August 21, 2007

Hi from Stowe, Vermont. My sister and I drove up yesterday for 3 days. We were to be joined by our niece but she had an emergency situation and couldn't come. We have been visiting shops and galleries, eating too much good food and laughing a great deal. We drove to Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream factory today as well as the Cabot Cheese factory store and then drove to the top of Smuggler's Knotch atop Mt. Mansfield which is the highest point in Vermont. We stopped along the way at the gondola and rode to the top of the ski area. I shot some nice pictures.

Sunday was my family reunion picnic held at my son's house. There were about 20 people there. The kids went swimming in the pool. We nibbled on grilled kilbasi and grilled shrimp then had a traditional picnic meal. My grandchildren are all growing up.

My big surprise is - I have a contract on a house in Hartford, New York near my sister and brother in law. It is just a little doll house, 980 sq. ft., totally redone top to bottom. It is situated on 1.6 acres with a large gamble roofed barn that will actually house the motor home. I will attach a picture of the house as well as some from our trip to Stowe.

August 18, 2007

I'm off to the races......Saratoga that is! Six of us are going for the day. Whoever wins big, buys dinner.(: I tried out my new camera yesterday. Attached are some photos. I will take some at the track today too. Tomorrow I moved the coach to Pawlet for the big family picnic on Sunday. All my children except those from VA will be there. It will be a kinda substitute for my not being here at Christmas or Thanksgiving. I might try for Thanksgiving though. Not sure yet. I still can't give away my surprise but am patiently waiting and praying. No, I am not getting married! Trying to stand back and trust God in these things is always a challenge since we as humans tend to become vested in the outcome.

Heard some good news this week on CA patients I have been praying for. Still waiting to hear on others.

No clams for our picnic since there is an outbreak of Red Tide in Maine at this time. We have RT in the Gulf too. It renders the seafood toxic for a time.

My last post posed some questions on the photo with the little colored dots in it. Click on the photo itself and it will enlarge, then you should be able to zoom in. Those boxes are honey bee boxes stacked up near a hedgerow in S. Hartford. I plan to go down there and paint them. Now that I have my telephoto lens back, I can show you closer shots. Have a joyfilled day.

august 14, 2007

Have you seen any meteors yet? I have been out twice around midnight of late. Although the sky was crystal clear and the Milky Way was incredibly beautiful, I didn't spot any shooting stars. Honestly, it is difficult for me to stay up for it. Funny while I was reading the new Harry Potter book, I was burning the midnight oil every night. What a great book! The ending was perfect for the series too. I haven't seen the latest Harry Potter movie yet. I don't get to the movies while I am here in Hartford often. I see many movies in Richmond though. My sister and hubby and I just returned from one of the weekly free concerts. This one over in S. Glens Falls. It is getting cool now and the sun sets earlier. It was great music though.

I went biking today. Took a different route south on route 40. It was a great ride. I took a few pictures too. We need rain here now. The corn is way over the eye of the elephant but it is turning up begging for water. My friend has two families of wild turkeys with their young hanging around. Today as I rode, I spotted a dead coyote by the road side. He looked very large with a healthy coat.
I am still looking for a small house in this area. I may have found one. More on that later.

Sebastian is getting a shampoo and a trim tomorrow. I get my hair cut on Thursday. We usually end up having our hair cuts right around the same time. My family is going to get together on Sunday for a picnic. The weather looks like it will be in the 70's which will be nice. The weather always changes up here in August. Nights cool way down and the days are crisp but warm and dry.

I went to Cambridge NY on sunday to see my granddaughter ride in another horse show. She did well in the heat. She is a lovely rider. Then on Monday, I drove to Hebron, NY to watch another granddaughter take her riding lesson. I have three now who seem to be following in my "stirrups". It makes me very happy to see them taking up riding. I was self taught until I was in my forties. Then i began to take formal dressage lessons. I read everything I could, listened and watched others since I was a small child. These young girls are very lucky to have the training available to them.

My grandson who is in the Army Corp of Cadets at VA Tech made it through his course in Air Assault at Ft. Knox. He came home with his wings and feeling good about what he had accomplished. 20% of the class dropped out in the first two days. Heat of over 100 degrees and the tests the Army throws at the cadets plus living on MRE's would not appeal to most of us.

Here are a few shots---- Oh! I just ordered a new camera so I will have a telephoto lens once again for those great close ups. My camera is almost always with me.

