This is what happened last week.  There was more but this was the first round--about a foot on Tuesday night, then close to another foot Weds.  It's pretty, and as always muffles the noise so it's still and quiet.  The dogs like the snow--Tess is adept at making very good dog snow angels and Treasure eats the snow.  The driveway was plowed twice (we call that a $100 storm) and I actually shoveled a path to the deck stairs.  Oh I'm getting good at this "owning a house" thing.

It's my last week at work, down to the last few days.  I still have plenty to do and have yet to finish cleaning up around my desk.  WHAT AM I WAITING FOR???  I have a lot of files that might be of value to someone.  I keep weeding them, throwing out more each time I go through them.  Mostly I have a lot of discarded books that at one point I thought I would want.  I go through them, too, and throw out a few each time.

Lots of meetings this last week--what ARE they going to do when I'm gone?  I have no strong feelings about who will do my work or how well/whether it will get done.  It's up to someone else now, I've given it my best 30 years.

I have lists of things to get done before leaving for RI on Sunday.  This morning I came to town extra-early so I could get my blood done.  Sure, good idea, except I brought the wrong paperwork so it was for naught.  It's not a big deal for me to get here early, nor is it a big deal to have the blood drawn.  It IS a big deal to have the lab orders, though.  duh.

So far I've had 2 farewell lunches with friends.  Tomorrow night is our union Christmas party.  Thursday I have birthday lunch with Barb, Friday is dinner with Bill & Fred, Sat. is dinner with the Holts, then Sunday at last I'm on the road.  I can stay in RI for a long time, if I want to.  I'm thinking of 2 weeks but if it gets too cold here I'll hustle on home to protect my house.  It got down to 39 in the living room over Thanksgiving, when the outdoor temp was 4, so I'm wary of cold weather.  I shut off the pump (learned that lesson the hard way) and hot water heater, but just about every year there's some problem while I'm in RI at Christmas.

The dogs are great.  Tess is really slowing down but can still wag her tail in a circle.  Treasure is very needy so the two of them really like it when I'm home.  Last week I only worked 2 days--I took one day off to have my new electric stove delivered, we were closed one day, I had a doctor's appointment in Saranac Lake another day, so it was a good week for the dogs.

Last Sunday I went to Saratoga to the calling hours of a friend.  It was a good trip, easy drive down and back, but I didn't stay long at the funeral home, nor did I stick around for the funeral.  I knew that, if I'd gone to the funeral I would have cried a lot, probably loudly, so I skipped that.  She was a wonderful woman, a couple of years younger than I am.

I have lists and lists of things I need to buy or do before leaving for RI.  Yesterday I had 4 stops in town before I left for home, tonight I think I'll have 3 or 4.  I have to get a new tag for Tess' collar, thank you--she lost hers and I hate to take her to RI without any identification because she always seems to get away at least once per visit.  At Thanksgiving she & Treasure took off into the woods and I had to track them down.  Scary.

I'll be in an Internet-free zone in RI but will take my laptop and go either to Mark's work place or to Java Madness, where the deck overlooks the marina, and will check my email and the weather here.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.

She's up!  She's pretty!  That's my version of a creche on the table--3 Lab ornaments, 1 sheep ornament and a tiny hunter.  I bought the tree on Saturday, cut it down to table-top size, put it up and decorated it on Sunday.  Is it straight?  Not quite, it leans forward a bit, but it's a nice tree.

Back in the saddle

Thanksgiving was only a week ago and yet it is a world away.  I had a grand trip, easy driving and good visiting with Liza and Mark.  The weather was OK, some cold days and a couple of warm ones.  Mark & I took the dogs to the beach, I took Liza to the beach, and for a change of scene Mark & I walked the dogs all over the Univ. of RI campus, which is near where he works.  That was a real treat.  Campus was deserted and I got completely disoriented because there are so many new buildings added since I was there in the 70's.  It's really most impressive now.  And pretty.

We went to the annual art sale that we always hit, and it was as much fun as we expected.  A lot of pottery--Liza bought me a great bowl for my birthday and I bought myself another great bowl because I liked it.  We picked up odds & ends, as we always do.

