59 and Holding (Don't I Wish?)

Fall Came, It is Almost Winter

2011-12-08T13:14:00.000-08:00

In the few weeks since I last posted the fall has come and gone. I kept waiting for the perfect day to take pictures but it never came. Sure there were beautiful days but they did not coincide with the beautiful colors which were sometimes fleeting this year. The summer was so hot and then the torrential rains of early September did not do favors for the brilliant colors we have so often. One tree I use to gauge the progress of color simply dropped its leaves this year. There were many lovely sights but not the crisp ones I have grown to expect since moving here.

It is now the 8th of December. The leaves have fallen and I should be getting ready for Christmas. Before that, here are some photos taken in the last few weeks to show we did have autumn topped off by a Thanksgiving trip to Cape Cod.

Along Wagamons Pond.

Above Milton Memorial Park

Outside our front door

The geraniums are still blooming but are much bigger and prettier today

Dave is showing Jake how to pull carrots

Geoff and Jake on Cape Cod

Kicking the ball and enjoying the out of doors

Bentlely loves running at the Cape

Jake and Bentley (that's Bill's leg in upper right corner)

Just after sunrise looking out at Cape Cod

The worst part of the past few weeks has been a neverending cough and congestion. I am getting too old for this stuff. The best part is that I made it through another year. Yesterday was a significant birthday for me. More significant is that we travel to Arlington this weekend to celebrate Jake's "Happy Birthday."

I guess it is time to get ready for winter now.

A Family Weekend

2011-09-12T13:17:00.000-07:00

Having guests from out of town is always a treat. This past weekend the guests were family. Some from California and our Virginia family. A tour of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery was in order. Of course, it was, that is where Bill says he works.

While the adults were touring, my grandson and I made cookies. He dumped in flour, oatmeal and chocolate chips but mostly he just wanted to taste. To his delight I let him lick the beaters just like the last time we made cookies. As he enjoyed every bit of the stuff left on the beater he kept saying "I am trying." I am not quite sure what he meant but I assume he was trying to get all of the stuff he could.

Yesterday he came into our room early and he and I played a bit, quite a bit. You know how a two year old is, "Can we do it again?" were his precise words. The television was droning in the background with coverage of 9/11 events, the National Athem started and the little guy stopped his play and became very quiet. Then he said to me, "There is President Barak Obama. It is President Barak Obama." I asked he quietly, "Who is Barak Obama?" To which, this little guy who is about 33 months old said, "He is our President." A little in awe I was.

It was then time to head to Lewes for brunch (Jake put one of his new Baca Bill shirts) and then to spend some time at the Lewes beach area. From there the Virginia family headed home and the rest of us, Margaret, Eunice, Bill and I headed for Assateague Island.

Birds catching ride on island pony.

Turkey buzzard looking like he was Photoshopped.

Look closely to see minnow in the brackish marsh.

Margaret and Eunice coming from a walk.

Ponies in a camping parking lot.

Island beach bird.

Some of the surf at the island.

It was really a good weekend especially since the heavy rain of the week had ended and the sun came out long enough for us to enjoy some time outside.

A Baca Bill Shirt

2011-09-04T15:09:00.000-07:00

When our daughter and her family called this morning she told me that Jake was all set with jeans but need some khakis and he really likes Baca Bill shirts. That just made me warm all over because one the little guy knows what he likes and two he likes shirts like his Baca Bill wears. These shirts are generally cotton plaid button-down collar shirts, long sleeved or short.

In this picture we have Baca Bill and Jake in matching shirts on Baca Bill's 70th birthday in April of this year. It was second time they had matching shirts for Bill's birthday. The first was when Jake was four months old.

So, it was off to the outlets to do some shopping for Jake and to get a a great feeling of just being a grandmother. That's Gaga for all who do not know.

Oh, and we did get some Baca Bill shirts.

One Long Week in Delaware

2011-08-27T12:15:00.000-07:00

Today is Saturday and here I am at the computer trying to pass some time. I would really like to be out and about right now but the weather is prohibiting that. We are in the midst of Hurricane Irene. The full force of the storm has not hit but it has been storming all day and will continue through the night. There are also tornado warnings for the area. Those little devils are spawned by the big storm.

The week started with a storm on Sunday. That was OK since we needed the rain. I woke Monday to a beautiful day. I had an appointment in Baltimore and was glad the sun was shining. It makes for a much more pleasant drive across the Chesapeake Bay. When I crossed the bridge the water did not match the clear beauty of the sky. The water was gray and choppy, remains from the storms of the weekend. Unlike some Mondays of travel west of here, this one was pretty good as the traffic was heavy by moved smoothly. This was basically a very nice day.

Then, there was Tuesday. I was sitting at the computer working on a project when I felt movement. I immediately thought it was an earthquake but poo-pooed that because we are in Delaware. The chair rolled a bit and the table behind me swayed and creaked. I looked out expecting to see the trees bending in the wind. No such luck, not a whisper of a breeze. And, nothing had hit the house. I have felt numerous earthquakes in my life but this one created the most movement for me. This one left me nonplussed.

Wednesday was just an average but nice day. Thursday was laundry day. Bill came home from lunch so I could have the car and while he was finishing his lunch, I fell in the utility room. Cripe! I getting too old for this. I bruised my knee, my hand, my upper lip, forehead and eye. My glasses broke. We drove over to Georgetown to have the glasses repaired. Fortunately, because of the kind of glasses these are, the fix was easy. My face on the other hand is still showing the signs of the fall. The space between my lip and nose is dark enough from the bruise it looks like I smudged ink across it. I have a partial black eye that is also swollen. All this happened because I decided to do the laundry on Thursday instead of waiting for the weekend because of the impending hurricane.

Thursday night Bill got a call informing him that the brewery would be closed on Friday because of approaching hurricane. Earlier in the evening he had done some grocery shopping. He was gone almost two hours for what normally would be a 30 minute trip. Anywhere there was a store (there are not many in Milton) it was packed. He was able to get almost everything we needed except extra batteries. He was also able to fill the car with gas after waiting in line for quite some time. There are only two places in Milton to get gas.

We both woke up very early yesterday and as the temperature stayed around 82 we busied ourselves getting more prepared for the storm. It felt like we were getting ready to be snowed in for a few days. Having never been through a hurricane before we were not quite sure what to do or what to expect.

Today started with the newspaper arriving with today's date but included all of the Sunday extras, Life section, funnies, magazine section, coupons and advertising. That was strange but I thought it was probably a very good idea. Since completing the paper and other morning tasks, we have managed to make sure we have plenty of flashlights, candles (looks like Christmas), and water in the bathtubs. It has been raining for hours now and the wind is blowing hard but not as hard as it is expected to do in a few hours. But, we are safe and comfortable.

There are nine more hours in this strange week. I will be glad for tomorrow to come -- a new day, a new week.

I'm Back (At Least I Think So)

2011-08-23T08:02:00.000-07:00

It has been well over a year since I last posted. I have wondered about the triteness of the title and whether or nor there was a real purpose for this process. All-in-all I think I will give it a new try and consider some amendments to the title.

Why today? Well, the television show Extreme Home Makeover has come to our little corner of the world. That in itself is not what made me feel good it was the person (family) that was chosen. A couple of years ago I wrote about Dale Dunning. You can see that post here. When I drive past sites where she serves her soups I think of her commitment and love for those less fortunate. She is an inspiration and angel among us. I think we all need to summon the angel within us especially in these difficult times. I, for one, am tiring rapidly of the anger and vitriol in what seems to be everything we say and do. Life is just too short and too precious for these rotten sentiments on all sides.

So, thank you Dale and Extreme Home Makeover for making me think a little more positively today.

Duh: That's Extreme Makeover, Home Edition

Spring Not Quite the Same

2010-03-30T09:28:00.000-07:00

This year we are missing what has become one of my favorite springtime activities. Seeing the cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C. had always been on my "bucket list." So, it is not hard to imagine that that was one of the early outings we made when we moved to Delaware. We have been three times and have been planning for this year's blossoms but because of Bill's surgery last week we will not make the visit this year. We could go next week but they will have peaked by then. We will go over later in the month and see the azaleas at the National Arboretum. There are so many beautiful sites to see and many, like the cherry blossoms and the azaleas are to viewed over and over. I have gotten to where I anticipate them like Christmas or the first crocus of springtime.

We are not going to the Tidal Basin this year to see the blossoms so I thought I would show a photo from each of the last three years. The top picture was taken March 30, 2009. It was a gray and rainy day but there were periodic rays of sunshine and the blossoms were still beautiful. That trip was about three days prior to the peak. (Note: Each of the links for the last three years is but one of multiple postings for each trip.)

The next picture was on March 31, 2008. It started out as an overcast day and was it ever cold. That was a good thing because the blossoms were very close to peak then.

The last photo was taken on April 2, 2007. It was our first viewing of the cherry blossoms. I was awe-struck by the beauty. It wa also a perfect spring day. Not only were blossoms beautiful but people were beautiful -- friendly, courteous and appreciative.

Yes, I will miss the blossoms in person this year. You can be sure we will be there next year. In the meantime, I will be checking webcams and other postings to this year's version.

Still the Weather

2010-02-15T09:21:00.000-08:00

This blog was never intended to be just about the weather. But, the weather of this winter has made it so. Today started with beautiful clear blue skies. Now, wispy white clouds are being taken over by gray ones. There is another front coming through and it promises to drop even more snow on us. I have always like snow in DECEMBER and hated it in January. I want you to know that no matter how beautiful some days are to see I despise snow in February when crocus are supposed to be poking their heads through the cold ground. That is not here in Delaware. Not this year anyway.

This season's storms have brought this region to an almost standstill. Schools have not been in session over a week. And, the week prior to that many schools were closed two days and most had early dismissals. Businesses were closed and folks have developed extreme cases of Cabin Fever. We have not had trash collection for two weeks. Today the neighborhood garbage cans poised for pick-up. I wonder when and if it will happen. Hurray!!! The trash collectors just made a pass down our street. YES!! Some normalcy is returning.

I am posting some pictures I took from last Wednesday (Feb 10) through yester (Feb 14). You can see some of what we have observed. (click on pictures for larger view)

Birds congregating on neighbor's dormer. On this day (2/10) it was the favored meeting place.

Above, the snow just kept coming and the wind seemed never to stop. The picture of the lamppost was taken just after the driveway had been cleared. The drifted snow is of the driveway not long afterward. The photo to left is of the wreath bow on the bront door.

Cold little bluebird seeking some sunlight.

Turning his back to the wind. These pics taken through paned window screen.

And, then yesterday, there was a heron in the half-frozen pond.

Here's to brighter, warmer winter days.

Skipped January

2010-02-03T14:47:00.001-08:00

Never have I been a fan of January. I care little if anything transpires in January. That is probably quite evident by the attention not paid to this blog. Well, it is now February and the days are getting longer. It is after 5:00 p.m. and it is not completely dark yet. That is a very good thing. But, not much has happened or going on so far in February. We have spent most of the last five days bemoaning the abundance of snow that has come and is forecasted to continue to come and blanket us here. The natives are restless. School has been cancelled or delayed all week. Looks like a pretty ordinary snow scene to me. Friends in the west would surely laugh at the inactivity here in this snow. I wonder if I will ever get used to the differences in climate.

Saturday it snowed a bundle here. It was lovely powder and reminded me of Idaho winters. The guess-timators say we got 10 inches. That must be pretty close because in places it was above my knees. We ventured out on Sunday. We drove south to Ocean City, Maryland and turned around shortly after entering Maryland because the roads had not been cleared there. We then drove through Rehoboth Beach and then to Cape Henlopen State Park where folks were sledding and cross-country skiing. Many accesses to the beaches were closed because of the snow and possibly to discourage folks from sledding on the dunes. We enjoyed getting out and seeing the area in a different light.

Snowy roads at Cape Henlopen

Cold seagulls at Lewes Beach

On Monday, I drove to the Broadkill Beach area and to the Prime Hook Wild Life Refuge. What a surprise to see so few birds. This is where we have seen hundreds and hundreds of snow geese before and there were just a few this day. It was not that cold but the fowl had obviously sought different places to shield themselves from the foul weather. I was able to capture a few photos of on the outing including some of the geese and seagull enjoying the sunshine at Wagamons Pond.

A few snow geese

A gazillion other birds

Cold seagulls on Wagamons Pond

Images from Some Bright December Days

2009-12-31T09:13:00.000-08:00

Just for fun, here are some pictures taken on a few different outings over the holiday period. The first is special because it is of sunset on the Winter Soltice.

The next was a quick shot of a jet contrail as we waited our turn at the car wash on Christmas Eve. We often see contrail along the coastline but not as often across the east-west sky. Besides, it also shows how clear the day was.

The several photos that follow are of this season's version of snow geese. Last Sunday morning I was amazed at the shadows being cast through the house as V and V of honking geese flew overhead. In the early afternoon, we ventured out to Prime Hook Wildlife Refuge where we came upon hundreds of birds. What was different this year was that they were on the opposite side of the road than where they were last year. This is also early in the season so that will surely change.

Below is a view of the other side of the road. It is usually much clearer than it was on this day.

The next two photos were taken on Monday. The area is a field a very short distance from where we live. These farm areas are preferred feeding areas for the geese much to the chagrin of the farmers.

And, now, to the elusive heron. The pond has been very overrun with algae this year and we have seen little of the heron(s). The heavy rains, snow and cold weather have cleared the coves and this guy has returned. No matter what, it is a game trying to get a picture. These are of the heron in a tree as he flew the road just as I was pulling up to see if he were to be seen. At least on this outing I got an image however unclear. I will keep trying.

More outings to come in 2010.

Christmastime 2009

2009-12-27T13:41:00.001-08:00

Putting the Christmas decorations up, mailing the cards and wrapping the presents are among my top priorities of the year. Last year our goal was joyously interrupted by the birth on our grandson on December 12. I think it was mid-February before I completely accomplished my tasks. The decorations were up on time but all else was delayed. This year has been more of a challenge after my health scare of late November and early December and Bill's health issues this year. I vowed that I would not complain about them but they played havoc with my Christmas traditions.

With Erica's help we got our tree the week before Christmas but took several days decorating it. The tree is a Frazier Fir. We have gotten these since we lived in Spokane. Before that it was almost always a Grand Fir or a Noble Fir. The Frazier is a good fir for this climate and is a pretty tree. This year's model is thinner than usual and had a couple of holes that actually added to the beauty. We did not get all of our ornaments on the tree. We did get ornaments from every era of our acquisition of them. The tree turned out quite lovely.

During the days just before Christmas we managed to get most of the rest of our decorations out and up even if not in the originally assigned place. The stockings were hung but the mantel (another story) was not completed with its usual flair. The snowman/woman collections was set out and among the selected areas, it was the most complete. The collection of Santas was put in place and other corners of the house were adorned with lights and/or greenery.

