Life in the Bristolwood

I get up well before everyone else each morning to take the Scottie boys outside.  I don’t mind as they are my Scotties! (I cannot imagine life without a good little canine friend! )

This morning,  I popped out of bed and fed the boys.  I was getting ready to take them outside after they ate, but my summer pajamas,  consisting of a short sleeved top and shorts, would not offer much protection from the downpour! I quickly slipped on a big zippered sweatshirt hanging near the door.  The sweatshirt was so large, it came down to my knees! (Okay, I have previously established I *am* very short!)

The boys and I hopped out the door and down the steps.  We were outside a total of maybe ten minutes and by the time we were heading back up the stairs,  I was shivering!  WOW!  I haven’t felt that sensation in ages!  It felt so good to feel cool.  My flipflops squeaked from the wetness as I walked across the front porch and the Scotties shook and shook, trying to shake off the excessive moisture on their coats!

Yes, it is cool and wet and I am loving it!  I heard on the radio that it is supposed to warm up and be very humid today, so I am totally enjoying this comfortable break while I may!

Yesterday morning,  I was standing on the porch looking at the flowers and bushes below. I noticed movement on the Butterfly Bush, and sure enough, the little Hummingbird Moth was back once again.  I had mounted my longer lens on the Nikon, so I went upstairs to grab it, hoping the little moth wouldn’t fly away.  I did manage a fairly good photo of the little bugger at work amongst the flowers on the bush….

If you enlarge this photo, you can see the little moth pretty well. This photo is much better than the ones I took a couple days ago with the Panasonic.   I wish I could get closer and get a better shot, but this moth is quite timid.  Even standing several feet above and away from it,  it moved rapidly, trying to get away from me and the camera!

I also got a rather grungy shot that I cropped just to show the moth as it flew away, its proboscis coiled….

I have been taking photos and playing around with my camera on the cell a lot.  The day before yesterday, we had the strangest weather I’ve seen!  The skies were an intense blue with puffy white clouds of the harmless variety.  Suddenly, the sky would darken and we heard awesome thunder to the northwest.  As the storm grew closer, we found ouselves in such downpours, it was hard to imagine so much rain coming down so rapidly!  The rain stopped abruptly and the blue skies once again appeared!  This played out several times throughout the day.  Carly said they had hail in Rochester, but we didn’t have that.  I captured the sky in a cell photo that can only be described as “changeable skies”!

Yesterday was bright and sunny, but quite warm.  We left the house in the afternoon as we had some running around to do.  We had to go to the county treasurer’s office,  the DMV,  the bank,  Finger Lakes Community College, Lowe’s, and Wal Mart.  After finishing this up,  we took the kids to the mall so they could support their friends’ band who was playing at a store there.

Mark and I went to the mall before the show with Michelle, as she is thinking she might like to get a cell phone.  Yes, our children seem the only ones on Planet Earth who have managed to age well into their teen years sans a cell phone!  Michelle has been given Mark’s phone when she attends classes at college and that worked well, but she is thinking she would now like a phone of her own.  My, sometimes it is hard seeing our children grow up, isn’t it?  And yes, she really isn’t a child anymore,  but a young lady….adult….with ideas of her own!

Michelle never did decide to go with a particular phone.  Very much her father’s daughter, she ponders and logically thinks things through before making a decision.  Very rarely will one find Michelle acting on impulse. 

After looking at phones and hearing the details of the various plans offered,  Mark and I visited with the mom of one of the kids in the band.  We had a really nice visit,  then Mark and I went out to the truck.  As I walked out the mall entrance,  I had to snap a photo of a pretty pink Hibiscus flower.  The Eastview Mall in Victor has the most lush and beautiful gardens I’ve seen in any of the local malls.

Once we were headed toward the truck,  we spotted the new LL Bean store,  located across the parking lot from the mall.  Mark and I both wanted to check out this new (sporting goods and outdoor) store.  We wandered on over and enjoyed looking around the store for a few minutes.  Before entering the store,  I really did need to capature a photo of the giant boot outside!

