We made it to Atlanta in 10 hours with 2 stops:
one for peeing
and one for peaches.
one for peeing
and one for peaches.
Saturday, July 14, 2018
Friday, July 13, 2018
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It has been very dry here for the last several weeks, and I have spent every morning when I'm in town thoroughly watering the garden. Even so, aside from a handful of banana peppers, any significant harvest is still a few weeks away. There's always that first tomato, though, that swells and ripens well ahead of any others. That one I was looking forward to picking today before heading off to Atlanta tomorrow.
Unfortunately, the birds had other ideas. They are so thirsty from the drought that they poke their beaks like a straw into anything semi-ripe. And so I found my first perfect tomato punctured and partially consumed when I went to water this morning.
I gasped and picked it anyway, and when I got home I washed it thoroughly, cut away the birdy parts, and ate it for breakfast.
And it was delicious!
Note to self: Place water bowls in the garden for the birds.
Unfortunately, the birds had other ideas. They are so thirsty from the drought that they poke their beaks like a straw into anything semi-ripe. And so I found my first perfect tomato punctured and partially consumed when I went to water this morning.
I gasped and picked it anyway, and when I got home I washed it thoroughly, cut away the birdy parts, and ate it for breakfast.
And it was delicious!
Note to self: Place water bowls in the garden for the birds.
Thursday, July 12, 2018
Can't Complain
I spent the afternoon on my deck in a rocking chair, petting the cats and writing. Tonight my writing group is coming over and we're going to have lobster sliders and corn on the cob.
Not a bad life!
Not a bad life!
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
Finicky
After picking some Maine lobsters for dinner tomorrow night, I had a few scraps and some gorgeous scarlet tomalley left over so I thought I'd give the cats a little treat. I chopped everything finely and presented it to them with a flourish. They trotted eagerly to their dishes and sniffed the unexpected presentation with enthusiasm. Then they stopped, looked at each other, shook their heads in confusion, switched dishes, looked at me, and then literally turned their noses up and walked away.
"I'm not trying to force anybody in this house to eat lobster!" I told them, but then shrugged and sprinkled a couple of pieces of dry cat food over the offensive sea bug. The magical tinkle of kibble hitting metal got them back in the kitchen, and once they were eating, it all was all good, and they ate their lobster, too.
I hoped they enjoyed it, because that's probably the last time it will ever be served to them!
"I'm not trying to force anybody in this house to eat lobster!" I told them, but then shrugged and sprinkled a couple of pieces of dry cat food over the offensive sea bug. The magical tinkle of kibble hitting metal got them back in the kitchen, and once they were eating, it all was all good, and they ate their lobster, too.
I hoped they enjoyed it, because that's probably the last time it will ever be served to them!
Tuesday, July 10, 2018
Jiggity-Jig
The cats are fine.
Lucy is thrilled to see all her doggie friends.
The garden is dry, but doing well.
The cucumbers are now pickles.
The bed is comfortable,
and the sunrise floods our treetop room
with golden light.
There is still a hole in the ceiling,
and the washer and dryer are still broken.
The hanging baskets and containers
are thriving--
full of herbs and flowers.
The refrigerator is restocked.
and we have been to the movies,
a documentary, to be exact.
Lucy is thrilled to see all her doggie friends.
The garden is dry, but doing well.
The cucumbers are now pickles.
The bed is comfortable,
and the sunrise floods our treetop room
with golden light.
There is still a hole in the ceiling,
and the washer and dryer are still broken.
The hanging baskets and containers
are thriving--
full of herbs and flowers.
The refrigerator is restocked.
and we have been to the movies,
a documentary, to be exact.
Monday, July 9, 2018
The Road Rose Up to Meet Us
It was 1 o'clock when we loaded Lucy into the car after a romp and a swim at the amazing dog park from Saturday. "We should have left earlier!" Heidi scowled.
The sky was blue, the sun was warm, and the air was cool. We had stayed for a late breakfast of BLTs, stopped for coffee, and given Lucy a chance to exercise before being cooped up in the car all day. "What's the rush?" I shrugged.
"I don't want to get home in the dark!" Heidi continued.
"It's summer!" I said. "The light will be with us all the way."
And it was. Because we were leaving from a little south and east, the map app sent us a new way home. As we rolled through emerald hills we saw lots of farms and lots of wind farms, too. We drove up and down mountains, past reservoirs and rivers, through battle fields and shrines. We hit zero traffic, and finished our audio book exactly 10 minutes from home. The sun was just setting as we pulled in to our parking lot.
Home!
Our destination was as warm and welcoming as ever.
Our journey?
Was, too.
The sky was blue, the sun was warm, and the air was cool. We had stayed for a late breakfast of BLTs, stopped for coffee, and given Lucy a chance to exercise before being cooped up in the car all day. "What's the rush?" I shrugged.
