with her.  Early morning seems to be her worst time, maybe they won't have to deal with her then.

Lucky girl, very lucky girl

All hell has broken loose here in the North Country, but I'm just fine.  We had a huge and extended storm yesterday and last night and ended up with at least 33 inches of snow.  I still have electricity and phone (let's not forget television) but no running water.  A girl can't have everything, after all.  My plow man came and shoveled around my car so I now have mobility and the ability to get water from the neighbors.  I've talked to my mother twice, my friends about 4 times and have been emailing everyone I can think of.  It's wonderful, truly wonderful to realize how many people are interested in my welfare.  I feel lucky.

I went to RI last week, arrived there Thursday afternoon to spend time with Liza and Mark and to celebrate Liza's birthday.  We missed the birthday by a day--I came home on Monday, her birthday to avoid traveling in the storm.  That was a wise, wise move on my part and I am relieved.  We  celebrated her birthday Sunday and she was fine with that.

While I was there it was cold and snowy.  They got about 6", which is their equivalent of our 33" I think.  Mark and I didn't get to the beach because it was too cold and windy for me.  Mostly we just spent time in the living room visiting.  That's what I went there to do, happy coincidence.  My mother is fine, just fine.  She's very healthy and is in good mental shape as well.  She's old, and she feels old and she minds feeling old.

It was cold at home while I was away, below zero so the outlet pipe for my sump pump and gray water froze.  This led to much flooding when the sump pump emptied the water in the cellar on to the floor of the laundry room, into the back of the house, blah blah blah.  Nice to see water flow uphill, right?  Meanwhile the pump runs just fine but won't come up to pressure.  I had a plumber come yesterday (poor man, bad roads, very bad roads).  He fixed the sump pump problem and diagnosed my water as an old broken pressure tank.  Hopefully that will be replaced tomorrow (not today, roads are closed).  Once again I am relying on the water of neighbors. 

I feel happy and fortunate this afternoon (quite different from my moods of the morning) and know that all will work out.

Meanwhile my old dog Tess is not doing well.  I took her to the vet, she's been diagnosed with laryngeal paralysis, which for now is merely an inconvenience causing her to cough and gag a lot.  Eventually her larynx will close unless she has surgery, which will not happen.  The surgery is expensive and complicated and I don't see the point of putting a 14-year-old dog through that.  She and I have had an excellent life together.  It will be sad, very sad when the end comes but when we get dogs we know this will come.  Oh yes, easy to say.  Harder to face.

The other dog, Miss Treasure is just fine but boy oh boy did she have a problem finding a place to potty this morning before I shoveled.  She said yes, she could pee in deep snow but it would be impossible to poop in that.  Oh the poor dear was so fussed!  Finally the plow man came and made a huge, huge poop path for her, what a relief.  She and Tess went for a long walk.  I finished shoveling out the car and moved it.  I was afraid I'd have to go to Plattsburgh today to do some banking but for some reason my Social Sec. money came early this month (how did they know?) so I can be homebound.  Except I'll go to P&J's for water this afternoon.  I've checked in with them and they're fine but had no television so were frustrated by that.

I went to the gym with Carol yesterday, that was a treat.  Skipped today  but we're planning on being there tomorrow.  I was supposed to have lunch with Julie today but since neither of us could get to Plattsburgh that didn't happen.  Tomorrow I hope to spend the day watching the plumber install a new pressure tank.  HOPE to.  Friday I'm having lunch with Barb and will do grocery shopping in Plattsburgh.  Book group is Sunday at my house and I think I'll cook corned beef and cabbage, an easy dinner.  We're reading The Flood Girls, which Marylou said was depressing but Lin and I are enjoying it's dark humor.  Yes it's a sad story but it's nicely told.

Life is exciting in it's own small way.  I'm home, I'm happy and all is well.

Snow on ice

Temp this morning=0  High for the day=12  Predicted wind chills= -25
I have no idea what the actual wind chill was at any point today but I have a hard time believing it was -25.  Yes, it was windy and cold this morning and my bare hands hurt hurt hurt when I picked up the paper on my way to the gym at 7:45.  Anyway now it's 3 degrees and the sun has moved over so my living room is cooling down quickly.  At least I have a good fire going and lots of firewood to feed to it.

