Every morning between 5:30 and 6:00 I took the dogs to a big park near my mother's and let them run. We watched the sunrise and had a nice, peaceful time. There was always heavy dew, hence the trail.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
the great beyond
It was always pretty and very peaceful--the people who use the park to walk their dogs have a particular time when they come every day. I was the 5:30-6:00 person. There's a 6:30-7:00 guy, a 7:00-7:30 lady and a 7:30 guy (who has 2 beautiful Labs). The first 2 times I went I figured out that I'd have to be the early shift if I wanted to let my dogs run.
waiting for what?
This just strikes me as funny. I know, it's really a good idea--places for people to sit while they watch the soccer games. But at sunrise the benches look goofy.
nice
We go to my mother's town beach a lot. It's very pretty and the breakers usually aren't breakers but are waves. But this year Mark and Jenica got rolled by one. Mostly the water was clear and just the right temperature. My gauge of whether the water is clear enough for swimming is this: if you can see your feet, it's pretty much ok.
beach ladies
This just shows how cute my mother is. And hides my bulging, ever-expanding middle pretty well.
kitchen shot
This is my mother's kitchen. There are always those kids' plastic letters with magnets on the back stuck to the refrigerator. Liza puts a welcoming message up every time someone arrives. The message in this pictures says "welcome jenica love you"
I like it when she doesn't have enough of the right letters--she gets very creative in her spelling
I like it when she doesn't have enough of the right letters--she gets very creative in her spelling
best spot
Here's where I get to sleep--the gazebo in the woods. It's the best spot ever. I can't decide where I'd rather sleep--in the boat house or in the gazebo. I guess they're equally special. Here you listen to forest sounds (including the occasional buck snort, which drives the dogs nuts). In the b.house you hear water lapping. Anyway, this sits on the tiniest of crests, so small you can't really call it a crest, in the woods. It looks out at a clearing my brother created because he believes every place should have a view/vista. He was right about my house and my mother's house.
Every night at bedtime I walk past the pond in the yard, hear the little trickle of the water going down the rocks, look for a frog or two with my flashlight while the dogs pee, then walk to the gazebo. The dogs get to wander around without a leash, outside of the pen--a treat for them. They stay outside for a few minutes, then I hear them woofling at the door and let them in. We lie in bed, I read and they snore. I stare at the ceiling in total peace. What could be better?
Every night at bedtime I walk past the pond in the yard, hear the little trickle of the water going down the rocks, look for a frog or two with my flashlight while the dogs pee, then walk to the gazebo. The dogs get to wander around without a leash, outside of the pen--a treat for them. They stay outside for a few minutes, then I hear them woofling at the door and let them in. We lie in bed, I read and they snore. I stare at the ceiling in total peace. What could be better?
whew!
Chances loved every minute but found the whole thing exhausting. She slept wherever she could find a spot. This is Molly's picture.
kitty
I know, it's a big surprise that I would be attached to a ca--I choke on the word--cat. Sometimes she's very cute. Mostly she's pretty pissy. How does Jenica get Miles to sit still for pictures? My cat has to play dead.
sept pictures 026
This was a week or so ago. Things look different now--the color is good this year. Almost peak right now. Lots of oranges, some reds--those are the maples. Yellows will follow, that's the last, the beeches.
sept pictures 029
I've had the best ever bonus time this year--extra and more extra nights to sleep in the boat house. I won't sleep there unless the temp is at least 50 (I've toughened up considerably--my minimum used to be 60). Some mornings when I'm there it's in the 40's and I have my coffee in bed those days. The rest of the time I sit on the porch and stare into space. My tolerance for cold amazes me but I seem to enjoy being chilled.
One morning the whole lake was covered with an intense and complete mist--you couldn't see anything. I had an incredible urge to paddle my kayak straight into it, just to see where I'd end up when the mist lifted. I'm basically chicken, though, and didn't do it. Instead I watched the mist lift. The water is still warmer, at 64, than the air in the morning.
My nights in the boat house are magic. No sound on the lake, no sound in the morning either. Sometimes the loons, sometimes the leaves rustling if there's a breeze, but lately it's been completely silent. Then the dogs come along, jingling their collars and lapping a drink from the lake. It's just a miracle to be there.
We had 2 pairs of loons on the lake this year. One pair had one baby (I know, not called a baby, but everyone on the lake has been keeping track of it and we all call it the baby loon). We watched the mom when she was swimming with the baby on her back, then the baby swam between mom & dad for weeks & weeks, while mom & dad murmured to each other.
Finally baby learned--slowly--to put its head under water, to dive, then to catch fish, and is now almost as big as its parents and is wearing winter plumage. The association that studies and bands loons came to Silver Lake and discovered that our mom is 6 years old and was banded at the next lake over (Taylor Pond). Way cool. Anyway ,the loons have been really vocal all year, from both ends of the lake. Our community is always proud of our loons ("Loons? oh sure, we have loons.").
One morning the whole lake was covered with an intense and complete mist--you couldn't see anything. I had an incredible urge to paddle my kayak straight into it, just to see where I'd end up when the mist lifted. I'm basically chicken, though, and didn't do it. Instead I watched the mist lift. The water is still warmer, at 64, than the air in the morning.
My nights in the boat house are magic. No sound on the lake, no sound in the morning either. Sometimes the loons, sometimes the leaves rustling if there's a breeze, but lately it's been completely silent. Then the dogs come along, jingling their collars and lapping a drink from the lake. It's just a miracle to be there.
We had 2 pairs of loons on the lake this year. One pair had one baby (I know, not called a baby, but everyone on the lake has been keeping track of it and we all call it the baby loon). We watched the mom when she was swimming with the baby on her back, then the baby swam between mom & dad for weeks & weeks, while mom & dad murmured to each other.
Finally baby learned--slowly--to put its head under water, to dive, then to catch fish, and is now almost as big as its parents and is wearing winter plumage. The association that studies and bands loons came to Silver Lake and discovered that our mom is 6 years old and was banded at the next lake over (Taylor Pond). Way cool. Anyway ,the loons have been really vocal all year, from both ends of the lake. Our community is always proud of our loons ("Loons? oh sure, we have loons.").
opposites attract
I bought this cool whirlygig that rotates in the wind. I wasn't sure where I'd hang it, maybe outside my window at home. I like the one Linda has on her porch, it's nice to watch in the breeze. This one has a wire spiral and the glass ball pretends to go up and down the spiral as it rotates in the wind. Hanging it at home seemed dumb and I thought it would be nice to stare at it from the Saranac chair on the boat house porch.
I had a hard time finding a spot where the wind would be strong enough to move it. Oh, how misleading catalog descriptions are! Anyway, it moves a little on a very windy day. Mostly I just stare at it and think it's pretty.
Up close it's even prettier, and obviously the view of the mountain through the ball is fun. In my effort to fill my walls with stunning (NOT) artwork I had a big print made of this shot.
I had a hard time finding a spot where the wind would be strong enough to move it. Oh, how misleading catalog descriptions are! Anyway, it moves a little on a very windy day. Mostly I just stare at it and think it's pretty.
Up close it's even prettier, and obviously the view of the mountain through the ball is fun. In my effort to fill my walls with stunning (NOT) artwork I had a big print made of this shot.
Holey boat house
I was sleeping in the boat house when the edge of hurricane Ike arrived. I woke at 3:30, convinced tree upon tree would fall across the road and I'd never be able to get out. Back to sleep, awakened at 5:30 by the loudest BOOM! Up with my flashlight to see a rotten birch tree, downed by wind, 3" from my car, leaning against the boat house. Here's the hole it made in the roof. The hole goes all the way through the plywood sub-roofing inside. Poop. These things always seem to happen to my family (but we still have the best cabin).
I beat a hasty retreat to my house and parked my car as far away from any tree that I could. Whew! Escape crisis averted.
