One Cow Hoof, Two Dogs - Kylee and Toby

Word of the Day

Twinch - The movement a dog makes with its head when it hears a high-pitched noise.

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I didn't think it was worthwhile blogging yesterday. Laundry, garbage, and raspberry picking and cleaning. See? Nothing worth blogging about. But today?

I've got two dogs....temporarily. I'm taking care of BW Babe's dog, Toby, for a couple of days. I realized that Kylee and Toby are pretty much the same size. Well-matched. Of course, things were a bit hectic to begin with when both dogs decided to run and chase inside the house. Since I couldn't let them go outside to run off their sillies because I've been informed that Toby isn't all that great at sticking around if you let him out loose and, worse yet, he doesn't come when he's called, I let them rough-house a bit before calling a halt before it went too far. I'm not sure who was rough-housing with whom. Kylee seemed intent on herding...and she seems to continue with this mistaken activity. Herding Toby away from her toys, herding Toby away from her water dish, herding Toby away from ME. They do seem to have settled down a bit. I thought there'd be a bit of a problem when Toby stole Kylee's new horn that I purchased for her the other day but...she was a good little girl. So, I got her a cow hoof out of my tin of Kylee treats, at which point Toby abandoned the horn and wanted Kylee's cow hoof. He wanted it really bad but was a perfect gentleman. However, as I watched, he laid his head on the edge of the coffee table and looked so depressed and sad so...I caved and gave him a cow hoof too. They are both in separate areas in the living room, happily chomping on their treats. Apparently, cow hooves are a lot tastier than horns. My living room smells like...cow hooves...which smell like, a barn. Oh well, it's just me and the dogs.

Before my guest arrived with all his stuff (kennel, leash, tie-out stake, food, and dishes), I ran around and cleaned like a crazy lady. I knew I wouldn't have much time to do any cleaning while he's here....at least until I could trust the two dogs together. After seeing that everything was settling down nicely, and after things dried off outside (we've had enough rain to make things really wet outside) and after the sun came out, I left the dogs inside while I sallied forth to try out my new Dust-Mizer. I dusted all my tomato plants, thoroughly, and in record time. Awesome! Of course, I had to wear an bandana (bandit-style) to keep from breathing in all the dust flying around, but, I love my new duster.

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Random Quote of the Day

Everybody knows if you are too careful you are so occupied in being careful that you are sure to stumble over something.

Gertrude Stein (1874 - 1946), Everybody's Autobiography, 1937

Let Us Have Lettuce!

Word of the Day

Toe cleavage - The result of women's footwear that is cut too deeply along the top of the foot, showing where the toes begin, but not the entire toe.

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After vacuuming two days in a row, I decided that it was past time for my darling Kylee to go into the groomers'. They reopened in July...it's July. I kind of figured out why they went out of business for a while. It's not like there's a huge demand for high end pet products out here in rural Wisconsin. I still think they're going to have to re-think their product line. Who in the heck buys spends $30 for a elk horn for their dog to chew on? I did buy some sort of horn for $5 but...$30? I love Kylee but for that much, I'm going to saw it up and make some jewelry out of it. However, I am willing to let someone else furmenate the heck out of my dog for $30...bath her and trim her nails. The amount of "furmenating" that my dog needs (since it hasn't been done since before I left Arizona), is beyond my capability. I admit it. I'm don't "furmenate" my dog on a daily basis. However, I think that's why we get along so well. I don't trim her nails, give her shots, or any other sort of thing that would damage our relationship...other than daily obedience training which she doesn't object to because...she gets treats. My Kylee LOVES treats.

While Kylee was off getting beautified, I took the chocolate chip cookies that I made yesterday (no, I didn't keep a single one for me) over to my folks' place along with some choice, cleaned raspberries that I picked the other day. The raspberries are really big this year, beyond my expectations. And here I thought that they wouldn't produce so many berries this year because I was delayed in pruning....and I didn't get around to fertilizing. Who am I to complain?

I hadn't planned to do any shopping but, since I was told that Kylee's appointment would take THREE HOURS, I decided to stop into The Dollar Store to check out the merchandise. I purchased some more "This isn't Tupperware" products and some of those neat little shower cap-type things that you can use to cover stuff in the fridge or to keep flies off for picnics (love those) and I resisted purchasing a lot of dollar-priced items...feeling incredibly virtuous until I found myself in line behind a group of senior, one who hadn't purchased a single item. *sigh* Oh well, I really needed those shower-cap thingies.

Actually, the only reason that I'd baked the cookies and that I'd gone to the city in the first place was because someone had left an empty box of dishwasher detergent cubes under the sink in my kitchen. I didn't do it. It becomes apparent that my darling son is just that sort of person who leaves an empty box of...nothing...under the sink, thus making everyone else think that there just might be something in that box. After making seven batches of jam, I discovered the hoax. I was down to two mere cubes of dishwasher detergent....and then, after baking four dozen cookies...I was down to one.

I don't like going to the city (30 minutes away), without figuring out how to maximize my time, cost (gas mileage), and effort. Thus...I made four dozen chocolate cookies for my Dad (T-Square)...which both Ma and T-Square appreciated, I cleaned and put aside some of the choicest of my raspberries for my Dad and my Mom (which could have been mistaken for strawberries because they were so big...and they were...mistaken for strawberries by some of the other residents of the senior apartments where my folks live) , I scheduled a grooming appointment for Kylee (only late by five minutes but we got stuck behind a tractor), I made up a Shopping List and checked it twice (and...of course, I forgot to put band-aides on the list...should have checked that list three times), and decided to get a pedicure, but, only if I found myself with some spare time. THREE HOURS?! I had time...or almost. And, I really should have worn flip-flops instead of socks and shoes. What was I thinking? Oh well, JC Penney had a clearance sale on their really cheap flip-flops so I didn't have to wear the totally weird Pro-Nail flip flops that I was given to wear at Pro-Nail. Thankfully, the groomer wasn't upset about spending additional time with Kylee. I'm told that Kylee loves to give lots of kisses and hugs....and "She's such a cutie!"

I resisted the temptation of stopping at our newest grocery store, Gordy's, to buy a small pizza from their deli or some of their delicious sushi...but...I succumbed to temptation at the drive-thru at Arby's. Kylee was very good and didn't do more than glance and drool a little when I bought some Arby's Jr. Roast Beef sandwiches from the dollar menu. Why?! I just lost ten pounds and I feel like I need to gain it all back? I only ate two...after I got back home. I'm freezing the rest....so they can call to me in a siren-type voice.

Lettuce. I'm having a salad for dinner tonight. It's not like I don't have a LOT of the stuff. Meanwhile, I think I might have burned off my Arby's calories when I picked three buckets of raspberries from my bushes. Looks like I'll be making more jam and jelly. I need to pick currants and gooseberries too. Tomorrow?

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Random Quote of the Day

The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.

Bertrand Russell (1872 - 1970)

And it's started...putting up jam and jelly for the 2013 season.

Word of the Day

Touron - A very annoying and possibly stupid tourist.

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All the jam that I put up yesterday, for gifts and for use, has been labeled and stowed away and my kitchen cleaned for my next project. Chocolate Chip Cookies. Not for me. I promised T-Square that I'd bake and bring him some chocolate chip cookies...back before I went to Ireland. I don't forget. The cookies have been baked and stored away to drop off at T-Square and Ma's place tomorrow. Of course, I had to taste one...just to make sure that the cookies would poison anyone. Only one.

