Ahoy, Mateys!

Well, the kids finally made it to the theatre to see the Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

Yesterday, I spent the better part of the day sewing two pirate shirts. Although I love to sew, I must say, I was getting so very tired of gathering what seemed like yards and yards of fabric! As it worked out, I was not able to finish the hem on the bottom of the shirts, nor the cuffs. As I was vexed by what to do, Michelle merely improvised, just like she always does!

Michelle said no worry about the unfinished bottom hems, as the shirts were going to be tucked inside pants. OK, so one hurdle down, one to go! Michelle sat down at the sewing machine, hemmed the bottom of the sleeves, then grabbed pieces of leftover fabric, and tied them around where the cuffs would go. How clever my girl is!!!

And here is a photo of the pirate contingency....

The kids told us after the movie that the theatre was built in 1920, and seated maybe around 50 people. We are talking small! But, the $5 tickets were a great deal, and the kids had a ball! The two tall guy pirates are actually twin brothers. While waiting for the movie to begin, the two of them sang a little pirate song, after which they drew cheers and clapping from the audience.

Although I didn't manage to get any really good pictures of the kids, it was pretty obvious they had a good time. The parents of the other pirates actually went and saw the movie, too! After it was over, we lingered in front of the theater, chatting. The manager came out a while later....he told the kids if they came back in their pirates' attire again, he would let them in for free!!! Rrr,rr,rrrrrr....now that is something to get excited about, matey!

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Memorial Day

Memorial Day is not one of my favorite holidays. Oh, I know, we must honor the memory of those who fought and served our country. For that, I am extremely grateful and I do want to remember.

But, eight years ago, on the day before Memorial Day, Mark came into the living room, collapsed on the floor, and instructed me to call 911. I will never forget that day. I ended up calling neighbors, and their daughter, who was pregnant, offered to stay with the kids. As Mark left in the ambulance, my neighbor told me that he sometimes suffered back pain that could be relieved with a muscle relaxer. I remember teasing and joking, never dreaming of the nightmare that lie ahead.....nor, the life-changing events.

All of Sunday night, Mark was on a gurney in the hospital, writhing in agony and pain. He was given shots of pain relievers, even morphine, but received no relief. I stood beside him, or sat on a chair as they wheeled him off for x-rays, a CT Scan, and then a milogram. I don't know when I felt so helpless, or so alone.

Finally, in the breaking hours of Memorial Day, another doctor was dispatched to have a look. He read through the results of the tests, then took Mark in for surgery. In his mind, he was semi-sure that when he saw Mark the next day, he would get up from the bed and be OK. But, such was not the case. Instead, Mark was sent to the spinal cord injury unit of another large teaching hospital to learn how to live as a paraplegic. Mark was 38 years old at the time.

When I think about this and this strange odessy we have been on in the past eight years, I cannot help but feel a sadness....sad, because I see a certain look in Mark's eyes as he watches the kids and I know that he is aching inside to be able to do more with and for them. He had built this house we live in from the ground up, with some help from my father and brother. To think of this rugged sturdy man living his days in a wheelchair seemed so foreign.

This morning, we decided that we would visit my father-in-law's grave. We put flowers on the grave for the summer on Memorial Day and we needed to get this done. There is another sadness because no one else sees fit to do this. My father-in-law was always a giving, caring person who loved his family so deeply; the fact that no one puts flowers on his grave just breaks my heart. But, on the other hand, I am happy to do this, as I know it would please him.

We stopped at Michael's to pick up the flowers, as they have good quality flowers that last well.
My father-in-law's grave is located in the Korean War Vets section, so we put a red/white/blue theme on the grave.

After buying the flowers, we drove right to the cemetary. I had bought several sprays of various flowers, and I dumped the contents of the bag on the ground and began to arrange them. As I worked, Mark noticed a couple with an older man.....the older man was walking funny, with his belly thrust forward. Suddenly, he fell onto a bench. As Mark commented on this, I saw the man's head moving strangely, indicating that he was breathing erratically.

At this point, the man that was with him hollered to lower him to the ground. I got up, wondering if the couple needed help, and yet, not wanting to get in the way. Within seconds, the man yelled, asking if anyone had a cell phone! Mark immediately gave me his and I ran to the couple.