I beat a hasty retreat to my house and parked my car as far away from any tree that I could. Whew! Escape crisis averted.
busted pump house
Even though it wasn't much, the pump house (which was actually the old pump house turned on its side) has finally shit the bed. The tree decided to take whatever it could, I guess.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Better quote of the day, from container of video I'm cataloging, called I Spit on Your Grave:
"This woman has just cut, chopped, broken and burned four men ... but no jury in America would ever convict her!"
The picture on the container is of a woman with her back to the camera. She's carrying a huge, bloodied knife and of course is wearing something that covers half her butt.
Some days I love my job.
"This woman has just cut, chopped, broken and burned four men ... but no jury in America would ever convict her!"
The picture on the container is of a woman with her back to the camera. She's carrying a huge, bloodied knife and of course is wearing something that covers half her butt.
Some days I love my job.
QUOTATION OF THE DAY
"Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned."GOV. SARAH PALIN OF ALASKA, announcing with her husband, Todd, that their unmarried 17-year-old daughter is pregnant.
duh, I'll say
"Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned."GOV. SARAH PALIN OF ALASKA, announcing with her husband, Todd, that their unmarried 17-year-old daughter is pregnant.
duh, I'll say
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Well, it moved me--
There aren't too many of us who remember when LBJ was president, and most of us who do remember him for sending troops to Vietnam and for not ending that war (conflict). I have an image of a poster my brother had in his room of LBJ pulling his beagle up by their ears--he had 2 beagles, Him and Her, and he swore that pulling them up by the ears to make them bay was good for them--with the quote "He who meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears" I've always remember that quote, though not the exact phrase, but the gist of it.
Anyway, here's an excerpt of a story in today's NYTimes--it's about the speech he made as Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act. Until then it had been nearly impossible for blacks to register to vote in the South and there were violent attacks on demonstrators by police--with snarling, biting German Shepherds, with water cannons--these are all images burned into my mind. So reading this made me cry. I am happy and proud beyond words that Obama is our candidate.
By ROBERT A. CARO
"As I watch Barack Obama’s speech to the Democratic convention tonight, I will be remembering another speech: the one that made Martin Luther King cry. And I will be thinking: Mr. Obama’s speech — and in a way his whole candidacy — might not have been possible had that other speech not been given.
That speech was President Lyndon Johnson’s address to Congress in 1965 announcing that he was about to introduce a voting rights act, and in some respects Mr. Obama’s candidacy is the climax — at least thus far — of a movement based not only on the sacrifices and heroism of the Rev. Dr. King and generations of black fighters for civil rights but also on the political genius of Lyndon Baines Johnson, who as it happens was born 100 years ago yesterday...
The bill he got was the weak one, and civil rights leaders blamed him because the advances it made were meager. Only a week before the March 1965 speech, Dr. King had said that at the rate voter registration was going, it would take 135 years before even half the blacks in Mississippi were registered. And as the limousines were pulling through the gates that night in March, the protesters were singing “We Shall Overcome,” as if to tell Lyndon Johnson, we’ll do it without you.
But they didn’t have to.
When Johnson stepped to the lectern on Capitol Hill that night, he adopted the great anthem of the civil rights movement as his own.
“Even if we pass this bill,” he said, “the battle will not be over. What happened in Selma is part of a far larger movement which reaches into every section and state of America. It is the effort of American Negroes to secure for themselves the full blessings of American life.”
And, Lyndon Johnson said, “Their cause must be our cause, too. Because it is not just Negroes, but really it is all of us, who must overcome the crippling legacy of bigotry and injustice.”
He paused, and then he said, “And we shall overcome.”
Martin Luther King was watching the speech at the home of a family in Selma with some of his aides, none of whom had ever, during all the hard years, seen Dr. King cry. But Lyndon Johnson said, “We shall overcome” — and they saw him cry then.
Ok, so Johnson certainly was no saint, but as I say, few give him credit for the advances made in civil rights and toward racial equality during his administration. Even I didn't realize it until it was history and I studied it as part of the past.
There aren't too many of us who remember when LBJ was president, and most of us who do remember him for sending troops to Vietnam and for not ending that war (conflict). I have an image of a poster my brother had in his room of LBJ pulling his beagle up by their ears--he had 2 beagles, Him and Her, and he swore that pulling them up by the ears to make them bay was good for them--with the quote "He who meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears" I've always remember that quote, though not the exact phrase, but the gist of it.
Anyway, here's an excerpt of a story in today's NYTimes--it's about the speech he made as Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act. Until then it had been nearly impossible for blacks to register to vote in the South and there were violent attacks on demonstrators by police--with snarling, biting German Shepherds, with water cannons--these are all images burned into my mind. So reading this made me cry. I am happy and proud beyond words that Obama is our candidate.
By ROBERT A. CARO
"As I watch Barack Obama’s speech to the Democratic convention tonight, I will be remembering another speech: the one that made Martin Luther King cry. And I will be thinking: Mr. Obama’s speech — and in a way his whole candidacy — might not have been possible had that other speech not been given.
That speech was President Lyndon Johnson’s address to Congress in 1965 announcing that he was about to introduce a voting rights act, and in some respects Mr. Obama’s candidacy is the climax — at least thus far — of a movement based not only on the sacrifices and heroism of the Rev. Dr. King and generations of black fighters for civil rights but also on the political genius of Lyndon Baines Johnson, who as it happens was born 100 years ago yesterday...
The bill he got was the weak one, and civil rights leaders blamed him because the advances it made were meager. Only a week before the March 1965 speech, Dr. King had said that at the rate voter registration was going, it would take 135 years before even half the blacks in Mississippi were registered. And as the limousines were pulling through the gates that night in March, the protesters were singing “We Shall Overcome,” as if to tell Lyndon Johnson, we’ll do it without you.
But they didn’t have to.
When Johnson stepped to the lectern on Capitol Hill that night, he adopted the great anthem of the civil rights movement as his own.
“Even if we pass this bill,” he said, “the battle will not be over. What happened in Selma is part of a far larger movement which reaches into every section and state of America. It is the effort of American Negroes to secure for themselves the full blessings of American life.”
And, Lyndon Johnson said, “Their cause must be our cause, too. Because it is not just Negroes, but really it is all of us, who must overcome the crippling legacy of bigotry and injustice.”
He paused, and then he said, “And we shall overcome.”
Martin Luther King was watching the speech at the home of a family in Selma with some of his aides, none of whom had ever, during all the hard years, seen Dr. King cry. But Lyndon Johnson said, “We shall overcome” — and they saw him cry then.
Ok, so Johnson certainly was no saint, but as I say, few give him credit for the advances made in civil rights and toward racial equality during his administration. Even I didn't realize it until it was history and I studied it as part of the past.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Ocean State
I made it to Rhode Island--the trip was fine, lots of variety of conditions. Downpour, heavy traffic, light traffic, fast driving, slow driving. Nothing of note, same duration as always. New car is nice for traveling, bigger engine, a bit more comfortable. I still haven't finished reading the owner's manual (as 3 people at the dealer have requested I do) so there are things I don't know. Like, yesterday I learned that I can raise the height of the driver's seat. Every time I start reading the manual I get bored so I haven't finished it. Bad writing, boring plot, and it still hasn't told me what I want to know.
We went to the beach yesterday--Mark got us all matching beach chairs, so there we went, Molly, Mark and I, marching to our spot by the water, carrying our coolaroo chairs. M & M swam when we got there, which I should have done because the sun disappeared and it got cold. I had planned to swim every day but so far NOT. I went for a really long swim at camp and it was great. We'll go beaching again today and I'll do my best. Mostly it's just great to sit in my chair and read. I'm working on our book group book--The bird artist, by Norman Arnold (or Arnold Norman, who knows with names that are 2 first names). I've finally read enough to enjoy it. One thing I like about it is that it's set in Newfoundland. There's one description of a series of small peninsulas with a house on each so that residents visit each other by boat. That's an easy image for me to picture.
