Life in the Bristolwood

Well, this weekend has been a very quiet one for us.

The kids went to the mall on Friday and Saturday, they stayed home and just relaxed.  They were up early on Sunday morning for some racquetball at the Y., then came home and crashed for a few hours.

On Friday, Mark and I went with the kids to the mall for eye exams.  I cannot believe it has been two years since I began wearing contacts.  The doctor examined my eyes and discovered my prescription remained unchanged. That was pretty good news!

Michelle has spring break from school this week, so we switched Ben’s schedule around so he could have the time off as well.  I love homeschooling because of the flexibility! 

Michelle is doing quite well with her studies.  Her English professor arranged a meeting with all of his students (120) individually to discuss a paper they had to write for class. (es)  Michelle went in and he immediately told her she had formatted her paper wrong….Oops!  He then began reading.  And he read on without saying anything.  After reading the paper, he asked Michelle what she thought she should recieve as a grade on her paper.  She told him she’d like an “A”.  Well, he gave her an A+!   I had read her paper before she turned it in and felt like she blew my socks off, but was uncertain about what a professor might think!  He told Michelle he had seen 80 students at that point and only handed out one other A!  I am so happy for her….

Our weather has been remarkable.  The day before yesterday, I should have taken a photo, as all our snow was about gone.  The only substantial amounts were along the sides of the driveway where Mark had piled high banks from plowing.  Yesterday, it was pouring down rain.  Then in the afternoon, as the rain was coming down, huge snowflakes began falling with the rain.  By last evening,  there was slush beginning to build up on all surfaces.  This morning, we were greeted by about two inches of slush everywhere!  Yuck! As much as I love the snow,  I really don’t like that stuff…it is like trying to shovel water…….wet and mega heavy!

Late this afternoon,  I needed a break away from the house for a bit so I took a drive down to Woodville to see what might be on the water!  I got a cute photo of a pair of Canada Geese…I think they were looking over the area for a place to nest.  They played peek-a-boo with me through the tall reeds surrounding them.

There were also several Bufflehead Ducks swimming about in the choppy waters of the lake.  Talk about nearly impossible to photograph…..these ducks were bobbin up and down like crazy and they are also diving ducks, which means they frequently submerge themselves in  search of food.  It is like a game of “now you see it, now you don’t”!  They also were pretty far from the shore, adding to the challenge!

I had photographed some Buffleheads last year, up in Canandaigua.  They are beautifully colored.  Although they appear to have black and white coloration in the photo above, (males) their heads are really more like a Mallard’s, changing color depending on how the light strikes their heads.

Certainly not a great weekend for photo ops.  Perhaps some will be forthcoming this week since we are taking some time to do a day trip or two.  Ah well,  rest was nice….and quite delightful!

 I sometimes get so far behind myself….that is, I take many photos that remain on my cards until one day when I look at them and think I should have written about them and put them up long ago. I really am trying to do better,  but it seems like life  often gets in the way.

A couple of days ago,  I went for a small walk along the side of our road.  The day before,  while outside,l I thought I had heard a Robin.  I just put the thought aside as Robins wouldn’t return to the area this early!

Well, the day I went for a walk,  I knew I distinctly heard a Robin singing in a tree.  Since I had the small Panasonic camera with me, I could surely capture the little bird’s photo. Problem was, the wind was blowing up the road mercilessly so it was hard to hold the camera still!

 Not a very nice photo but there is no doubt whatsoever that the bird is indeed a Robin.

Now, I realize I live a somewhat sheltered life in that I don’t go shopping just to look around.  My shopping excursions are generally to grab things we need and run.  So, I probably miss out a lot. (especially since I don’t watch television much either!)

Michelle and one of her friends fancy themselves to be connoisseurs of all things candy corn, so when we were at Sauder’s  yesterday, how could I resist?  I have seen candy corn in Christmas red and green, but Easter colors?

Well, this last photo might not specifically have anything to do with spring, but I just took it a little bit ago waiting for Michelle while she is at school.

I just like the way this photo turned out. And speaking of ducks,  wow, have the Canada Geese been flying northward.  This morning,  Angus felt compelled to awaken me at 4:45 ( yes, there really is a 4:45 AM) .  While I stood outside surrounded by pitch black darkness,  Angus poised himself in an “alert” stance.  I got a little nervous, because I could hear a sound off in the distance as well.

At that point, I pulled the Scotties in just a bit closer to the house.  After a little while,  what must have been a huge flock of geese flew overhead.  They squawked and made noise like crazy for a long time before things settled down again.  That was the strange noise I couldn’t identify before!  The rest of the day,  I have heard countless flocks passing by….

