Friday

A nice man told me a vaguely funny joke while we were both pumping gas this morning.  He was a stranger who thought it was a good thing to have it be Friday.  It's a beautiful morning--who could argue with him.  I won't repeat the joke, it wasn't that funny, but it was a nice exchange on my way to work.

I stayed in the boat house last night, at Linda's urging.  It wasn't as warm as I like to have it but neither was it cold, temp in the 50's.  I walked down with the dogs in an attempt to give all of us a little exercise.  I finished reading Jewelweed, by David Rhodes and I liked the ending very much (it's a happy ending, which my friend Barb always likes).  The lake was quiet EXCEPT for one jet-ski that kept going round and round the lake.  Well, the view doesn't change from one pass to the next, but this person was having a grand time annoying everyone on the lake.  He finally had some engine trouble and went home.  Then the loons started...they were really loud, very close to the boat house right when I was trying to go to sleep.  Not really a bad sound to doze off to.

I had a nice week, good visits with people.  I saw the Kokosing boys on Monday after they arrived (as opposed to what--BEFORE they arrived?) and again on Tuesday when I delivered a UPS package for them.  They took me out to dinner and we had a nice time.  They were tired from a hard day's working on the dock but we were all cheery.

Weds. I went with Linda to talk about the Conservationists, our lake organization, with the woman who's treasurer and has been involved for a long time.  We were wondering what to do about the lack of participation and apparent interest on the part of our members.  She was encouraging and gave us good ideas for a newsletter, a pamphlet, and mostly just gave us a good pep talk.  She's a very nice woman--she & her husband live on the lake year-round and I see them from time to time.

Work was quiet this week, not much going on.  We did have a union meeting the other day, to get negotiations started.  Although I'm serving on the team (all full-time unit members are, since there are only 6 of us) I don't know if I'll be here by the time the new contract is settled.  Our current contract is a good one to retire under, but this week I feel more like sticking around.  People tell me that, if I can't make up my mind about retiring, it isn't the right time.  Well, some days it sure feels like the right time, but this week not so much.  I don't know.  I do enjoy what I do but I am tired of working and especially of driving to Pbg every day.  Is that a good enough reason to leave?

Dogs are fine.  They sure thought something interesting was in the woods this morning and ran off a couple of times on the way home from camp.  I was smart (finally) and didn't feed them before we walked home so they were very interested in sticking close to me.

Tonight I'll stop at P&J's after doing some shopping.  I have to take a salad to a meeting on Monday in Keene Valley so will get supplies for that.  I think I'll make a quinoa salad, which may or may not be a good thing.  It'll be different at least.

No big plans for the weekend but that doesn't mean much.  I'll try to get the final bags of insulation to the dump and hope to do some cleaning at the boat house.  There's pine pollen all over and is garbage that needs attending to.  It's supposed to be a beautiful, warm and sunny weekend so that may slow me down.  The dock calls...

Favorites

It's one of my favorite times of year in the North Country, clear sunny June weather.  The black flies have been bad in Hawkeye but seem to be dying off (slowly).  I spent some time yesterday sitting on my deck reading (a perennial favorite activity) and the bugs only got bad later in the afternoon.

I had a good, productive weekend.  I went to the dump with a big load, mowed my lawn (again, not as well as Ravi used to) and swept up a bunch of dog hair on Saturday.  Went to Linda's for a nice visit and docktails in the evening.  The lake was peaceful at 5:30 and the sun was out.  It was lovely.

Sunday I met Lin & Ralph to go to the movies (Jersey Boys) but it turned out the matinee we thought was showing wasn't showing in the morning (as advertised) so we went out for a nice breakfast and visit instead.  I had a grand tour of Ralph's impressive garden.  Boy it would be nice to be that motivated!  He has everything neatly growing with wide spaces between rows so he can till.  We had a great garden when we lived on Green Street and Jamie would till it every year.  Tilling makes all the difference.  I quit growing vegetables except for feeble attempts at tomatoes & cukes in containers.  It was Jamie who did the vegetables, I've always done flowers, herbs and perennials.  Except not so much perennials now.  I'm killing off the spot where I had my annual garden because it's been taken over by grass and is worthless.  I'll add dirt next year and try to start all over.

I spent time reading in a quiet living room yesterday afternoon, which was very nice.  I'm reading Jewelweed, a lesser-known book, which is about people in rural Wisconsin.  I'm sure I picked it because I thought "Wisconsin?  That's near Illinois, I bet I'll be able to relate to these people."  Well, not so much, one is an ex-convict, another is his father, and there are 2 very strange boys in the story.  I'm halfway through and am waiting for the point.  All too often I wonder why the author wrote the book.  Oh I'm a harsh critic.