I'm using Molly's computer for this, and it's Italian so keys are in different places. I think I'm doing pretty well! The letters are in the same places, it's just punctuation & things that are goodness knows where. No complaints, as it was in WI it's nice to have access.
The family gathering (excuse me, I mean meeting) went well. I had a great visit with Jamie's brother, who's an artist. J and I used to spend a lot of time with Nip and his wife but now all 4 of us are divorced. One thing I really liked was that Nip sought me out and was as happy to visit with and confide in me as I was to talk to him. He has 5 kids and of course has problems working out visits and keeping aware of their growing up. Understandable--they live in Va., where Kathy lives with her new moremoneythangod husband.
I'm sleeping in the the screened in gazebo here. It's on a tiny rise, perched in the woods. No view or anything, just surrounded by trees and birds. It's tied with the boathouse as my favorite place to sleep. Or just be in. (oh where is that del key or the question mark) So I'm peaceful, fairly relaxed and really, really enjoying the company of my sister, my mother (though she's old now and I miss my younger, less confused mother) and Mark. And my dogs are happy and relaxed here. Kitty is at the kennel, has a big room with huge window looking out at a big green field. For $15 a day. Just before I left she brought in a dead kangaroo mouse with half a head. She has got to stop decimating the populations of rare mammals. Kangaroo mice are beautiful, with huge back legs and long tails. Prettier alive than dead, and yes, they hop.
I made it to Rhode Island--the trip was fine, lots of variety of conditions. Downpour, heavy traffic, light traffic, fast driving, slow driving. Nothing of note, same duration as always. New car is nice for traveling, bigger engine, a bit more comfortable. I still haven't finished reading the owner's manual (as 3 people at the dealer have requested I do) so there are things I don't know. Like, yesterday I learned that I can raise the height of the driver's seat. Every time I start reading the manual I get bored so I haven't finished it. Bad writing, boring plot, and it still hasn't told me what I want to know.
We went to the beach yesterday--Mark got us all matching beach chairs, so there we went, Molly, Mark and I, marching to our spot by the water, carrying our coolaroo chairs. M & M swam when we got there, which I should have done because the sun disappeared and it got cold. I had planned to swim every day but so far NOT. I went for a really long swim at camp and it was great. We'll go beaching again today and I'll do my best. Mostly it's just great to sit in my chair and read. I'm working on our book group book--The bird artist, by Norman Arnold (or Arnold Norman, who knows with names that are 2 first names). I've finally read enough to enjoy it. One thing I like about it is that it's set in Newfoundland. There's one description of a series of small peninsulas with a house on each so that residents visit each other by boat. That's an easy image for me to picture.
I'm using Molly's computer for this, and it's Italian so keys are in different places. I think I'm doing pretty well! The letters are in the same places, it's just punctuation & things that are goodness knows where. No complaints, as it was in WI it's nice to have access.
The family gathering (excuse me, I mean meeting) went well. I had a great visit with Jamie's brother, who's an artist. J and I used to spend a lot of time with Nip and his wife but now all 4 of us are divorced. One thing I really liked was that Nip sought me out and was as happy to visit with and confide in me as I was to talk to him. He has 5 kids and of course has problems working out visits and keeping aware of their growing up. Understandable--they live in Va., where Kathy lives with her new moremoneythangod husband.
I'm sleeping in the the screened in gazebo here. It's on a tiny rise, perched in the woods. No view or anything, just surrounded by trees and birds. It's tied with the boathouse as my favorite place to sleep. Or just be in. (oh where is that del key or the question mark) So I'm peaceful, fairly relaxed and really, really enjoying the company of my sister, my mother (though she's old now and I miss my younger, less confused mother) and Mark. And my dogs are happy and relaxed here. Kitty is at the kennel, has a big room with huge window looking out at a big green field. For $15 a day. Just before I left she brought in a dead kangaroo mouse with half a head. She has got to stop decimating the populations of rare mammals. Kangaroo mice are beautiful, with huge back legs and long tails. Prettier alive than dead, and yes, they hop.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Special time
I don't want to sound too sappy or goofy, but the Wisconsin trip was really special. We've all been emailing the group, waxing sentimental about how great it was to be together, what a special group we are, etc. It's all true. 17 of us, not a cross word, no complaining (that I heard). The organizers (the Midwest Group--MWG) did a wonderful job, a huge amount of work, getting it all together. They found the place, rented it, bought huge amounts of food, decided what we'd eat for each meal. The drivers figured out who would get there in which vehicles when. What a team. People like me just had to show up in the right place, wherever we were told to be, at the right time, whenever we were told to. I screwed up twice, though, and everyone had to wait for me. That was really embarrassing--I don't want to be the person people complain about. "Where is she? How can she keep so many people waiting? Is she shopping?"
When I first got home it almost felt as if I should go to work, then go home to the house we all shared. I know, dorky. We'll get together in a couple of years. Consensus is that the Midwest works probably best for everyone. Makes sense, a central spot. We've got east coast and west coast people. Plus the MWG can get and transport stuff. They've got a rhythm, it seems.
Now that I've been home a week I look at the pictures and think about how nice it was to be part of such an embracing group. We all turned out really well, nice, caring, generous women. Who do interesting things and live interesting lives. I'm the only one who lives alone and there are, I think, only 3 of us who have no children. That bothered me a lot the last times we were together but this time it was not a big deal for me. It was an issue that my life was completely different from anyone else's but now it's just the way it is.
This weekend is the Rogers family annual meeting. Another crowd I'm part of. Not as many people I enjoy being with, I'm afraid. You know how it is--you can pick your friends but you can't pick your relatives. I always feel this way the week before the meeting, but it gets better after the meeting. They're ALL cousins and children of cousins. My mother is the only one of her generation left. I have 11 cousins and they all have children. Most of them have grandchildren. No worry that the family will become extinct, but there aren't many Rogers males in the next generations--only maybe 4 or so. Out of 100 in the family.
I don't want to sound too sappy or goofy, but the Wisconsin trip was really special. We've all been emailing the group, waxing sentimental about how great it was to be together, what a special group we are, etc. It's all true. 17 of us, not a cross word, no complaining (that I heard). The organizers (the Midwest Group--MWG) did a wonderful job, a huge amount of work, getting it all together. They found the place, rented it, bought huge amounts of food, decided what we'd eat for each meal. The drivers figured out who would get there in which vehicles when. What a team. People like me just had to show up in the right place, wherever we were told to be, at the right time, whenever we were told to. I screwed up twice, though, and everyone had to wait for me. That was really embarrassing--I don't want to be the person people complain about. "Where is she? How can she keep so many people waiting? Is she shopping?"
When I first got home it almost felt as if I should go to work, then go home to the house we all shared. I know, dorky. We'll get together in a couple of years. Consensus is that the Midwest works probably best for everyone. Makes sense, a central spot. We've got east coast and west coast people. Plus the MWG can get and transport stuff. They've got a rhythm, it seems.
Now that I've been home a week I look at the pictures and think about how nice it was to be part of such an embracing group. We all turned out really well, nice, caring, generous women. Who do interesting things and live interesting lives. I'm the only one who lives alone and there are, I think, only 3 of us who have no children. That bothered me a lot the last times we were together but this time it was not a big deal for me. It was an issue that my life was completely different from anyone else's but now it's just the way it is.
This weekend is the Rogers family annual meeting. Another crowd I'm part of. Not as many people I enjoy being with, I'm afraid. You know how it is--you can pick your friends but you can't pick your relatives. I always feel this way the week before the meeting, but it gets better after the meeting. They're ALL cousins and children of cousins. My mother is the only one of her generation left. I have 11 cousins and they all have children. Most of them have grandchildren. No worry that the family will become extinct, but there aren't many Rogers males in the next generations--only maybe 4 or so. Out of 100 in the family.
