Life in the Bristolwood

What???  Are you kidding?  You have got to be kidding!!!

No, it was not a quiet day, but we did have a little fun!  We had an early afternoon appointment to have some (more) work done on the Explorer.  This is not one of my favorite topics, to be sure.  But in all fairness, it is a 2002 and we have had that vehicle for alomost nine years. 

While we were getting a new part installed,  we looked at some new vehicles.  They have changed a great deal and the prices have skyrocketed! It seems something isn’t right when basic vehicles can cost a quarter of the price of a modest house!  While a house can increase in value as one makes improvements, a vehicle decreases the moment one drives it out of the showroom!

Ah well.  We drove to Victor and looked at some other vehicles as well. Sure is fun to get your fill of new car smell!!!!

Here are some photos from today…..

We left home shortly after noon and just got home at almost nine-thirty.  And tomorrow….more of the same. Doctor and dentist appointments are sure to keep us hopping again!

It seems like everyone I have talked to is saying the same thing….they cannot wait for the heat to stop!  It really is difficult trying to deal with temperatures so high, one sweats just sitting still!

This pretty Queen Anne’s Lace should cool us off!  This was taken down near the plateau where we store the camper.  There is a huge patch growing there, and it is so pretty! I happened to get it when the lighting was favorable.

Today,  I saw a different butterfly fluttering about near the Butterfly Bush.  I got close and it flew off.  First, it swooped up into the air as though being drawn up by an invisible current….then it dive-bombed me!  I followed it around and around, then gave up.  Enough of that!  I went outside a short time later and saw the little critter sitting on the bush again. 

I have figured out that the best way to capture a shot of a butterfly is to advance from behind!  I was out there trying to capture the Elusive Butterfly and the family was all sitting in the truck,  waiting to go out.  Well, I had to settle for far less than perfect.

I can’t say I am familiar with the name Milbert’s Tortoiseshell, but that is what this butterfly is called. When I looked up its name online, the information said they are shy and very hard to capture a photo of.  Hmmm…I could have told them that!

I did manage to get some photos of a hummingbird moth!  It came in and was intermingling with the pretty butterfly.

Just like a hummingbird, this moth can hover while gathering its food. Here is another photo…far less than stellar, but showing the moth’s backside.

It is late and I am tired.  I think when this heat and humidity leaves again,  I will be able to breathe a sigh of relief!  I do mean that literally….gasping and trying to catch my breath the past several days has been so frustrating!

This morning,  Michelle was up bright and early for her Rochester Institute of Technology orientation.  Truth be told, our girl was a bit hesitant about going….this was a “Michelle only” event….no Mom or Dad to help walk her through it.  Although Michelle exhibits confidence, every now and then, she gets a little “stage fright”. We encouraged her she would be fine and will even be meeting new friends along her way.

The weather forecast was for hot and humid, with a threat of scattered (but perhaps violent) thunderstorms.  Since I have had breathing issues the past few days,  we decided it might be wise for me to remain home with the Scottie boys.  I was happy because when no one is around,  I find myself more at ease and able to rest.

So, off went Mark, Ben, and Michelle this morning.

I enjoyed having some free time to look around on my Facebook account.  Sad to say,  I usually miss much of what is said or going on as I rarely have time to sit and read for long!  I only read the most recent of postings, so I am really behind on what is happening in everyone’s lives!  Oops!

After spending a few hours doing a little laundry, straightening the house, and washing dishes,  I looked at the Scottie boys who both were looking a bit forelorn.  Hmmm….perhaps they wanted to cool down a little with a ride in the Explorer.  When I mentioned the words “ride in the car”,  their tails began wagging!  Okay, so a car ride it was!

