I won’t even begin to tell what has happened to my usual demeanor.  Okay, so if you truly must know, think “dragon lady”……fire-breathing and all! Yes. I.am.miserable.

Well, the great news (that goes above and beyond just plain old “good”) is that we have been living in our little camper the past few days.  The reason that is good is because the little camper is air conditioned! 

It is that time of the year when we make the annual journey toward Buffalo for Sabres Development Camp.  We get to see all the young Sabres prospects working on the ice.  Even more, this year, we get to enjoy the fantastic cool temperature inside the ice rink!  Believe me, it is fantastic!

If there is any downside to the camp, it is that the workout on ice is only an hour and a half or two.  Now, if we could sit and watch these fellows play for maybe four or five hours….

Yesterday, we took Ben and Michelle to the Fort Niagara State Park where they went swimming in an awesome pool.  There is also a pool dedicated to waterslides, so they could have even more fun in the sun and  it is a short distance from the campground where we are staying. While the kids enjoyed their time splashing in the pool,  Mark and I went for a ride. 

We wound up in Youngstown, which is just “down the street” from the fort.  I took a few photos there, but they look a bit junky as it is so hazy, everything looks blurry and out of focus!

The yachts above are located at the Youngstown Yacht Club, which is located right next to one of the sweetest public launches I’ve seen.

This is a beautiful little park. Amazing and beautiful!

That land on the other side of the water (only a few hundred yards) is Canada! Mark has come to the conclusion that perhaps we need to get the enhance drivers’ licenses so we can travel across the bridges.  We kind of miss going on over to Canada!

Here are just three shots from the Sabres camp. 

And in closing, here is a shot of Sabretooth, the Buffalo Sabres Mascot.  Sabretooth was kind enough to pose just for me!

I hope the weather isn’t so incredibly hot where you are!  And, if it is, please stay cool! I will!

Oh, and as far as Dorothy is concerned, home is NOT where I want to be right now.  The air conditioned trailer is so pleasant.  we get the added bonus of lake breezes, too, as the campground is on the shores of Lake Ontario.

As I was writing the last entry,  my brain felt like mush, trying to remember little things and all.  I talked about Mom, Mark, and the kids playing Apples to Apples.  Well, I forgot one player!

As Michelle sat playing the game, she picked up little Fritz and began using the most comical voices to speak for Fritz! It was so cute and in all honesty, I rather think the little fellow was eating it up and enjoying the game!

Here is a photo of the gang playing the game.  Mark is on the end looking like a displaced biker with the dew rag, but he was actually using the covering to deter bugs.

What an amazing and fun afternoon this was!

After we finished eating, we went shopping for a bit and then went to my parents’ home.  It is always a treat to visit their house because there are always beautiful flowers everywhere!  I love looking at all the blooms.  I used the cell’s camera to capture some of the beautiful flowers….

I love this photo of the Mock Orange flower.  The flowers are so white and beautifully formed!

Of course, little Fritz found Michelle most accommodating when he wanted to snuggle up with her!

My mom disappeared for a little while and returned with a gorgeous wood carving Randy made. It was so petty!

We went back to our campsite and fell into bed with plans to leave again early in the morning.  Mark had plans to go shopping in Erie, PA.  We stopped long enough to pick Randy up and we were off and on our way! Our Saturday shopping excursion turned into a sauna!  The heat and humidity were so high that day, we took turns waiting in the truck with Angus and Murphy.  They were entertained by styrofoam cups from McDonald’s, and were, in turn, very entertaining!

Angus perforated one cup, trying to get to the bottom of things for a drink of water!

Eww….look at all the hair on the side of the cup!  Yuck! Murphy took his water more gracefully,  making me tilt the cup so he could drink.

We managed to stay hydrated and fit.  After our shopping spree, we called home and Mom said to come on home and she would make dinner!  We had steaks on the grill along with a stir fry and salad.  We ate outside and the food was delicious!

We left to go back to the campsite when we asked if Randy wanted to come along.  Ben has a big tent which easily houses a few campers so Randy came along.  Ben had brought some electronics and he and Randy played games until late! 

Sunday was Father’s Day here in the US, so we planned to grill a meal at the camp.  Mark made some chicken that was tasty and delicious.  My parents visited with us and we thoroughly enjoyed our surroundings!  There were very few campers near us, giving us the feeling of owning the whole woods!  Our lot was very deep with a beautiful little creek behind it.

Take note of that sweet little stream for later….

