October 31, 2009. San Antonio, Tx. Hallowe'en.

It is second only to Christmas in the life of a child. It was a perfect night, with a full moon and a lovely cool evening, so Trick or Treating was a pleasure. David and Ken sat in front of the house handing out the candies while Suzanne and the girls and two neighbors with their children along with me, the grandmother, headed out just before seven o'clock to collect for candies. The children were so very excited about the whole event. I am not sure why. Part of the thrill is the costumes, and part is the concept of being given candy from the neighborhood folks. We walked a long way, finally arriving home by nine, with a pillow case of candy. The girls then proceeded to sit down at the kitchen table to sort through their candy, all along sampling as much candy as they possibly could.

This evening culminated in a very successful day for the girls. Samantha and Allison played soccer this morning and their team won their game for the second time in a row. The coach was thrilled, because the team carried out his instructions which was to spread out the field. Two of their goals were scored because they were able to keep themselves spread out across the field. Samantha scored one goal when a team mate passed the goal across the field and she scored.. He was thrilled.

The championship of the Volleyball Tournament was won by Sarah's sixth grade team. It was a one day single elimination tournament, with eight teams playing. They beat the team in the final they had never won during the regular season, so they also were thrilled with their win. This is a team of twelve girls who have selected Volleyball for their sport, so every girl is on the team and every one plays at least half the game. The coach is a volleyball player for a local college and this was her first year to coach a team. I was interested to note that she taught the girls to play defense only. The team won when their opponents made a mistake. It worked and now they are the tournament champion.

So much activity for these old folks, but we enjoyed every minute of the day.

Remembering

Big tex

TMI Homecoming

October 30, 2009. San Antonio, Tx. Homecoming.

I have never attended a homecoming, until tonight. Sarah is attending a new Episcopal school, beginning in the sixth grade and continuing through high school. TMI is the name. It is a small school, with 400 students, and has a reputation for high academic standards. Ken and I were invited to attend by Sarah, along with her siblings and parents. First came the spaghetti dinner, served by the boys of the school, followed by a pep rally where the cheerleaders strutted their tricks. Both the Junior and Senior Class held a skit. Next up was the lighting of a huge bonfire where everyone cheered and then watched this very large fire. Evidently these fires are a tradition at homecoming in Texas. The last event was the powder puff football game between the junior and senior girls playing flag football, under lights on their football field. Tomorrow the football team will play a big game and everyone is invited to come and cheer.

David and Ken and I, along with Samantha and Allison came home right after the bonfire, arriving home by 8:30, so now the twins are asleep as is David. Soon Suzanne and Sarah and Abigail will arrive home as it is past ten o'clock. The younger students seem very excited about Homecoming. I was pleased to see the new school and their campus and the other students. The atmosphere is pleasant. One aspect of their practice I like a lot. Every student is required to declare an athletic activity each semester. Sarah chose Volleyball this semester, so she practices every day with the sixth grade class. The other option for her was cross country or PE, which is a fitness program. So every student at the school is required to have a physical activity for one hour every day for the whole semester. In the Winter season the options are Swimming, basketball or PE. Sarah has chosen swimming. Spring options are Tennis, Track and Field or Lacrosse, in addition to PE. It seems to be a great programme. I certainly saw no obese children tonight at the school.

I enjoyed the evening observing these young people in action. Sarah is very grown up, now that she is twelve. Tomorrow her Volleyball team is playing in a tournament, so we see her in action again. It will be a great pleasure for me, and also to see the twins soccer game. I am having a grand time.

October 29, 2009. Harper, Texas. Reading.

This Double D Ranch is a wonderful place to read.  We have no TV or telephone and our location is remote, so no one comes to call unless invited.  This is especially true of our Top House, where the home is located at the highest hill almost a mile away from the main house.  If anyone wanted to be alone, this would be the spot.  Our neighbors Joyce and Robbie know I love to watch the World Series so they have just called us over for soup and baseball.  Aren't neighbors grand?   

This morning, Ken brought us coffee up to our room, where we read until ten o'clock before showering and dressing.  It was a great luxury.  I have just finished "Salt, A World History".  It is a fascinating book and I enjoyed it thoroughly although it is not the best written book in the world.  The author, Mark Kurlansky, is a journalist, and I think perhaps each chapter was written for some other journal, then pulled together for the book  so the information is chopped up all over the world and lacks organization.  But I now have hundreds of facts about salt, which I will remember for three weeks.  