I didn't get to camp during the last week.  It's been chilly at night (too cold to sleep in the boat house) and have been busy after work.  I went shopping Friday after work, made a big mistake and went to Walmart (had to pick up some prints and needed dirt so I figured I'd get groceries there, too).  Today, I guess, is a Canadian holiday, and half of Quebec came to Plattsburgh to celebrate.  Wow it was a mess in that store.  Wow I really can't stand that store.

The Blue Heron boys arrive today.  JK called me last night, Duncan has been emailing, got an email from David over the weekend--geez, they're not TOO excited!  It will be great fun to have them here and they're staying longer than usual, which is a real treat.

Laurel trip

I spent the weekend in Rhode Island, with a side trip to Lexington Mass for my uncle's memorial service.  I went down on a rainy Friday, trip not great, but had left early so I got there mid-afternoon.  The trip to Lexington was fine but boy is there a lot of traffic in northern RI and southern Mass!  Wow I was impressed, especially for a Saturday morning.

The service was fine.  I did fine until they started talking about Dead Ted, my cousin who died in his 30's, and how my uncle helped him through that.  I used to cry a LOT at funerals and memorial services but thought I'd got past that.  As Jenica said, though, these things always make us think of other dead people.  So there was Henry, there was Ted, there was Ken, on and on.  Liza spent most of the time with her sister, which was what she wanted to do.  My aunt has Alzheimers so needs someone with her always and my mother is wonderful at dealing with her.  The sisters get along well and Louise is always very cheerful.

When we got home from Mass. we sat on the back deck at my mother's house and reviewed the day, a nice visit and good time.  Sunday we went plant shopping, which is a favorite activity for Mark, Liza and me.  We had a good time and I couldn't stop myself from buying a few plants that they don't have in the North Country.  Annuals, not perennials--I learned long ago not to buy perennials in places like RI.  They never ever survive in the North Country.  Anyway, it was nice to have that outing together.  In the afternoon Liza & I went to get lobsters and look at the ocean.  We weren't the only ones who had that idea.  The parking lots for the Block Island ferry were FULL and the traffic was obnoxious.  Wow, what a mess for June, but it was the first really summer-like weekend day there so everyone was out & about.  I cooked the lobsters for dinner and they were delicious.  yum.

My trip home on Monday was fine.  I left early, there was no traffic, weather was good, so it was an easy trip.  I got home early enough to have time at my house, which was just as messy as it was when I left.  Rats.  I went to camp for the evening & spent the night.  The lake was really peaceful--no boats, just loons.  A nice quiet night.  I read on the porch till dark then went to bed.  Good night's sleep though it was a bit cold.

Back to work yesterday.  I must admit I enjoy coming to work less and less as the idea of retirement keeps creeping into my feeble mind.  I still like my job a lot and believe in what I do (which is really important to me) but I would like to be at home.

Last night I saw the Nadals, having nice visit at their camp.  They were here for a few days to open their camp and will return later in July.  In time for book group, so Judy can join us at the boat house.

Tonight I'll stop at Linda's to catch up on anything I missed while I was away.  I think I've pretty much got it all already--the dead porcupine in the water by Nadals, what Ann served for dinner Monday night, what's up with Pat & Jim, how the Nadals dog behaves at Silver Lake.  I'm sure I've missed something, though.

Treasure, of course, doing what she does at Liza's.  She likes that couch a lot.

Deciding where to put the new plants--must find EXACTLY the right place.  This is my mother & Mark at their best.

Three generations of Rogers women.  That is a cute baby!

My mother's house from the back--laurel in bloom, green grass, nice gardens.  It's really a nice, nice place.

Mid-week missive

Had a good weekend, the weather was grand.  I got some dock time in, finished the book group book, mowed the lawn, went to the dump and saw friends.  I'm entertaining myself with the lawn mowing--I haven't done it in years, paying someone to do it--I watch the grass carefully, hoping it doesn't need attention.   Spring/early summer grass is easier to mow, tender shoots, I guess.

The Belmont party was fine but of course I was right--there was no Triple Crown winner.  I didn't think Chrome could do it, that's just asking a lot of a horse.  We all had a good time watching the race and drinking the Belmont Breeze cocktail, then we had a nice dinner together.