Majestic Pines
Yes, this is where we were. And yes, it's called Majestic Pines. No, no one else was there. The caretaker said it cost $1.5 million to build and that the owners got carried away when they started building it. It's pretty nice inside but I sure don't like orange buildings. It was a great place for us to be together, though. We need to find a place like this every time we get together. Not very expensive when you divide the cost by all of us.
wisc july 08 013
Our bedroom. I slept on the top. Priscilla and Pat were generous enough to sleep in the double on the bottom. The place sleeps 27, with lots of people sharing beds. There are 3 bedrooms like this downstairs. I'm not sure how they came up with a total of 27, but we fit 17 the first night.
wisc july 08 017
We didn't even make a dent in these bottles. Mostly we drank beer and vodka (Cosmos). With 15 people you drink a lot of vodka, but at our age you don't get very drunk. We sure are past that.
Mornings
This is where we had our morning coffee & first visit of the day. Those of us who got up before 7 sat here for a while having a nice peaceful visit. It was nice having the group grow and grow and more people got up. We spent lots of time in our pajamas. I didn't buy pajamas but wore the nightgown I use for conferences. I don't like p.j.s or nightgowns. too constricting. No more details about night time attire.
wisc july 08 060
This would probably be the sitting room, if you wanted to identify areas in the downstairs. Taken from the living room, looking toward the kitchen.
wisc july 08 077
This looks pretty strange--the chairs are encircling the fire pit. Apparently the previous tenants left a mess in the pit. The wood we could have used was wet from the rain so we never had a fire. I think these chairs look sort of strange, anyway.
wisc july 08 090
The hot tub, which didn't get used in the 80+ degree weather. It wasn't just that the weather wasnt hot-tubworthy, we just didn't have time.
wisc july 08 074
Trees in the woods next to the house. Looks like a painting by some famous painter. sort of.
wisc july 08 085
Typical mealtime scene. The kitchen was less magnificent that the rest of the place but it was, as kitchen's are, a nice gathering place. And the bar was useful.
wisc july 08 106
The living room, looking down from the upstairs (obviously). Ostentasion (word?) at its American finest.
fit for a queen
who in their right mind would have a bed like this? This is the bed in the master suite. How queer is it?
naturally
Looks like a charity march, but it's our nature walk. It was a bird walk but I spent most of the time identifying wildflowers. The only bird I saw that was new to me was a yellowthroat. Something new to add to my list. Plus I learned to identify some familiar calls. Will I remember them? well ...
a mystery
Does anyone know what this is? I can't find it in any wildflower books or on the web. It's all green except at the top, like a poinsettia. Hey, wait--maybe it's some sort of wild poinsettia. Oh, I give up. Some things just weren't meant to be identified. I'm not sure I can deal with that.
Duck duck goose
Here's a Duck. This is what you ride on through the Dells. They're amphibious vehicles, left over from WWII. They were used to land troops on beaches (did you see Saving Private Ryan?). First you go through a bunch of woods, then you go into the Wisconsin River (and your goofy medical student tour guide named Sean tells you he's locking up the wheels and dropping down the propeller--before he tells you some more really stupid jokes).
The rock formations are pretty and it was nice to see sandstone again. I think I already talked about that. The rivers in the midwest are so different from our rivers here. They don't call the Mississippi Big Muddy for nothin'.
The rock formations are pretty and it was nice to see sandstone again. I think I already talked about that. The rivers in the midwest are so different from our rivers here. They don't call the Mississippi Big Muddy for nothin'.
Highland school
Here's a picture of those of us who went to Highland Elementary School together. Some of us were in the same Brownie troop (we met in Debbie Springer's basement, her mother was troop leader). Someone could have told me my hair makes me look as if I just came out of a birth canal. Anyway, I like this picture. These people have known me longer than anyone except my family and I think that's really cool.
We moved 6 times before I was in 3rd grade and it made me feel geographically transitory for the rest of my life. Hawkeye is the only geographical stability my siblings and I had. That was really important to my brother. And me.
We moved 6 times before I was in 3rd grade and it made me feel geographically transitory for the rest of my life. Hawkeye is the only geographical stability my siblings and I had. That was really important to my brother. And me.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Last supper
We're trying to eat most of the food left in the house tonight but we can't even come close. We have leftovers from the restaurant last night, plus food the Midwestern contingent brought. There is the equivalent of a small grocery store still here and they're spending a lot of time trying to figure out who will take what home. Luckily those of us flying home have nothing to do with these discussions.
Still very hot and humid, blazing sun today. I got up at 5:45 this morning, plugged in the coffee pots and waited for everyone else to get up. We spent the day in Madison, first going to the broadcast of an NPR show (What d'ya know?). We got to be on the air (listen for the broadcast where he crashes Rockford and introduces the Potluckers one by one--I'm Betsy Rogers, of course). After that we walked to the farmers' market, through broiling streets, then went to a great restaurant/brew pub and had lots of great beer and food. Long hot walk to the cars, then drove around the UW campus, which made us all wish either we or our children would go there. Got ice cream at the student union (like the Univ.of Vermont, UW's ag people make their own ice cream). Some of us sat by the lake but most thought it was too smelly. Well yes, it was, but there were nice ducks there and I miss the water.
Long tiring ride home. Everyone faded and tired but we've all perked up. Now eating leftovers and drinking various combinations of vodka, cranberry juice, ice, etc. Cosmos, etc. Lots of conversations taking place in several places, such a companionable thing.
Friday, July 18, 2008
DROP 2
Field trip #2 for today works out well because there are 14 of us so we fit in 2 vehicles. Our morning trip was complicated because we had to put 8 in each van. We went birdwatching (with a guide, of course) in the John Muir woods. J.M. was from Wisconsin and those who know that are very proud. We saw several kinds of birds, the most exciting of which for me was a yellowthroat. That was my first one. Others I'd seen before but we also saw several sandhill cranes, one pretty close up so that was cool. Mostly I spent time identifying wildflowers, which I liked because they are prairie flowers, some are different from ours, but they're all open field flowers. I found one plant I absolutely cannot identify so I took lots of pictures and the search is on.
Yesterday we spent lots of time hanging around the house. Kathy, the organizer of these trips, decided we should play indoor badminton, so she rearranged the living room furniture and we did that for a while. Didn't break anything and had plenty of fun. Last night we watched the director's cut of Woodstock, lots of our old music. I looked through the entire yearbook from our senior year. Yes, my old boyfriend really was a cute as I remember. I found the whole thing sort of sad, which surprised me. We're talking about going to our 40th reunion, which is in 2 years. Interesting thought, and wouldn't be bad as long as enough of us went.
The nearest town is Oxford, pop. 350. Tonight in the corner bar there's a Coyote Ugly contest. We're going to a supper club, though, so no dice. Here in the Midwest there are supper clubs--restaurants with big appetizer tables, relaxed atmosphere like a family place. There was one in the North Country that Jamie and I used to go to a lot, then Ralph, Lin and I went to every Friday night. It closed but I think has reopened. It's called the North Country Club--see? a supper club.
Still hot, humid and buggy here. Lots of hungry mosquitos. This afternoon we might go on a Duck ride. Ducks are amphibious vehicles (the kind used in WWII for landing the troops on the shore) and they give you rides around the Dells. The Wisconsin Dells are a series of sandstone chasms through water. It would be great to see sandstone walls again--that's one thing you absolutely do not see in the Northeast, nor is there much limestone.
On to the next stop
Field trip #2 for today works out well because there are 14 of us so we fit in 2 vehicles. Our morning trip was complicated because we had to put 8 in each van. We went birdwatching (with a guide, of course) in the John Muir woods. J.M. was from Wisconsin and those who know that are very proud. We saw several kinds of birds, the most exciting of which for me was a yellowthroat. That was my first one. Others I'd seen before but we also saw several sandhill cranes, one pretty close up so that was cool. Mostly I spent time identifying wildflowers, which I liked because they are prairie flowers, some are different from ours, but they're all open field flowers. I found one plant I absolutely cannot identify so I took lots of pictures and the search is on.
