Aussie Girls!

I was very fortunate to have met a young lady from Australia a few years back through KS. KS had met her online and they became fast friends. Belinda came here in February of 2010 (I may be off a year) to visit America and see a real winter. Upstate NY obliged. KS introduced Belinda to everyone she knew - they went all over upstate and had a lot of wonderful adventures.

This time - Belinda was coming over but bringing 3 friends with her! They visited Disneyland in California, Las Vegas, Utica and then NYC. Well I figured since I have an empty house I'd have all four of them stay here and I would borrow air mattresses and try to give them some space so that they could have a little privacy - after all they had been sharing a hotel room for 8 days or so...

What a joy they are! Funny, silly, smart, and just wonderful. KS and I enjoyed our time with them. KS was able to take them everywhere and do all kinds of NY stuff - I spent more time with them after work and such - couldn't take time off because of go-live stuff and training.

We did have a night out at Strut - a local bar in Utica that is just a fun place to be! We had some drunk Aussie girls, but KS and I watched over them and they had a really good time. Lots of dancing and laughing and singing! Oh and lots of selfies! LOL - Belinda is the queen of Selfies! Then on Saturday we had an American lunch! Hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill with salad, baked beans, and I can't remember what else. Then dinner was Chicken Riggies (YUM!), Utica Greens, Half Moons, Tomato Pie! Thanks to PF, FF, CF and BF! They were wonderful!

Then on Sunday we drove to Niagara Falls, NY - we stayed on the NY side - it was so awesome! The Cave of the Winds (I got soaked), the Maid of the Mist (I got really DAMP!) - and just the walking around and hearing a "It's a SQUIRREL!" and the Aussie girls running to get pictures with the cheeky little squirrels.

Then there was the Vegemite and the Berocca - I actually liked the Vegemite - but am very glad that the girls were kind and explained that a little bit goes a long way! Vegemite can be very overpowering, but on toast with a little butter and a little of it, it's yummy and it seems to keep me going a long time - has vitamin B in it which I'm sure helps. The Berocca is an energy drink tablet. It goes in water "Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz, Oh what a relief it is" - I kept singing that every time. Well the taste is very light - orange or lemon and it's full of Vitamins C, B (the whole family), Zinc and Magnesium. There is no Caffeine or other stimulants so it's quite enjoyable without making you feel spacey. And my Aussie girls left me both! And a marker board with a message and a lucky Bamboo Plant! I can't wait for them to visit!

Kristen, Sam, KS, Belinda and Sarah at Niagara Falls, NY

Kristen, Sarah, KS and Sam waiting to order at the Soda Fountain in Remsen, NY

Cheesy Smile! LOL - trying to sell Vegemite to myself!

Another of Belinda's selfies - with Kristen and Sarah!

KS and Belinda with Adam and Matt (I hope I got this right - KS let me know!) They were absolute sweethearts!

Kristen (eyes closed -UGH), Sarah, CF, Belinda and Sam!

Niagara Falls NY! It really was a spectacular day!

Stillwater Reservoir - August 2013

Most likely this was the last tent camping of the season. The Farmers Almanac is saying that we are going to have one heck of a snowy winter, so camping at a 4 walled camp with a roof will have to do! RB, Gracie and I got up at the crack of dawn on Friday and were up at Stillwater at 8am - hoping to have one of 8 sites - well that didn't work out so well BUT we did find site 24 and it was awesome. Huge beach, the woods site was actually up a fairly steep hill and we had so much beach area that we stayed on the beach. Plus there weren't any mosquitoes below! The "box" was up the hill as well! LOL if you had to go bad you had better get a head start - it was a haul! On the way to our site - all loaded up - Gracie excited to be in the boat, RB was close to site 20 when he said that he thought that there was something to keep an eye out for. The water is very low at Stillwater this time of year and there are lots of piles of stone just under the water. Well it's good he was cautious as we ran 'aground' in the middle of the lake! LOL it was freaking funny - I got out and pushed us off of the rock pile - standing in 6 inches of water with 6-20 foot depths all around! RB actually had killed the motor just before it happened - talk about intuition! Well we made it to camp without any further mishaps - walked around and checked things out. Beautiful area - very quiet - far away from most other sites. RB and I emptied the boat, set up the tent, chairs, got beer!, let Gracie run and check out her new digs, blew up the air mattress! (it was AWESOME), cooked hot dogs, chilled out, took a nap, swam, fished and all before 5pm! LM, RM and Max showed up around 6:30 or so - helped them get set up, got a fire going, chilled and talked till around 9 or so then passed out. Rained like crazy all night! Thought that it was going to be miserable on Saturday, but other than a couple of sprinkles it wasn't too bad. We all forgot silverware and cooking utensils! LOL - very funny but we got inventive and didn't starve! Max and Gracie had a wonderful time playing in the woods, water, on the boats, loving life... We came back on Sunday - the weather wasn't looking great for Sunday night or Monday and it's difficult to break down camp in the pouring rain.

