June 30, 2012. Ancaster, Ontario. US Trials.

David and I are sitting in the recreation room of Dave and Irene's home watching the swimming trials.   It is exciting to think that in less than a month, we will be watching the Olympics.  Ken and I will be in Nova Scotia of course, so we will be able to watch the American and the Canadian feeds.   I intend to become a coach potato and watch these wonderful athletes perform.  Tonight I am looking at the competition and marvel.

Our task in Owen Sound has ended.  For the best of our ability, we celebrated the life of my sister Carol.  My son David helped by driving us everywhere we needed to go.  He picked us up at the airport when we arrived and will take us to the airport when we leave tomorrow.  Then he will drive to Buffalo and fly home to San Antonio.   He rented a big house for us.   The house was right on the shore of Georgian Bay and was beautiful.  We spent many hours with relatives and friends, both at the Funeral Parlor and at Peter and Cindy's cottage, who were very generous to invite us all for meals.  It was wonderful to see the next generation step up to the plate and take over.  My sister would be pleased and I am very grateful.

June 29, 2012. Owen Sound, Ontario. Children.

Peter and Cindy invited family and friends to their new cottage.  The funeral was over, along with the reception at church.  Everyone did their part well.  Even the grave site comittal was a celebration of the life of my sister Carol.  Peter is my nephew.  The whole clan gathered to have fun and talk and then have dinner.

The best part was watching the children.  In the presence of death, being around children lifts your spirits.  All of Carol's grandchildren were very sad about her death, but at the cottage they acted like children.  They played with the dogs and they took out the kayaks.  The boat was busy all afternoon for those wishing to water skiing or wake boarding.  They had a blast.

The adults either sat on the dock or on the top deck, just chatting and watching the kids.  The cousins don't often get to see each other, so they talked and talked too.  Carol would have been pleased.  And we were grateful for Peter and Cindy for their generous invitation.

June 28, 2012. Owen Sound, Ontario. Georgian Bay

The best part of a funeral is the meeting with friends and relatives.  Everyone supports each other.  Another benefit of this funeral, in our instance, is we are staying in a lovely large home, right on the shore of Georgian Bay.   David, my son, rented a house on the Internet, after he discovered that all motel rooms in Owen Sound were full.   A major music festival is being held in the Sound this weekend, thus the need to rent a big house.  This lovely setting is another benefit of this funeral in Owen Sound.

The drive from Ancaster to Owen Sound this morning was lovely.  The farm land in southern Ontario is very lush and productive.  Gradually as you drive north the trees get smaller and the rocks increase until you come to the large rocks.  Georgian Bay is beautiful.  I have already spoken to Ken to say that we need to get ourselves up here.  It is beaufiful.

June 27, 2012. Ancaster, Ontario. Families.

The only good part of a funeral is the gathering of the clan. Family members are flying in from hither and yon to celebrate the life of Carol. Tonight we had our first dinner with family members that I have not seen since our 50th anniversary celebration in Nova Scotia. We toasted Carol and enjoyed sharing stories. My son David flew in from San Antonio. He spent several summers at Carol and Ken's cottage when he was an early teen. And Wendy my niece joined us for dinner and Diane the wife of a nephew. And all the Ontario friends and relatives will be in Owen Sound for the funeral and for the visitations at the funeral home. It is helpful to hear funny stories about Carol and to share in her life with those who loved her. Somehow it eases the burden of sorrow. Being together with friends and relatives with shared memories takes away the sadness for a time. We will celebrate my sister's life, together, and we will do it well. My sister would expect nothing less.

June 26, 2012. Western Head, N.S. Carol.

Carol Buckley Barby was my sister, my only sister.  and she died yesterday at age 77.  In every way, she was an excellent sister, but now she is gone.  The good part of her death is that she went to bed Monday evening a week ago and did not wake up.  The bad part is that she was an active lady at 77 with many responsibilities and much joy in her life.  Her burden is now over but I am sad.