A lack of energy prevented of our more grand décor but the biggest culprit during the week was the huge storm from the previous weekend. It came and left ice and packed snow everywhere. We were out of deicer and so Bill put kitty litter on the sidewalk to make sure I would not fall. A great temporary decision or so it seemed. Clumping kitty litter causes an incredible tracking mess. Christmas Eve day came and we were mopping for the fourth time three days. Finally, most of the tracks are gone. The downpour of Christmas night helped a whole lot too.

Our decorations usually come down on New Years but this year they will stay up through Epiphany. Most of the presents were wrapped an sent. There are still some stragglers and the cards will go out later this week. The good news is that we had a lovely, quiet Christmas and that we were here to enjoy it.

Our best holiday wishes to all.

Beyond the Panes

2009-12-16T12:42:00.001-08:00

A few days before Thanksgiving I was looking at some pictures I had taken earlier in the fall. This one was there and I wondered how I had passed over it in other viewings. It's a little off kilter and not particularly pretty but for some reason I like this picture. It is the window that is part of the George Washington pew of Christ Church in Alexandria, Virginia. We were visiting there with our dear friends Terry and Ray from Oregon. The day was very warm and most of my other photos are of our being on the grounds outside the main building.

So, why am I so drawn to the window? Initially, I wondered about the history it saw from both sides. Then there is something about its humbleness. I try to imagine it being a little darker outside and candlelight reflecting through the panes. I am glad I found this picture. I like reflecting on it.

Thanksgiving weekend and the days that followed were traumatic one for me and my family and friends. I am doing well now and am hoping that the good Christmas elves will visit and help me get the decorations out and up and whatever.

When that is done, I going to start looking for other windows.

Thankful

2009-11-24T12:16:00.001-08:00

It is very gray and dreary here today. It was yesterday too. Sunday was gorgeous. I will take what sunshine comes our way. Many of the people we know here have bemoaned the fact that this has been a wet, windy and cold autumn. Last night one woman told me that the days we have been having are supposed to be reserved for January and February. So, the weather and conditions here have not been the best this year. I am thankful the rains have been sufficient enough alleviate the drought situation that has existed since we moved here. I am also thankful for the beautiful sunny days we have had.

Last of Autumn colors taken last week.

Mostly this year I am thankful for my family's health and happiness. I am grateful for the warm feeling that comes with a grin when we receive updates on our grandson. It is hard to believe that he will be one year old in just two weeks. His mother sent this yesterday and told us it was from yesterday's visit to the library – his first "turkey hand."

I am also very thankful for family and friends both near and far. May all of your days be of Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Summer is Gone

2009-10-23T10:39:00.001-07:00

It has been a few weeks since I last posted. I have been going through one of the phases when I allow boredom to seep into my pores. I really have no reason for this except that it almost always happen during summer. I have always liked the fall and being here in Delaware has not changed that. Gone are the stifling hot last days of summer and first days of autumn. The first really cooling storms have come and after the storms the days have been extraordinarily clear. The season's change was special for us this year as we were fortunate that our friends Terry and Ray ventured to Delaware from Oregon for a visit. Then a week after their visit, our friends Robin and Dave came from Cape Cod. What a boost to my physic those visits were.

Autumn has come to Delaware. We are not into peak color but that will be in a few short days. I love to load Bentley and the camera into the car and travel around the back roads. I take picture after picture of stuff, mostly trees and come home and look at the pictures and say to myself, "Not too bad."

Here are some photos of the first of such outings. These were taken earlier this week. I hope to be out on Sunday when the changes will be more obvious. I also have to force myself to be more inclined to go out in the morning light, much nicer water scenes then.

The Broadkill River at Milton Memorial Park

Different angle of the same area

Wagamons Pond – sun too bright to show depth of color

There will be more later as I travel around Sussex Country and more.

A Drop in Temperature & A Drop in HUMIDITY

2009-09-04T13:21:00.001-07:00

The last few days have become tolerable. The nights are significantly cooler and air has lightened. You can safely bet that I was wishing for a mountain retreat for a couple of weeks. But it is nicer now and the activity in the neighborhood has also increased. Kids have been out of their bikes and rasors. Some of the area schools have started and the rest are set for Tuesday. Every year at this time I want to go back-to-school shopping. Geez, you would think a body would grow out of that.

It has been a very quiet summer. Not much out of the ordinary was done or accomplished from our end. I must have had the "ho-hums." Why else would I get so excited yesterday as I was checking out the in need of clipping shrubbery and saw this "lady." If I remember correctly, this is the first Praying Mantis I have ever seen outside of an exhibition. I wish I had had my SLR but I did have my smaller camera and got a few interesting shots. It amazes me how close in color she was to the shrub. This specimen was much more interesting that the cricket that hopped out of camera case a couple of weeks.

That's about all that is happening here except Summer will officially be eulogized and buried on the beach this weekend in Dewey Beach. The beach aficionados around here take summer very seriously.

Happy Labor Day.

A Curious Happening

2009-08-18T13:42:00.001-07:00

It has been difficult finding or deciding what to post on this blog. Our early and mid-summers were colder and wetter than usual. Hence, some stunted vegetation. Now that the days have warmed the temperature is reaching for all time records. When it is so warm the wind blows it is like the wind is simply sucking the moisture right out of any vegetation. The crepe myrtle which have amazed me with their beauty the past two summers are a little wimpy in color and mass of bloom. Other summer blooms are likewise lacking in typical flash. This strange summer has put me in a funk that makes appropriate posts improbable. Add to this felling a bit homesick I have stayed away from the blog.

The past few weeks I have been thinking a lot about my mom, about some of things we have done that I know she would have enjoyed, about her birthday, her mannerisms, her reactions to having even more great-grandsons and just that I miss her. These feelings have been more frequent lately as I wonder about one of my oldest friends dealing with some heavy issues in placing her mother into an assisted living facility. I thought about writing in this blog about what I have been feeling but decided not to for several reasons. So, you can imagine my reaction this morning when I checked one of the blogs I regularly read. There, right before my eyes, was my favorite picture of my mother when she was a child. Even more surprising was the title "Who is Moggie Loggin?" I first wrote about Moggie Loggin just a few days before her passing.

Well the mystery as to how that tiny little picture got to Portland, Oregon from here is solved. I am sure that it was in an envelope I used to send my friends information about our area. They will be visiting soon. At first I just could not fathom the picture being there and then I remembered that I had pulled a print of that picture out of the envelope and thinking, "How did that get there?" I do remember that I came across the little photo in much the same way Terry did. In the early fall of 2006 it appeared on the floor after I had spent a few hours going through some old photos that somehow ended up in my possession. I remember being almost mesmerized by the picture because I had never seen it before and because it captured the essence of my mother throughout her life.

Anyway, mystery solved.

Summer

2009-07-30T14:28:00.001-07:00

For sure summer got here two plus weeks ago. Fortunately for us we have not had the high temperatures that our family and friends living in the western United States are enduring. Portland and Seattle are lot convection ovens, for lack of a better description. The big difference between there and here right now is that air conditioning is rather random there given the very mild climate while it is in almost every facility here given the summer heat and humidity. There the air is usually chilled by cool marine breezes. Here the waters get nearly as warm as the air. I am wishing all of you in the radical heat some cool in the coming days.

Monday evening we had a meeting downtown. When we arrived at the library there were two young boys riding together on a bike. Of course, they did not have helmets they were just enjoying zipping around like we used to do on late summer days. As we were getting close to crossing the street one of the boys looked back at me and said, "Nice shoes." I guess that goes to show I might not be as old as I thought (don't I wish). Another highlight of the evening was coming home and having fireflies flitting around in the yard. Fireflies are new to me, we did not have them in the west.

Fun Find

2009-07-21T10:40:00.001-07:00

It has been a drill trying to get back to this blog. I have not been out exploring the countryside much the past few months. Instead I have stayed very close to home. Perhaps too much time doing this. Recently I joined the Friends of the Milton Library. My first time working in the small gift shop the organization runs was last week. While I was shelving some recently received used books, I came across one that really caught my eye. I flipped through the pages and was drawn to a few drawings and to some very interesting topics like Mosaic of Subcultures, Identifiable Neighborhood, Eccentric Nucleus, Old People Everywhere, Life Cycle, Garden Growing Wild, and many others. The book is in excellent shape and who can resist the price, $ 0.25? Best 25 cents I have spent in a long time.

What an informative book this is. I have not started to read it through but I have opened it just for fun and read a short section wherever I happen to flip it open. For a "technical" book, this is a captivating look at "towns, building and construction." Published in 1977, this is Volume 2 of Center for Environmental Structure Series. The other two volumes are Volume 1, The Timeless Way of Building and Volume 3, The Oregon Experiment. Sometime I will have to check out the other two volumes. Real Estate developers should be required to carefully read these books.

Not Much Going On Here

2009-06-29T11:21:00.001-07:00

Unlike the past two summers I have not been out and about much to see the countryside. To tell you the truth it has been crusty here. Today the sun is shining brightly and we have summertime warmth. We had a an almost nonexistent spring as can be evidenced by the lack of annual planting in the front. I realized late last week that winter wheat has been harvested and the corn is growing rapidly. Only three weeks ago I noticed that the corn was about six inches high on some farms and had been washed away in patches on some farms because of all the rain that has fallen. Last week the corn was two-three feet tall on most farms. Local corn, squash and tomatoes soon – yippee.

The photo was taken by either Erica or Bill when they were at the beach the beginning of the month. I never see such fun things here in Milton. I guess I should get out more.

Cloudy Days

2009-06-19T12:58:00.001-07:00

This spring has been a rainy one. We have had a few sunny days but mostly the days have been overcast. It always takes me off guard when I look outside, the gray clouds are rolling by and the wind is blowing. Then when I step outside and realize it is quite warm. Right now it looks like I should put a windbreaker on to do some errands. The fact is, I will more comfortable in a sleeveless top. Will I ever get used to this?

There are times during most days when I gaze out and see some special moments in the sky. Yesterday, just before dusk, the clouds to the northeast were beautiful. It was a rather pastel sky with light blues and pinks trying to color the clouds. The above photo is a little later on but it does show how lovely the sky was.

Summer is officially here on Sunday and the projected forecasts are for clearer days next week. That will be nice. Even I, the one who does like really warm days, would like a little of the sunshine of summer. The vegetable and fruit stands are opening up, I can hardly wait for local tomatoes and sweet corn.

Different Kind of Weekend

2009-06-06T12:27:00.001-07:00

Last weekend was very nice. Our daughter and her family visited. It was a beach weekend for them. Bill is always ready for that. It was especially nice because we got time with our grandson who is growing so rapidly. We even got a little babysitting time.

This weekend is very quiet. It is overcast today, at least it is not raining. There was enough of that during the week. I am glad it is not really nice outside because we would be tempted to go out and explore places. The problem is that Bill had radiation treatment this week. He is a little "hot" until Monday afternoon. As a result, he is confined to the house. He can go out and walk the dog. He is not to have direct contact with other folks until Monday. I was tempted to frame a photo of him with a yellow-orange edge but then thought better of it. The radiation is the step before he starts taking thyroid again. He had a thyroidectomy in early April. A very large tumor on one lobe was malignant. The prognosis is excellent. For this we are very grateful. Be that as it may be, it is still a bit nerve racking.

This curve ball has been just that, a strike. We will adjust our stance and hit the next out of the park.

No 55+ Neighborhood for Me

2009-06-01T13:03:00.001-07:00

There are a lot of retired folks living in the subdivision. There are also several families with very young children and some families with kids in adolescent and teen years. If you were inclined to learn the story of each family you would find a patch work of life. You would also find the common threads making the neighborhood. With each individual, couple or family moving in the dynamic of the neighborhood changes a little. It changes more so when they move out of the neighborhood.

It has become more and more popular for retired or more mature folks to seek out the commonality of the 55+ neighborhoods or developments be they single homes, condominiums or apartments. I suppose it would be easier to develop social networks with such living arrangements. But, I, for one, believe that the neighborhood with young, not so young, older and retired is more vibrant than the single focus one. For the last few years I have been struck by the energy that little kids bring to an area. When we first moved here there was only one small girl and one younger boy on our street. The girl has an older brother and sister and the boy has an only brother. There was also a younger boy we did not see much. It was a very quiet place but lacked the vitality active children bring. Keep in mind the small street we live on has over twenty houses.

Last May a young family moved in next door. There were four very young children who ran to their hearts' content from dawn until dusk. Bill became quite enamored with them as they called him Mr. Bill. He liked being called Mr. Bill. By summer's end there were two more families with younger children who moved into the neighborhood. And, by year end there was at least one more family. It was wonderful watching them play. It was wonderful having more than two trick-or-treaters.

Yesterday the family next door moved to Maryland to be closer to the father's work. The day before the little boy and another boy were playing tag or the like when the other boy asked, "Who's that?" To which the neighbor boy replied, "That's Mrs. Bill." I thought that was very cute.

Mr. and Mrs. Bill are going to miss those little rascals.

A Curiosity

2009-05-26T13:52:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I was putting some things away and required a stapler. Of course, the stapler was empty. I reached into the desk drawer and pulled out the trusty of blue box of staples. I filled the stapler and as I was putting the box of staples back into its drawer, I thought. "We have had this box of staples for a long time." For some reason I looked at the price tag still on the box and was more than a little surprised to see the tag printing, "University Bookstore, $ .95 each."

The curiosity here is that the box of staples has been serving us for a long while. How long is the question? My guess is that it is between 25 and 45 years. I think I shall take on a little exploration to see if I can determine if nothing else the university bookstore where they were purchased.

More Spring Beauty

2009-05-06T13:01:00.001-07:00

This past weekend we travelled to Arlington for a Kentucky Derby Party. That was all fun and good but upon arrival into the area we were awed by the blooming of pink and white dogwoods, other flowering trees and the colorful azaleas. There were places that the colorful bounty resembled poufy pillows. Just as it was when we visited the Cherry Blossoms, the weather was overcast, rainy and very cool for the season. The advantage of this is that on cloudy days it is easier to see the differences in the colors of the foliage, there are a gazillion greens, a multitude of pinks, and wide range of lavender to purple. With this, join me to view some of the highlights of what we saw.

The three views above are of some Erica and Geoff's azaleas.

This is a retaining wall around the corner.

Last year a local acquaintance suggested that a visit to the National Arboretum when azaleas are blooming is not to be missed. We did go last year but we were four or five days past the peak. We decided this year that if what we were seeing in Arlington and the District was any indication, then a stop at the Arboretum on our way home was a must. Because it was raining we did not leave the car. There are many more beautiful sections on the hills above where we were but these photos give a good indication of what we saw and what is deeper in the woods.