Mom, Mark, and the kids all played a game of Apples to Apples and laughed and giggled, having a good time.  When it was time to go back home,  my parents were a bit reluctant….it was such a pleasant day!  Randy stayed on and on Monday, we took another little excursion.  I will post about that later.

After Mom and Dad left the campground,  we built a nice little fire and I sat outside by myself, enjoying the quiet.  I think everyone loves just sitting around a campfire and this one felt so warm and cozy, I didn’t want to leave!  I sat, watching the flames moving about and daydreamed about the woods.

I turned around, looking at the camper with its lights on inside. Even it seemed to emit a cozy glow.

Ah, life was good.  It was as I was turning back to the fire that I noticed something moving across the property.  Oh my!  A fat little raccoon was making its way along….I called out to it to “scram!”  and wondered what I might do if the little nocturnal marauder might make its way towards me!

I slowly got up from my chair,  easing my way back to the camper.  Mark asked who I was talking to and when I told him there was a coon outside, he thought I had really lost it.  You were talking to the coon instead of scrambling inside?

Well, thought I, raccoons are known for washing their food before eating!  Perhaps it was *I* who was the intruder, after all. That little coon is a permanent resident, while I was there only temporarily….invading his space and his creek!  It matters not…all ended well!

We left not too long after sunrise.  It was a very brisk morning with the temperature sinking below the freezing mark.  The sun was making its way into the clear blue sky, deceiving anyone who thought the bright blue sky meant warmth! Of course, as we drove along the Red House Lake,  there were just too many beautiful opportunities to pass on, photographically speaking!

The icing on the cake, however, was yet to come.  For as we left the park,  Ben called out to see the big bird sitting on top of the telephone pole in its nest.

I was thrilled to get probably about 150-200 feet away from this Osprey. I’m not certain whether chicks were in the nest, or just eggs, but I don’t think I would want to get too much closer than I did.  As it was, the bird began calling out when it spotted me….a series of “whistles”….then it flew….

landing in an old dead tree across the road.

Even though I stopped to take some photos, I arrived in plenty of time before Dad’s surgery.  Monday was spent mostly in Erie. 

On Tuesday morning, as we were leaving the park, I felt so saddened and almost “empty”….I think I would gladly live in that little camper if it meant I could spend all my time in such a marvelous place.  The tranquil atmosphere was so delightful, after all!  As an aside, there were few campers at the park, making one feel as though they owned the place!

My father had a partial shoulder replacement surgery on Monday.  My older brother was going to ride along with my mother to Erie, where Dad had the surgery.  Well, said brother had a terrible cold and so he thought he had better not go to the hospital.  Well, we had planned to be there on Monday, so we decided to go camping.  hehehe

Before we could go camping, we needed to de-winterize the camper. There was also the slight problem (which I confirmed on Friday) that the Scotties were in need of a Rabies shot.  Sooo, to make a long story longer  short, we made an appointment on Saturday at the vet’s.  Saturday was a rainy day and we spent quite some time de-winterizing whilst showering!  Also,  we had to do a little “touch-up” work, as we discovered a small hole in the hose leading to the water inlet in the camper. Oops. More raindrops falling on our heads!

We left for Allegany State Park on Sunday morning.  After arriving and setting up, we relaxed for the night and then went to bed early so we could get an early start to Erie. 

We were up and on our way early Monday morning.  Mark and the kids dropped me off at the hospital, where I was a bit nervous, as my mom was nowhere in sight.  I was finally able to ask a young woman who informed waiting family members on the progress of their loved one in surgery. She took me to a small room where my father was lying on a gurney and my mother sat in a chair, talking with him.  The anaesthesiologist came in and spoke to Dad, then shortly before eleven,  the surgeon came by to tell Dad he would soon be going in for the surgery.

I am happy to say that all went well for my dad and the doctor came and spoke to my mother and me post-op.  He explained that the ball part of the ball and socket was a mess! He told us that when Dad is all recovered, he will feel like a new man!

On Monday,  I rode home to the home of my parents with my mom so she wouldn’t have to drive alone. (The hospital is located about an hour from their home!)  We ate dinner, then watched the Sabres/ Bruins playoff game.  We then drove nearly an hour back to the camper.  Ah, the camper. I forgot to mention the fact that we had frosts each night and the furnace seemed to want to run endlessly, so we had to manually turn it on and off.  Oh my, was it COLD awakening in the night and having to get up to turn the thermostat up!