The clan is gathering in Owen Sound, Ontario.  Family and friends will come and pay tribute to Carol and celebrate her life, but none more than me.   I often said of Carol that she viewed the world through rose colored glasses.   The world she saw was not always the world that I was seeing.  

She was looking forward to visiting us in Nova Scotia this September.   Since her husband had a stroke, they have not travelled but this September they had air tickets to Nova Scotia and they were both very excited.  Their names are on my calendar, but they will not be coming.  It is the only time in my life that Carol has let me down.  Instead, she has gone to Heaven.

June 25, 2012. Western Head, NS. One Day Later.

Peace has been restored to my life.  What a difference a day makes.  The garage has been cleaned  and organized.  It is now ready for the arrival of the grand children to use the garage as a play room.  The only remaining task is that several objects are outside ready to be taken to Ken's workshop tomorrow.  I moved everything from the garage out side onto the driveway, moved the toys and furniture to better locations, then moved everything back onto the shelves, of course after Irene had vacuumed the whole garage.   Now it is perfect.

Dave and Irene worked hard today too, but in The Guest House.  They opened all the boxes, put  the glass wear and dishes into the dishwasher, and put all objects in their proper position.   The lamps are in place and working.  The Guest House is in operating order.  Towels are on the towel racks and the floor mats are in place.  All this could be done because David and his son carried all the objects from the main house to the Guest House yesterday.  

Tomorrow we will hang pictures.  Joy has been restored to my life!!

June 24, 2012. Western Head, NS. Arrival.

The garage was still full of objects.  The deck furniture had not been taken outside.  The grass had not been cut.  It was still almost impossible to get around the garage.  I was stressed.  Disorder bothers me but if I can see the light at the end of the tunnel I can relax and take one task at a time until the task is complete.  But I was overwhelmed.  I had too much to do.

I called David N.  who was repairing the table for the Guest House,  just to find out if it was finished.  He could hear the anxiety in my voice and he kindly asked if he could help.  David and his 19 year old son come at 3:30 and carried all the objects from the main house  over to the Guest House and took them to the second floor.  Today, those two were  ministering angels to me.  They placed the deck furniture outside and took the heavy tables down by the fire pit.   My anxiety disappeared.

Normally we are delighted to see the ocean, but today, all we saw were the problems.

June 23, 2012. Moncton, NB. Canada. Traveling.

Moncton is the only true bilingual city in Canada.  Everyone speaks both French and English.  In the gas station, it was obvious.  We could hear as much French being spoken as English.  Tonight we are staying on the outskirts of Moncton.  It was tempting to drive into the center of town and look around and stay there, but we got lazy.  Some day, we will spend a couple of days there.  It is an old city.

Our day was pleasant.  Kate and Mary Frances were excited to see Molly after a month with us and they were most thrilled to be back at the resort Migis, in Maine.  We left them there at 8:30 to await their parents and other grandmother and of course, Molly.   We enjoyed living with the girls for the month,  and I think they enjoyed us too.

 The highways we drove on today were perfect.  North of Portland, Interstate 95 has no traffic.  No cars ahead and no cars behind make me a happy driver.  Number 2 in New Brunswick is the same.  Wide and smooth with very little traffic.    All along the way were trees.  And we saw our first lupins.  It was our welcome to the north.  Tomorrow will be a four hour drive home!!

Farm Misc2

Farm Misc1

June 22, 2012. Saco, Maine. The People.

After checking into our motel and getting organized, we four went out in search of a seafood dinner.   What we found was people.  We drove to the beach and found mobs of people and more people heading to the beach.  This is a tourist destination and evidently all the tourists have come to Maine.  We just kept driving north, admiring the houses until we found Clam Bake, a large restaurant  overlooking the sea flats.  No wonder people come here.    The temperature is 80 while in Boston it was 98.

Now we have eaten enough fried clams to last a lifetime.  The same for french fries.  This place is crowded.  When we first came to Old Orchard Beach in 1961,  we were both horrified  to see the numbers of people.  You can imagine what it looks like today.  I am so grateful we live each summer in Nova Scotia, where the population is sparse and you can go to the beach where it is almost empty of people. The temperature is 75 too.  Evidently, people like crowds, but not me.  I can't wait to leave.

