Coloring the woods

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rain is good

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blown away

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

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

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

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

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

LOVE September!

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

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

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

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

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

Moving along

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

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

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

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

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

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

Autumnal day

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

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

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

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

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

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

INSULATE!

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

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

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

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

Craw, yes it's a word

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

Still sick

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

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

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

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

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

Sick, I'm so sick

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

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

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

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

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

Sunny Sunday? Not quite

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




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

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

Cool morning

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

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

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

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

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

Oh no not again

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Early morning (too early)

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

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

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

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

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

Public service!

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

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

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

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

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

August, and well into it

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New collars.  Not different enough.

Cool at last

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

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

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

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

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

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

BREAK! in the heat

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hot and getting hotter

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

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

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

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

Midnight musings

Well, if you go to bed at 8 sometimes you are wide awake at 11:30.  So you have a nice nap then have a cup of coffee and watch late night TV.  Poor Bear, he can't go out until Treasure comes back and she has no interest in doing that, apparently.  She barked and disappeared.  I don't like having them out at night like that.

The weather has been wonderful, my favorite days at 70 and sunny, clear and cloudless.  I got to spend some time reading on my deck, an all-time favorite thing.  I mowed the lawn but didn't weed or do the trimming but there's always another day.  We're expecting very very hot weather this weekend and beyond, temps in the 90's elsewhere.  That means we'll be in the 80's and maybe the 90's but worse than that is the anticipated humidity.  Ugh, my least favorite.  I used up my tolerance for hot and humid during my formative years in northern Illinois.  At least here I have the boat house.  It's usually cooler there but if there's no breeze it's hot there too.  I don't complain.  much.

Work is good.  I have a lot of catching up to do, we've scanned many images that need editing but I haven't been able to convert them to jpg until now (no Internet in the Archives, how frustrating).  I got a lot done today but it was boring stuff, the entire Memorial Day parade from 1976 and many incarnations of Gilbert & Sullivan shows by community theater groups in the 1930's, 50's and 80's.  No, really, MANY incarnations.

Friends have arrived down the hill from my house.  They have an annual "Workfest" to open their camp and enjoy being friends.  They called tonight to invite me for pie but nooooo, I said I had to go to bed.  That was the wrong decision.

Sunday afternoon

My sister often says on a Sunday morning "I'm glad I don't have to go to church today."  We used to dress up all fancy-like, anklets (until nylon stockings), nice shoes, good dresses and of course something on our heads--a requirement in the high-church that was Emmanuel Episcopal in those days.  We sang in the choir, we taught Sunday school, we were members of the Youth Group, man we did it all.  Then it all came to a grinding halt when we left home.  I realized that organized religion was not something I wanted to be part of, and the church I had invested so much emotion, time and energy in was not representing my true self or my spiritual needs AT ALL.  The part that really got me was "we are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under Thy table."  I didn't need any more proof that I was not worthy.  Anyway, now I'm an atheist and I don't struggle with any of it.

I've had a peaceful day so far, I woke at dawn (4:30) but stayed in bed frustrating the dogs until 6:30.  Did NOT go for a walk or even really entertain them but instead went to AuSable for supplies and gas.  Went to see the neighbors, then went to Linda's to help her open her upper camp.  She has company coming this week.  I didn't really do much but it's so much nicer and easier to do those chores with help.

I'm having friends come for snacks and wine to the boat house porch in a couple of hours.  It's not the nicest day weather-wise but it's always pretty there no matter what's happening. 

I had a busy day yesterday, started with a walk to camp to swim the dogs.  I went to breakfast with friends then came home for a bit before driving to Keene to visit with a recently-retired friend who is having some trouble adjusting to the huge, HUGE change that retirement is.  Came home then went to dinner with friends, to a newly opened bar/restaurant.  That wasn't a very good idea.  It was loud and the food wasn't very good--but we had to at least TRY it.  We've scratched that itch.

Looks like a pretty quiet week ahead for me.  Appointment with the eye doctor tomorrow in Saranac Lake after a quick trip to the dump.  Work, thrift store, hot weather coming.  Next week is the 4th of July.

Early morning bog

I finally took my camera for a morning bog walk.  Here's what it was like at 6 a.m., 50 degrees, sunny and still:

 Cinnamon ferns in bloom--I love these, they look prehistoric when they're at their peak

 Bunchberries blooming in a bunch

 Bear, or is it Treasure?  Anyway, a black bog dog

 Definitely Bear, this is the view I usually get--Bear walks in front, Treasure (always a lady) walks at my feet, just behind me.

 Bear is a Handsome Boy, isn't he?

My favorite fern, whose name I can't remember.  Something like Victoria or some other queen's name.  There's only one example along the boardwalk.

Middle of the night musings

Well when you go to sleep early sometimes you wake up well-rested in the middle of the night, craving a cup of coffee to watch a British police show.  The Brits have much more peaceful police shows than we Americans do--no violence, no gore, just a dead body and lots of people figuring out who killed the victim.