Definitely sure signs that spring really is just around the corner.

Today’s awesome weather with sunshine and mild temperatures threw not only me, but Mark and Ben into “let’s skip out on our responsibilities today” mode!

After dropping Michelle at school today, we went over to Lowe’s and WalMart to bide some time until Mark’s doctor appointment at 8:30.  We then headed to the doctor’s office as Mark had an appointment to get a tetanus shot.  Last year, Ben, Michelle, and I all got our shots, but Mark needed a booster as well.

I went in with Mark to see the doctor and she is just the most wonderful doctor, ever!  Since Mark was her first patient of the day, she sat down and chatted with us as well as giving Mark his shot.  We had such a nice visit, it was almost like seeing our friend instead of going to the doctor! She is leaving on Friday to go to Haiti for several days to help.  Her heart is so good and I pray she has a safe and productive trip.

After the doctor’s visit, Mark and I came outside and the weather was beautiful!  We got into the truck with Ben and the two Scotties, and I mentioned perhaps a day off would be beneficial.  I didn’t have to twist any arms….Mark and Ben both agreed!  I mentioned a drive down Routes 5 &20 and Mark thought that would be great.

With no particular predetermined destination in mind, we set off.  We drove through Geneva, Waterloo, and on to Seneca Falls.  As we drove along,  I mentioned to Mark that there was a new WalMart down a side road.  Mark turned and thought we should just take a drive around to see what stores were there.  It was then that I remembered Priscilla, a visitor to this blog, had mentioned a Mennonite store located “somewhere” nearby.  Mark entered the store name into the GPS and we were only about 1/4 mile away!

We drove over to the store and all three of us went inside.  WOW! This store is even bigger than the other store I often visit. They are really a big grocery store with goods from food to a nice assortment of books including many on Mennonite and Amish living and beliefs.  I could have spent hours and hours there, but it was so crowded, it was tough getting around! The young Mennonite girl who checked out my order said that the fine weather brought customers out in larger-than-normal numbers.

We will definitely be visiting this store again. (and again!)

After looking around in the store,  we pulled around the back of the store so Mark could look up sites of interest on his GPS.  I looked down the small hill below us and saw a little stream meandering along.  In the stream were a few Canada Geese.  Now, in and of itself,  that is nothing unusual, but these geese were acting ***weird***!  They were splashing about in the water as though they were taking a bath to get good and clean!  I do know that geese need water to breed, but this didn’t appear to be in the minds of these geese. (unless a good bathing was needed prior to courtship!)

One of the geese was hysterical….comical…such a comedian!  The goose did a barrel roll several times…..round and round and round.  Don’t believe me? Click twice on this photo and it will PROVE I am not exaggerating!! Honest!

In all my hours and hours spent watching geese, I have never seen the likes of that before!  I didn’t bring my telephoto lens with me so I had to crop this photo in order to catch the barrel roll!

As an aside, Mark laughed as we drove out of the store parking lot.  The employees are all Mennonites and their autos were all parked in one area.  There must have been 20 cars….maybe a couple trucks….all black!  There was nearly every make represented in…..black!

We drove on a little further, keeping our eyes on the clock, as we needed to pick Michelle up again from school.

After arriving back home,  Mark wanted us to rinse all the salty dirt off the truck.  As we pulled into the driveway, there were some spots in the gutter next to the driveway that had dammed up, sending water spilling over the driveway.  While Michelle went down the driveway with shovel in hand to remedy the driveway,  Ben got out the pressure washer and rinsed off not only the truck,  but also the Explorer.  Ah, both the driveway and the vehicles look much better now!

I helped Ben wipe off the hose and wind it up, then put the pressure washer away.  By the time we were ready to go in the house, dusk was quickly settling in.  As I walked from the garage to the house,  I had to grab my camera.  This solar lamp is in the side garden next to the house.  The little lamp had been buried under snow from the last storm.  I wondered about it, but was surprised when I saw it glowing this evening! It just poked through the snow today, so you can see how much the snow sank down and melted today.

I think Ben, Mark, and I are all refreshed from taking this unplanned vacation day.  One of the greatest benefits about homeschooling is that we are able to take off a day every now and then without losing a day….Ben always makes up his work when we get back home.

to lob back any and all rotten tomatoes thrown my way for showing this type of photo. (AGAIN!!!)

Oh, and Mark figured out why my photos weren’t expanding. Now, you can double click to see the BIG pictures! (not that you might want to, mind you!!!)

After seeing the pretty girl above standing on the ice, I got such a brilliant idea! I went around to the back of the truck and got out my little bucket of cracked corn.  I decided that if I threw the corn on the ice instead of the water, none would be wasted . After all, when cast on the water, so much of it sinks to the bottom.