Liza & I went shopping a few times.  Since she doesn't drive anymore she's dependent on Mark and feels bad asking him to take her places, plus she needed to get him some Christmas presents, so we had fun driving around and seeing the sights.  She likes to go to the grocery store--they all know her there and she picks up a few things each time she goes.  Like, she needed Kleenex so we went there and she bought ONE box, not 2 or even 3, just one.  So when she runs out again she'll need to go right back for more.  I found it all entertaining and was happy to be there.

Thanksgiving itself was fine.  We had our usual food--turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, squash and a zillion lima beans.  All delicious.  I made 2 pumpkin pies, one from fresh pumpkin that I got from Linda and another using canned pumpkin.  News flash: there's no real difference in taste between the two.  And 2 pies is a lot for 3 people to eat.  They were both good.  I use an old Martha Stewart recipe that includes 1/4 tsp of chili powder and that makes a difference.  yum.

I got home on Monday, around 2 in the afternoon.  It sure is nice to be at home during the day!  I'm looking forward to retirement, which is only 2 weeks away.  Yay!  Work is funny, I don't have that much to do in the way of tasks but I'm swamped with assignments and cleaning.

Yesterday I spent the day in Crown Point, barcoding their collection.  That was nice but frustrating--because it takes so long to get there (1 1/2 hours) we don't have many hours to actually do the work there.  It's going to take a wicked long time to get that collection done, but I'll be long gone by then.

I talked to a friend this morning and found out that my good friend from the past, Brook, has died.  She had brain cancer and was in a hospice facility so it wasn't a great shock but it's very sad.  When I first came here Brook & I were very close and spent a lot of time together.  We lived near each other and had dinners together often.  Her boyfriend and Jamie were friends, and Dan worked at our sawmill for a while.  Oh those were fun times and I'm very sad.  I'll go to the calling hours in Saratoga on Sunday.

Dogs are fine.  They like being at Liza's but are confined to a pen when they're outside.  They own the couch while we're there.  Mark & I take them for long walks when he doesn't have to be at work but other than that the only exercise they get is getting in & out of the car.  But they sleep a lot.  It's very peaceful.

 The mother at the beach on a calm but cold day

 Thanksgiving morning at the town beach--really high surf and a lot of gulls.  Very dramatic

Rainy Sunday

Well thank goodness it's warmed up--most of the snow is gone and I'm hoping that tomorrow's high temps and expected rain will get rid of the rest of it.  November to April is a long time to have snow on the ground.
Had a good weekend but not an especially productive one.  Last night I went to the Whallonsburg Grange hall with Lin & Ralph for dinner and a showing of Jay Craven's film Where the Rivers Flow North.  I'd seen the movie before but didn't remember that much of it.  It was excellent but the director couldn't stop talking so we didn't get out of there until 10, with an hour drive home to L&R's and another half hour home for me.  I didn't get home until midnight.  Late, late, late for someone who famously goes to bed around 8.  It was fun and we agreed that, though we were glad to have gone we sure wouldn't do it again.

This morning I took the dogs to get the paper at P&J's and when I got home they took off.  What a couple of turds.  They were gone for more than 2 hours before I left for my noontime visit with P&J & Bill.  I worried but hoped for the best, and sure enough when I got home at 1 they were waiting for me at home.  They've been sacked out ever since then and poor Tess is very sore and moving slowly.  I gave her an aspirin which helped a bit.  Mostly she's just lying next to the wood stove.

Last week was pretty quiet.  I spent a lot of time clearing out papers and books at work and finally got 2 file cabinets and a file drawer in my desk emptied.  YAY.  Now I just need to get to the 3 huge piles of papers and the bookshelf full of stuff and then I'll be all set.  I bought the goldfish a new bowl.  I think the director will take him after I leave.  I can't bring him home then because I'll be in RI for 2 weeks and the house will be too cold (in the 40's no doubt).  I killed off a couple of guppies that way.  This fish cost a whopping 17cents so it's no great loss but he's sort of a nice fish.  I think I'll get another one when I get back in Jan.  My days of having a big aquarium with a heater and  light are long gone.  Boy did I spend a fortune on that set up and the fish.  Which all died.

