Spraying the New Corn

May 31, 2013. Artemas, PA. Spraying.

It is definitely a modern miracle.   Within thirty minutes, the huge field had been sprayed with fertilizer. And the man never even got out of his truck, let alone get sweaty.

I was reading in the living room when I heard a vehicle drive past the house and stop.  Both Ken and I got up to look to discover a large pick up truck sitting in the middle of the field.  Cranes appeared to be attached to both sides of the truck, with a large plastic barrel filling the whole bed of the truck.  While we watched, the cranes, who were attached to the back of the truck, raised right up and swung to the back of the truck.   They then lowered down parallel to the ground,  one foot off the newly planted field of corn.

Without getting out, the driver started to quickly drive around the field spraying something from the arms,  dropping a bright pink marker automatically at the end of each run.  The arms of each sprayer were about fifteen feet long, making at least a thirty foot width with each circle.  The truck seemed to be driving fast, certainly much faster than when the field was planted last week.    When all the field was spread with the fertilizer, the truck stopped, pulled in and up the arms that looked like cranes, returning them to the side of the truck, and left, leaving the bright pink markers all over the field.   The driver never once stepped out of the truck.

Ken and I wondered about all the pink markers left all over the field.  Fifteen minutes later, Ken called me to look at the field, to see what I could see.  I looked for deer or turkeys or bear but what I did not see were any bright pink markers.  They had disappeared.  It was another modern miracle, all completed in thirty minutes.

 

Artemas Cattle

May 30, 2013. Artemas, PA. Guests.

Our house feels like a morgue.  Our four guests from Toronto have gone.     Ken has been working on the computer all day while I have been reading.  Thus I have been mute, just like a morgue.   We six were all laughing together about how hosts jump with glee when house guests leave, but I have never felt that way.   It takes a couple of days for me to get used to the quiet, empty house.

Yesterday we visited the Jays farm to see the place in operation.  It is always impressive to see the variety of the work.   Alan was out on the tractor while Lizzie was feeding the calves and pigs.  Erin was getting ready to help Brian milk.  She had already cleaned out the barn.  Tammy had taken Jacob to a baseball game.  His team was playing for the regional finals and if they win, they get to go to Pittsburg for the finals.  Andrew went to the game too.  Brian was helping a man load a truckload of hay from our barn.  The hay was sold to the hardware store in Hancock.  Soon Brian arrived at the Jay's farm to milk the cows.  Right now, they are milking 50 cows.   The cows are very productive.  A few years ago, they milked almost 100 cows, with about the same volume as these fifty.  Brian is happy with the volume but he does not know why the increase.  The weather?  The feed?

After breakfast yesterday, we looked at my old photograph album from Toronto.  It was great fun.  But the amazing part was how many people from the pictures we could not recognize.  At one time, I knew them all but as I had not seen some of them for 60 years, the names disappeared.   Don and I finally recalled the name of Norma Bursey.  When we finally got her name,  I remembered the Norma part and Don the Bursey, we felt as if we won the jackpot.   We six recalled old memories, plus we made new ones.  And we decided to reconvene in Nova Scotia in September, 2014.  We are all counting on that!!

May 29, 2013. Artemas, PA. The Bear.

There is great excitement in our little town of Artemas.  Two big black bear were seen right behind the house of Marie and Gary.   It has been many years since bear were sighted in town so people are nervous.  Gary was cutting our lawn and told us the story and asked him to let him know if we see the bear on our property.  His children are 13 and 16 and no match for a bear.

 We are used to walking the fields and woods any time of the day.  Now, all of a sudden, we need to be careful where we walk.  And we must make a racket to warn the bear we are coming.  Of course, one of the reasons we go walking is because of the peace and quiet so if we must sing all along our walk, we defeat one of the purposes of the walk.  This is definitely an interesting development at the farm.    Now we will see what happens next.

May 27, 2013. Artemas, PA. The Walk.

It is a lovely long walk and something I have not done for years, but this morning after a leisurely breakfast, the three ladies went for walk on the farm.   We went across fields and through woods, finally going down the hill to walk right beside the babbling creek.    There was lots of water in the creek which meant that the creek could be heard from quite a distance.  It is a lovely sound.  After a glass of water while sitting in the rocking chairs on the porch of the farm house,  we were required to climb the hill.  I kept hoping the men might come looking for us in the gator but to no avail.  We three ladies climbing the steep hill after our ninety minute walk around the farm.