Now I am in the middle of "Miles Gone By", a literary autobiography written by William F. Buckley.  It is a fascinating read and I am enjoying the book.  Even if you disagree with his point of view, he writes beautifully and had a charmed life.  I believe that he spent a lifetime fending off being bored.   Not so long ago I read the book by the younger brother, Reid Buckley, a biography of the Father and Mother, so I am interested in the Buckley Family.  Priscilla Buckley has just published a book on her travels, she an older sister who was the Managing Editor of The National Review for many years.  Also son Christopher has just published a book about life with Mother and Father.  I am grateful for this time to read, here in the Hill Country of Texas.

October 28, 2009. Harper, Tx. Outside Fires.

I really do not know what to call them.  Are they fire pits or fire circles or campfires?  They are places to sit around comfortably and watch the fire.  We like them.  Yesterday afternoon Ken made a fire in our fire pit at the ranch.  It is a lovely spot, right at the edge of a large grove of live oak trees.  David brought a bunch of large rocks to protect the children from the fire and over the years we have acquired comfortable chairs and tables.  The meat smoker is near, also two large tables for dining so the area is a convenient place for meals.  And of course, we like to sit and watch the fire.  

This little area is especially attractive, because of the trees that always give shade and the birds that are always flying around in the trees.  Even when we have no fire I often sit and wait to see the birds.  Then, if you stay long enough, the sunset can be seen behind the trees across the road.  It is a place to talk and eat and drink.  I am often puzzled when folks comment on our fire area, and wish they had one too.   Perhaps they think it came with the place, but like everything else, it all begins with a plan of what you want, then bit by bit implement the plan.  In other words, start with the end in mind, then start in working the plan.  This fire area here is lovely, but often the County, due to the lack of rain issues a ban on burning, so no fires can be set.  But now the fields are green and lush so we could burn to our hearts content, and we did.

October 27, 2009. Harper, Tx. The Cattle.

Ken is like the Pied Piper here at the ranch.  As soon as he takes the Mule out of the garage and drives around the land, the cattle seem to recall that eventually he will feed them treats and they follow him everywhere he goes.   He brings the Mule up to the Top House and the cattle comes along with him, standing on the outside of the fence, waiting and bellowing for some food.  We don't know if they do it with everyone who comes on to the ranch or whether or not they really have the memory of past treats, but it is an odd sight, to watch these huge animals following the little vehicle all around the ranch.

The horns on these creatures are remarkable.  Every time we arrive and see the cattle the sight of those long horns comes as a surprise.  We are both careful to keep away from those sharp horns.  The creatures are friendly and gentle, but they do use their horns to get rid of the bugs and fly and just a quick toss of the head could easily rip open an arm.  The two steers are huge, actually bigger than the bull.  They stand over five feet tall at the shoulders.  The bull is just a bit shorter but is thicker in every direction, including his horns.  The eight heifers seem slight alongside the steers, as they are shorter and thinner.  And we have five calves this year, two pretty young.  They are still in the jumping around mode so they are funny to watch.

The fish are thriving too.  I fed the fish and counted ten fish in all, two white, four orange, two spotted, and two small gold.  But my count may be off.  It is difficult counting fish in a big tank.  We are pleased with the cattle and the fish.  Being left alone seems to agree with them.

October 26, 2009. Harper, Tx. The Weather.October 24, 2009. Harper, Tx. Home Again.

Usually the weather at the ranch is wonderful, at least when we are in town.  Yesterday was perfect with the sky blue and the breezes light and the sun shining brightly.  But in the middle of the night the weather changed and soon the winds were strong and the rain was pouring down cats and dogs.  In other words, it was a wonderful time to be snug in bed.  Today it rained all day, sometimes hard and sometimes light, but always rain.  In Texas they call lack of rain drought and for three years at the ranch we have had a lack of serious rain for almost three years, but since the rains began two months ago, eleven inched of rain has fallen so the grass is green and the cows are happy.  It is certainly different around here since last April.

I have never lived in a place where people embrace rain.  Today, everyone spoke to us about the rain, but always to say how pleased they were to have a bit more rain.  Here they take for granted  the sun will shine but they are always grateful for every drop of rain.  It is interesting the contrast with the good Nova Scotia folks, who are always very apologetic when the sun does not shine.  Our habit when we are travelling is to ignore the weather and just decide our activity and dress according to the temperature and precipitation.  Our good rain coats are always with us, so mostly we ignore the weather.  But no one else does, so we are always discussing the weather.

Ken and I decided that this is the first day we have spent at the ranch where the rain fell all day.  Here, in the past,  we could really ignore the weather, because mostly the sun shone and the sky was blue.  Today, the folks in the Hill Country were thrilled with the day of rain and so was I.

October 26, 2009. Harper, Tx. The Weather.

October 24, 2009. Harper, Tx. Home Again.