August 6, 2007

I am still currently in Hartford, NY with my sister and brother in law. I have been away visiting my family in Albany, NY and they don't have wireless internet. It has been a bit of time since I last posted. I saw two great movies while in Albany; The Bourne Ultimatum and No Reservations. I went to the Knickbacker arena to watch my grandson play hockey for LaSalle. My daughter and I went for a long bike ride of Slingerlands. There are several lovely residential communities there and checking out the landscaping is always fun. But I am back here in Bearfoot sorting mountains of paper that have accumulated whilst I have been playing. It is cloudy and threatens rain today but still quite humid. I am planning a family reunion to be on August 19th at my son's home in Pawlet. I think there will be nearly 100% attendance excepting my daughter and her family from VA. She will be back teaching part-time by then and my granddaughter is working. My grandson who attends officers training at VA Tech is currently at Ft. Knox training in Air Assault helicopter training. Please include him in your prayers. The conditions, weather and entire Army program is designed to present these young trainees with the harshest conditions possible. 20% of the cadets dropped out in the first 3 days. He will be there for 3 weeks if he makes it. It is difficult to witness the tremendous toll taken on a beloved young man in my family.

My granddaughter, the horsewoman, is at horse camp and attending a few shows. She has done very well for her second season of showing. She is an excellent rider. Having been a competitive rider myself, I know the rigors of training that she is enduring. I also know the disappointment as well as the excitement of winning and losing. I hope to attend at least one of her shows this week.

Some of the Vermont schools as well as Virginia are starting their teachers early and my girls go back this month. Seems like a short vacation for them. Some people are critical of the hours that they suspect teachers put in but I'm here to testify to the extra work they do all year long. Grading papers each night, staying at school late in the day for meetings and tutoring and going back two weeks before the students return. They don't get paid enough for what they do either.

The images are taken at my daugher's home in Florence, VT. The granddog is Denzel.
Keep smilin', keep dancin', keep prayin'.......

July 24, 2007

A change! Posted one of my watercolour paintings. Hope you like it.
I have some photos to post as well. I was taken on a tour of Hartford via ATV. What a thrill! We stood still by a beaver pond for over a half hour hoping to see some beavers but I think it was too hot for them to be out and about. We did see a flicka and a hawk which I couldn't identify. But I saw many many wildflowers - blackeyed susans, daisies, bee balm and some I couldn't name. I forgot my wildflower book. We shared a lovely picnic on the hillside with a view that would take your breath away. A lovely day!

Today I visited the Mettawee Nursery in Dorset taking my young granddaughter who is 7 with me. We thoroughly investigated the fairy garden and I took many pics. See this site for same. We went home and after picking black berries, we built a small fairy house. We plan to build more after I go to Michaels crafts for some houses etc. Several years ago in VA, my young then granddaughter and I built fairy houses all around my yard. We used sea shells, pine cones, shiny ribbons, little berries and nuts. We strung shiny sequin ribbons from tree to tree. It was lots of fun for both of us. Yesterday, my sis and her grandson, me and my granddaughter went to the movies to see Ratatouille. I totally enjoyed the animated film about a chef rat. I don't know if the kids liked it as much as we adults did.

Tomorrow night is the Kenny Chesney concert at SPAC. My sis and I are going which should be a good time. Here are some photos--- One shot is taken from the Algonquin Rest. on Lake George where we celebrated my sister and hubby's 44th wedding anniversary.

Trip to Queechee Gorge and VINS

Ijust realized I hadn't posted any pics on our trip to the Gorge or to the Vermont Institute of Natural Science last week. A perfect day complete with a hike down the trail to the river at the bottom of the gorge and an ice cream cone. Enjoy!

July 19, 2007

Yesterday was my eldest child, my son's 48th birthday. We went to dinner at the Dorset Inn located on the Green in quaint little Dorset, VT. The food was wonderful. I had diver scallops and a fresh beet and pistachio salad. Yum! Of course, I had to indule in a chocolate terrine with rasberry sauce for desert. It isn't any fun having a birthday party if you don't eat cake!

Today is rainy and cold once again. Last night coming home, the clouds were hanging over these old mountains but the moon and venus peaked through. There was even some red colour left from the sunset earlier. I had hopes for sunshine today but doesn't look like it will. I have some projects to catch up on inside. Tomorrow I will move the coach down to a local campground to dump the waste tanks and then pick up my car to go over to my sister's house. Tomorrow is their 44th anniversary and she is giving herself a party. We have all expressed a need for an over 55 party which is reminiscent of our winter gatherings in Naples. We will have some "heavy" appetizers which will serve as a meal. We will probably be inside though since it looks like rain again.