We drove on down to Woodville just because it isn’t that far away, and also, there is just something about life at the lake (not the people, but the birds, fish, and animals!) that excites me.  As we pulled into the boat launch, I spotted two white heads in the “Eagle tree”.  Oh, how my heart longed to be able to kayak out to see them! I took my camera and walked around a little, just taking some photos here and there…

Not satisfied with the 200mm zoom of my lens,  I stepped into the lake wearing my flipflops.  Thinking I should brace myself for the chill, I was shocked when the water actually felt warm!

As I was walking around, a car pulled into the parking lot with what looked like a sailboat on top. (It was a flat board, as opposed to a kayak)  I scooted into the Explorer and moved away, as I was blocking the launch area. I tried to nonchalantly watch the woman…she looked older, and she was alone, save for her dog,  launch this craft.  She slid the board down off the top of her roof, and placed it into the water.  She then got a paddle from the car, and had her dog follow her. Drat!  i didn’t notice the sequence of events…whether it was she or the dog who got onto the boat first…

The dog stood solidly at the front of the little boat as his mistress paddled out onto the lake. Guessing from the mostly grey muzzle, my guess was that this dog was an old hand at these adventures!  Amazing.

The rest of today’s photos were taken with the small point and shoot Canon camera….yes, I carry both cameras a lot!

One of the greatest challenges of using a point and shoot camera, versus a D-SLR (digital-single lens reflex)  is the lagging shutter speed.  With a D-SLR, as soon as you press the shutter button, you capture exactly what you see in the viewfinder. The typical point and shoot takes a bit more time to hone in and shoot.

That said, I challenged myself to capture a photo of a hummingbird with the small camera.  It was a challenge, for sure!  Add to that the lack of lighting.  With trees shadowing our front porch (I am NOT complaining here!) it makes lighting a bit of an enigma. 

Plus, these little birds move…..fast! That bugger was playing peekaboo in the next photo!

The Scotties and I were having such a lazy summer dog day!  We finally got a call from Michelle at about five saying they were on their way home.  Wow!  What a long day this was.  Michelle was beyond excited….she was so happy!  She loved the orientation and she even met some people she already knows! 

After the call, Angus and I decided we would go outside to relax a bit.  Michelle told me it was 91 degrees in Rochester!   Here in the trees, it was only 82.  as we settled in on the hammock,  a nice breeze gently cooled us.  Hanging suspended midair on fabric in the shade of trees is a terrific way to relax and cool off!  (Too bad I had run out of lemonade!)

It was a little tricky holding a Scottie, leash, and camera, while mounting the hammock, but Angus and I made it look easy! Or not!  Angus got a bit nervous, but settled down.  Thankfully, Murphy was content to remain under the bed in the house. Two Scotties would have been very difficult!

Of course, with both Angus and I delicately balanced on the hammock, there was no way to make it swing back and forth. One false move and either of us, or both, might fall onto the ground.  And so, we settled in, just enjoying the time of relaxation…

Until I got just a little stir crazy!

That is my favorite necklace, by the way…handmade by a soapmaking friend all the way over in Oregon!

Thank you, Lord, for uneventful days!  Sometimes we just need a little break from hustling and bustling about!

Mark and Michelle worked once again on the Explorer.. .this time, on replacing the rear brakes.  The front brakes are done! They were doing well until a stripped bolt on one of the calipers stopped them dead in their tracks.  Drat!  Mark came in the house and got online to discover there is a specific tool made for extracting bolts, so he and Ben ran to Canandaigua this evening to buy it.  Yay! I think…

This morning, we were discussing some work that needs to be done on the Explorer.  Mark said that it is pretty complicated and involves removing a lot of parts as well as needing special tools.  We got online to see if there were any auto shops nearby that might be able to do the repairs.  As we were looking,  we came across a place not too far away. As I thought about it, I told Mark the fellow is the son of one of my customers!

Mark gave the garage a call and we were both pleasantly surprised to find this guy not only knows his stuff, but is fair about his pricing as well.  He told us he even goes to Ford School to learn the latest on Ford products.  Mark is hoping to finish the rear brakes tomorrow so we can get the Explorer to this mechanic!  What a find!