Lunch at the Road Kill Cafe is always a pleasure, especially the ice cream for dessert.   The other Ruth bought a Father's Day gift for Sheldon...a Road Kill hat and shirt.

The two ladies cooked dinner at the farm house.   Ken made a big fire in the late afternoon and we all  enjoyed the chilly air warmed by the fire.  By 7:30, we six were enjoying dinner in the dining room of the farm house, something we have not done for years.  Apple pie and ice cream for dessert.   Our long walk this morning was our excuse to eat two desserts today.   And we talked about everyone we have ever known, trying to figure out what happened and when.  It was lively and funny, all sitting around the dining table with friends.   It does not get much better than a day like today!!

May 28, 2013. Artemas, PA. The square.

Today we drove in a square.  Ruth and Sheldon drive a seven seater car, so today, after breakfast we all six got into the car and drove to Bedford, going right up highway 26 past Clearville and Everett and final across on 30 to Bedford.   Our destination was the Bedford Springs Resort for lunch.  Sheldon drove with Ken navigating.   We saw at least half a dozen deer

The Bedford Springs Resort is a beautiful spot.  After walking through the building, we ate lunch at the Tavern right at the end.  By the time we sat down at 1:30, most folks had left so it was not crowded.  As usual, the food and service were excellent.

To complete the square, we drove south on highway 220, right down the Cumberland Valley.  It is an easy drive as well as beautiful.  East on 68 with a stop at Flintstone for gas, followed by winding roads to Artemas , soon brought us home to the farm,  It was a lovely drive and all done in a square.

May 26, 2013. Artemas, PA. Butter Tarts.

You can only find Butter Tarts in Canada.    Sometimes, if you are very fortunate,  someone who is visiting from Ontario,  arrives with a large box of home made Butter Tarts.  Whoopee.   After dinner, we dig in and everyone eats at least two.  Some folks have been rumored to have eaten three.

Most Canadians do not know that Canada is the only place where you can eat Butter Tarts.   But it is true.   The tarts we ate tonight were perfect, all gooey and runny, just like Ken likes them to be.   The closest we come in the US is pecan tarts but they are not nearly as good as Butter Tarts.  Tonight you had to eat the tarts on a plate with a fork, they were so wet.   What a treat.

Doreen made these tarts and brought them from Ontario.  The four of them arrived around 6:00.  They could have found us at 5:00 but they got lost.   Sheldon and Ruth and Don and Doreen have come for a visit to the farm.   They are staying in the farm house, but eating with us at the Hill House.  These contacts go back a long time.  Both Sheldon and Ruth recognized me in the picture taken when I was 15, and wearing my Salvation Army uniform.   Most friends now do not recognize it as being me.   These old Salvation Army contacts are very long lasting and we are delighted to have the four visit us at the farm, especially when they brought Butter Tarts!!

May 25, 2013. Artemas, PA. Dinners.

For the past three nights,  we ate dinner with the Ditto's.    Gary and I have worked together since 1981, which is a long time.   Politically we are at the opposite end of the spectrum but despite all our differences, we have always been friends.  Ten years ago, they purchased a country property right up the road so now we see them in Artemas.   First we let them know when we are in town, then they come for the weekend.    They always invite us for dinner.

Thursday evening, Gary ate dinner at our house, out on the screen porch.    The dinner was ordinary, because I cooked, but the conversation was spirited.  Friday, Diana invited us to their home, along with their niece Lacy, who will start her Senior year at Penn. State in the fall.    It was interesting talking with her because she is only 19.  For the last two years at high school, she attended class at the Junior College so by the time she applied to Penn. State, she was accepted as a Junior.  I loved hearing about it.  Her goal is to go to medical school.  The food was wonderful and the conversation was lively.  Diana is a very good cook.

Tonight we were a group of seven at their home, with the addition of two of their boys, Jeff and Ben.  Jeff, who is 25, smoked ribs and brought them from the city.  They were delicious.   Along with the potato salad, green beans and cowboy beans, we had a feast.  And the conversation was lively too.

Every evening was special and every evening our numbers at the table increased.   As Diana said,"We don't see you very often in a year any more, so we might as well dine together every evening".  And we did!!  Ken and I are very fortunate people.

May 24, 2013. Artemas, PA. Old Friends.

It is always interesting to see the farm through a new set of eyes.   Susan came to visit for the day.  It was her first visit.  She came with two other friends who have been here many times so those two friends were here to visit and talk, while Susan wanted to see the place.

While she was here we saw a full rainbow.   And we had rain and we had wind.  Also sunshine.  She was charmed.  Her first question was "How did you find this place?"  

