August 12 photos

These are not in order due to "computer mystery" but they are as follows: Top, left to right; Me, my sister, Gloria and my niece, Laurie having lunch in NYC. Next is Sebastian dressed up by the Waite girls in a pink bonnet. He is very patient with this kind of "fun". Then we have my son, Matt, Kellie, his wife and daughter, Lily on board their new boat on our outing to Lake Champlain. The one of the rickshaw is pretty self-explanatory. While in NYC, we hired one of these things peddaled by a sweating man who couldn't understand where we wanted to be dropped off. The seat is that thing is not large enough for our three bottoms as you can tell.

August 10, 2005

Just tried again to insert photos and it is still a no go situation. I hope you will all be patient because I have some really nice photos which I will insert as soon as I get to a high speed connection. Just returned from delivering Bearfoot to the service garage in Manchester VT. I walked from the garage to the Jelly Mill up in Manchester Center. Had to be 3 miles uphill and with Bash pulling me. It was so hot. I had water but I didn't have any for Bash but was able to find a small creek where he soaked his hot feet and got a drink. We met my daughter-in-law, Kellie at her dentist for a ride back to Pawlet. Now I don't need to bike today. My ride yesterday on my new bike was spectacular. I went out on Rt. 30 towards Granville, NY and then turned off on a nice side road that goes to W. Pawlet, VT. Out and back was 14 miles but it was only slightly hilly. Hot nonetheless! My new bike shifts so smoothly and quietly and what great brakes. The only adjustment needed is the seat is tilted up too much for a female anatomy. I am walking like a cowgirl who rode the range all day. I stopped at Mach's Market in Pawlet on the way back for a cold water and a homemade choc. cookie.

Speaking of cookies, just finished baking a couple of dozen choc. chip cookies to ship to Emily who is still at camp. She will be home this coming weekend. We have been talking about going to a corn maze and it turns out there are several in the area. I hope to take a few of the grandkids and their parents. There is one called the A-Maze Maze. What a great idea. I remember as a child and even as a young adult, running through the tall corn fields with other kids. The corn here is as tall as an elephants eye for sure. Maybe even a giraffe's eye.

I drove up to Castleton to hear the Brass Connection on the village green last eve. They have a series of free concerts throughout the summer. It was delightful. I took Sebastian. He is such a gentleman in public and what a "male magnet". You have heard of "chick magnets" , well my pup attracks a lot of male attention. They all want to know what his breeding is. Pity they don't ask me what my name is and blah, blah, blah. Oh well-

later-

August 8, 2005

Since the arrival of the new boat in this family, we have been out on the lakes in this region a bit. Yesterday, we put in at South Bay in Whitehall, NY and motored out into the narrows of Lake Champlain. Then we went north just above the Ticonderoga paper mill. It was nearing dinner time so we turned around and went back to the Finch and Chubb at Lock 12 in Whitehall for a sumptuous dinner. We loaded the boat before going to dinner which was a good idea since it was dark afterwards. Each of us was wiped out too from the wind and the sunshine. Lilly (5) never made it through dinner but fell asleep in her mom's lap. Their strawberry rhubard crisp is worth going over there even if you don't order dinner.

I went for a bike ride the day before yesterday. It was really quite hot even at 10 a.m. I had mapped out an 8 mile route that included some gravel road. I was eager to ride my route. The bike had begun making a funny rubbing noise on my previous trip to Danby and it seemed like it had increased in volume. But I rode on, stopping to take some wonderful pictures of the farmland and the incredible cloud formations that came in on the heels of a cold front. It was mostly uphill. The corn crop is the highest I have ever seen it. I will take photos and put them on this site. Finally, the noise was so loud, I became concerned. I turned around and went back down the hills. After parking the bike on the front lawn to remind my son to look at it, I went inside Bearfoot. I was just changeing when I heard what sounded like a gunshot close by. I saw the family dogs fleeing looking over there shoulders. My first thought was that someone had shot near the house by mistake. Then as I continued to look, my bike just keeled over. I knew then that a tire had blown up. I thank my Guardian Angels that it happened in the yard. I have been thinking that I needed to replace my old bike anyway. Today found me at the Schwin bike shop in Rutland buying a super bike with shocks on the front!!! No more bone pounding bumps. I am replacing the tire on the old Raleigh and leaving it here for an extra bike. I have been many a mile on that 15 year old bike.

This afternoon, I washed my dirty car since it is going into the shop tomorrow for service. You know it is like taking a bath before you go to the doctor or cleaning the house before the cleaning people come. While I had the hose out I decided Bearfoot could use a bit of cleanup too. Now we are all bright and shiny. The marine wax I had put on Bearfoot in June has held up and kept it from holding onto the bugs and dirt. Bearfoot goes into the shop (big shop) on Wednesday for service in Manchester. I guess I will spend the day in Manchester hangin' out while I wait.

Emily will return on Saturday. I have missed her. She has been learning to jump her horse and reported that she had taken a spill. All part of the learning but still scary.

Still very hot and humid here. Cool nights though - 60's Great sleeping!!