This house on the hill is a gem.  Every time we arrive  I am pleased with what we built.  Today was the same as every other time, when we wish we spent more time here.  I love everything about the place, both the house, the furniture and the art.  There is nothing about the house that we ever have to say to each other "I wish we had made the closets bigger," or anything to wonder why we had missed putting more electrical outlets in the kitchen.  Both the aesthetics and the function are top drawer.  Of course, this was our last house, and we  had several experiences building and renovating and our past history helped us to ask the right questions.  Arriving here is always a delight.

Our weekend in San Antonio was successful.  Samantha and Allison went shopping with me for their birthday.  Suzanne was along too to help.  Actually, Allison asked me to ask her Mother to come shopping with us, because she wanted to be sure we did not purchase inappropriate clothes!!  I don't know what she thought I was going to allow her the buy, but the four of us had a grand time together.  First lunch, followed by shopping.  The girls were great and chose lovely clothes.  Actually, we ended up with Samantha owning two more dresses than Allison.  I thought I was keeping track, but evidently I was not.  Our drill was for me to sit outside the changing room on a stool, with Suzanne helping the girls in and out of the clothes.  Then the girls would come out with their new duds to model for me, walk all around the section of the store, then decide if this garment was a reject or a take home.  They were good at it, and loved every bit of the prancing around.  Now they are outfitted for this winter and next.  Everyone was happy.

October 24, 2009. San Antonio, Tx. Yesterday.

Sarah really wanted to go with us to find her head board in the antique store of San Antonio, but when Ken and I went looking, good head boards were in short supply, so I changed our minds. We are staying in Sarah's bedroom, so it was clear to me that she owned many precious objects that were covering every surface in the room, including the desk, dresser and shelves. When Ken and I were perusing our favorite antique stores we came across a very nice curio cabinet, not too big and not too small which could house all her present and future treasures. I mentioned the piece to Suzanne, who in turn asked Sarah whose eyes lit up. She did not know what a curio case was, but she knew it would help her clutter. I also had spotted a lovely little walnut side table which would work very well for my side of the bed, where now I have none.

Ken and I headed out to look at the small table. It was lovely, solid wood with turned legs; a perfect little table to serve for a life time, so we bought it for Sarah and took the table home. After buying shoes for me to replace the shoes stolen from the car, I suggested we look at the small curio case. The lady of the store told me the furniture was cherry wood but as the it was being stored behind another large object and the lights were dull, I wanted another look. The size was perfect for her room, but it was made of oak, not cherry. Both Ken and I inspected it carefully and bought it, after the price was drastically reduced. It was loaded into the truck and left there until David came home and we took the case upstairs to Sarah's room. Both pieces fit into the room and both will serve her well. Ken and I were pleased with our purchases.

David and the twins arrived home at 3:15 and David and Ken and I sat in the living room, drinking wine and talking the rest of the afternoon. The twins listened quietly almost the whole time, then drifted to the kitchen to read. Finally Suzanne and Abigail arrived home, followed soon by the babysitter, and the four adults went out to dinner to celebrate. The dinner was wonderful which ended a perfectly proper day. Now it remains to see if Sarah is pleased with the addition to her room.

October 23, 2009. San Antonio, Tx. The Escape.

Yesterday we drove our own car. But it did not seem to be our own car. When the car was stolen last May, all objects were taken so all the familiar items were missing. Our sunglasses were missing and the bottles of water too. Our Texas atlas was not there along with the owners manual. It was a nuisance setting the clock to the correct time, without a manual giving instructions. Ken and I kept a basket in the back with toilet items and clothes enough to last a day or two here before driving to the Lake or the Ranch, but the two baskets had been stolen along with the car. Now we must replace all our car supplies, so we can function well in Texas.

The biggest problem with the car yesterday was the smell. It did not smell like our car. It smelled like tobacco. Loose tobacco was everywhere. The glove compartment had an inch deep along with the center console. And burnt matches filled every little cup. We figure that whoever stole the car went on a joy ride all over San Antonio, smoking all the way. The rear view mirror is missing as well. The good thing yesterday was that the car ran well so we were pleased with that. but it did not seem to be our car.

Today we will get the car cleaned inside and out and replace the essential items for the interior, so by the end of the day, the car will become our car once again. I have heard of people feeling violated when their home has been broken into, in addition to the objects stolen. Now I understand. I may never feel the same about our Ford Escape.

October 21, 2009. San Antonio, Tx. Schedules.