First we toured the Hill House from top to bottom and she agreed that it fits us perfectly.  She also thought that the architect was very clever too, which would be true.  Lunch came next, at The Road Kill Cafe.   Even at 1:15 the place was almost full.  Ice cream followed lunch.

The old farm house was the last place to tour and again she loved it.  After that,  we sat in the living room of the Hill House and we five talked...and talked...and talked.  By the time we turned around it was 7:30. They had intended to leave at 6:00.   Old friends are wonderful.  We have not seen them since the fall and it as if we saw them last week.   What a wonderful life we lead!!

May 23, 2013. Artemas, PA. A Walk.

It was just a short walk, a walk from our home on the hill to the farm house, but it was loaded with action.  First the red tailed hawk screamed out me as I started down the hill.   He certainly did not want  me walking down that road.   The nest must have been in the area, although I was never able to spot it.   I watched as he circled high over my head, screaming all the awhile, before, finally, he flew off.

As I approached the pond down at flat land, a duck with a slate grey back flew out of the bushes alongside the pond.   It flew directly across the pond and settled in a tree but I was never able to see it again.   And I was never able to find a nest.   I have no clue what kind of duck it was.

The goose was sitting on the eggs, right in the same location as in previous years.   The only difference is that the grass is much higher, right around the nest, so it is not nearly as visible.  The pair of Canada Geese have taken over our pond.   They take turns sitting on the nest.  Often, one can be found perched on the small dock, surveying their domain.  They are such attentive parents.  Now I hope they will successfully raise the goslings.

And finally, as I approached the farm house, three small rabbits sat watching me as they nibbled on the grass.   They are very cute and not a bit afraid of people.  After all, they seemed to say, "We live here all the time, and you only come every so often."

My friend Beverley said she can not read my blog every day, because it is so boring and I guess it is true.  But what I do is not boring to me.   It is just interesting, like my small walk from one house to the other!!

May 22, 2013. Artemas, PA. Guests.

Recently, we visited friends in Flora, Mississippi.  They had just moved into their new home and Ken and I, along with two other couples, were their first dinner guests.  I admired the brand new dining table, which had just been made by our host and his father.   Our host commented that if we all had not been coming for dinner, the table would never have been constructed, at least, not right then.   "Our invitation to host this party forced us to build the table right now, and I am so pleased we did", said the host.

Deadlines force us to complete tasks.  Christina and Andrew and the girls moved to Mississippi almost five years ago.  Finally, I got rid of all the bones gathered over the years.   Turtle shells, skulls, teeth, backbones, feet and acorns, picked up by the girls on our walks and displayed on a cart on the porch.  I also put away and cleaned all the plastic dishes used by the girls and kept on shelves in the pump room.  Marie, a friend down the road has spent all day power washing the outside furniture and the decks.  Tomorrow  she will clean the screen room, called the pump room.   This could all have been done years ago but now it is getting done...because we have invited four friends to visit and I decided to have them stay in the lovely old farm house.   Friends and deadlines are wonderful things.

May 21, 2013. Artemas, PA. Peculiar People.

My Mother often told us a quote from an old man:  "The whole world is queer except me and thee, and sometimes I am not  sure about thee."  Dig deep enough,  you can find peculiar patterns of behavior in almost everyone, even yourself.

This morning I was dressing to meet our friends Phyllis and Fred for lunch.  Our plan was to meet in the Japanese restaurant in Hagerstown.   I chose the skirt.   It is one I am thinking about taking on our big trip next year and I wanted to see if it was comfortable.   So many of my tops have been removed to other homes that I could only find two short sleeved shirts in the closet.   The one pale beige would have been fine but it is a bit sheer and I always wear it with a jacket and as it was already 85, no jacket was needed, which left me with one dusty rose color top.   It looked OK with the skirt so I pulled it out, only to find that the tags were still on the shirt.   In other words, I had never worn that shirt.  Not ever.

Now I shopped only and always with Amy.  I shopped with her every two years.  But I have not shopped with her for eight years, which means that the shirt has been hanging in my closet ever since my last shopping trip.  Now you must admit that is peculiar.

I must admit that I have had the habit all my life to never wear new clothes immediately.  Same with shoes.  I put them in my closet and just wait.   But eight years is really peculiar.   It just means that I had too many clothes, I guess.

May 20, 2013. Artemas, PA. Shopping.