The older man was lying on the ground, his face quite red. The younger man had called 911 and was talking to the dispatcher as his wife went off to get blankets. Another woman appeared with a pillow for his head.

The older man seemed very coherant when I arrived; apparently, he had lost consciousness for only a short time. I stayed with the couple, learning that they did not know this man...they met him over at a monument. The wife saw him walking strangely, and told her husband she was afrraid he was going to fall down. He had told them that several of the names etched on the memorial were friends he had gone to school with as a youngster. Although it was sunny out, it was not swelteringly hot, so it hardly seemed like the heat caused the man to pass out.

As we awaited the arrival of the EMTs, the elderly man told us about himself. We learned his name, he asked that we call his sister and tell her, and he felt so funny lying on the ground in the cemetary. The last time he had been lying on the ground like this was in Korea in 1952! He was a total delight. He said he had no medical problems, and then giggled as he said that the EMTs will be surprised to see a LIVE man lying in the cemetary!

As I became a little tired, I looked at the little bench where he had been sitting. There was an inscription on it....it was dedicated in the memory of Dr. J Bruce Iuppa. Dr. Iuppa was the name of the Dr that delivered Michelle. I felt the tears burning in my eyes, but was able to fight them off. What an emotional moment that was.

When the medical team arrived, I went back over to my family and finished arranging the flowers. My father-in-law had picked the most wonderful area for his grave.....under a pretty tree with a bench nearby. He had told us how wonderful this place was, but we never really appreciated it until his death. He certainly picked his final resting "place" very well!

Here is a picture of the grave with the arrangement.

And, the back side of the arrangement.

After checking out the elderly man, the EMTs filled out what seemed like mountains and mountains of paperwork. Since the man had driven by himself to the cemetary, his sister had told the EMTs on the phone that she would drive him back to her home. The man had declined a trip to the hospital, as this is the first time that anything like this had happened to him.

When the man's sister arrived at the cemetary, the man arose from the bench, walking towards her. They embraced, sharing a kiss on the cheek, then walked over together to speak to the medical people.

Although this started out as a rather unusual adventure, I somehow felt as though my life had been made just a little better, meeting this warm and wonderful Korean veteran at the cemetary!

Happy Memorial Day!

Meet the Appliances!

So, how can one be so excited about new appliances? Well, considering the fact that neither the old refrigerator, nor stove worked properly, you cannot imagine the ease of my new appliances! One can indeed get excited about opening the freezer door and finding a bin filled with ice cubes!

Before I get ahead of myself, here is the new range.

This is a Bosch gas-powered convection stove. We originally looked at the Duel-Fuel models, but the difference between this one and that just didn't seem worth the extra money. So we settled for this model, which is just wonderful! The previous stove had an oven door that would not close and a broken clock/timer.

The new stove has a computer in it which makes cooking and baking a real joy! The stove not only bakes in conventional mode, as well as convection, but it also proofs bread, has a Sabbath mode, and self-cleans! This morning, I baked two loaves of plain white bread (unhealthy, I know) with the convection oven and it was so cool! The oven baked at 325 degrees instead of 350, and it took 25 minutes instead of the 35 minutes it normally takes.

We are so happy with the stove, except for one minor problem. Mark has always been one with a "pioneer spirit". As in, he built our house from "scratch" with help from my dad and brother. So, when it came time to hook up the stove, Mark said we could do it!

Well, now I am a bonafide plumber...can you believe it? Actually, we needed new connections for this stove, so I reconstructed the hookup under Mark's watchful eye. The good news is that all of my connections passed the leak test, and we were off and running.

The next step in the process was changing the new range from natural gas connections to LP. This proved to be a little more challenging. Mark switched out the new LP jets for the cooktop. Then, it was my turn to adjust the oven and broiler jets. The oven one went off without a hitch. For the broiler, I needed to remove 7 screws, then allow the tube where the flames disperse to lean against the back of the stove....oh boy... I could barely get the thing to move forward! Mark told me to pull...and **snap**! A wire broke from the ceramic ignitor. Argh!!!

Long story short, Sears is getting us a new stove. Hurrah! This, they were told by the Bosch rep, was the third defective stove in our area. Phew....I felt so bad, as I was sure I had broken it, but no, the stove had a problem!