Yesterday we spent lots of time hanging around the house. Kathy, the organizer of these trips, decided we should play indoor badminton, so she rearranged the living room furniture and we did that for a while. Didn't break anything and had plenty of fun. Last night we watched the director's cut of Woodstock, lots of our old music. I looked through the entire yearbook from our senior year. Yes, my old boyfriend really was a cute as I remember. I found the whole thing sort of sad, which surprised me. We're talking about going to our 40th reunion, which is in 2 years. Interesting thought, and wouldn't be bad as long as enough of us went.
The nearest town is Oxford, pop. 350. Tonight in the corner bar there's a Coyote Ugly contest. We're going to a supper club, though, so no dice. Here in the Midwest there are supper clubs--restaurants with big appetizer tables, relaxed atmosphere like a family place. There was one in the North Country that Jamie and I used to go to a lot, then Ralph, Lin and I went to every Friday night. It closed but I think has reopened. It's called the North Country Club--see? a supper club.
Still hot, humid and buggy here. Lots of hungry mosquitos. This afternoon we might go on a Duck ride. Ducks are amphibious vehicles (the kind used in WWII for landing the troops on the shore) and they give you rides around the Dells. The Wisconsin Dells are a series of sandstone chasms through water. It would be great to see sandstone walls again--that's one thing you absolutely do not see in the Northeast, nor is there much limestone.
On to the next stop
Thursday, July 17, 2008
AMERICA'S DAIRYLAND
Here I am, with 16 of my closest friends, nestled in the woods of Wisconsin. Last night there were 17 of us here, one is leaving now to take her kids and horses to St. Louis to compete. These are my friends from elementary school, Brownies, Girl Scouts, Jr.High & Sr High school. This is only the 3rd time I've been a member of this reunion group--they gathered twice before I joined them. The first gathering was for our 40th birthdays, then it was every 5 years but now it's more often. We just decided we'd get together in 2 years at Lake Tahoe, then for our 60th birthdays we'd rent a villa in Tuscany. Since we've been talking about Tuscany for a while, this may actually happen.
We all grew up in Rockford (Ill.) together, so when we get together we all become totally Midwestern. We've got 2 living in Calif., 1 in Montana, 1 in Ohio, 1 in Va., me in the Adks., 2 in Wisc., several in Ill. and maybe some I've forgotten. I always forget how much I have in common with these women and how nice it is to visit with them. There are always several conversations going on, with a couple of us off in private. I've been reading my book group book a little, joining in conversations some, taking pictures, enjoying the whole thing. We went on a walk this morning but it's sooooo hot & humid (soooo Midwestern). Lots of mosquitoes, too. Two of us headed back early and saw a doe & 2 fawns, very nice.
We're staying in a huge log lodge, which supposedly cost $1.5 million to build. It's not that attractive, just too big with too many huge pine beams, but it accommodates us well. Hysterically funny and complicated showers with side jets and steam. Kathy, our leader, gave strict instructions that everyone was to have to figure out how to use it alone: no hints or instructions from those who knew how.
Tomorrow morning we're going on a bird hike. This morning one of us demonstrated hula hooping as exercise, in front of a video. We haven't warmed up the hot tub yet. Last night we drank a WHOLE lot of vodka and beer (not together) but we're old and go to bed pretty early. I'm sleeping on the top bunk--shades of college.
Uh--oh, cocktail time. Bonnie keeps asking for bloody Marys, but that's only because we have no tomato juice and she says she doesn't want to succumb to peer pressure and have to drink.
Here I am, with 16 of my closest friends, nestled in the woods of Wisconsin. Last night there were 17 of us here, one is leaving now to take her kids and horses to St. Louis to compete. These are my friends from elementary school, Brownies, Girl Scouts, Jr.High & Sr High school. This is only the 3rd time I've been a member of this reunion group--they gathered twice before I joined them. The first gathering was for our 40th birthdays, then it was every 5 years but now it's more often. We just decided we'd get together in 2 years at Lake Tahoe, then for our 60th birthdays we'd rent a villa in Tuscany. Since we've been talking about Tuscany for a while, this may actually happen.
We all grew up in Rockford (Ill.) together, so when we get together we all become totally Midwestern. We've got 2 living in Calif., 1 in Montana, 1 in Ohio, 1 in Va., me in the Adks., 2 in Wisc., several in Ill. and maybe some I've forgotten. I always forget how much I have in common with these women and how nice it is to visit with them. There are always several conversations going on, with a couple of us off in private. I've been reading my book group book a little, joining in conversations some, taking pictures, enjoying the whole thing. We went on a walk this morning but it's sooooo hot & humid (soooo Midwestern). Lots of mosquitoes, too. Two of us headed back early and saw a doe & 2 fawns, very nice.
We're staying in a huge log lodge, which supposedly cost $1.5 million to build. It's not that attractive, just too big with too many huge pine beams, but it accommodates us well. Hysterically funny and complicated showers with side jets and steam. Kathy, our leader, gave strict instructions that everyone was to have to figure out how to use it alone: no hints or instructions from those who knew how.
Tomorrow morning we're going on a bird hike. This morning one of us demonstrated hula hooping as exercise, in front of a video. We haven't warmed up the hot tub yet. Last night we drank a WHOLE lot of vodka and beer (not together) but we're old and go to bed pretty early. I'm sleeping on the top bunk--shades of college.
Uh--oh, cocktail time. Bonnie keeps asking for bloody Marys, but that's only because we have no tomato juice and she says she doesn't want to succumb to peer pressure and have to drink.
Monday, July 14, 2008
july dock 028
july dock 028
Originally uploaded by woodsrun
There is a loon family on the lake--a mom, dad and fuzzy baby. A few of us have been watching them for a while. First we worried that a pike would snap up the baby, then that an osprey would, now that an eagle might. Have to worry about something, I guess.
favorite sight
For some reason I love this view. Looking down the lake from the boat house. It's funny that I like this, since what you see are other camps. I just like the way the boughs of the hemlock tree grace the view. Hemlocks are feathery and are one of my favorite trees.
Life on the lake is pretty good these days. Our camp is empty, after some cousins' week-long visit after the 4th of July, and a work weekend before that. I've been staying in the boat house a lot. It's been hot and humid, and I stay there when night temps are around 60 (is it because I'm a cataloger that I tend to live my life by absolutes?). That means I've been there a lot lately, but then the temps dipped into the 40's and I made the cat happy by staying at home.
There's a fair amount of boat traffic, especially on Saturdays. It was a wonderful dock day on Sat. I stayed home all morning because Bill's Boyz were stacking my firewood and I feel I should keep them company (they don't need to be supervised at this point). I got some gardening done, too. I got to read on the dock most of the afternoon while Jenica was here. Great stuff! Except that I was reading a preview copy of The history of the donut. My review is due today. The book was getting better, but it's awfully repetitive. There's not that much to say about the history of fried dough with a hole in the middle.
It was a busy weekend. Sat. afternoon we had a meeting of our shoreowners' association (called Hawkeye Conservationists--it started out as an organization fighting an extreme development planned in the '70s, now is just sort of a social thing) We do water testing, invasive species testing, a newsletter (that Linda and I do), we have a big treasury, we sound the alarm when someone threatens to break the rules big time. We used to sponsor sailing races, which were great. Anyway, we had our meeting with very few attendees but it was good anyway.
Last night there was a cocktail party at one of the new camps, held to what? maybe recruit new members? of the Adirondack Council, a big and very wealthy conservation organization. The Council has been a big help to us in recent times, paying for legal help in one case. It was a nice gathering, even when an hour after it started Jamie and Mrs. Jamie arrived. People from the Council had grilled me when I arrived about my connection to Jamie, then I found out why. A couple of the employees were sort of nervous. After the speeches, during the mingling I whispered to Jamie that we had to pretend we were friends to make everyone happy.