My granddaughter here in Pawlet is leaving on Sunday for horse camp on Lake St. Catherine in Poultney, VT for 3 weeks. While she is away, I will have an opportunity to play with her younger sister as well as the other younger ones in the area. We are considering taking a camping trip to Parc Safari in Canada. I am not much of an amusement park person but apparently there is a great deal to do there.

I finished a sketch of my granddaughter's chow dog who was shot last year. We found a frame for it yesterday. Now I am continuing to work on a painting of a frog for my grandson who is 12. Since I started this project, I discovered that he really likes turtles better. But since he is a lover of all things natural, I guess the frog will be ok.

We visited Tylord farm in Benson, VT the other day. Saw the devastation first hand since they had a fire two years ago and lost 7 valuable top stallions. They are gradually rebuilding their foundation stock. We also visited the UVM Morgan Horse Farm, took the tour, watched some training and schooling and visited with the trainer. Always fun to go there. Lunch followed at Mr. Ups in Middlebury, VT. We were seated on the Otter Creek. There is always a wildlife show going on there. I am posting some pics.

Keep smiling -

July 12, 2007

I brought Bearfoot or I guess I should say, Bearfoot brought Bash and me to Pawlet, VT yesterday just before a T-storm came rolling through. My plan was to drive to Dorset for a dump run but I wasn't about to mess with all that in the rain. I came directly to my son's, took the car off and turned this rig around so I could back in in the driveway and into my "spot" next to the house.

We went to a 90th birthday party last night in the deluge for Alma Baker, my daughter-in-law's grandmother. She is a special lady. She was also a good friend to my mom when mom was alive. They met at my son's wedding 24 years ago. It was an immediate friendship that lasted until mom passed 3 years ago in May. She seemed to be a bit overwhelmed by the party and sad as well. I told her to forget about the numbers and focus on the fact that she is well and aware. I spent sometime talking with an old classmate of hers who is from Raceville, NY, near Grandville. What a special woman she is! Still does her own mowing, gardening, mulching etc. She is an organic gardener. She also drives herself anywhere she wants to go, her words. She doesn't hear well but what brilliant blue eyes she has and incredible spirit.

My bike went into the shop in Glens Falls last week. They finally got it fixed and I picked it up yesterday before I left Hartford. New chain, new gears, new seat and an air pump = $121. The seat and air pump were something I really had needed for sometime. I don't know if this seat will fit my buns but hope it is better than the other one. On long rides, one expects to be a bit saddle sore but not to the extent that I was. I may sign up for a bike tour in northern Vermont in August. I hope it will be a way to meet other singles my age with similar interests.

I plan to spend sometime with my middle daughter who lives in Florence, VT for a couple of days. We want to explore a few things and maybe go to the Blues festival in Brandon. Then I want to take my horse-loving 14 yr. old granddaughter to the E. dorset horse show. I will hang out here in Pawlet until next week. I need to be back in Hartford for my sister's anniversary on friday.

So it goes.... Enjoy the photos.

July 6, 2007

Bash and I are hunkered down in Bearfoot since we are under a severe T-storm warning and it is raining again. I just put my awning back up this morning. It was sunny, warm and lovely. Bash and I took a long walk down to Rt. 40 and back up the hills. I am glad to have done that since the black clouds came in behind us. Cool temps and frequent showers seem to be the summer so far in this part of the world.

Went to another concert last night in Granville, NY at the park there. Heard the Sundowners. Good old fashioned R & R. These concerts are held free of charge in all the little communities here in Washington County as well as Vermont. Lots of good music and fun.

As I was walking and gawking at the scenery this morning, I thought about how I am always trying to recreate what I see with my eyes through the camera lens or with a brush. It can't be done! No matter how one tries, the textures, the depth, the colours and the smells cannot be duplicated. God has the patent on all this beauty. But I keep trying anyway. I hope you all enjoy the pics. The corn is as "High As a Normal Knee Cap" and it is a couple of days after the fourth of July so all is on track as it should be. I started taking pictures when I was a small girl with an old Kodak brownie. I have been through several cameras in my lifetime and am now back to an inexpensive digital Kodak with a malfunctioning zoom lens. It quit shortly after I photographed my three wonderful daughters competing in the Freihofer Race for the Cure last summer in Albany, NY in the rain. I haven't replaced the camera because I like it, it's paid for and it works, well kinda. The question is, what would I do with this one if I bought a new one?