I took very few photos today, but I discovered a Dragonfly I don’t think I have seen here before!

Man, what a challenge it was trying to get this guy’s photo! The wind was blowing all day…leaves were falling from the trees and if they weren’t so green,  it would have been a perfect October day! I love brisk days like this and I fully enjoyed it!

Remember the tiny butterfly I saw in the grass yesterday?  Well if this isn’t the same butterfly,  maybe it is a sibling!

While that dragonfly was hard to photograph, this little fellow was really tricky!  The little fellow is so tiny and the leaves were bouncing up and down…up and down!  The wee little guy looked like he was surfing on the ocean!  Add to that the fact that I had mounted my telephoto lens that weighs about three pounds to capture these macro shots and I was having some fun out there!

One more…remember I mentioned all the honeybees working on the daisies at WalMart the other day? 

This afternoon, I saw so many honeybees working away on the daisies that grow wild here in the Bristolwood. 

Time to call it a day…uneventful or not,  I am tired!

Talk about potpourri! These photos make no sense at all…they look as though they are just thrown together, but I will explain!

The first two were taken in Penn Yan.

This old truck was in a parking lot with a few other old cars and trucks.  It is “so” old, the tires are mounted on wooden spoked rims!

This photo was taken near the boat launch. I loved the buildings and sky reflected on the smooth as glass surface of the water!

Remember the goat in the chair?  As we were hurrying to get Ben to Urgent Care,  guess who was “lounging”?  Yup…

Wish I would have had the Nikon with the telephoto lens and also that I wasn’t hurrying! As it was, as we pulled over to photograph the old goat,  a young man was also stopped, snapping pictures!  I hurried and as I tried to jump a small ditch, I landed with my flip flop in mud which oozed up between my toes…great way to arrive at the Urgent Care center…looking like a dirty hillbilly!

This bee was really trying my patience this morning!  I had to rescue it not once, but twice from the swimming pool! The second time,  I placed it far away from the pool and it didn’t try to go back!

Michelle and I cleaned the pool today, replaced some chlorine, and backwashed the filter.  After we finished, Michelle went out to the garage to help Mark replace the front brakes on the Explorer.  While they worked in the garage, I made Michelle a  dress.  A friend had posted on Facebook about a blog showing how to make a cute sundress out of a tank top and two yards of fabric.  I had bought the things to make it a while back, but finally found some time to sit down to work on it this morning.  The whole thing probably took about forty-five minutes to make!

Our forecast was for rain today, but it held off.  After finishing my sewing,  I went out to see what kind of subjects I might find. I was getting concerned as it seems I have hardly seen any butterflies this year.  As I looked around, though, I saw a few varieties.

I also saw this little grasshopper sitting on a Calendula plant!

This butterfly is called a Little Woods Satyr.  It was so friendly, allowing me to close in for a photo shoot!

This butterfly was TINY!  I wasn’t able to find out what it is, but you can see by comparing it to grass blades, it is very small!

Mark and I had to go to the dentist today.  I was thrilled to hear the dentist say that in one month, I will have impressions made and then the new crown will be made!  The temporary crown is fine, but it will be nice to bring closure to this (mis) adventure!

On the way home, we stopped briefly in Woodville.  We had a cloudburst that lasted maybe fifteen minutes. Although it was short, it produced some pretty hefty results…and made for some nice photos…

While in Woodville, I was able to find two different varieties of Dragonflies!

When I told Mark the lawn with the cactus plants growing in it had flowers, he pulled off the road in front of a house. Quick! Take the photos and let’s get on home!

I still find it hard to believe that cactus can grow in our cold winter climate…and these plants are right next to the road, meaning they get a hefty, healthy (UN, really!) heaping of salt every winter as the plow passes by!

Well there. That does it.

if that makes any sense?  Seriously, it is so nice to feel like I can hold my head upright without it falling over!