I'm only working tomorrow then am off for the rest of the week.  Heading to RI on Tuesday, avoiding the predicted miserable storm for Weds.  Whew.  I'm looking forward to going, it's always nice.  We'll have a nice peaceful Thanksgiving, just the 3 of us for dinner.  We do like to do it up big.

People are still asking me how many days until retirement--I don't know.  I'll be back at work on Dec. 2nd so I guess after that there will be 17 days.  Yikes I just zoomed in on the text and now it's HUGE.  I like my laptop but am not totally used to using it yet.

All is well. Happy Thanksgiving to all--

Ahhhh, much better picture of the November mtn.  This was yesterday, Veterans Day, when the temp was in the 50's and it was sunny and wonderful.  This is a slightly different view, it's from the HTC boat house instead of our boat house.  Beautiful from any site.
I had a grand time yesterday, day off.  Finished outdoor chores, walked to the HTC boat house to take pictures of the new roof for Duncan & JK, enjoyed the whole thing.  The dogs took off but weren't gone long.  I cabled Tess for most of the day so I could leave the door open.  How nice!  Two chickadees flew into the house but I managed to herd them out the window upstairs.  They really are sweet birds, let me get so close to them.  I started feeding the birds again over the weekend and within an hour there were chickadees, blue jays and a woodpecker at the feeder.  Hungry little boogers they all are.
It's colder today but nothing like what's happening in the Midwest.  Boy do I feel sorry for those people!  We have no snow and it's not likely we'll have any anytime soon.  It will be chilly but in the 30's, which I never really think is cause to complain.

November mtn.

It's not really monocromatic, there is green there.  It's as cold as it looks

Cold weekend

Well, can't really call it cold because it was above freezing, but it was cloudy, windy and in the 30's both days.  I spent a lot of time yesterday driving, which seems to be turning into my favorite weekend activity.  I drove to the farmstand with great apples and got some great apples, then I drove to the farmstand with good cider and bought some good cider.  The dogs are always eager to go in the car but unless I drive very slowly with the windows down they don't seem to do much.  Treasure sleeps and Tess stands between the front seats and looks out the windshield.  I have no idea how much she sees but she does respond to things like turkeys and squirrels.

I had dinner with Annie and her brother + his wife last night.  It was a cold walk down, which made me feel woefully inadequate to deal with impending winter.  Get use to it, Toots, it's here to stay.  Anyway it was a nice evening and pleasant walk home in the dark.

Today I did a few chores, went to P&J's for a nice visit, then walked to camp with the dogs to shut off the power there.  Of course they didn't come home with me, they ran off.  Treasure soon returned but Tess found a huge crowd at the bog and spent an hour or so with them.  Right now she's on the deck barking non-stop at what?  The dark I guess.  It's high entertainment for her.

This week looks good--until Weds. night.  I have Tuesday off and it's supposed to be 50 so I'll finish up my outdoor chores, then plan to go to Pat's & help her take in her garden stuff.  I have some more flower pots to empty and bring inside and have to put away my chair--the last vestige of summer.  I started feeding the birds today, filled the bird feeder this afternoon and within an hour there were chickadees, blue jays and woodpeckers hanging out there.  That was nice.

It's due to be much colder at the end of the week.  My stove is behaving well but I'm eager to have the stovepipe cleaned on Thursday afternoon.  The house is warm right now without the heat, just the stove going.

All is well in Hawkeye.  The lake looks cold and unforgiving.  There's snow on Catamount, on Duncan and Whiteface plus of course the High Peaks.  

The last bit of color in Hawkeye--I took this picture over the weekend.  Yes, we had snow, but no, it wasn't much and it's gone now.
The dogs don't care for setting the clocks back because it's nearly dark when I get home so they think I'm late.  They don't seem to notice how light it is when we get up.  Dumb dogs.

Nice stove

Cold and wet outside but my living room is warm.  Boy I do like my new stove, but it smokes right now.  I'm having stovepipe cleaned next week and sure hope that will take care of it.  Once I get the fire going it's great but it's hard to get it going and it smokes like a chimney in the house.  It's ticking away merrily now and that's what counts.

Went to the dump today, then took a nice long drive with the dogs.  This seems to be my big entertainment.  I had to buy more apples because the dogs ate the ones I got last week while I was at P&J's last night.  Rat pigs.