Have you seen Ratatoulle? I would like to do so. I like some of the new animated films. The theme song from An Inconvenient Truth by Melissa Etheridge, I Need To Wake Up, is another great from a fabulous artist. If you haven't heard it and her other great one, I Run For Life, do so. You won't forget those special songs.

Gotta go do some laundry. More later......

July 4, 2007

These pictures were taken last night at a concert in the park at Moreau, NY. The Irish band, the Macleads were entertaining us. This park is a well-maintained historical site along the Hudson River. The grinding wheels seen in the photos are from the 1700's Grist Mills located on the river here. A nice evening. I find though that I need a blanket later in the evening this year. The weather reminds one of late August or Sept. Today, the parades and fireworks displays will be dampened by the rains predicted. Right now as I type, the wind has picked up and it is overcast. I just brought in my awning and outdoor things. I learned long ago from my sailing days not to put off battening down the sails for a storm. Mid-storm firedrills are no fun. We are having a quiet day at home. Steak on the grill and other good eats on the menu.

I went biking yesterday over the hills and the dales again. Only made 8 miles before I had to quit. My heart and lungs find these hills most challenging. Also, my derailer is not working forcing me to ride in 2nd gear all the time. The limitations put more strain on my cardiovasular system. But I do walk some of the hills which is actually good for me. My sis went into the pool but I couldn't bring myself to do so since the cold nights have finally reduced the temp from a balmy 86 degrees. I have been playing with My Space. If any of you wish to check it out, please ask me.

I also painted yesterday outside under the awning. Did a sketch for a granddaughter and completed a couple of unfinished ones from last year. I started a series of animals done in oil a few years ago and I now feel it is time to continue with them. On My Space I have an album of some paintings as I do on this site. I will be adding more.

Happy Independance Day!

July 1, 2007

Wow, the month has gone by fast. I have been busy since the last posting. I went to a birthday party for one of my granddaughter's in Florence, Vermont. Stayed overnight since I don't drive after dark. They are in the middle of a mound system project for the waste. What a challenge that is. I remember having to replace a leach field years ago but this mound system is something else entirely. We went to see Evan Almighty. It was a fun movie. We also went to their local rec center and while my daughter and I sat in the sun near a babbling brook, the children swam. We shared a picnic lunch too.

I picked up one of my older granddaughter's at basketball camp at Castleton State college and she spent the last 3 days with me. What fun we have had! She has a great sense of humor and I have found myself laughing a lot. We climbed Haystack Mt. in Pawlet's Mettawee Valley. I have included some of the photos. It was our Everest! Tough climb but well worth it. She created a My Space blog site for me. It is lots of fun and I can post personal stuff on it along with many family photos. You do have to have a My Space page in order to share. If any of my readers wish to do so, let me know.

Today we went to an art show nearby with my sister and her husband. The paintings were of local animals and children from the community. Some of them were done with their County fair show animals. The building was an old dairy barn, the gallery upstairs in the hay loft. Downstairs is a huge gift shoppe with lots of unique and fun things. The countryside in this area is incredibly beautiful and very rural.

It is chilly here at night but in the 70's during the day. We have had occasional showers too. Last week, it was warm here and there were few bugs so I had left the door to Bearfoot open while I did something outside. The 120 lb. retriever from next door apparently came into the coach and stole two of Bashey's toys. The next day Bash went down there and brought back one of the toys. The next day, I mentioned that his Tiki toy (a new gift from Wendy) was missing. There was a report that a blue toy had been spotted two houses away. Bash went out and disappeared. I called and called but no Bash. Finally, he came to the door and asked to come in. He had Tiki in his mouth albiet a very dirty Tiki. We washed it and he put it back in his toy bag. He just understands everything I say. Amazing dog!

June 26, 2007

Bash and I are off to Florence, Vermont, near Brandon, this afternoon. We are going to a birthday party for my granddaughter at her home there. We will stay overnight since I don't drive after dark and it is a bit of a drive over there. I usually park in their yard for a few weeks but I am not sure this year. The road going into their house has over-hanging trees and is narrow and curvy. It is necessary to drive in the middle of the road for a good part of the trip in order to avoid being scratched by branches. I have a rubber roof on this coach and the thing to avoid is having scratches on the roof. My "repair budget" (??) is shot for the next two years.