So, I am able to use the cooktop and the oven, I just cannot use the broiler. However, a new stove shall soon be here and they (Bosch) will do the LP conversion and hookup. I am so glad I won't need to do this again.

Oops, before I move on to the new refrigerator, here is a picture of the inside of the oven, where you can see the convection fan in the back.....

Fortunately, the refrigerator was a much simpler installation. In fact, it was merely delivered, ice maker line hooked up, pushed into place, and then set to chill. My kitchen is so small (I prefer to think of it as "cozy") that I am unable to stand back far enough to get a picture of the entire unit sitting in its niche.

So, here is the top, which is the refrigerator part!

I love the interior of this fridge! At the top are the controls for adjusting the temperature in the fridge as well as the freezer. Below are two full shelves, (one is non-adjusting, as it is on top of the veggie and fruit drawers) and two half-shelves. Under one half shelf, there is a small deli drawer.

Do you know how much more inclined one is to make a salad when the veggies are sitting almost at waist level instead of doing deep knee bends to retrieve veggies that are nearly sitting on the floor? Oh this is soooo good!

AND, a door with little shelves for ALL of the condiments! Does everyone have a zillion different condiments?

And, the bottom of the fridge is the freezer compartment. This is where the new ice maker resides, completely functional! The ice maker not only is capable of making small, medium, or large cubes, but also features an on/off switch! When we leave for a time, we can turn the ice maker off so no new cubes are made until we turn it on when we arrive home!

We liked the bottom drawer fridges, but they cost quite a bit more. So, we opted for this LG model which ranked high in the Consumer Reports. The freezer door swings just like the refrigerator door, and there is a slide out wire drawer. We find this no problem as we keep the bulk of frozen goods in a large freezer in the basement.

Hmm...Murphy discovered some ice cubes someone dropped on the floor! Silly pup.

So, there are the two units which are making life better and simpler here in the Bristolwood. We have been using the refrigerator for a few weeks thus far, and are tickled pink with its service. The oven has been used twice now....once for the bread this morning, and just now for the pizza I just baked!

Off to enjoy a slice........

Pretty Columbines!

I took a couple of pictures of Columbines the other day. I love the purple color...they remind me a great deal of the vibrant purple Irises I remember from my childhood. The other plants are ones that I planted many years ago, when we first built the house....




I do have one or two other varieties of Columbine that have not flowered yet. Not sure of their colors, but I also have a variety in the front of the house that I had never seen before. They look like pink with white snowballs! They are quite unique. When I bought them, I thought because they were so cool, they would never make it. What a surprise to find that they are taking over the plantings in their beds!

As I was walking along the stream bed, I noticed a bumble bee on the ground. I couldn't understand what this bee was doing....it moved sporadically, landing on rocks and burying itself in the ground under piles of leaves, then reemerging again!




May you enjoy this weekend! If you travel, please do so with great care....not everyone on the road is considerate! May you enjoy good company, good food, and good conversation. In the midst of the fun, please take a moment to remember those who have served this country and those who gave their lives that we might enjoy life as we know it!

Good Morning! (and I do mean *good*!)

Oh, it is so wonderful to feel all better this morning! No more parainfluenza. No more drugs running through my veins, causing me to be a bit "off". I slept in until nearly 8 this morning, which is totally unheard of for me! All of my life, I have been a (very) early riser!

Last night, I felt better, so I did such a funny thing. I sat in a chair on the front porch, waiting for a hummingbird to appear. I only wish I could afford a telephoto lens with a smaller f-stop, because unless the area is flooded with light, it is tricky to get more than a silhouette of a hummingbird. Still, last night, I sat. The camera body was pressed firmly against my head, in lieu of using a tripod. I sat there as a rather large bee buzzed all along the railing, then right past my head. I did not flinch, however! I decided no matter what, I was going to get a good picture of a hummer! So, here is what I finally ended up with....

Yes, too dark, and as soon as she heard the snap of the shutter, she left. I still thought it was cool you could see her little eye shining!

Murphy awakened me this morning at about 5:15. I told him to "just go back to sleep". He was such a good dog, that is *exactly* what he did! When I awakened at 7:45, I told him it was time to get up, and he wagged his tail and followed me to the door! As I was outside walking the boys, Michelle came and talked to me. I told her since the boys have been so "sedate" lately with me feeling sick, perhaps she could run with them a bit?

