Boston Pops 4th of July Stars and Stripes Forever ending

Yesterday, July 2nd, dawned grey and drizzly portending a day of indoor activities. Early the rain held off long enough for me to get my walk in; the rain drops started to fall just as I returned to the yard. The girls wimped out. Grandma did her workout with her TV exercise gurus, who always leave her feeling sore to the max.

"Should we chance it? What are the chances it'll rain while we're in the strawberry fields?"

Everyone agreed that we should go head and unless a torrential storm with lightening blew in, we'd be just fine picking in the rain. Even though the sun didn't shine on us, providence did; there was only a few minutes of light rain while we were in the strawberry fields.

There were plenty of berries and even with frequent sampling, just to make sure they were of satisfactory tastiness, we picked at a rate of a pound of berries per minute. Grandma and Crystal made up team one and Hailey and I were team two. We were in the field for about thirty minutes and came away with eight quarts of berries weighing in at 29 pounds. Team one weighed in first and they totalled 14 3/4 lbs. I was positive that team two could top that by at least 1/4 lb. Too bad too sad team two, you weigh in at 14 3/4 lbs also. We were very careful to pick only the reddest, ripest berries and leaving those not quite as red for another day and another picker.

After we tallied up and paid the cashier we loaded our largess into the car and made our way back to the 'burg to eat lunch at The Place.

As we pulled away we espied the blueberry bushes that will be ready to plunder for their luscious fruit in a couple of weeks. That's them just behind the Amish buggy.
We weren't a mile down the road when the sky opened and the rain came down with a vengeance.
Following lunch we drove home where Grandma and Crystal whipped up a batch of Fresh strawberry jam. No pics, 'cause grandpa was out spreading dirt in the trenches formed the day before while hilling the potatoes. Hailey was perusing grandpa's library.
After eating the delicious repast prepared by grandpa, grandma served up a scrumptious shortcake of fresh baked buttermilk biscuits smothered with fresh strawberries. Yummm, yummm, yummm!
Uncle Jacob called to tell us that Kristy and he have purchased a home. Daddy (rel II) called to check on his chicks, and we called auntie Michelle to shore up plans to pick her up at the airport Friday morning. She will be here 'til the 6th of July to help us celebrate the 4th.

Who says you can't have a good time on a rainy day?

This morning the girls went for a 2 mile walk with grandma along the Maple city trail while grandpa went home to do strength training in the gym. We offered the girls a choice for tomorrow; 2mile walk with grandma or 5 mile walk with grandpa. Crystal likes grandma's deal and Hailey is going to give grandpa's route a try.

Later in the morning we met up and did some more gardening. Hailey and I hilled the potatoes and she pruned the grape vines. The day turned out to be a sunny warm one so after lunch at the Morristown diner we spent the afternoon in leisure activities.

Supper, river baths (girls only), campfire, reading and a visit from Bonnie and Dick rounded out the evening's pleasures.

Tomorrow, besides other things, we're going to a pick-your-own farm and pick a few quarts of strawberries. I can taste the short cake already. ;>)

It was a busy day and that's a good thing. When I returned from my walk the girls were done with their breakfast and ready to go. First stop; the Notre Dame cemetery to weed and trim the grass around the head stones and to introduce the girls to their French relatives.

Then it was off to the homestead to do some gardening. Crystal helped grandma in the flower beds and raspberry patch. Hailey worked with grandpa in the vegetable garden. Together we pestered the weeds into submission for the day and thereby giving the veggies a boost. It was a perfect opportunity for Hailey to learn what veggie plants look like in their adolescence. I mentioned that I was going to rely on her and Crystal to keep the weeds at bay while I was hiking in New Mexico and she was happy to agree.

Lunch at the Bedrock reacquainted the girls with Wendy and homemade potato chips and french fries. Then it was back to the river for play time. The girls went in but the cold sent them to the shore for a spree of bubble generating with bubble wands. Then Crystal practiced her innovative culinary skills preparing her world famous rock, shell and seaweed sushi. Unfortunately I was too full from our recent lunch to partake. Hailey retreated to her all time favorite pastime; novel reading.

