Life in the Bristolwood

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!

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!

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!

Last night, we had to go out for a bit. We have been thinking we might want to replace our hot water heater when we redo the kitchen, as it is 15 years old. When we spoke to a serviceman, he told us that hot water heaters are one of those appliances that can go in about 10 years.(more or less) He also told us that when they do go, well, they usually leave their homeowners with a big mess! After having an icemaker fail a couple of years ago, I never want to see another flood in the house again!

This is a terrible picture, but the basket has Lobelia, tiny petunias, and a single Marigold!

I love Fushias so much, and these pink and white are my absolute favorite! I had seen a basket last week at Wegman’s, but at $19.99, I just didn’t think I could spend that much on a single basket. I am glad I waited, as Lowe’s were less. Even though the basket isn’t real huge, there are lots and lots of buds, so I know it will get bigger and fill out more.

Mark spotted this New Guinea Impatiens and I thought it was so pretty, too! Once again, this is small, but I know it will increase in size. Last year, I had one of these on the porch, and a silly Junco built a nest smack in the middle! I witheld water for weeks to the point where the thing looked so sorrowful….I actually blogged about it last summer!

I think these are Dianthus. It makes me upset when plants are sold without ID tags. I can never remember the instructions, so I leave the tags in a kitchen drawer until I figure them out! This little planter struck both Mark’s and my fancy. It is just so pretty and *happy* looking!

The one thing we left without was a fountain. I saw one that I had admired in the store last year. It is rather simple one , but Mark said we need to think on it some more. I would love to have a water feature so hummingbirds could enjoy it, as well as other birds!

After our Lowe’s experience, we stopped at Wegman’s so I could grab some fresh produce. This is where I always get ours, as they seem to have the freshest produce of all the stores. As Michelle and I walked toward the store, they had so many colorful flowers in front of the store.

I just *had* to take a look.

As we perused, there were signs saying their big hanging baskets were $9.99. The price marked on them was $19.99. I looked and looked…….

When I saw this basket, it *really* caught my eye! The bright yellow daisies were just so very outstanding! AND, this basket had a sign poked into it saying it was the lesser price! I hung it on the shopping cart and Michelle giggled as I shopped throughout the store, pushing the cart with my elbows locked straight out in front of me!

This basket is hung on a shepherd’s hook our neighbor fashioned for us a few years ago. It is bolted onto the back deck, and this big basket (almost 2 feet across!) is just so very perfect out there. The cheerful yellow flowers contrast so splendidly with the lush green hill behind the house!

Here is a closeup of the daisies. You can see how bright and beautiful they are!

This morning, as soon as my feet hit the floor, I raced downstairs and out the door. I stopped long enough to water all the new plants, then made my way to the garage. I was feeling rather smug about mowing the lawn before the sun came up! I had placed a latex glove on my hand with the injured finger so no dirt would get in.

I am a bit different in that no matter how hot I get, I do not sweat. Instead, my face glows an almost dangerous red color, and I feel overwhelmed by heat. (this is the reason why I am not fond of summer at all) Anyway, I think I may have discovered the secret to making myself sweat! When I completed the lawn, I anxiously removed the glove to discover my hand was so wet from sweat, it was dripping!!! Now, all I need is a latex *suit*!

This is a photo I took this afternoon of our cozy little porch, nestled snugly in the trees!

“I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.” Psalm 139:14

Yes,, this is a picture of the self-inflicted knife wound on my finger! When I removed the (huge) gauze bandage this morning, I was so happy to see how well this has healed.

This is the side of my finger where the knife went in more deeply.

This morning was the first time I was able to look at the wound without *shaking*! I globbed on a bunch more Neosporin, put on a new bandaid (no more BIG bandages!!!) and sealed it shut with waterproof Nexcare tape.

As I looked at my finger, the scripture above came to mind. I mean, *what* has man created that self-heals (and so quickly, too!), remains as good as new, AND the fingerprints remain unchanged? Think about that…………

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!!!!

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!

Saturday evening, my parents and brother came out to the camp for dinner and to enjoy a little time in the woods! It was a beautiful evening, and as always, food tasted so much better sitting outside next to a campfire!

Sunday, we decided to take a little shopping trip to Erie, Pennsylvania. Erie is another terrific place to visit, but we were there to shop, not to visit! I was in sorry need of some new summer clothing. I generally only buy three or four outfits for any given season, but I was down to one weary-looking sundress that really needed to be replaced. I washed it too many times!

I made out like a bandit! I had some money left on a Macy’s gift card and my mom happened to have a 20% off one day’s shopping there. After looking throughout the store, I was not impressed with the styles of clothing they had. As we passed by a clearance rack, however, I saw a sweater that caught my eye. Then, another sweater jacket, then a blouse! I was so happy to have some beautiful clothes for a fraction of *Macy’s* prices! They will be perfect to wear in the evening when it is cool.

After that, we hopped over to Value City. Wow! I hit the motherload….I found two really pretty sundresses as well as a couple of skirts and three blouses! Ben found a pair of Levi jeans and two nice dress shirts. As I went up to the register, I discovered that if I applied for a credit card, I could get 20% off. I did, and was totally amazed at the amount of clothing I purchased for only a bit more than $100!