It's a nice cool night, too cool for me to sleep in the boat house, comfortable here at home.  We had some very hot, muggy days then all hell broke loose and there were storms while a front came through and now it's clear and cooler.  Quite pleasant.

I went to a retirement luncheon on Monday in Champlain.  Takes a long time to drive to Champlain from here!  It was a nice time, I saw some people I've known for many many years, all library people but we didn't talk about libraries the whole time.  That was nice.  This is an interesting group of people who all have good stories to tell--the director of the library on the reservation, another director who has a gardening/landscaping business on the side, the hostess whose house is on Lake Champlain and has a Lab named Hershey, my former director (who said I was sometimes a pain in the ass but she loved me--to which I replied "You weren't always charming yourself"--I can say things like that, she's not my boss any more), some people I was less than interested in seeing (and didn't have to spend much time with), and many others.  It was a nice time I guess.

Wednesday is a thrift store day, I'll only stay a couple of hours.  Cannot do the entire 5 hours that the store is open, I never had a job in which I was on my feet so I find it quite tiring.  Not to mention being charming while being on my feet.  I do get tired of being charming to strangers but it's something I seem to do well.  Thank you to my father for teaching me that.

Oh what a beautiful morning

When I was in 5th grade we had a teacher named Pearl Prout, who fancied herself to be quite a musician.  There was a piano in the classroom and she thought Liberace was the greatest pianist of all time.  Anyway we had to sing a solo, accompanied by her on the piano.  What a horrible thing!  I sang "Oh what a beautiful morning" and she was thrilled by my performance and gave me an EXCELLENT on that.  My one shining moment in elementary school.  I never was much good at singing but now I sing loudly (LOUDLY) in my car, which probably hurts the dogs' ears a lot but it feels good.

It's a busy time in the 'hood, there seem to be a lot, LOT LOT of people here.  Isn't it early for summer traffic?  I've been walking the bog (as opposed to walking the dog, only the dogs go along) every morning with friends, sometimes one friend and sometimes 2 friends.  I'm waiting for a friend to call this morning so we can head out together.  Bear is very antsy and eager to go.

Had a lovely dinner with friends last night--these friends have a beautiful house near the top of a mountain with a magnificent view of the bluffs at the foot of Silver Lake.  It was a gorgeous evening, we sat outside for a while before dinner, and the view from their dining room is really grand.  Good food, great friends, a really nice time.  I made my signature cheesecake and that was good.

Today is Father's Day and I have very few friends who still have fathers though I have many friends who are fathers.  My father died in 1981, so long ago.  He was 68 and took a fairly long time to die, poor man.  I did get to have an adult relationship with him and we enjoyed each other's company the last few years of his life.

Tomorrow I'm going to a retirement luncheon for the former director, it will be full of member library directors.  Do I want to spend an afternoon with them?  Not so much but then I'll be reminded of what nice people they are (mostly)(nasty comment) and the luncheon is at someone's house on Lake Champlain so it will be pretty.  It's 45 minutes from my house, man I do a lot of driving.

I worked at the thrift store yesterday but it was sort of slow and I was sort of bored so I only stayed 2 hours.  Felt bad leaving but not bad enough to stay.  I had lunch with friends at a nice restaurant in Upper Jay, that was a treat. 

Dogs are fine, I'm fine, the 3 of us are happy.  I got the boat house opened up and the bed half made so maybe I'll sleep down there tonight.  It's supposed to be a hot day and hot night tonight.  Too hot to mow the lawn, rats.

Still chilly

Rainy and cool today, not a nice day at all.  It's supposed to warm up this weekend, maybe high 80's and 90 by Sunday.  OK, that's too warm for me but at least I've got the boat house open and the bed there made so I can sleep there if it really does get that warm.

It's been an uneventful week, just the usual thrift store doings and Archives work.  We scanned photos from the 80's today and that was pretty boring, truly.  Oh well, they can't all be entertaining images from the early 1900's and late 1800's.

This morning a wonderful friend helped me set up the furniture in main camp.  What a relief to have that done.  I can't do it by myself and every year I fuss and fume about getting it done.  I don't know, I truly don't know why it's become my responsibility to get this done but the family likes thinking that it's important for a local to do it so that's me I guess.  Oh well, as long as I have helpful friends I can do the basics.  We did no cleaning, I'm leaving that to others.

Tomorrow is a day off for me.  If the lawn is dry enough I may mow the lawn.  I may do some cleaning in the boat house.  I'm walking the bog in the early morning with a friend.  May have coffee with another friend (or not).  At any rate I'm looking forward to having a day free of real obligations.

Cool mornings

Temps in the mornings have been in the 40's, which at some times of year would feel balmy and wonderful but in June, not so much.  I've been walking the bog in the early mornings with various friends--the dogs are pleased and Bear barks and sings until we leave for the bog.  Ratpig.

Yesterday I went to AuSable, mailed some things to my mother and went for a few groceries, then went to the dump.  Mondays and Wednesdays are dump days, along with an occasional Saturday.  Keeping track of dump hours is a big deal in Hawkeye--all hell broke loose last year when they changed the days AND the hours.