I went to Burlington on Thursday to have my car worked on (diagnosis: DIRT packed into the wheels, causing extreme vibration).  It took a long time because I had a part replaced while they were cleaning out the dirt but I rewarded myself with a trip to Barnes & Noble, where I was extremely good and only bought 4 used books plus notecards for my mother for a total of $25.  Oh what I could have spent...

Yesterday I had lunch with my dear friend Fred.  We had an excellent conversation and covered lots of things, most of which were relevant to our present lives.  Wills, inheritance, health, weather, getting old.  OK, that doesn't sound very cheery or pleasant but it was nice and helpful to me.  Not the part about the weather, that wasn't helpful--there was an icy wind whipping along yesterday.  It died down a bit in the afternoon but came up again overnight.  Now there's a stiff icy wind but it's not blowing -25 worth.

I went to the gym 6 days this week, good for me!  Going again tomorrow morning, then will try to get there every day until Thursday, when I drive to Rhode Island to celebrate my mother's 91st birthday.  One thing Fred and I agreed heartily on was that, when you have a 91-year-old loved one every day is a gift.  Oh I never thought I would sound so corny but I do feel that way.  Any time now is good and special.  OK, maybe not so special, but a treat.  My mother is exceptionally well with no major health problems but she had an "incident" recently that was sobering and scary for me.  She's just fine but we do need to do something to make it easier for her to take a shower or bath.  And what will I do if I'm living here when I am old(er) and less mobile?  Well now there's something I can worry about.  Anticipatory anxiety.  oh let's not do that.

Rain on the snow

It rained hard this morning, is raining again now.  It's so nifty when it rains on snow, there is a sweeping mist off the ground.  I love this effect.  We still have snow here in Hawkeye but there's not much anywhere else, and there is also bare ground in spots in Hawkeye.  Not in my yard, but elsewhere.  And my deck is nearly bare.

I've had a busy time but things have certainly quieted down.  Monday I didn't go to the gym but Carol and I walked to camp to check on the buildings.  No trees down, all buildings still standing.  It was a brisk walk in the crunchy snow, then we went to the Holts for dinner.  That was nice.  It was also nice to have company to walk home with in the dark.  An easy thing alone, but a treat to have company.

Yesterday I hit the gym in the morning then went to Saranac Lake for an eye appointment.  All is well with my eyes, my macular degeneration is no worse.  This was a huge deal for me, a big relief.  I do not want to be blind!   Vision in one eye is slightly worse so I got to order myself new glasses.  I only buy cheap glasses, online, and they don't last as long as the good ones but they're easy to get.  and cheap.

I had a quiet afternoon--not bored, really, but sort of wondering what to do with myself.  I almost started work on a basket for my friend's grandchild but lost that thought.  I went through some paperwork, paid bills, wrote a letter.  Not the most exiting time but it was pleasant.  I went to bed early last night then woke at midnight and got up.  Managed to get back to sleep and then slept until 8:00.  Unheard of!  Not only did I oversleep but Wednesday is the day I call my mother by 7:30 in the morning.  I never even thought of calling her until she called me at 8:30 to see if everything was OK with me.  We agreed that there's not much she can do if I'm NOT OK, but that day hopefully will not come in her lifetime.  We talked a long time, all is well.

I went to Plattsburgh for my weekly lunch with Julie.  That was fine but it was strange that I didn't have many errands to run in town.  It was a quick trip, now I'm home watching it rain.  Off to Burlington tomorrow for a car appointment.  Worried about the car, hoping for an easy (inexpensive) solution to its vibrations.  First I'll meet Carol at the gym at 6:30.  I skipped today which is sort of embarrassing.  Do I really only go there when she does?  No, I've been there without her but not often.

Is it spring yet?  It's 50 outside.  I didn't remember to say "Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit" when I woke up this morning.  My father's rule was that it had to be the first thing you say on March 1st for good luck.  I did say it, just later, and Pat said it too so let's hope we'll have good luck this year.

Oh, FedEx just came to deliver the 30 pounds of dog food that I order online each month.  Last month he left it on North Shore Lane, which really pissed me off because I had to slog through deep snow and carry the package up the hill to my car.  Yay for him this month he found my house.  Very exciting for the dogs, just a relief for me because I'm almost out of dog food.