The sun finally made an appearance at about the same time that I finished cleaning my kitchen...again. However, I can't go out and pick berries today. It's just too wet out in the woods and in my raspberry beds. Maybe tomorrow. I've got lots on my To Do List for tomorrow. Thankfully, it looks like our July temperatures will be returning to near normal. Still cool but not the winter coat temperatures as it's been for the last few days.

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Random Quote of the Day

We must beware of trying to build a society in which nobody counts for anything except a politician or an official, a society where enterprise gains no reward and thrift no privileges.

Sir Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965), Radio broadcast, London, March 21, 1943

Hope?

Word of the Day

Toastate - To impatiently pop toast, or some other item, up and down in the toaster, thus increasing the likelihood of burning it.

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Cold! It was supposed to be this cold yesterday but...it really wasn't, at least not as cold as it is today. Plus, we weren't really supposed to get rain yesterday. We did. Just enough rain to confuse my lawn which has long since decided to turn brown and dormant. Today? The high temperature today, the end of JULY, is going to be 60 degrees. I'm considering whether or not to enjoy a fireplace fire...which reminds me that I need to order more fireplace wood. I know, I live surrounded by 140 acres of woods but, then I'd have to cut and split and age it all and...I don't do that. However, I do make jam. I plan to heat up the kitchen and myself by making jam today. Seven batches of jam.

It's a perfect day for jam-making...especially since I've got enough frozen strawberries to make six batches AND I've got enough raspberries picked (thanks to my tame raspberries that surround the house), to make one batch of raspberry jam. I'll be picking my black currants soon and as soon as the woods dry out, I'll be picking gooseberries. Jelly. And...of course, more raspberries. I'm not making sugar-free jams and jellies this year. HTP and I don't actually eat enough jam or jelly to mess with our blood sugar levels. Carbs? That's where we have our problems.

I picked my first three cherry tomatoes yesterday. I spotted the ripe tomatoes as I was treating all the tomato plants for blossom end rot. 1/4 cup of hydrated lime to one gallon of water....per plant in my containers, and into the water tube and thus into the water reservoir of my Earthboxes. I actually don't have too much blossom end rot but I've plucked off a few, discarding them. There's no point in wasting the plant strength ripening fruit that can't be used. I also spotted my first regular (Sir Speedy)tomato that is showing signs of ripening. I am so looking forward to having my first meal of vine-ripened tomatoes.

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Random Quote of the Day

I've always thought that a big laugh is a really loud noise from the soul saying, "Ain't that the truth."

Quincy Jones, Victory of the Spirit

My Pole Bean Wall

Word of the Day

Time hole - A device or seemingly harmless collection of objects, either real or digital, that absorb particles of time unless one is wary enough to keep a strong sense of time passed. Considering the low impact black holes have had toward life on Earth, time holes have shown far greater affects on life as we know it.

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"Steve" showed up at around 9 AM (not quite MY definition of first thing in the morning) to fix the generator. It didn't make me feel all that great to have him ask me what the problem with the generator was...after he finished fixing it. I blinked and told him that the control mechanism that regulates the flow of the propane into the generator (the fuel)had a valve that was sticking and that the other generator guy recommended replacing the mechanism. OK? *sigh* I asked him if I should call them if I had any more problems. Meanwhile, I'm wondering if he shut down my AC unit...like the other guy. Since I haven't had to use the AC for the last few days and I won't be needing it in the coming week, I may have to check before I NEED the AC...just to relieve my mind. I don't like dealing with new guys who I've never met...new guys that look younger than #1 Son....lots younger. Not that I'm an ageist but...

Having blown off yoga for the day, I decided that Kylee REALLY needed a bath. I didn't feel like driving into the city to check out the groomer (besides, Stan's friend does dog grooming and...),but, Kylee has been shedding like crazy and smelling like a dirty dog so I decided to give her a bath. Nails...forget about it. I don't do nails. Did I mention that I got the windows cleaned last Friday? After giving Kylee a bath, I had to wash the two huge windows that adjoin my bathtub. I suppose I could have washed her outside but it's been pretty cool outside. I could have given her a bath in the bathtub in the basement but...from past experience...that would have ended up being an even bigger mess. The carpeting in my bathroom got a bit wet despite the two huge swim towels that I used to dry a sopping wet Kylee after her bath. Kylee has a LOT of hair. She doesn't mind baths, much. She did look a little disgusted with the whole process but only shook off the water a few times, thus showering my clean windows, the tub surround, AND me with water. Thankfully, she waited to shake off until I'd thoroughly rinsed off all the soap. Then, after I pulled her from the tub, wrapped securely in a swim towel, she graciously allowed me to attempt the hopeless task of drying her off before she decided that she'd had enough and raced off into my bedroom, rolling madly on the floor, racing into the living room and rolling on the carpet in there, and then jumping on my bed....but she didn't have a time to roll around on there before I chased her off. I put a clean, dry towel into Kylee's kennel and treating her with a Milk Bone, stowed her safely in her kennel where she could dry in a safe environment (safe for my furniture, carpet and bed).

Kylee was still a bit damp when we took our walk to the main road and back later in the afternoon. She didn't seem to notice or mind. The deerfly seemed to be attracted by her new scent but she didn't seem to mind them either. She was just glad to be out for an actual walk...on leash. I don't walk anywhere near the main road when I have Kylee with me without having her on leash. When I was a child, we had a dog who went off exploring on her own and ended up being hit and killed by a car. I don't take chances and though I allow Kylee off leash near the house and around the lake and into the surrounding woods, she's NOT allowed to go up the driveway off-leash...and she knows it.

We met up with Stan...second time for the day...after Kylee and I had checked the mail at the road and rolled the garbage barrel back. He wanted to know where the pin cherry tree was that I'd mentioned earlier in the day when he'd stopped by. He walked with us halfway back to the house to where the pin cherry trees are located near our logging road. For some reason, he was expecting to see chokecherries. I explained the difference, telling him that chokecherries are different than pin cherries. Actually, I prefer pin cherries to chokecherries. The chokecherries aren't ripe yet. I also showed him the gooseberry bushes, loaded with green gooseberries.

I really should go out and pick some for gooseberry jelly. I won't be getting any red currants this year. All my bushes are totally blighted with some sort of fungus. I'm going to go out and dust them with fungicide but the damage has already been done for this year...maybe forever. The bushes look HORRIBLE! All this happened while I was in Ireland for those three weeks. Hopefully, the bushes will survive and come back strong enough next spring. Thankfully, the black currant bushes don't seem to be effected by the fungus. If necessary, I'll dig out the old, damaged bushes next spring and replace them with new plants...but...I'll worry about that next spring. In the meantime, I'll see if I have enough black currants to make black currant jelly and pick enough gooseberries to make gooseberry jelly....AFTER I make six batches of strawberry jam from all the strawberries that I have prepped in my freezer.

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Random Quote of the Day

You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need.

Vernon Howard

Wining 2013

Word of the Day

Tile comet - Any streamer of toilet paper attached to a person's heel as they emerge from a restroom.

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In the news, a Prince of the Realm was born yesterday afternoon. I was waited to mention it until the proud parents gave him a name. However, I've been made to understand that this is a VERY diplomatic and DEEP process for a royal. It may take over a month for the proud parents to decide which names to give the poor little baby. He (Male Child) went home with Mom and Dad (William and Kate)today. I wonder what his life will bring? Much speculation in the news. Will they leave him alone...just for a bit. I hope.