“Where’s the Beef?”

2009-04-20T10:11:00.001-07:00

Thursday was Bill's birthday. He gets the day off and has to take that day or he loses it. We decided to take a drive up to Lancaster County, PA since it has been some time since we last were there. It was a beautiful day. And we are glad we made the trip which has become one of our favorites.

We have yet to make a visit to this country and not see laundry drying on a clothes line. Thursday must be the day for light colors and whites. Other trips we have made on Saturdays the clothes on the line are always dark. We can say that the two photos below can be called "Going Green."

Wash Day

Alternatives to Fossil Fuels

When we got to the specific spots we were wanted to visit it was past lunch time. We did not find restaurants immediately with good access from where were situated on the busy roads. We made a couple of stops on our trek to find a descent lunch. We stopped at the farm where we get homemade root beer and then the site of the farmers' market we always visit. We got root beer but the farmers' market is closed on Thursdays. That was where we could get an excellent sandwich. Well, we finally stopped at very big restaurant. It was well after 2:00 p.m. by then. I was trying to find just the right combination that was satisfying and healthy. Bill went for sausage and from the huge list of vegetables he took mashed potatoes and white corn. I finally decided that it has been a long time since I have had a good burger that that is what I would order, healthy just got tossed out the window – it was to come with onions, homemade relish, pickles, tomatoes and lettuce, all on a Kaiser roll (some healthy).

Our order came and Bill dug right into his selection. I put some ketchup on the side with the tomatoes and onions after which I closed the sandwich. I thought it a little odd that when I closed the burger the roll's bottom was on top. The vegetables were hanging well out of the burger. I started to eat it by cutting into it and eating with my fork. I have done this for a few years. I did not cut in half like I usually do. I took a couple more bites and decided I should adjust the innards as I thought the burger had slipped to the back. As I did this I realized that there was no beef. I was momentarily taken aback thinking that the healthy food gods were laughing at me. I had not eaten any beef and I swear I looked under the tomatoes and under the lettuce. Where's the beef? Not in that burger for sure. After everyone had a good laugh, a new burger was delivered.

It was a good day.

It is a Really Gray Day in Delaware

2009-04-15T12:38:00.001-07:00

It has rained all day. Not a light rain but a get down and do it rain. Entirely appropriate for April 15. That might be, but I could use some sunshine. To make the day worse my printer is broken and I am hoping it can be fixed. It has been a great printer and I do not want to fork over bucks to replace it.

Tomorrow is Bill's birthday. He gets the day off so we are going to drive to Lancaster County for a day trip. It is supposed to be nice tomorrow. Let's hope so.

It is so wet out I have no desire to take my camera out of the bag. Besides, the Delaware countryside is almost invisible in this weather. What's the best thing (always the best) to post when no new photos of Delaware are available? It has to be a new picture of our grandson taken by his mother on Easter Sunday. It was taken while he was in his carseat. Those eyes make me forget about the clouds.

Some Final Views of 2009 Cherry Blossom Visit

2009-04-08T10:27:00.001-07:00

The 2009 edition of the National Cherry Blossoms was one where the blossoms reached their magnificent peaks last weekend. That was about four days after our visit. The weather remained chilly through most of the week. That slowed the fullest of the display of blooms until Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It would have been wonderful to be there then but there are no regrets from us. We still enjoyed a wondrous display.

Each time we visit the area we see from afar and sometimes close-up the Washington and Jefferson Memorials. How close we get to them and others depends on what activity we are planning. The first year we visited the cherry blossoms we opted to walk past the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. Last Year and this year it was a highlight. Included in the following images are some of the monuments. I never seem to tire of seeing them.

Last year while going through my Cherry Blossom photos I lost the external hard drive where I had stored the photos. Fortunately I was able to find someone who was able to recover most of the files and replace the hard drive for me. This year I have been much more cautious and therefore slower in getting these posted.

So, here is a final look at our version of the National Cherry Blossoms 2009. (click on photos for larger view)

One of several views of the Washington Memorial.

The headquarters (Castle) of Smithsonian

Jefferson Memorial – Look closely and you can get a glimpse of him looking out.

Along the way we encountered this. Even I had to duck.

Blossoms look as if they were placed on a mirror.

A canopy of blossoms

The rear entrance to the FDR Memorial

There was some blue sky

A dark cloud came over the Basin

The water looks so very cold.

The sun came back.

FDR words on civil rights relevant today.

Words of FDR still significant.

The Lincoln Monument from the front entrance of FDR Memorial.

National Cherry Blossoms, 2009 Edition

2009-04-03T12:19:00.001-07:00

Here I am back with some views of our visit to this year's cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C. You can see with the photos that we were probably two to three days early of capturing the "peak." However, many of the younger trees were in full bloom and those points around the Tidal Basin with the most sunlight also displayed full blossoms. One could visit the site each day during the blossoming of these trees and be treated to a new sight with every visit.

Our views for this trip were almost the exact opposite of those from the previous two years. This year we did not get any of the "above the walk" views we did previously, all because we started at the entrance of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial instead of the Jefferson Memorial. Also, because of the overcast and cold there few reflections on the water and not a duck in sight.

Here is today's edition of our last visit.

First glimpse of trees

For no particular reason many of my compositions include a trash can

Through the blossoms to the other side of the Basin

Close up of blossoms

Just blossoms

Across the Basin

Blossoms looking upward

Cork Tree estimated to be 80 years old

Gnarled roots

Blossoms

Close up of blossoms

Pink blossoms, the clouds allowed us to see the different shades of pink and white more clearly.

Hanging branch

Foreboding sky

Marine helicopter bearing inscription "United States of America" but it did not have President's seal. Barack was probably waiting – I can speculate can't I?

Looking back under branches

Gnarled tree.

It’s 10 Days into the Season, Guess Where We Went?

2009-03-31T13:01:00.001-07:00

A blossom blown to the ground, a gnarled old tree and the majesty of the Washington Monument filled our day yesterday. Yes, once again we journeyed to National Cherry Blossom Festival. We go to see the blossoms and have yet to venture out into any of the other activities. That is also because we usually go on a Monday. This year as the previous two have been the sight of the cherry blossoms is awe inspiring. The most distinct difference in our three trips has been the weather. The first time was an incredibly beautiful day, last year a light rain fell and it was comfortable with a jacket, and this year it was cold and blowy. It is hard to believe that the beauty of blossoms transends those conditions. We were possibly 48 hours or so early for the full peak this year but it was still was a memorable visit.

More to follow in the next few days.

Blog Neglect

2009-03-26T09:33:00.001-07:00

It has been sometime since I posted regularly. I am not sure why but I think it is because I was starting to bore myself let alone any readers out there. The weather sometimes makes me feel that way. An excuse? Probably. But, I am so wanting it to be Spring sometime before it gets to be hot and humid as it is known to happen here. This year I think it is not just an excuse. It seems that everyone I communicate with is voicing the same desire.

This picture was taken about ten days ago. It shows how uninviting the weather makes an otherwise beautiful beach look in this grayness. We have had a few bright sunshiny days yet they are colder than normal and the wind keeps blowing on through here. Today, it looks just like the photo if not a little bleaker. The rain is truly needed but there is a difference between rainy days and just plain bleak days. Yuck.

On a more positive note, most of the trees are starting to show a little color in their limbs and on closer look the leaves on most have budded. Throughout the area there are beautiful beds of daffodils. Mine have not bloomed. I don't expect the meager little patch to show blossoms this year. They were very frozen in the cold of January and February.

I have not seen any crocus blooming but one friend assures me that her crocus are blooming abundantly this year. I love crocus. The crocus patches I had (above) in Spokane are among the things I miss most. They made me feel that Spring was definitely on the way. The air seemed fresher, the sky was bluer, the song birds were returning and smiles were broader when they bloomed.

An Angel, Perhaps

2009-03-11T13:23:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago when I wrote of my friend Shelia's visit I mentioned our brief stop at a soup kitchen. This short stop was one of those times in one's life that makes an impact that is sometimes beyond articulation.

The woman to the right in this photo is Dale Dunning. She was recently featured in People Magazine, was Delaware's 2008 Jefferson Award winner and is a symbol of what can be good in all of us. The meeting came about because the Milton Lions Club was making a contribution to her ministry in honor of the MLK Day of Service. The woman on the left is Milton Lion Judith Priest. Ms. Dunning has made her mobile soup kitchen her ministry. She believes that you must fill the stomach before you can fill the soul. She uses an RV named Beulah to deliver her bounty. There are a couple of places where she uses a permanent facility such as the one where we visited. Her specialty is chicken rice soup. If the wonderful aroma is any clue, the soup is fabulous. Anyone is welcome to partake. If I remember correctly, she (along with volunteers who have enlisted including this day her husband and grandson) serves from 20-50 each weekday. She is at a different spot each weekday. She has two permanent spots she visits the same day of each week. The others will sometimes vary. Where ever she is, she is welcome.

The JUUST SOOUP Ministry does not solicit nor accept government assistance. Ms. Dunning wishes the ministry to be as free of government restriction and intervention as possible.

This woman is one of those who makes you feel goodness is all about. In these very difficult times it is so refreshing to meet someone who is kind, generous and gracious. She lets me feel that "there angels among us."

The Morning Paper

2009-03-02T10:08:00.001-08:00

Bill went out early this morning and spent an hour or so shoveling the newly fallen snow from the driveway and sidewalk. He told me when he came in that if the paper had been delivered he did not see it in all of that white. We had what was for here a major snow storm last night. I would estimate there is from 5 to 7 inches of the stuff. We have winter storm advisories posted until later this afternoon. When I decided I needed to take some pictures of what had fallen last night and early this morning, I was amused when I saw at the bottom of the back steps, a section of our missing paper. There were some very strong winds and I am sure the wind took the paper, blew it apart and part of it landed in the back yard.

For us March came in like a lion, this snowfall is more than all of the combined snow we have had since we moved to Delaware. It should be all gone by mid-week when the temperature starts to rise to over 50 for the weekend.

Below are a few of the scenes I captured this morning.

Looking out to back steps.

Nearby trees.

The scene across vacant lot and next street.

Old Friends

2009-02-27T14:10:00.001-08:00

"Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold."

These words from what was for me an old Brownie Scout round ( I am almost certain I have referred to it before in this blog) always come to mind when something special like contact with a special friend happens. This week the refrain has been going through my head almost constantly. First we receive the annual Valentine from our friends Terry and Ray. These valentines are among the most eagerly awaited greetings we receive during the year. This year was no exception. The special cards, always crafted by Terry, are beautiful but I like receiving the news of the family . Yes, I am one who enjoys most of the holiday letters because it is the one time during the year that our circle catches up with each other.

Just a couple of days later we received a "Winter Greetings" letter from old friends Ed and Sharon. The day before my old friend Shelia (that's the correct spelling) called and said she would be driving up our way on Wednesday and wondered if she could see us. She arrived Wednesday afternoon shortly after her arrival I got a phone call from my dear friend Robin. She called to let us know her third grandchild, a girl, was born early in the day. How wonderful is that?

Shelia stayed until this morning. She and her husband Ron are dear college friends from Idaho State. She is a sorority sister. They have lived in North Carolina a long while now and they always seemed so far away. Now we are under a day's drive from each other. Shelia and I headed out yesterday morning for a look/see of the area. But first I needed to make a stop at a wonderful soup kitchen. I will write about this another time. Then we drove through the town of Rehoboth Beach for her to get a flavor of our most famous beach town, then on down the coast to Assateague Island. Yes, I had to go there again. That was OK because Shelia loves the beach and she loves horses. It was so peaceful down there yesterday. Most of the ponies were on a point inaccessible by car and quite possibly by foot. We did see a few ponies and managed to get some great close up pictures of two who were quietly munching away in separate access points.

I think I will keep my "golden friends."

Yaaay! My Camera is Back

2009-02-23T11:25:00.001-08:00

The camera just got back after sending it to the factory for repairs. It is much better now. There will be no more of my special care for it. The only problem with it now is that there is still a small line that I apparently put on it. I will deal with like that for a while and then decide what to do. All of the other goobers are gone.

We went to Fowler Beach and I took some pictures. This is the beach that had so much damage with the late Nor'easter last year. The big problem then was that salt water had breached into the freshwater ponds and caused some pretty yucky looking areas. That is starting to recover and look more normal. However, there were hardly any birds there this trip. It has been very cold for here and they probably found a warmer spot.

It is always a point of fantasy when we are here that I look at this. I am not sure what it was put here for but it could be a lookout for birders as they peruse the ponds and marshes, it could be a spot to see the ocean without crossing the dunes, or it just be that it is just there. I must make a note of checking it out further.

There were only a few ducks in the ponds on this trip but in the adjacent fields there were hundreds of Snow Geese. I have been thinking that there are not as many as last year and then I come across field after field of these. They are beautiful but they also are creating some serious problems simply because of their large numbers.

Firsts

2009-02-08T12:52:00.001-08:00

Since starting this blog I have covered a lot of firsts but mostly they have been "firsts of without" like first time without someone or something. Now I can periodically blog about "firsts with." For you see, almost every day of this year will be a first with our grandson Jacob Elijah. He has now had his first Christmas, first January 1, first Ground Hog Day and as he Dad proudly told him (just 5 weeks old then) "Jake this is your first inauguration." Yesterday, Bill and I went to get him our first Valentine's Day gift for him. I think I will like these firsts.

Buggered Up the Camera

2009-02-08T12:34:00.001-08:00

There have been few posts since I did some bad deeds to my camera. Actually, I have been trying to get rid of a spot and in my frustrations I managed to make it much worse. Here I have been thinking I was doing the right thing by very carefully using optical paper to clean the lenses and the mirrors. The spot did not go away. It became two. Then one black blotch. Then one black blotch and a spot. And, finally, a black blotch, a spot and a wavy line. Alas, the camera is back at the fix-it department of Nikon. I hope it doesn't deplete my budget. I miss my camera but will go back to the old one until the other is returned home.

Snow

2009-01-28T10:22:00.001-08:00

It snowed here yesterday. All of school kids were home before 1:00 p.m. It did not snow much but it did snow just enough to require some sidewalk and driveway shoveling to make sure they do not ice. It snowed a little more during the night. I know that the above picture does will make my friends in the west think that the snow here is nothing at all. We still think that but I guess we have to remember that snow removal is not a big item when local and state budgets are prepared. There is little to none in the line of snow removal equipment here. They do salt the roads when there is indication of ice. This happens especially when there is freezing fog.

Lamp Post through the fog.

Anyway, we know that it could snow more here but this is the most we have had here in the two years we have been here. The two photos I have posted were taken about 11:00 a.m. today. It is now 1:15 p.m. The temperature is approaching the high 40's, the wind is blowing and the snow is rapidly melting. The big problem is that it is supposed to be much colder this evening and tomorrow. I sure hope the huge puddles left by the melting snow will have drained away before that or there surely will be an icy mess.

