I am begging you!

As you see from this pic, we love our critters..in fact that is an understatement! We love, love, love our critters!!!

Please do not tie your dog in the back of a pick up truck and drive 40 mph down the road! I am begging you!

This morning when I was driving to work, I saw a pickup with a dog tied, to the side of the truck, in the bed, on a very short leash. The dog, a beautiful Lab Retriever mix, was naturally very curious. He kept leaning over the rails of the truck, and at one point, it looked like he was going to jump. Anyone with dogs, realizes how energetic and curious they can be..they have very little sense of caution or fear. Their senses and desires simply overwhelm them with eagerness to explore the world and surroundings. And they are so eager to please! Many owners assume that their beautiful dog will simply lay down in the pickup bed for the ride and everything will go safely!!

WRONG!!! WAKEUP!!

This dog has no sense of right or wrong, caution or misfortune...as soon as the owner placed him in the pick up bed, he took away any intuition of safety! He replaced it with the joy of riding in the wind and the desire to take in all the world has to offer!! What if the driver had to slam on the brakes? What if the dog decided to attempt to jump out?

I was so upset watching that dog owner this morning, put his beautiful, loyal pet at risk. It actually made me feel ill to think of the injury that could have occurred.

And I am not talking about a little ride down to the next field to check the horses! I am talking about a busy 4-lane road, at rush hour traffic traveling at speeds of 40 mph. If people do not have enough common sense to protect their pet, I believe the police should intervene!!!

I kept trying to roll down my window to call out to the driver! Probably lucky that I was not able to catch his attention..for a driver with so little concern for that pet, probably has even less patience with his fellow driver and their opinion!!

So I ask that stupid, ignorant, careless person! ( yes, tell me how you feel!) How would you like me to tie you to a short leash, put you back, in the bed of a truck and drive 40 mph in 30 degree weather, YOU MORON!!!


So I pray.....Please, God of all critters.... protect our precious animals, for they are yours too, the great and the small, from the evils of irresponsible pet owners. Please God, protect them from injury and watch over them daily! Amen

Grooveshark link to right.."All creatures great and small"

Back to Normal?

It seems that the snow has stopped and along with it some of the snow shoveling frenzy has slowed to a normal pace, at least until the next blizzard!

We were able to catch this hardworkin', snow scrapin' bobcat, resting up at the local watering hole....Perry Bar and Grill. Can't blame him! It has been a snowy four days. And with the wind and continual drifting, the scraping and shoveling was never completed to satisfaction!! LOL!!

Thanks to all the folks (highway crews and locals)for giving up their Holiday weekend to come to our rescue! They have earned their break...so have a cold one!!!
(Hmm, maybe something hot would taste better!!)

Mrs X and her dog

I apologize about the X...this is what happens when you have your husband take a picture. Everything about the pic was really nice except...I had my eyes shut. TWICE!!! Yes, he took two pics and I had my eyes closed in both.

So now, I have a picture of me and the dog! It looks like I have entered the witness protection program!!! I spared you the awful face and shared with you my lovely Christmas coat, which I have had for six years!!! I remember we bought it at a TJ Maxx in Boston! And I say "we" because my husband picked it out. We were there for a sailing regatta of my son, when he was on the college sailing team. I was freezing, I had not prepared for such cool weather. We took a quick break to shop for a coat and gloves! I have really enjoyed this coat, tacky and pretty as can be, dragging it out each year for the Christmas season.

I will be putting it away again and will probably be pulling it out for at least 20 more years, which at that time it will be considered "vintage"!! Right??

Ice Cream at the Vertical Limit

Still snowed in at Lake Perry, we decided to watch a movie. My husband had brought along a varied selection ranging from scary and suspenseful to sappy and sad! He tried to bring movies that he knew I would enjoy. Well, "Vertical Limit" was in the stack and it seemed like a natural in this snowy setting.

If you haven't seen this movie, I highly recommend it. It is thrilling with a slightly evil twist to the plot. as a self-centered billionaire attempts to conquer the mountain.

The Karakoram Range in Pakistan, is the setting, K-2 the destination, a 28,250 foot mountain range.