Tomorrow, we will stop in at Castleton State College, my alma mater, to pick up my other granddaughter who is coming to stay with me for a few days while her family is away racing. She has been at basketball camp this week. Speaking of basketball, last evening I went with my sister and her family to watch one of her granddaughters play basketball in Hudson Falls, NY. It is a summer league and the team members receive lots of constructive coaching. We won the game. Ice cream is a traditional treat after Little League games but it seems it has gained support with the young basketball players. Yum!

I have some kind of critter up under my coach. I hear noises and Rosie, the critter sniffing dog affirms there is a presence. There many ways they can get in. Not sure how I will address this invasion of our space.

I am beginning to feel more like myself than I have in a long while. It has taken almost two months to begin to feel normal. When I think of the stressful events over the last year, I realize how little attention I have paid to my self. I have been using flower essences as well as tinctures of dandelion and astralagus, all excellent for the rejuvenation of the body, mind and spirit.

I biked 18 miles day before yesterday to North Granville, NY and took a couple of pictures of the scenery which I want to share with ya'll. I can't get enough of these long pastoral views. I couldn't shift from 2nd gear because my de-railer is in need of repair or replacement but it was a wonderful ride.

I found a sign for our coach. It is made of canvas and is the face of a friendly bear. On the top near the ears, I painted our names. It hangs on a post poked in the ground just outside the door.

I heard from my daughter in VA. She said that my grandson is preparing for air assault school this summer and will fly to Ft. Benning, GA the first of August to begin his training. He is very eager and excited to begin this vigorous training as part of his Army Corp officers training at VA Tech.

Have a delightful steamy hot summer day good friends. This is my kind of weather.

some June photos

June 22, 2007

My calendar says today is "Take Your Dog To Work Day". How about that bit of trivia?
Check out the attached photos of yours truly and partner as well as my partner with his new hair cut. I had a grand time yesterday with my Brandon, VT family who came over to my sister's house for a swim and picnic. I could not believe the changes in my grandchildren whom I hadn't seen since last Sept. They are all tall and slim. My daughter who is their mom is 6' tall and their dad is at least 6' tall so I guess the height is to be expected.

Here are some pics of Manchester, Vermont where I lived for a few years. I went down there the other day for a hair cut and managed to shoot some nice pictures. Bash and I always seem to have our hair cut around the same time. I will post a picture of him with his new do in a separate post.

We have been having lots of rain, hail, wind and cool temperatures. I heard 40's tonight. My gas furnace is on. When I lived in Vermont, we always told people that we had two seasons, July and Winter. Certainly seems that is the case so far this summer.

I opened my lovely desk today in Bearfoot. I feel like painting again. Think I will set up my stuff tomorrow. I hope this is a sign that my creative energies are returning after a lengthy period of what appears to be plain old exhaustion. Aging is not for wimps. Slowing down is part of the natural process of aging but I haven't felt the effects before this year. Now as I approach my birthday and begin to feel chronic pains in some of my joints, my energy level has dropped, I find I have come face to face with age. If only there was a sweet elixer of youth available, I guess we would go to great lengths to get it. Some already do so through tucks, lifts and augmentation, creams, lotions and supplements. I guess I have never really given my own aging much thought 'til now. I have greeted each milestone in my life if not with gusto then certainly with an anticipation of adventure. This new chapter will take a bit of attitude adjustment - and work!

June 19,2007

The graduations have been completed. Bash and I had a lovely although short visit with my daughter and family in Albany. We stayed overnight since driving for me since the botox injections has been a true challenge. These symptoms will pass in another week. For some reason, the treatment causes the BEB (Benign Essential Blepharospasm) to worsen for a couple of weeks. Other people with this disease don't seem to have this type of reaction. I also lost all sense of smell with the botoxin injections but I never met a doctor who will acknowledge that as a side effect. I still think it is worth it even though I only actually get about 2 mos. of relief from the spasms.

I have the ideal site here at my sister's. I have wireless internet, cable tv, acres of green lawn, laundry and a heated pool just outside my door. Bash loves it here since he gets to run free. I do watch him however. There is a large Rottweiler who lives across the street and Bash is very curious. Bash and Rose, the minature poodle, chase chipmunks. Rose is an avid hunter of all small creatures. She inspected the underside of Bearfoot by standing on her hind legs and dancing from front to back. She came out spotted with grease. Bash had a grooming today and even though he has a butch cut (they call it summer cut), he is very clean and handsome.