I made some Baba Ghanoush today. Having never tasted it or made it before, I had no idea what to expect. I found a recipe on All Recipes and followed it to the letter....but...I halved the recipe because my single eggplant wasn't all that big...not as big as the eggplant (huge) that they pictured in the video on the website. Altogether, it tastes pretty good. I'll probably make it again but...maybe not so much lemon juice. BW Babe tells me that I have had it before but...no...I'd remember. She called it Poor Man's Caviar but...nope...I still don't remember it. She told me that she makes hers rather chunky...not according to the recipe and video that I had. Oh well...it tasted great for lunch today with carrots and corn chips as a dip.

As I was cooking up the eggplant, I noted a distinct smell in the air. I was wondering about it. Did cooking eggplant actually smell that strange? Nope. It finally occurred to me that the odor I was smelling was coming from my buckets of wine...brewing and bubbling. Wine farts. It sounds like a rather demonic clock is ticking in my living room...the air-locks are letting the wine farts escape...ticking, ticking. Like a tell-tale heart.

I called the boat repair place...after procrastinating madly. I HATE calling people that I HAVE to call because it's on my To Do List. I cringe at those calls. I asked them why the cost quoted was so much higher than I was expecting. Oh...now I get it. They had to replace the entire throttle. *sigh* Throttles don't come cheap. This will be our third throttle for this boat. I swear this boat has been nothing but a LEMON when it comes to throttles. Regardless, I informed them that I wouldn't be able to pick the boat up...and pay for the repairs...until next week sometime. JC won't be able to help me roll it into the garage until next week and I don't want to pick it up and let it sit out on the driveway...unprotected, not that it isn't probably sitting out on the repair peoples' lot right now...unprotected.

My second call was to the generator guy. He was out...getting lunch at McDonald's. However, he called me back...eventually...after I collected all the garbage in the house and drove it out to the road AND picked up the mail in town. The part needed for the generator arrived and STEVE will be showing up first thing in the morning to replace the part. Steve? Who's STEVE? And...what is the generator guy's definition of "first thing in the morning"?

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Random Quote of the Day

I prefer the company of peasants because they have not been educated sufficiently to reason incorrectly.

Michel de Montaigne (1533 - 1592)

Daylilies Gone a Bit Wild

Word of the Day

Thumbulation - The state of being thumbulated.

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I decided to have a lazy day. No outdoor work and minimal To Do List stuff. I cleaned and sorted the raspberries that I picked yesterday. Some, I prepped and froze to make into jam or jelly, some I plan to enjoy for dessert tonight. Vanilla pudding (sugarfree), fresh raspberries and a dollop of Kool Whip. I really need to start making jam soon. I already have enough prepped strawberries to make six batches of strawberry jam and from what I'm seeing outside, I'll need to make room in the freezer for prepped raspberries. Oh well...maybe tomorrow? It's obvious to me that I'll need to add more pectin to my shopping list.

But, for today, I wasn't entirely lazy. I got off my duff and dedicated an entire hour to yoga exercise this morning. Much needed yoga exercise. With the resultant yoga energy high, I spent some time cleaning the refrigerator, sorting out what needed to be eaten and what I should toss. I HATE throwing away food but some of that stuff was well over a week old and I HATE getting sick a lot worse than throwing away food. I'm on a "get healthy" kick right now (I need to lose some weight AND dedicate some time to my yoga exercise). With all the fresh lettuce and salad fixings just outside on my deck, I'll enjoying lots of salads in the coming weeks. I've also been picking and cleaning male zucchini blossoms which I'm looking forward to having for breakfast tomorrow morning. I'm not sure what I'll do with the eggplant growing bigger every day out on the deck but...I'll figure out something. Eggplant Parmesan? In the meantime, I've got some chicken breasts marinating to grill and slice for future salads.

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Random Quote of the Day

Make your own recovery the first priority in your life.

Robin Norwood

First Picking of 2013 Raspberries

 

Word of the Day

Thumbulate - 1. To lean forward while pressing the buttons on the remote hoping that the extra inch will make the remote control work better. 2. To push harder on a button in hopes that it will revive a remote with clearly dead batteries.

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I slept in this morning, rising only at the demands of my poor dog. 7 AM. I know, as far as sleeping in goes, it doesn't sound like all that much actually sleeping in occurred but Kylee is used to me getting up at least an hour earlier than that, so I imagine she thought I needed a bit of prodding or she'd be stuck in her kennel all day...not that such an occurrence has ever happened but Kylee doesn't take any chances.

I spent most of the morning, aside from feeding Kylee, checking things off my To Do List and checking my emails. HTP made it safe and sound back to our home in Arizona. He let me know that everything looked fine.

My summer wines are now sitting in air-locked 7 gallon buckets doing what wine must do....does. Whatever, I don't have to do anything with the wine for a week and then, I only have to check the hydrometer readings and if the readings are correct go onto Step 2 of the brewing process. Wine-racking.

All the plants on my upper deck have been watered but, with the cooler temperatures that we've been enjoying for the last two days, the plants don't seem to be quite as thirsty. Regardless, I will continue watering the Earthboxes on a daily basis. You can't over-water the plants in the Earthboxes because the excess water just runs out/off. I haven't been watering the tomato plants on the lower deck quite so often but, I've been keeping an eye on them...so far, they seem to be able to last a bit longer without watering. Two to three days.

I did dust all the tomatoes for blight again despite having to deal with a duster that has been constantly fighting me. It's getting old. Aren't we all? Anyway, I managed to dust the last of the tomato plants this morning before it (the duster) bit the dust. I relegated it to the "dust bin". I purchased a new duster (online) and it should be here later this week but I doubt I'll actually need to dust again for a couple of weeks. Dragoon Dust seems to be working quite well in controlling blight. Knock on wood. However, I'm noticing a bit of blossom end rot. Argh! Next time I'm in town, I'll have to pick up some garden lime.

Feeling a bit guilty about procrastinating (I should have picked the raspberries when I first noticed that they were turning), I sallied forth with Kylee with ice cream bucket in hand and a little scissors. Normally, I like to pick the raspberries, pinching them off the bushes, leaving the stems on but using my fingernails to cut through the stem, but...my nails are showing a bit of distress these days. I think it was the shellac that I had applied (manicurist) before heading to Ireland...or maybe the acetone that I used to remove the shellac after I got back. Either way, my nails are in no shape to be cutting anything. Oh well, I probably shouldn't be using my nails as tools anyway. As a matter of fact, a manicurist once told me this as she looked at my well-worn, abused nails. She even mentioned that I should be wearing, *shudder*, gloves when I clean and garden.

While out picking, I discovered that Kylee is a raspberry hound. I've never seen anything quite like it. Ever the opportunist when it comes to food, she delicately grasps the berries between her lips, nibbling the ripe fruit off the bushes, gorging herself, never minding the prickly branches. I had to speak to her rather sharply about this behavior, however, I suppose, since I picked a full bucket of raspberries, there will be plenty for Kylee to enjoy a few...as long as she continues to chase off the chipmunks and the birds. The first picking of the season is always...slim-pickings. I was amazed at how many I'll end up having to clean and process. Two more days and I'll have to be out there picking again...and I'm betting that I'll be making lots of raspberry jelly and jam this season.

I harvested some of my Italian and Curly parsley from the deck garden to make Tabouli salad. I enjoyed a bit of it for lunch. Cracked wheat, lemon juice (fresh frozen from Arizona), olive oil, LOTS of parsley, minced onion, diced tomatoes, garlic and, this time, I tried a bit of fresh basil (from my deck garden) instead of mint, which I didn't grow this year. It turned out great! I liked the flavor of the basil a lot better than the mint. A perfect summer salad...at least for me. HTP isn't fond of Tabouli.