It is very difficult scheduling our time here in Texas. We always seem to be leaping from one place to another. We arrived on Monday and stayed that night with David and Suzanne and the girls. It has been pointed out to us by the girls that other relatives stay with them in their home while we come to visit but always sleep at the lake or the ranch. They felt left out, so Ken and I try to stay with them the first night we arrive. Then we were off to the lake. But tomorrow is grandparents day at school so Samantha and Allison were eager to have us attend, so this afternoon we came back and will stay for the weekend.

Friday night David and Suzanne and Ken and I will go out to dinner, then Saturday morning we will attend the twins soccer game, followed by Sarah's volleyball game. In the afternoon, a shopping expedition is planned for Allison and Samantha It is a birthday gift from Ken and me. Sarah's birthday gift from us is a head board for her new bedroom, preferably antique. If we can find the time, she really wants to come shopping with us in our favorite antique stores, but her schedule is difficult. She practices every day with her volleyball team, and she is also in the school play, with rehearsals after practice until six. She us a busy young lady.

After our commitments this coming weekend, Ken and I will drive to the ranch and will stay there all week, returning Friday to attend an event at Sarah's new school. We'll probably spend the weekend with them here in San Antonio, before returning to the lake for the week before driving home. As the girls get older, their schedules are full with games and practices, so our time here is complicated and fun, but not easy. We love it here in Texas and some day we will spend more time here, I bet.

October 20, 2009. Canyon Lake, Tx. Grandmother.

Yesterday, I was so busy being a grandmother, I forgot all my other responsibilities, such as writing my small web log.  On the way to San Antonio, we stopped by the Lake House, to drop off one cooler of beef and to change our clothes.  It is always a pleasure arriving at the house on the lake.  Everything looked just great but after unloading the meat and the car, we quickly drove on to San Antonio to see the little girls.  

Samantha and Allison were the first two home.  I have never lived with eight year old girls, but those two girls are always willing to help, in fact they love to help out with anything that seems to be productive.  We were just lifting  the large coolers from the truck, when Suzanne carried them over to the freezer while Samantha and Allison handed me the meat while I filled the freezer.  The task was completed in just a few minutes, thanks to their help.  Suzanne left to pick up the two big girls while I helped with homework, then we read a bit, finally watching outside while they drove their bicycles.  They are energetic and enthusiastic and were delighted to see us arrive.

At dinner, their family custom of the moment is to tell about the day, with each person saying what you liked  best today and what you liked the least.  They give the information at the dinner hour.  It is charming to hear from both children and adults.  Every child told as their best yesterday was the arrival of their grandparents.  I suspect they just knew we liked to hear those words, but it was certainly worth the drive from Maryland to Texas to be grandmother!!

October 18, 2009. Marshall, Texas. GPS.

We would never have been able to map out our own route today, but the GPS sent us on a wonderful journey. Our journey took us right across Kentucky, using Parkways rather than Interstate Highways. The traffic was dramatically sparse so of course we loved it. The excellent roads we were on today were not even on our maps. Then the GPS sent us on Highway 59 instead of over to Dallas and south on 35, so here we are, staying the night in Marshall Texas.

Our journey today was lovely but long. We were on the road for twelve hours, with again the only stops to change driver every two hours and buy gas. In this new age, breakfast in the Motel is the normal drill. Complementary breakfast pleases me and certainly saves time. Tonight we are too weary to get into the car, so we are going to stay in the room and skip dinner. After all, we ate all day, every hour, so we are not short of calories. I will have a hot bath and watch the Baseball game. Soon we will be in San Antonio to see Suzanne and David and the four girls. We are getting there!!

October 17, 2009. Bardstown, Ky. A Trip.

It was a splendid day.   This morning at the farm we loaded up our four coolers with frozen  Angus beef, then brought the rest of this years beef from the Jay's freezer to fill up our freezers, before loading up the truck.  Today we began our journey to Texas.  The weather was perfect for driving;  overcast but not much rain.  We drove west from the farm, then right across West Virginia, finally staying in Bardstown, Kentucky.  The topography was dramatic and beautiful.  Well worth the time to take the driving trip.

We nibbled all day, eating nuts, fruit, crackers, hamburger patty, and cookies, and stopping only to switch drivers every two hours  and buy gas.  In addition to looking at the scenery, we listened to  radio, switching stations regularly and giving thanks for satellite radio each time.  We listened to  Texas win their football game and got in the mood for life in Texas.  Willie Nelson has a station from Austin, so we listened a bit of his station too.

Some days you just get lucky.  Our plan was to stop driving before dark, so just as the sun was setting, we left the highway and drove to this small town and after checking into The Hampton Inn, discovered a Japanese restaurant right across the street.  The food was wonderful.  We sat at the sushi bar and talked to the chef as he was working.  He kept giving us samples, in addition to our own food.  Now, after a good night's sleep, we will head out early heading south.  The roads today were excellent and as I said before, we had a splendid day.