I pulled up the kitchen rug today which was on my list of MUST DO'S.  It stinks because Tess peed on it a bunch of times and it can't be cleaned so out it goes.  The kitchen floor is red oak on the diagonal but the wood is in terrible shape and needs to be sanded and treated, plus there are huge gaps between boards.  Almost all of the wood in this house (and there's a lot of it) came from our sawmill so was air-dried not kiln dried.  This means the boards expand and contract all the time and there are big gaps in nearly every room.  The maple in the bedroom is a mess and I'd like too paint the floor but can't figure out what to do with the bed.  Well that's a big project.  I painted the living room floor many years ago with Lin's help.  It should be painted again but boy that was something, to move all the living room furniture onto the deck and hope it didn't rain.

I'm excited about having time to do work on the house in January.  I have to be back here around the 6th so will start my retired life then.  I'm going to RI for Thanksgiving, leaving Tuesday and returning Sunday/  I retire on Dec. 19 and will go to RI after that for Christmas.  Christmas will be here before I know it so I should be making baskets instead of writing this.

We have book group Thanksgiving this month but I don't know when that is so I need to call M'lou to get details.  We have grand Thanksgivings together.  We've been a group for more than 10 years.

It's pretty dark now, at 6:00, which will be 5:00 tomorrow.  It was pitch black at 6 this morning and I'm looking forward to having more light in the morning.  Doesn't bother me to have it be dark earlier at night, I prefer good morning light.

Pretty as a picture on 10/28/2014

I had a day off yesterday and it was grand, just grand.  I finished all the closing camp chores then wen to the dump and took a long way home.  A LOOOOONG way home.  I drove slowly so the dogs could stick their heads out the windows and enjoy the trip as much as I did.  They were exhausted when we got home.
This is what the lake looks like these days--no color but pretty anyway.

Sisters.  They like being together.  They share the chair a lot of the time, even when they don't need to stay warm because it's winter.  We had a good weekend but I wasn't terribly productive.  Spent too much time on the couch, reading and watching TV.  What did I watch?  I can't really remember except I watched PBS cooking shows on Saturday.  And the movie Rush on Sunday, which is about grand prix auto racing.  I had a friend in college who was a huge fan of racing so I got interested in it.  Once we went to Lime Rock in Conn. to watch Paul Newman race.  That was fun.

And they like being with me.  This couch isn't as wide as my old couch was but we manage to fit like peas in a pod.  They take turns being "in front."  Sometimes they just lie on top of each other.  They're good girls, that's for sure.

Friday post

It's payday Friday so everyone is in a pretty good mood.  I'd be in a better mood if I didn't have to make mortgage, car and insurance payments all at once, but that's life as an adult, isn't it.

It's rainy and cool but not yet cold here, so is just fine.  I haven't been having fires--mostly because the stove is misbehaving and needs a cleaner stovepipe (I have an appointment next month for that).  House is cool but not bad and the dogs tend to lie on top of me in the evening on the couch so that sure keeps me warm.

I just had a long meeting with my colleagues about what will happen to the work I do here, who will do what and what won't be done.  It's still amazing to me that I'm leaving.  I'm excited and really looking forward to retirement but it's unbelievable that I will no longer be an employee of CEFLS after Dec. 19.  Mostly I feel that can't come soon enough but then I have my moments of "What will I be if I'm not a librarian?"  Pretty much in the mornings, getting ready for work I know that I'm totally ready to stay home.  How do I feel when I get to work?  Mostly I look forward to have a desk that's cleared off and having found someone else to do my job.

Tonight I'm going to hear a live band, which I probably haven't done since going to concerts many years ago.  More than 10 years, I think, I think the last one I went to was a Jackson Browne concert in Burlington with my friends when they were newly pregnant with their now-11 year old son.  Yikes.  What have I been doing for entertainment?  Anyway, in this band is the son of friends, who is coming from Brooklyn to play at a venue here.  A small venue in Upper Jay.  We'll go out for dinner first, and it occurs to me that the friends will want to stay until the bitter end of the performance, way past my bedtime no doubt.  Well, I said I'd go and I am looking forward to being with the friends.  I'm sure the band is good so that will be nice.  I have no idea what kind of music they play.