6 am - Stillwater Reservoir from site 24. Absolute silence except for the loons near the culvert.

I love the stillness of the water...hard to tell difference between sky and water.

The water captured the sky colors better - amazingly beautiful.

Color is gone - but this is almost as beautiful in a stark way

Gracie - loved getting sticks from the water. Still not swimming so much as high stepping but she was trying her darnedest.

The petrified stumps were amazing - this could be a scary monster in a movie!

Fourth Lake...

I'm very fortunate to have met some wonderful people. I worked for a local company for years and through them met this great lady named Sue - we became fast friends and very much enjoyed each others company. She retired while I still went to her old place of work to fix their machines. I also help her and her husband out with their computers at times as well. She invited me up to their camp on Fourth Lake a few times over the years and I've just never gone up until this year...I can't believe I waited so long. What a beautiful camp and great hospitality. Their son even brought me to the Moose River Plains in his new jeep to break it in a bit and we went for a couple of small hikes to look for moose! It was cool!

Sunrise on 4th Lake

Sunrise and fog....beautiful early morning

Sunrise on 4th Lake near Inlet

This is the closest we got to finding a moose! We just missed him by mere hours!

Random pictures

Little Woodhull Creek - before flooding

Very happy Gracie without a leash. She loves camp!

She is coming when called! Such a smart girl!

Flooded and lots of rain on memorial day weekend

Weigela flowers in full bloom

Henry spotting something interesting down the street

More Weigela flowers

Pretty purple dainty irises

it has it's own little face and happy smile

My mom's boots with lots of pansies in them!

Garden is planted and happy!

Handsome Einstein

Henry adjusting a pinwheel for me

Sunlight on ferns

How could you not love this sweet face? My Einstein

Random spring pictures from this spring (so far). Will be taking lots as RB gave me the most wonderful camera last year and I love using it.
Peace
Michelle

Fluctuations...

What a spring we have had in upstate New York! Many other states are dealing with bad weather and fires and floods - in upstate NY we deal with extremes!

Memorial Day weekend - was cold and wet with snow in way upstate - a whopping 30 inches of wet snow at Whiteface Mountain- The following pictures came from the Long Lake Facebook Page

Whiteface Veterans Memorial Highway May 25, 2013

Whiteface Veterans Memorial Highway May 25, 2013

Whiteface Veterans Memorial Highway May 25, 2013

 

 

Our plans were to spend the weekend at RB's camp up north but we only made it two nights. It was cold, wet and muddy. Couldn't stain the camp like we had hoped to, our friends came up CT and TT, but while they were game for anything it was just too much muck! LOL the good thing was there weren't any bugs - just lots of water and mud! The wood stove got a good work out. And when I got home on Sunday I had to turn on the heat as it was 50 degrees in my house.

Fast Forward to this weekend - hot hot hot hot hot! And while I'm not complaining about the heat - I've had enough humidity! My AC has been on for a few days now to keep the humidity down in here - can't sleep when I'm soaked. Just saying!

I've had the AC on twice already this year and the heat on in between - never have I done that before and I don't know that I've ever had the AC on so early in the year either. Ceiling fans usually take care of everything.

An update on my fitbit - it's worth it's weight in gold! I've climb 500 flights of stairs, walked 170 miles and over 100K steps so far since April 18th, I feel like I've accomplished so very much. Walking Gracie helps so very much - she doesn't like the heat but she's a trooper anyway.

In Memory...

It's been a year of losses....personal and as an American...