Later (after about 2/3 of a bottle of wine --yes, I know, I shouldn't drink very much) I talked to him--the turd monkey has never initiated a conversation with me--and he was pleased and his old self, like his 30 year old self. He remembers every detail of my house, which seems sort of sad but may come in handy.
Day after tomorrow I'm off to Wisconsin to reune with my high/junior high school friends. We do this every few years. There are about 14-15 of us (one year there were 18). We've all been emailing like crazy I'm looking forward to seeing them all.
Life on the lake is pretty good these days. Our camp is empty, after some cousins' week-long visit after the 4th of July, and a work weekend before that. I've been staying in the boat house a lot. It's been hot and humid, and I stay there when night temps are around 60 (is it because I'm a cataloger that I tend to live my life by absolutes?). That means I've been there a lot lately, but then the temps dipped into the 40's and I made the cat happy by staying at home.
There's a fair amount of boat traffic, especially on Saturdays. It was a wonderful dock day on Sat. I stayed home all morning because Bill's Boyz were stacking my firewood and I feel I should keep them company (they don't need to be supervised at this point). I got some gardening done, too. I got to read on the dock most of the afternoon while Jenica was here. Great stuff! Except that I was reading a preview copy of The history of the donut. My review is due today. The book was getting better, but it's awfully repetitive. There's not that much to say about the history of fried dough with a hole in the middle.
It was a busy weekend. Sat. afternoon we had a meeting of our shoreowners' association (called Hawkeye Conservationists--it started out as an organization fighting an extreme development planned in the '70s, now is just sort of a social thing) We do water testing, invasive species testing, a newsletter (that Linda and I do), we have a big treasury, we sound the alarm when someone threatens to break the rules big time. We used to sponsor sailing races, which were great. Anyway, we had our meeting with very few attendees but it was good anyway.
Last night there was a cocktail party at one of the new camps, held to what? maybe recruit new members? of the Adirondack Council, a big and very wealthy conservation organization. The Council has been a big help to us in recent times, paying for legal help in one case. It was a nice gathering, even when an hour after it started Jamie and Mrs. Jamie arrived. People from the Council had grilled me when I arrived about my connection to Jamie, then I found out why. A couple of the employees were sort of nervous. After the speeches, during the mingling I whispered to Jamie that we had to pretend we were friends to make everyone happy.
Later (after about 2/3 of a bottle of wine --yes, I know, I shouldn't drink very much) I talked to him--the turd monkey has never initiated a conversation with me--and he was pleased and his old self, like his 30 year old self. He remembers every detail of my house, which seems sort of sad but may come in handy.
Day after tomorrow I'm off to Wisconsin to reune with my high/junior high school friends. We do this every few years. There are about 14-15 of us (one year there were 18). We've all been emailing like crazy I'm looking forward to seeing them all.
as always
It never really changes--Silver Lake Mtn from the boat house at sunrise. Always pretty, always dramatic. Rearrange the clouds, move the sun around.
Prettiest girl
Is there are prettier site? Chances likes to pose alone on the end of the dock. As well she should.
When I took another test my sister posted I turned out to be the BULLY. Insecure, the kind of person who steals kids' lunch money. How discouraging. I much prefer this one--
I am NOT the quiet type, however. Everyone knows that. I'm only 33% intelligent?
Humility
Humility is your strongest virtue. You are humble.
Humility is the defining characteristic of an unpretentious and modest person, someone who does not think that he or she is better or more important than others. And you? When you do the right thing, you're doing it for all the right reasons. All 7 virtues are a part of you, but your humility runs deepest.
It is likely you're a quiet type. But if not, then you just have dark, secret side that loves to give.
Humble famous people: JD Salinger, Isaac Newton, Harry Potter (pre-puberty)
Your raw relative scores follow. 0% is low, and 100% is perfect, nearly impossible. Note that I pitted the virtues against each other, so in some way these are relative scores. It's impossible to score high on all of them, and a low score on one is just relatively low compared to the other virtues.
YOUR VIRTUES
40% Compassion
33% Intelligence
63% Humility
56% Honesty
13% Discipline
43% Courage
25% Passion
+ 'Quickly! Before the monkeys come: Take The Best Thing About You Test'
I am NOT the quiet type, however. Everyone knows that. I'm only 33% intelligent?
Humility
Humility is your strongest virtue. You are humble.
Humility is the defining characteristic of an unpretentious and modest person, someone who does not think that he or she is better or more important than others. And you? When you do the right thing, you're doing it for all the right reasons. All 7 virtues are a part of you, but your humility runs deepest.
It is likely you're a quiet type. But if not, then you just have dark, secret side that loves to give.
Humble famous people: JD Salinger, Isaac Newton, Harry Potter (pre-puberty)
Your raw relative scores follow. 0% is low, and 100% is perfect, nearly impossible. Note that I pitted the virtues against each other, so in some way these are relative scores. It's impossible to score high on all of them, and a low score on one is just relatively low compared to the other virtues.
YOUR VIRTUES
40% Compassion
33% Intelligence
63% Humility
56% Honesty
13% Discipline
43% Courage
25% Passion
+ 'Quickly! Before the monkeys come: Take The Best Thing About You Test'
Friday, June 20, 2008
LCT
A few weeks ago I went to Burlington (VT) for doctors' visits. From Plattsburgh you take a ferry across Lake Champlain. At this crossing they run 3 ferries during the day, down to 1 at night. The ferry runs 24 hrs. a day, 365 days a year. Winter crossings are cool because the boat makes a channel through the ice and the channel closes behind the boat. The ice makes a bump bump bump noise as it hits the hull. I love it but it scares some people. Sometimes the lake is so rough that waves splash high enough to wash over the cars.
I took the scariest ride ever one March with Julie. The boat couldn't go straight across because of the wind and waves so we went way up the lake. When we got to the other side my car was encased in ice. Right after we came home they stopped running the ferry. I thought the Coast Guard was going to have to rescue us. It was totally scary. Only once that I remember has a ferry sunk, and only cars were lost, no people. That was at least 30 years ago.
I took the scariest ride ever one March with Julie. The boat couldn't go straight across because of the wind and waves so we went way up the lake. When we got to the other side my car was encased in ice. Right after we came home they stopped running the ferry. I thought the Coast Guard was going to have to rescue us. It was totally scary. Only once that I remember has a ferry sunk, and only cars were lost, no people. That was at least 30 years ago.
Who'll stack this?
Here's the firewood I bought the other day. It's 4 cords, cost $280. We used to pay $35/cord, now we pay $70. Supply and demand--the American way.
lonely blossoms
This is all that's in bloom in my yard right now. Lemon lilies that I stole from a camp down the road.
Plant cruelty
You can see why Fred has founded the Silver Lake Society for Plant Protection. He and I feel strongly that you should never be cruel to plants. Apparently I don't feel as strongly about it as he does. I took this picture earlier this week, though, and last night I spent a long time planting annuals. Almost all of them, in fact. Now I have a bunch of perennials, which are harder because you have to find them a permanent home. I also have more annuals, but they will go in the ground.
I fall for the same thing every year--high hopes that THIS year will be the one I'll be a good gardener, a conscientious one who plants things as soon as she gets them home. Being a cataloger, though, seems to mean that I have to have them all together in one place before I decide what to do with each one. Must see them as a group before dealing with individual ones.
I fall for the same thing every year--high hopes that THIS year will be the one I'll be a good gardener, a conscientious one who plants things as soon as she gets them home. Being a cataloger, though, seems to mean that I have to have them all together in one place before I decide what to do with each one. Must see them as a group before dealing with individual ones.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Who's weather is this?