Yesterday I felt so good when I got up.  Mark and I did some things around the house and then Michelle went outside to help Mark with the Explorer.  I have renamed her our ”Tinkerbelle Mechanic”.  She was sliding around under the Explorer like a grease monkey…using wrenches and the like….scooting around on a mechanic’s cart!   Hard to believe such a great student enjoys tinkering with exhaust systems!  But then again, perhaps she is such a great student because she enjoys learning….even if it is about exhaust systems!

Michelle worked on removing the muffler until she came to an impasse.  She and Mark came in to eat some lunch, then she went back out with Ben to cut off a piece of pipe.  Mark and I got ready to go out to buy some more “pieces to the puzzle”, or, parts for the exhaust system.  Mark and I went out to the garage and Michelle yelled, “Oh NO! The WRONG pipe!”. Then silly giggling followed!

Mark and I picked up some parts that he had ordered from Advance Auto in Canandaigua, then we went to Geneva to shop at BJ’s.  One of the key pieces we needed for the muffler replacement was not available anywhere in Canandaigua and Mark was a little upset, as it needed to be ordered from the Ford garage for $30.  Well, just for the fun of it, he called Cole Muffler in Geneva, wondering if they might just have the part. They do replace mufflers, after all. 

Mark spoke with the manager of Cole’s and he said they did have the part in stock!  After BJ’s we drove to the store and picked up the part.  The manager was so wonderful…he even came out and put the pieces together to show Mark how they went. Wow, what service!  And, the part was $15.

Mark and I went to a few more stores and in all honesty, I was surprised I was able to lift the wheelchair in and out of the truck!  We didn’t arrive back home until nearly eight o’clock and I must admit, I headed upstairs and fell down on the bed! I was pretty tired..

I got some cool photos today while walking around the yard with Murphy.  Murphy is such a funny Scottie…although he gets very excited when Angus gets the scent of a squirrel or chipmunk,  when we are out alone, Murphy could care less about things like hunting.  He is my little companion who pretty much stays close to my side.

Here is the little fellow running toward me. What? You cannot tell he is running?  Sheesh! If you had four inch long legs, perhaps you wouldn’t look like you were running, either!  (smile)  Actually, if you look closely, you can see his beard is kind of off to the sides, indicating motion!

Here is a Calendula flower that just opened today….it is orange and soooo pretty!

In the wildflower department, the Fleabane is making an appearance.  Boy, I just love the delicate Daisylike look of this flower!

Look what we found!  So pretty!

Oh my….here is one not too many will want to see…

One lonely autumn oak leaf lying in the grass.  A quiet day today and just taking it easy. We had dark skies this morning, but now the sun is shining and it is beautiful!

I didn’t misspell the title.  My space bar is and has been acting up. Sometimes it spaces, other times, not!  Anyway, when I saw the title, I thought it looked cool so I left it!   Then I tried to type above the above photo and after trying to move the photo several times, I GAVE UP!  Argh.   That dragonfly above really caught my attention with its BLUE eyes!

Yesterday, as I was  going through some photos remotely (Mark stores them for me on a computer so as not to clog up my laptop) I sat outside and a hummingbird buzzed up to the feeder.  I quickly grabbed my camera, but just as I snapped, the little bugger  “lifted off”!

And….as I was sitting on the porch swing,  these annoying bees kept buzzing by.  I am not frightened of bees, but these are annoying to say the least!  They apparently gather mud, then look for tiny places to build a little nest. 

Ben had bought a handy dandy “bug zapper” and I thought it was so stupid.  Well, the thing looks like a tennis racket and there is a little button to press.  While pressing the button, it activates a “charge” (via batteries) and zaps a bug as one swats it.  This little device has really comein handy….I think I have zapped close to 100 evil bees! I would never use it on bumblebees or honeybees, but these monsters…..YES! (and just think of the calories I am burning…hehehe)

When we were at the mall the other day, there were families of geese everywhere…..