June 21, 2012. Southington, CT. The New Mill.

I don't know how Ken does it and neither does he.  Today we arrived at our hotel at 4:00.  When we travel, we skip lunch, rather we pick at nuts and granola bars.  Upon arrival, we eat an early dinner, but the big question is always "Where should we dine?"  Ken sat down and began reading the yellow pages of the telephone book and decided that The New Mill was a good restaurant.  How he figured this out I have no clue but Kate, Mary Frances and I will tell you that he chose well.  The restaurant was wonderful.  By the time we left at 6:45 the place was full.

The day was very hot but the truck stayed cool so we made good time, driving on 81 and then 84.  As this is tourist season, we decided to book ahead which was a good thing because this Comfort Suites is full.  I am always surprised how pretty the drive is across Pennsylvania.  Now tomorrow night we will stay just outside Portland, Maine.  So far, our journey has been pleasant.  We look forward to another good day tomorrow.

June 20, 2012. Artemas, Pa. My Sister.

My sister is in dire distress. Tuesday she had a bleed in her head or perhaps it started Monday evening. She was taken by ambulance to Owen Sound, and then onto a bigger medical center in London, Ontario, where the good doctor performed surgery. They removed the blood clot and stemmed the bleeding. She has not been awake since the surgery, which is not a good sign. There is nothing to be done. My brother and sister in law will drive down to London to see her tomorrow and her children have been there. Ken and I feel helpless. But we have faith and so has Carol. We pray for strength!!

June 19, 2012. Artemas, PA. Northern Exposure

My sister Carol told me once that she had enjoyed Northern Exposure.  Several years ago, Ken and I were shopping in the Mall in Cumberland and went into a store setting movies and tapes.  Ken found a box of sale items, among them was a box of the complete Northern Exposure series, all six years.  It cost one dollar so Ken asked me about it and I told him that Carol had enjoyed it so for a dollar it was a good buy.

Every weekend at the farm it was our habit to watch a DVD up in our theater, so for several weekends we enjoyed the first two years of Northern Exposure, but then we tired of them and put them away.  After enjoying Downton Abbey with Kate and Mary Frances every evening after dinner, they were wondering what else we could watch together and I suggested Northern Exposure.

We have not finished the series so we will take them with us to Nova Scotia.  They arrive there July 1st for two weeks, so the girls hope we can watch one or two.  If not, we will put them in the truck and take them to Mississippi.  It is best spacing them out anyway!!

June 18, 2012. Artemas, Pa. Highclere Castle.

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle by The Countess of Carnovon;  it is a book I stumbled on when trying to buy a book about Victoria and Albert.  We enjoyed Downton Abbey so I wanted to know all about the place and that book just landed on my iPad with a push of a few buttons.

The story of Lady Almina is interesting.  It is not particularly well written but it does what I wanted, which was to find more about the old house.  The society in England at the time was ridiculous and doomed, but the people never really knew it was all falling down.  They thought it would go on for ever.

If you enjoyed Downton Abbey, you will enjoy Lady Almina.

Cattle

Barley

Hay Barn

June 17, 2012. Artemas, Pa. Blue Grass Festival.

We get to see everyone we know in Artemas, all on one evening.  It is a true neighborhood event, put on as the culmination of the Little League season and as a fund raiser for the new ball park.  The food is donated and made by the mothers of the Little League players.  For a donation, you get to eat  dinner and drink tea and lemonade, with all the desserts you can eat.  It wasn't until later when I noted another jar for a donation for the home made desserts.   And the real draw is the blue grass group, complete with banjos and guitars and singers.  They were the real McCoy.

It was small town living at it's best.  At the same time you could see men pitching horseshoes,  kids hitting in the home run derby, young children playing on the playground, and everyone else eating and chatting.  We were there almost two hours and we talked to everyone we know.  It was great fun.  We left while everyone was just relaxing and listening to the music.  Enough is enough.