It was a busy day and I think my brain was smoking after hearing so many numbers and facts at the DMV and the Sprint phone kiosk!  I was shocked that in order to simply take the driver’s test in New York, kids under 18 need to pay $100 for a five hour course.  Fees seem to have surpassed anything I would have imagined!  As far as phone plans, well, that’s another story.  Mark made the comment that many people would probably pay their cell bill before eating if push came to shove.  As I tought about it,  I think he might be right.  Sad.

We didn’t arrive home until after ten o’clock and I was dragging!  The Scotties were so thrilled to see us and by the time I took them outside and gave them a treat, it was nearly eleven!  This morning,  Michelle called out to me to come and see….

Yes, Michelle informed me that little Angus was cold, so he hopped up next her and snuggled against her, thus causing her to cover him up from the chill!

Categorically, no.

Does it look like a hummingbird?

Defiinitely, yes.  At least at first glance!

As you can see, the Hummingbird Moth does resemble a Hummingbird.  I was sitting on the porch yesterday afternoon when I decided to look over the railing at the garden below.  As I looked down,  I thought I saw a Hummingbird feeding at the Butterfly Bush.   I raced up the stairs and grabbed the Panasonic camera….now wishing I would have opted for the Nikon. 

I haven’t seen one of these moths in ages!

I will be the first to admit it.  I am *horrible* at uploading my photos off the cameras. There are two good reasons, though.

The first reason is that the computer that stores the photographs is located in our office.  The problem there is that Mark is often working at the desk when I have the opportunity to work on uploading the photos.  It is pretty hard to find space to work around Mark while he is at the desk, so I kind of give up and forget about the whole process.  Of course,  the only time I ever think about the SD card is while Mark is sitting at the desk.

The second reason why my camera has nearly 1,000 images on the SD card at any given time is because I am lazy.  There, I said it!  Mark has suggested I sit down and find a good photo storage system,  but that requires work.  And, then there is the process of going through all the photos and classifying them.  Oh dear….do you think I could be allergic to such labor?

Okay, so you get the idea….I am just plain out procrastinating!  But, lucky you, Dear Reader!  I have been looking through my card and thought I would put out a little spread for you!

Spread?  Oh YES!  Mmmmm…..blame Carly, but she has gotten me on a Spring Roll kick that I cannot seem to kick!  Carly makes her Spring Rolls meatless, but I discovered that by adding some meat, these things are a whole meal! Here is a good idea of what components I use…..

Excuse the soiled tablecloth.  No matter how hard I try, that tablecloth is perpetually dirty.  I had just put it on the table after removing it from the dryer.  It was clean when I placed it on the table,  but within minutes….may be even seconds, it was soiled!

So….in the wrapper, we have Spring Roll wraps. Cheap, cheap, cheap these wraps are! AND, they require NO cooking. Yay!

In the large pasta bowl (Yes, that is a pasta bowl. I have no oriental dishes!) is Savoy Cabbage,  Snow Peas and Carrots, thinly sliced chicken that I stir-fry in a little Teryaki Sauce and garlic, and lastly, rice noodles which also require no cooking!  I very lightly steam the veggies, placing them in a colander inside a dutch oven.  I steam them about 2 minutes just so they retain their “crunch”, but don’t have such a “raw” flavor.

The tiny cup contains Duck Sauce.  Carly served Plum Sauce with her Spring Rolls,  but I really like Duck Sauce even better.  I use very little, but I like the sweet flavor.  Lastly, there are green onions which I do not steam. 

Spring Roll wrappers come in a package of 36.  A serving is 6 of the wrappers for 200 calories.  Amazing.  They look like plastic discs when removed from their package and the most amazing thing is that after dipping them into a bowl of warm water for about 15 seconds, they become very flexible!

I place the softened wrapper on my plate and load it with all the goodies!

Then it’s time to roll!

The wrappers become somewhat sticky….to themselves, making it a breeze to gently roll them up!  Two sides are folded toward the center, then we begin to roll.

And, the finished product.

Oops. I had to reroll this particular roll becuase in my effort to photograph my food, I forgot to dd the chicken!  That’s okay….I unrolled it, added the chicken, then rolled it back up.  It was delicious!

These Spring Rolls are fabulous to serve when it is too hot to cook.  They require little work and I just place the elements all out on the table.  Everyone enjoys dipping the wrapper into the water and adding whatever goodies they desire.  It really is fun.

