Life in the Bristolwood

When we were traveling home after viewing the fireworks display in Canandaigua on the night of July 4th,  we saw a most awesome *home* display as we drove down Route 21.  There were people gathered around a bonfire and fireworks were going up rather rapidly.  We paused a moment and couldn’t believe people could/would spend a small fortune on such an elaborate home display.  We did think back, though, to the evening of the 3rd, when it seemed like every family on Conesus Lake was igniting fireworks…there was no way they could have afforded to hire that many licensed pyrotechnicians.  We merely reasoned that on the 4th, the police just kind of turn their heads the other way so long as no one is seriously injured.

That said,  it is illegal to light fireworks in the state of New York.  I certainly would not desire to do it, let alone be caught!

So,  back to the home previously mentioned.  They have had the same “stack” of stuff sitting at the end of their driveway for maybe a week?  We saw it there before we left for Sabres Development Camp last Tuesday.  Ben assured us of that….

So, knowing the very essence of fireworks, would *you* willfully place these “leftovers” into your waste management truck?  Hmm…I am thinking perhaps the employees of their waste disposal company are  thinking the same!

Oh, Mark said if this was his mess, he would have burned it!  I mean, police vehicles do travel this route, after all!  And, I do believe there must be some logical explanation! Bet it raises a lot of eyebrows, though!

Yes, while it really isn’t *much*,  it certainly *is* early!

Last night, on our way home after shopping, Michelle and I  saw some snow in the air.  It was nothing to worry about, though, as it was harmlessly falling and melting.

Last night,  after taking the Scotties out, I had to run and grab my camera because the dusting of snow was so pretty!

Well, perhaps the bush was pretty,  but my  Mums didn’t look quite as pretty.

Those Mums are so impressive this year!  I received the pink ones last year from my mother-in-law.  They came in a tiny four inch pot.  When I transplanted them into the ground,  I was doubtful they would grow,  but they are actually bigger around than a bushel basket!  The rust-colored ones grew astronomically as well!

This morning when I opened my eyes,  although it was dark out,  it seemed kind of “bright”.

Let me assure you, snow in our neck of the woods in October is very unusual!  It does make for some interesting photos, though!

The bush continued to disappear this morning……

I went and got my little Panasonic camera because it has such a wide angle.  Here is our front “yard”…..

I repeatedly bemoan our  annual autumnal “monsoons”  as the rain prematurely strips all color from the trees each year!  This year should be different!  Not sure if this snow will remove the leaves,  but it really makes for bizarre conditions!

Explorer?  Where for art thou?

Looking out back is impressive….the tall trees look even taller in their snowy shroud!

I  understand the weather is much worse to our south.  It seems utility lines have gone down under the weight of the sloppy, wet snow!  

As I came back into the house from outside,  I heard a little Chickadee call out to me.  Instead of the cheerful little “chick-a-dee-dee-dee-dee”  I typically hear from these sweet little birds,  I am positive it call “feed me-me-me-me”!  I did so….immediately!

Now, to curl up with a hot cup of tea and listen to the radio…..

Yesterday,  both Michelle and I were up and “at ‘em” at about 5 am.  I have to admit….I was pretty tired!  But, as Michelle bustled about, getting ready for school,  I picked things up and put them away.  I made her a sandwich to take along to school for lunch and then we were off to school.

I dropped Michelle off  and then headed over to WalMart.  I needed to return a lamp I had bought and pick up a lightbulb for the cabinet we inherited from my father-in-law.  I grazed through the store,  taking my time and just enjoying  not being rushed by anyone or anything. 

After purchasing a few items, I made my way back to the Explorer.  As I was just a few feet from the vehicle,  I looked down just as I stepped into the puddle…..

It took several seconds for my sleep-deprived brain and bleary eyes to realize the wee little “croc” was one that dangled and fallen from someone’s keychain!

One of the most frustrating things about having work done with a bulldozer is that there is cleanup work to be done afterwards.  The following photos are taken to the east side of our property where the bulldozer fashioned a new drainage ditch through the woods, coming out to the road.  The problem is that in so doing,  four or five trees  were pushed over to form a luxurious “road”!

Ben and Mark worked on getting a few of the stumps removed from the area, tidying it up nicely.  However, there was still one stump remaining as of this morning.  Mark made a remark about saving the biggest for last.  He and the kids went up the path and began working on removing this bad boy.

The problem with showing photos of things like stumps is that a picture can never give the proper perspective of a stump that probably weighs more than a small automobile!  I need to interject that we have been in a very, very dry weather pattern lately, so Ben beat the tar out of the roots of this tree,  knocking off a huge amount of dirt and stones!

So….here you have it…..

One farm wagon, two ramps, one set of massive chains, one come-along,  several pieces of odds and ends of wood and firewood,  two kids, and Mark.

At this point,there was a large root that caught on the side of the wagon, making it impossible to lift the stump onto the wagon.  Never fear.  The kids learned a lot about levers,  mechanical advantage,  and safety today,  via Mark!

I was so surprised when Ben made comments to Mark (more than once) about how to perform a certain task and Mark thought a few minutes and then told Ben he was correct!  Something tells me the Engineering Apple didn’t fall too far from the tree!