The net result was near hysterical! We all know that the duck waddle in itself is rather humorous,  but seeing these ducks waddling across the ice was too much!  With little traction, those big flippers wandered about, looking like drunken sailors! I never laughed so hard,  but the ducks sure enjoyed!

I guess seeing the ducks eat made *me* hungry, so Mark and I went over to Arby’s.  As we sat behind the store, we saw deer eating at the waterpark across the pond from us!

We enjoyed a lazy, laid back weekend and as you can see, I really didn’t take many photos!

Michelle really enjoyed fencing last semester and was excited when she discovered some classmates had started a fencing club.  The kids met late Wednesday afternoon to discuss the club and so we took Michelle.

After dropping Michelle at school,  Mark asked if I wanted to go to the City Pier. (yet again!)  I groaned,  but since the sun was shining and it was a beautiful afternoon,  I didn’t complain.

Mark drove on down the pier and then began back toward the city.  Then he pulled over and told me there were a lot of ducks sitting in the water below. Once again (should I admit it?) I groaned.  I have taken sooo many photos of Mallard Ducks,  Everyone must be tired of seeing Mallards! I sat in the back seat as a form of protest, but, well,  my trigger finger began to itch and after all, I do carry around a small bucket of cracked corn for my little waterfowl friends.

I hopped out of the truck and within a few minutes,  I found myself totally absorbed in the little flock.  They ate the corn with such gusto….how could I ever think of not feeding these cute little ones, anyway?

I felt somewhat greatly rewarded by getting a photo of a Mallard Duck drake in the snow….don’t see that too often. I had dropped some corn in the snow and he was jus tidying up!  It was interesting just how close these ducks moved in by my feet.  They are ususally fairly shy, but they came in very close that afternoon. I think they were very hungry for some grain!

After feeding the ducks,  we sat in the truck for a time….it was beautifully sunshiney, but the brisk wind was very chilling!  As the sun began to set, the scenery with the ducks was just awesome!

I did happen to catch the sunset one more time from another location….

Who ever would have thought that feeding the ducks yet another time would render some great new shots?

Yeah, today was a notable day for some goofy photos!

I will leave you with a couple good ones I took yesterday.

Sooo…..conversation this morning.

Me: Wow! There’s a lotta snow out there!

Mark:  Nah, the snow is drifted, but it doesn’t *look* like there is much.  Just drifts here and there.

Ah, famous last words….

What Mark did *not* see was the snow the Scottie boys and I encountered early this morning before the sun came up. We three hopped down the steps only to witness snow that far exceeded the height of a wee-legged Scottie Dog!  I tried to push the snow aside with my boots, but it was so deep and heavy,  I could barely move it!  Seeing the frustration in my companions, I more or less “forced” them under the front porch where there was little snow on the ground!

As Mark and the kids did some things they needed to do,  I took a few photos of visitors to the suet feeder out back. The birds have been visiting with greater frequency the past few days.

This little Titmouse patiently awaited his turn atop the railing…..

And look at the lovely pose he struck just for the camera!

When Mark was nearly done with his chores, I went outside and shoveled off the back deck and part of the ramp.  I convinced Ben to finish the job and we had it cleared just as Mark was ready to wheel out the door.

I teased Mark the other day that the wheelchair ramp looks like a luge course.  Now that we have shoveled, it looks even more so!

Michelle took Murphy out to the front of the garage where she was about to shovel. She set him down and he more or less paddled his way through the snow to me.  He wasn’t the least bit impressed by this massive-to-him snowfall!

Both the truck and the Explorer are relatively high vehicles with a generous ground clearance. You can see that the snow in front of the garage was pretty deep!

Michelle and I worked at shoveling out the front of the garage as well as around the perimeter of the vehicles.  We always hand shovel these areas as Mark cannot get in tight enough with the plow.

The snowstorm last night involved snow that fell very finely.  Were it not for the fierce wind, we probably would have had a much deeper snowfall.  What did fall was not like the light, fluffy snow we had previously experienced this year, but heavy, wet snow.  As Michelle and I worked,  huge snowflakes began to fall.

Before Mark could plow with the ATV, he needed a bit of help to remount the two rear tires on the ATV.  He had removed them because when we had the inspection of the truck done yesterday,  he also had those two tires reseated on the rims as they were having some trouble losing air.

When Mark pulled forward to begin pushing the snow,  I couldn’t believe the snow was almost the same height as the ATV!

That ATV is worth its weight in gold.  It did indeed push through that enormous blockade and handily removed the snow from the driveway!