"I don't want to get home in the dark!" Heidi continued.
"It's summer!" I said. "The light will be with us all the way."
And it was. Because we were leaving from a little south and east, the map app sent us a new way home. As we rolled through emerald hills we saw lots of farms and lots of wind farms, too. We drove up and down mountains, past reservoirs and rivers, through battle fields and shrines. We hit zero traffic, and finished our audio book exactly 10 minutes from home. The sun was just setting as we pulled in to our parking lot.
Home!
Our destination was as warm and welcoming as ever.
Our journey?
Was, too.
Sunday, July 8, 2018
You'll Always Know Your Pal
We were back from the falls by noon, and I was restless by 12:30. A lazy search on my phone turned up a promising activity.
"Who wants to do a cave and underwater boat tour?" I asked. Maybe it was the unfolding drama in Thailand or perhaps it was just a lazy Sunday, but there were no takers.
Finally Heidi broke the crickets. "I'll go with you, Babe," she offered. And away we drove, 30 minutes to the north to a town called Lockport, the first big stop on the Erie Canal for eastbound traffic. And why was it such a destination at only 35 miles or so from the big city of Buffalo? Well, the answer is in the name. The canal drops 520 feet from Buffalo to Albany, and a full 60 of them are in Lockport. That means six locks, which could originally accommodate one boat every 3 hours. So the average back up at Lockport was three days, which was very good for the economy.
In addition, the excess water that came from constructing all those locks was redirected through a chase that went around the canal, providing enough hydropower to run three factories-- the first fire hydrant plant, a farm equipment production line, and a pulping mill.
It was those tunnels that we toured today; not an actual cave at all, but hand-excavated subterranean passages blown through the dolomite by miners and Irish orphans working as powder monkeys. Our guide was a young man by the name of Ben who was pretty knowledgeable and had a school presentation style that I found both familiar and endearing. His favorite interactive device was to introduce topics with an invitation: Anyone care to guess... how deep the water is? ...what happened to this factory? ...how many boats could fit? etc. It was simple, but effective, and he did a great job leading our group of 19 adults and 3 children.
"How old are you Ben?" Heidi asked him after slipping him a five at the end of the tour.
"Sixteen," he said.
"You were amazing!" I told him.
In 1918, an updated lock system opened, one that speeded 10 boats at a time through in less than an hour. In addition, electricity meant that the raceways were no longer necessary to power the factories, which closed or relocated, and the tunnels were drained and abandoned.
Lockport's economy declined for the next 100 years. The canal still operates today, though, mostly for leisure vessels like tour boats, house boats, kayaks, and canoes. And this year? In honor of the 100th anniversary of the new locks? Passage through Lockport is free.
And well worth the stop!
"Who wants to do a cave and underwater boat tour?" I asked. Maybe it was the unfolding drama in Thailand or perhaps it was just a lazy Sunday, but there were no takers.
Finally Heidi broke the crickets. "I'll go with you, Babe," she offered. And away we drove, 30 minutes to the north to a town called Lockport, the first big stop on the Erie Canal for eastbound traffic. And why was it such a destination at only 35 miles or so from the big city of Buffalo? Well, the answer is in the name. The canal drops 520 feet from Buffalo to Albany, and a full 60 of them are in Lockport. That means six locks, which could originally accommodate one boat every 3 hours. So the average back up at Lockport was three days, which was very good for the economy.
In addition, the excess water that came from constructing all those locks was redirected through a chase that went around the canal, providing enough hydropower to run three factories-- the first fire hydrant plant, a farm equipment production line, and a pulping mill.
It was those tunnels that we toured today; not an actual cave at all, but hand-excavated subterranean passages blown through the dolomite by miners and Irish orphans working as powder monkeys. Our guide was a young man by the name of Ben who was pretty knowledgeable and had a school presentation style that I found both familiar and endearing. His favorite interactive device was to introduce topics with an invitation: Anyone care to guess... how deep the water is? ...what happened to this factory? ...how many boats could fit? etc. It was simple, but effective, and he did a great job leading our group of 19 adults and 3 children.
"How old are you Ben?" Heidi asked him after slipping him a five at the end of the tour.
"Sixteen," he said.
"You were amazing!" I told him.
In 1918, an updated lock system opened, one that speeded 10 boats at a time through in less than an hour. In addition, electricity meant that the raceways were no longer necessary to power the factories, which closed or relocated, and the tunnels were drained and abandoned.
Lockport's economy declined for the next 100 years. The canal still operates today, though, mostly for leisure vessels like tour boats, house boats, kayaks, and canoes. And this year? In honor of the 100th anniversary of the new locks? Passage through Lockport is free.
And well worth the stop!
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