This weekend is the Bluegill Festival in town. I didn't go to check out all the doings but I hear that the town was packed with tourists. That's a good thing. Our little town could use the boost.

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Random Quote of the Day

See, that's all you're thinking about, is winning. You're confirming your sense of self- worth through outward reward instead of through inner appreciation.

Barbara Hall, Northern Exposure, Gran Prix, 1994

Hiking the Logging Road....Many Moons Ago

Word of the Day

Tictactic - A technique used to try and receive one tic-tac from its container.

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It's been a busy day. HTP and I drove to The Big City to meet #1 Son and #1 DIL at The Akita for HTP's belated Father's Day present from #1 Son and Sarge. All-You-Can-Eat Sushi. Yum! It was great to chat see #1 Son and #1 DIL. Turns out that #1 Son will be flying off to France tomorrow morning for work. Wow! He sure does travel a lot for work and to places that I've only read about. Poor #1 DIL, I know that she doesn't like all this traveling...without her. I don't blame her.

Speaking of travel, after lunch, HTP and I headed off to the airport. *sigh* HTP's on his way back to our home in Arizona. Meanwhile, I drove back here to The Lake....alone. But, it looks like I'll be keeping busy. Turns out that our boat that I was hoping to have all fixed and useable while HTP was here?...apparently, it's fixed and ready for pick-up. Well, they're just going to have to wait now because I can't just drop everything and drive out to Hayward to pick it up and I sure can't launch it until #1 Son and #1 DIL can help....in a few weeks. Maybe I'll pick it up next week sometime, if I can get someone to help me roll it into the garage until I can get it launched. But, I'll worry about all that tomorrow...or the next day. I've got quite a long To Do List for the remainder of the summer.

Tomorrow? It looks like the raspberries need picking and it's past time to get the summer wine projects started. And, I've got strawberries all prepped for jam-making.

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Random Quote of the Day

Bureaucracy defends the status quo long past the time when the quo has lost its status.

Laurence J. Peter (1919 - 1988)

Deck Gardening

Word of the Day

Trafficy - Describing a period of heightened traffic.

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Laundry Day. HTP is heading back to Arizona tomorrow so I, once again, strayed from my iron-class rule of only doing laundry on Tuesdays. Not wanting to send HTP back to Arizona with a suitcase-full of dirty laundry and not wanting him to have to spend his entire remaining day of rest, Sunday, before going back to work, doing laundry... I spent my day, Friday, doing laundry....and other stuff.

Having arranged for the care of Kylee (JC, BW Babe's hubby, is going to stop in tomorrow to give Kylee an opportunity to "stretch her legs"), HTP and I will be spending our day tomorrow driving to The Big City tomorrow (airport run) plus a belated Father's Day celebration our kids planned. #1 Son, #1 DIL and Sarge arranged a special sushi treat for HTP. All-You-Can-Eat Sushi at the Akita, a restaurant in The Big City. And then, afterwards,....*sigh* , HTP will be leaving on a jet plane, heading back to our home in Arizona while I'll be driving back to our home here at The Lake for what remains of the summer.

It's going to be pretty quiet here at The Lake with just Kylee and me. I'll be starting my summer wine project, cooking up jams and jellies, canning produce, battling the evil squirrels and chipmunks, trapping crayfish, and....getting the Gator fixed and making sure the generator is fixed. In other words, I won't be spending a lot of time twiddling my thumbs with a lack of anything to keep idle hands busy. Of course, I won't actually be spending the entire summer all by my lonesome. I'm looking forward to spending time with T-Square and Ma, BW Babe, JC, and #1 Son and #1 DIL...plus, I'm looking forward to a visit in August from one of my best friends, her hubby (Mr. Fix-it) and her daughter. No devil's playground for me.

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Random Quote of the Day

Kneeling over a trickling mountain stream and pumping every ounce of water you use though a filter can really change your perception of turning on a faucet.

Eric Voorhis, Camping Earth, Backcountry Camping Can Be A Stressful Pursuit, 03-02-12

The Raspberries are Starting

Word of the Day

Thumble - A thimble worn on the thumb. If worn for a prolonged period of time can deform the thumb to the shape of the thumble.

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Wow! Where has the time flown? So much to do and so little time to do it. Sometimes blogging just has to be pushed to the side. HTP will be heading back to our Arizona home on Saturday so blogging hasn't exactly been a priority.

Tuesday, we stopped over in Hayward to visit our boat and enjoy a meal at one of the local Asian restaurants. Nothing to write home about...or blog about...but it was OK and a good chance to get out of the heat and humidity for a bit. We dropped off a part for our boat and were told that the Lund deck boards that had been ordered would be delivered sometime this week. I'm starting to wonder if it will be worth launching the boat once I get it back here. We'll see.

Wednesday morning, HTP and I hiked the property with the forester to clarify what we want done as far as logging goes with an eye toward the future. He'll be accepting bids from the various loggers in the area but we don't expect to see any actual logging trucks in here until late fall or sometime during the winter months. Our forester told us that logging could take place any time during the next couple of years, however, right now there's quite a market for our trees. Again, no, we aren't clear-cutting, we're harvesting mature trees and opening up the canopy to encourage the new growth of sugar maples.

The weather has been really warm and majorly sticky. After hiking the woods for two and a half hours, we returned to the house, wringing wet (and not from dew or rain). Thank goodness for air-conditioning! After a cool bath, we put our feet up and relaxed until dinner with BW Babe and JC. A visit here isn't quite complete without going out to eat at The Bona Casa and having a family-style Italian meal. Lots of food...and leftovers. BW and JC had never been there before but they have enjoyed the homemade raviolis from there. Cheese and chicken, and cheese and raisin. VERY good!

Today? HTP and I went out to Cumberland to meet a friend of ours who we hadn't seen for a quite a while. Of course, we keep in touch with her via Internet but it isn't the same. She and HTP are heavily involved and interested in genealogy and the Italian history in this area of Wisconsin....and into Minnesota....and back in Italy. What better place to meet than at the Corner Bar? A great place to sit and chat, eat, and chat some more. No-one blinks to see us sitting at a table with laptop open, tracing ancestors, connections and relationships.

After returning home, I noted that my poor plants were wilting out on the upper deck. I'm going to have to start watering them on a daily basis. They NEED water and we NEED rain. I gave them water for now but even if it rains tonight, I'll be out there watering again tomorrow. It's that time of year when the plants suck up a lot of water. They're producing (I have a harvestable eggplant which I plan to enjoy next week) and they'll be drinking lot more from now until fall. I tied up all the tomato plants again. We're supposed to be getting some storms tonight...maybe. If we do, I don't want any branches snapping off. I get enough of that from the critters who still seem to be munching on my green tomatoes.