Ballet

June 16, 2012. Artemas, PA. Haying Season.

The yard between the farm house and the barn is full of equipment.  Tractors and hay wagons are covering the grass.  The noise of the machines can be heard at the Hill House.  It is haying season at the farm.  Brian asked the girls to come down to the barn tomorrow because he thinks the young men will work harder if the girls are watching, or he wants Kate to help with the hay bales to continue the Dickie tradition.  It is certainly a busy time at the farm.

The weather today was perfect for getting in the hay.  The sun was shining and there was a breeze.  The machines do the work, except for stacking the square bales in the barn, but the farmer is dependent on the weather.  The hay must be dry before it is put into bales, so when the sun is shining the farmers will work until dark.   In order to get the work done, the farmers need men to help, so often the young men are hired and often Brian does not think they work hard enough, thus the need for the girls.

This will be a good season for hay.  The fields have been blessed with rain and sunshine.  Our barn will be full of square bales of hay, many to be sold.  The new hay barn will be full of round bales, which will be fed to the cattle.  The farmers are desperate to get as much hay as possible stored in the barns while the weather is good.    Make hay while the sun shines is what they are doing.  Our farm is like a hive of busy bees.  It is wonderful to behold!!

June 15, 2012. Artemas, PA. Friends.

Today, three friends from Bethesda came to visit.  I have always been blessed with good friends, so when old friends come for lunch, it pleases me and we all have a pleasant time.    Even though these folks have visited to farm before, they got lost.   Between the friends who knew the way and the instruction that were printed from Google Earth, they were led astray.  Finally their GPS led them to us and the farm.

After a tour of the Hill House, which they had not seen since we moved our stuff here from the condo,  we went for lunch at the Road Kill Cafe.  The seven of us enjoyed dinner.  The special of the day was haddock, fried of course, and cost $5.50.  

Next we ate dessert at the old farm house, all sitting in the kitchen.  They brought a blueberry pie from the Belle Grove and we bought ice cream from the Road Kill, so we enjoyed our pie al a mode.  Next Kate took two friends all around the farm in the Gator.  The rest of us sat in the rocking chairs and watched the birds.  Eleanor took many pictures and got some good shots.  She has a good picture of a meadowlark and one of a humming bird.  Sitting and talking takes time so soon they decided they must leave for home.  They enjoyed the silence of the farm most of all,  certainly different than the sounds of the city.

June 14, 2012. Artemas, PA. Empty House.

The house always seems empty when house guests depart, even when your granddaughters are in residence.   After Don and Doreen left at 8:30, I had no one to talk to.  The girls were still in bed and Ken had gone downstairs to the computer so I was alone.  It took awhile for me to get used to it,  which is surprising because we have had many house guests and they always leave sooner or later, but I always feel the same, which is, all alone.  I did what I always do, which is read a book, like a balm in Gilead.

This afternoon late, our builder came with a roofer to give an estimate to replace the roof on the farm house.  We hate to get rid of the old roof, which was put on one hundred years ago.  It is made of metal shingles, with asbestos paint applied regularly.  The paint is unavailable and now the roof has leaked this winter, so Keith the builder tells us we must replace it.  Our empty farm house will cost more money.  In addition, the flooring for the porches needs to be replaced, also another major expense.   We are gearing up for the bad news.

June 13, 2012. Dickie Creek Farm, Artemas, Pa.

This farm is lovely.  Rolling hills and big trees with black cattle on the fields warms your heart through and through.  For us, nothing much happens.  The farmers do all the hard work.  Ken and I just enjoy the beauty of the place.  Right now, it is special because we have Kate and Mary Frances who love this place too, along with Don and Doreen,  here for a second visit to enjoy the simple beauty of the place.