Today was an Archives day and that was fine.  I worked on my own, my colleague only works on Thursdays in the summer because she tends the lock in Saranac Lake, living in a cabin by the lock.  She's an interesting person, that's for sure.  She has to paddle in to her cabin and post, taking provisions that way and coming out that way on her days off.

I went to camp this afternoon and did a little bit of work in the boat house.  It needs cleaning! and I am so not motivated to do that.  People have used main camp but no one has done anything about opening it.  That really REALLY irritates me, if you're putting 4 chairs on the porch for you and friends to use, why not put out ALL the chairs on the porch, as well as the dinner table???  I can't do it all by myself but will do a little now and then I suppose.  Each year I swear will be the last year I open camp--I don't use the main building and there are relatives who will live there for a week, 10 days, two weeks with lots of company and THEY don't do anything about opening.  There, I've ranted.  should be out of my system by now.  Some things won't change, will they.

Tomorrow is a thrift store day then I'll either clean my car or do something at camp.  maybe.  I'm walking the bog with a friend at 7.   I'm volunteering at the thrift store Wednesday and Saturday mornings, working in receiving.  Yes it's true I see all the stuff that comes in before the shoppers do but it's more responsibility than I want because I have to inspect, clean and price the goods.  And what a variety of goods we get!  Lots of stuff.  Well I enjoy the people I work with there and it's a good way to spend my time, a worthwhile endeavor. 

What happened to me?

Not much of anything unusual happened to me, I've just been negligent.  I'm working at the Archives, scanning photos and attaching metadata to an online spreadsheet so they can be posted online.  I volunteer at the thrift store 2 mornings a week but cannot stay the full 5 hours it's open so I leave feeling guilty while others stay and work and work and work.  I can't stand for that many hours, my poor feet and knees complain.  I come home after 3 hours and lie on the couch for an hour to recover from my brief stint.

I'm still walking in the mornings with my friend--now that the weather's good and it's light early in the morning we tend to walk outside.  Our favorites are the bog near my house, a boardwalk through a gorgeous forest where the dogs feel proprietary and free, and a logging road near her house where the dogs feel excited and wonderfully brave and explore the woods.  I walked the bog alone with the dogs (a contradiction no?) at 6:30 or so this morning and it was truly lovely.  The ferns and bracken are getting tall and are starting to bloom.  Their blossoms are far from pretty but it's a sign of the seasons moving along.  Bunchberries and Labrador tea are in bloom.

I started opening the boat house yesterday afternoon.  The weather has been up and down, some nights in the 40's but then some very hot and humid days.  I haven't been very tempted to spend time at the boat house but decided to swim Bear and get the opening process started.  I left a pretty good mess at the end of last year but mostly things are OK.  It needs a day of cleaning from me and a trip to the dump.  Not a big deal but getting me to do it won't be so easy I'm afraid.

No big plans coming up.  I went to a workshop yesterday on collecting and preserving photographs.  Spent 2 hours on the history of photography because that's what the presenter's specialty was.  Well I don't really care what kind of processing the 7000 photos we're scanning had and they're about as preserved as they're ever going to be, in some kind of "preserving" plastic sleeves.  Too many of them to put in newer, better sleeves so there they'll be.  There are a lot of photos from the late 1800's and early 1900's, then we hit a batch from the 1980's so it's always an adventure.  So far we've scanned 1200 images but I haven't kept up with the metadata for all of them.  Keep getting distracted by other tasks.

It's a gorgeous day, due to be 70's and sunny.  The lake was beautiful yesterday afternoon when I put the boat house porch together.  Linda is here and we've had some nice visits.  Other summer friends are in residence and it's wonderful to be with them.  Today is the Belmont but we'll celebrate more quietly than some years.  That's fine, I watch horse races with great trepidation, fearing for the safety of the poor but beautiful horses.  Do I care if Justify becomes a Triple Crown winner?  Not really, I didn't watch the Preakness.  It's entertaining anyway.

It IS spring, it really is!

There are just the tiniest leaves on the poplar trees in Hawkeye.  Everyone else has full-blown leaves but I'll settle for ours.  The tamaracks are starting to green up as well and my daffodils are in bloom like crazy.  Primroses are in bloom too but not much else going on.  That's OK, May is a joyous time of daily advances.

I'm still volunteering at the thrift store two days a week and this morning was one of those days.  Wow it was busy.  Wednesday was the same--partly because the regulars in Receiving are out for a couple/few weeks and partly because it's SPRING and the sun is shining so people are cleaning.  Many many shoppers and many many droppers.  I can't do the whole 5 hours the store is open, I do 3 1/2 hours and head out.  I feel guilty leaving but I just can't do that many hours on my feet.  I never had a job that demanded that kind of physical activity, I mostly sat on my butt all my working years. 

I've been walking outside with my gym friend, she lives near here and there are nice walks by her house and by mine.  The lucky dogs get to join us and they run and run and run.  This morning we walked in 31 degrees, up from the 29 it was when I got up.  Another frosty morning predicted for tomorrow.