It's been a quiet week for me.  I had a consultant visit on Tuesday, to the AuSable Forks library and that went well.  There's a new director, a retired school librarian I've known for more than 20 years so that made it nice.  I like going into that library because it's full of Rogers Company things.  We talked about what library I'll "join" when I retire.  It probably won't be that one...for a number of reasons.  I've already had offers to volunteer at 3 libraries and that makes me feel well-liked and appreciated.  Will I do that?  maybe, maybe.

Dogs are fine.  I didn't walk them as much this week as I wanted to because I got home late a few times.  We walk to the mailbox and they run, run, run, especially Treasure.  Tess has that old dog run but Treasure has a fluid, maxed-out running style.  She's beautiful.

No big plans for the weekend.  I need to buy a new rug for the kitchen so may come back to town tomorrow.  or not.  Do I get bored on weekends?  Sometimes, but there is always something to do at home.  I have yet to empty the fridge at camp so hope to get that taken care of this weekend.  I'll need to do that before going to the dump.  Not much else going on.

There is still a lot of color in the mountains, plenty of birch, beech, aspen and soon tamarack.  It's very, very pretty.  This was the view on my way home from yesterday's dog walk to the mailbox.

The mountain, looking across the road by my driveway.  I love this time of year.

I DID IT!!!

Well I suppose I could rescind it, but this morning I turned in my notice that December 19 will be my last day of work here at CEFLS.  It's amazing to think about.  After 30 years of driving 1 1/2 hours every day I'll be a retired homebody.

Of course everyone asks "What will you do?"  The appropriate answer, of course, is WHATEVER I WANT TO.  I'll go to RI for Christmas and stay a while.  Some suggest I shut down my house and spend the winter in RI but I won't do that this year.  Maybe another time, if I feel my mother needs that.

December is an odd time to retire, but it works out for my 30 years of service with the retirement system and my 62nd birthday.  It was an incredibly difficult decision to make, mostly because of the money, but once I filled out the paperwork I felt relieved and free.  Now that I've made it official I feel even better.  Do I have regrets?  Not a bit.  Yet.

Who, me?

Every once in a while I take an online personality/career/dog breed test, usually from Facebook.  This is risky and I don't do it often.  I did it today (why?) to find out what adjective describes me.  What did I get?

You are:

Intriguing

You have a unique and extremely fascinating approach to life. You are curious, brilliant, and firmly authentic. You are genuinely admired by people, yet you never get caught up in all the praise. Most importantly though, you know how to be yourself at all times and never need to apologize. You're loved for who you are.

Wood and more wood.  The shed isn't quite full and there are 2 huge stacks outside.  Thank you Bill, and thank you PINS.

Treasure isn't very good at having her picture taken but she finally stood still long enough for this one.

Busy busy busy but slowing down

Boy was Columbus Day weekend a busy time.  It always is, and probably it wasn't as busy as it is some years but maybe I'm just getting older...

There was lousy weather on Saturday and I didn't do much during the day, just a dump run and chores.  It was a beautiful drive because there's still quite a bit of color in the mountains.  Mostly yellows and orange-y colors but still enough to make you sigh.  I had a nice breakfast at Big Daddy's (hey, should we write up BD's for TripAdvisor?) with Linda, Fred and Bill.  Seriously, the food wasn't bad.

Sunday was a gorgeous, sunny and warm day.  Really a banner day.  I came to Plattsburgh with Linda to check out the Clinton Co. Historical Assoc.'s art and book sale.  We didn't stay long, saw some people we knew, and took a scenic ride home.  The mountains were still pretty.

Sunday afternoon we celebrated Michael & Stephanie's wedding anniversary in the afternoon.  It was a nice crowd and we had a very pleasant time.  The view from their camp was great, a glassy lake with colors on the far shore reflected nicely.  Tess had taken off to walk the bog with strangers so wasn't home when I left, but when I got home she sure was barking to be let in, and was very happy to see me.  Does she connect the fact that no one lets her in with my appearance in the woods?  Doubtful.  Who knows, maybe dogs think we can be in two places at one time.

Sunday night was pie and coffee at the Holt's with the same crowd.  And we didn't even run out of things to talk about.  Good pie, nice people.