Our Inaugural Trip

2009-01-22T14:23:00.001-08:00

On November 2, two days before the election, we got a call from our daughter and son-in-law saying that we were going to the Inauguration. They were very confident about the outcome. They had it all figured out how we were all going to embark on this journey. It included getting a wheelchair for me so they and Bill could make good progress. I would hold the (yet unborn) baby so a stroller would not be required. That was before it became evident that the swell of humanity attending would make those plans unfeasible. We also were unsuccessful in attaining tickets to the event. Geoff did receive an official commemorative invitation to the event. Although we were not going to the actual event we wanted to be in the area anyway so we went to Arlington last Saturday.

Besides wanting to be close to the action, this gave us an opportunity to get in some good grandparents' time hugging our grandson. While Erica and Geoff headed off to a Clinton/Gore alumni function Bill and I got to sit with precious baby boy.

On Monday Bill and I drove to the Manassas Battlefield. This was our first visit to the site. It is a beautiful spot but also a sobering monument. Being there at the site of the first battle of the Civil War seemed to be the right place to be on January 19, 2009. It is difficult for me to articulate my feelings here but when we got back to Arlington and looked at the photos I had taken I was taken aback by the image below. I had been snapping a photo of just the Stonewall Jackson statue or at least that is what I thought. I did not realize that anyone else was there. The gentleman also taking a picture somehow seems so symbolic of the day. Perhaps we have reached a point where we will (to paraphrase Dr. King) "…no longer be judged by the color of our skin but by the content of our character."

I awoke very early on Inauguration Day. Geoff had decided he was going to the ceremony and would catch the Metro at 4:00 a.m. I heard him upstairs and knew he left around 3:45 a.m. I worried about him because it has been so cold and it was still at least seven hours before the ceremony would start. I got even more concerned after I turned on the TV to see that some Metro stations had very long lines that early in the morning. I continued to watch the news shows and was glad I was not among the throngs. It was very cold and there was no place to sit. Then, once the ceremonies began and the sea of people and flags were shown I was regretful. I got chills as President spoke and there were images of people my age and older with tears running down their faces. A barrier once thought impenetrable had been moved aside.

Geoff got home in the late afternoon cold, tired, sore and completely excited because he had been there. That enthusiasm that exists in spite of the incredible obstacles we are facing today gives me every reason to hope and that there will be a better day.

Enjoying the Morning

2009-01-15T09:05:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted much about our grandson. I really have been trying to keep our "beaming" to a minimum. But, I do have to say, "He is a keeper!" His parents are doing well and seem to be adjusting to "Jacob's world" quite nicely. This is the photo Erica emailed today.

We get to see him this weekend for the first time since he was about 10 days old. Yep, we are looking forward to it!

911 Center

2009-01-13T13:16:00.000-08:00

The program for last night's Milton Lions Club meeting was a road trip. Following dinner we drove to the nearby town of Georgetown where we were given a tour of the new 911 Center. I was not sure what to expect except that it was not what we saw. This center is the 911 Center for the entire county and is certified for excellence. Perhaps the easiest way to describe it would be a "high tech modern day civil defense command center."

This center is what I would imagine a large city to have even if it is probably smaller. I know that a whole lot of what this center is is because of the emphasis of Homeland Security. However, I like to think that it has more to do with "good old common sense'" with common sense solutions -- maximize efforts with sometimes the minimum of resources. The design of the place makes it difficult for turf wars to get in the way of solutions to the problem(s) at hand.

While I was impressed with the functionality and purpose of the center, I was blown away with the technology. It made me think of what I believe the most technical of "situation room" should be. Dispatch stations were equipped with at least six monitors, two or three keyboards and the stations were electronically adjustable to fit the operator and to allow the operator to change positions during a shift. There are several of these stations and then there is in the same room a giant monitor capable of bringing six channels at the same time. All of this was like a "Bond" movie.

It was reassuring to find out about this center. If you have the opportunity, you should visit your local center. You will appreciate more what is done there.

As an aside, I could not find a good link for the center but will update when I do.

Spokane Snow

2009-01-06T09:24:00.001-08:00

On several occasions while I have been writing this blog I mentioned snow in the Pacific Northwest. I cited the beauty of it, the frustration of it, the normality of it, almost always with a longing to be back in it. That has changed this year!! First, let me say, at my best I have never been sure-of-foot in the snow. Yes, I know there are many snickering and saying, "That's an UNDERSTATEMENT if there ever was one!" But, I always managed to somehow get around through the annual deluge. The snowfall in Spokane this season has convinced that too much is too much!! A fork lift on trax is probably only way I could navigate about this year. I am glad to be living away from it and will probably keep my visits to the warmer less difficult to maneuver about in months, like May through October.

Welcome 2009

2009-01-01T09:17:00.000-08:00

The sun set on 2008 late yesterday afternoon. What a year of extremes it was. We all had our own "highs and lows." We each know what they were and should probably keep it at that and move on to this new year with eyes forward, heads held high, warm hearts and open arms. Let's do this while not forgetting the difficult lessons of the past year. This is my prayer.

It is said that "Hope springs eternal." My hope was surely refreshed in late 2008 with the birth of our grandson. So, it is with hope for the future, a better future, that I say "Welcome 2009."

Congratulations Coeur d'Alene

2008-12-31T07:52:00.000-08:00

(Note: This post should have some wonderful photos but because of distance and you will understand circumstance it does not. Instead, please go to the links to appreciate what these young women accomplished.)

Every morning is started with the reading of the newspaper. Whereever we have been the paper of choice is usually the one that most likely captures the regional news. I could go on for sometime about the choices we have made when it comes to newspapers like choosing the Oregonian over the San Francisco Chronicle when we lived in Crescent City, CA but let's just say that we try get the best and most comprehensive view of the area. For our daily paper in Delaware we have chosen The News Journal. Now, with all of that said, you can only imagine my surprise this morning when glancing over the sports section I saw this headline: "Winning Tourney Easier than Trek for Idaho Team."

Reading the article I believe the difficulty in getting to the tournament especially in light of the vast amount of snow that has fallen on northern Idaho and eastern Washington this month. the article served the team well but I do not think the writer fully appreciated the situation given the short distance between Coeur d'Alene and Spokane. The fact that this team got out of the Inland Empire at all is significant let alone surviving the other airline snarls and then making it to the tournament just in time to play.

Congratulations to Coeur d'Alene High School Girls' Basketball Team for the Avon Cup Tournament win. This Delaware based Idaho native is very proud of your accomplishments in winning the tournament and making the journey.

I wish I had known this team was playing in a tournament so close to us. I would have made the effort to go and support them.

Can It Be? Christmas has Come and Gone

2008-12-29T10:46:00.000-08:00

Bent and Bill strolling the beach

Here it is December 29. It is 20 degrees cooler than yesterday, the sky is clearer and the wind is not blowing as hard. It reached 72 yesterday. It was off to the beach time for us and several hundred, I am sure, other water loving souls. We went to a beach we have not been to since we moved here. It is one of the nicer areas in Cape Henlopen State Park. Herring Beach appears to be the beach where surfers congregate if yesterday is any indication. It also has distinctive rock out-croppings that make for more a secluded feeling of the area. It is very difficult for me to get down to the beaches here because the sand at the accesses and to the shoreline is so deep. That was a problem at this beach also but because of the great overlook I was able to enjoy the wind and the view without the sand. Bill and Bentley got in their requisite time walking the beach. I think we will return to this beach soon because I want to spend more time exploring some of the history, flora and fauna.

"T'was the night..."

Our Christmas was a very quiet affair. Bill and I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day opening gifts and talking with family and friends on the telephone. The most special time was when Erica called on Christmas Eve and read The Night Before Christmas to her Dad and baby Jacob. Bill read Erica the poem every year from her first Christmas (she was four months old) until she started reading it to him sometime between the time she was 8-10. That has continued each year since and even the years when she is away she telephones and reads through the wires. Now Jacob is part of the tradition. I do not know about Erica but I do know that Bill probably looks forward to that moment more than any at Christmastime.

Our decorating frenzy this year was quite subdued when compared to other years. I think that was wise. The tree held all of the eclectic ornaments collected through the years and has been a comfort to have in this season. It will be up for a few more days and then all the ornaments and other decor will be carefully stored away for another year. Getting them all out and up and then down and stored is a whole lot like opening an old family album, full of precious memories to share and recapture year after year.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T10:41:00.000-08:00

We have been trying to follow the snow stories out of the Pacific Northwest through media and via friends and family. Except for our California family and friends, all of our west coast connections are enjoying a white Christmas. Not so for us in Delaware. So, I thought I would share our little bit white Christmas through my expanding snowman(woman) collection. Thanks to those who have added to it this year already. I truly appreciate it.

Whether your Christmas is white or not may it peaceful and warm. May you share the love of those around you both far and near. Know that we are wishing you the very best of the season and the year.

We offer our prayers for peace, love and understanding in this blessed season.

George Ann

2008-12-23T12:05:00.000-08:00

George Ann Preston

March 15, 1993 -- December 23, 2008

Our black cat, George Ann, quietly passed away this morning. She was a member of this family for almost 16 years.

Georgie was born a in a barn near Frenchtown, Montana. I do not know how many siblings she had but do know that she had a brother Ike. George Ann was a very small black cat and Ike was a very large black cat. Georgie came home to live with Erica and Ike joined the family of one of Erica's dear friends. We adopted George not long after we lost a cat to a coyote. Thus, our goal was to make our newly acquired barn cat an indoor cat. That worked with some success. George loved to go out on the second story deck, jump to a gable and climb over the roof to the little roof over the front step where she would stay and cry until we would rescue her. She would look at us with a "Where have you been?" look and then run off to hide in a closet when we released her inside.

She hated change and our frequent moves always set her in a dither. She would assume her "chicken walk" and find a cupboard to take up residence until we found her. She loved living in Spokane where she was able to live as an indoor/outdoor kitty. She especially like going out in the summer sun. She also like to walk with Bill and our old dog Samantha on their walks.

Georgie did not like strangers coming to the house. When there was a knock at the door she was off like a flash not to be seen until the visitors were gone. She did, however, love Erica, my mother, Bill, Sammie, sometimes Bentley and me.

We will miss her jumping from the top of the refrigerator, crawling out of a cupboard, swatting the dog, knocking things off the dresser at night for attention, crying when she got her insulin shots, and snuggling on our laps for her special attention.

Rest well old friend. We loved you and will miss you.

All is Groovy

2008-12-22T09:37:00.000-08:00

We got back from Arlington late yesterday afternoon. I spent the week with Erica, Geoff and baby Jacob. Bill and Bentley came back over on Friday evening. Bill and I spent our 33rd anniversary at Anca's holiday party. The party participants sang a wonderful rendition of the 59th Street Bridge Song in honor of our special day. That was the song played as the recessional for our wedding on a cold, foggy and snowy day in Boise, Idaho all those years ago. Thanks to all and especially Erica who requested Alexandra do it.

We are starting to get used to this grandparenting thing and look forward to more times with Jake as he grows and develops. Like her father who read the Wall Street Journal to her when she was a very tiny baby, I overheard Erica reading young Jacob The Economist one day last week. Goodness!! What's a grandmother to do?

All my Christmas activity was put on hold while I was away so today I will try to make more order of the place. In the meanttime, "Slow down, you move too fast..."

Welcome Jacob Elijah!

2008-12-15T07:55:00.000-08:00

Friday, December 12 at 1:10 p.m., Jacob Elijah was delivered via c-section. He weighed 9lbs 5oz and was 21 inches long. He is our first grandchild and as you can imagine we are quite taken with him. We saw him last night for the first time.

Jake is doing well. His mother is tired and comfortable but improving each day. Geoff is most pleased and is not leaving Erica or Jacob's sides until they come home probably tomorrow.

Bill and I getting used to all of this and can hardly wait to spend more time with our new grandson.

Still Waiting for Our December Delivery

2008-12-11T08:32:00.000-08:00

Santa came to Milton but didn't have a delivery for us.

The due date has come and gone and the wait is still on. Erica and Geoff are not parents yet which means we are not proud grandparents yet. So, instead of going something productive like get the Christmas tree and put it up, address cards, and finish gifts, I am in wait mode. It's sort of like being in a holding pattern in airplane. Today, I must do something to amend this situation.

Update -- Still Waiting

2008-12-07T10:17:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving came and went and I spent a few days under the weather. We have done a couple of community things since then but mostly we have been waiting. That little one is not in any hurry at all to make her/his appearance.

Just to prove we haven't been total bumps on logs. Here are some photos of a recent outing to Prime Hook Game Refuge and Broadkill Beach. The amazing thing about Prime Hook this time of year is the number of migratory birds making a stop. On this particular day there were what seemed to be thousands of snow geese in one of the waterways. There were so many that the perspective was distorted.

Snow Geese Making a Stop

Heron & Duck butts

Bill & Bentley Back from the Beach.

More on the happenings in this part of Delaware later in the week.

Mac 'n Cheese

2008-11-29T09:03:00.000-08:00

The long weekend is starting to wind down and I hope that you had a beautiful Thanksgiving. Ours was quiet, just Bill and me. I sometimes miss the huge family dinners we would sometimes enjoy when I was a kid and then there are times that I am happy for the solitude. This year was quiet because we are all eagerly awaiting arrival the baby, sometime in the next few days now.

In the time we have been in Delaware we have come across what is to us an oddity, macaroni and cheese served very frequently and always as a side dish. At first I thought it the potluck nature of a couple of events we attended and then we noticed it showing up at buffet dinners we were attending. After a while we started noticing it with great frequency on restaurant menus not as a main dish but as a side dish.

My history is one where mac 'n cheese is a main dish. It has always been a family favorite and has been elevated to a "special dinner" status. It is always fun and, of course, very fattening. We serve it with salad and a beverage.

That's not the case when we go to other places here in Delaware. For example, it is most often the case to have turkey or chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, mac 'n cheese, corn, a sweet potato dish, rolls, and dessert. Often, there is a dish of canned peas and dumplings. These are a thin, almost clear, noodle like concoctions that are smaller but resemble won tons. So many of the dishes served here are traditional. But, I sure would like to know how the tradition of so many starches came to be. It kind of takes that joy out mac 'n cheese.

The good thing for me is that Bill does not request macaroni and cheese as often as he did. But, there are times that hot, sticky dish can't be beat.

