Funny How One Thing Leads to Another...

This morning, as I was "counting my blessings", I was feeling a little spoiled, as I was doing so while sitting in the hot tub. Mind you, the tub we have is a very *modest* model without lots of bells and whistles. However, the thought of being able to relax and enjoy the jets pounding against my spine made me feel somewhat spoiled....

And, while wallowing in the guilt of gluttony, I raised my left hand out of the water and looked admiringly at "the ring". This isn't the engagement ring that Mark gave me. Nope, it is a beautiful, almost "Victorian" looking ring. And, how did I acquire this ring?

My parents lived next door to a husband and wife who never had children. My mother has always been a very kind spirit, giving far more than she takes! So, when the woman next to her grew older and knew that she would need to move to a nursing home in not too many years, she gave my mom some jewelry.

In that jewelry was "the ring". When my mom showed me the ring, I was so envious. I didn't dream of the ring; neither did I think of ways to coerce my mom into giving it to me. Well, perhaps not wittingly...

Every time I saw my mom with "the ring" on her finger, I would make comments about how she could certainly "donate" it to me when she was done with it. Or, my birthday is.....Yes, I guess you could say that when I *saw* the ring, I was lusting after it. Sad, but true.

You cannot imagine my surprise, excitement, and ecstasy when I opened a birthday present from my parents a few years ago, and there it was! It was a little big, so I raced to the jeweler, where it remained in his possession for nearly a week! But, then, it was MINE!

I have worn that ring in lieu of my engagement ring and wedding band since, as they were cutting into my finger so, I was afraid they would sever it! This ring is so much more *me*, too.
And then, it hit me as the warm water splashed around me....my one clear remembrance of my maternal great-grandmother is "what little Lola wants, little Lola gets".

Talk about guilt literally washing over you! You see, my mom said that when I was a little baby, I climbed up onto the table to play with the silverware. This is when my great-grandmother uttered that now infamous quote that came to haunt me this morning.

As I sat, feeling rather repentant for my "get what I want" lot in life, a hummingbird came whizzing (very literally!) past my face! I quickly came to attention, jumping up and heading into the house. You see, when these hummingbirds *want* their feeder filled, one must HOP to attention right away! If you are the least bit familiar with hummingbirds, (weighing in at about the weight of a PENNY, mind you!) they are VERY demanding. They are territorial (dive-bombing any other hummer that might fly into *THEIR* zone) and demanding, in that if one doesn't keep their sugar water brimming in the feeder, they will leave and NOT return!

So, as I hopped out of the tub, I came to the glum realization that Lola (the human) was certainly reflected by the little birds that she so loves and admires!!!

Ah, Tis Good to be Home!

This was our home away from home...this time, we were parked not in the shade, but more like in a field. Although the shade is great, this area was nice too, as I wasn't constantly crawling on the floor, cleaning up pine needles, dirt, sand, and whatever else!

Late yesterday afternoon, we had to put the awning away on the camper, as it was so windy, the thing was flapping about, bringing to mind old episodes of The Flying Nun! The camper began swaying, so we decided we had better roll it up!

Now, mind you, I was not suffering at all from *brain freeze*, but instead, from *brain MELT!* I should have taken so many more pictures, but I was just exhausted from the seemingly scalding temperatures. It was so hot, you could have cooked a roast in the sun!

Anyway, when we arrived late Friday morning, there were very few campers there. By Friday night when we came back after the laser show, the campground was nearly filled to capacity. There were class A's, fifth wheels, tow behinds, pop-ups and even many tents! And, my oh my, there were campfires galore!


By 11 AM yesterday morning, this was the scene! Nearly everyone that was surrounding us was gone!

The place looked so deserted, except for the little covering thing down next to the bathhouse.

And there we were...off in the distance!

Mark decided he wanted to just drive around a little yesterday. We stopped by a Dairy Queen, which is a treat as there are none near our home. I stopped at Wegman's and bought goodies to make shish kabobs and a Greek salad for dinner.

Because my brain was in total *brain MELT* mode, I did not photograph the beautiful kabobs! They were so colorful and drat!; they would have been such a nice photo! Ah well...I made them with marinated chicken, red pepper, purple onion, yellow pepper, and mushrooms. They were so pretty!

Since we had the entire campground basically to ourselves, we played outside for quite some time while the food cooked, then ate outside at the picnic table. It felt so cool to look over this huge expanse of field and see no other people within eyesight! Oh, and as soon as the sun began its descent, the temperatures cooled off so nicely!

This morning, we got up and decided to hitch right up. The kids have the system down pat, so Mark and I need only to double check on connections. Off we went, back towards home. As always, when we pulled up the driveway, I wondered to myself, *why* do we ever even leave
*here*? I mean, with all the beauty that surrounds us, we need only go out the front door to be in what many folks actually pay money to see!

Of course, there are other people to consider, eh? I mean, what do the kids think?......

Ayup....there is *no* place like home!

Olean, Revisited!

As I was taking pictures of the various squirrels, I couldn't help but become enamoured by this little city of Olean!