I rode for 9 miles over the hills and through the dales but think I have destroyed my 2nd gear. I really need to get it in for repair. Probably going to need new gears. When I broke my chain this past winter in Naples, they suggested I would need gears very soon. I like my bike and maintaining it is just part of the package. Speaking of maintaining - I have to have the oil changed in my little "toad" car. There is a local guy who works on cars in his barn. I usually try to give him my business while I am in the area. He plugged a tire for me 3 yrs. ago and it is still fine.

I have been looking for a more private web site but there doesn't appear to be any freebees such as this one. I would like to be able to post more personal pictures but don't feel comfortable doing so on this site. Anyone have any ideas?

Sebastian had two "massages" from the plant devas who live under the trees and shrubs. He cannot find a place in FL where they live so he is making up for all those lost rubs. The devas are Beings of Light and Energy, fairyies if you will. Native Americans call them the Little People. Sebastian has always been friends with them. Watching him move in slow motion turning and twisting his body so they can reach all sides with a glazed look in his eyes is a sight to behold. It will make a believer out of the most skeptical person. Having many devas in the yard is a sign of a healthy yard. One time in my yard in VA, after Bash came out from the bush, I lay down under the same bush to see what I could feel. I didn't get rubbed but I was able to hear them and learn their names. I was encouraged to build several fairy houses around my yard with the help of my then young granddaughter, Ann. We had a fun day.

Pictures later--

June 15, 2007

Today is Estimated Tax Day. Blah! Otherwise, it is a perfectly wonderful day. Mild temps, clear ski and low humidity. I am loving it after many months in the heat of the south. I am sitting outside under my awning with Sebastian watching the Today Show on my old tv that I reclaimed from my granddaughter. I have a compartment in the coach that has an extra tv hookup. I never thought I would enjoy having a tv outside but I really do. I am hooked up to cable too.

Went for a 9 mile bike ride yesterday over HILL and dale. That was the toughest 9 miles I have ever done. I think I blew my 2nd gear too but I have over 2000 miles on my bike now and a new set of gears in probably in order. I replaced the chain last winter and was told at that time that I would need a new gear set very soon. In FL I don't use the gears much but that is not the case here. I was struggling in first gear shifted down to 1 all around and still unable to catch my breath. I walked at least 3 hills yesterday which is good. It gives me a chance to stretch my legs and helps prevent osteoporosis. I didn't bring my camera and don't you know, of course, I regretted it. The scenery was nothing short of spectacular.

Tomorrow I will go to Albany early in the morning for Colin's graduation ceremony. In four short years, I will, God willing, be attending Colin and Emily's HS graduation.

I am looking for another personal website. When I find one I will let you all know. I would like an invited website that is more secure, then I can share personal photos with you all. If anyone has any ideas, send them on.

Wonderful reunion with one of my oldest neighbors and school chum. I really only have two that I am in contact with. These folks live on a mountain top in GA. I hope to stop in there sometime.

Including a photo of one of my bike trips in Vermont.

June 12, 2007

I have completed one graduation and am edging towards the next one which will be in Albany, NY. The one last night was a small class of 30 students. We dodged rain drops running into they gymnasium as a T-storm arrived just as we did. The boys in the class were not allowed to attend since they had started a food fight last week. Not only did they clean up and do the dishes but they missed their last dance. I felt the punishment was a bit harsh. My grand daughter looked lovely and didn't trip over her feet in her new high heels. We went to the Sirloin Saloon for dinner afterwards which was delicious but and that is a big but -- attending these family dinners with two ex-husbands and their girl-friends is quite uncomfortable for me. Conversation is limited. They are probably as uncomfortable as I but they do have a support person with them. I took some great pictures of my granddaughter though. Sorry can't share in this format.

I am thinking of changeing my site. I just met a friend who has an invited blog site where she can show her personal photos of family etc. That might be better for me too since so many of my readers are family.

I drove my granddaughter to her riding lesson this afternoon. What a treat to watch her learning to ride. I rode horses all my life up until my late 50's. Watching her is very fulfilling for me. She is an excellent rider as well.