Mark has been painting Ben’s door for his room. (now in its final stages..)  Ben wanted the door in his room to be a deep wine color.  Well, Mark said okay, but he didn’t want the part facing the hallway that color…a little too BOLD!  So, Mark diligently painted the door red facing Ben’s room! As he worked in the garage, Angus slept below the door. (it was propped up on sawhorses)   The little fellow wadded up a section of dropcloth  and….dropped off to sleep!

Have a great weekend!

We awakened to (even) more rain.  Even though the day was fairly dismal weatherwise,  we managed to accomplish a few things we intended to do. I also was able to hurry outside and take a few photos in between douses of rain.

Yes, I am nearly finished sanding the dek on the front porch! I am so excited about this because when I *am* finished,  I will vacuum the surface and then I can apply the stain.   I sanded for about an hour the other day and today, I think I must have spent about four hours.  All I know is that my fingers and wrists looked like they were swollen from all the vibration!

Mark thinks I am going overboard,  but I decided to sand the entire floor so the stain will go on more evenly.  Mark wanted me to just sand off the most saturated spots, but I figured if  I was going to sand at all, I wanted it to look nice….not like Mickey Mouse did it!

Yesterday, our family met Carly and Erin at Genesee Country Village and Museum.  We had thought about going there for awhile, but just never had seemed to make the time.  The Fiddler’s Festival was held a week earlier than usual, so we decided to just meet Carly and have some fun.  As we drove toward our destination, we wondered if we made the right decision!  We drove through a huge cloudburst and it seemed like an endless gray sky above us. 

By the time we arrived at the museum,  the weather seemed to mellow out some.  We endured a couple of spritzes,  but it never did rain later in the day and the sun even came out.  Unfortunately, the rain had increased the humidity to the point that it was terribly hot! I got some photos, but I am too tired to post them tonight!

When we left the village yesterday, Erin asked if she could come and spend the night with us.  We said yes, and she was so excited.  We got home after seven, and I made a chicken dish and zucchini casserole.  We also had some garlic bread.  I washed dishes until I could no longer stand on my feet and then headed off to bed. Michelle and Erin had retreated to Michelle’s room.  Although Erin usually is in bed by her nine o’clock deadline, she threw caution to the wind and she and Michelle stayed up until midnight!

I ambled down the stairs at six to take the Scottie boys out and to feed them.  I figured I had better start making something good for breakfast so I pulled some apples out of the crisper drawer of the fridge and cored them.  I then filled them with oatmeal, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg blended in with butter.  I stuffed the apples and baked them until the insides kind of exploded!  They were so tasty!

The kids were in and out of the pool all day today, and I sanded away on the porch while they played.  I came into the house at eleven this morning and made spring rolls for lunch.  Afterward,  I was once again sanding.  I sanded until nearly three, but then had to stop so we could run Erin up to Victor where we met Carly to drop Erin off to go home.

Funny thing….last night as I was contemplating blogging,  I fell sound asleep with the laptop propped on my knees.  I awakened a couple of hours later with the laptop still on my knees!

Michelle called out to me last night to see what she found.  I looked and ran to get my camera….I am thinking this caterpillar is a swallowtail of some type…..

Well, early to bed, early to rise!  I don’t know when I have been so thrilled to think about going to bed!!!!

Yes, we are finally home.  And I am posting this entry at nearly 12:30 am.  The kids wanted so badly to attend a party hosted by one of their friends.  He will soon be leaving to attend college again, so he had a little get togther this afternoon.

We hurried home, unhitched the camper, plugged it in to the garage, then took off to Penn Yan.  It seems the party went on and on. And on.  We left there at almost 11:30.

Before leaving, though (I made the kids do all the work!)  I did manage to capture a couple of photos of the cutest little dragonfly that acted as though it was posing for me!

Home is looking good. REAL good!