In the midst of all this, I didn’t want to say anything until after Dad’s surgery,  but it seemed the gums above the tooth I had a root canal and crown on were inflamed as though I had an infection.  Of course, when my mom heard this, she insisted I see the dentist right away.

Since my brother, Randy, had taken off Tuesday and Wednesday, we decided to leave early on Tuesday morning to see if the dentist could take a look at the tooth.  The most unfortunate thing in all this is that we had no phone reception while camping. 

Tuesday morning, shortly after rising, we were on our way home. I called the dentist and was able to be seen yesterday.  After an x ray and short examination, the dentist gave me a prescription for an antibiotic and I was on my way.  When the dentist tried to examine the gums,  I nearly jumped out of the chair when he tried to probe the area. Since I was there on a short visit, he said if the gums don’t improve, I will need to make another appointment.  Aren’t teeth fun?

The kids had reserved the racquetball court at the YMCA today, so we were off once again. Afterwards, we needed to run to Victor for some supplies. 

Well, ne’er a dull moment here in the Bristolwood!  So, now that I have explained my absence, or tried, anyway,  please be kind!

I have some photos I will try to post tonight.  I will try to visit blogs tomorrow…I think I have a great deal of catching up to do!

We arrived to meet at 11:30 in the morning and the restaurant held no shortage of patrons, even at that early on a Sunday morning!  We always ask for a certain table….it is round and sits in a corner, out of the way of mainstream traffic,  so we waited.

We enjoyed visiting with my parents and seeing their brand new car! which they never told us they got! (It was purchased in late September)  Little Fritz the Dachshund was thrilled to see us and enjoyed romping about a bit on the lush green grass.

As we waited,  Randy spotted some old cars that had parked together in a row, so we went down to have a better look at them…..

Yes, I saved the best car for last….the one that really caught my eye…..

Yes, hahaha,  I really did not save the best for last….it was the last car parked in the line!  I am not sure if it caught my eye because of the bright yellow color,  or the M&M’s  decorating the sides!

One of the fun aspects of visiting at Sparague’s,  aside from their consistantly good food,  is seeing “what’s new”!  As we pulled into the new winding drivway leading to the restaurant,  we noticed an interesting addition…..

The two wooden carved horses used to greet folks as they walked up the path leading to the Sugar Maples high on a hill behind the restaurant.  Now, they are pulling a plow,  with the addition of a man guiding them!  And all this on a delightful display.  We noticed  vehicles pulling up and people getting out to take a look! 

The restaurant also has a new planter which uses the same stone as that on the base of the horse display. The planter is huge,  housing several bushes,  a small fountain,  and this adorable topiary bear!

We went inside and ate and afterwards, we lingered on and on outside in the parking lot.  The warmth of this November Indian Summer day was so conducive to lingering…..we noticed there were many people also talking and walking about outside.  It was one of those days that sends a twinge of sadness as the darkness closes in and one realizes the day really is coming to a close!

We did promise to try to make it to my parents’ home for Thanksgiving and that is something to look forward to in just a couple of weeks. That took a little of the edge off he bite of ending the “perfect day”!

Before driving home,  we rode to Cuba Lake, a few miles away.  The truck was needing a fillup and Mark thought we might find cheaper gasoline at an Indian owned  station located on a nearby reservation.  Sure enough, the price was about $.17 less per gallon,  *and* there was an attendant to do the filling!

As we passed the lake, we noticed the water level was way down.  We figured they must take it down for the winter months ahead.  This tiny lake,  by the way,  is manmade.

As you can see, the water was startlingly calm!

We arrived back home early in the evening.  Uncle Randy brought Benjamin two Lego kits to put together.  One is a fire station that is so cute!  The other is an adorable little toy shop with a Christmas theme.  I had seen that one in a Lego catalogue and thought about getting it.  I nearly fainted when Randy gave it to Ben!  (Shortlyafter arriving home at about 7,  Ben began working on the Christmas kit,  finishing it up at about 10:15!)

I am so glad yesterday was such a relaxing day, as today was wildly the opposite!  Our camper needed to be winterized,  we still need to get a “pillow” (inflatable) in the pool to finish its winterzation,  and we had firewood that needed to be stacked. 

After doing a load of laundry this morning,   I planted about 20 various flower bulbs.  Then I stacked firewood.  After that,  I climbed up on the railing of the pool and proceded to remove about 300 gallons of water and leaves….bucket by bucket!  We didn’t get the pillow inserted under the winter pool cover,  but we did winterize the camper and I am so happy to have that done.  Most all of our fall tasks are now complete……let the hibernation begin soon!