Sometime during the movie,( I think it was when the climbers decided they were going to ration the water) my husband decided we should make snow ice cream!!! How decadent!!! We are so lucky! Here we are in a warm cabin, at an altitude of approx 1000 feet! We are not rationing water but we beginning to wonder if the wine is going to last! Not to mention the Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum!!!

Doc bundled up and headed for the door with a big plastic bowl. I reminded him to take the flashlight, so maybe we could avoid any yellow snow!

He returned and whipped up a big bowl of eggnog/spiced rum flavored snow ice cream. It was so good, we devoured it. I had never had snow ice cream but had read about it when I was young. I also recall reading the story of maple syrup candy...the hot maple syrup would be drizzled over ice cream and harden into little ribbons of deliciousness!

Snow ice cream..who knew?!

Snowy Day in "Perrydise"

The snow is beautiful, but be careful what you wish for! I wished and dreamed of a White Christmas and look what happened!!! And I was hoping to get "snowed in" and sure enough here we are! Drove over yesterday, late afternoon and got here without mishap. Then as we turned to go up the final hill to the cabin, we drove right into a snow drift that was at least 4 feet deep!!! It was beautiful but cold!! The wind was howling off the Lake. The wind chill felt like five degrees below zero!

Doc and I made one trip walking up the hill to the cabin bringing supplies from the truck! After one trip, we were winded, tired and very cold. We rested for a while to warm up and plan our next move. We then attempted to dig the SUV out but that was futile at best. We again rested and began thinking, thinking....Doc decided the only reasonable, safe thing to do was call a tow truck to pull us out....he called three tow services, no answer! (imagine that, on a snowy Christmas Day!)

We heard a sound and "when,what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer"

Well, it wasn't a sleigh but a tow truck, "with a little old driver, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick"

"He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself! A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread"

"He spoke not a word but went straight to his work"

He quickly pulled us out and drove off before Doc could give him some cash he had hastily pulled from his wallet.
"But I heard him exclaim, "ere he drove out of sight, Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night!"


With complete and utmost credit and respect to Clement Clark Moore ( 1779-1863) the author of this beautiful poem.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! My dream came true!! I was hoping for a White Christmas and we got it! It is just beautiful! I am so sorry that it interfered with travel plans for many....but it really completed my Wish List!

The sled pictured was mine from childhood. My brothers moved Mom into a retirement apartment this month. The boys had been trying to get the house emptied out...54 years of accumulation, a monumental task!! I rescued the sled from the trash pile, I don't think my brothers were interested in this sled, if I remember right they had a larger one. The girls had to share this little Silver Streak! I do remember riding down many snowy hills with my sister, both of us squeezed on for ride! We especially loved sled riding at night...the neighbor would flip on their porch light so we could avoid the tree and shrub obstacles as we flew down the hill!!!!

I had recently purchased a Radio Flyer sled at a garage sale. It looked like it had never been used! But I really prefer my Silver Streak from childhood! With a little luck I can still hang on when we hit the sledding hill! I will keep you posted!!!

North Face...just in time for the blizzard!

I was out shopping the thrift stores again and found another North Face! You may remember my earlier posting on my North Face collection....This one was $5.00 but the pink fleece was so gray, I doubted it was salvageable. I bought it anyway and brought it home...I let it soak in a bucket of water and Clorox II for about an hour...the water turned absolutely brown!!! Then I rinsed it and rinsed it, followed by a run through the washer with more detergent and Clorox II. I hung it up to dry and the thing turned out as clean and bright as could be!!!!

Wow, pink and gray! My favorite retro color combination.....there was a house at Lake Lotawana painted the most beautiful shade of gray with pink shutters (and accents of black)..almost identical to the colors of this jacket! I used to love to drive by that little cottage! It was the cutest thing..looked like a flash back to the
"50's". I imagined a single woman as the owner or perhaps, a very clever, married woman! Just think of the negotiating skills that would be required to convince a husband to paint the shutters pink!