Our routines are coming back to us.  This morning we drove to the re-cycle place just north of Clearville and separated the glass from the plastics from the metal and deposited them into their proper container.   And we left all our old magazines too.  It is impressive how much stuff accumulates from these small places.   This plant covers all of Bedford County.   I always wonder where all this stuff goes?

We went to the big grocery store called Weiss.  Ken remembered that it was much better than the small store in Everett and he was correct.  It is a fine store, especially for a small town like Everett.  Actually, the store is half way between Bedford and Everett.    Both of us shopped.  Now we hope to not shop before we leave for Nova Scotia.

One thing I did forget was how to handle eggs.  We have guests coming to stay so I bought eggs.   Ken and I never eat eggs so I became unaccustomed to handle them and I dropped the whole dozen on the floor, in the kitchen.  Much to my great surprise, only three eggs broke.  Ken cooked jambalaya for dinner and put the three eggs into that dish so nothing was lost, except my dignity.

The drive was lovely, one way up and another way back.   On Big Creek Road a major development is being built.  It is all very exciting.  There will be horses and a small store and cabins and trail rides.   It is a big deal for Artemas.

May 19, 2013. Artemas, PA. Coolidge

I began reading this book in Mexico but it is just now when I am moving along with his life.   The biography was written by Amity Shlaes and I am enjoying it very much.   I know very little about Calvin Coolidge except that he was not verbose.  When he died,  Teddy Roosevelt daughter is quoted as saying "How did they know"?

The more I read about the man the better I like him.  Would it not be wonderful to have a politician who did not speak much?    These days, they never stop talking.   I am reading the book slowly and carefully and only read a few chapters at a time, to give me time to digest the information.  With in the past year or so I have read a biographies of Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt, also Justice Brandeis, who were all contemporary with Coolidge so I must fit all the puzzle pieces together.

Coolidge would be a breath of fresh air to Washington these days.  The problem is with our present system of nominating a candidate for president.  He would never go through the process to get to be the candidate.   The more I read about him the better I like him.  We need someone like him to come along....and soon.

Planting Corn

May 18, 2013. Artemas, PA. Hard Work.

Cathy runs an ice cream store, just outside the Road Kill Cafe.   Ken says you get the biggest single scoop of ice cream of any place in the world.  She stays open 5 months of the year.   Once upon a time, she was very pretty and she is very careful of her appearance even now.   But we talk about travel.  She loves to travel but until now, she had done very little .   She is a mother and a grandmother and has worked all her life as a waitress so money for travel did not come easily.

Thursday, we talked about her trip to the west.  Several years ago, she married Barry, one of the men that grew up with Alan and who help Alan at the farm on the weekends.  Barry works at a glass factory in Berkeley Springs.  I have known Barry ever since 1973 and I was delighted to hear that Barry was willing to travel with Cathy.  She told us all about her visit to Montana and the Dakotas.  She loved it.  She might even go to Nova Scotia.    I suggested she go this fall but she commented that they can not make a big trip every year.

She asked how we do it?   I jokingly said that we worked very hard in our twenties and our thirties and our forties and our fifties and sixtees  so that when we got to seventy, we could vacation every day.   She laughed.   But Ken and I talked later that she probably never finished high school, had her children young and got no further education.  And I am sure that she has no pattern of saving a percentage of everything she earns for her future travel.   She is not stupid but she made early mistakes that have cost her.  But now, with the help of Barry, she is beginning to travel.  She is so pleased with herself.

Roadside Rest Lawnmower, TN

May 17, 2013. Artemas, PA. The Jays.

Picture this.  Alan is seeding and fertilizing the corn field right beside the Hill House.  He is pulling a very large machine with the tractor.  Ken and I are sitting on the back deck, watching the sunset and enjoying the lovely evening, as well as watching Alan work.   The first truck that comes up the hill is Bill.  He is here to ask Alan a question but as Alan is working, he sits to talk with us.  Soon Brian arrives with his son Andrew, who is 10.   Brian has come to put more fertilizer in the big machine, so Brian sets in to work too.   Soon he comes to chat, and in between,  he works.  We have not seen them since the fall, but we have known them all since 1973 so the conversation is easy.

Soon Alan can not see well enough to plant so he comes to sit with us and have a drink, while Brian and Andrew continue the planting and fertilizing.  We four talk cemeteries and funerals.   Bill's step son died just that afternoon, and we had not seen Alan since Helen died, so we talk funerals and coroners and cemeteries.  Brian can not finish, so he and Andrew join us outside.  In typical country fashion, Andrew sits and listens and takes no part in the conversation.  The men swap stories about cemeteries and how the grave site almost fell in due to the rain and how, when the ground is frozen it takes hours to dig the grave.  It was great sport and very very funny.    And very typically the farm and the Jays.