Michelle always wakes up feeling peppy, so she took the boys and off they ran. They ran up and down the yard, Murphy yapping, and Angus just enjoying a good run. They really enjoy it when Michelle takes off with them like that. When they were done, Michelle brought them up onto the front porch.....oh MY! What a MESS the boys were......

Look at all of the tree "litter" in Murphy's kilt!!!

Angus could care less about all of that "stuff". After all, he is always *on the lookout*! For what, we oftimes wonder! As you can see, Angus has this junk not only on his undercarriage, but it is also hanging off his beard! Ah well, a brisk brushing and the boys were back to their fluffy selves!

Before I close, I must tell this. As I was writing, I looked up when something caught my peripheral vision...a wasp had made its way into the house. When I couldn't find the fly swatter in the linen closet, I grabbed the next best thing. (actually, the *only* thing that had a handle on it!) I firmly gripped feather duster in hand and viciously attacked said wasp as it hovered near the french doors. Murphy took this as a playtime, gleefully bouncing about, yapping, and wanting me to run with him!

Angus, on the other hand, being the senior, and (sometimes) wiser, decided that his Mum had "lost it" and took refuge..........

Oh, What a Beautiful Morning!

I cannot believe that I feel *so* much better! Hurrah!

Although I will continue to take it easy today, I already refilled the hot tub and took some pictures! And speaking of pictures, the night before last, a big pileated woodpecker was "attacking" a stump about 50 feet from my window. I felt so terrible...the thought of even getting up to get my camera was more than I could bear. There was no way I could have lifted the camera to take a picture!

I was going to post a couple of pictures here, but Blogger has other plans and keeps giving me an error message so....

In a couple of hours, I will probably be grumbling and complaining about the heat, as we are expected to have a high near 90. I don't do heat well.

I HATE Being Sick!

Yesterday, I wasn't feeling quite "right"...as the day progressed, I became downright miserable! By the evening, I was lying in bed with major chills. I was supposed to go to the doctor this morning, but it seemed like an improbability!

This morning, I woke up feeling like someone had run me over! YUCK! I decided I would try to go to my appointment this morning, so I got ready. I was going mainly because last visit, my blood pressure was a ridiculous 180/100. After having an echo cardiogram, I was given a prescription for Lisinopril. I took it for a couple of weeks, then discontinued it when I was acting totally "loopy". Both Carly and Mark said the medication was making me *weird*.

At the doctor appointment today, my blood pressure was down to a good number. The doctor was a bit surprised, as she noticed that the heart murmur she had detected last visit sounded a lot less pronounced. She explained that high blood pressure more or less amplifies murmurs. So, it was a good visit until she told me there are two strains of viruses making their rounds currently. The first is the flu, and the other, parainfluenza. Guess what my diagnosis was? Yes, I should count my blessings because I am not confined to the bathroom being sick! But why am I sick? I hate being sick!!!

Yesterday, I had intended to post some pictures, but they were preempted by illness! Anyway, I woke up yesterday morning with this cool idea to photograph "white" flowers. So, a day late, here are some of my pics!

My first pic is a white azalea flower. This is from a bush planted on the side of our house. The wonder of it all is that I bought this little "Charlie Brown" type bush at WalMart for some really low price. It was the end of the season, and I think I might have paid $2.00 for it. After bringing it home, I noticed the tag on it saying that it was rated for the zone where Oklahoma is located. Living in the northeast, it seemed that the bush was never going to make it here. But, it has been on the side of my house now for three years!

Oh, I so love the Lily of the Valley. I love their gentle fragrance, and the little white "bells"....they have always been a favorite of mine. I planted some of these next to the stream in the front of the house and they are now growing there and in another spot where I did not plant them!

As I was photographing flowers, I wondered if the May Apples had bloomed yet! I looked all around, and was able to finally find a blossom on one of the plants. Not quite open yet!

And lastly, not a white Trillium, but one that was "blushing" a very pretty lavender color! This isn't a great picture, but the flower was a little beaten up, too!

Wordless Wednesday:

Can you guess what kind of flower this is?

I will give the answer in the comments....

ATTACK OF THE *GIANT* SCOTTIE!!!!!