Speaking of critters, I suspect that I had a visit from a raccoon out on my deck last night. Whatever, carefully pulled one of my hummingbird feeders over to where it could be easily emptied. Apparently, someone likes sugar water. Thankfully, since this particular hummingbird feeder is made out of glass, "someone" didn't drop the feeder and break it into tiny little pieces which I'd have been REALLY angry about...mad enough for me to try out my gun. However, instead, I brought the empty feeder inside, plan to bring the seed feeders inside tonight...and every night until I catch this certain "someone" and transport him/her, far, far, away. But, not until after HTP leaves. He requested that any angry raccoon issues (they REALLY don't like to be trapped) wait until after he's safely back in Arizona. You know...I wonder if I can find a good recipe for raccoon stew? Wait...it doesn't seem quite fair to shoot a trapped raccoon, besides, he didn't break the feeder. I can always cook up more sugar water for the hummingbirds and the orioles.

~~~~

Random Quote of the Day

Rumor travels faster, but it don't stay put as long as truth.

Will Rogers (1879 - 1935), 'Politics Getting Ready to Jell,' The Illiterate Digest, 1924

My Deck Gardens
Lots of Tomato Plants on the Lower Deck

Word of the Day

Thrux - Something that is the absolute core and driving force behind something.

~~~~~

I noticed that my raspberries are just starting to ripen. It's too soon to actually go out there and pick but...soon. In the meantime, I spent a great deal of time watering all the plants on both my decks. With the heat that we've been getting, all my plants are really thirsty.

The generator kicked in...reluctantly, at the correct time. The sticky part still needs to be replaced but it feels good to have the generator up and running, albeit, reluctantly. Meanwhile, HTP has been researching the problem with the Gator and tomorrow, we'll be visiting our boat in Hayward...just to drop off a part.

~~~~~

Random Quote of the Day

It is far more impressive when others discover your good qualities without your help.

Judith Martin, (Miss Manners)

Putting My Feet Up

Word of the Day

Thictatorship - God, having absolute power, wins and everybody else loses, specifically in the case of religious governments. Otherwise known as theocracy.

~~~~

It was fun to have people over yesterday. HTP's brother and his wife and HTP's sister and her husband. We had way too much food for everyone which was a good thing because I totally over-cooked the baked beans. I baked them nearly to death. The temperature was perfect for sitting out on the deck so time got away from us as we all chatted and reminisced...ergo, ubber-baked beans. We never got around to eating lunch until well into the afternoon and almost into early evening.

HTP's brother still thinks he was here at one time but since he doesn't remember anything about the layout of the house, we think that the last time he was here was probably around the time when the house was at the construction phase. The last time HTP's sister was here was when both her parents were still alive and mobile and lived in Cumberland.