I tried to take the Scotties in the house, but Angus the Brave would not budge.  He wanted to linger outside, watching Mark plow the driveway.  Poor little fellow….he looked like a frozen Teddy Bear as he observed from the porch!

Murphy, on the other hand, bounded into the house with gleeful abandon as soon as the door was opened.  And still, Angus watched over Mark….

Michelle and I continued to work our way through that nasty pile of snow in front of the garage.

Mark worked on the driveway for a good two hours.  There was so much snow; this was a snowfall more like the “old-fashioned” ones we remember.

We were all thrilled with the mechanical advantage offered by the ATV! The only assistance Mark requires is a hand changing the blade direction on the plow from time to time.

As  soon as we finished clearing out the front of the garage, Michelle went inside the house to warm up.  I stayed outside a while longer, then as Mark was finishing  up, I shoveled the close to two inches of fluffy stuff that fell as we were working outside.

Ben helped Mark get things put away and then they came into the house.  Or, so I thought.

Mark kept hollering for me to grab a camera.

I raced to see what it was causing such a ruckus, only to find the boy like this…

Yup, that is how deep the snow is behind the house.  The disgusted look is because Ben claims he hates the snow.

We got everything secured and settled in to an afternoon of watching Team USA beat Team Finland in hockey.  One more game to go and we are assured at least a silver medal! Of course, we are so excited because our favorite team (the Buffalo Sabres) is represented in the form of TeamUSA’s winning goalie, Ryan Miller! What excitement!

The snow stopped falling, for the time being, and we were treated to another beautiful Bristolwood sunset.

We are told that the system that blessed us with this round of snowfall has stalled out and will now remain with us the next few days, causing flurries on and off.

Today, we traveled to Rochester.  Never mind the warnings of bad weather!

Actually, we were advised that the bad weather would probably arrive mid to late afternoon.

We arrived in Rochester to clear roads and an annoying precipitation that felt more like “rainy snow” than anything.  It was just wet and somewhat sticky.  We did our shopping and then Ben and Mark went to the Guitar Center to check out some “stuff”.  Ben got a bass guitar for his birthday, which he is doing well playing. Mark wanted to check if perhaps they might see a better model. Thus, the Scotties and I awaited in the truck about an hour and forty-five minutes while the guys played.

Mark had commented one day that Mendon Ponds Park is located closer to Henrietta than our house.  So, I asked if we could stop just for a few minutes to feed the birds on our way to pick Michelle up from school. 

 Ben and I hopped out of the truck and walked just a few yards away to an area where there were trees and some brush.  We placed a few seeds in our hands and the birds immediately appeared!

Oh, come on, can you *really* imagine a chickadee perched upon your thumb?

I didn’t bring along the Nikon today, as I was traveling lightly.  We had an early morning appointment at eight to have the truck inspected.  It turned out kind of fun as I had to “occupy” the Scotties for about half an hour while the truck was taken in the garage for inspection.  Snow was falling, but it was rather mild and calm, so we walked a good bit, then went back to the store to see how things were going.  The poor Scottie boys had frozen beards and snow all over their skirts.  How happy they must have been to return to the warm and cozy truck.  I wrapped Murphy in a blanket in the back seat and he barely moved all day, sleeping soundly! 

One of the things I noticed right away that was different about Ben feeding the birds was that most people open their hands flat, whereas Ben cupped the seeds in his hand, creating  a sense of awe…As the tiny chickadees landed in his hand, he would raise and lower his hand from time to time, and the little birds would remain perched. 

As I worked snapping photo after photo,  I suddenly distinctly felt two birds land on the knit hat I was wearing.  Ben began to giggle and then I did, too.  It was nearly impossible to continue taking photos with the two of us laughing. Then, Ben did such a funny thing.

Now, remember, a strong storm was on its way.  I know the birds and animals know when bad weather is coming.  As we were feeding chickadees and titmice,  there were cardinals around.  Many cardinals!  They will not come to hand feed, but they surely did make their presence known.  While they were extremely flighty the last time I was at the park, this time,  they seemed not to care as I took photos of them.  They seemed almost focussed on getting their fair share of food before the winds kicked up and the snow began falling heavily.

And here is my favorite photo of a cardinal taken today….

It would have been nice to have had the SLR with me instead of my little Panasonic point-and-shoot,  but I was happy to have gotten the photos I did.  The snow began to come down a bit heavier as we were there.  Ben and I scattered a considerable amount of seeds on the ground as we left.  I am sure they were put to good use by the many birds we left behind!

As we made our way to Canandaigua, the road conditions worsened.  Mark tried his brakes a couple of times and the anti-locks came on and we went much further than he expected.  Many people were driving as though there was no problem whatsoever, making Mark even more cautious!