I was at camp both days for some dock time and that was grand.  I did go in the water and it was cold but it's not unbearable, which is sort of unusual for this time of year.  I slept there Sun. and Monday nights and it was a bit chilly in the morning.  Last night I went to the boat house, sat on the porch a bit and decided it was too windy and cold and I did not want to be cold, so I went home.  Very satisfactory.  The dogs are flexible and don't seem to question my decisions about sleeping quarters.

Sunday Linda hosted a wonderful Adirondack Brunch, to kick off our Sunday dining season.  We ate on her porch and boy did we eat.  It was all delicious, and local fare.

Sunday at 5 I had cocktails with friends + Linda & Erd., tasting different gins.  These friends went to Spain, where apparently having a gin & tonic is quite the experience.  You have to establish what type of gin you like, then it's determined which type of tonic goes best with that gin.  Linda & I tasted about 5 or 6 gins, then Stephanie made us delicious drinks.  Wow what a production.

I just took my car to be inspected and got a call from the mechanic that of course it won't pass.  One of the tires is too beat to pass, so I'm having them put 4 new tires on the car.  Those are my winter tires and they're pretty shot, so it's a good thing to get done.  I guess this means I'm keeping the car a while longer, which I think I'd already decided to do anyway.

I'm going to RI on Friday (with my new tires) and on Saturday I'll go with my mother and Mark to my uncle's memorial service in Lexington.  We'll meet up with Jenica there and my mother will have a chance to visit with her sister.  We'll get home in the evening, and Sunday we'll relax.  I come home on Monday.  What am I going to miss at home?  That's always the summer question.  Not much, just the usual activities.

Friday, and I even get paid

The weather is good now, after some rain and cloudy, cool days.  It's supposed to be 80 and sunny this weekend, which is certainly perfect for reading on the dock.  I have chores to do and hopefully will get up early enough to finish in the morning.  Mostly it's 3 things: mow the lawn, go to the dump and plant a bunch of flowers in pots on my deck.  Mowing and planting need to be done in the early morning because the black flies are out in full now and it's not pleasant.  I did spend some nice time on Linda's dock, where there was a bit of an evening breeze that kept the bugs at bay (mostly).  That was nice.

Fairly busy weekend, neighborhood events.  Tomorrow is the Belmont and we're all hoping for a Triple Crown winner.  There's lots of doubt about Calif. Chrome, though, and whether he'll be able to go the distance.  I have come to hate horse racing for the cruelty and horrible treatment of the horses, but the animals are truly beautiful so I watch these 3 races.  There's a Belmont party at J&M's, which will be fun. 

Sunday is the start of our Sunday dining season and we'll be at Linda's for a locavore brunch.  I have to pick up some NY State wine on my way home tonight to complete the meal.

I may stay in the boat house, but it's still sort of cool at night so it's not as pleasant.  Still great, just a tad cool.

Spectacular evening at the boat house after a storm.  I slept there because it was too hot at home, but a front came through during the night and I was wicked cold when I woke up at 5.  The dogs are happy to be at camp--as long as there's food there for them.

And what a week it was

Boy did I have a grand time last week!  I was on vacation and got to spend the entire time at home doing whatever I felt like doing.  I can't remember every doing that before, I always have traveled or entertained family during vacations.  This was really wonderful.  I got a lot of projects done, including painting the kitchen cupboards (black--Linda said "Didn't you just paint them?"  and yes, I did, I painted them white and they looked awful), clearing out stuff from the library, moving the dog cage, planting lots of flowers, opening the boat house, filling the car for the dump 3 times, and more.  It was grand.

Jenica, Justin, Gwyn and Malcolm came Memorial Day Sunday and we had a good time on the boat house porch.  The baby is very cute and smiles a lot.  She looks like Jenica, who looks like my brother, so it's very sweet to see her.

I spent quite a bit of time with Linda and that was nice.  We ran the roads a couple of times, and went to a favorite small greenhouse for a few things.  I went to the big nursery and bought not too many flower plants for my deck.  I've planted almost half of them but had to buy a new container.  Now I should be able to finish the planting.  I planted morning glory seeds and they're up.  I bought bigger geraniums for the cemetery this year and what a difference that made!  The graves usually look as if someone remembered to plant something but didn't really feel committed to the project.  This year they look as if someone actually cares.  It's very sad for me to see my brother's grave, it always makes me say "Oh Henry, why did you die?"  I dreamed about him last night, he was in a wheelchair.  He sure wouldn't have liked that.  He's always cheerful in my dreams (I dream of him often) and sometimes I know he's going to die, other times he's just fine.  I like having good dreams about him.