October 16, 2009. Bethesda, Md. Neighbors.

Tonight we have been invited for dinner. The hostess is a wonderful cook so we will enjoy not only the company and conversation but also the good food which always includes dessert. The good folks in the country do not really invite each other over for dinner. Our friends at the farm are helpful and pleasant and we drop over to each other's homes, but a formal invitation over to dinner in never done. Perhaps this practice comes about because of the constant emergencies at a farm. Some creature or machine is always in need of assistance, so planning ahead is difficult. Gary and Diana are city people like us, so whenever we are in Artemas together, Diana invites us over for dinner.

Gary and I have worked together for almost thirty years, from the days when we were agents together at Snider Bros. Realtors, then Merrill Lynch Realtors, Prudential Preferred Properties to Long and Foster. Gary and I were part of a small group of agents who met together to assist each other in our work. The group was very helpful to me. Our original intent was to be sure we got out our marketing materials, but it became a major support group. At one point, as Gary was single, Adrea and I placed an an in the Personal column of the Washington Post, because we decided that it was time he got married. Of course we denied ever placing the ad, and in truth, it is supposed to be impossible, but we did it, and poor Gary began receiving all these pictures of ladies wanting to meet him, but to no avail. He did not like them.

Finally, he hit the jack pot. He was visiting a friend in Maine and met Diane. When he returned, he showed us picture. I was convinced. Although he had only spent three days in Maine, it was clear to me that Gary shoud call immediately and propose marriage. He thought I was crazy, but not too much time passes before they became engaged and soon married. I was correct in my assessment of Diana as the wife for Gary. Now I will reap those benefits and eat dinner tonight in the home of Diana and Gary, and I will enjoy every bite.

October 15, 2009. Bethesda, Md. History.

Once upon a time, an insurance agent named Vernon, was assigned by the Company to our office. He worked for the Long and Foster Insurance Company.
Every desk was full, so we put him to work at a table outside the elevator on the upper level. In other words, he was out in the open. Vernon was a very nice man so he did not complain as he had a computer and a phone and he certainly was very visible to the agents. Eventually we made a small private office for him, by enclosing a single agent desk. He was happy.

Then Ned joined us as another Manager, so in order to accommodate Ned, Vernon moved out to a phone booth while Ned , our new Manager took over the small office. Eventually a larger office became available so Ned moved into the larger office, still on the second floor. About the same time, Jeff, another Prosperity loan officer joined the office so he moved into this same small office.

All the while, I preached the gospel that this small office was a wonderfully convenient office as it was private and quiet. All three of these good folks agreed with me, but all three really thought it was too small. Now I am in that very small office, and I will never suggest that this space is anything but convenient and comfortable. It is a perfect office for me. That is my story and I will certainly stick with it.

October 14, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. My New Digs.

Damian came by my new office with a good idea.  He thought my new office on the second floor was too small and he suggested we enlarge the office by moving an agent desk and enlarging my office.  He noted that a lot of my belongings could not fit into my new office, so they are now housed on a bookcase outside the door.  Also all my cups are on top of a file cabinet, again outside in the main office, so he is correct in stating the obvious that I do not fit into the space.

I like my office and today held my first meeting with an agent.  Of course, to begin the meeting, we first had to bring another chair into the small space, then have Marla get behind the door while we closed the door, then turn the chair so we could see each other.  But there we were, knee to knee, carrying on a perfectly lovely conversation about her case.  All went well, until she was ready to leave, when we were forced to repeat our earlier drill of getting her behind the door, opening the door, removing the chair before Marla could exit. then completing our goodbyes.  In the future,  I will keep a folding chair in my new office and store it behind the

 door so I will be ready for action.  

The best part of my office is that when you come into my office and I close the door,  you absolutely can not get away from me.  This is the new secret weapon on the Upper East Side.

November 13, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Ageing.

Miss. Thomlinson once wrote to me, when I was  young, the I should  cultivate all God's blessings when I was young, because when I was old, I would need every bit when I got old.  Just this past three weeks, three of my friends, who are not exactly young,  have fallen and hurt themselves.   Ed. from the office, fell when he was crossing the street and ended up flat on his face in the middle of the road, with his glasses broken and cheek badly bruised.  It was broad daylight and there was no rain, but there he was, flat on his face in the middle of the road.  What a bummer.  Ed. could not recall what him made trip, except he was not paying attention.