It is interesting to observe that we are all very comfortable together.  We like them and they like us.  I guess it is one reason we like living here.

May 16, 2013. Artemas, PA. The Folder.

Today, Ken had occasion to bring me my personal file, the one with copies of my graduation certificates from high school and college along with marriage certificate.  It is the same folder that Ken brought me when correcting our marriage date.  I had been telling people for years that we were married on August 28.  He finally gave me the real date which was 27 of August, all from my own folder.

I am in the process of renewing my American passport.    Our identity was stolen in 2006 so the man from the state department called to ask for copies of my drivers license and social security card, so Ken brought me my folder to find my SS card.  It turned out that they did not need it after all and my new passport has approved, but meanwhile I reviewed the papers in the folder.

Now I know there has been escalation of grades in high school.  When I was in school in Toronto, 50 was a pass and was a C, 60 was a B and over 75 was an A.   But my high school grades were atrocious.  I have often counseled  parents whose children are not getting top grades, telling them that it is OK, as long as their grades were able to get them accepted to the next level, which it did for me.  But I blame Ken.  We met.  I was already seriously busy so had little time for home work and study.  Now I was spending time with Ken.  It is a wonder I passed!!  But it is all in black and white.  One day I will show it to my grandchildren, but probably not until I am 99!!

May 15, 2013. Artemas, PA. The Accident.

We travel by car quite a lot and we seldom come upon accidents.  But today, the traffic on  Interstate 24 was stopped.   We were in West Virginia, just at Huntington, when three full lanes of traffic heading north came to a halt.  Then we began to creep, bumper to bumper for the next 45 minutes.  First we moved into two lanes.  Finally, when we came upon the accident scene, we were driving in a single line on the shoulder of the road.   By the time we passed, the cars had been towed away but one three wheeled motor cycle was still on the road and turned on it's side.    The ambulances had gone and the police were busily measuring the skids on the road and the location of the cycle.   It costs us almost an hour sitting in our truck listening to the music but I am afraid it cost other people a lot more.

Now we are at the farm after carefully navigating the hills and valleys of West Virginia and Western Maryland.    It is a beautiful drive but as I was driving, I paid close attention to the road and the speeds. Nothing focuses your mind more than driving past an accident scene.  But here we are, fat and happy.   This place is really lovely.  Every time we are away we forget how comfortable we are living here.  But now we are home and happy to be here. It has been a long drive.

May 14, 2013. Morehead, Kentucky. The drive.

Tomorrow, we have only five hours of driving until we get to the farm.   Today we had fun.    The day was perfect and once again, the traffic was light.   The last time we drove across Kentucky we drove on divided highways that were not interstates.  This time, all those roads are being upgraded to the interstate level but they don't yet have the numbers on the maps and the GPS, so there is not much traffic, which for us was perfect.

Yesterday we drove through flat delta  farm land.  Bit by bit,  we entered the hills of Tennessee, then Kentucky.  It was a beautiful drive.   Now we are staying in a busy small city called Morehead, right in the middle of the small mountains.  There is a college here and lots of activity.

And Ken and I bought a fancy bottle of Kentucky bourbon and the first thing we did at the motel was drink a toast to Kentucky.  It is a beautiful state.

May 13, 2013. Dyersburg, Tennessee. New Route.

Nothing pleases us more than driving on a new route.   Today we began our long trek to the farm, but instead of driving on the same old roads, we chose a new way, going straight north on 55 to Memphis,  and continuing  north to 155, when we turned east.  After 5 hours of driving, we decided to stop at a town called Dyersburg, which seems to be a busy little town.

Everything was new today.  We drove across the Mississippi River twice and discovered that the river is almost at flood level.  The land was flat and lush, all part of the Mississippi delta.  We drove through Mississippi, a bit of Arkansas and then Tennessee.   The roads very wide and smooth and except for driving around Memphis,  were absent much traffic.  

We are staying in the Hampton Inn.   For $89. we are provided a lovely large room with a desk plus a couch along with a king bed.  Internet and hot breakfast are included.  Amazing.

600 yards from the motel was a Japanese restaurant.  Ken and I sat at the sushi bar for dinner.   It was a treat indeed to drink sake and eat Japanese food.   The best part was that it was such a surprise to find such a fine restaurant in this small community.  You never know what will happen when you start on a journey.