Channeling Mom

2008-11-18T09:22:00.001-08:00

My mother has been the focus of many posts. She passed away two years ago this month. Not a day goes by that I do not think about her and my dad. Sometimes as I remember them I just ache because I miss them so. There are the times I am filled with joy because they are always with me. And, then there are the times I just shake my head in wonderment. Take the day in September when I went to Dover to purchase flannel for receiving blankets for our soon to be grandchild. I wanted to make sure that Erica and Geoff had some of these over sized, double thickness blankets. My mother made each of my siblings and me several of these when our children were born. They were especially useful as the baby got bigger. Erica used her for her dolls, her pets and covered herself when she took naps. We still have a couple of those originals around here.

I waited to start this project because Erica was hesitant about whether or not she wanted them until one of her friends told her she need LOTS of swaddling blankets. I had originally thought I would purchase fabric on-line until I realized that shipping costs would make the whole process unreasonable. So it was off to a fabric store. Dover is 30 or so miles away and is the closest area for a fabric store. While there I found several really cute boy possibilities and some very sweet girl possibilities. The problem I was having making my selection was that we do not know the gender so I had to select viable gender neutral pieces. I found several that I liked and selected them making sure that I had a complimentary piece for the other side. This is where my mother comes into the story. My mother was a very good seamstress. My mother had a taste for outrageous fabric. The louder or busier the better as far as she was concerned. While I selecting fabrics I was in a section where there were several pieces of the same color palette and I was trying to pair two or three pieces. Anyway, I made my selections and came home.

When I got home I eagerly showed them to Bill. The problem was that I could not effectively match the fabrics as I remembered them when I purchased them. In fact, I got home with at least one piece I do not remember selecting. There was one piece that was of the color palette of a couple other pieces but it just did not match. I tried several different combinations and after a few days decided that I needed to match that piece and another with other fabric. This trip was to Salisbury where I found a few more pieces I liked and a solid to match my strange piece still at home. It was while I was selecting new matching fabrics that it dawned on me what happened earlier. My mother had selected that fabric and put it into my cart. I remember selecting another but do not remember it getting into the cart.

Well, after all of that I ended up having to get a new sewing machine (my old one just pooped) and finally finishing 10 large receiving/swaddling blankets. A couple of them are very sweet, one is very wintery with snowmen one side and snowy trees on the other, a couple feature many of the animals that seem to be making up the theme of the nursery as it progresses, one has a nursery rhyme theme, some have fun patterns, and then there is one that Erica proclaimed, "Oh, my gosh, that looks just like what Grandma would have done!"

This photo taken by Erica using her i Phone shows all of the blankets over the edge of their bright blue crib. If you look closely to the right you will see the channeled blanket. It is not the prettiest by far but it will be used with lots of love and remembering. Mom will be in the nursery looking over another of her great grandchildren.

Our Own Saturday Night Disco

2008-11-13T11:03:00.001-08:00

"Happy Labor Day" is the Message

In the last post I mentioned we had spent the weekend in Arlington for a baby shower for Erica and Geoff. It was great fun and would not have been possible without the incredible hospitality and hostessing (my word) job of Anca and Alexandra. Thanks also to John and Kiki.

Erica & Alexandra -- Fast Friends.

Wonderful, wonderful Anca

Erica has always marched to a different beat and this shower was no different. The disco theme brought out the "ham" in her and Geoff's friends and family. Erica covered her baby belly with a shimmering silver fabric to indicate a disco ball and Geoff donned a truly awful leisure suit. It is hard to believe they were ever in style. Most of the attendees wore something reminiscent of the late 70's.

Disco Baby

Leisure Suit?

Instead of regular shower games we had one where the invitees had previously (some brought Saturday) sent me photos of themselves "Then and Now." These were placed on a board and then the trick was to match "Then and Now." It was much harder than expected. Winners were given CD's of disco music.

This post is to show some of the fun and frivolity.

Enjoying the Company

Then & Now

Radiant Mother-to-Be

Showing the Gifts

Oh, yeah!!

Resting Today

2008-11-10T11:07:00.000-08:00

The past few weeks have been very busy ones for us. Today, I am mostly doing nothing before I get everyday things done that have been pushed aside for the past few weeks. Lord, what happened to the energy of days past?

For some reason, probably traditions developed over harvesttime, there a tons of activities planned by almost every civic group in Delaware and Maryland during October. Bill and I belong to the Milton Lions Club and it seems like there is no time to breathe once October 1 arrives until November 1.

We had commitments with Lions and I was fitted with a new brace which required several trips to Salisbury, Maryland during the past month. We went to Arlington one weekend for Erica's band concert. The following weekend we went to Philadelphia to visit an old friend Blackfoot, Idaho. She opened her home and provided a quiet lovely time. Then, this past weekend we went to Arlington for a baby shower for Erica and Geoff. This was a major event and I had a project that had to get done as well as finishing some items I made for the baby. The shower was great fun. Our thanks to Anca, Alexandra, John and Kiki for all that the did. It was wonderful and beyond expectations.

Erica and Geoff had breakfast for Geoff's parents and us on Saturday morning. Geoff took his parents to a museum, Erica took Bill off on errands and I finished my shower project. Yesterday, Erica, Geoff, Geoff's parents, Bill and I had a brunch in Palisades area of D.C. From there, his parents headed back to NYC and Bill and I went to get Bentley before heading back to Delaware.

Now, I am wondering just when the baby will arrive. I am thinking, sometime in the next couple of weeks.

Vote

2008-11-04T06:46:00.001-08:00

Whatever you do today, make sure you voted or have voted. This privilege of our democracy carries with it the responsibility to exercise that privilege.

Complacency is not an excuse. The strength of the republic is in the hands of the voter. So, please exercise that vote.

I Was So Excited I Missed It

2008-10-31T17:59:00.001-07:00

Today I came across something that initially was a curiosity and upon closer observation it was amazing. I was going to get Bill from work and had decided to go another way because it was early and I was on a quest to get a photo of a sassafras tree. There is supposed to be one of the largest in Delaware right here in Milton. I made the turn onto the back road and saw what I thought to be a large turkey vulture by the side of the road. Since the traffic was non-existent I drove slowly and pulled off the road beside the bird. To my utter amazement it was a bald eagle feeding on some road kill. He was just standing there in all of his glory. I pulled my camera out of the case, took off the lens cap, pushed the button for the wrong window, raised the back window so the dog would not bark, and missed the shot. By the time I got the view finder to my eye I was shaking so badly I missed the shot. Never had I been so close and yet so far.

The ironic happening was that earlier in the day I had been out and took several pictures of the beautiful autumn leaves and changing countryside. When looking through my photos I saw a bird in a few taken very close to where I saw the eagle. I am sure I caught the eagle in flight earlier in the day. That's him right above the tree line.

I know several people saw this majestic animal because several cars on our return visit were pulled alongside the road in the same place all with eyes peeled to the sky and then down on the field. Maybe another time now that I know he is here.

By the way, I could not identify the sassafras tree.

My Thoughts on America

2008-10-27T09:59:00.001-07:00

World War II Memorial

The past few months and most intensely during the past couple of weeks I have been thinking about by beliefs and how I came to hold many of them so strongly. I am a member of the first swell of baby boomers. My father came home from the war having served as a proud Marine in the Pacific Theater and married my mother a short time later. I was born the following year and my childhood and later years were surely molded by my parents perceptions and experiences from World War II and the Depression that preceded it. Sure, I came of age during the tumultuous 60's and the Viet Nam era but I believe it was the earlier years that truly formed some of my strongest beliefs.

My parents were both very patriotic. They instilled this patriotism in us quietly allowing for each of us to develop our own thoughts and opinions. Sometimes they vehemently disagreed and there was and still is disagreement among siblings but what I learned was that respect of each other's opinions is the true measure of patriotism. When I was growing up in southeastern Idaho we did not readily see racial issues. That was a black vs. white issue and there was next to none of that in our very Caucasian corner of the universe. However, there were other racial issues that were sometimes set aside like in most of the country. There was a large native American population. I remember early in school where Indians were not allowed to use the same stall in the restroom. There were signs posted in some businesses saying "No Indians." There were also several Japanese American families who were faring much better but who had to reestablish their lives and holdings after the War. As was the way then all of those that were different were identified by a different and sometimes very hurtful moniker. My parents each did this until their deaths. I would cringe but then remember it was something I could not change. The amazing thing is that although Mom and Dad would make such identifications they recognized that we should not hold anyone as beneath us in any way. We should be proud to walk side by side.

So, I had this sense of equality being quietly instilled in me when at age 14 I had a defining moment. There was an essay/oration contest being held by the Modern Woodsmen of America and the topic was always around "Americanism." The finalists (I was one) presented their orations to a school assembly. I will never forget these words from the winner, "Although my skin is yellow and my hair is black, I am an American." That young man would go on to be our class valedictorian and achieve acclaim as an attorney in the Washington, D.C. area. There have been many times in my life that I have paused and said those words to myself. They fit so many situations like pausing and saying to myself "There but for the grace of God go I."

I guess what I am trying to say is that in this wild ride with the election and the war and the economy it is easy to point fingers and say someone is un-American for one reason or another. I don't believe that. I believe that each of us as Americans are stronger when we recognize and respect the differences of others. What makes us Americans is that we can have differences and live with them. When that is no longer the case, then we lose what makes America.

Quiet Pleasures

2008-10-13T09:56:00.001-07:00

One of my very favorite things to do is to take my camera(s) out and try to capture birds in flight. Here is a seagull who was overhead on Saturday when we took some time to visit the beach on a outing just because we needed to do it. You know I think the reason I like to get pictures of birds because they seem so free.

The short outing took us to Ellendale just eight miles away to visit a little shop there. I had wanted to stop on our many trips to the Washington, D.C. area but have never taken the time so we just went there on Saturday. Interesting, I will probably go back there as we get closer to the holidays. Right now I just like to feel and see the seasons change.

The colors are really just now starting to show with drama. The soybeans in this photo are about ready to harvest. I love this little field that fills a bend in the road and pushes up against the trees. A few days ago when I was passing there were two deer just visible in the field. Perhaps later this week I will be able to capture more of the color along the roadsides.

Of course, an outing is a chore for Bill unless it involves the beach. So, we went to Rehoboth Beach anticipating smaller crowds because of the season change. Not!! There were a whole lot of people there but we braved the crowds, found a close parking space and ventured onto the beach. Here are some pictures of the area. Notice the mixture of attire – many having problems deciding what season they are visiting. It was fun to see the kites and the football and people enjoying themselves even though I prefer the beach to be more solitary.

I took 299 pictures. Now, what am I going to do with all of those? I suppose I can compose an album of seagulls and then one of beach scenes and one of trees alongside the road. But, I definitely will have to compose one of "My Boys" and their favorite spot.

Then I will have to do one of "Changes on the Pond." We'll see. For now I think I will just enjoy the images.

It's Wednesday

2008-10-08T11:36:00.000-07:00

A curiosity happens on Wednesdays. At least, it seems to me. If I am to hear from family or friends via email the first of the week it is usually composed and sent Sunday evening and then I hear very little until Wednesday. This includes the requisite number of jokes. For some reason the soul must be lifted and the numbers start to swell on Wednesday morning. This sharing generally peaks sometime on Thursday and peters out Friday afternoon. But, that is not quite the case with the numbers of emails that are trapped in my spam filter. These taper off on Sunday evening only to pick back up on Wednesday morning and swell until Sunday morning. Just, thought I would share.

We are such creatures of habit. Today I had an appointment out of town at 11:00 a.m. so my morning routine was disturbed. I did not get to check the computer for messages or even the address for the appointment. So here I am now in the afternoon doing morning things. Nothing wrong with that just askew.

On way back from my appointment I was reminded of how many funny road and/or street names there are around the countryside here. Folks must able to name their own easements and for some driveways. Today I saw "Substation Road," "Tobacco Road," "My Way," and "That Way." Those rank right up there with "Pooh and Tigger Road" and "Serenity Lane." I think I should set out to photograph these markers.

And, finally, I am now convinced that with the internet we are all closer than "6 degrees of separation." It happend twice in the past two weeks. I received the same email from at least seven different people from seven different areas. The first was a Sarah Palin article and second was a Halloween cartoon. The real "makes me wonder" here is that in only a couple of cases did I receive both items from a single person.

Hope you are having a good one!

Good Day Despite the News

2008-09-30T13:39:00.001-07:00

We were fortunate to have our good friends Robin and Dave to visit for a couple of days. Yesterday we drove down to Assateague Island to see the wild ponies and the seashore. This trip we first drove to Chincoteague which is on the Virginia side of the island. We saw this lone pony in a marsh alongside the road. There were other ponies but they were mostly in the trees and very hard to see. This pony seems to be enjoying some down time now that the summer population has gone home and there are just a few campers and visitors.

In this picture you can see the Atlantic from the Visitors' Center. The sky looks a little ominous here but that is how it has been for a few days now. Perhaps a reflections of the grim news in the financial world.

It was then onto a brief visit of the Assateague Island Light House. It was commission by Congress in 1855. It is going through some much needed renovation. When I near one of these old sentinels my mind sets to wondering about the days when these beacons were manned. There had to be some amazing stories. We went from here back into the town of Chincoteague and had a late lunch at a place call Bill's. We all thought that appropriate.

Then it was time to go and see if we could find some ponies on the Maryland side of the island. That trip is over 20 miles because there is no through access on the island. When we were last here there were lots of folks taking in the nature trails and just walking the beach. This time there were few in trails area, more on bicycles and lots of campers in the designated areas along the beach. It was getting on in the afternoon and we had still not clearly seen a group of ponies. We drove clear around the National Park Area and missed the trail area we spied ponies in during our last visit. Mind you, we saw lots of evidence ponies had left behind but still not seen a group of real live horses. We drove through the park and back around and with the gracious assistance of the ranger at the entry station we got to trail the we had sought. We parked the car and started out on the trail down to the marsh. We dodged evidence all the way but it was worth it because some of the ponies were right next to the wooden walk.

I had the longer lens on the camera by this time so the horse in this picture looks closer than it was. The three guys on the opposite side of the water were trying to net something.

You can see in this picture how close these ponies were to the boardwalk. I think there were three more horses in the group that are not in this picture.

While on our last trip to Assateague, Bill's grand-niece Rebecca adopted a pony named Rosie. It is a pinto and looks much like this one. I need to research this a little and see if this might be Rosie. The next couple of pictures are some close-ups that could not have been taken if I had not been so close to the ponies. We were close enough to touch them which is illegal to do. It was awesome to be that close.

It was very enjoyable making this trip down the coast and sharing it with such good friends.

The marsh as the sun is taking its position in the late afternoon sky.

Smart Idea or Not?

2008-09-25T10:02:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I had an appointment in Salisbury, Maryland. It is an interesting drive through the countryside and the fringes of some of the towns along the way. Throughout the summer and fall there is farm stand every few miles. This time of year there is an abundance of winter squash and gourds, tons of pumpkins and pot after pot of mums. I am always tempted to stop and get more than I can possibly use. It was my intention to stop at a farm/nursery place yesterday but the appointment went longer than anticipated. So, I came home empty handed. But, I did come across something that was a puzzlement.