Years ago, I met two sisters at church camp who were from Olean. I remember visiting and spending the night at their house. I think I was about 12 when I met them, and believe it or not, one of the sisters *still* sends a Christmas card every year! (I will only say that it was many, many years ago that we met!!!) I don't remember much about Olean from that visit, but in looking at it again, it sure is a beautiful place!

I took several pictures of Lincoln Park.

Although this compact park encompasses only one small city block, it is chock full of wonderful commemorative statues and beautiful settings! What a wonderful place to visit on a warm sunny day!

This large rock commemorates the Revolutionary Soldier who founded the town of Olean in 1804.

I wish I could have gotten an aerial shot of this particular statue. It is so beautiful, and the floral planting you see at the base is actually in the form of a star. I did photograph all four sides, as each side has an engraven message. I am hoping each of these photos will enlarge when clicked on....

A statue in memory of the GAR...Grand Army of the Republic.

I discovered this park while photographing the "Squirrels".....this is a LIVE squirrel enjoying a peanut a kind soul left for him on the "Freedom of Speech" bench in the park!

This pretty little pathway leads up to a "prehistoric" rock that was placed in the bicentennial year of 2004 to commemorate the founding of the town.

This pastoral little gazebo concludes my tour of Lincoln Park, although there were more commemorative markers located there!

And, across from the park on one side was a pretty Episcopalian Church. What really caught my eye about this church, besides its beauty, was this stunning year-round nativity, which is carved from wood!

Although the Baby Jesus is missing in the manger, I do not recall ever seeing a "permanent" nativity before! Usually, they only appear at Christmas time, and then disappear throughout the rest of the year. This one is so sturdy, so solid....it would involve major production to remove it!

Across the street to the north is the city municipal building. On the side of the building is this gorgeous mosaic!

It seems that many downtown US cities have become run down as a result of more appealing malls being built on their outskirts. Parking is more convenient, and in inclimate weather, it is so much simpler to hop from store to store inside, rather than braving the elements. Olean has retained its small city charm, and it seems many businesses thrive there. There is a very small mall located farther north along this street. The business above is a restaurant. It seems to define the word "charm" with its beauty.....the flowerboxes located on the windows are abundant to the point of nearly overflowing!



There was so much more to see and photograph, but time was getting away from me, and we needed to begin our two hour trip back home. As it was, we returned home after 9 pm. What a great way to spend a Sunday!!

Olean, NY, Gone to the Squirrels?

Yesterday, we decided to meet my parents and brother in Olean, New York. My brother's birthday is today, so we celebrated yesterday. Happy Birthday, Randy!

We accidentally took the wrong exit off the Southern Tier Expressway, ending up having to drive through the city. As we went through, I noticed "squirrels" placed throughout the city streets. After meeting my family for lunch, I told Mark and my family about the squirrels. At first, they thought I was "nuts", but afterward, they all saw them, too!

Before we left the area, I needed to photograph these chipper little critters. In poking around on the web, I discovered these were being sponsored by area businesses, schools, and organizations to help raise money for the city's Historical and Preservation Society. They are pretty cute, and certainly add a little pizazz to the streets!


I tried to upload these pictures last night, but for some reason, the network kept kicking me off, so I present them now! Without further ado, let me introduce the "Woodland in the City" creatures! (there are supposed to be 14 of the squirrels, but these are the most prominent ones that I found.) Too bad I didn't have my computer to look up the info, as there are actually Google maps on where to find them!

*** please note: if you click on many of these pics, they will enarge to full size....IF you have any idea why ALL do not do that, PLEASE leave your thoughts in the comments!!! Greatly appreciated!"***

This little fellow is called "Sir Pennywise" an happens to be at home in front of Community Bank, NA

This brightly painted squirrel is deemed "Squirrelinksy".

Starry Night Squirrel with Benjamin!

Decoupaged squirrel "Artour O'Quick".

Care to guess this fellow's name? If you said "Ronald McSquirrel", you are 100 percent correct!

Yes, this is "Lady Justice", complete with blindfold, and scales in hand, er...paw! She also is the most highly recognizable squirrel with her.....um, "pecs"?

"Country Folk Squirrel" is a pretty fellow painted black with a faux gold overwash. He had pretty country scenery (folk style, of course) painted on his back!


"Enchanted Mountain Squirrel" sits in the front lawn of a memorial (gravestone markers) business. He is amongst the cutest of all! He has an oak tree growing on his chest, and has features such as an acorn nose and chickadee eyes!!! Very colorful and I love the oak leaves all over his body!



"Olean Patriot" sits proudly in front of a wonderful old-fashioned hardware store. He is dressed in camoflauge, has decals decoupaged on his tail, honoring the four branches of armed services (Army, Marines, Air Force, and Navy) and is complete with part of the American flag on his tail!

So, there you have it, nine of the fourteen squirrels of Olean!

What Ever Happened to Relaxing Weekends?