May 12, 2013. Jackson, Mississippi. Mother's Day.

One son cooked and another son called.  It does not get any better than that for a mother.  We celebrated Mother's Day at Andrew and Christina's home,  with Linda, Christina's Mother,  along with her brother and sister in law, Nelson and Katie.  The four girls rounded out the party.   We drank champagne and toasted ourselves  and gave thanks for Mothers both present and past.    My Mother would have been pleased to be part of the assembled family.

We dined on tenderloin of beef, cooked on the grill by Andrew.   Along with the beef, we ate couscous, sauteed cabbage, rolls and a salad.  Cupcakes for dessert.  It was a delicious dinner and good company too.

Now we are back at the condo where Ken is loading the truck.  Tomorrow we will begin our trek north, first stopping at the farm for a few weeks, then driving on to Nova Scotia for the summer.  The drive to the farm is 15 hours but we normally take three days and two nights on the road.  We might even take a different route.  Our stay in Jackson has been enjoyable but now we must move on.  But we will return in the fall, as usual.  It is the story of our life.  We will return!!

December 2012

Ridgeland Waterfowl

May 11, 2013. Jackson, Mississippi. A Porch.

It is a perfect porch to host a dinner party.   And the weather was just right too.  I am always impressed when we dine outside on the porch.  Greta Barbour and John live in a lovely southern home, complete with a wide front porch.  Tonight, Ken and I brought dinner and set it up on the porch.  We brought a folding table and everything needed for dinner.  The porch already was outfitted with lots of chairs and tables.   We were to be a party of 18,  but one family had two children come down with chicken pox so they could not attend.   Now we have left overs to last all week, for Christina and Greta Barbour especially.

The adults talk and the children play.  It has been my observation that home schooled children do not pay much attention to the grade and the age of the other children.  They just all play together and get along.  My experiences are limited of course but that is what I see.

We brought everything for the dinner.  Our condo is small and John and Greta Barbour are always gracious to invite us into their home so when we are in town, Ken and I either take folks out to dinner at a restaurant or we bring dinner over to their home.  It is a nice break for Greta Barbour because she does not need to cook or clean up.  We bring everything including the plates, cutlery, table cloth, napkins, main course and desert and of course, beverages.  The children love it as do the adults.  But the best part is sitting on the porch and eating our dinner.    It is a real treat.

May 10, 2013. Jackson, Mississippi. Social Life.

It always happens.  Just when we are about to leave town, friends invite us for dinner.    It is really very nice but it means we are out every evening.  It happens in Nova Scotia too.   Friends know we are leaving in a few days and they know we will be away for many months, so they want to meet and talk and enjoy each other before we once again disappear.   Our schedule was such that we were in Mississippi almost all of March and for two more weeks just recently now but the invitations have all come at once.

This evening we had dinner at the home of Linda, Christina's mother.   We were all there.  Molly swam in the very chilly water before dinner while we nibbled on crackers and cheese on the back porch.  Dinner was spaghetti and salad and hot bread.  Ice cream and brownies for desert.   Ken and I chatted with Linda for an hour after the family left, which was a treat.  We always see her in the big group.   Linda is amazing to us with her recollection of our friends that she has met over the years.  And she is actually interested with the people and places we visit.  Ken and I enjoyed the company and all the efforts taken by Linda on our behalf.  She is about to get a new puppy so the next time we see her she will have a pup.   Her home is lovely but is too big by herself.  She needs a dog.   It will be an adventure for her and her family and guests.  We wish her well.

May 9, 2013. Jackson, Mississippi. Hockey.

The truth is, I don't even like watching hockey.   But here I am, watching parts of two games each evening and  enjoying them both.  The difference I think, is that we are at Andrew and Christina's home, watching the games together.  Andrew loves hockey and is very enthusiastic so I get caught up with the spirit of the moment and cheer along with every one else.   Two games are on two different channels so we can flip back from one to the other, unless the Caps are playing,  when we just watch that game.

I have watched more hockey this past two weeks than I have for the past two years.   I love the speed of the game and I love it when many goals are scored.   I love the clever plays and the quick passes.  And my favorite goal is the short handed goal.   What I don't like are the fights and the rough play.  If I am in charge of the clicker and a fight breaks out, I turn the game off immediately.  It is so stupid to watch grown men standing on skates trying to wrestle and box.  Just get on with the game.  But it has been fun watching the games with Andrew and Christina.  Even Molly  chooses the good guys and the bad guys.  But soon it will end.  We have no TV at the farm as we left our satellite dome at the lake in Texas.  For now, I am enjoying the games, most of the time.