Now I'm back at work (and writing my personal blog on company time?  Oh the shame).  It was hard to start up at my desk yesterday after being so free from the workplace for so many days, but today it's a normal thing.  The usual tasks and requests and chores.  I'll place a big book order tomorrow, which will be entertaining and challenging.  A favorite part of every librarian's job.

I'll go to RI in 2 weeks for a memorial service for my uncle.  The service is in Lexington, Mass.--this was my mother's brother-in-law, my last surviving uncle.  My aunt has Alzheimer's and my mother is always saying "I miss my sister."  I refrain from saying "At least she's not dead."

My poor mother had water issues over the weekend and ended up having plumbers install a new pump yesterday.  There was a wiring issue in her pump and apparently the plumbers felt the best thing to do was replace the whole pump.  That was a surprise but my mother could pay for it and now feels secure in her ability to provide water when company comes.

The dogs are great although Tess is really showing her age.  She's 12 and now moves more slowly and sometimes needs a boost getting in the car or onto the bed.  I try to imagine life without her, and think I won't get another dog when she dies.  WHAT?  Only have one dog?  Yes, that would be simpler.  And cheaper.

Spring mountain, with baby oak leaves in the foreground.  My father planted the oak tree next to the boat house, and he died in 1981 so it's an old tree.  At one point my mother cut it down because it was blocking the nice spot on the big rock.  It wouldn't quit, though, and grew big stump shoots so now we still have an oak tree next to the boat house.  Some things just don't go away.

Ladies slipper in bud.  Should be blooming very soon.  Trillium has gone by, twin flower is blooming, bunchberry coming along, sheep laurel in the bog is blooming, with Labrador tea not far behind.  It's still spring green but that won't last much longer, it's getting darker, like summer green.

Graceful ferns in the bog.  There are several (well, at least a few) different types of ferns there and they're all growing at different rates.  I think this is a cinnamon fern but I'm sure no expert.

I found an ovenbird's nest on the way to camp.  I doubt the eggs are still there now, even my dogs would eat them.  Usually ovenbirds build nests that are better hidden than this (in a nest shaped like an oven, oddly enough)

The camp road last week.  Oh, the green!

Spring forward

Busy time in Hawkeye.  Summer people are arriving, camps are being opened, docks put in.  I'm excited because I'm taking all of next week off and am not going anywhere except the dump and maybe Plattsburgh.  This is the first time I've ever vacationed at home so it will be grand.  I have a long list of projects and chores, but what gets done is OK and what doesn't get done is OK too.  Some of the things really need doing.  I need to get the contractors' garbage bags that are full of insulation from last fall and look like alien pods at the foot of my deck stairs to the dump.  Annie is bringing her truck today, though, so maybe we can kill that with her help.  I would love to do a major truck dump run but need a BIG truck for that.

Celebrated Linda's birthday on Weds. night, a delicious pork roast.  She knows how to cook a pork shoulder, boy howdy.  It was really good.  Nice company--J&M, Bill too.  It was a nice evening.

It's been rainy lately and feels cold today.  We needed the rain.  I need to plant my flowers, bought last weekend with Lin, in pots on the deck.  I bought dirt (how stupid is it to have to buy dirt?) and think I have enough big pots to use.  There's only one way to find out...

Nice meeting in Lake Placid yesterday, the annual meeting of our umbrella library system.  A good friend won a special award, which was a surprise to her so that was fun.  The lunch was not very good, a disappointment because it was at a fancy place.  Even the soda was flat.  REALLY!!!  Shame on them.

It feels very strange not to have specific plans for next week.  I guess it's good practice for retirement.  I'm so undecided about retiring--it's a hard decision to make.  One day I can't see doing anything but retire, another day I don't have the courage and am sure I can't afford it anyway and I like my job and what would I do?  On it goes.

Family coming to camp this weekend, though camp is not yet opened.  My cousins will no doubt put the furniture out on the porch, and my other cousin's wife will complain that they did it too soon and it will all be covered with pine pollen.  I just listen.  People do what they do.

Dogs are still restless, apparently.  They find something to mess with every day.  Yesterday they turned the oven on.  I think I have to resume caging Treasure.  She figured out how to get out of the Veri-Kennel but I have a wire cage that should work.  She won't like it but isn't that just a shame.  Oh poor girl.  I don't think Tess gets into as much trouble without Treasure's help.  I'll switch the cages next week and see how it goes.

I'll stop at P&J's tonight--it IS Friday, after all.  Saw them earlier in the week but didn't go there Sunday.  Now that I have good Internet at home I can blog more often.  Oh boy!