After all of this strenuous shopping, we went to Presque Isle, and ate at an outdoors hamburger “joint” called Sara’s. This place is really hopping in the summer. Behind the restaurant, there is a large campground. What a busy place, and summer hasn’t officially started yet!

We looked around a bit more in a few stores, then headed off to my parents’ home. We stayed for a little bit, then were off to the campground. Rain began and fell all the way there, and continued thoughout the entire night. It was cool and felt so good!

This morning, we awakened and began to make ready for our trip home. Somehow it always seems so hard to get motivated to return home, even though responsibilities await us! All of the memories begin to play out in my mind, and I enter into dreamland, romanticizing about the “what-if’s”. And so, I began daydreaming about how the woman at the gift shop explained how people actually camp out in the rustic little cabins at Thanksgiving and Christmas time. She said people decorate with lights and the whole nine yards. Ah, what a fun experience that would be! It must be that tiny amount of Indian blood within me that draws me….I have always wished to live in a tiny little house in the middle of the woods….Not so sure how all of my “techno-stuff” would play into this, though!

I am going to post one more entry with some more pictures.

Michelle and I relaxed a bit while Mark and Ben went out. Mark took Ben around the park to several places, including swimming and to the gift shop. They picked out the coolest souvenir.

They found some iron ore stones that were smooth as glass that had been magnetized. They are super magnets, and are just so fun!

The above pictures are of the Red House Lake. This little lake offers so much….there are boat rentals and swimming areas. There are also bicycle rentals, as there are miles and miles of paved trails running throughout the park! There is also fishing allowed in the lake.

This is the administration building. It sits majestically overlooking Red House Lake. It houses a gift shop, a small museum featuring samples of the various birds and wildlife that dwells in the park, a lodge with lovely chairs overlooking the lake, the park police, and upstairs, a restaurant! I would love to have gone to the Sunday morning brunch, but Mark would have had a terrible time trying to navigate up the stairs, as the building has no elevator.

This park is located in close proximity to Salamanca, NY. Salamanca is a small city owned by and under the jurisdiction of the Seneca Nation of Indians. I guess that because of this, it is so easy to imagine this property many, many years ago when the Indians were living there with no modern conveniences!

One of my deepest regreats is that we were unable to go camping when Michelle was little….When she was just a little snippet, she loved the woods so much! Her make-believe friend was John the Baptist. Well, technically, according to her, John was her constant companion, as well as boyfriend! She dreamed of being an Indian princess. She would take Ben into the woods about a hundred feet behind our house, and the two of them would lash small pieces of rope around the trees and fashion amazingly well-constructed lean-to’s. She even masterminded a beautiful “patio”, constructed from flat shale found around the area. I look at my complex little girl who isn’t much of a little girl anymore and wonder where the years have gone. With her dark eyes (a woman at the grocery store once called them “dark as chocolate chips” when she was only weeks old) and hair, she certainly could be an Indian princess. Besides, I do believe there was an influx of (I think) Algonquin blood in my mother’s bloodlines!

OK, so when we went on our little camping excursion, we were not too far away from the home of my parents. We were excited about seeing them, and getting together to have some fun!

My brother had taken off the week to help paint my parents’ home, so my dad and brother worked during the day, but we were able to get together for some time in the evenings. This was so much fun, and I cannot think of a better way to visit! By staying in our camper, we would not impose on my parents at all. Although my mom is one of the most gracious hostesses I have ever met, I love staying in the camper so Mom isn’t stuck with tons of laundry to wash, nor dishes piled to the ceiling!

So, on Friday night, my parents invited us to the Rod and Gun Club they belong to. This is a REAL highlight, as this particular club serves the most delicious haddock meal on Friday nights! I have never been a big fan of fish, but this fish is so mild and tender….thinking about it is making my mouth water!

We met for dinner and, once again, the meal was beyond description! What is even more appealing is the fact that as we left, the bill for our four dinners (all haddock) AND sodas, came to less than $33.00! Believe me, this is not a place that you leave feeling hungry!

After dinner, we spotted many Canada Geese with their goslings in tow, walking near the lake. We decided that I had better grab my camera…..

I will never tire of taking photos of these pretty birds. I have always loved Canada Geese, although I am told that in some areas of the country, they have become a terrible nuisance, causing people to grow rather angry with them! Ah well….

As the sun edged nearer and nearer to the western horizon, this group headed westward, ho! Notice the second little one…it was so tiny compared to the other goslings. I am convinced this little one was no gosling at all, but rather, perhaps a little mallard duckling! I mean, HOW could that teeny tiny baby be a sibling to those others?

After leaving my parents’ home, we stopped at a supermarket to pick a couple of items. And, what should be *appearing* in the parking lot?

Yes, a dozen Mallards! What struck me most about this little band of beggars was that ten of these birds were male, with only two females. Hmmm….Anyway, I hadn’t noticed the ducks as I went into the store. However, when I returned to the truck, Ben was outside with them, throwing “breadcrumbs”? at them.

It was only after I crawled into the truck and we were on our way that Mark told me Ben had gotten into Michelle’s “doggie bag” and grabbed a handful of HER leftover fish to feed the ducks. Ben remarked that ducks *do* eat fish, after all!