I turned onto the "major" street before the street where I was going and found this interesting layout. First glance was that it was rather attractive, the curved outcroppings alternating perfectly from one side of the street to the other (see the marked in pink on either side). The freshly painted double yellow line matched the curve of curbing perfectly (middle pink marking). This configuration goes on for little more than three blocks. These pictures were taken on my way back. Since traffic was an issue and there was no place to pull over I was not able to capture the full impact of the configuration. It is like a flat and short contrived Lombard Street in San Francisco.

The first picture was taken at the start of the configuration and has a four-way stop warning. The next picture is of the warning sign that further announces the configuration. "Traffic Calmed" my eye! Note, the speed limit is 25 which is excessive unless you can drive straight down the street. No, the camera is not distorting the waves.

Here is a better picture of the street. It is an older neighborhood bordering on commercial areas. You can see that some trees are starting to show fall color but mostly you notice the road itself. I sure hope someone doesn't try to plant trees in those areas. That wavy line is for real and it is a pain to drive. I got a little dizzy weaving from one side to the next.

And, here we are at the end of the "Traffic Calmed" area and back to regular traffic hassles.

The short trip also provided some glimpses of what is happening in the local fields. The above image is of soybeans as they near harvest time.

Many of the corn fields are being plowed down. Here is one with the dry stalks standing in the wind. They look cold and foretell of the coming season.

Some Good News

2008-09-18T09:47:00.001-07:00

The past few days and weeks have held some pretty grim news on the economy and then with natural disasters. I think it is about time to share some items of good news.

From Texas

My brother Jack and sister-in-law Linda evacuated their home for the second time in three years last week. They live in Lake Jackson, Texas and the area was to receive the full force of Hurricane Ike. They returned home Monday to find minor damage to their house. They spent that afternoon and yesterday cleaning debris from their property and helping their neighbors do the same. They had purchased a generator earlier in the month and set it to run while they were away. When they returned home, the items in their freezer were still frozen and the items in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator were starting to thaw. So, they cooked it all up and shared with the neighbors. As Jack said, "We were blessed."

From Washington State

I received an email yesterday from one of my dear friends in Spokane. She was emailing with an article she knew I would be very interested in reading. It was about another friend receiving a prestigious award. My old friend Gary received the NIH Senior Scientist Award (article is linked here). WOW! How cool is that? This guy is the spouse of one of my sorority sisters. He was named the sorority sweetheart when were all at Idaho State University. Actually, Gary was kind of a sorority brother. He was and remains one of the smartest people I have ever met. He also has always been one of the hardest working, least pretentious and devoted people I have ever met. And, he is one of the funniest, no probably the funniest person I have ever met.

In the world of higher education there is all too often an elitism that curdles my stomach. What a breath of fresh air Gary brings with his dedication to his research, his researchers, his friends and his family. To him it is not the initials after the name that are important. It is that progress can be made. And, this he has done.

Academic, scientist, devoted family man, funnyman and FRIEND – Congratulations, you are truly deserving.

From Virginia and Delaware

This is a picture of a just completed project I have been working on for most of the summer. This tiny little sweater and cap are for our first grandchild who is scheduled to arrive the first week of December. Now that I have finished knitting the sweater set, I think I will move on to making some swaddling blankets. They will not take as long and will fit for a longer time.

Erica and Geoff have started putting together many of the required items now that they have settled in their first house. They are both very happy becoming parents and have opted to have the gender be a surprise. Of course, Bill and I are elated and try to be cool about it.

Hanna Who? A Good Weekend Anyway

2008-09-08T11:34:00.001-07:00

These flowers at Mount Vernon obviously like the sunshine that came Sunday after Saturday's deluge from tropical storm Hanna. Since I had an appointment in Baltimore on Friday we checked with Erica and Geoff to see if we could impose on them for the weekend. The original plan for Saturday was for the four of us to take the dogs and go to the distillery at Mount Vernon. However, the rainy weather on Saturday made us decide that that would not be a good idea. The rain started somewhere between 10:00 p.m. and midnight on Friday and continued through 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. At times it fell in what seemed like steady streams. The wind was not much of a factor but my oh my was it ever wet outside.

Deciding not to call the whole day a loss, Erica, Bill and I went to see Afghanistan Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul at the National Gallery of Art. The exhibition has been in Washington since May 25 and was closing on Sunday. The National Gallery of Art is always a wonderful place to visit. I love to visit the tower where the Henri Matisse Cutouts are displayed. The color and simplicity make me happy, especially in a tropical downpour. From there we went to the Afghanistan exhibit. What a thought provoking and beautiful exhibition this was to see. I do not have photos. There are several websites that show some of the items and tell of the bold steps to preserve the culture of the country.

Sunday was a beautiful day so Bill and I headed for Mount Vernon. We decided to take in some the exhibits on the way to the mansion even though we planned not to visit the mansion. The estate still is a working farm. There are sheep, cows (these are the animals I have seen so far), gardens and some small field crops. The sites we took in on this visit included some slave quarters, the shoe makers shop, the "archeology and restoration" museum, the back porch of the mansion and a couple of the gardens. In the scheme of things it was not a lot but being able to go at my slow pace and enjoy the scenes was wonderful. Of course, we will return and take in yet more of the estate.

This restoration of the "Dove of Peace" weathervane on the mansion was in the "archeology and restoration" museum. I am such a fan of representations of the dove. The museum was small but had some very interesting items including how the columns of the mansion are painted to appear as they are made of stone. This was a money saving effort ordered by Washington.

This picture was taken from my favorite (to date) spot on the estate. The first time I visited Mount Vernon was in 1999 when Geoff took me on Columbus Day. We had just been through the mansion and came outside to sit on the chairs situated on the back veranda. There one has views as this one. When Bill and I visited yesterday we came to an open pathway and sign that indicated we might be able to get to the porch without going through the mansion. This is but one of the pictures I took from the chair I sat in yesterday. Bill, who has visited the mansion before but had not come onto the this area before was delighted with the views.

It was hard to leave that spot on the Potomac but we had to proceed with our trek however slowly. We somehow managed to miss an upper entrance, if there is one, to the garden we had chosen to visit. So, we backtracked a bit. Some of the plants were showing signs of the fading summer and torrential rains of the previous day. There still were some beautiful flowers to be seen along with butterflies, bees and the like. Here are some more of the 170+ unedited pictures I took last weekend.

Capturing the images of this butterfly was the highlight of the day.

That is until I was able to get one of a bee.

I love the red of this plant.

Another butterfly. I must research to identify.

This one flew rapidly from flower to flower.

Another butterfly.

…gossamer wings.

Sheep seeking relief in the shade and enjoying a friendly pat.

It was a good weekend.

Summer is Winding Down

2008-09-02T12:01:00.001-07:00

It is still officially summer and that is what it feels like outside. It isn't that it is so warm (high 80's), it's that it is just soupy. I truly do not care this. So, I am really looking forward to the autumn. I can honestly say that I miss cool nights and mornings. With all of that aside, however, it has been a pretty reasonable summer. Sure, we have had some very warm days but we have also had very pleasant days as well. There were fewer of those mornings with heavy, steamy fog than last year. For that we are grateful. We haven't been out and about as much this summer as last but we have enjoyed the concerts in the park and being involved with some of the Milton Lions Club activities. This picture is of several of the members at the end of a busy day on August 23. Running the Milton Clipper Express is a favorite activity. That day the club also sold funnel cakes and had a car raffle table set up in the park for one of the annual town activities, Bargains on the Broadkill.

There will be two more concerts and then we put the train away until May. I love projects like this because of the camaraderie of the members and most of all for the joy that they bring to young and old. The Carousel in Missoula, MT was also such a project.

Update: On a sadder note, our lovely nest of three beautiful blue eggs was abandoned. I am pretty sure that they are robin eggs and it was about the time of that post when I last saw any robins in our vicinity. The nest and the eggs appeared very late in the season. There would not have been much time for little ones to mature.

A Little This and That

2008-08-27T10:07:00.001-07:00

Earlier I posted that I still have trouble with the time changes since moving from the west coast to the east coast. I have now come to my own conclusion on why so many westerners think easterners are surely and unfriendly. Frankly, we are tired! Take Monday Night Football as an example. If you are watching in Seattle it starts at 6:00 p.m. In Milton, Delaware it starts at 9:00 p.m. That means it is after midnight before the game is over. The same is true of the political conventions. I have for as long as I can remember liked to watch the conventions (both). However, in our "Must Play to Prime Time" mode the happenings are condensed to those few hours when most people in all of the country will be viewing. When the speeches and all end for the evening folks in Pacific Time have time to go out for a nice late dinner and enjoy the rest of the evening. Folks in Eastern Time scramble to get some needed sleep before the grind of the new day begins. Sometimes, time just gets in the way.

On another note, I should have posted special birthday wishes Monday for our daughter Erica. I was so frustrated that her birthday gift had not arrived that I forgot to post a message. She and Geoff moved last weekend. They just purchased their first house together. We are happy for them and know that they will enjoy it. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Erica. We love you.

Memories: I was so pleased to hear from all the sorority sisters I sent an email to when I published my last posting. Only one posted a comment but I heard from all the rest. Email is wonderful for staying in touch especially for those of us who procrastinate so when it comes to writing notes. Memories and technology are very compatible.

Do You Remember?

2008-08-20T17:39:00.001-07:00

The temperature today has been most pleasant. We just went to the Concert in the Park and heard 50's & 60's music. The cooler weather and sounds of the music made for a pleasant time. The music was most appropriate when I saw this car that brings back special times to me.

When I was in college only a very few sorority sisters and/or there beaus had vehicles. Our outings out were often adventuresome and when I look back after 40 years some of those outings were probably very dangerous. We were young, foolish, having a good time and in need of transportation. There we were at Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho and we needed to get from one spot to another. Somehow we always managed but there were those moments that were more memorable than others. Mary, who was from Pocatello, was one of the few with wheels. To know Mary was to love her. She had an old Metropolitan. One very similar to the photo but her car as I remember was yellow and white. That car at its very best is a two-seater. I recall squeezing sometimes five bodies into that car. When it was crowded like that I did not ride with the others. Instead, I folded myself as compactly as I could and rode in the "trunk" area. All I remember is saying a prayer that we wouldn't be in a crash. I just knew no one would ever find me back in my spot.

Those were wonderful times and I am reminded of them whenever I see this funky little car. I wish I could still fold myself up into such a small space. Oh, well.

200th Post

2008-08-04T13:04:00.001-07:00

I have been putting off posting this entry for some time now trying to decide whether or not I will continue with it. There have been so many changes in our lives since I first posted in June, 2006. My original intentions were to use this a journal type exercise to train myself to be more diligent with such tasks and to help me articulate what was happening with my family as my mother was entering her final days. This blog then became a way for me to let our family and friends know that we were indeed still living and adjusting to our new lives here in Delaware. Along the way I have used it as a travel journal of sorts and as a personal reminder of what is around us every day.

This is an "under the radar," as my friend Terry says, type of blog. It has been, at times, a valuable and unlikely communication tool. I know a lot of people look at, some simply for the images posted but then there are those who just check in to see what is happening in our lives. Since I don't belong to any blog communities or have a common link with other groups there are very few comments on my blog. There are a couple faithful readers who comment frequently and others who email with comments and those who complain that it is too hard to comment. I have thought about making it my "bully pulpit" but I would surely arouse the hackles of too many I hold dear. So, I guess it is not validation I am wanting. I just need it livelier. Purpose might be good and then again it might not.

So, what to do? I don't think I will abandon this just yet. Instead, I think I will ease back for a few weeks like I have been doing this past month and then decide. In the meantime, I will take in more of my surroundings. I will notice the new things like the turtle in the rain. Before coming to Delaware I had never seen a large turtle in a pond or signs along a highway warning of turtles crossing. I will learn more of the local history and I will enjoy my family and friends.

Silly Dog

2008-07-27T14:36:00.001-07:00

Wednesday afternoon I was talking with my sister on the telephone. It was her birthday and I had called to wish her a "Happy One." While we were talking Bentley started barking quite loudly at the television. He has done it a couple of other times recently when there are bells or dogs barking or the such. This time the barking was not at a tone or woof or the like but at Rudy Giuliani. Rudy was being interviewed and Bentley was having none of that. I got him to quiet down and my sister got another call. She called back very soon after that to say that her new grandson had just been born in Tennessee. What a happy day for her!!

After dinner on the same day I was flipping through the channels with the remote when I landed on Greatest American Dog. It is a silly show but there was barking when I landed on the channel and Bentley started barking and got closer to the screen, barked some more and then decided he would watch the show. It was rather intriguing watching him watch the show.

Here are a few pictures of him watching. He seems to be taken with the Maltese but he also liked the obstacle course.

Silly dog, silly owners. Whatever, we love him.

New Residents

2008-07-24T15:10:00.001-07:00

Our new residents, I am not sure what type, have really set up home now. I told Bill earlier that I think the bird is pretty small but it certainly has a loud song in the afternoon. In fact, it sounds almost as if it is in the entryway. Besides, the reconfiguration of the wreath and the mud on the door, every day there are little berries left on the porch. When Bill got home this afternoon he swept them and then got the ladder out to check inside the nest again. This time he discovered three blue eggs.

Oh my, I guess it will stay for the time being.

Not Quite Sure What to Do?

2008-07-17T12:56:00.001-07:00

This is a close-up of the summertime wreath I made last year and put again this year. I made some needed repairs when I put it up a few weeks ago but then I started to notice that things that were solidly anchored were starting to dangle, had dropped off or were completely missing. It was the vicious wind we have been having I thought. But, I also had this funky feeling that perhaps one of the birds of the neighborhood might be thieving. My suspicions were confirmed late last week. I went out early for an appointment and was taken aback by more debris than usual following a thunderstorm. I went down the steps and turned around to look at the door and sure enough there was a bird's nest on the wreath. Why I had not noticed before I can't say. But, in the days from when I first became curious to the confirmation some bird has been very busy. In the last day or two of construction a muddy mess also showed up on the door.

The mud has been cleaned off of the door. There are no eggs in the nest. We have not seen the resident. However, there is evidence of nest maintenance each morning. Everything on the wreath is now askew and droopy. It's a nice little nest. Do let stay for a few more weeks or do I take it down?