Speaking of riding - I took the bike out this morning before the rain showers came. I wanted to ride to Middletown Springs, VT but actually did 13 miles. These hills take some getting used to. I walked part of the way up a couple. It is all uphill to Middletown Springs. I will try again tomorrow a.m., weather permitting. I haven't ridden in a month.

Tomorrow I plan to pulll out of here and go over to New York state to park in my sister's yard for a week. I am looking forward to seeing them. The beauty of this type of travel is a change of scenery and family.

-June 8, 2007

Pawlet, Vermont - Yes!!! I told you in an earlier post that my ears had to do an adjustment to the lack of noise when I reached Harpursville - same here. What a pleasure sleeping with a complete lack of traffic racket. I started early this morning washing the awning, then the MH. Got two sides done before, the sun came 'round. It is hot out there now. I need to wash my car. It is black from the road grime and the diesel dust from Bearfoot's big engine back there. Sebastian went out with me this morning and managed to lay down in all the grimy water that was pooling under the coach. Then being Bash, he lay down in the dirt. I have been referring to him as Meat Ball. I wonder why white dogs like to get dirty?

I have both ac units going and it is delightful in the coach. I stopped in Amsterdam, NY yesterday out on 90 at Camping World and purchased a Surge Guard. Big bucks spent but think I will rest easier. I arrived here in Pawlet late in the afternoon and was exhausted. My hands and wrists are very sore. But my eyes held up, thank God. The family was happy to see me. We are going to several basketball games in the Saratoga region this weekend. My granddaughter who is graduating from the 8th grade on Monday is competing. She is going to a dance tonight so I get to participate in these wonderful school activities that I usually am absent for. The little one was out here early this a.m. knocking on my door. She is an early riser and thinks everyone else should be too.

Going out again now to set up my Dish. Yuck! Thermometer reading 94 degrees now in the shade. Tomorrow will be normal summer weather for this area - 70's. Of course, there is no global warming. This is all trumped up by some crazy ecologists!!! Sure, sure - that is why there has been double the number of huge destructive tornadoes in the mid-west this year and why the desert just experienced a force 5 cyclone. The first ever! We are an embarassment to the world at the G 8 summit. We are the worst pollutors on the planet and yet, we deny there is a problem. Go figure!

I have wireless in my coach here so will write more later.

6-6-07

Bash and I just went outside here in Harpursville, NY for a walk before supper and I thought I had lost my hearing. I did a double take until I realized it was quiet here. The last time I was in a quiet, traffic free area was a month ago in Crystal River, FL. It is truly beautiful here with long views off to the Eastern mountains and many tiered ponds that are stocked. I had to make three passes at this site though. Not a good thing to be doing when one is totally exhausted. I just couldn't find a spot that was level enough. My rear wheels were lifted off the ground at one point and the slide out wouldn't open. I have an automatic leveling system and it said the slope was too great. I finally got it on the third try of going around the block. It is very wet here too due to heavy rains last night. These sites are all grass.

Each spring when I pass this way on my way north, I rant and I rave on the condition of I 81 through PA. But I realize it symbolizes the rents and tears in our very fabric of life in the USA. Our entire infrastructure is falling apart because the states and the federal gov't don't have enough money left over from the war in Iraq to repair our streets and roads. I saw road workers out all the along the road patching those ugly patches from last year. It is like a poor person who has to patch the patches on her clothes. This is a tattered and poor country thanks to the Bushites. I normally don't write about politics but I find I have a great deal of anger as I witness first hand the destruction of this Country by a handfull of greedy, self serving people who only wish to pad their own pockets. Meanwhile, each day we hear the casualty reports. 3500 as of today. What a milestone and for what? We still haven't punished the one responsible for 9/11 but we have managed to position ourselves in the middle of a civil and religious war that is not about us.
I guess you can tell I am really beat, huh?

Good news! The sun is shining, the sky is clear and it is getting cold. We have frost warnings here for tonight. Then by late tomorrow it will be in the high 90's. Global Warming?? Where is it?? See An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore if you have not already seen it. Fascinating! Be prepared to cry though.

Here is a photo of yesterday afternoon as I prepared supper in Gettysburg. The sunlight was very beautiful. The wine was real good too.

I have renewed my comittment to write a book about women rv'ers. I hope to bring a sense of humor to my experiences on the road. Amsterdam Camping World tomorrow to purchase a surge protector. I would love to spend the extra and buy a Garmin GPS too. The Hokie Bird is strapped into the Navigator seat but he just sits there and looks very fierce. No help there.