At home in Toronto, Don coughs when he first goes to bed but here in the clean country air, he never coughs.  Ken is better too.  The two of them, who both had a difficult winter with infections, out on the Gator trimming the bushes,  makes Doreen and I laugh with glee.  In truth, since we moved from Chevy Chase, this farm is a place that Ken and I don't really need.  Neither of our children's families live within hailing distance and we can only be here Spring and Fall.  If we were sensible we would sell.  When we are here, we love it.  Time will tell.

June 12, 2012. Artemas, PA. A Celebration.

Tonight we celebrated in the dining room of the farm house.  We had three reasons to celebrate.   Firstly, the girls came back to the farm from Bethesda, so that is worth celebrating for sure.  They arrived at noon, looking weary and tired but happy, after living in the city with all it's bright lights.

Secondly, the farm house is totally clean.  Everything is spotless from top to bottom.  There is nothing in that house that has not been cleaned, so we wanted to celebrated dinner in the dining room.  Every pot I took out or utensil I used was clean and shiny.  Even the dishes in the china cabinet were ready to be used.  In the past, because we used that dining room so seldom, every object had to be washed before using...but not tonight.

And lastly, our friends Diana and Gary drove from the city to have dinner with us and as Gary was instrumental in getting us the dining room set when Margaret R. died, I thought it important to have dinner together at the table, with our friends Don and Doreen, along with our granddaughters and Gary and Diana.  It was a tribute to Margaret that we enjoyed such a festive dinner at her table.   And the table looked lovely.

Three reasons to celebrate and all worth while.

June 11, 2012. Dickie Creek Farm. The Stanley Cup.

We are watching the sixth game of the Stanley Cup final.   In a month, I will not even recall who won, but for tonight, it is fun to see who will win.  I have read many articles on the Internet so I know much about the individual players.  For instance, I know that the player Greg Lewis played his junior years in Owen Sound, where my sister and brother in law attend every game.   Now he is a star playing for the Los Angeles Kings, who will probably win the Cup.  If they win the game tonight they will win the cup, which is the first time ever.  They are only two expansion teams that have never won the Cup.

Part of my enjoyment of watching is because of the play.  The game is fast and the players are skilled but part of the enjoyment is the emotions of the players.  In this game between the New Jersey Devils and the Los Angeles Kings,  we don't really care who wins.  Our teams lost long ago.  On one hand, we would like to see the Kings  win for the first time, but on the other hand, Martin Brodeur, the goalie for the Devils, is 40 years old and has played very well.  He has won three Cups, all with the Devils, and part of me would like to win his forth.  Soon we will know.  The score is four to one for the Kings.  It is exciting!!

June 10, 2012. Artemas, PA. Nellie McClung.

Nellie McClung  is known in Canada as one of the "famous five"--- the female collective that fought to have women declared "persons" under the law, and for her determination to secure the right to vote for women in Canada.  This book, Clearing in The West, is the memoir of her family.  The book ends when she was 23 and teaching.

The book is charming, full of vignettes of people and events that took place in Manitoba in the 1880's.  The interesting part is that the west was developed so late.  Her family moved from Chatsworth just south of Owen Sound to Manitoba to farm, taking land and turning the land into productive farms.  Her family members were all hard working and determined.  All are seen by the eyes of Nellie, the youngest child.

My niece Marion left this book for me by my bed in Texas.  I could not recall buying the book myself so was puzzled,  until Marion  solved the mystery.  It is a book worth reading and I am grateful to Marion for bringing it to my attention.  Now I must find the second part of the memoir.

June 9, 2012. Artemas, Pa. The Salvation Army.

Doreen and Don, and Ken and I were born into Salvation Army families.  Our backgrounds and upbringings are similar,  but our parents original involvement with The Salvation Army were different.

Doreen's father was born in Newfoundland to Salvation Army officers.  He was an able student and became an officer himself, ending up the General of the Salvation Army.   Doreen's mother joined The Salvation Army as a child of ten.  Her Scottish family emigrated to Canada in 1914, settling in Toronto.  When she was walking home from school, she passed the Salvation Army citadel on Chester Street where she heard children laughing and having fun.  She was invited into Girl Guides and continued attending the corps.  She met Doreen's father at Training College and the rest is history.  Doreen was brought up by Salvation Army officers.