It's been hot and humid--Midwesterly hot and humid--for about 10 days here. This is so atypical and unwelcome. A couple of days, sure, but for this long? Just not right. Last week the black flies were so thick you really couldn't do any outdoor chores without appropriate coverage. I have a great bug shirt--fine mesh, long sleeves with elastic at cuffs and waist, with a hood. It's not comfortable, but I can plant, mow, function outside for short periods of time. Too hot in it to stay out long, plus you have to wear long pants. Anyway I mowed my lawn last week, and kept on going to the side part that I'd decided was too much work to mow. Wow it looks great.
Black fly season has ended but mosquitoes are fierce. I like to keep the door open at night but just can't. Dogs have a great time when I get home from work because they go in & out, in & out. Cat does too. We have a good life at Woods Run. Yes, in our neighborhood we name our houses and camps. Linda's is Trail's End. Fred's is Pinewood. Bill has The Owl and Morningside (he has two). Neighbors have Rappahannock Lodge. And Cammoosie (which makes me laugh because that's what we called out outhouses, saying it meant "little house in the woods")--we think those people are sort of jerks, they have solar lights lining both sides of their driveway so it looks like a landing strip at night. Very un-camp like. And on it goes.
Today I go to West Chazy, one of our smallest libraries. Really tiny. I'm weeding their adult non-fiction. Two trips of 2 hours each and it's done. A surprisingly good collection, built mostly from donations because they hardly have a book budget. The board recently agreed on a $200/month book budget, not bad for some of our libraries. That's adult & juvenile.
Tomorrow it's Saranac Lake again. I'm making progress on the collection--have worked up to the N's, but the S's will take a long time (Robert Louis Stevenson).
I have my big booger goldfish on the shelf above my desk. I brought him back from RI at Easter--he was bullying the other fish in Liza & Mark's tank, had grown much bigger so they were happy to get rid of him. He's big, more than 4", and in a small tank. He goes back & forth, up & down all day. When I get stuck or bored I stare at him. Do I feel cruel, keeping him in such a small tank? yes, pretty much. But that's all I really have room for. He's waiting for me every morning when the lights come on, in the corner where I feed him. I don't think he's a very nice fish, and I don't think he appreciates the nice life he has here.
Must catalog DVD of The return of Rin Tin Tin and graphic novel Diary of a wimpy kid. I hate graphic novels. Whose idea were they? Oh yeah, blame the Japanese.
It's been hot and humid--Midwesterly hot and humid--for about 10 days here. This is so atypical and unwelcome. A couple of days, sure, but for this long? Just not right. Last week the black flies were so thick you really couldn't do any outdoor chores without appropriate coverage. I have a great bug shirt--fine mesh, long sleeves with elastic at cuffs and waist, with a hood. It's not comfortable, but I can plant, mow, function outside for short periods of time. Too hot in it to stay out long, plus you have to wear long pants. Anyway I mowed my lawn last week, and kept on going to the side part that I'd decided was too much work to mow. Wow it looks great.
Black fly season has ended but mosquitoes are fierce. I like to keep the door open at night but just can't. Dogs have a great time when I get home from work because they go in & out, in & out. Cat does too. We have a good life at Woods Run. Yes, in our neighborhood we name our houses and camps. Linda's is Trail's End. Fred's is Pinewood. Bill has The Owl and Morningside (he has two). Neighbors have Rappahannock Lodge. And Cammoosie (which makes me laugh because that's what we called out outhouses, saying it meant "little house in the woods")--we think those people are sort of jerks, they have solar lights lining both sides of their driveway so it looks like a landing strip at night. Very un-camp like. And on it goes.
Today I go to West Chazy, one of our smallest libraries. Really tiny. I'm weeding their adult non-fiction. Two trips of 2 hours each and it's done. A surprisingly good collection, built mostly from donations because they hardly have a book budget. The board recently agreed on a $200/month book budget, not bad for some of our libraries. That's adult & juvenile.
Tomorrow it's Saranac Lake again. I'm making progress on the collection--have worked up to the N's, but the S's will take a long time (Robert Louis Stevenson).
I have my big booger goldfish on the shelf above my desk. I brought him back from RI at Easter--he was bullying the other fish in Liza & Mark's tank, had grown much bigger so they were happy to get rid of him. He's big, more than 4", and in a small tank. He goes back & forth, up & down all day. When I get stuck or bored I stare at him. Do I feel cruel, keeping him in such a small tank? yes, pretty much. But that's all I really have room for. He's waiting for me every morning when the lights come on, in the corner where I feed him. I don't think he's a very nice fish, and I don't think he appreciates the nice life he has here.
Must catalog DVD of The return of Rin Tin Tin and graphic novel Diary of a wimpy kid. I hate graphic novels. Whose idea were they? Oh yeah, blame the Japanese.
Friday, June 13, 2008
At last!
Hey--where've I been? Nowhere, really, just busy. I spend one day a week in Saranac Lake so my days at CEF are full of more cataloging and book selection, etc. My time in Saranac Lake is getting to be very nice. I used to sort of dread it--hated to leave my regular work behind. Now I look forward to seeing Michele, to cataloging the stuff there, to our little lunch club. The stuff I catalog runs the gamut, sometimes NYS Museum bulletins about the geology of specific quadrangles (blech), lots of times reminiscences of tuberculosis patients (vaguely interesting), sometimes family histories (full of tributes to ancestors), some biographies of famous people who have a connection to Saranac Lake. I finally figured out Bela Bartok's connection--he composed several works while staying in a cottage on the lake there. Anyway it's peaceful, stimulating and entertaining work. Michele and I have worked out a good arrangement--we talk just enough, not too much but enough to keep each other company and awake.
The bugs are especially bad this year--black flies are voracious and plentiful. No-see-ums especially fecund. Mosquitoes are everywhere. Bats are dying like crazy, from some disease they can't figure out, so there's speculation that bugs have no predators. I think it's just one of those years, and we've been lucky for the past several years. The no-see-ums are so bad that, sitting in my living room at night they're all over me and I even have phantom bugs biting me. There's one! No, nothing there. Aha! got one. yes, that was one. On and on.
We had a horrible hot spell that kept me inside and inactive but it finally cooled off. I spent most of my time at Linda's--she's here for the summer, newly retired. We're seeing each other just about every day, and talk on the phone when we don't see each other. Fred joins us most evenings. He's started his new job as college president so the 3 of us talk about our days. Very companionable. Bill's been around a lot so it's really pleasant. Last night Linda "encouraged" me to leave early and I was motivated enough to mow the lawn and plant some flowers. Fred says the Silver Lake Society for Plant Protection is watching me closely to make sure I take good care of the dozens of plants I bought and must get in the ground. He and I have the same feeling, that plants shouldn't be neglected and it's awful to see them suffer. Apparently I don't have the same intensity of feeling that he does, though, since my plants continue to sit in their 6-packs and pots, miserably waiting for attention. Bad, bad me. I'll do work on them this weekend. yes.
Firewood delivery tonight. Must be home by 6. This morning I spent 10 minutes staring into space, reliving the year after I graduated from college (some good memories, some bad) so I didn't leave as early as usual. Luckily I was home to answer the phone when Lee called to tell me he'd be there at 6 with the wood. Sometimes he just shows up, but tonight is a Ken night, then probably a follow-up trip to Linda's, so I wouldn't haven been home.