Well, perhaps that isn't the right question. Perhaps I should be asking why did I marry a man whose list of projects (far) surpasses my own? I used to tease that Mark would make a great project engineer, as, if the company he worked for ever ran out of jobs, he could invent a whole new list! I usually don't mind extra activities, but sometimes I just want to do some things I want to do!

Ah well....Mark kept the kids busy today....not so much me!

I made a really great dinner with a recipe for a cauliflower side dish. It was really easy, and the result was a casserole that tasted very much like scalloped potatoes. Michelle can be picky, but she gave me kudos for the "best cauliflower, ever!" Ah, accolades every now and then are so rewarding, eh? The greatest reward was, however, an empty dish at dinner's end!

I had planned to take a lot of pictures today, but it just didn't happen....

So, here is one that is a bit blurry, but kind of cute......

See the tiny little chipmunk hiding in the weeds? You can see the stripes on its back on the left side of the picture, and a little black eye peering through the greenery!

This is one of the peonies in my front lawn. They need to be transplanted to a sunnier site, but I keep forgetting to do this! These peonies are really special, as my dad gave me the plants, and he got them from his mother, my grandmother. She passed away in 1972, so these plants always remind me of her. I waited all afternoon, until the sun was shining *just so* on this plant. The photo is just as I took it with no "doctoring".

Tomorrow promises to be a bit easier, as we are traveling to meet my parents and brother, as it is my brother's birthday on Monday! I love traveling in the truck, so I look forward to these days.

Happy Sunday to all!

Is it Friday Yet?

No? Ugh. Friday cannot come soon enough this week! I need a vacation after our small vacation.

We arrived back home late on Monday afternoon. The kids were terrific about unloading the camper, and I am grateful for that. I stopped by the local Subway and bought subs for dinner, as I was whipped and making dinner just didn't sound too appealing.

I got up bright and early on Tuesday morning, feeling refreshed after a good night's sleep. I swept down the stairs, barely feeling the treads under my feet. I went out on the front porch, admiring all the beautiful flowers that had come into bloom whilst we were away. Ah, life is so good....

I came back inside and without even complaining, began washing the mountains of dishes that had strangely appeared while I slept....Hmmmm. Then, *it* happenend. I never saw such a freakish thing in my life....

I went to grab for a glass that needed to be washed. As I did so, a brand-spanking new knife I had *just* removed from its sheath the night before *spun around*, bludgeoning its grand point right into the tip of my middle finger of my left hand. I stood there, dumbfounded. After coming back to my senses, I grabbed paper towels and began to place pressure on the dripping fingertip. I think I used about half of the roll before it finally slowed down a bit.

Mark taped the finger shut and this worked well. Then, after about two hours, I wondered if it would tear open again when the tape was removed. So, we bandaged it once again. Drip, drip...you get the picture!

This morning, the finger was finally sealed shut and I placed a new bandage on it, making sure it was first bathed in Neosporin. Now, I have this terrible bulbous bandage on the end of my finger, driving me nuts and making me yell when I bump it on anything!

So, feeling very sorry for myself, I set out this afternoon with my camera, thinking a little walk would soothe my *feelings* if not my poor finger!


So, since my photo of a purple Columbine was a hit on Wordless Wednesday, I took a picture of a Columbine.

And, a whole *bunch* of Columbines.......


And my waning blue Columbines.........


My not-so-ordinary Columbines......

Wow! Look! My Begonia runneth over!

And Daddy Long Legs sitting atop a pretty Daisy!

As I walked in the woods, I was talking to Carly on the cell phone. Suddenly, something jumped up from the earthen floor........

I took about 20 pictures of this little darling, but each picture was worse than the one before it. This was such a total disappointment......

Oh, and to end this on a more upbeat note....My clever UPS man, Bob, has *just* the idea for me! He suggested that before I place my hands into the kitchen sink to wash dishes, I don a pair of Kevlar gloves!!!!

Allegany Pictures

This is the Stone Tower located in the Red House area of Allegany State Park. Ben overheard someone saying this structure was built over 100 years ago as a lookout for fires in the mountains.

Inside the Stone Tower.

Steps leading to the top of the Stone Tower.

It was drizzly and wet when I took this picture from atop the tower, but one can see that on a clearer day, it is possible to see for miles and miles!

Another view from the tower with the sky brightening up a bit! Vision was still somewhat limited.

As I was entering into one of my daydreaming states, admiring the beautiful scenery, I was rudely snapped to reality by the kids.....imploring I take *just* one picture of them......

As Ninjas, fighting atop the tower....and I thought *I* was the one with the vivid imagination?

As we were readying to leave the park, Mark pulled over onto a flat parking lot to make and adjustment to the hitch of the camper. As he and Ben worked, I grabbed the camera to take just a few parting shots. The above photo is a little island located in the Red House Lake.

Michelle standing on a beautifu pier made from stone for people to fish on the lake.

And lastly, a beautiful covered bridge located on one of the many bike paths located in the park.

Good bye, Allegany State Park. I do believe we will be returning once again to visit this stunningly beautiful gem!