The sun is warm.  Grass is not green but that's good because I'm not in a mowing mood.  I should be outside cleaning up the yard but I'm sitting in the living room resting.  I usually feel mildly depressed in the spring, always in April.  I forgot to do that this April but yesterday had a very blue day.  I slept and slept, then went to bed and slept some more.  Today I feel much better so maybe it wasn't really depression.  If that's what I want.

I'm off to Rhode Island on Friday for Mark's 60th birthday and a few days with my mother.  Looking forward to that--she says the dogwood is in bloom, some of the rhododendrons are still blooming.  I'll do some plant shopping while I'm there, it's a little early based on weather here.  I did get violas, not my usual pansies, but haven't started laying in supplies for my deck pots yet.  It's too cold!

Big drama, BIG BIG drama

We had a storm here Friday night, a big wind storm.  We even had a tornado watch to match it, which unnerved me a bit.  I grew up in tornado country so that sort of thing frightens me.  The wind lasted all night and sounded like a train coming through, which is what a tornado sounds like (so I've been told).  We didn't have a tornado, thankfully but we had massive trees blow down, lots of lasting power outages and were without phone service for a couple of days.  That meant no Internet.  WHAT????  I'm too dependent on Internet means of communication so it was hard for me and for those who expect to hear from me electronically on a regular basis.  There was no regular basis but by Sunday night all was swell.  Today we're having a gorgeous sunny day with temps in the 50's.  The air is still cool but it's pretty out there.  We have no leaves on trees or bushes yet but the maples are blooming  (ah-choo).  That's great progress.

The biggest progress to report is ICE OUT!  That happened Saturday afternoon, May 5th.  A tad late but not the latest ever.  It went out pretty quickly.  One of my friends at the foot of the lake says that it must have been a violent ice-out because there are ice blocks on his lawn going down to the water.  That's pretty amazing.

I've been busy--that seems to be my normal state these days.  I went to the thrift store to work on Saturday but there was no power so I got the day off.  That was a treat.  I had dinner with friends and watched the Derby, walked the bog with a friend in the morning yesterday--the purple trillium is just coming up there.  We may have a change of season after all.  My daffodils are blooming like champions and look great.  I went pansy shopping with a friend on Saturday, got my annual pot o'pansies planted and on the deck. 

This morning I went to the dump then to Plattsburgh to run some errands.  I should take my mother's package to the post office this afternoon but do I feel like driving even more today?  Unknown.

Snow sucks mud

It's been snowing all afternoon, we have 3-4 inches of heavy stuff right now and they're (of "they") predicting 6" by morning.  Totally unnecessary.  We had rain this morning but then it turned to snow here in Hawkeye.  I went to the laundromat at 7:30 this morning, thinking I'd have the place to myself but noooo, who knew that's when other people do their laundry?  Anyway I did a big wash then came home to snow falling and falling and falling.  There go my crocuses (I have 5) and buried are the daffodils.

The dogs are not doing well--they got into something edible the other night and ate too much of it.  Treasure looks as if she swallowed a balloon.  Bear is better, he was all swoled up yesterday but now seems as normal as he knows how to be.  Treasure is not better and it's scary.  I think I'll call the vet in the morning, of course I'm convinced she has a blockage and will be dead soon.  I haven't let them out loose all day, they are cabled every time they go out so at least they're not getting more of whatever it was they ate.

It looks like an easy week for me--my calendar is almost empty!  Just waiting to be filled with vet visits I'm sure.  Meanwhile I'm going to the gym in the morning with 2 friends, then will hit the dump unless I have to drive to Westport to the vet.  Tuesday is work, Wednesday is thrift store, Thursday is work.  That's it!  I was at the thrift store on Saturday and man oh man was it busy.  Lots of shoppers and droppers, plenty of donations coming in and plenty of shoppers buying treasures.

Rain melts snow

It's raining HARD and plenty.  We've lost a lot of snow and I can see daffodils brave and hardy in parts of my yard.  Oh boy!  Looks like a good year for blooms.

I'm home from the trip to Potsdam/Canton for an archives-relevant workshop/training session.  It was good but a long day.  We left my house at 7:30 or so, had an easy and uneventful trip going and coming.  It rained all the way home but that was nice, rinsed off my car.  How was the workshop?  It was good but a tad detail-oriented with a lot of attention paid to policies and mission statements.  Someone else took care of those long before I showed up in Keene Valley so I'm lucky.

I got to see my friend at the Network and say farewell to him--he's retiring at the end of this week.  Boy do I like having people I know retire, it's such a gift.

The dogs were (apparently) well-behaved while I was gone, but then I put chairs on the couch to keep them off.  They were happy to have me home, happier to have me feed them.  Now they're dozing.  Me too.

Today would be my brother's 69th birthday.  I can't picture him as a 69-year-old, but I can't picture myself as a 65-year-old, either.  He was a special person.  I miss him, think of him pretty much every day.  A sibling is a special and wonderful treasure.