Pat. when walking up three steps into a house, tripped and fell up the stairs, bashing her face on the top stair and cutting her cheek.  Fortunately, no bones were broken, but her many stitches and dark bruises made her face look dreadful for a good while.  Her hands were full going into the house, so although she does not know why she tripped and fell, she knows that next time, she will keep one hand on the railing.

And my friend Mary broke her femur when she tripped in the parking lot.   Walt. threw out her shoes, because he is sure the rubber soles caused her to trip and fall.

The lesson for me is to pay attention to my feet,  walk slowly, and always hold a railing.  I did what Miss. Thomlinson told me to do, but I do not know if I stored up enough of those blessings, so I intend to be cautious with my feet.

More Farm Fall 09

A Very Dry Fall @ the Farm

October 11, 2009. Artemas, Pa. Country Home.

Our initial intention in 1972 was to purchase our own home in Bethesda, then try to find a home in the country to be used on weekends.  Ken was brought up in a small town, Parry Sound, and spent a lot of time out of doors and in the woods, so he had a large desire to get out of the city at regular intervals.  I was up to anything new and the boys , then four and three years old were willing to do anything that involved action.  We looked in all the jurisdictions available to us in Bethesda; Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and decided that a two hour drive was the maximum drive we could tolerate, so we put a circle on the map for our target area and we started looking.   We settled on Mann township in Bedford county, Pa. as the taxes were low and the population had the smallest population in Pennsylvania.  Our search was not random.

Our goal for the children was to learn and get to know another group of people with different sets of skills, far from the big city atmosphere.  Also we wanted other tasks for the kids too, other than taking out the trash and setting the table and helping Ken with the yard.  Our first farm was primitive, because that was what we could afford, but it did everything it needed us to do.  We were able to hike the land and make fires.  We got to know the local farmers well.  The boys were introduced to weapons, at first to sling shots, then BB guns, followed by twenty two's.  The result was everything we needed and wanted.  The boys both hunt and fish and enjoy both.  They are  competent in the woods.   During the 50TH summer in Nova Scotia, the fire pit down by the water was the center of the action for the younger set, orchestrated by  David, who learned well to make fires at our first farm.

Our goals set when we bought our first farm were accomplished.  Our pattern has been established successfully.  First we decide what we want to do, then we investigate the options, next we explore our opportunities and make the decision.  Finally, we manage the operation.  It has taken both of our skills  to accomplish our task.  It has a system that has worked.  And now we both love our new farm, which is definately not primitive.  But if we had not purchased our first very primitive farm, we would never be here living in our lovely new hill house.  And we are pleased and grateful.

October 10, 2009, Artemas, Pa. A Drive.

We have been driving the back roads of Pennsylvania since 1973, but today we drove on a road we had never been on before.  Having not much food at home, we decided to drive up to Mike's Place in Clearville for lunch.  The day was bright even though overcast so the familiar look of Highway 26 seemed especially lovely with the Autumn colors.  The fields were green again after a bit of rain and the yellows and orange of the trees together with the farms looked just wonderful.  In the country a lunch out is not merely a dining experience.  It is also a time of talking.  Helen and Erin were just leaving the restaurant, so we had to find out their goings on, and then Mike and Maria always like you to stay and chat.  It is interesting that Maria whose Father is French and who lived in Silver Spring and worked at NIH for thirty years met Mike when Maria's family retired to a town just north of Artemas and married Mike who was born and raised in Artemas.  It is an interesting combination.

After our hearty lunch we decided to drive home another way so we drove west toward Everitt, then south on a new road.  It was a wonderful road, right along the Juliana River, finally ending up outside Bedford before driving south on 326, a small country road we know well.  I suspect that new road was really the old road before Highway 30 was built.  A very old Mill complete with huge house was still intact but not open.  The trees along the river were bright and shining.  This new road was a thoroughly lovely trip and well worth the extra time and money.  Both Ken and I like to find new roads and today we found a good one.  The problem is whether we will ever be able to find it again.  I would like to explore that old mill.

October 9, 2009. Artemas, Pa. Firsts.

This is a wonderful world.  Today at the farm was installed  a system for satellite Internet, just as we have at the ranch.  For the first time ever, we are connected to the real world, right from the Hill House basement.  I am excited.

Also today was installed a cap for Ken's truck.  Now we look very spiffy.  A few months ago, we decided that if we were going to be transporting good Angus beef to Texas and Mississippi we should keep our belongings secured, so we arranged to install a cap in Hagerstown.  At the end of July Ken and I stopped by to look at these caps.  Two different places in Hagerstown carried these caps, made by two different manufactures.  Both seemed fine, but the folks at the first place showed no interest in either us or the caps, but the second place told us all about how they are used and even took us out to the yard to see half a dozen, including their own trucks.  Of course we ordered one from them.   It was made to match the paint of the truck so it took time.  We booked October 9 as the day for installation.