May 8, 2013. Jackson, Mississippi. Coffee.

The ladies meet about once a month for coffee and a desert.   They rotate hosting the coffee parties.   When I am in town, a coffee is always held and I love it.   The children come too, all dressed up and looking fancy.   When the children arrive with their mothers,  they just go off and play and only appear in time for dessert, while the ladies talk, just like adults.   The event is rather elegant, with the coffee served from fancy trays and china mugs, with real linen napkins too.  It is lovely with always a special, home made desert.   It is a such a nice way to entertain in this simple but elegant manner.

The topic under discussion today was scheduling.  The ladies all have children,  who are being home schooled, so these ladies are busy.  They run busy homes and have busy lives.  One lady, who is an artist,  is trying to do a better job of scheduling her days.   The conversation was lively and spirited.   My contribution to the discussion was to say that she is creative and does it automatically.  I organize both time and objects intuitively, without any thought but have not an ounce of creativity.   I did suggest to her that trying to schedule for her will be difficult whereas for me it is automatic, so not to expect perfection.

This conversation was raised because I have asked her in the past to find time to paint.  She is a wonderful painter but with four children and a husband and a big house and home schooled children, time is difficult.   Thus I am somewhat responsible that she raised the topic today.

Last year in Nova Scotia, I held a coffee at our house and it was enjoyed by all.  I will do it again this year too.   These ladies only coffee parties are great.

May 7, 2013. Jackson, Mississippi. Goslings.

They are the cutest of beasts.   Four gosling, who just hatched yesterday,  are now right in front of our condo, along with both parents.  The little ones are pecking away at the mulch and grass while the parents are keeping a close watch on me.    I have never been able to tell Canada Geese apart.  The male seems identical to the female.  But one thing I know for sure and that is they are diligent while caring for their offspring.

Two days ago, at another part of the reservoir, Ken and I spotted two sets of parents and goslings and wondered why we had not seen any at our own place.  Last year we had both duckings and goslings but this Spring has been wet and cool so I suppose the eggs are late in hatching.  Today was warm, almost 80, so soon we will see the ducklings too.  It is one of the charms of living by the reservoir, watching the ducks and the geese and their young.  They bring a smile to your face, every time you see them.  Spring has sprung!!

May 6, 2013. Jackson, Mississippi. Keeping Track.

I have a great deal of difficulty keeping track of things.   Simple stuff, such as changing the beds always require some thought.  When my life was normal and we lived in one place most of the time, I had no problem.  I always changed the bedding on the same day of the week.  Now I have been forced to have a system.  I always change the sheets the day before we leave so when we return, I count how many night I have slept in the bed, plus one for the last night before we left.   After a week, I change the sheets.  But I am always required to count, usually in the middle of the night.

Clothes are an issue too.  I have brought clothes to all our homes but unless I look, I can not keep track of what I left in what house.  I used to keep a list but it is too difficult because sometimes I move from one place to another and I forget to change the list.   Our trip to New Zealand will be challenging as far as the clothes are concerned.    I own clothes necessary for the trip but they are not all in one place so I must gather clothes from the farm and the lake and the condo in order to pack.   And I must keep track of where they all belong.  The shoes too are an issue.  I have no black dress shoes in Mississippi so Sunday at brunch I wore an elegant outfit but river sandals.

The medications are not easy either.   We must provide enough medicine for when we are in Nova Scotia for the summer and for Mexico for the winter.   Keeping track to be sure I have the correct number is not easy.  The insurance company makes it difficult too as you can not really obtain more than three months supply at one time.   You can over ride but only once a year, which is not much help to me.

People tell me we have a very complicated life and they would be right,  but they really are only scratching the surface of the complications in our life.  But at least we are never bored!!

May 5, 2013. Jackson, Mississippi. Sophia's.

Sophia's Restaurant is housed in the Fairview Inn, thought to be the most elegant  inn in Jackson.   I found the restaurant on the Internet when I was looking for a new place for Sunday brunch.   No one had ever told me about Sophia's, even though I have asked friends for recommendations of good restaurants, but the reviews were good and none of us had been there, so we decided to take a chance.

We seven are all in agreement.  The food was excellent.   It had brunch food with a southern flavor, but with no bacon or sausage in sight.  The girls loaded up on a waffle smothered in chocolate chips and strawberries, then covered with whipped cream.   Next time, I will eat two bowls of gumbo.  Wonderful deserts and excellent service made us all very happy.