Back to winter

Yesterday it was 60 in Hawkeye, this morning it's 24.  We had sunshine yesterday, then pouring rain with thunder, then finally at least 3 inches of heavy snow.  VERY heavy snow.  Trees are drooping, branches and boughs breaking off.  The snow on my car this morning was like concrete because it all started as ice then was covered with heavy snow, which all froze.  It took a while to uncover the car but I managed fine and got to the gym this morning, spent 40 minutes on the treadmill and had a good visit with my friend.

It's been a bush weekend.  This was the weekend of The Burn.  Joe arrived on Thursday, as did the Holts and their company.  Friday was lunch in Plattsburgh with P&J, Joe and Bill--always a treat.  Friday night was dinner with the Holts--again always a treat.  Yesterday I went to AuSable in the morning for book group groceries for tonight, then I went to the burn.  It was pretty, as it always is, something hypnotic about a big fire, right?  This year the ground was pretty much bare and it was warm, very warm.  It wasn't until late afternoon that the rain started.  What a downpour!  Just amazing for the end of February.  I went to the Holts for dinner, walked down in my mud boots as it started to snow then came home with wet feet because the snow was so much deeper, and had to duck under many drooping boughs along the road.  Dramatic and beautiful effect.

This morning I met my friend at the gym--we'd skipped yesterday so had much to catch up on.  I think tomorrow we'll meet at my house in the afternoon and do some walking around here before having dinner with Annie and her company.  Tonight is book group and I've been trying to come up with a book that's available cheaply or widely at libraries.  I think I may have found one, The flood girls, by Richard Fifield (who was born in 1975, yikes, oh my big yikes).  We'll see how that goes over.  Book group is at Marylou's new house, which is very exciting and wonderful.

Boy my woods look like and Ideals magazine.  Does anyone else remember Ideals?  No, probably not.

It's great to have March arrive but this weather has us all confused.  It was so much like April last week, just wonderful spring-like conditions but the cruelty of weather reality wasn't far away.  Here we are, back in winter but with knowing that spring will indeed arrive.  Wow.

 The Burn

Working the burn

Spring? No, it can't be

It sure feels like spring out there but we have weeks and weeks to go before it could really be spring.  Temps have been in the high 30's and well into the 40's and the sun is warm, much warmer.  I leave for the gym in the morning around 6 and it's getting LIGHT out these days.  I get to see the earliest sign of a sunrise as I pass by Taylor Pond.  It's great.

Yes I'm still hitting the gym in the mornings.  It's going well, not so much in terms of how much weight I'm losing but I have a good time visiting with my friend while we treadmill together.  I'm increasing my speed (marginally) and the incline (again marginally) and I can feel a difference in the "workout" I'm getting.  If it weren't an overused term I'd label it a "so-called workout."  I did figure out how to adjust the tension on the rowing machine so maybe I'll branch out and include that.  Tomorrow we're hitting the pavement with plans to walk outside around AuSable for a change.

I had lunch in Elizabethtown yesterday.  That was a long drive but it was nice to see a different friend.  Tomorrow I'm having lunch in Plattsburgh--I have some errands that can't be done in E'town and was all set to attend to them yesterday, since we were originally scheduled to eat in Plattsburgh but oops, my friend had a meeting in Willsboro so we ate nearer there in E'town.  So I still have some big city errands to take care of. 

I had a good weekend but didn't do much.  I gymmed both days.  Saturday morning was dump time.  Sunday I cleaned some of the house because friends were coming from Albany.  They did come, did some hiking then went to their camp down the road.  Then they stopped by my house (without coming in--what??? you mean I cleaned the house and only I will appreciate that?) and we went to the pizza place in AuSable for dinner and a nice visit.  I managed to stay within my WW points that day even with my personal pizza.

Monday I ended up in Lake Placid at the laundromat (too much driving!).  I had bedding to wash and needed a few groceries so off I went.  It was more crowded than I like but still no lines, no waiting at the 'mat.  I'm getting to be a real pro at commercial laundry-ing.  Needless to say Donny hasn't come back to fix the electrical panel and that's OK.  No big deal.

This will be a busy weekend, it's the weekend of The Burn.  Joe arrives tomorrow.  The Holts arrive tomorrow.  Friday is lunch in Plattsburgh.  Saturday is the burning of the brush pile.  It's supposed to rain and be very warm for that.  Rain, not snow.  Warm, warm days but then it's supposed to cool off but only into the 30's.  I'm waiting for the return of winter, I know it's coming.