I wanted to share a few photos from around the campground where we stayed.  This campground is fantastic and about the cleanest place we’ve ever been!  People were mowing and cleaning the grounds every day.  This is a state park and they have sites available for “dry camping” or tenting closer to the lake that are just beautiful!  The biggest testimony to just *how* great this park really is were the number of vehicles parked in the sites with Canadian license plates. 

Here is our little camper…..

And as you can see,  our “yard” was nearly the size of a city house lot!

We enjoyed this trip and the kids did as well. 

One day, Michelle was playing with Murphy inside the tent.  As the sun intensified, Michelle came out of the tent and grabbed a bottled water.  She called over to me to have a look and I just had to catch this…little Murphy “sipping” water from the bottle!

The kids and I wandered down to the beach early one afternoon.  They have fun finding smooth shards of glass along the beach, always on the lookout for highly valued (in their economy, anyway)  blue glass.  We had fun walking along the beach and looking around a bit.

 The above was carved into a big piece of driftwood along the beach. 

I really miss this place.  It was fun being there and seeing the Sabres camp.  I didn’t have much time to miss anything today, though, as the kids had ten young people over today!  It was another busy day…I made Beef Stroganoff, green beans with butter and garlic, and a salad for dinner.  We had a lot of fun but I am so tired!

Yesterday, we went to the Sabres development camp and did a little sightseeing afterwards.  There is so much to see and do in the Niagara Frontier area!  But the grandest part of arriving home was yet to be discovered.  As we looped around the circle to our site,  we could see that the sky was really putting on an impressive display! (no more words required for this set) 

The setting sun had caused quite an audience to accumulate along the banks leading down to the lake.  People had brought along blankets, chairs, and anything else that they might “plop” down upon. 

Early this morning,  I was drawn once again to the water….there is something so poetic about the splashing of the waves upon the shore.  It almost sets the rythmn for composing verse!  Instead of writing, however, I walked along the shoreline,  breathing deeply and just enjoying the fact that I was the sole “soul”  there.  It was fairly early, but I was somewhat surprised there was no one else exploring or discovering.

I nearly found myself captivated in a new world of my own….just me and the slowly moving water lapping up along the shore.  The water seems to have a personality all its own…yesterday, it appeared angry or tomented, as though lashing out at the shore, then drawing back only to thrust forward once again with even greater force.  It was a vast contrast to today’s calm and mellow attitude with the water barely visibly moving near the shore.

Walking along the smooth lakeside pebbles,  it is difficult not to keep my mind from straying….oh, if those pebbles could speak, what kind of stories would they tell?  And the tiny sticks and even large sections of trees…have they traveled a great distance?  Possibly here from Canada, across the lake?  Did they arrive amidst a tumultuous, raging storm, or did they gently deposit themselves after a calm and peaceful  journey fom far away?

Camping, bathed in the luxuries from home hardly seems like “roughing it”,  but oh what fun it is to be able to (still) be surrounded by the necessities as well as some “extras”.  I have resolved in my own mind that I could easily grow accustomed to this lifestyle of “hellos” and “good-byes”,  hearing tales of faraway places, and just enjoying the great outdoors!

I had mentioned that we really needed to move the little camper from in front of the garage to its niche down the driveway.  With a weather report advising temperatures rising to near 40, Mark suggested we try to move the camper today.  He wanted me to keep an eye on the thermometer and let him know if it really warmed up like the weather report said.

A little after noon, I went outside to look at the driveway, as the temperature was nearing 40.  My heart kind of sank, though, upon seeing lots and lots of icy snow on the driveway.  Ben came out with me and he tried to shovel the snow,  but he was only able to remove the top layer.  It seemed there was a think layer of ice underneath the snow.  He worked so hard, then I had an idea.

I went into the garage and grabbed out a short-handled shovel that was straight across on the bottom. I wasn’t sure what the shovel was created to do, but with a few sharp blows, it became evident that the shovel was a jewel for breaking the ice and making it possible to clear the driveway! The *only* problem is that the driveway is about 200 feet long! Lucky for Ben, though….I found another shovel just like the first one!

Here is a photo when we started. You can see the ice that we chopped.

We had a snow shovel, and Ben began to remove the mess we were making.  I told him not to bother, because I was pretty confident Mark could plow it out of the way with the ATV.  We kept working, and I told Ben when we got to the halfway mark, we could take a 10 minute breather!