I had to have DD Daughter help me fix my blog template. I'm still not entirely happy with it. I'm missing my blog tracker and I'm missing my ticker. I liked my old format but the Harpist contacted me to let me know that for some reason, using my older format, no-one could access all my archived blog entries. *sigh* I sure wish Google would stop fixing things by making things more difficult to use. I may have to see if DD Daughter can spend some more time to fix things because it's beyond me.

~~~~

Random Quote of the Day

The longer I live the more I see that I am never wrong about anything, and that all the pains I have so humbly taken to verify my notions have only wasted my time.

George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)

Once Upon a Time....Maybe Later When I Have Some Time

Word of the Day

Tree rat - A squirrel; a very destructive animal that eats bird eggs--contributing more to the demise of song birds than even house cats. Also picks green tomatoes and leaves them half eaten here and there while digging up helpless bedding plants, willy-nilly.

Company is coming and HTP is going a bit nuts with it...ergo...I'm going nuts with it. With the threat of hosing off the upper deck coming from HTP's mouth (visions of wet cushions that never dry and the demise of all my tomato plants due to blight caused by all the damp), I dragged out the shop vac and vacuumed both the upper and lower decks. After that, I was so tired I was snapping at both HTP and Kylee. Time to take a break before I started breaking heads.

Vacuuming the decks wasn't all that big a deal but added to the rest of the things that I've been doing since 7 AM and still have to finish up before bedtime, there's no way that I'd be able to tackle the delicate job of rolling out the pie crust I made this morning, chilling in the fridge, and baking pies until I cooled off, physically and mentally.

Meanwhile, BW Babe called to ask me if I still needed to borrow her cooler for tomorrow. Do I? *sigh* I drove over to pick it up...a nice respite and probably the breather that I needed. Just a gulp of air before continuing on. And then, another nice gulp of air while blogging.

The pies will get baked. The laundry will be finished. I'll cook up the fixings for doctoring the baked beans and then I'll make dinner.

The generator guy finally showed up and HTP is out with him. I hope this guy can find and fix the problem. I don't even want to think about how much this is going to cost us.

Random Quote of the Day

Attacking is the only secret. Dare and the world always yields; or if it beats you sometimes, dare it again and it will succumb.

William Makepeace Thackeray (1811 - 1863)

The Daylilies are Blooming

Word of the Day

Tickle jig - The jerky wincing dance that one (especially a child) does when they expect to be or are being tickled.

The Gator still isn't fixed. HTP drove by the shop and noted that it was still sitting in the same spot where I parked it...awaiting fixing. The generator is still broken...awaiting the services of whoever we can talk into coming out to fix it. No luck so far. HTP has determined that the battery is fine. He replaced the spark plugs with new...not that. He replaced the air-filter...not that. He replaced the oil filter...not that. So...we need to have someone out to find the magic "that". Finding that someone has been a bit of a problem.

Meanwhile, I treated (re-treated) the tomato plants for blight. They don't look any worse but we had enough rain the other day that I thought it best to add another layer of Dragoon Dust (Copper). Sadly, I'm still dealing with nasty little critters. I'm not sure who picked the green tomato and ate half but I'm figuring I better set out my traps again. Squirrel or chipmunk, I don't want them eating my tomatoes. I noticed that I've got a couple of tomato vine branches broken off...squirrel?

I made up a batch of potato salad for Saturday afternoon. HTP's brother and wife and sister and hubby are coming for lunch. We're planning on having brats and burgers on the grill, potato salad, green spinach/lettuce salad with candied pecans and dried cherries, baked beans, chips and dip and rhubarb pie for dessert. I still need to make the pie. Tomorrow. I also need to cook up some bacon with onion to add to the baked beans.

Tomorrow will be a big day. Laundry, cleaning, baking, cooking...added onto the fix-it list. At least the lawn has been mowed.

Random Quote of the Day

It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious.

Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900), Lady Windermere's Fan, 1892, Act I

Word of the Day

Thrickle - A tickle in the back of one's throat.

I tied up my tomato plants and watered all the plants on the upper decks this morning and then, of course, it rained. We even got lightning and thunder and lost TV reception for a bit. Thankfully, we haven't lost power this season since our backup generator isn't working but...I figured that would be the next thing to happen. A comedy of errors.

However, I was wrong. The next thing to happen was that the Gator wouldn't start, despite having a brand new battery. I'd loaded all the garbage and recycling into the back of the Gator because it's garbage and recycling day tomorrow morning and I figured that I'd run everything up to the road after the rain stopped. *sigh* The rain stopped and the Gator wouldn't start. Nothing. I had to reload all the garbage and recycling into the Acadia and tell HTP the bad news about the Gator. He wasn't a happy camper. Poor guy. He's here for two weeks and he's had to deal with broken and breaking things since he's arrived. Did I mention that our big boat won't be fixed until long after HTP's returned to Arizona? *sigh*

We called a local repairman in town who came out to jump the Gator and then we drove it to his shop. He's going to see if he can find what's draining the battery...the brand new battery. Oh well...at least we really don't need two cars at the moment.

Random Quote of the Day

“Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.”

― Oscar Wilde, The Critic as Artist

Really? Actual Barber Shop in Derry, Northern Ireland

Word of the Day

Thesisize - To research, write, or edit one's own thesis.

It feels so good to have clean clothes. I spent a great deal of yesterday trying to catch up on all things domestic. I'll be working on that for a while yet. I did get the laundry done. Three weeks of dirty clothes. Washing clothes in a bathroom sink while traveling is possible but not all that easy when it comes to larger items. BW and I stuck to the smaller items of our wardrobes....undies and socks. Even so, we had to resort to using a hair-dryer in order to remove the last bits of damp.

I noted a bit of blight starting on my tomato plants on the lower patio. In this hot and humid weather we're having at The Lake, everything grows prolifically...even blight. So, I was out in the humidity, fighting blight with my handy-dandy duster, loaded with Dragoon Dust. I had some luck with it last year. It doesn't have to be reapplied quite so often as the spray fungicide that I'd been using. We had rain last night but the dust isn't all that easy to wash off.

Speaking of prolific growth, this can be a mixed blessing and curse. Aside from the blight, the weeds in my flowerbeds seem to be thriving. I started weeding the front flower beds. HTP is having a hard time believing that there were no weeds in those beds when I left. *sigh* At least they're easily pulled but it'll take me a while to get them whipped. On the plus side, the lettuce that I planted from seed that was just sprouting when I left, is ready for harvest. We've already enjoyed a couple of meals with this fresh homegrown lettuce and as I sat outside, enjoying the quiet ( after the holiday weekenders who'd been partying on the lake during this holiday weekend departed), I could see the lettuce growing.

HTP has been trying to get our generator up and running, doing the simple things (not so simple to me), but, no luck. I suppose it's too much to expect that we wouldn't have repair problems eventually. The generator is as old as our home here at The Lake. I hate to think about what will break down next. Murphy's Law applied.

In the meantime, I've been enjoying re-reading Nora Robert's Irish Gallagher Series. After touring Ireland for the last few weeks, the visuals in the book have become even more vivid.

Random Quote of the Day

“If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.”

― Oscar Wilde

Recovering...slowly.

I want this sign!

 

Word of the Day

Thermoometer - A meter that displays the mood of the outdoor temperature; a thermometer that does not correctly indicate the real temperature.

Things are settling down and I've started to recover a bit from my abrupt time-zone change. Yesterday, I was a bit out of it. We went out shopping for groceries and such and a Walgreen's employee found me staring blankly at the supplements in the vitamin aisle. I needed to replenish my supply, I had my list, I just couldn't seem to find them. It's a huge aisle and I just wasn't tracking. The kind employee helped me find what I needed and I explained to him that I normally wasn't that vague and out of it. I was just majorly jet-lagged. Strangely, I wasn't that bad when I arrived in Ireland but...

We invited BW Babe and her husband, JC, and T-Square and Ma for lunch today. I had some pork riblets in the freezer that I thawed out and #1 Son cooked them up (very good) and made a salad to go with them (also very good). I opened a can of beans and a few packages of chips and served them with my famous onion dip. Thankfully, nothing more challenging was required of me. My daughters, Sarge and DD Daughter both called during lunch to chat. I think they must have some sort of psychic link because they often will call on the same day and sometimes at the same time. Cue the Twilight Zone music...or Coast to Coast AM. I'll have to call them back so we can talk more.

#1 Son and #1 DIL picked LOTS of strawberries yesterday. I cleaned and froze enough for four batches of jam. We had strawberry shortcake for dessert today. I was so full, I couldn't finish mine and I REALLY didn't want to give it up. Oh well, there are more strawberries in the fridge that I need to clean so maybe I'll make myself a strawberry sundae tonight for dinner.

Random Quote of the Day

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”

― Oscar Wilde

Back Home

Word of the Day

The - Slang for The.

Happy Belated 4th of July! BW Babe and I spent most of our 4th of July journeying back to our homes here at The Lake having gone through US Customs and going through a record, three security checks, traveling afterwards from the airport to The Lake, and then...I'm not sure what BW did for the rest of the evening, but I unpacked while #1 Son and #1 DIL went out to watch fireworks in a nearby town. I crawled into a bed with clean sheets at around 11 PM, after enjoying a mug of cold beer, offered by #1 Son, one of his homebrew. Wonderful! Having been too tired to blog last night, I'll catch you up on our adventures of yesterday....today.