Monday was another beautiful day.  I spent an hour and a half on Linda's dock with her.  Boy did we have a nice time.  It was incredibly silent and calm, a glassy lake again.  Wow it was grand.  We just stared at the view and visited.  Then we got to work, clearing things off the dock.  Took a break to have lunch with Bill and friends at M'side, then back to close Linda's Upper Camp.  That wasn't bad, involves many plastic bags but easily done.

Monday night I had dinner at the Holt's with Donny & Cindy Roberts, neighbors.  Donny is my plowman and a great resource and asset to the neighborhood.  We had a good time talking about the neighborhood.  I think we covered just about everyone.

Back to work yesterday, then to Linda's for dinner last night.  She had planned to leave today but Erdvilas wasn't up to it so they're leaving tomorrow instead.  We always celebrate their last night here with dinner & bubbly, so last night we had dinner (no bubbly, saving that for tonight) courtesy of Brian.  Delicious bagels, lox, etc.  Very festive and fun.  Linda was sitting at the campfire when I arrived so I joined her and we watched Channel Chipmunk.  2 very animated 'munks fighting with each other and running madly under our chairs and around our feet.  Sort of creepy but cute and entertaining.

Today is another warm day.  I guess it's supposed to rain hard tomorrow but will still be warm until the weekend.  High in the 40's on Sunday with a chance of snow.  I've been using my stove but it smokes something fierce so I have a call in to the chimney cleaner.  Creosote in the elbow, I think.  Not a big deal but hard to get a fire going.

Work is work.  Not much going on, just cataloging and weeding.  People are quiet and not complaining.  Me too.  or neither.

I love pumpkins.  These are at a great farm stand in Peru.  They go on for miles and miles and are just beautiful.  I always buy pumpkins for people and give them away.

I missed the blood moon this morning--not just because I was asleep but also because it was cloudy and raining.  I slept with the bedroom window open last night so I could hear the rain.  It doesn't make as much noise anymore, now that we've lost so many leaves.  We have a lot of bare trees.  People coming this weekend might be a bit disappointed--we peaked more than a week ago and we're on the downward slope now.  At least the weather's supposed to be good until Monday, then we're due for rain.  We had the most perfect day on Sunday--sunny and 50's.  Boy was it grand.

Not much going on (yet).  Linda is still here but leaves next week.  She's the last of the summer residents so our "real life" begins then.  I didn't see Pat & Jim for quite a while, other things were happening, but had a really nice visit with them and Bill on Sunday.  That was Bill's birthday.  Linda hosted a wonderful birthday party for him Friday night with delicious food the name of which eludes me.  A German dish with pork products slow-cooked on a bed of sauerkraut.  Yum.

Sunday was book group and we had a lively discussion about You before me.  Probably the most we've talked about a book in quite a while.  Marylou came up with a great postcard game, providing the postcards.  We addressed 5 to ourselves, then took one from each person to send at some point in the future.  I like that.  Nice to send people mail.  I still enjoy the written word and write letters fairly often.  Well, weekly to my mother, less often to friends.  I like the immediacy of email for sure but I enjoy writing longer missives than are practical emails.

Dogs are behaving fairly well but they both seem to like to pee on the floor.  Tess has her favorite spot in front of the fridge (on the rug, which must now be replaced) and Treasure likes to pee in front of the bathroom door, on the vinyl floor.  WHAT'S UP WITH THIS????

I've been trying to walk them daily, to the mailbox & back, which is nearly a mile.  They love to run run run and really enjoy the walks.  Do I enjoy the walks?  Not really but I'm trying to establish a pattern and stick to it.

My relatives wanted to come to camp and start closing up tomorrow but another cousin and his wife were planning to come, so who knows how that will go.  I left a message with the closers, will email the visitors, and it's really not up to me to tell anyone much of anything.

My mother's been nagging me about getting a shingles shot--she loves to quote the TV and tells me weekly that 1 out of 3 Americans will get shingles.  But she can't remember if I had chicken pox.  So I'll get a shot I suppose.  And I need a flu shot as well.  I just need to be poked full of holes.

Work is fine.  The director is out for 3 weeks so we take turns being in charge.  It's very funny to see what issues people bring to the person in charge.  Should I do this?  Should I not do that?  I guess sometimes we all need help making decisions...