What? More snow?

It just snowed and snowed.  We have at least 2 feet on the ground now and the snow is white.  So very white.  We had sunshine today for the first time in well, I don't know how long but it sure felt like a week or so.  Anyway it snowed 2 more inches of fluff last night after Donny plowed.  His plowing is getting more and more cursory, I think maybe he's tired of it.  I no longer move my car so he can do the whole parking area by the house, I think maybe I'm tired of it.  There is still a large space, parking for 3 or 4 so it's fine.

Yesterday I met Carol at the gym (I actually got there first, a first) and we had a good time.  No one else there, not Dave who is often there before we are.  We talk around him mostly, sometimes we include him in the conversation but he's not really that interested in what we're talking about.  Besides, he thinks the media is being so very unfair to Mr. Trump. 

Carol is using the elliptical and she makes it look almost appealing so I may move on to that soon.  I'm only using the treadmill, with a few minutes on the rowing machine these days but I'm actually starting to want more.  Wow, cannot believe I'm feeling that.

Yesterday I took my laundry to Lake Placid, there's a nice laundromat there.  After that I went to see the ice palace in Saranac Lake but I'm so spoiled that I only like going there if no one else is around. Yesterday there was a busload of schoolchildren from Westport running around screaming and having totally too much fun so I didn't even get out of the car.  I'll either go next week or not again who knows.  It's supposed to be very warm with temps in the 40's and that will bring a rapid end to the ice palace.  It's not as big this year, they only had 6 days to build it.  It's impressive as always, just not THAT impressive.

Today was a slower day, I did go to AuSable but that was in the morning and I skipped the gym (no Carol today, she's on the road).  I actually deposited money in my savings account there (this is a new trend) and picked up some things for Jim (including a birthday bottle from Joe) and got yet a few more groceries.  Stopped at P&J's on the way home but didn't stay long.  Came home, did a little shoveling and brought in firewood.  Then what?  Not much.  I did fill out the form I need to submit for a discount on my school taxes, now I just have to take that and some other paperwork to Town Hall.  Can't do that until Monday.

It was a truly beautiful day though a bit chilly.  That surprised me because it was in the 20's with such bright sun and that's usually my favorite kind of winter day.  I always brag about the "crystal clear winter days in the 20's with warm sunshine."  That's what it was but maybe I'm getting older because it didn't feel as wonderful as I expected.  rats.

Snowy time

We had our big storm this week, it snowed Sunday night and Monday.  We ended up with at least a foot of snow, probably more but I didn't measure it.  Donny plowed twice.  Nothing much went on on Monday, places were closed.  I did go to the convenience store for deli turkey (boy is that low in points).  Mostly I stoked the stove and hung out inside but I did visit with P&J.

Tuesday was a busy day.  Met Carol at the gym at 6:30, had a good time there.  Went to Plattsburgh in the morning for a hair cut.  Ran some errands including groceries and bank, then had lunch with Julie.  Since we'd just seen each other on Saturday we didn't have a huge volume of talking but we did have some important things to share.  She's off to Florida for a few days (if she actually did go, of course she was having doubts) so I won't be having coffee in Keene this weekend.

Today I met Carol at the gym early (6:00 instead of 6:30).  That went well, as it always does.  I came home, called my mother who is blue very blue because it's WINTER.  She gets that way every winter but snaps out of it in March.  March isn't far away.  Wow, only 2 weeks!

I came home from the gym and watched the rest of the Westminster show.  I wasn't as interested in it this year, there just weren't the stunning dogs that I'm used to watching.  I wasn't impressed by the German shepherd but then no one asked me about Best in Show.  None of the dogs I picked even won their groups.

I went back to AuSable to take care of some things (bank, grocery store and paid my gym membership).  Stopped at the town hall but couldn't be helped by the secretary there.  Got a phone number of the person who can help me, though so I'll follow up with that.

Now I'm spending the afternoon being quiet and stoking the stove.  Not much going on.  It's snowing again/still.  We'll get 3 inches.  or maybe 5 inches.  but could be 8 inches.  I used to be more fixated on weather forecasts but retirement sure does bring a shift in what concerns me.