I always think I am soooo hungry, I could eat a dozen of these Spring Rolls.  Try as I might,  I have found I can only eat two, max. 

And, speaking of food,  Michelle attended her friend’s graduation party on Saturday afternoon.  The location was out in the country and we wound up parking next to a wheat field!

Lastly,  I was on the telephone with my dentist’s wife on Saturday when a butterfly landed on my tiny Hydrangea Bush. I wonder if she heard the shutter moving as I tried my darndest to capture the little bugger!  I didn’t mean to be rude, but we don’t often see butteflies in the woods!  I did plant some Daisies that are supposed to attract them though.

That is called a Northern Pearly Eye Butterfly.  Even though a brown butterfly isn’t the most awesome-sounding species, it was quite pretty perched on the bright green leaves of the Hydrangea!

Okay, so that does it.  A diverse post tonight.  Tomorrow (or maybe the next day) I will get those photos removed from the card!  Perhaps.

Well, after my previous post regarding my colorful flowers,  I guess the color theme for yesterday would have been the awesome blue skies!  The weather forecast for the entire weekend called for the possibility (quite high, actually) of rain falling.  However, the amount of rain that fell was tiny!

The kids had friends over on Saturday.  They arrived at about two in the afternoon and left around eleven.  This made for a bit of a long day, but it was good seeing everyone together.  One of the guys is attending college down in Pennsylvania, so it is nice to see him back home.

Yesterday (Sunday) afternoon, we were invited to attend the graduation party for a friend.  The kids would be hanging out with the same friends they saw Saturday, olus a few more.  It was great seeing all the kids, but a little awkward, as there were few adults I knew!  Egads! 

Mark was wiped out from the get together the kids had on Saturday, so I took the kids to the graduation party.  I hung around for awhile, but was feeling uncomfortable because one of the mosquito bites I had seems to be going through some kind of “reaction”.  It is red, swollen, and it hurts more than it itches. I went back home and got Mark and we decided to just go for a little ride to Canandaigua.  The place where the graduation party was held was only about ten minutes from Canandaigua, so we would pick the kids up as soon as they called.

As we were driving in Canandaigua, Mark pulled over off the road so I could shoot a photo of the moon and clouds above….

Yes, the sky was that marvelous intense blue and the clouds were just awesome against it!

The kids called us shortly after eight and we hopped on over to pick them up.  The party was held at a Christian camp on Canandaigua Lake.  I was so disappointed about not taking many photos yesterday, but what a grand opportunity I got as we waited on the kids, saying their good-byes. These kids were just sitting, talking on the dock as the setting sun ricocheted its light off the clouds, leaving little streams of light poking through the clouds, here and there!

My head hit the pillow last night and I was out like a light!  It felt so good to go to sleep, knowing there was no appointment or activity planned for today.

I got up as usual, taking care of the Scotties,  then realized it is getting very warm very quickly. A look at the forecast says it all…the temperatures will be soaring upward today.  I scurried in and asked Mark if we could go out on our walk and roll early so I wouldn’t melt!  He told me he has been experiencing some numbness in one of his hands. He is pretty sure it is due to rolling the wheelchair two miles every day.  So, he sat in the truck while I soloed today.

The heavy blanket of dew on the grass when I walked around the track the first time left a scent that was awesome!  I love the scent of freshly watered soil…I worked in a greenhouse many years ago and learned to love the scent.  The sun had already arisen in the eastern sky to the point that three-quarters of the track was receiving full sunlight.  The other quarter is my favorite part of the entire track, where I was sheltered from the sun and heat by evergreens.

Just behind those evergreens to the east is a house.  This is where I took the photo the other day of the flowers against the unpainted building.  I decided to grab a photo of just the field of flowers…they are so very beautiful! (And yes, I do take time to stop and admire, even though I am walking!)

A little Killdeer joined me for a bit!

I am battling with a bad reaction to a mosquito bite on my leg.  It is near my ankle and it is red, hard, and swollen. It itches, but the swelling seems more annoying than the itching at this point.