Mud

We're having an extended mud season this year--it started a few weeks ago but because it was cold and cloudy the mud never had a chance to dry out.  Soooo, my driveway is off-limits for now.  I'm to smart to get stuck in deep mud but too lazy to never drive through the mud.  Deep ruts at the bottom of my driveway but oh well.

I've had good days--last week Annie was here and we went to the gym and had dinners together.  She went back on Saturday.  I've been taking care of a friend's cat while my friend and her husband are out of town.  I had to have help with that last week because their driveway was impassable.  Their house is high on a hill with an incredible view of the bluffs at the foot of the lake, which is really lovely but man the driveway is hell to get up.  Anyway the cat is fine, she's pretty much deaf and blind but otherwise healthy.  I feed her and scratch scratch scratch her until she purrs.

We had book group last night and barely mentioned the book (we had more pressing things to discuss).  We're skipping the month of May, too many conflicts so we'll meet again in June at Linda's camp.  That seems so far away but then I'm reminded that next week is MAY!  The weather has made it hard to believe in the passage of time but we're making progress.  The sun has been out for 2 straight days with more to come (if you want to believe predictors).

Tomorrow is the Archives, we'll do some more scanning.  Wednesday I'm going to a day-long training session in Canton with the woman I work with in the Archives.  It's not training I'm very interested in but it's relevant, about conservation of the collection.  All day???  I promised my co-worker we would go.

I'm sitting on my new couch.  I sleep on my new mattress.  WOW such big changes!

Third winter

I recently saw something called "The 11 Seasons of the Adirondacks," which said that we are currently in Third Winter, just before Mud Season.  We're really having both at the same time.  My driveway is a mud wallow, I'm parking at the end of it and slog through snow-covered mud to get to the car.  Probably my least favorite walking condition is this, mud under snow, which will suck the boots right off your feet--no, really, it does.

I've been doing all right in spite of the weather.  Weather is one of those things you can't change so I try, in my life to not fuss about things I have no control over.  Do I succeed?  Sometimes, sometimes moderately, sometimes better, sometimes worse.  It tends to improve the quality of my life, I think.

I had a good week.  Two trips to Potsdam, that was a big much but both trips were good.  The training session on Tuesday was geekily fun.  REALLY geeky but I got to see a good friend in the process and I learned that I'm doing the work at the Archives in a successful way.  The second trip was on Thursday afternoon to attend the same friend's retirement party.  I went with a friend and we really REALLY screwed up the trip there, taking a "short cut" that added many miles and almost an hour to our trip.  Oh well, we made it and had a nice time at the party.  It reminded us that we have been here for a LONG time and have come in contact with many many people.

I did the gym most mornings.  Well, some mornings at least.  Yesterday we met at the gym and quit after 15 minutes because my friend was sick and neither of us felt like treadmilling so we went to Stewarts for coffee instead.  We did walk at Taylor Pond twice this week so that was good for the dogs and also really nice to be outside even though it was 19 degrees.  Not windy and semi-sunny so a pleasant time.

Today is my friend Annie's 75th birthday.  She's choosing to ignore the number.  Today is the day that Fred always drives down North Shore Lane to his camp, except NOT this year.  Too much snow still and icy roads today.  Our precipitation is something hard to describe--snow, no, not quite.  ice, well maybe.  sleet, yes, probably.  Just a messy combination of all of this.  And it's supposed to get worse and be windy ("damaging" winds, swell, just swell).  I'm hoping to get to Plattsburgh tomorrow, have to pick up meds and am hoping to have lunch with a friend.  Today I'll go visit P&J, I hope, after I go to AuSable to get milk and maybe a bottle for James.  Which is more important, milk to make yogurt for myself or whiskey for Jim?

Still moving toward spring but slowing down

We're stuck in this weather pattern where it's in 30's during the day but down to 11 or 12 at night.  Although we do like to firm up the mud, this is doing little to bring spring.  I recklessly turned off the heat in my cellar hole and bingo! my pump froze this morning.  No harm done and it thawed while I was running errands in town so all was well.  But really???  Is that necessary?

Life goes on in Hawkeye.  Huge wind storm last week caused power outage that lasted almost 2 days while temps were in the teens.  That was nasty.  House was 47 when I got up Thursday morning.  I went to work, convinced as I always am that the power would be back on ANY MINUTE.  Only it wasn't and the house did not warm up during the day.  I lit a fire and got it up to 57 before going to bed on the couch by the wood stove.  What a drag.  Power came back on of course and all was fine.  Just a reminder of how dependent on running water and television I am in my daily life.

My new couch was delivered on Friday after my friend Lin spent hours cleaning my bedroom as a favor so my new mattress would have a good home.  Except there was a problem with the ordering of the mattress, of course so it won't come until this week.  Not to worry, the bedroom is still clean and the couch arrived without incident.  The dogs think it's not as nice as the old couch (yes, I know what they think) because it's higher, cleaner, you don't sink to the floor when you sit on it and it doesn't smell bad.  Aw, too bad. Wait until they find out we're getting a new mattress.  Yikes.