The darling cottage remained pink and gray for approximately five years...now I am not sure what color it is..it is so drab, that I haven't even bothered to pay any attention. Curb Appeal!!!

North Face! Great Curb, I mean Curve Appeal!!!

Rescued!

Here it is..really the last surviving remnant of a beautiful home, which was torn down to make room for a new, modern box. This is the house marker, and I know, it is NOT an antique...but it marked the spot where a Log Home stood, one of the original Lake homes. It was built probably around 1930 or 1935..I don't have the history but I do know that it was lived in by some really nice people the past decade!!!

So Cathy, "here's your sign!"

Well, the cruise to celebrate Mattie Lee's (AKA Mom) 90th birthday has come to an end. We had a great time...who knew a 90 year old woman could be so much fun!? My husband and I have been on several cruises but I can honestly say this was the best!
We spent a day at Sandals Resort. What a beautiful place..so clean and bright, the food was delish and the booze was free flowing and free. We also spent a day exploring a Botanical Garden in Freeport, a very pleasant experience and a chance to mingle with nature and view some local flora and fauna. ( did I say that correctly?)

I would highly recommend the four day Carnival Cruise as a great starting place, if you have never cruised or just want a quick get-away. Of course it is necessary to go with the right attitude..one of excitement and anticipation, also an open mind is important, because you need to get on "island time", to fully experience the cruise. ( also, it is critical to enjoy being around a lot of people that are having the "trip of a lifetime" You will see lots of smiles, with occasional grumpiness, especially if a sunburn is involved)

Click on my grooveshark link..Put the "lime in the coconut"

Carnival Sensation

Well, here we are again on a Carnival Cruise! We brought my mother-in-law Mattie Lee to celebrate her 90th birthday! Cruises are such fun! Lots of food, entertainment and happy people! The weather is a bit cool but we are hoping it will warm up a bit as we sail south!

I have already had my required fru-fru drink the "Fun Ship Special" which is a combination of several liquors and fruit juice. Yum!! This is where the cruise ships make their money!!! You get your bar bill at the end of the trip and sometimes it is a pretty shocking amount, especially if you have been buying rounds for the table!!

Oh Well...... Bon Voyage!

"Under the Sea"

I am not packed and not ready to leave tomorrow on our trip! We are taking my mother-in-law on an ocean cruise to celebrate her 90th birthday!!! She is so much fun, we will have a great time! She is the original party girl, so you know we are going to have a blast!!

As most of you know, Doc and I travel a lot but I always have my little anxiety attack prior to leaving. I worry that is something happens and we never get back home, what will the kids think!? Our house is a mess, things are disorganized, my car is full of work stuff and who will adopt the dog? Coupled with fretting about my job, my wardrobe, my budget and just obsessing about everything in general,I become almost dysfunctional the night before we leave!!

The "seaweed is always greener in someone else's sea". I imagine that everyone else has organized lives and homes!! Maybe that is a fantasy, sort of like Disney World or something! LOL!!!

I usually just give up, go to sleep and wake up early to deal with it in the morning!
Works almost everytime, unless we have an early flight! Tomorrow is perfect..flight is not until noonish and then non stop to Orlando. So good night all! And kids, if anything happens to us.....just sort through what you want and give the rest to Goodwill!!! And don't forget about the Boston Whaler up at Lake Perry!!! And the kayaks down by the Lake, and the vintage trailer over in storage and, and, and..... you get the picture!

The Bridge

The lyrics of "Wasted on the Way", written by Graham Nash, are better then the best self help book. Take time to listen to it...you will just be amazed at the message.....Maybe middle age has given me a better understanding of "so much water moving underneath the bridge".

"So much time to make up, everywhere you turn, time we have wasted along the way"
How can one man have so much talent? The ability to write music and lyrics that can bring me to tears with the sheer beauty of words and harmony.

Facts: Graham Nash, British singer-songwriter, born February 2, 1942.
Founding member of "the Hollies" 1960
Joined up with Crosby and Stills in 1968, for CSN
1969, the band became CSN and Y, joined by Neil Young,
and performed at Woodstock

Click on my Grooveshark link to hear "Wasted on the Way"