This is not amongst my best pictures, but I just had to laugh....Mark had recorded an Advantix commercial *just* for Angus!

This morning, Mark called me to come see....Poor little Angus; as soon as the scratching, itchy flea-ridden (hehehe) dogs came on, Angus went into guard mode....


As you can see, even a GIANT scratching Scottie is NO match for our little Angus Braveheart!

Why Today Should Not Have Worked Out!

This day turned out to be a fun day all around....and, logistically, it should not have been!

Last evening, I was feeling tired, so I went upstairs to lie down for a bit. I was semi-fading when I heard Mark yell my name. I pulled myself out of bed, grumbling, as I made my way downstairs. Why all the commotion?

As soon as I was downstairs, Mark hollered to me that Ben had vomited! Oh gads! If there is one thing I cannot tolerate, it is the smell or sight of vomit. I was so tired and miserable....how was I going to handle this? As I stumbled into the kitchen, feeling so upset, Michelle said *she* would clean it up! As remarkable as that sounds, Michelle has probably suffered through more stomach bugs than Mark, Ben and I put together.

So, my brave girl cleaned up the bathroom floor, (Ben missed the toilet!) saying it wasn't so bad.
Well, he got sick one more time and then he was done. I went to the little store up the road and bought him some Gatorade, as Mark read on the internet that Gatorade is good for upset stomachs.

By the time I went to bed shortly after 10:30, Mark said Ben was beginning to feel somewhat better. Mark was determined he was going to sit up and watch Ben all night, as he was concerned Ben might be sick during the night. Finally, by about 1:30, Mark said Ben was laughing about things he saw on TV, so Mark finally was persuaded Ben was on the mend!

The only thing we can figure is that this might have been food poisoning.

This morning, I called Carly to cancel going to the Dachshund Parade, as I thought Ben might need some "down" time to feel better. No way. Mark and the kids thought I should go to the parade, as I had tenatively planned. I was a bit nervous about driving in the city, so Mark said he would drive. (he is from Rochester)

When we arrived at the festivities, Ben wanted to get out with me. I wasn't sure this was a wise decision, but he insisted he felt fine! I spent a little more than an hour taking pictures, then it was time to go.

Ben and Michelle had been invited to a birthday party near Elmira late in the afternoon. We talked about whether the kids should go, and Mark told them we would have to go right from the parade. The trip to Elmira from Rochester was about 2 hours.

Ben hadn't eaten since being sick, and while Mark told him he needed to take it easy, Ben insisted he was going to eat "regular food"! We bought him a Cinnamon Crunch Bagel from Panera's, and he ate it with no problems. We spent some time just chilling out, then took the kids to the party at about 4:45.

Although Michelle had been invited to spend the night, we all decided to pick Ben and Michelle up at 8. They were agreeable. Mark and I spent some time eating and just relaxing in the truck before picking the kids up.

On the way home, Ben told us he had some pizza, chicken wings, and chips at the party. He bounced on the trampoline, played badminton, and had a great time. Although he said he was tired and would sleep on the way home, he remained fully awake until we arrived home at about 10 pm.

As I said, the only thing Mark and I can figure is Ben suffered food poisoning!

A Little Weinie Fun?

YES! Today was the annual Dachshund Parade in Rochester, NY. We all know that I am partial to Scotties, but this was an event that is just too fun!

As I wandered about, viewing what seemed like endless Dachsies, I was in total awe of the sights I saw! There were longhairs, wirehairs, smoothhairs, BIG dachsies, tiny dachsies, spotted, red, black and tan, black and white, dappled, and everything imaginable Dachshunds!

Instead of trying to comment, I am going to just display some of the over 300 shots I took this morning. Let me say that each one of these wonderful little companions seemed more loved than the next! In other words, these Dachshunds are terrific pets! I found myself giggling as I walked about, looking through the camera lens, discovering all the individual mannerisms, and yet, totally amazed by one commonality.....no matter where I turned, little tails were whipping back and forth like little perpetual metronomes!!! Happy little critters, these Dachshunds!

As I said, these are just a small sampling of the Dachshunds we encountered. I saw two different little "cart dogs" whose little rear legs were paralyzed and non-functioning. These little ones were just as loved and cared for as all the other little ones! I stand amazed and in awe of those whose hearts are so big that they take in these poor littles babies and love them to pieces. My hat is certainly off to them!