I'm still getting to the gym most mornings, the thrift store on Weds. and Sat. and the Archives on Tuesday and Thursday.  A busy time but not too much.  I've been promoted at the thrift store and am learning to accept the responsibility of receiving and pricing donations.  Yes, there's a philosophy and a method to the madness.  Somewhere between "one less thing to the landfill" and "this could be valuable."  Always "one person's trash..."  Yes, we get a lot of trash, most of which is no ones treasures.

Tomorrow I'm going to Canton to a workshop on metadata for my work in the Archives.  It's about 1 1/2 hours away and the training is 3 hours long.  I have always maintained that meetings or training sessions should last at least as long as it takes to get to them so this session is very satisfying.

Later this week I go to Potsdam to a retirement party for a network director friend.  How do I feel about retirement parties? 

Moving toward spring

What a beautiful day in Hawkeye!   It's cool, 35 but the sun is bright and warm.  Funny when you think about the snow that people like my mother are having today.  We still have 6-10 inches of snow on the ground but days like today have a big impact on that for sure.

Easter was a day all right.  I woke up at 3:30 because the dog barked, then I discovered the power was out so I called the elec. company and went back to bed.  The power had been out on Saturday for a little while too (who knows why) so I wasn't worried.  What an inconvenience, though--no power, no water, no television, no hot coffee (off I went to Redford for that).  Oh suffer suffer.  I went to P&J's and had a nice visit with them in their very cool (as in chilly) living room.  I had a fire in my wood stove so my living room was much warmer.  After that I went out for Easter dinner with friends who live across the lake--they have a generator so it's nothing to them to have the power out.  I really think I need to work with my mother to get her a generator set up like that.  She's interested I know.
The power came back on around 3 p.m. and life was good again.

Today was dump day but I went too early, once I started doing some cleaning I found more dump-worthy stuff but didn't feel like making a second trip today.  Later, baby, later.

I'm still going to the gym most mornings.  This week I'll work in the Archives solo, my assistant is off to Texas this week and next.  Rats, it's school vacation and the 7th graders have been told to visit the Archives to work on their projects.  Oh crumb.  Wednesday is a trip to Burlington with Lin, my annual mammogram and doubtless a trip to Trader Joe's.  I need dog food though so may have to stop in Plattsburgh on the way home.  No planned trips to Plattsburgh this week other than a pass-through on Weds.  Friday my new furniture is due to be delivered and of course I'm worrying about the mud in the driveway.  It's bad, very bad.  Freezes at night but I have 2 spots that are pure wallows between the end of the driveway and the house.  And of course it's supposed to rain, no, snow, no, rain later this week.  Oh drat.

Still not quite spring

We are losing snow, there's no denying that.  I heard a red-winged blackbird (but not at my house) and today I saw a turkey vulture.  and I smelled dead skunk on the way to Plattsburgh.  Signs of spring but the ground is still covered, well covered with snow.  And there's mud in the driveway.  The ground hasn't thawed yet but it's coming along slowly.

Wednesday was my first day in Receiving at the thrift store.  It went well but I asked a lot, lot, lot of questions about what to keep and about pricing.  I think it will be OK and the people are very nice to me.  Do I like it?  Yes, it's a good thing for me to do.

I went to the Archives yesterday and that, too was fine.  Margaret will be gone for the next 2 weeks so I'll be on my own.  That's fine as long as no one comes in asking for help and unfortunately the school kids will be on vacation next week so may come in to work on their projects.  OH NO!!!

Today was an exciting day, the gym this morning as usual but then I went to Plattsburgh to buy a new couch.  What a good salesman, he took me right to the perfect couch for me, based on what I told him I was looking for.  SOLD!   Then I asked if he sold futons because my futon is 16 years old (I recently discovered) and I sleep in an indentation the shape of my body.  I tried a few mattresses--oh, so different from a futon!  and found one that felt just perfect so I bought it.  A new mattress!  I don't know what the dogs will think, first a new couch then a new bed as well.  They'll deliver the goods next Friday but best of all they're taking the old stuff away.  Far, far away.

Tomorrow I'll meet my friend at the gym at 7:30 then (after coffee) will head to the thrift store for a couple of hours before meeting another friend in Keene for coffee.  more coffee.  Sunday is Easter.  I've been invited to a sunrise service at the top of Whiteface but I think I'll pass on that.  I've also been invited to an Easter dinner across the lake in the afternoon.  That will be nice, it's just 2 couples and me.

Life continues to be good for me.  I'm not antsy about the weather--it's in the 30's these days, above freezing during the day with cool nights.  Very typical.  I'm usually fed up with winter by the end of March but I have a much more benign attitude about it all this year.  A sign of maturity?

Tuesday--is it spring yet?

Temp today was in upper 30's but there wasn't sun.  Some breeze, though, which helps melt the snow.