Don was also brought up by Salvation Army officers, his father was from Newfoundland but stationed in Ontario, where he met the American born single lady Salvation Army officer and married her.

My grandfather Houghton was walking past a street meeting held by William Booth, the founder of the Army,  in London, England.  He told his wife, my grandmother, that she should come and listen to this man, which she did.  They joined the organization in 1875 and stayed with it until they died.  My mother became a Salvation Army officer, and met my father there, so I was brought up by Salvation Army officers.

My father started to attend the Salvation Army in Calgary as a young boy because he wanted to play an instrument.  He became a good trombone player, became an officer, and married  after training college.

Ken's mother was an officer and single when she met his father.  At that time, it was essential for both husband and wife be officers so she left but was a life long member of the Parry Sound Corps of The Salvation Army.

We have been friends for 60 years, perhaps because Don and Doreen, Ken and I all have similar backgrounds and beliefs.

June 8, 2012. Artemas, Pa. Country Efficiency.

Yesterday afternoon Ken opened the mail and discovered that we needed to sign two copies of a document in front of a notary and send them back compete with the notary seal.  Unfortunately, we just came home from Everett and had no wish to return.  This morning, I did what I always do:  I called my friend Helen Jay.

She told me that Larry and Ryan Jay have notary seals.  We have known them both for years.   Larry owns an insurance business in Everett and his son Ryan, who we call Cecil, works with his father.  They live next to the Jay's farm.  After an exchange of phone calls, it was determined that Larry was working at home today.  Another call to Larry solved the problem.

We met Larry with our documents at the Road Kill Cafe.  We all ate lunch together, after the papers were duly signed and notarized by Larry.  It is life in the country.

Our friends Don and Doreen were surprised with the speed and efficiency of the whole operation.  They thought it would be a big deal and a problem.  Without Helen Jay, it might have been!!  As it was, we just took Larry out for lunch.

June 7, 2012. Artemas, Pa. Back Roads.

The back roads in Pennsylvania are lovely.  They wander alongside creeks and through valleys, before climbing over the small mountains.  A sign is posted if there is a dead end so you can travel on any road and get somewhere.  You drive through woods and past farms but everywhere you come upon houses.  People are living along every road, even though you are far from towns and cities.  You wonder where these folks work.

Today we drove to Everett and then Bedford with Don and Doreen, our friends visiting from Toronto.  After lunch in the tavern at The Bedford Springs Resort, we drove south along the side of the Cumberland Valley.  It was a beautiful drive, through dense forests and past tiny well tended homes and gardens.  Finally, we drove over the mountain on a dirt road, through more state forests.   Everything at this time of the year is green, but every green has a different hue, so it is interesting and lovely.  Driving on back roads in Pennsylvania may take a bit longer but is always worthwhile.

Table

June 6, 2012. Artemas, PA. Bethesda Gateway.

My visit to the sales meeting of The Bethesda Gateway office was lovely for me, and for Kate and Mary Frances.  The agents wore ridiculous hats.  A table was set with a linen table cloth,  three silver tea pots and fancy cookies.  The whole scene was heart warming.   I was able to see and talk to my old friends.  I loved every part of the event.

The most important part of the group is that the agents are doing very well.  They continue to be enthusiastic about their task of helping buyers and sellers.   Individually and collectively they are an impressive group.   I bequeathed  to the office the Merrill Lynch bull, given to me by Rebeca Williams (Rainone) in 1987 when I was a new manager, to provide the office  aggression and strength.   Now the bull is in Regina's office, so any agent who feels fearful or timid can rub that brass bull to restore their energy.   It has worked for many years and it will work in the future.  Somethings never change.

June 5, 2012. Bethesda, Maryland. Nostalgia.