Now this is a complicated organization.  We left the apartment in Chevy Chase at seven o'clock a.m., stopped at Enterprise Car rental in Hagerstown at eight, and then drove both vehicles to the cap installation, which was to take five hours.  We drove to the farm, in order to meet the satellite installation at one.  By four thirty, we got the call to pick up the truck.  Fortunately the installer for the satellite was just finishing.  After an hours drive to pick up the truck and return the rental car, then drive back to the farm, our day had been full of first events.

Now we have a new cap on the truck and a new connection to the world in the basement at the farm.  Two firsts in one day, and all done in the proper time slots.  I am pleased.

October 8, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Rewards.

Some things are simple such as a note from me to each agent that lists or sells a house,  just to congratulate the agent for their effort.  Ned e mails the same.  The staff are always thrilled for the agent when they bring in either a sale or listing and give the paperwork to Carol or Regina.  Each Tuesday at sales meeting, we give a progress report on our sales that month.  Carol E. our admin. lady makes our goals each month so she announces the goal, then each week she congratulates the agents on their productivity.  We post all listings and sales by agent on three big boards along with our goals for the month.

Once a month we have Top Dog Lunch, for the agents who have had three transactions that month, then once a year in January we hold Kennel Club, a dinner for those good folks who have attended Top Dog Lunch ten times the year.  If we beat last years volume for the month we have a celebration of some kind, either lunch in the office,  a bowling party, an ice cream sundae, a wine and cheese party, just any event that says thank you.   For four years in a row we took a trip to New York or Philadelphia, when we sold over a Billion Dollars of real estate.

All these rewards in and of themselves are neither here nor there, except the agents know that we appreciate their efforts and of course we have a lot of fun with the goals and the events.  And most importantly, the volume keeps pouring in so something is working!!.

October 7, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Simple.

The system is so simple that it seems silly, but in order to get more of any type of activity,  you must reward that activity.  In other words, if you reward any activity, you will get more of it.  That is our system in a nutshell.  In the office, what we want and need from the agents is for the agents to sell and list houses and to do it properly.  When that happens, we reward that activity.

At four thirty this evening, Prosperity Mortgage  held a cocktail party for the agents at Ruth's Chris steak house.  Long and Foster owns Prosperity Mortgage and in the office we have three loan officers.  These loan officers are excellent and always make more loans than any other office but lag behind other offices in percentages.  But for the past two months their market share of loans has gone up dramatically, so they threw a fancy party for the agents.  It was great.  Good food, lots of people, elegant setting.  A thoroughly fine event, all designed to reward the behaviour of the agents.

Simple is not always easy.  It is easy to observe in others the behaviour that will reward activities they do not want.   I over heard a conversation recently between two managers discussing all the difficulties the agents were having.   They were preparing for their offices to fail rather than think of what the agents could do to be productive.  Rewards are the key.  It is so very simple.

October 6, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. Markets.

This is one thing I know for sure; in the world of real estate, some one benefits from any situation.  In the office, we have been able to try to figure out what is happening in the market and then assist buyers and sellers to understand how to proceed with their plans.  We hear often from other agents that the market is lousy and that no one can buy right now.  We believe that this market today is the best one we have today and we must figure out how to be successful.  Our numbers double any other office numbers, simply because we do not use the market as an excuse.  Rather we use it as a springboard.

The agents help each other.  In periods of change, this is a huge advantage because often one area of the county is doing one thing while another area is doing something else, so we share the information.    The whole spirit of co-operation aids the success of all.  No agent is ever alone.  The most important thing is attitude and the habit of success.  The market will change but we can change with it with our activities and actions.   The real estate market is always neutral, neither good or bad, just different.   Our job is to try to figure it out, in order to assist our buyers and sellers.  No moral judgements.  No good or bad.  Just different.

October 5, 2009. Chevy Chase, Md. The Waitress.

She works in Halifax, at the airport,  serving hungry travellers on the way to the U.S.   I had seen her before.  She is everything a waitress should be.   Ken and I know the drill in Halifax, clearing security, going through American Customs and Immigration(a great blessing),  and finally having breakfast at the only restaurant in the departure gates to the U.S.   Today when we sat down at our seat the table already was furnished with menu's turned to the breakfast items so in a flash, we were ready and she took our order immediately with the coffee and water soon to follow.  In other words, within three minutes of sitting down, we were drinking coffee and waiting for our food.  We were happy.

