Coloring the woods

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rain is good

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blown away

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

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

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

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

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

LOVE September!

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

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

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

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

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

Moving along

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

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

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

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

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

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

Autumnal day

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

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

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

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

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

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

INSULATE!

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

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

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

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

Craw, yes it's a word

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

Still sick

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

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

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

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

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

Sick, I'm so sick

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

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

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

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

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

Sunny Sunday? Not quite

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




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

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

Cool morning

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

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

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

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

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

Oh no not again

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Early morning (too early)

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

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

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

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

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

Public service!

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

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

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

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

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

August, and well into it

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New collars.  Not different enough.

Cool at last

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

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

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

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

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

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

BREAK! in the heat

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hot and getting hotter

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

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

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

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

Midnight musings

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

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

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

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