If this doesn’t clear up soon, I think I may see the doctor.  With only a few mosquito bites thus far this year,  I have about had it!  I always try to avoid the things, but I cannot be suffering with mosquitoes and bites all summer! Thankfully,  I was able to walk three miles today, even though it was a bit painful!

Mark and I have been going up to Bristol in the morning. ..Mark rolls in the wheelchair, while I walk  the track. This morning was absolutely beautiful!  The skies were overcast,  but that was okay.  The temperature was getting warm quite rapidly and the clouds probably kept us from burning up.

As soon as we got home, I scurried to make Ben breakfast so he could head off to the woods to cut some firewood. There is a large tree that fell that has been on Ben’s mind for awhile and he was anxious to get to work!

I had some work to do in the little garden along the side of the house.  We have been wanting to regrade that area for a couple of years, but Mark thought we should do the grade when we build a better wheelchair ramp.  We are hoping to get to the ramp and more this year.  I am so excited….I haven’t mulched the plants in that garden for probably three years, expecting to get around to it sooner than later. I will be so thrilled when we begin tnis project because we have several things on the plate to go along with the regrade and ramp!

I did weed my pathetic garden this morning, eradicating a few dastardly dandelions. As I worked, I looked up at my marvelous (that is a snide remark….I am SURE this plant is overly-aggressive, trying to demolish every little plant that happens to end up near it!) Bleeding Heart.  A little Bumblebee was working its way along the teardroplike flowers…the bee had figured how to move along the flowers without flying at all!

I was using the little Panasonic camera to take these photos, as it was already in the truck where I left it this morning.  It was much more accessible than trying to run upstairs in the house to grab the Nikon.

As I was taking these photos,  I think I was annoying the little bumble as he worked.  I moved in quite close to the bee and perhaps it felt crowded….it seemed to move around a lot.  At one point, I snapped a shot as the bee was flying off.  Unfortunately, the focus is a bit off, but I smiled when I reviewed the picture….I have heard of “bee balm”, but “bee bum”?

There is something so enticing about photographing bees and flowers. Flowers and Bumblebees are so colorful, complementing one another so well!

Last night, I was working on my laptop when “it” happened.

Yup, I picked up a computer bug!

The crazy thing just took over my laptop….just as though it owned the thing!

Yesterday, we spent a few hours getting the last of our firewood supply stocked in the woodshed.  Not to *gloat* or anything, but it would seem I was correct in my assessment that we really didn’t need to cut any more firewood this year!  We still have (as a matter of fact) some beautiful white oak Ben and I cut a couple of weeks ago that we might bring in”just because”….Don’t worry…I won’t trouble Mark (much, anyway) that I was right about the firewood!!!

Mark had been concerned about a set of stairs in his mother’s garden behind her house.  She walks up and down this narrow set of steps that had no railing.  Mark decided we should go over to her house today and install a railing.  The weather was supposed to be much warmer than it has been the past several days, so we hopped on the chance to do this.

After dropping Michelle at school,  we went to Tractor Supply to get the necessary hardware for the job,  then on to Mark’s mom’s house.  When we got there, she asked about a sink in a powder room….the water was literally dribbling out of the faucet.  She told Mark she might have the plumber look at it after he checks out her boiler.  Mark told me to soak the aerator in vinegar and see if that might help.  Well, after soaking a few hours,  I looked at the vinegar, and it was obvious it had dissolved a lot of buildup in the aerator.  I placed it back on and what a difference!  It made me feel good to know that we had saved her a possible bill!

Ben did a fantastic job on the railing….

Ben did measuring and Mark did the cutting with his circular saw.  It took time, as Ben needed to excavate next to the steps so he could attach the “uprights” for the railing to the six inch timbers used in the stairs.  This system worked fabulously and it really will help my mother-in-law out as she now has a railing.

As Ben and Mark were working,  we saw many, many ladybugs flying about.   I am not sure if they had just hatched out or were seeking winter housing as it was a warmer day.  At one point,  I saw a few on the hose…I grabbed my camera and took a macro.

We picked Michelle up from school and headed to grab a bite to eat, as we hadn’t eaten since this morning.  We all arrived at home feeling kind of “zapped”!   Two days of fresh air is tiring, indeed!

but of course!

On the front porch ceiling!

or not two bees….