Ken went to the restroom, so with nothing to read I started watching this young woman and I was impressed.  Her manner was pleasant with everyone and even seemed happy at her job.  Her actions were purposeful at all times.  She cleared the dirty dishes immediately and washed the table and dried the table, then set out the cutlery and napkins, all ready for the next customer.  She was constantly checking her diners to be sure anything was needed.  I have been at that restaurant with two waitresses on duty and the service was better today with that young woman alone.  She was even able to take the supplies back to the kitchen in her spare time.  She was efficient and pleasant and helpful.  It was a pleasure to watch her at work.

October 4, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Changes.

One of the charms and difficulties of living in Nova Scotia is the weather. Yesterday was a glorious day with the sun shining and the sea calm and the sky a bright blue. With the temperature at sixty five degrees, outdoor activities were the order of the day, along with hanging clothes out to dry. But in the middle of the night, the wind started to blow and the rain came down and by the morning, the day was downright nasty. Now we look out at white caps and heavy seas and waves crashing onto the shore. I can hear the sound of the sea right inside the house. Change has occurred in the weather here on the shore of Nova Scotia.

I love the change, but I am sure that if I had planned an outdoor activity today all plans would have been switched to the indoors so I would probably be irritated at the weather. Newfoundland people seem to cherish their fierce weather but the good folks here in Liverpool just accept the changes from day to day. When we first moved here, local folks told us that if we did not like the weather today, just wait a few hours because the weather would surely be ready to change, and change it certainly did. We get used to living in the moment of the good weather, knowing that soon the clouds will come and blot out the sun. I actually find the weather both charming and difficult, but perhaps that is because I am not looking at a long cold and damp winter season. Now we return to Washington, where the weather is great and predictable, but not as much fun. I love the weather here, at least in the Summer and Fall!!

Carriage House by Roger Savage

Summer 09. Storms. Fog. and Sunsets

October 3, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Autumn.

Every year we know it will happen, but every year it comes as such a surprise. Memory is faulty. The color of the trees is always so much more beautiful than I remember from last year. A curve on the road bringing yet another vista of red and orange and yellow into view seems new and different. I am sure I have seen these colored leaves before, yet every year I am caught unawares by the vividness of the view. In my minds eye I recall the bright red of the maple trees in Ontario in Autumn and in Maryland the orange of the large oak trees are gorgeous but the quiet charm of the fall colors in Nova Scotia all seem unexpected to me. Perhaps I think of the trees here as primarily evergreen, but in the Fall when the vivid colors burst out I am remained that there are lots more than evergreen trees in Nova Scotia.

The woods are beautiful right now. Every day the leaves get a bit brighter. And with my flawed memory, the leaves seem even more dramatic than last year. It is one of those events that occurs every year, yet each time arrival of the colored leaves seems to come as a surprise and a great joy, perhaps a bit like Christmas!!

October 2, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Closing Up.

Today we closed up the cottage for the season. It seems a shame, as the weather is still beautiful, but on Monday we leave for Maryland so now the furniture has been put away, all the boats stored in the boat house and the food brought back to our ocean house. The refrigerator is unplugged and the electricity turned off. Soon the plumber will come and winterize the cottage. The dock is stored in the yard as is the boat elevator and the raft, all ready for next summer.

Today was fun. Betty and Vinal came to help along with friends Bunny and Billy. We cooked hot dogs over the fire, also ate Betty's casserole and Bunny's home made pie, so in true Nova Scotia style, we ate dinner at noon. It was chilly but pleasant sitting around the fire. Next summer I was hinting to Vinal and Billy to install the dock prior to our arrival. They just laughed so we will see what happens next June.

The cottage is now at rest, waiting for summer 2010. By next summer we want the bedroom made bigger by eliminating the hall and lay down proper flooring in the loft. Then I will be happy.

Fall is here in Nova Scotia

October 1, 2009. Western Head, N.S. Movie Set.

I have never before been right in the middle of a movie set, until now. Moby Dick is being filmed in Shelburne and part of the waterfront has been altered with the addition of a church and a graveyard along with a very large gate that looks great but was never there before the film. It was fun to walk right through the middle of the old town. It really did look old with the addition of sand and dirt covering the paved roads and wooden boardwalks on top of the sidewalks. The interior of a big old house was filmed in Lunenburg on Saturday and filming began in Shelburne today. The whole town is abuzz with excitement.

It is easy to see how expensive it is to make a movie, when you see the number of people working around the set. We watched workmen install grave stones that looked old but in reality were made of styrofoam held in place with stakes. Sixty people are there just to built the set. Now watch for the film and watch for the town. Malta will be the site of the ship at sea photographs, but when you see the town, it is not Gloster it is really Shelburne. And I walked right through the center of the set.