After a scrumptious supper rustled up by Grandma, consisting of pan seared chicken breasts, salt potatoes, and fresh salad, we raided grandpa's stash of Dove dark chocolate for desert. We did a resupply trip to Walmart. Did you know that they have books at Walmart?

Back at the river the girls met up with their chum Grace from next door and they took their bedtime bath in the frigid water. When they exited the river, grandpa had a fire roaring in the chiminea and grandma had all the fixin's for Smores. Dark settled in with mosquitoes. So it was Deep Woods Off and fire smoke to discourage voracious blood sucking. The river was still as a stone and smooth as glass; a picture perfect end to the day. Then it was in to the bug free safety of the camp for a read, a blog post and some girl journaling.

All in all a good day.

Blogger turned this photo without permission. Imagine it rotated one quarter turn counter clockwise. :)

South Texas has invaded northern New York!

YEAH!

Hailey, rel, Crystal, & D. June '09

I'm considering a career change;
I'm going to run for the NYS senate.
My current career, love it as much as I do, requires me to act like a responsible adult most of the time.
As a NYS senator I'll be free to act like a child in perpetuity. And do nothing and still get paid. In some circles that's referred to as stealing. As a childish NYS senator I'll be exempt from the rules that guide the populace.

Everybody made fun of him. Laughing at the cobble job patches that held him together. They made bets about whether he'd last another winter.

Sure he was old and weathered. Yes his cribs were arthritic and he leaned and sagged in places. Some of his nails were working themselves loose. Still, he was sturdy enough, not rickety like some he'd seen float by this spring. He'd withstood the river's anger when the north wind pushed her the wrong way, and bathed in her calm at the end of the day.

There was one fellow that liked him though, and thought him handsome in his waning years. The man appreciated the storms he'd weathered, and understood the pressure the frozen river exerted on him every winter. The man seemed to enjoy strolling his length out into the breathtaking beauty to reflect and stare, pensive.

This man has been a regular visitor these last five seasons and the two of them had formed a bond. The man thinks himself old but to the dock he's a young man in his prime. He seeks the dock's wisdom of many seasons and the weathered old dock gives up his secrets slowly, in bits and pieces when the man comes to the river edge. " Take life one wave at a time," says the dock. Sometimes the man listens. At least he acts like he heard. Other times he seems too preoccupied to listen.

On these restful summer nights the old dock is content to watch old Sol's descent, and teach the man patience; their friendship unspoken but ever present.

A view of a segment of the Maple city trail, where I do some of my training hikes.

Here it is Tues. into my return-to-work-for-a-week week. Time to put a post up to get by the Father's day post. Aside from Christmas, I think holiday posts are good for one day and one day only so don't leave a holiday post up too many days. That's just me.

So how is it that a guy who takes the summer off for the first time in 50 years is back to work for a week? I'm glad you asked. December last when planning for this 9 month work year we determined that I could take 12 weeks off without financial hazard. So it was decided that since we rent a camp on the river every summer, June through August would be the perfect time to take off. However We have fall activities that we enjoy and two in particular require a week off from work. so a week off in September for the canoe race and a week off in Nov. to take our granddaughters to Disney meant cutting the summer vacation down to 10 weeks: Work one week in June and one in August.
The up shot to all this is that I've discovered that a week back to work is a nice reprieve after three weeks off. Remember now that this vacation includes a 2 week hike in July in the New Mexico Rockies, so these past three weeks have been devoted to an intense training routine, plus getting the garden in and of course making time to get some kayaking in. I was ready for a rest. Yessiree, a week of work is just the break I need so as to not get too tired of vacation.

Of course, true to form, this first week of summer came in with warm sunny days that are forecast to last the week. Oh well. Last evening after supper we sat at the river's edge and watched the river calm itself down and make a perfect reflective surface for another soothing sunset.

Must get ready for work. You all have a great day and I'll do the same.