The wind is howling now and there is snow blowing all over, although visibility remains maybe two hundred feet.  Thus far, I don’t think we have much more than maybe six inches of snow, but it is hard to tell as the winds are terrific! I am so happy we got to feed the birds today!

Yesterday morning, Michelle and  I were off early to Canandaigua.  We had some wet, sloppy snow during the night, so we left a bit early,  but the roads were in fine condition.

After dropping Michelle at school, I went shopping for a few groceries.  As I left WalMart,  I drove through the old WalMart plaza and saw this…

I thought it was pretty cool the driver “parked” his horse and buggy out away from traffic and didn’t use the handicapped spaces.  As I sat looking, a man and a boy walked up to the buggy, so I put on my telephoto lens.

I can see by the clean-shaven face, this man is probably Old Order Mennonite, as the Amish married men have beards.

My next stop was at the bank, and I smiled as I saw this sign in the window….

The bank actually has a beautifully hand-painted rock in the gizmo where one places money and deposit slips.  That photo isn’t focussed well, but between the glass of the bank and my hurried “snap”…well…!

I took the lakeside road once again.  I am not sure if I am more “bold” now or what, but because there was practically no traffic on the road,  I stopped and took photos of some more weathervanes.  I even did something I’ve not done before…..I actually took some photos of the weathervanes on houses! The others were taken on garages or beach houses.

I’m pretty sure this first vane is made by the same company as my Scottie vane.  I sure looks similar!

There is a local magazine called Canandagua that I had received a free copy of a couple years ago.  In it was featured a house on the lake that was beyond my imagination! It was gorgeous and I think it belonged to a married couple that are doctors.  Anyway, this is their whimsical vane!

The next vane is on a beautiful old house.  The vane looks like it is also very old. I believe it is made of copper, and look at the cap where it is attached.  It looks like it was made specifically for that particular home’s application!

I couldn’t tell by eye what, exactly, the vane is, but the telephoto lens did a good job of letting me see that it looks like a ship’s mast, billowing in the wind.

The next vane really threw me over the edge.  From the road, it looked kind of like a weathervane that had been damaged.  After uploading my photos, I could see that it was not damaged! It looks like a handcrafted vane and it is a grasshopper!

I love the cupola with the bell!

I got home and Ben called out to see the male Downy Woodpecker on the suet feeder….

This morning,  we are surrounded by what looks like a thin coating of “frosting”!  We had a light coating of sticky snow that is pasted to everything! So, why not show *my* weathervane?

For drama, here it is with the flash on….

and off….

I was so tired yesterday. I had had a fine night’s sleep the night before, but I was so dragging yesterday! I had all my photos resized and ready to upload to my blog (with the exception of today’s Scottie weathervane photos, of course!) but instead of blogging,  I went to bed early!

Yessir….every now and then, especially while I am driving,  I come up with a grand idea for a photo op.  Such was the case this gloomy, dismal, snowy morning!

Michelle and I left the house and the roads were much less than stellar! They were snow-covered, and with the temperature hanging at just below freezing, all the stuff they were putting on the road was mixing with the wet snow to form some pretty greasy slop!  You have no idea just how happy I am to have those brand spanking new tires on the Explorer!  And yes, it is wonderful having windows that work well, too!

I dropped Michelle off at school and as I was driving home,  I wondered what would be the safest route.  I really dislike traveling on fast roads in weather like this, so I once again opted to travel the lake road.  It was a wise choice as there was essentially no traffic and the road was pretty clear!

I drove past the place I had seen the Redhead Ducks yesterday, but didn’t see anything other than what seemed like zillions of Canada Geese.  It was shortly after this that I had that brainstorm moment! As gray and ugly as the sky is, it would be a good background for some weathervane shots!  And so, I slowly made my way down Lake Road. Thankfully, only two vehicles came up behind me the entire trip.

So, for your viewing pleasure….(I wish I would have taken the Nikon, but settled for the tiny Panasonic this morning, instead)

There were a lot more vanes, but these were some of the coolest I spotted. 

As I traveled just a little further south of where I saw all the ducks yesterday,  I saw scads and scads of Coots.  I would guess there were well over a thousand of them bouncing up and down on the open water.  Just outside there group, there were many more Redhead Ducks.  Even though I have no desire to live on the lake and pay the ridiculous taxes those homes pay, it would be nice to be able to observe the waterfowl that shows up there on a regular basis!

When I arrived home, I had to make my way up the driveway which has about 4 or 5 inches of snow on it.  I put the Explorer into 4×4 High and came up with no difficulties at all!