Let's remember those that have died to protect us; firemen, policemen, servicemen, every day heroes.... There have been so many tragedies due to shootings, weather, explosions, accidents and it needs to be acknowledged that Americans are phenomenal - they do everything they can to save people, animals, everything....and if need be they help re-build what was destroyed. God Bless those who serve their country, their fellow citizens, their neighbors, friends and family so selflessly...

As for personal losses -
My mom has been gone for just over 5 months, I miss her, but am dealing better with the loss. I am able to think about her more without tears. My father passed away a week ago - this one is harder in some ways but easier too. I only lived with him for maybe a year of my whole life some as a baby and the rest as a 12 year old. He had major issues, couldn't love his family, his other children had more of a taste of that than I did. He probably did me a favor by giving me up for adoption. Sad, but true. I've run the gamut of emotions, loss - but you can't lose something you never really had, my head knows it my heart is being obstinate. Anger - that pops up every now and then even with mom - it just is something we all go through with loss. Wishing...that things had been different, but knowing that I wouldn't be who I am now if things had been different. I'm stronger and more resilient because of all of the bumps in the road that I've endured. Sadness - that he couldn't express himself to any of us. I have 3 brothers and a sister through him and he really didn't leave much of a father legacy for any of us. My two youngest brothers seem to be doing fatherhood very well and for that I'm thrilled - they learned from him and are loving fathers. The oldest and my sister don't have children, like me and I'm sure it has something to do with him to some small extent. It is what it is....

On this memorial day - hold your memories of loved ones close. Remember the heroes who are protecting America and our freedoms, thank a service member, a police officer, a fireman, emt, neighbor, anyone who may have helped you when you were down...

Jeanne Britt: July 29, 1947 - January 9, 2013

Dale A Gates: July 23, 1946 - May 21, 2013

New TOY!

I blame Mel for this - she mentioned it and it stuck in my head for a couple of weeks and then I couldn't wait anymore and had to go buy it! The FitBit One - best fitness helper doodad geek toy ever! It's forcing me to push myself and beat myself every day. And I can see how my friends are doing and we can egg each other on! It's fun and good. I can log food, exercise, sleep, and so on....

So...I am almost at 10,000 steps today so I think I have to take another little walk around the block to hit that. You get badges for hitting different levels - it's wickedly fun and cool!

Ah well....enough of that - I hope that you are all well!

Bicycle

I'm ready to ride. I've not ridden much in the last two years and it's time to get back in the saddle. :)
Of course I'm ready but 30 degrees is not warm enough even though I'm more comfortable being cold - not on a bike!

So be ready for bike pics and adventures...I figure if I post it here it will force me to get out there. Well that and I really need my bike to help me think. It was a refuge a few years ago and it hopefully can help me this time. Grief sucks - you think you are okay but then it sneaks up on you and hits you like a truck. Stress doesn't help either so the bike will be my ticket to de-stressing and de-griefing. (my own made up word)

Canal trail here I come!

Winter Trees

Winter trees in Cooperstown. Since spring doesn't seem to want to show up, I've decided to post some winter tree pictures. Looking forward to taking pictures of the trees in bloom!

Looking at mouth of Susquehanna River at Otsego Lake

Snow in the nooks of the trees

Lake Street - Winter trees and lake view

ramblings

This is the sunset in Orlando - miss it horribly... It was back in November and it was warm. Upstate NY is wallowing in winter. Mother Nature isn't aware that it's March 23 and it should be warming up! Just saying! Shoveled again this morning...it was 20 degrees, the temp hit a high of 35 today. Woo Hooo! Not!

This winter has just been difficult. Losing Mom and trying to get outside and be active and not wallow in grief - ugh - not working very well. I want to ride my bike for hours and lose myself in the monotony of peddling and hearing the birds, feeling the wind on my face, smelling the flowers, grass, farms - heck cow poop in the spring is a rite of passage for living in Upstate NY! I want to feel warm breezes, play in the yard, enjoy the sun on my face and shoulders as I work on clipping the bushes and trees, planting flowers, enjoying the outdoors. Stillwater Reservoir never seemed so awesome! Want to camp, fish, sit by a camp fire....love life...

Lost so many people lately - Mom, Grandma Sally, Linda....they are in a much better place and I pray for peace for all of our families...

Peace and love to you all...