Our morning started yesterday at 4 AM, Ireland time. Actually, BW Babe stayed up all night on July 3rd into 4th and I grabbed a couple of hours of sleep in the early hours of the morning before our wake-up call. I should have just stayed away like BW. Nothing like waking up with a headache and sandpaper eyes, and grumpy as heck when you have to haul luggage to the lobby by 6 AM. We weren't the only ones getting to the lobby early with all our bags. Although the bus for the airport wasn't scheduled to leave until 6:30 AM, lots of us figured that it would be a good idea to arrive early.

Batt Burns, our tour director, was waiting for us in the lobby. He'd arranged with the hotel for a bag breakfast for each of us. Yummy! Rolls, fruit, and water. We dug in while riding to the airport but most of us returned our fruit, uneaten, because we knew that we wouldn't be able to bring it through U.S. Customs.

Arriving at Dublin's Terminal Two, BW and I grabbed a luggage cart (free in Ireland) and headed immediately to the Aer Lingus baggage check-in area where we were able to drop some of our check-in bags. Thanks to HTP's help, we had little trouble checking in extra baggage. The guy at Aer Lingus asked BW and me what Minnesota was famous for in the US. We looked at him blankly as he was checking us in but then I replied, "The Vikings!" He goggled. The Vikings? BW and I had to explain to him that the Vikings was the name of the football team in Minnesota and he laughed and said, "Oh, I didn't think the Vikings had ever been a part of the history of your country too." Then, I told him that actually, Minnesota is known as the state with 10,000 lakes and he goggled. 10,000 lakes! Yup! He was so nice and patiently directed BW and me to where we needed to go after leaving the check-in desk. However, of course, having so little sleep, BW and I were having cognitive reasoning issues...but...we didn't actually get lost.

Our next stop, after having to abandon our luggage cart, was to lug all our carry-on bags up the escalator and over to an area where we could take care of our Vat tax cards so we wouldn't be charged retroactively for the Vat tax in Ireland. There was a kind person helping us newbies with this card, walking us through the computer kiosk's technology. One mistake both BW and I made, individually, was in entering our arrival and departure dates into Ireland. Both of us got error messages. D'oh! We needed to key in the dates, European-style. Day, Month, Year...NOT Month, Day, Year. Oh well...after over-coming this hurdle, the process went fairly well, however many of our purchases were made without the Vat tax card because we made most of those purchases in Nort4hern Ireland and Scotland, neither who have the Vat tax card. We could have brought our receipts a person at a waiting desk but...we'd both packed our receipts in our checked baggage (already checked). We're going to have to fill our forms, have them notarized and send them in within the next three weeks or we won't see a refund on the Vat. Yes, we saved our receipts so we can recover at least some of the Vat tax we paid. I think I'll wait until I wake up a bit before tackling the process.

Grabbing and filling out a U.S Custom's card (both BW and I messed up on filling out the birthday portion of the card (again, DAY BEFORE MONTH, issues), we heading through our first security checkpoint. In Ireland, we noted that we didn't have to take off our shoes. Despite having removed my watch and removing my belt, I still ended up with a pat down. *sigh* BW breezed right on by.

BW and I were both glad that we arrived at the airport so early before our flight when we got a look at the long, Disneyland-like line that was queued up for Customs. Yes, in Ireland, you go through U.S. Customs at the airport in Dublin. Nice...but long lines. Filling out the Custom's card went fairly smoothly since BW and I spent a great deal of time the previous night itemizing our purchases, adding up receipts, calculating exchange rates, etc. So, when we turned in our cards to the custom's agent, there wasn't any problem. However, we probably didn't have to go through so much trouble and anxiety. I'd actually gone over the $800 limit and was prepared to pay duty-tax but, he just waved me through. Of course, I didn't go over by much. At 3%, I didn't owe all that much. I don't think they want to mess with nickels and pennies.

Next? We ended up in yet another queue for our second security checkpoint. What?! I looked at the TSA agent that was checking our passports and boarding passes and asked him why we were going through this again and it just explained...Homeland Security. Neither BW and I had expected that we'd have to go through the whole process twice...in the same airport. Here, we had to remove shoes AND we got the body scan machine. No pat down for me or BW.

We arrived at our departure gate an hour before boarding. There was plenty of time to take advantage of a nearby Duty-Free shop near our gate and a shop that was selling candy bars that we can't buy here in the states. Hey! It's fun to try weird and different candy bars to share with friends and family. Besides, both BW and I still had extra Euros to spend. We bumped into several of our fellow tour members waiting at our gate area, some of them would be boarding the same plane that we were on as far as Chicago, others were at nearby gates waiting for planes to other US city locations. It was fun sharing our various experiences as we went through US Customs. Sadly, we didn't see the Harpist, Lord Douglas, or Mr. D but I'm sure that they made it through just fine. Their flight wasn't leaving for a full hour after ours so they didn't need to get to the airport as early as we did.

After boarding the airplane and settling in, BW and I checked out the movie selection on the plane. I chose the latest Bruce Willis movie (loved the movie...always amused that Bruce gets so beat up and bloodied, and now his movie son too...with very little health issues). BW picked out the movie Guilt Trip. Despite many interruptions (a meal and announcements), I did finally get to see the entire movie. BW didn't get to finish watching her movie until close to landing in Chicago. She kept on dozing off. Actually, I probably dozed off for about three hours as well. We were both so tired that our former difficulty with falling asleep on planes disappeared.

Upon arriving in Chicago, we loaded ourselves (with the other cattle), into the airport shuttle train heading from Terminal 5 to Terminal 1. We knew that we'd have to go through a security checkpoint from our previous trip through the Chicago airport so we weren't all that surprised. We breezed through with no problems and headed toward our departure gate. At this point, we encountered a bit of confusion because, mysteriously, our flight number had been changed from an Aer Lingus number to a United number. Interesting. Where the heck was F1C? Terminal 2? With a bit of a feeling of panic, BW and I asked around and were directed, to the far outreaches of Terminal 1 where it connects to Terminal 2. There, we found that Gate F1 is split into an A, B, and C gate. The plane was fairly small. We ended up having to walk outside, along the edge of the tarmac, and up a set of rollaway stairs into the plane. That first step was a bit difficult for BW and me, humping our heavy carry-ons but we prevailed.

The trip from Chicago to Minneapolis was short and a bit turbulent. When the plane almost touched down, all of a sudden, it pulled up and took off again, almost vertically. Weird. Later, we were told that the wind gusts were too strong to land the plane safely so they had to make another pass at it. Of course, we did land safely. No real problems. And, we gathered all our bags and headed to baggage claim where our flight number never was listed on the board. However, HTP (whose flight had arrived a couple hours earlier from Arizona) and BW's husband did find us, just as our checked baggage came down onto the carousel. It was nice having someone else help move the bags. JC loaded all our luggage into the car and we headed north to The Lake, entertaining JC and HTP with our exploits in Scotland and Ireland. JC and HTP both had some dinner before BW and I arrived so we didn't bother to stop. Eager to get home, unload, and unpack.

And so, I'm home! We're home! I'm all unpacked and somewhat organized. Kylee is doing great and she greeted me with wiggling excitement and LOTS of doggy kisses. I'm feeling a bit foggy this morning. My garden is growing just fine. I watered the plants on my deck last night. They were very thirsty. I still need to water the tomato plants on the lower deck and the potato plants out in the kennel garden. The potato plants have grown HUGE! I'm not sure how I'll be able to hill them. I'll have to Google what to do. My bird feeders all need filling, and there's LOTS that needs to be done here at The Lake in the coming days. It's good to be home but I'm not eager to get back to the realities of laundry, dishes, and cooking my own meals.

Random Quote of the Day

A person travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.

George Moore

Last night in Ireland

 

New Friends

The Three Cousins Storm the Tower House

The Kitchen Garden at Phoenix Park

I Miss My Dog

Oscar Wilde Statue at Merrion Square

Witticisms

At St. Patrick's Cathedral

OK...that's a bit weird and creepy

Kneeler at St. Patrick's

Original Tile Floor at St. Patrick's Cathedral

Bell Tower at Trinity College

Word of the Day

Thermalophobia - An abnormal fear when one is showering that someone might sneak in, flush the toilet, and scald them to death.

Having had a decent night’s sleep, BW Babe woke up REALLY early and, of course, then I woke up too. I considered dozing on the bus but knew it was unlikely. I got BW all settled in to the lobby with breakfast and coffee, guarding our luggage, while I headed in to the breakfast room for my own breakfast. BW and I have become rather good at moving our luggage from Point A to Point B, but, we REALLY won’t be missing that particular aspect of traveling.

We were all on the bus by 9 AM, on our way to Dublin. Our first stop was to visit Phoenix Park. We were told that the park has deer roaming around but…we didn’t see any. We did see the Wellington Memorial, an obelisk made of Whitlow granite, a statue of Phoenix Rising in the center of the park, and the Papal Cross where Pope John Paul II visited and spoke when he was in Ireland. We stopped to walk through the kitchen garden near an old Norman towerhouse called Ashtown House which was built in the 16th Century. Then we drove on to see a light in the window of the prime minister of Ireland's residence, in keeping with the Irish custom of keeping a light burning in a window to welcome any guest.