With a couple more pieces of firewood and a long bar,  the bad stumpwas on the wagon and headed to another part of the property.  I think Ben must have been near ecstasy at this point in time!

The kids finished up then showered and were off to the Grape Festival.   We drove them down about two this afternoon and the traffic was hideous!  They stayed with their friends,  then went to a concert.

We are finally getting some much appreciated rain! The winds have been awesome all day and the temperature has dropped to the point that there is a reall “chill” in the air.  Ah,  love, love, love the Autumn!  I am beginning to experience the hibernation mode,  but we need to get our firewood in first!

I am sorry to be posting this so late, but today was (yet another) busy day!

Late yesterday morning, (Sunday) Michelle was asked to come to Cindy’s (our friend the piemaker) house to mind the “store”.  While Michelle was there,  I decided to wander around Naples a little and take some pictures.

The first one surprised me.  It would seem the tiny town of Naples built their first school just before the United States Civil War.

I have spent many years running school records to Naples as we are required to submit quarterly reports and any test results the kids have had over the course of their school year.  It was only recently that I noticed the beautiful work above the doors in the form of pillars with grape leaves on them.  Unobservant as I am, I never saw those goofy faces below the pillars!  I wonder why faces were included? Strange…..

After dropping Michelle off back home,  I headed on to Canandaigua.  Since I was alone, I took my time, dawdling wandering with reckless abandon!  I did stop at Wal Mart for a few minutes to pick up a jar of mayonnaise.  When I came out of the store,  I could hardly believe my eyes….

To the west,  the skies were so dark and threatening, they were almost scary.  No kidding!

While to the east,  the sun was shining brightly and looking rather promising!

While certainly feeling more drawn toward the east,  I realized I needed to begin to get home.  But first,   I had an important little thing I wanted to do!   My bucket of cracked corn was sitting in the back of the Explorer and I really wanted to use some of it!  Off I wandered, toward the city pier.

When I got to the pier, things were quiet and, well, boring.   So, I grabbed the bucket and broadcast some of the delicious cracked corn.  Suddenly, there were ducks everywhere!

Yes, I really did incite a little riot of sorts.  The ducks quacked, pecked, and squawked as they gobbled the treat.  Gulls appeared from nowhere, making that hideous “laughing” noise.  I got a kick out of the ducks chasing the gulls and biting at them as they tried to land in the midst of the goodies!

All the while I was at the lake,  I couldn’t help but notice the threatening skies and the “weird” appearance of the lake.

Later in the evening, my mother called, wanting to know if we were okay.  Okay?  As in, what?  She told me they heard on the news there was a tornado in Canandaigua on Saturday!  Sure enough,  I looked online and there had been a tornado with winds of 90 miles per hour that touched down near the Canandaigua Yacht Club.  Amazing.

This morning,  the meteorologist on the radio said there have been 10 tornadoes in New York State this year.  This is unusual and unexpected!  He assured listeners meteorological students in the future will certainly be studying the “weird” summer of 2009!

I would likely visit, but useful to many, I am sure!

I photographed this machine outside the convenience store last night while waiting for the kids.  Made me wonder why I hadn’t taken a photo of it before!

I thought I would venture out this afternoon to have a little look at my gardens.  They are looking a bit neglected although I did some heavy duty “removing”  earlier this week!

When I plant flowers, I tend to kind of  ignore the “planting suggestions” and snuggle things in a bit too tightly! Oops! I planted some Columbines in the garden in front of the house, totally oblivious to the fact that they might be an honorable contender in the “wewillovercometheworld” category!  My goodness, those cute little bright pink and white flowers soon were located from one end of the garden clean across to the other!

The good news is that because the mums were planted there first, they grew even stronger, taller, and bushier to take their place over the columbines.  So,  I yanked out a bunch of columbines so the mums would have plenty of breathing space. 

The bad news is that whilst I was excited to see this two-way race,  I didn’t realize that the columbines had overwhelmed m poor little hydrangea and it is looking very forlorn and as though it needs some prayers!  I am so saddened by this, as last year,  I nurtured that little bush until it rewarded me with a big blue bloom!  This year, it is lying on the ground and looks like it just isn’t going to pull through.  Ugh.  I love that bush and cannot understand why it would die.  I have even been faithful to feed it with Miracid every two weeks as prescribed on the box.

Making our way to the other end of the porch, we see three Butterfly Bushes. These bushes have never done well for me.  I planted them probably some six or seven years ago, and they just grow into stringly, gangly bushes.  Well, take a gander at this……

This one bush shot up to over six feet tall.  Well,  maybe five or six branches did.  The “flower” on one of the super tall branches is SIXTEEN inches long!  Yes, I had to bring my yardstick ut to measure it, as I was sure it was nearly eighteen inches long.  It is the strangest looking thing!  Well, at least the purple flowers are very attractive, although not fully “blossomed”.

Below, is a more “conservative” flower, which is “normal” for this bush, measuring about six inches long.

My little rose bush was nearly hidden by those out-of-control columbines.  Within the past couple of days, (since my severe weeding!)  the bush has set so many more little buds!