What fun this event was to attend!

A Little Scottie Fun!

If you happened to take a look at my "Wordless Wednesday" entry this week, you would have seen Angus intent on attacking the base of a big old oak tree....there was evidence that some rodent had been partaking of its sustenence in said hideout.

I almost used this sequence for my wordless entry, but decided against it, as the pictures were shot into the sun, causing them to be dark. Also, the photo above needed some "words" of explanation. Ben was with me, and he had "cookies" of the canine variety. He asked Angus to sit on the little tree stump in the picture. Angus was happy to oblige, however, he misjudged and in the picture, his tush was sliding off the stump! Undaunted, the tenacious terrier merely adjusted his posture, and being a very clever lad....

He decided to "sit pretty", knowing full well that such behavior always wins him a cookie!!!

Wildflowers, Technology, and Having Fun!

The pretty wildflowers are making their debut here in the Bristolwood, and I love their splashes of color here and there. The little wood violets are such a gorgeous shade of purple. They are showing up all over the woods and I love their bright green heart-shaped leaves!

My favorite time to photograph flowers is in the evening as the sun is heading off into the horizon. There is something especially beautiful about the sun shining through the flowers and playing upon leaves. Here, the sunlight highlights the darker shade of lavender in this wild geranium.

Today was a hurried day, starting out with an appointment to have our little camper inspected this morning. Although Mark always likes to plan ahead to make sure things are going to run smoothly, we were unable to check the electrical system before hitching onto the truck for the appointment. Luckily, all systems were go, and we were off in good shape!

We dropped the camper at the service center and then were off to a large fabric store. Michelle and Ben are planning a rather *unique* outing! They have some other home schooled friends that they met at the teen skates they attend. These kids are planning to go to the opening night of the showing of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. The catch is, the kids plan to make costumes and attend the movie as pirates! We spent a good deal of time looking at patterns and fabric, finally picking out some suitable for a couple of pirates! So, Michelle is anxious to get started on sewing! What a fun idea!

After the fabric store, we went to a nearby tile store to get some more ideas for our kitchen remodel. We found some gorgeous 24" square granite tiles that were simply terrific! While we were there, we got a call that the camper was ready so we rushed a little to get out of the store.

We will definitely be going back to this store, as they not only have tons of different types of tiles; they also have many displays highlighting various tiles in kitchen and bath settings. We were so excited to find this place, as the last place we visited, the guy was very negative and tried to make us feel incompetent of doing nearly any work ourselves!

Yesterday, we received delivery of our new kitchen stove! Am I excited? YES! Is it hooked up? NO! The delivery men from Sears aren't allowed to do an LP Gas changeover, so Mark and I will do it ourselves. So, we also picked up the plumbing supplies today for that job. I cannot wait to try out the new stove, as it has a convection fan in it to help cook faster and keep food more juicy, and it also is self-cleaning. My old Magic Chef left with the delivery guys yesterday, and I was as thrilled to see that stove depart as I was last week when the old refrigerator made its way out of the house!

So, after we got home this evening, Mark and the kids were hungry. What to do, what to do....I cannot cook or bake, as the new stove isn't connected yet. But wait! The camper!!! I made a quick trip out to the camper to turn on the gas....turned the furnace on (it was only about 38 degrees outside!) and turned the oven to 350 to preheat. I assembled the pizza in the kitchen, then took it to the camper and baked it! Mark was shocked....HOW can you bake in a little "camp oven"? Ah, I so love technology.

As the pizza was baking, I brought my camera out, along with my laptop. I decided to upload my pictures. As I worked, I couldn't help but feel so drawn to my cozy little camper. So much so, that I told Mark and the kids "so long", as I headed out to the camper with pillow and blankets in hand! Yes, Murphy and I are spending tonight in the camper! I so love it!

After uploading my pictures, I saw the battery was low, so I plugged in the charger and we are good to go! But, before I end, I just gotta show off my SD card for the Nikon! Mark knows I am easily dazzled by technology (I have earned the nickname "Technochick") so he bought me this

SD card, called a SanDisk Ultra II Plus. 2 Gig.