Late 4th Posting

2008-07-11T17:37:00.001-07:00

Life here has surely become LSD (Lower Slower Delaware) or did I say just a short time ago? We have each been involved with a couple of projects this week that has taken me away from the blog. But, I did want to share some the pictures I took on July 4 when we went out to Prime Hook. This short drive took us to both Prime Hook Beach and to Fowler Beach. The photos are all from Fowler Beach. The day was not all that hot, maybe high 80's but for some reason when we got out of the car at Fowler Beach it felt like we were under an intense sunlamp. This beach was damaged in the Nor'easter that hit in mid-May. We could not get to an area we normally do and the damages to the marshes and the like were evident. That coupled with the summer sun and heat makes for some eerie sights.

I always seem to be trying to catch a heron. I got a lot of poses of this guy, appears to be in molt but the fact that I got more than one photo while shooting the camera thrilled me.

The next wildlife we came upon were a couple of snowy egrets. This first picture is just after the egret caught a fish.

Here we have two egrets. I was able to get several pictures of them passing one another, from afar and then back around each other.

An outing is not complete without a picture of Bentley.

I love taking pictures of the beach grass.

This picture illustrates how hot and hazy it was.

This is my first photo of a Black-necked Stilt. The two following are of the same fellow.

Horseshoe crab are an almost primitive species. But, they are essential to the survival of many shorebirds. This picture captures the carcasses of the horseshoe crab and lots of shorebirds.

Last Week of June

2008-07-01T14:45:00.000-07:00

Last week the first of the grain was harvested. The field I have been following was combined the day before I went to photograph progress. Now, I know that I cannot say with certainty whether or not the field was wheat or not I do know that it is a grain and I pretty sure that it wheat. The photos below are of an adjacent field being mowed. I am in awe of how close everything seems here.

The folks at our local farm stand say that the sweet corn will be ready in a few days. That is wonderful. I believe that the corn we get from local farms here in Sussex County Delaware is the best I have ever had. The same holds true for the local tomatoes. It is believed that this should be an excellent year for the farmers and consumers (good product) alike. Let's just hope that drought conditions like last summer do not raise their ugly heads.

Just across the road from the above crops is this field. I am pretty sure that it is barley. I love the color this grain is at this time.

While I was out taking these pictures a rain storm came into the area. As I was crossing the pond I was able to capture a turtle in rain and a couple waning cattails.

I have to admit that I enjoy going out and following the progress of the crops. Oh, I know that a lot of you are saying, "Get a life."

Another Delaware Experience

2008-06-26T09:23:00.001-07:00

Saturday Bill and I went with friends to the 53rd Annual Blue-Gold All-Star Game in Newark at Delaware Stadium. We left at 3:00 p.m. and returned home about 1:00 a.m. (These old bones are not often awake at that hour these days.) My friend Robin was born and raised in Delaware but has never attended the game. She said that we are truly fitting in because the game has always been a big activity in the State. The game itself is the culmination of months of activities involving high school all-stars and "Delawareans with intellectual disabilities." The all-stars are matched with "buddies" several months in advance of the game and they then spend that time getting to know one another.

To tell you just how big this activity is you can see with the above photo the Governor of Delaware, Ruth Ann Minner being introduced. She is followed by Lt. Governor John Carney, U.S. Senator Tom Carper and U.S. Representative Mike Castle. I am sure that U.S. Senator Joe Biden would have been there if he had not been appearing Sunday morning on Meet the Press. There were other dignitaries but with all of the introductions and festivities it was hard to keep track.

All-Star Band

Delaware Shining Stars and All-Stars, Special Needs Cheerleaders

All-Stars and "Buddies" Meeting at Center Field

In addition to the All-Star football players, there were All-Star cheerleaders, an All-Star band, Blue-Gold Ambassadors and, of course, the buddies and their All-Star groups. All of the All-Star seniors were recognized. The most inspiring moments came following all of the introductions and presentations. That was when all of the buddies came onto to field and joined their "All-Star."

The game was excellent. The half-time was good. The weather was almost perfect. It was all topped off with fireworks.

Out With the Old

2008-06-23T12:08:00.001-07:00

The weekend came and the poor maple had to be removed. We got a new maple to replace it but it seems so small compared to the four year old one that was victim to the storms. Taking the old storm damaged tree out was a much harder task than we had imagined. Perhaps it is because we were looking through rose colored glasses or maybe because we imagine ourselves to be much younger than we are. So the story begins on Friday evening when we went out to select a replacement. Well, we got it home and watered thoroughly for Bill to put it in the ground on Saturday. After spending several hours Saturday morning and early afternoon the stump was still firmly in the ground. It would now have to wait until Sunday because we were off the Delaware Blue-Gold game in Newark (more in a later post).

Sunday morning arrives and Bill is out trying to dislodge the stump. It does not help that we rid ourselves of many essential tools when we made the move across the country. As his labors were not producing much, we decided that we should soak the area. Duh!! We should have done that on Saturday. The stump started to yield and after hours of work there was a gaping hole that had to be filled in some before the new tree could be set.

The mission was accomplished. Now let's hope that lawn recovers and the new tree grows tall and strong.

Not Much Happening Here

2008-06-18T08:56:00.001-07:00

Life here has been pretty quiet the past few weeks. It has been as many say, LSD (Lower, Slower Delaware). Sunday was Father's Day and Erica came over on Saturday so she could fix her dad a special breakfast. Of course, Bill really took it all in and gushed about the pancakes which were from a recipe she got while on vacation earlier this year in the California Wine Country. Another highlight of the morning was when we saw a young beaver scamper, or whatever beaver do, across the backyard and into the adjoining field. That was a first!

We have experienced a few severe thunderstorms recently. This poor maple in the front yard was the victim of a wind shear about ten days ago. We thought we might be able to save it but then on Monday a similar gust caught it. We will probably take it out and replace it this weekend.

I had reason to be out and about yesterday and got a couple of pictures of the progress of some of the local crops. Here is the same grain field as in the last post but one week later. I love how the color changes.

This photo is of the same corn field as in the last post. It is amazing to me how fast the corn grows once it takes root.

From Pleasant to Stifling

2008-06-10T10:51:00.001-07:00

Weather is always a favorite topic of conversation. It has been a favorite of mine in this blog. In the past few weeks I have posted that we have had some glorious days and that temperatures have been cool. Well, that was then and this is now. IT HOT! IT IS HUMID! IT IS HOT AND HUMID!! AND, THE A/C IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. Ok, said that. It has been very uncomfortable for the past four days. We have been in major heat advisories. I secretly wished this morning to be on Snoqualmie Pass where it was snowing.

A couple of projects have kept me busy the past week. They are finished now and it is time to move onto others. One of my favorite things to do here is to drive around the countryside and take pictures of the crops. I did a lot of that last year and so far this year with the price of gas I have not ventured out as much. But, I did manage to capture some grain (one corn) shots while on a couple errand trips.

This picture, taken yesterday, shows a ripening crop. I was particularly drawn to this field because of the differences in the colors of the field. You can almost tell by the haze that it was a very hot morning (9:10 a.m.). It is good to know that the field stood well against a very strong storm that passed through last week.

This is a different angle on the same field but taken six days earlier. The grain was just starting to show signs of ripening and had stood up well to some drenching rains.

The corn is coming right along. This picture was taken last week. The corn is quite a bit higher and quite a bit fuller this week.

Anniversary

2008-06-02T09:23:00.001-07:00

In my last post I mentioned Gary and Kathleen's upcoming 40^th anniversary. My sister Carol and her husband Tim are also celebrating their 40^th this week. In fact their anniversary was Sunday. 1968 was, as has been stated in the news, both printed and televised, a landmark year for tragedy and accomplishment. It was the probably the defining year of a generation. It is, I believe, an accomplishment extraordinaire to have a successful marriage emerge from those turbulent times.

So, this rather short post is to simply congratulate them on 40 years together and to wish them all of the best for a continued happy life together.

We love them all.

Wonderful Afternoon

2008-05-30T11:19:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was one of those almost perfect late spring days; clear sky and very moderate temperature. Add to that the opportunity to have lunch with an old friend and it was almost perfect. My friend Kathleen has been in Washington, D.C. this past week attending intensive meetings and workshops. The only opportunity to see each other presented itself in the form of lunch yesterday. I welcomed the opportunity to get away for a little while but mostly to see and talk with my friend.

Kathleen and I have known each other since we were 18 and just starting college. It has not been one of the friendships where we were joined at the hip but instead one of those where we see each other or correspond on an intermittent basis. But when the occasion presents itself it is almost like no time has passed between us. What a treasure it is to have those jewels in our lives. Needless to say, we caught up on our own happenings, politics and just stuff. We also had a very good lunch. She had to get back to her sessions and I needed to get back to Delaware. Two wonderful hours made for a great day.

Kathleen and Gary will be celebrating their 40^th wedding anniversary next week. Here's wishing them the very best and thanking them for being some of the bright points in our lives. We love you guys.

Happy Birthday Geoff

2008-05-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

Today is my son-in-law's birthday. Geoff is a great guy and we are glad he is part of our family.

It was so good to have him and Erica here this past weekend.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, enjoy your busy month as much as you can.

Great Weekend

2008-05-27T08:56:00.001-07:00

This past weekend was excellent. The weather could not have been better. It was very mild and sunny, perfect for the annual Horseshoe Crab/Shorebird Festival. We spent Saturday afternoon with the Milton Lions Club. The above photo is of the Clipper Express making rounds of the park. It is such a great project. For 25¢ per person (child, adult, dog) you can ride the train as it makes three circuits around the park. The train ran 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and had over 800 riders. The club also runs the trains for the Wednesday evening concerts in the park starting the Wednesday following Memorial Day through Labor Day. At the festival the club also sold fresh lemonade and funnel cakes.

The festival was well attended and there were some fun activities including the dunk tank, a mushroom and plant walk, nature exhibition, cruise on the Broadkill River, art displays and projects, food concessions and several other activities.

Dunk Tank

Good Things to be Found

Clouds Making an Appearance

There were more events for the weekend including an "Improv in the Park" by the Delaware Comedy Theater. This was held Sunday evening as was a very enjoyable event. The sun was shining brightly, the entertainment was good.

Advanced EMT

2008-05-22T14:04:00.001-07:00

My niece Melissa is amazing and I am so proud of her. Melissa just passed her national test for Advanced EMT. She volunteers as an EMT in the town where she lives. She is training as a surgery tech at the hospital where she works. Besides studying and training for both she is a wife and the mother of three young and active children. Melissa took some time finding her calling but once she did, she pursued it with "a vengeance." She has found her niche in nursing and medical care. So much so that she plans on entering nursing school in the fall.

Wife, mother, EMT, nurse – Superstar in my eyes. You go girl!

Visitors and Visiting a New Place (for us)

2008-05-13T13:20:00.000-07:00

Friday was as my last post says a gray and rainy day. But, it was a also a bright day for us because Bill's nephew and family from San Francisco came to visit for a couple of days as part of their east coast vacation. It really was good to see them. they had suggested earlier that on Saturday we travel to Assateague Island and spend the afternoon there. To be honest, I had thought about it before and for some reason put it out of my mind because I thought it was much further than it is from where we are. It is just under forty miles and is a very easy trip.

Jonathan enjoying the marsh foam and skipping seashell pieces over the water.

Assateague Island is a barrier island just off of the Maryland/Virginia coast line. It has two entrances from the mainland but you cannot travel by car from end to end. For this trip we only went to the Maryland end of the island. The island is known to many for Misty of Chincoteague. Yes we went to see the ponies that have made the island so famous. We saw a group of the Maryland herd. Misty was of the Virginia herd. We also saw lots of birds and plants that make up National Seashore there.

Some of the ponies we saw on our trip.

Other wildlife and some plant life. Mark was really surprised by the cactus.

After spending time watching ponies we went to the ocean side of the island. This is literally across the road. It was a cool day and there had been storms earlier and more would follow in the next day so the water was churning.

As we were leaving the island Kelly mentioned that she was a little disappointed that we had not been able to a close up view of any of the horses. Just as we got to the bridge there were two horses beside the road and we were able to get a closer view.

I hope that this is close enough. The horse seems to be enjoying the forage and not me.

The day was topped off by Rebecca becoming a foster parent to a pinto named "Rosie." What could be better than a little girl with a "coast to coast" grin"?

Rainy Day on Delmarva

2008-05-09T08:21:00.001-07:00

It has been raining almost constantly for several hours now. At least the wind is not blowing now and the rain is very much needed.

When we moved to Delaware I was taken aback by signs near ponds and lakes that say "Turtle Crossing." Never in my life had seen such a thing let alone a turtle crossing the road except for the giant tortoise that stopped traffic in Orlando when we were there many years ago. Last summer I saw some turtles on snags in one of the coves of the nearby pond but they were quite far away. This year has been different. We have seen turtles on the roadside and actually diving in the ponds. The other day when I got my latest photos of the local heron, I was amused by the turtles near the pond's shore. I call this shot "Mr. Tur-tell." It brightens the rather dark and wet day.

Quiet

2008-05-08T07:40:00.000-07:00

The winter and now into mid-spring have been very reflective times for me.

The Uncles

My uncle Raymond (my mother's brother-in-law) died in January. What I remember most about him was his grin and twinkle in his eye. He was such a quiet man who possessed a great love for family and country. In March the Burley, Idaho American Legion Post was renamed the Lyle R. Morton Burley American Legion Post 17. This is a rare honor and one that reflects his many years of service and dedication. He was a member of that post for 62 years and remained dedicated to the organization steadfastly that whole time. The renaming of the post is an honor well deserved.

Another member of the American Legion and also a family member passed away earlier this week. My Uncle Bill (my mother's brother) was my favorite uncle. He was a such a character. He had red hair and a redhead's complexion. He worked for the railroad and reminded me of a character set in a Saturday Evening Post cover -- broad grin, red hair, hands on hips and cigar in mouth. He was a tease extraordinaire. I am sure that is where my brother's teasing talents originated. I can remember from the time I was very young until I became an adult he would always call me "Long John." As it happens, I was quite tall until junior high when all the rest of the kids caught up with me and left me to be a shorty. He would sing some unrecognizable song about "Long John" and never being kissed because he knew that it would surely get me to react. He was a very kind man who took care of my grandmother for so many years. He loved to hunt and fish and he loved the Idaho dessert. He loved his sisters and his nieces and nephews. I miss my Uncle Bill but I know he is in a much better place now.

The friends

A little over two weeks ago one of our dear friends passed away. Terry was a wonderful man whose life centered around his family. He provided the best support. I remember thinking when our daughter was very young that if we could do as well and Terry and his wife had done as parents then we would have done a terrific job ourselves. He was dedicated to his wife and to his two children. He had a life long love affair with the Oregon Coast. It was there, in his home overlooking the Pacific Ocean, that he died peacefully with family around him. He was a wonderful friend.

Then this past month we have had two friends become gravely ill with rare medical complications. Thankfully, both are recovering slowly, but recovering. We are so grateful.