Tomorrow I think I'll go to Saranac Lake to see the ice palace then maybe hit a laundromat in Lake Placid.  I don't have a dryer but will at some point, Donny told me he's got my panel and will be by one night this week.  as if.

Valentine's Day view from my living room.

Ccccccold morning

It's not really THAT cold, but the house is not warm because it's so windy.  Temp this morning was -2, now it's up to 1.  I wasn't conscientious about the fire so the living room got down to 57 and is slow to respond to the hot fire I now have.  I'd forgotten what it's like to wear warm clothes, I've been relaxing in t-shirts and bare feet for too long.  Not today.

It was a good week.  I had a successful time at the doctor's, my cholesterol and glucose levels have improved since my last visit--thank you, treadmill and Weight Watchers.  The doctor was thrilled--we all love positive reinforcement, don't we? so I liked seeing him.

I went to the gym on Weds. morning and again on Thursday, met Carol there and had a good time.  yes, a good time.  I don't overdo it for sure but I get enough exercise at my pace.  I've increased the incline instead of speed.  I don't want to risk having an asthma attack so I just plod along like a workhorse.  It works.

Last night I had dinner with the Ruders and Carol and it was a lot of fun.  A cold night but their house is warm.  They're good friends and I didn't eat too much (but maybe drank a glass too many of the great wine)(and the Manhattan didn't help but boy was it delicious).

Today I'm going to the movies with Lin & Ralph, we're going to Lion after lunch in Plattsburgh.  Should be fun.

I need to get to the dump one of these days but it doesn't seem to work out.  "My" dump is only open until noon tomorrow and I'm meeting Julie at 10 in Keene so that won't work.  Hmmm   Maybe I'll g on Monday instead, that's the next time my dump is open.  Must be I don't have a lot to report if doing to the dump is what I write about.

Oops

So much for my efforts at posting often.  I keep thinking I have nothing to report but then time goes by and I see from my calendar that there are things I could write about.

Last week was pretty busy, too many (3) trips to Plattsburgh.  Gym at 6:30 Monday morning then a trip to Platts. to have blood drawn.  Gym at 6:30 Tuesday then a trip to Platts. for lunch with Barb.  Quiet day Weds., did some sorting of Conversationists' papers.  50 years worth of correspondence, news items and newsletters.  Eye appointment in Plattsburgh Thursday, just a follow-up to my lasering last month.  Dinner at the Holts following cocktails with Duncan, David and John.  That was a treat, all of it.  Gym Friday morning and coffee with Annie.  Coffee in Keene with Julie for 2 hours Sat. morning.  Dinner with D, D and JK at the Blue Heron always a treat.  Visits with the 3 of them various times.  They are SO CUTE!  Right now I'm waiting for D&D (JK went back to Calif. yesterday) to come to wash their dishes and visit.

Rush chopped a hole in the ice so we know it's about a foot thick so far.  David and John went out onto the lake and took some beautiful pictures.  The men climbed Silver Lake Mtn with resulting gorgeous images.  I don't have any interest in climbing anything in the winter (or, apparently in the summer).  The report that it's beautiful in the woods and at the tops of these mountains but the climb is tricky and icy in spots.  No, thank you, not for me.

I watched the first half of the Super Bowl but stupidly went to bed after halftime because how could New England win at that point?  Guess I missed the best of the game but it doesn't really matter much to me. 

Went to the gym this morning around 7, one other person there so we chatted and I stayed 40 minutes, egged on by his presence.  I'll take inspiration in any form.  Then I went to Redford to buy Jim B's birthday present (chewing tobaccy).  I do enjoy driving, listening to music.  My current music crush is Eric Clapton (making a repeat appearance).  Lots of his music.  He is great.

This week has some busy times and some quiet times.  Tomorrow is Jim's birthday (82) and I'll visit with them.  Wednesday is gym, doctor, lunch (Julie).  Thursday is quiet.  Friday may be movies with Lin (Lion).  I have a wall calendar and love to see things written on it.  That's a throwback to my working days, when I kept 3 calendars.

We've been having snow every night, got about 2" of powder last night.  Very pretty.  There's more than a foot on the ground now, temps are OK.  7 this morning, now up to 17.  I guess we'll have a storm later this week--snow tomorrow and warmer temps on Weds. with maybe some rain.  ugh.  rain.