Yesterday was a Plattsburgh day, doctor's appointment and a couple of errands.  Did go to the gym first, did half an hour on the treadmill.  This morning we went to the gym but only did 15 minutes because my friend had to get to work early.  Oh I'm so happy I don't have a full-time job!  I do have a job, though, and went to the Archives today.  I don't have to be there until 9 and only work until noon so it's barely enough time to get anything done.  We had the 7th-grade class from the school visit.  I am not a good tour guide of the place so I turned them over to my assistant Margaret and she did a wonderful job.  We weren't sure what they wanted to get from the visit, the teacher was a little vague but the kids had a good time looking up photos.  I asked them if they knew what a card catalog was--guess what they said--NO.  They had no idea what it was or how to use it so we set them loose on the ever-important to the Archives card catalog.  It was fine and I laughed at the fact that libraries haven't had card catalogs in the lifetimes of these kids.  I explained it to my mother--she was stunned that the kids didn't know about card catalogs but I reminded her that libraries got rid of catalogs 20 or more years ago.  What a job that was, getting rid of the cards.  We found a company that would recycle our cards and we sold the catalogs themselves for $50 each (my friend bought them and resold them for $200 each to friends).  Oh those were the days...    not.

Tomorrow I'm volunteering at the thrift store.  My first official day in Receiving.  I went yesterday to be trained and am still (more?) intimidated.  I'll be fine, I just don't want to make decisions that much.  I can barely make decisions about what to wear.

SUNSHINE

It's a beautiful day, almost spring-like but still 34 degrees.  Supposed to warm up this week, temps in the 40's.  Maybe even some rain at the end of the week.  Pretty exciting.

Had an exciting day yesterday--on my way to the gym at 7 a.m. I came across a dead bobcat in the road, hit by a car but unmarked.  I went on to the gym & asked my friend if she'd seen the cat and she screamed I ALWAYS WANTED A STUFFED BOBCAT so we raced back to the dead animal and put it in her car.  Back to Stewarts to ask the regulars (we knew they would know) where a good taxidermist could be found.  Plenty of "Can I see the bobcat?!!" and suggestions about what to do next, final determination was that she should call DEC (Environmental Conservation) and they would tag the animal for her so she could take it to be stuffed.  Well, almost.  DEC said they couldn't tag the animal because the trapping season ended in February, even though she didn't trap it.  Rules are rules.  The Forest Ranger went to her house and picked up the 1-year-old female absolutely gorgeous specimen, said they would have to send it to Albany for testing but then would donate it to an educational institution.  Which is what my friend runs, so we're hoping they'll return the cat to her.  It is really just a beautiful animal, in perfect condition.  That was just too much excitement for yesterday, all I could do for the rest of the day was head to the dump.  Whew!

Now it's Palm Sunday and that means nothing to me.  I had planned to go to RI for Easter but the decision was made that I'd skip it since I'm going back in May.  It will be the first Easter I've spent by myself--will I care?  Impossible to know.  I'm half-tempted to go to RI anyway but then I think about how much driving that involves and how nice it's supposed to be here so I think I'll stay put.  It will be strange, this much I know.

Tomorrow I have a doctor's appointment, will take my filthy new car to the car wash and will buy an Easter lily for my friend Patricia.  I ordered one to be sent to my mother, I always take her one.  At noon tomorrow I'm meeting someone at the thrift store because they want me to start working in receiving, where they need more help than the Book Lady I usually work with needs.  Do I want to work in receiving?  Not so much but I do want to be helpful.  Some of the stuff is priced automatically but other stuff has to be priced when it comes in.  OH NO!!!  I don't want any responsibility.  I'll see how it goes tomorrow--the thrift store is only open Weds. and Saturday so we'll have a chance to go over everything easily.

Not much else going on this week for me.  There's a class coming to the Archives on Tuesday, 7th graders I think.  The teacher doesn't seem to know exactly WHY they're coming but she said she wants them to know what's in the Archives.  Luckily my colleague Margaret will be there, SHE can be the expert.

Weather is supposed to get exciting this week, temps in the 40's and maybe even some rain.  I should walk to camp this afternoon, it's a beautiful day and the dogs would like it.  But no, I doubt I'll do that.  Mostly I'll tidy up the living room and maybe do some work in the bedroom.

I'm a lucky girl.

Spring NOT

Although it was -6 yesterday morning, today it was +3.  Yeah, that's spring all right.  We do have bright warm sunshine with a sun that's remarkably higher in the sky, yeah that's spring for real.  There is just a whole lot of snow here.  Life is good anyway but I got a report from Michigan that crocuses are blooming there, and in RI the daffodils were up and snowdrops were blooming.  Hard to imagine that happening here but then I do have a good imagination...

I've been getting to the gym but with mixed results.  This morning we did an honest 30 minutes, other days we've stopped at 15 minutes for various reasons.  My friend will be out of town tomorrow morning so I'll need to decide whether to go alone or bag it.  Gee, I wonder which I'll do.  Oh I may surprise myself (but I doubt it).