We passed the Guinness Brewery. The place is huge! So that’s where they brew the beer that I’ve been enjoying while I’ve been in Ireland. I’ll truly miss it when I get home. Somehow it just doesn’t taste as good back home.

Batt stopped the bus for a short while so we could get out and see the statue of Oscar Wilde while he gave us a brief history of the author and recited some of his writings. I’m going to have to consider reading more Oscar Wilde. His witticisms in particular.

After a nice lunch, our group split up. Some of us went out on their own (this included the Harpist, Lord Douglas, and Mr. D) and some of us (including BW Babe and I) visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Trinity College.

I can now say that I’ve been inside two St. Patrick’s Cathedrals. One in Dublin and one in New York City. There was a group of people from Connecticut who were singing when we arrived. Batt took us around the church, showing us where the author Jonathan Swift and his wife were buried inside the cathedral. He also told us that when Oliver Cromwell conquered the area, he stabled his and his men’s horses inside the cathedral. I took a picture of the last of the original floor tiles from that time.

Our visit to Trinity College was interesting . BW Babe and I were excited that we were going to be able to see The Book of Kells. There were LOTS of people waiting in line with the same goal in mind. As we waited in queue, I overheard one young man say in exasperation, “Frankly, I think we should just Google it.” When we finally did get inside to see the book, it was very difficult to get near the case holding the Book of Kells with so many people crowding around. However, I can now say that I’ve seen The Book of Kells …and not just on Google.

We hooked up with the rest of our tour members and boarded our tour bus at 4:30 PM. We’re staying at the Pillo Hotel tonight. After checking in and hauling our luggage to the room, BW Babe and I went down to meet the Harpist in the business center at the hotel so we could print out our boarding passes. We weren’t the only ones with the same goal in mind. There were three people ahead of us and it became immediately apparent that someone had been messing with the hotel’s computer. After getting the computer re-set and back in working order, the Harpist ended up helping everyone print out their boarding passes. Unfortunately, BW and I discovered that the website for our airline wouldn’t let us add our second check-in suitcases online. ACK! Once we got back up to our room, we tried to call the airline but…of course…they were closed for the day. Then, it occurred to me that we could use the time difference between Ireland and Arizona to our advantage so I e-mailed HTP about our dilemma in hopes that he could help us. We arrived late for dinner but not too late.

However, with thoughts of re-organizing and packing and figuring out my customs form data, I decided that spending time out in a pub, listening to our musicians play until past 10 PM, wasn’t all that great of an idea. I knew that packing would take at least an hour and then I needed to borrow a scale from one of our fellow tour members so BW and I could make sure that our bags didn’t weigh more than they should. That took some time but even more time was needed to figure out the customs data so we could easily fill out the form tomorrow morning. *moan* Thankfully, HTP was able to get a hold of someone at the airline and arrange that our extra bags have been added to our reservation. Thank goodness for HTP!

It is now past 1 AM and I should be in bed. We’ve got a wake up call scheduled for 4 AM. All our bags are finally packed and weighed and our customs data is prepared so it should be fairly easy to fill out the proper forms when we get to the airport. Our airport shuttle is picking us up in the lobby at 6:30 AM…SHARP! We’ll actually arrive at the airport early but between going through customs and getting our luggage checked in and getting a boarding pass from Chicago to Minneapolis (we couldn’t print out that boarding pass for some reason), we decided we’d rather get to the airport with plenty of time to spare.

Random Quote of the Day

Nonconformists travel as a rule in bunches. You rarely find a nonconformist who goes it alone. And woe to him inside a nonconformist clique who does not conform with nonconformity

Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

Friendship

Friendship in Ogham

Word of the Day

Testlice - The tiny bugs that invade one's hair when they're taking an exam.

We decided to beat the crowds this morning getting our bags up to the lobby. There was another tour bus of people leaving at about the same time as we were leaving and we didn't want to clog the elevator. Good thing one of our fellow tour members discovered that secret ninja way up to the lobby through the hotel's basement service area. I'm sure the hotel manager wouldn't have appreciated us seeing all the mess and accumulated crap and dirt in said service area but the passageway sure saved my rear end and I didn't have to call for a porter.

Our itinerary said that we'd be heading to Cavan for the night (we did). On our way we were supposed to visit Boyle Abbey (we didn't) and Strokestown House and the Irish famine museum located there (we did). However, first, we stopped at The Foxford Woollen Mill in the town of Foxford in County Mayo for a tour and a shopping opportunity. Lots of shopping was done. This was our first chance to buy something made from all the wool from all those sheep we'd been seeing all over the country-side. Cute little buggers but you can only take so many pictures of them. Some of us wanted hats, scarves, and sweaters. I'm not sure Batt knew what he was getting into when he let a busload of women (and men)loose to go shopping but it took him about two hours before he could herd us all back on the bus...and then, it took a bit longer for us all to figure out how to fit our purchases into this nook and that cranny of the overhead compartments and under the seats. But, darn it, you can't go to Ireland without purchasing an honest to goodness Irish sweater!...and BW Babe bought a hat too.

By this time in the trip, a great many of us on the tour have succumbed to the lure of "The Hat". I think it all started after one lady bought this cute purple hat in the gift shop of one of our luncheon stops. It all kind of snowballed after that. Of course, none of the hats look the same because we're all a bit different on this tour. I bought my hat to hide the fact that my hair has gone terminally frizzy...and a nice little skunk line is starting to appear where I part my hair. Some got their hats because it's been pretty darn cold, some even bought mittens, but now, even the men are starting to get into the act. Of course, some of the men started out wearing hats (Lord Douglas and Mr. D wear baseball caps, though, Mr. D bought his baseball cap in Scotland), but now we've got tweed hats and driving hats added in the mix. We've become quite the attractive bunch with all of our stylish hats.

Because we spent so much time at the woolen mill (spelled woollen here in Ireland), we decided to sacrifice our visit to Boyle Abbey and the tour of house at Strokestown House, instead enjoying a nice meal at the café located on the site. The entrance to the parking area at Strokestown has a huge arched gate...but not all that huge when compared to a tour bus. We all held our breath as Mike, our bus-driver slowly maneuvered the bus through the gate. We JUST fit...I mean, we almost ended up scraping paint off the sides of the bus. We all inhaled and held our breath as if doing so would suddenly make the bus smaller. Silly but...we all clapped when we made it through. After our lunch, we took a sobering tour of the Irish Famine Museum which is located at Strokestown in one of the out-buildings. It was interesting to hear of the history and politics involved with the famine that was triggered when blight hit the main crop of these tenant farmers. Potatoes. After our tour of the museum, we all boarded the bus and poor Mike had to slowly squeak the bus through the narrow gate once again. And yes, we all held our breath while he barely managed to avoid scraping either the bus or the gate. The musicians on the bus have a strange sense of humor. Both times Mike drove through that gate (very slowly) the musicians played suspense music that was fitting for the situation.

We arrived at our hotel for the night...eventually. Batt and Mike had a hard time finding it and finally had to stop to ask directions. This hotel has two stories but no elevator. Thankfully, BW Babe and I lucked out with a ground floor room. We set up our electronics and headed for the bar to get a pre-dinner drink which we ended up taking into the dining room with us. Hey! It takes a bit to set up all our electronics. Finding the outlets, hooking up (we've got free Internet tonight), entering passwords. And then, of course, we need to figure out where to put our luggage. This room isn't all that big but...we're getting better at figuring out who needs to sleep in which bed and where to stow things so we don't trip on them on our way to the WC in the middle of the night.

There's supposed to be music tonight in the bar here at the hotel but BW Babe headed off to bed without even eating her dessert. By the way, her dessert didn't go to waste...we all dug in. It was pretty darn good. I am soooo going to have to eat healthy when I get home and do LOTS of crunches and walk miles and miles to make up for all this food I've been eating.

Our time remaining here in Ireland is getting short. Tomorrow we head to Dublin and our last day and night of the tour. It won't be long at all before we'll all be winging off, back to our own homes. I'm truly going to be sorry to say goodbye, to Scotland and Ireland and the people who have been part of this great experience...especially Lord Douglas, the Harpist, and Mr. D...though, I know, that I'll be seeing the Harpist and Lord Douglas in the future. And BW Babe...well, after all, she is my sister. I'll be seeing her for the rest of the summer. I'll wait and miss here when I return to Arizona in the fall. As for the rest of the tour members, I'm hoping to collect emails so we can stay in touch.

I didn't take many pictures today...no real opportunity. However, I did get a great picture of some great examples of Ogham writing at one of the gift shops. I think one of the grave stones that we photographed during the first week of our tour had some Ogham writing on it. I'm going to have to go back and take a closer, blown up look at those pictures. Ogham is one of the oldest forms of writing, dating back to the 1st Century. It was the first form of writing in Ireland, but if you click on the link, you will find that examples of Ogham writing on stone have also been found in Scotland and other surrounding areas.

Random Quote of the Day

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.

Denis Waitley