Sweet dogs, very sweet dogs

I wandered home late the other night, stopping to visit with P&J, then having dinner with Linda & Erdvilas to celebrate their arrival in Hawkeye.  The dogs don't usually seem to care what time I get home (as long as I DO get home, and feed them when I do).  I don't know if what they did was because I was so late or if they did it during the day out of general boredom and interest in something new and different.

They went into the pantry, grabbed a new, full 5 pound bag of sugar, ripped it open and ate it.  All of it.  Then they drank a lot of water.  Then they threw up.  Then they drank some more water.  Then they threw up again.  Repeat as many times as they can in a single day.  what a mess.  I was too tired to do much about it when I got home, so cleaned it up the next day.  Sheets were all stuck together (oh yes, they threw up on the bed and floor and chair).  Floor just a tad sticky.  It's the kind of scene you come upon and want to turn around and close the door behind you.  But I had to laugh.  Why would dogs want to eat sugar?  We ate butter & sugar sandwiches when we were kids, but how do dogs know about sugar?  Anyway, they suffered no permanent damage and were just fine and happy to see me when I got home.  Sheepish?  Not a bit.

Last night Tess re-connected with some people who turned out to be old bogging friends.  They own a camp at the end of my road and have some special-needs kids, one of whom LOVED Tess ("and Tess loves me and wants to be with ME, and one time she jumped right in our car").  Honestly I have to be better about tracking these animals.  I didn't cable Tess because she was just lying on the deck and I wasn't thinking there would be any bog walkers this early in the season.  I guess I forgot that it's Memorial Day and the summer season is revving up.  Thanks for the reminder, Tess.

Spring comes to Hawkeye

Fuzzy little fiddleheads, so cute.  This was my morning walk at 6 a.m., into the bog with the dogs.  Tamaracks are coming out and there are small leaves on alders, bigger leaves on poplars.  It's greening up a lot, very quickly.

Yesterday the dogs ate a 5 pound bag of sugar they found in the pantry.  They opened it, ate a bunch of it, spread some of it around, drank a lot of water, threw up, and repeated the process.  Oh they're little darlings all right.  Now Tess has a sugar-coated head and Treasure has a sugary sweet tail.

Sunday eve

I just lost a post.  Oh I love Windows 8.  I can't figure out how to do much of anything with it.

Anyway.  It was a good weekend.  Yesterday was a banner day.  I went to the dump, what would a Saturday be without biscuits for the dogs at the dump and a visit with Dump Man?  I read on my deck for a while, but had a sudden hankering to spend money on plants so took off for Lamoys, picking up Lin along the way.  What a nice time we had there.  I didn't go overboard, spent a respectable amount and bought nearly enough for my containers.  Some new things this year as well as the old standards.  I'll plant my nasturtium and morning glory seeds next week.  Meanwhile we're having frost warnings tonight so I'll have to gather the darling plantlets together and put them near the house, maybe cover them.  Or not.  I doubt we'll have a killing frost but oh how I hate to see dead plants.  Unless they're blackberry bushes.

Today I did a few chores, then visited with Lin and her son Jay while they opened and cleaned Linda's camp--Linda is due to arrive tomorrow, yikes.  Lin & Jay came over for lunch and we had a good time.  I do like having company, especially when I'm not worried about what they think of my living conditions.  The house is in dire need of a thorough cleaning.  GET THAT DOG HAIR OFF OF THE FLOOR.  PUT THOSE CLOTHES AWAY.  At least I did put my winter clothes away.

This week looks pretty good.  Busy enough without being overwhelming.  A meeting on Weds., a gathering on Thursday at the Mirror Lake Inn (yay) that's the annual meeting of our umbrella library system.  That will be good--a big surprise for a friend who's going with me.

And then there's next week.  YAY for next week, a long vacation for me.  I don't think I'll go to RI but may change my mind at the end of the week.  I have a page-long list of tasks (which makes Fred laugh).  I had a visit with Fred this morning on Pinewood's porch.  It was cold but oh I do enjoy being with him.  It was 38 this morning, up to around 60 by afternoon.  What's on my list?  Things that many people do routinely, things that I've wanted to get done for a long time, simple things, dog things, boat house things.  Things, things, things.

Summer starts this week when Linda then Joe & Martha arrive.  Boy it seems early, though the leaves on the trees are mighty small and the shad is just blooming.  Tamaracks are leafing out nicely.  If I want a pet chipmunk I could adopt the one that was eating the sunflower seed on my deck.  He was sooo happy to discover a garbage can full of seed!  He kept chirping and filling his cheeks.  They are cute, chipmunks, but I don't cotton to feeding them the way some people do.