Spent some time in the boat house, got to spend the night there once. It has to be around 60 at night for me to stay there--any colder and I suffer. It was almost 70 that night and hot. I spent that evening and most of the next day on the porch reading. What a luxury. I'd hoped to stay there this weekend but the butthole husband of the butthole cousin is supposed to be in camp so I'm self-banished from there. He screams at my dogs and kicks them. But he screams at everything, he has to be the center of attention at all times. (guess what? spellcheck doesn't include butthole). The idea of walking my dogs on leashes around the boat house makes me think it's probably not worth it. My bedroom sticks out into the forest and there's usually a nice cold breeze from the woods so it's not too bad. I have to leave the door open to generate a breeze, though, which Tess loves. She pushes the front door open and goes outside, then barks forever until I get up to let her in. High sport. The idea of being outside during the night gives her a real thrill. In Rockford when we were kids there was a curfew for kids, 10:00 I think. We were always afraid the police actually patrolled the streets, looking for kids out past curfew. Once Molly and I got up really early, before curfew was lifted (or so we thought), climbed out of our windows and walked around the neighborhood. We were young and brave.
I just finished writing a review for Library Journal. For some reason they've decided I should review cookbooks and memoirs of cooks that have recipes in them. Anyway, this one is called Cuisines of the Axis of Evil. I had such a hard time writing this review because I wasn't too crazy about the book--but the recipes seemed pretty good. The guy writes all this stuff about the politics, history and culture of 10 evil countries (including the US), then describes their food, then writes recipes for a dinner for 8. I guess you're supposed to educate yourself so you can bore 7 friends telling them how imperialistic America has been and how evil Israel is. The book is amazingly biased. Anyway I wrote a crummy review. I've done better.
Haven't been swimming yet--no docks. Almost went last weekend, it would have felt so good. The water is cold but not unbearable. Hard to get in from the rocky shore. Especially at my age and lack of limberness. I fall a lot when I'm getting in and out. Never get hurt, just end up in the water. The dogs have been having a great time swimming.
I read David Guterson's new book. He wrote Snow Falling on Cedars, which was excellent. The new one is The Other. It's really good, just as I expected. Today I was talking books with a member director--we agreed that Lonesome Dove is one of the best books ever written and that The Kite Runner was fantastic. She said I must, must read The Book Thief. Then she said Death is the narrator. I moaned but she insisted it was one of the best books she's read. OK, maybe I'll bring it up at the next meeting of our book group. Last month we read Emma and none of us could stand it. Only M'lou finished it, brave soul. So what is the big deal about Jane Austen, anyway? I really couldn't stand reading her. Is this a fundamental character flaw? Have I missed the critical period in my life when I would have enjoyed reading her?
Must wrap things up so I can get out of here posthaste. Hardware store for bolt to fix wheelbarrow. Liquor store for wine for Sunday dinner. Grocery store for soy milk, milk for yogurt and apples. Will I really limit myself to that? A test of willpower. I will not pass.
Hey--where've I been? Nowhere, really, just busy. I spend one day a week in Saranac Lake so my days at CEF are full of more cataloging and book selection, etc. My time in Saranac Lake is getting to be very nice. I used to sort of dread it--hated to leave my regular work behind. Now I look forward to seeing Michele, to cataloging the stuff there, to our little lunch club. The stuff I catalog runs the gamut, sometimes NYS Museum bulletins about the geology of specific quadrangles (blech), lots of times reminiscences of tuberculosis patients (vaguely interesting), sometimes family histories (full of tributes to ancestors), some biographies of famous people who have a connection to Saranac Lake. I finally figured out Bela Bartok's connection--he composed several works while staying in a cottage on the lake there. Anyway it's peaceful, stimulating and entertaining work. Michele and I have worked out a good arrangement--we talk just enough, not too much but enough to keep each other company and awake.
The bugs are especially bad this year--black flies are voracious and plentiful. No-see-ums especially fecund. Mosquitoes are everywhere. Bats are dying like crazy, from some disease they can't figure out, so there's speculation that bugs have no predators. I think it's just one of those years, and we've been lucky for the past several years. The no-see-ums are so bad that, sitting in my living room at night they're all over me and I even have phantom bugs biting me. There's one! No, nothing there. Aha! got one. yes, that was one. On and on.
We had a horrible hot spell that kept me inside and inactive but it finally cooled off. I spent most of my time at Linda's--she's here for the summer, newly retired. We're seeing each other just about every day, and talk on the phone when we don't see each other. Fred joins us most evenings. He's started his new job as college president so the 3 of us talk about our days. Very companionable. Bill's been around a lot so it's really pleasant. Last night Linda "encouraged" me to leave early and I was motivated enough to mow the lawn and plant some flowers. Fred says the Silver Lake Society for Plant Protection is watching me closely to make sure I take good care of the dozens of plants I bought and must get in the ground. He and I have the same feeling, that plants shouldn't be neglected and it's awful to see them suffer. Apparently I don't have the same intensity of feeling that he does, though, since my plants continue to sit in their 6-packs and pots, miserably waiting for attention. Bad, bad me. I'll do work on them this weekend. yes.
Firewood delivery tonight. Must be home by 6. This morning I spent 10 minutes staring into space, reliving the year after I graduated from college (some good memories, some bad) so I didn't leave as early as usual. Luckily I was home to answer the phone when Lee called to tell me he'd be there at 6 with the wood. Sometimes he just shows up, but tonight is a Ken night, then probably a follow-up trip to Linda's, so I wouldn't haven been home.
Spent some time in the boat house, got to spend the night there once. It has to be around 60 at night for me to stay there--any colder and I suffer. It was almost 70 that night and hot. I spent that evening and most of the next day on the porch reading. What a luxury. I'd hoped to stay there this weekend but the butthole husband of the butthole cousin is supposed to be in camp so I'm self-banished from there. He screams at my dogs and kicks them. But he screams at everything, he has to be the center of attention at all times. (guess what? spellcheck doesn't include butthole). The idea of walking my dogs on leashes around the boat house makes me think it's probably not worth it. My bedroom sticks out into the forest and there's usually a nice cold breeze from the woods so it's not too bad. I have to leave the door open to generate a breeze, though, which Tess loves. She pushes the front door open and goes outside, then barks forever until I get up to let her in. High sport. The idea of being outside during the night gives her a real thrill. In Rockford when we were kids there was a curfew for kids, 10:00 I think. We were always afraid the police actually patrolled the streets, looking for kids out past curfew. Once Molly and I got up really early, before curfew was lifted (or so we thought), climbed out of our windows and walked around the neighborhood. We were young and brave.
I just finished writing a review for Library Journal. For some reason they've decided I should review cookbooks and memoirs of cooks that have recipes in them. Anyway, this one is called Cuisines of the Axis of Evil. I had such a hard time writing this review because I wasn't too crazy about the book--but the recipes seemed pretty good. The guy writes all this stuff about the politics, history and culture of 10 evil countries (including the US), then describes their food, then writes recipes for a dinner for 8. I guess you're supposed to educate yourself so you can bore 7 friends telling them how imperialistic America has been and how evil Israel is. The book is amazingly biased. Anyway I wrote a crummy review. I've done better.
Haven't been swimming yet--no docks. Almost went last weekend, it would have felt so good. The water is cold but not unbearable. Hard to get in from the rocky shore. Especially at my age and lack of limberness. I fall a lot when I'm getting in and out. Never get hurt, just end up in the water. The dogs have been having a great time swimming.
I read David Guterson's new book. He wrote Snow Falling on Cedars, which was excellent. The new one is The Other. It's really good, just as I expected. Today I was talking books with a member director--we agreed that Lonesome Dove is one of the best books ever written and that The Kite Runner was fantastic. She said I must, must read The Book Thief. Then she said Death is the narrator. I moaned but she insisted it was one of the best books she's read. OK, maybe I'll bring it up at the next meeting of our book group. Last month we read Emma and none of us could stand it. Only M'lou finished it, brave soul. So what is the big deal about Jane Austen, anyway? I really couldn't stand reading her. Is this a fundamental character flaw? Have I missed the critical period in my life when I would have enjoyed reading her?
Must wrap things up so I can get out of here posthaste. Hardware store for bolt to fix wheelbarrow. Liquor store for wine for Sunday dinner. Grocery store for soy milk, milk for yogurt and apples. Will I really limit myself to that? A test of willpower. I will not pass.
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