The Fairview Inn looks like an antebellum mansion with large white columns in front.  But this home was built in 1908 for a lumber mogul as his own family home.  Over the years, it changed hands and  after many additions and renovations it opened as an inn and restaurant.   We are delighted to have discovered this charming restaurant.  We will definitely return.

May 4, 2013. Jackson, Mississippi. U.S.Grant.

The book is  "U.S.Grant: American Hero, American Myth", by Joan Waugh.   If you are at all interested in the Civil War this is a book you will want to read.   The bulk of the book I read this winter in Mexico but I left the last few chapters for later when we were in Mississippi, where the Civil War is often on your mind.  Jackson was burned three times so you find very few old homes here.   In Natchez, the town was spared because it was a hot bed of Union sympathizers.  Also the General in charge stated that the town "was too pretty to burn".

It has been a puzzle to me as to why General Lee has more notoriety now that General Grant.   When General Grant died in 1985, he was on a par with Washington and Lincoln, but no more.   The last section of the book deals with the Grant Tomb and Monument, and the reason why it was built in New York in a remote park.    With much encouragement from the New York politicians, the family decided to place it in New York, which in retrospect was a serious error of judgement.    Now the Tomb is in a bad neighborhood with graffiti painted all over.  No one tours the monument now so people have forgotten about poor General Grant.  The Monument should have been built in either Washington, DC, or Illinois, where he grew up, then everyone would learn about him..  But the book is worth reading, even though I read in two different times.

May 3, 2013. Jackson, Mississippi. Wimps.

We have become wimps in our old age.    Where once we went out in any weather, like any good Canadian does, now we stay home in any inclement weather.    We have become fair weather friends.  

This morning I had an appointment with the eye doctor.  The weather was miserable with heavy rain and cool temperatures.   On the way home, I suggested to Ken that rather than joining Andrew and Christina and the girls for left over hamburgers tonight as was our plan, we should stay home in the condo for the rest of the day.   He agreed so I called to tell Christina that we would come to see them tomorrow.   She laughed and agreed that with all the rain, the best place to be was at home.

It is still raining but our home is warm and cosy and we are happy to stay here for the rest of the day, even though we know we are wimps.   Our fridge is full as well as the pantry so we are in good shape. The Canada Geese are honking right outside our door,  probably complaining about all the rain too.  But they can not go in out of the rain, like me, even though they seem happy.  They are not wimps for sure.

May 2, 2013. Jackson, Mississippi. Ladies Night Out.

Andrew is a very friendly fellow and he likes to watch hockey.  Tonight was the first playoff game for the Washington Capitals, our old team, so Andrew invited two single men friends over to watch the game.  One friend brought a visiting friend so along with Ken, there were to be five men watching the hockey game.   The plan was for Andrew to cook hamburgers for us all, while we all watched the game, together.   The problem was the seating.  There were not enough places to comfortably watch the game...together.

While Andrew was making the hamburgers, Christina and I drank a glass of port in the living room, and hatched up the plan for the ladies to have a night out.   We did not want to hurt Andrew's feelings so we asked Ken what he thought.   "I think it is not only feasible but desirable for the ladies to dine out", said Ken, so we did.  The girls were thrilled to be dining out with just the ladies.   We five ate at Tequila, the Mexican restaurant near our condo.  For dessert we ate ice cream at Bops.  It was a lovely, unexpected pleasure.

The ladies arrived home to find the Caps ahead so everyone was happy, including Andrew.  

May 1, 2013. Jackson, Mississippi. Celebrations.

My life is one long celebration.  I must say, it is a nice life.   This evening we celebrated the birthdays of Andrew and Christina.   Ken and I were not here on their birthdays of April 23 and April 26, so tonight we gathered together at Anjou, a lovely french restaurant, for  their birthday dinner.   Linda, Christina's mother joined us so we were a happy group of eight celebrating birthdays.

Ken and I arrived early and had a drink at the bar.  While we were waiting, we read the menu and discovered that the restaurant had a pre set fixed priced four course dinner, which we promptly decided would be a good thing for our group.  To us, it seemed to be more festive to serve multiple courses, and the portions are almost all small.  As we were paying the bill,  we told everyone that it would be like dining at our house and they would eat what we prepared.  They were delighted.  The only difference was that there were at least two options for every course.

It was a wonderful meal.  A good time was had by all.  Now, we are officially finished with birthdays until the end of August.  In addition, I drank a silent toast to my sister Carol.  May the first was my sister's birthday.