We went inside to warm up a bit and Mark said he was sure he could plow when we finished the driveway.  We rested a few minutes, then it was back outside to continue on!  We worked a total of almost 2 hours, chopping away at the nasty ice that was over 2 inches think in many areas.  But, (don’t tell anyone) we found the thicker the ice, the more fun it was to break apart!

Here is what the mess looked like when we finished the job…

We helped Mark outside and onto the ATV.  Within just a few minutes, we were the envy of all our neighbors! We have no ice on the driveway anymore!

Mark got off the ATV and into the truck….within seconds, a BLIZZARD began;  tiny little snowballs that looked like styrofoam began pelting us and making it nearly impossible to hold our heads up!  Thankfully, the blizzard lasted only about two minutes!

Ben and I hitched the camper to the truck and Mark tucked it neatly away OUT of the way! What a good feeling that was! We always move it long before this late in the year, but with Mark having trouble with a nasty sore,  we were unable to place the camper in its winter home!

The net result of this activity is I got really cold! Even though the temperature was fairly warm (well, for this time of the year!)  it felt as though the cold ground was emitting a bone chilling icyness to my feet!  I was thrilled to go back in the house to warm my toes! 

I didn’t get much time to warm up as I had laundry to finish and some orders to pack!  I hustled and Ben helped me with the orders.  I finally was able to sit down at about five-thirty! 

Phew! Another busy day that I am SO glad is coming to a close!  The Sabres play tonight, so I will watch the game. It should end around 10….wonder if *I* will last that long!

Instead of moving the trailer, we worked a little in the garage, freeing up one of the bays so we can now pull the Explorer inside.  That gives us a lot more space at the top of the driveway in front of the garage.  It will make plowing much easier,  but we still need a little break in the weather so we can move the camper!

After getting the Explorer tucked neatly into the garage,  we piled the recyclables into the back of the pickup and Mark and Ben went to the dump, then on to Canandaigua.  Michelle and I stayed home and did a little picking up, straightening, and putting away.  I made a couple of batches of soap….I have not made any in such a long time!

Mark and Ben reurned home and Michelle and I decided we would watch a new movie I picked up at Sam’s Club yesterday.   Every year, I try to find a new Christmas movie to buy to add to our collection.  I love seeing some of the old classics, but one of my favorite all-time Christmas movies is The Muppets Christmas Carol. Michael Caine was such a great Scrooge in this version and I see something I hadn’t seen previously with each viewing.  The kids now think it is infantile,  so I guess that is further verification of my resistance to grow up!

Oh, the movie Michelle and I enjoyed today was called The Christmas Card . It is about a young man in the army in Afghanistan who receives a Christmas card from a young woman stateside…it would probably be best described as a “chick flick”,  but I also think a real he-man might just enjoy it as well! It features Ed Asner and I have always enjoyed his acting.

We did a litle bit of decorating around the house, although I am not given to a great deal of elaborate decorating.  I love all the pretty colors and decor, but just cannot get myself to going “overboard” with all the stuff involved.  Call me Mrs. Grinch.  I did get out the little Scottie Christmas tree!  I have it displayed in the bedroom as I am afraid it would be broken if placed in the living room!  I really enjoy turning it on in at night and it gets too warm in the living room, anyway.

We used to always buy a fresh Christmas tree every year. Oh how I love the scent of the pine! However, it has gotten a bit harder to secure a fresh tree, so Mark bought a little “skinny” artificial tree last year at Wegman’s.  The tree is prelit and ready to put together, so it alleviates some stress of setting up a real tree. It also fits into most any room because of its petite footprint.

I spent over an hour securing LED lights onto some artificial greenery for around the front door….

As Michelle and I were absorbed in the movie this afternoon, Mr. Murphy (also known as the Murphinator or Doodly Too) squawked and complaned until we lifted him up onto the bed where we were lounging.  Poor Murph.  He had no idea Michelle would torture him! She loves to squeeze his nose and kiss his head.  As she placed him into a trance while tickling his belly, we giggled and laughed as he raised his nose high into the air!

I’m not sure I could get used to a life of little activity,  but this leisurely day really was a nice break!I will probably be receiving payback….it has been precipitating freezing rain this evening.  It is supposed to warm up during the night and turn to just rain, before getting more snow tomorrow night!  Yes, we do enjoy some WILD weather!