We lived in Bethesda and Kensington for forty years and I worked in Bethesda for thirty three, so coming back to Bethesda is full of nostalgia.    Kate and Mary Frances and I had a pedicure together at my old nail salon and we visited my old office to see Regina and Carol and Betty.   At dinner we ate at The Pines of Rome with two  friends.  All these places were within walking distance of our hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn.

Obviously, everything was familiar and pleasant and fun.  but progress had been made in my absence.  The office looked spiffy with new carpets and paint and buildings are going up in already crowded Bethesda.  It is a busy, bustling place with the streets crowded with cars at 2:20 in the afternoon.  Today I will visit the sales meeting and talk to more people,  the good folks I have worked with for years.

I am enjoying Bethesda and friends but I am a person that looks and plans for the future so the nostalgic visit to Bethesda is pleasant but not sad.  The purpose of the visit was to deliver Kate and Mary Frances to their friends in Bethesda, where they will stay a week.  Ken and I will have lunch with friends, then retreat back to the farm and to another world but it has been fun being in Bethesda.

June 4, 2012. Bethesda, Maryland. Methuselah.

He was perfect.  His white hair hung half way down his back and his white beard and mustache  were full and bushy and long too.  He appeared right out of the Bible so we called him Methuselah, but only behind his back.

The tire for the gator went flat again so we stopped in Hagerstown to have the tire repaired  on the way to Bethesda.  Our plan was to pick the tire up on our way back to the farm tomorrow.   This long haired man came to check the tire.  I think he was the owner.  It required a phone call to find a tire, but he felt it best for us to replace the tire as there was a split in the side.   I was wondering why the man in Everett did not see the crack, but I am glad he missed it, because now we got to meet Methuselah.

One of the joys of traveling is the unusual people you meet in out of the way places.   Methuselah was polite and competent and pleasant and helpful but he looked like he was out of a long ago era.  He was a wonderful sight.  Perhaps tomorrow we will get him to pose for a picture.

June 2, 2012. Artemas, PA. Killdeer.

The Killdeer is a beautiful bird.  We see a lot of them because a pair has built a nest right in the middle of our driveway.  When we first arrived on Sunday and stopped right by the Hill House in order to unload the bags, those two birds were screaming at us and running away in every directions.  We knew a nest was close by.  The nest is difficult to spot because there really is no proper nest;  just an indentation in the ground with a few pebbles around the eggs constituting a nest.  Ken and the girls found the nest so lay a shovel just in front to keep anyone from driving over the nest and crushing the three eggs.

Every day we check the birds and the eggs.  We have had three serious storms this week and a bird is always sitting on the nest, even in the driving rain and strong winds.  A few times we thought the winds would drive the bird away.  There are always two birds close by: one to sit on the nest and one to be off eating.  They both scream at us if we approach but by now they do not move when we drive by, even if the girls are in the gator.

In one of our bird boxes we have three little bluebirds being fed and in the other five eggs being sat on by a bird that Mary Frances is a Tree Swallow.  Blue birds are everywhere.  These birds are a treat watching their antics, especially the Killdeer.

June 1, 2012. Artemas, Pa. The Bedford Springs Resort.

We four went to Everett,  Ken to have the tire on the Gator repaired and the girls and I to go grocery shopping.  The plan was efficient.   Ken dropped us at the store to shop while he had the tire fixed.   In the grocery store, Kate and Mary Frances started on one side with an empty basket while I began on the opposite, with the plan to meet in the middle.  We had a list which Kate kept but they were allowed to pick up anything that looked interesting to eat.

The problem was that I went to the bathroom right in the middle so they just kept coming through the whole store, gathering as they went.  Finally we found each other and checked out, to find we had three jars of peanut butter and four bunches of bananas.  Now we do not need to shop again this month.

All four were in casual clothes but we still ate lunch in the crystal room of the very fancy Bedford Springs Resort.  It was wonderful as we were the only ones in the restaurant.  After lunch we wandered the very impressive hotel, all wearing our farm clothes.  It was the girls first visit to the newly renovated hotel and they were impressed.  It was a lovely day.