Yesterday when I was saw the heron in his quiet cove I thought about my family and friends and was thankful for those moments of quiet when I can think about them outside of the other frenzies of life. The quiet allows me to take stock and be grateful that all have been and are part of my life.

Facing the Sea

2008-05-02T11:04:00.000-07:00

As one who is drawn to those things representative of real and strong women, I was most taken by the above when we visited Provincetown last month. The photos for this are placed on Cabral Pier or "Fisherman's Wharf" in Provincetown. The collective piece is called "They Also Faced the Sea." It represents the generations of Portuguese woman who have been the family and community strength as their men were at sea. Rightfully so, the Norma Holt photos in collaboration with Ewa Nogiec, have been hanging on th walls of an old fish packing plant on the pier since 2003.

What at beautiful reminder of the character and strength of our mothers and sisters whether or not they were Portuguese. That character and strength to "face the sea" or the "mountain" or the "plains" is their legacy for us to cherish and bequeath to our sons and daughters.

Day One of Cape Cod Viewing

2008-04-23T14:35:00.000-07:00

Our first night visiting Cape Cod we had a great meal at a local restaurant to celebrate Bill's birthday. He just loves that stuff. The next morning we first went to the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History. We spent a lot of time checking all of the exhibits and watching the osprey that the museum takes particular pride in. Check out the museum link above and then click on the Osprey cam to see how the pair are coming along. The viewing area was some distance away. Even with my telephoto it was hard to get a crisp view. Here is a collage of female sitting and the male flying in to the nest.

Then we headed off to Hyannis where we visited the John F. Kennedy Memorial, drove around and about so we could see the Kennedy Compound and then we stopped at the JFK Museum. Since it was getting late in the afternoon we did not go into the museum but walked around the area and viewed the statue of JFK there. The statue is lovely and an excellent representation of him and his love of the area. I can see why he and his family spent so much time there.

We stopped at a Hyannis shopping center and went to the Christmas Tree Store where we enjoyed a few bargains (placemats, sprinkler, tablecloth, etc.). And, then it was on to Trader Joe's. This was the first visit to TJ's since we left Tacoma. They are such fun stores to shop.

It was then time to head back to Orleans for a lovely dinner, conversation and a beautiful sunset on the bay.

Bill's Birthday = Some Time Away

2008-04-22T10:58:00.000-07:00

Bill's birthday was last week and to celebrate we took a few days and headed northeast to Cape Cod. There we spent a wonderful time with our dear friends Robin and Dave at their home in Orleans.

Those who know me only a little know that I AM NOT A MORNING PERSON so I rarely catch a sunrise. I caught a lovely one on this trip. We started out early in the morning and saw lovely sights of Spring as well as mist still hanging on the ponds as in the above photo. For mile upon mile from here to about Smyrna we caught the sun as it peeked through the trees before it was shining brightly the rest of the day.

The sun shined on bridges, water and land. Trees were greening all along the way. Daffodils were everywhere and tulips were starting. Besides being a beautiful day, the traffic on the turnpikes and highways was not horrendous. All of this made for a very pleasant arrival at Cape Cod Bay.

A Break in the Action

2008-04-12T13:33:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we were delighted to have Erica and Geoff's friends John, Alexandra and Katrina visit for the weekend. It was their first trip to "our neck of the woods" so, of course, the beach was on the agenda. It was chilly and a bit windy but nice. We also went to the Goshen UM Chicken-'n-Dumpling Dinner and mostly just sat back and enjoyed the the quiet.

We went to Cape Henolopen State Park. I like the beach better there than almost anywhere we have found in this area. Here are some photos taken of our beach excursion.

Katrina was not so sure about the whole thing. This was her first trip to the ocean and with the roar of waves and the biting wind she needed momentary reassurance from Mom.

Bill and Bentley strolling along the water's edge.

Heading toward the boardwalk.

Alexandra enjoying some sun and taking pictures.

Kiki pointing at the waves.

This is better now.

Part of the boardwalk blocked off.

Alexandra and Katrina enjoying a big hug.

John gathering it all in.

Beach from the boardwalk.

More beach from the boardwalk.

Kiki, with Dad's help, taking Mom's picture.

Cherry Blossoms (The Epic Part III)

2008-04-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

Today I have posted some photos of the second quarter of our visit to Tidal Basin and the Cherry Blossoms. As we proceeded down and around the basin we were struck by the changing light and how the monuments changed so dramatically in the different lights. We were always pausing and looking across or looking back. It was in this section of our visit that we entered the FDR Memorial. We went through starting at the end of the monument but we had visited before and the impact was still strong. This visit was different still because our last visit was in the winter when the fountains are not operating. Today's picture cover his fourth term in office. The granite, the rain drops, the words, the figures, the blossoms all made this a very meaningful visit for us.

Cherry Blossoms (The Epic Part II)

2008-04-10T09:03:00.000-07:00

Life sort of got in the way of my looking through all of the pictures I took the day we visited the Tidal Basin and the Cherry Blossoms, but I have and have chosen the first of the large group to post. This year we walked quite a bit more than last. The benefits of a cool day day for my weary legs. The photos below were taken on the first quarter of a lovely misty day.

Cherry Blossoms

2008-04-04T07:01:00.000-07:00

I posted earlier this week that we went to see the Cherry Blossoms and that I would post later about them. That time has come. We went to the Jefferson Memorial early Monday morning so we could find an accessible parking spot. We were right on the money and got the first spot of the day. It was a gray day and it was raining lightly. That just meant wearing a couple more layers. It was still a beautiful sight. I took about a kazillion photos. Actually about 450. This sneaked picture Bill took of me shows my enjoyment. (I hate, hate, hate having my picture taken.)

We parked at the Jefferson Memorial but did not visit like last year. Instead we started a quiet walk about the basin early. Here are some pictures showing just a sampling of what we saw on Monday. I will post more in a couple of days. I have to get through all of those pictures.

Among the first blossoms we saw, they are still incredibly beautiful on a gray, rainy day.

Looking across the Tidal Basin.

Washington Monument casting strength in the gray of the day.

Beautiful, beautiful blossoms. They make one want to sing in the rain.

Dueling Ban...

2008-04-01T07:36:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was a fun one. We spent it in Arlington with our daughter and son-in-law. We did several fun things including playing "Guitar Hero," going to Mount Vernon and seeing the always beautiful cherry blossoms. A per chance incident in Nordstrom followed by the "Guitar Hero" thing brought another strange thought to mind. Let me explain.

While in Nordstrom I had the opportunity to waited on by the most delightful clerk. After deciding on shoes she asked if I needed anything else and I asked about an item sold in hosiery. She said she could help me and we headed over and found what I was looking for. We discussed various models and she said she liked the lower waist model because she was a little thick in the roll area and the item tended to roll. Having the same problem I went with her suggestion and asked her if she ever had "dueling elastic bands." She laughed and said that was a perfect description. I made my purchases and we headed to our next weekend adventure which was "Guitar Hero" with friends of Erica and Geoff. The girls stayed to play the game while the guys headed off on a walking tour of old Alexandria.

All the time I was playing the game or watching it be played I kept thinking about "Dueling Banjos" and "dueling elastic bands." This morning I awoke with the crazy music in my head and visions of waistbands rolling in competing rhythms. One of the great reasons to be retired is not having to wear pantyhose and slip with a dress. Not because the hose or slip can be uncomfortable but because by the end of the day I felt totally discombobulated keeping up with the increasing rhythm of the rolls.

The day starts of well with all layers and their appropriate waistbands in place: panties, pantyhose, slip, and finally dress. The first mistake is when a bathroom trip is required. Not one layer returns to original position and the roll starts. Dadada-da (left side panty), dadada-da (right side pantyhose). Stop, discreetly adjust. Dadada-da (right side panty), dadada-da (left side pantyhose). Stop, discreetly adjust. The rhythm quickens. Dadada-da, dadada-da, dadada-da, dadada-da. By noon the slip is doing slides. Sitting in an afternoon meeting is perfect for one huge symphonic roll. Back at the office blinds are closed and doors locked. Discretion be damned. All bands pulled back up from their now very low position. Awe, that feels better. Pick up the phone and make some calls. While talking I feel a little dadada-da on the right side and then on the left and then on the right and then the on the left and then down in front. With this full orchestration, I hang up the phone, leave the office and head directly home all the while the rolling continues. In my room the rolling has subsided. There are not many more places to go except on the floor and into the hamper which I gladly accommodate. Plunk!!!

Have a great April Fools.

Crossing the Bay (with camera in hand)

2008-03-27T14:12:00.000-07:00

In my last post I said I would post some of the other pictures I took last Sunday as we were coming home from Arlington. I took a lot pictures and what I am going to show are some of the many I took while crossing the Bay Bridge. It was fun just clicking as fast as I could. Here are some images along with some Nora Jones.

Getting Out

2008-03-24T12:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a beautiful day. The sky was clear, the wind was hardly blowing and although it was still chilly there was enough warmth from the sun that we needed to run the A/C in the car. We have been taking care of Frankie and Erica and Geoff got home from their vacation yesterday. So, we decided to drive Frankie home ourselves. It was a lovely day and it had been several weeks since we had ventured very far. It was so good to see leaves appearing on the trees, blossoms starting to reveal themselves and lovely daffodils all along the roadside.

Frankie was one excited dog to get home. Bentley, who loves to visit Erica, was also excited to be there. Erica fixed us a quiet dinner and we were on our way back to Delaware.

I took my camera out and starting taking pictures as we proceeded home. I am still (probably will be for a long time) learning how to use my new camera but it was fun just pushing the button. I will post more of the photos later. Here are a couple of Bentley I took by just pointing the camera to the back. I had no idea if he was in focus or not.

The front window was open a bit bit for him to have more air so his hair looks slicked back. He was quite put off by the fact that he was not allowed to ride up front with us.

Here, he has turned his head to watch out the window. He is looking at the Chesapeake Bay as we cross on the Bay Bridge.

A Little Spring

2008-03-19T10:02:00.000-07:00

The first half of March and then some has certainly been like a lion around here. The wind continues to blow and when it is warmer outside it is also windy and rainy. When it is clear it is windy and cold. If you haven't noticed, I have really had "Spring Fever" this year. The official arrival is tomorrow but I wonder. There are signs here and there but surely not enough. So, I decided to bring a little Spring home.

We got this garden cart several years ago for our living room in Spokane. The room was not large enough for a formal sofa table but needed a little something so I set out to find a garden or tea cart. This is what came home and I love putting seasonal items on it.

Another corner of the breakfast room (where we eat all of the time).

More Spring color.

And, of course, we have to make requisite trips to the beach.

Frankie has been visiting and likes to hang out in the office. He is here until Easter and is missing Erica and Geoff.

We are all thinking that it is time to be outside.

Camera

2008-03-14T15:01:00.000-07:00

"If wishes were horses we'd all take a ride" is what I have to tell myself often. I have been wishing for a digital SLR camera for quite a while. Nothing fancy but one I could do a few more things with than my point-and-shoot. That wish finally came true and now I wish I knew how to use it. Will I ever be satisfied? Probably not.

I am jumping into taking pictures with my new camera a little slower than I usually do such things. I have read some of the instruction manual and watched one of the two videos that came with it. You know what, it came just in time for me to capture some of Spring coming.

A sure sign of around here is when the turtles start clinging to logs and other projections in the pond. With my old camera you could not see what was on the log. Now you can.

Here I zoomed in with Paint Shop so you could see them closer. These guys are the first of the season and I hope to actually get a much better shots as the season progresses.

While out and about today I stopped for few moments at the beach in Lewes.

These guys could care if there is a life guard on duty. In a few weeks there will hardly be room for the seagulls on the beach.

Still a little cool but the sun is shining.

Finally!!

2008-03-11T10:19:00.001-07:00

Blossoms!! Finally, the colors of Spring are showing up. This blossom is outside at the corner of the house. There are little daffodils showing up enmasse in areas all around town. My bulbs, however, look like it will be a week or two before we see any color at all.

For some reason, I have had it my mind that Spring would arrive in Delaware earlier than other places I have lived. Maybe I thought this because we are so close to the Mason-Dixon line and "the south is just warmer." Whatever the reason, it really does not matter because the days are getting longer and the trees are reaching higher (or so it seems).

I think I will go out an see if I can coax my tulips to bloom.

In and Around Lower Delaware

2008-03-05T08:24:00.000-08:00

I am sitting here at my computer listening the NPR and looking out and seeing a very mixed sky. That's what it has been for what seems to be weeks now -- two days beautiful but cold and maybe windy, two dark and cloudy but warm and really windy. Outside of a few robins there have been few signs of Spring. Oh, I have noticed that the branches of some trees are changing colors and that my tulips are pushing through the soil but no real feel of Spring yet. I have been on a couple of expeditions to find some potted blooming tulips but most nurseries are waiting until next week before putting them on sale. It is so they will be blooming on Easter. I just want their blooms now. Oh, well. I will try later.

In case the above photo doesn't give a clue, I really like to take pictures of critters. This guy was enjoying some sun on Sunday in Salisbury, MD. We went on a Sunday drive and ended up there. It was good to get out and see some different towns in the area. We have been to Salisbury a couple of times but we went a different way this time. It really is interesting that you can tell when growth happened in an area by the style of existing homes. Some places show very little change from the turn of the 20th century until now while other areas are dotted with with lots of 1940-50's post-war small houses and then other areas have lots of very rapidly constructed 60's style rectangles. And, of course, now there are McMansions in clusters almost everywhere in this area. I wonder what that will say about us in 20-30 years.

The Goshen United Methodist Church here in Milton like many churches now has a reader board outside. I enjoy what is on that board -- succinct translation of scripture. The one there now makes me feel really good. "The best antiques are old friends. Proverbs 27.10" That is for sure.

Pondering

2008-02-25T10:16:00.000-08:00

My friend Terry is part of a blog group consisting of twelve textile artists. They call the group TWELVE BY TWELVE. Every two months or so a member assigns a theme and each member then completes a quilt block on that theme. At the end of the assigned time they each reveal their completed quilt. I am amazed at the diversity and detail that goes into each presentation and completion.

Equally amazing is how they each address a given theme. The current theme is one that I find intriguing because it can be discussed, debated and elaborated on so many different levels. The theme -- Community. The Merriam-Webster On-Line Dictionary's first definition of community is the one that possibly interests me most: "a unified body of individuals,...." The question then becomes "unified by what?" What size is the community? How many communities can an individual be a member?

This has been on my mind more as I work on the local Economic Development Committee and researching the Main Street Project. The community has to be defined and that is what I am struggling with right now in my thoughts as to how such a project should be instituted. There are lots of unifying threads to various factors but I am at a loss as to what the one unifier is for the community we will be defining. It can get so muddled with little or no effort.

Perhaps I will feel more directed when TWELVE BY TWELVE reveal their finished products.