Coming up onto the porch,  I just have to show my pride and joy! Well, not literally, but I was so happy that I was able to keep this geranium over last winter and we are enjoying its seemingly endless flowers!  The red is such a happy color!

Last, but not least is the flowering pot I bought at Sam’s Club last month.  These Reiger Begonias and ivy are just so stunning sitting on the glass-topped table!  When the setting sun shines on them, they look illuminated and are just so spectacular!

The two feathers in the center of the flowers did not cme with the flowers!  When Mark and I were driving our ATV’s through the woods last week, we came upon these two beautiful turkey feathers.  I just had to stop my machine and grab them. 

We have so many outdoor projects that need to be done and it seems like finding the time to do them is nearly impossible.   I would love to have a little area with a fountain and “reading area”,  but until we do our final grading, those plans are on hold.  I love gardens, but it just seems like mine are so minimal right now.

So many ideas…..so little time!

I suppose at one point or another, everyone will find themselves attached to a device which requires the use of headphones. And thus begins my dilemma!

For some reason unknown to me, I cannot find a set of headphones with the little “doo-dads” that will fit into my ears. I have tried several different varieties, including the itty bitty silicone ones. No matter how hard I try to insert the buggers, as soon as I turn my head, they fall out. Very strange, say I!

Now if you think that I have given up too easily, let me tell you that each member of my own family has tried (diligently!) to place those little “plugs” into my ears. None has succeeded! In fact, it was only after all attempts failed that Mark looked for a set of headphones that fit over the ears!

Sennheiser to the rescue!

These Sennheiser headphones are the most fantastic headphones I have ever heard! Although they aren’t studio quality, they have a very nice sound. Add to that the fact that while listening to music at a respectable level, I can still hear conversations around me, and well, it is a win-win situation! See how they fold up?

And fit neatly into their compact case. Okay, so they are larger than the tiny ones that fit into the ear, but I don’t mind.

The other day, I saw one of the neighbor kids walking up our hill after being dropped off by the school bus. I stopped to talk to him for a few minutes and he removed a pair of headphones from his ears….interestingly, they were similar to my Sennheisers, although much more “flashy”! I couldn’t help but wonder as I pulled away if perhaps he also has “small ears”?

Late yesterday afternoon, we went to Canandaigua. Michelle wanted to stop at Burger King for a slice of Hershey’s Pie, and as we were sitting in the parking lot there,  I looked up and saw all sorts of flashing lights coming down 5 & 20.

Upon getting over the initial shock, we began to wonder what all the hoopla was about!  There were certified vehicles with the “wide load” signs, a truck, and state trooper.  Then followed this truck…

As you can see, the “load” consists of what looks like a huge “room”. The ends both appear to slide out, and even perhaps the side we see with the window in it.  Through the window, machinery with engines could be seen.  We marveled and found ourselves speculating what on earth this thing was.

After the above truck a small truck followed, its payload filled with spare tires for the above unit.  Then another pickup truck, then another state trooper, followed by yet another “wide load” certified vehicle.  It was quite the sight to see!

The entire entourage went down the road so slowly, a conditioned runner could have easily accompanied the troop.  And, shortly after this group passed, yet another, just like it, came thorugh!

We’ve no idea what this was, but Michelle wondered if it was some type of nuclear “stuff”!  As Mark thought about the direction they were headed, he said they could possibly be headed to a nuclear power station located to our northeast.  Whatevr the situation, I have not seen state troopers involved in accompanying wide loads before.

I wish I would have photographed the trucks that traveled in this group, as they migh have given us some clue as to what we saw!  Ah well, it certainly did pique our imaginations…at least for awhile!

This morning, Mr. Murphy thought I should arise before his “normal” 6 am wakeup.  It was okay, as I had gone to bed shortly after 10 last night.  I am not ashamed to say that the stump I cut yesterday really did a number on me!  My bones were dog-tired and even a bit achy!

I padded down the stairs and fed the boys….as they ate, I realized I had a terrible headache.  I took one Ibuprophen and then looked out to see what the temperature was outside.  Egads, the thermometer was hovering directly at the freezing (32 degrees) mark!  Hmmmm…..that means the ramp out back would certainly be frost-covered.

Before the Scotties finished eating, I grabbed a winter jacket and pair of snow boots from the closet.

It was as we walked outside that I discovered the most “curious” thing…..

The left side (west) of the hot tub cover had a coating of frost on it, while the right side had only water from rain…Huh?

As the Scotties hurried down the ramp, I decided to just slide down the thing, Gumby-style!  I really dislike using that ramp when there is a risk of snow/frost/anything slippery!,  but I had to use it.

You see, yesterday, while I was busy with that tree, Mark had our sweet little Michelle under the stairs, removing all the bolts and screws because the treads were in need of repair. The two of them decided they needed to clean up and replace many parts……

That “first step” would be a little aggressive for (short) me and two Scotties!

So, as the Scotties and I walked around outside, I was “testing everything….the truck and Explorer were only wet, no frost.  This is definitely one of those very strange “science” events that totally throws my mind into a tizzy!!!