Still August

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Busy time

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

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

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

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

August already

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Post Vacation Post

This was my sister on the beach in RI. 

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

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

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

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

FAT dog

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Summer at last

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

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

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

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

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

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

Life is good.  Summer might come after all.

2 dogs yet again

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

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

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

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

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

Nattering at night

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Springing fast

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

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

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

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

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

Long week

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

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

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

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

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

BIG feet, REALLY BIG feet

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

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

Midnight musings

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

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

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

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

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

It always snows in May

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

Anyway here's the hare of the day:

Green! I see green!

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

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

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

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

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

Cleaning day

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What happened to spring?

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

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

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

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

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

Easter came, Easter went

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The fog was thick at the beach in RI.

The dogs exhausted themselves playing with the Easter toys.

Spring has arrived

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fungus dog

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

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

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

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

D.C. travelogue

 A familiar sight.  Always impressive, I think.

At the FDR Memorial.  Very moving memorial.

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

FDR quote from the Memorial.