I can upload pictures in my card reader, or! the little card folds in half........

to expose its little USB reader! How cool is that? So, I can upload 2 ways with the card, as well as with a USB cable connected to the camera itself! Oh, I used the Olympus camera to take these last pictures just in case you might be wondering!

Isn't technology GRAND?

Wordless Wednesday: Don't Worry. Mum...I'll Get It!

Some Signs Just Make You Think

When Mark and I were looking at land to build our house, we saw some rather humdrum as well as very interesting things. One of those *things* is located not too far from our home......

Being the owner of a somewhat large imagination, this sign made my mind race into high gear. I so enjoy living in the woods and the fact that there are many, many acres of state lands nearby is quite reassuring that the woods will remain woods! However, I also know that in this woods there are are bears, coyotes, foxes, deer, as well as *other* animals. My UPS man, Bob, said that a man only about eight or ten miles from here showed him a photo he took of a mountain lion chasing a deer.

Now that my imagination has been sufficiently (re)fueled, my mind carries me back more than 300 years ago (that sign says that LaSalle was in this neck of the woods in August of 1669)....I have forgotten to add that where we live, one must travel at least six miles to find food (albeit very limited to pizza, subs and chicken wings) or gasoline! So...I cannot even begin to imagine the state of this land as Monsieur LaSalle was exploring it! No fast food, no modern transportation, no GPS.....only woods, American Indians, and wild animals roaming about. I do know that if one became lost in this area now, there is a strong possiblity that they could freeze to death or starve, although there is enough farmland nearby that they might find an open field to be seen and recovered.

Enough of my imagination for now. I only hope I was able to "ignite" yours! I don't know if the springs there still *burn*, but if there was a small natural gas reserve, I suppose someone would have developed it long before this! There are, by the way, no gas wells located either in Bristol, nor any neighboring communities that I am aware of.

Here in the Bristolwood

This morning, I decided to take a little walk in the woods. I left the kids and the boys (Scotties) behind, as I was so hoping to perhaps see a little fawn in the woods. I have come upon fawns two or three times while walking, so it is a rare and treasured occasion. Unfortunately, I found none this morning. I did spot Doe, Re, Mi, and Fa grazing out in the front woods, but no babies there!

As I walked about in the woods, I was drawn to the areas of bright green foliage. The woods is filled with all sorts of new growth....grasses, ferns, (as pictured above) as well as mosses. The floor of the woods is mostly covered with brown leaves from last year, so the bright greens stand out, almost like neon colors.

This is the stump from an oak tree that Mark cut down several years ago. Just prior to our purchase of the property, this area suffered from a rather severe ice storm; there was 3/4" of ice built up on everything. (This was in March of 1991) Many of the trees on the property fell over as the weight of the ice uprooted them. Mark was reluctant to cut the trees, but they were dangerously teetering in the air. Mark decided that since he had to sever the trees from their stumps, he would make a mill to cut the first 10' of the trees into lumber. This way, he didn't feel so guilty about harvesting the trees. Using them in their entirety for firewood struck him as almost sacrilegious. He and our neighbor fashioned a great sawmill (our neighbor is a gifted welder!) and Mark set off to work! Thus, we now have many, many board feet of red oak!

As I made my way down from the woods, I spotted my one of my little Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds on the feeder. I have been trying to get a picture, with no luck. I raced into the house and stood in front of the window, hoping against hope that I would be able to catch the little hummer. If only I had a telephoto lens with a smaller f-stop! Ah well, you can certainly see that this is a hummingbird, and you can see the white ring around its neck!

Yesterday, we celebrated Mother's Day by meeting my parents and my brother at our favorite restaurant. We had to stand in line for more than an hour for a table, but as always, the food was so wonderful, and well worth the wait! The picture above is my Mother's Day bouquet from Mark and the kids. The "vase" is a mug with the Buffalo Sabres logo on it. Which leads me to say....I have not spoken about round three of the playoffs as the Sabres are behind in both games played thus far. The first game, the other team (Ottawa) really did outplay us. It was as though the Sabres just didn't have their feet! The second game, in my opinion, was won by Ottawa because of poor refereeing. I know, one might say I am biased, but so many people felt the same way as they watched the Sabres take illegal trips and punches. The Sabres are known for being a small and fast team. Unfortunately, most other hockey clubs look like giants, comparatively speaking...