I worked this morning in Keene Valley, that was good.  Lots of scanning old photos with a smattering of being charming to board members and patrons.  My colleague and I have a good time, a very good time together and it's always a treat to see her smile.  She has a great sense of humor (which matches mine nicely).  I've registered for a workshop on metadata in early April to see if I'm entering the metadata I'm entering correctly or not.  Since I've only entered data for 200 images it's a good time to look into this.  The other, really important thing I need to do is write instructions and descriptions for what I'm doing.  When I started there was no one who knew how to scan or what the scanning project was (the previous archivist died suddenly last summer).  Now, swell, there is someone who knows how to do it but once again there is only ONE person with the knowledge.   I'm not irreplaceable, I've proven that, but I do believe in manuals and handbooks.

I hosted book group (The tea girl of Hummingbird Lane)(at least I think that was the title) on Sunday.  We had a good time, one of us had ordered a cake of tea to go with our discussion, I cooked shrimp and broccoli that was supposed to be Chinese-ish (but wasn't, ultimately) and we had a good time.  Lots of food and good conversation (some of it about the book, even).  Next up is a Brunonia Barry book, title of which I can't remember.

I'm not going to RI for Easter this year.  The first time in modern history I won't be spending the holiday weekend with my mother.  or anyone.  How will that be? 

Snow but a winning team

I was in Rhode Island for my mother's birthday last week--she turned 92 on 3/13, and we had a really lovely time together.  We always enjoy being together and I don't know what was so special about this visit but it was just extremely pleasant.  There was BARE GROUND when I got there and stayed that way for the next 3 days.  Day number 4, however, my mother's actual birthday brought a snow storm and power outage.  I was glad to be there when the power went out, that is one of my mother's greatest fears, lack of power.  She has no heat or water without electricity so I sure do understand her fear.  Anyway the power was out for most of the day but came back on in late afternoon so Mark and I could cook her birthday dinner and celebrate.  It was a nice time. 

Before the storm Mark and I took the dogs to the beach and had a really nice walk.  Bear romped in the water and tried (several times) to drink it.  No, Bear, it's salt water everywhere, no matter how far down the beach you go.

My trip coming home was uneventful until I got to Wilmington when the roads turned suspiciously crappy.  There had been a storm here too and we ended up with more than 23" of snow.  What a struggle getting up my stairs and into the house.  Road and driveway had been plowed so that was no problem.  I hate shoveling snow but did shovel a path to the steps and most of the steps.  It snowed some more that night and the next day.  Yesterday and today were beautiful sunny days--warm sun high in the sky but the temperature this morning was -4 and the high was 16.  Not a nice day, really but not the cold winds of previous days.  Another cold night tonight but not sub-zero.

We're trying to get back into our gym routine, both of us had scheduling issues last week but went this morning and are meeting tomorrow morning at 6:30.  I need to get back to regular treadmilling.

I watched the Syracuse basketball game this afternoon--I've enjoyed watching college basketball's March Madness for a long time.  I have 2 good friends who are avid (rabid) SU fans so I'm interested in the games.  What a great game today's game was!   Wow, a real nail-biter but Syracuse won by 3 so all is well.  On they go to the Sweet Sixteen.

I'm back!

Not sure why I haven't been here.  I've been busy but is that an excuse?  Not really.

There have been many visitors to Hawkeye, that's been nice rather un-winterlike.  Some friends with a camp here came up from Albany and we went out for dinner and had a good visit.  Other friends from Scarsdale were here at their house/camp and had other friends and me come for dinner.  The Holts were here and had friends and me come for dinner.  Joe was here for The Burn (we went out for lunch but skipped dinner).  It has been a busy time.  Nice.

I'm still going to the gym most mornings followed by coffee at Stewarts.  Yes, we're regulars there and see other regulars regularly.  It's a regular thing.

I'm still working in Keene Valley at the Archives.  Scanning photos and entering metadata about the images.  The other woman who works in the Archives makes me laugh, and I make her laugh and we have a good time working together.  The work sometimes gets a little monotonous but it's only 3 hours twice a week and I am very enthusiastic about the project and about the Archives in general so all is good.

I haven't spent much time at the thrift store, other things have been taking my time.  Doctor's appointment (I'm healthy), trip to Burlington to buy a new car (2018 Subaru Crosstrek), trips to Plattsburgh to get the car inspected and registered and next a trip to RI for my mother's 92nd birthday.  I leave tomorrow morning, return on Wednesday.

We've been hit by both nor'easters but nothing overly dramatic.  We got snow last weekend and more snow last night and all day today.  It's hard to believe we had bare ground recently, there's at least a foot of snow on the ground now and it's still snowing.  No power issues here but my poor mother lost power for more than 2 days--which is a long time for someone her age with electric heat.  My sump pump is running often so I know winter is moving along and the ground is thawing.

Dogs are fine, they think the new car is hard to jump into but don't really seem to care much about it otherwise.  I like it a lot but it doesn't have snow tires and that makes me nervous so I drive slowly.  It had a "break-in period" of the first 1000 miles.  I knocked that off, no problem.  It doesn't have a CD player and I've almost figured out how to load music from my phone.  I have a lot of CDs so getting this set would be way cool.  I've got music loaded to my computer.  I've almost got the music loaded to my phone.  What comes next?  Hello YouTube...