Overcast, 70 degrees, Windy . . .

How's this for a capital city?

A perfect day for October 31. Only a few showers threaten so it should be a good night for the ghosties and hobgoblins. Don't expect to get too many other worldly visitors but we're prepared with all of the candies We like: Peanut M & M's, Raisinettes, and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Can't wait for no one to show up! Grampa has already started tasting.

Great day at Sacred Heart yesterday. Almost everyone had on orange t-shirts or sweatshirts. Looked like a pumpkin patch. Grandson had on his mummy shirt and looked pretty cool. He even deigned to eat one bite of a chicken leg and all of the hash brown. We're getting there. I had a piece of Dutch Apple Pie for lunch. Barbara told me she was Pennsylvania Dutch and I believe her. Good cook! Loves pastries of all sorts and she's just a little lady!

Have not yet caught up with my reading so I expect to make a pot of coffee and get right on it. House is clean enough.

Quote: Few things are needful to make a wise man happy, but nothing satisfies a fool; -- and this is the reason why so many of mankind are miserable. ----La Rochefoucauld.

Of Pumpkin Bread, Snickerdoodles and Chocolate Fudge . . .

Looking up in downtown Juneau. Rushing water just pouring on down!

I believe that I'm a lucky "so and so!" At lunch duty yesterday Barbara gave me a nice plate of deserts that Grampa and I almost devoured at dinner. She and her grand-daughter were baking all week end and made up a plate of goodies for me! I thought that was really nice. The fudge in particular was luscious.

Grandson will be coming home with me today and I have some neat books for him: two pop-ups, Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan; a neat book, One Shoe Blues, with a video of B. B. King playing his guitar Lucille and singing along with some really neat sock puppets ( I think you can find parts of it on You Tube ) and Mars Needs Moms by Berkeley Breathed the creator of Bloom County and Opus. We may not read them all as that's a pretty good sized mess of reading but I enjoy the books "all by myself."

I'm pretty much sick of politics lately but this article by George Will is really quite interesting. Good on her!

Quote: But youth is always too serious, and just now it is too serious about frivolity. ---G. K. Chesterton

We made it! A gold mine.

Yea! The sun is trying to come out and it's 44 degrees. We may end up with a good day. The Moosup River is very high right now. We've had a lot of heavy rain in the last couple of days and I was driving in the stuff. No fun. Puppy's Pop spread the garden with the winter rye so we're all set. I just have to get out there and cut back the asparagi (plural of asparagus?) They look pretty bedraggled and lifeless, really ugly, so I'll take the clippers to them soon. Grampa brought me some raspberries yesterday and they were big, dark red and delicious but I'll have to cut them back also.

Off to lunch duty in Groton in a bit. I hope Barbara is working today. She wasn't on all last week and we missed her. She's really the mainstay of the program. I think that she had company for the week and so was very busy. I hope that's the case and not sickness. She even fills in for the cook when he needs to be out!

Quote: I do pity unlearned gentlemen on a rainy day. ---Falkland

Normalcy . . .

Almost there!

Not much going on this rainy Wednesday. Picked up the odds and ends I forgot yesterday at Big Y and got the winter rye for the garden. The Dodge Hemi is all registered so we're on a roll! Little brother beat me at cribbage this week so I'll have to pay him back one of these days as well as making trips to see my younger sister and older brother! Family is nice! Think I'll spend the day catching up on my reading. Cleaned the house yesterday and that's enough work for the week, maybe two weeks! even three! Gee, I hate vacuuming! It's painfully hard work.

Quote: One monster there is in the world, the idle man. -----Carlyle

Pleasant surprise . . .

Yep! Still walking!

Had a package sitting on the door step yesterday; nice size box and my name had the accent on it! It was the latest book from my former student of 40 years ago! He has sent me copies of each of his three major novels and autographed them for me. I received the books last year and was really grateful. He also mentioned me in the acknowledgements at the end of this latest book. This is the second time he's done that! Pretty cool. I must admit that I find his books a bit maudlin but this small volume, 275 pages, is supposed to be a comedy. I believe that it will make me laugh because when Wally was in my classes at NFA he always made me laugh which is why I've been surprised that his previous books are rather heavy, beaucoup pages, and very much concerned with unhappy people with weighty problems. His latest book is called Wishin' and Hopin', A Christmas Story. I will certainly read it before Christmas.

Haven't gone food shopping in a dogs age because we really haven't been home too much in the last month. Wow, $186 and I still haven't picked up the wine and I forgot the peanut butter! Had a nice visit from my friend Angie's son this morning. He brought coffee and we sat around talking about life in general for an hour or so. It's so nice to see him. He and his family are doing well; he's flying out of La Guardia which is a bit of a pain as he has to try to cruise down 95 to get to work. Ouch! He flies four days a week and then is home for three.

The Dodge passed Connecticut inspection today and tomorrow Puppy's Pop will try to get it registered. Downloaded a bill of sale from the DMV website, well, not quite a bill of sale; it's a special form they use when you give someone a vehicle. Should work out OK.

Quote: Time is the chrysalis of eternity. ----Richter

And so back to Alaska . . .

Still walking to the gold mine. The water is rushing, clear, cold and there are some salmon!

Only had to slow down for one accident in Virginia on our drive to Slaughter, LA. I was driving at the time; it was raining cats and dogs and the wipers were horrible. They were spreading an oily film over the windshield but . . . we survived! After we changed the wipers we didn't need them anymore! Of course! The Stratus handles very well and the police and people of Virginia know how to act when an accident occurs. We all filed into the left lane and no one, I mean no one, tried to pass on the right. It was incredible. Good drivers, well trained!

Went to the Control Line Flying Contest in East Baton Rouge on Saturday. Temperatures were in the high 50's and it was extremely windy. I froze to death and was glad when son went to the contest with Puppy's Pop on Sunday. Needless to say the weather on Sunday was perfect! Puppy's Pop won first place in Intermediate Saturday actually flying when very few other people flew because they didn't want to fly in the wind. Most had completed their flights in the morning and decided not to do a second flight in the afternoon when it was even windier. Puppy's Pop had no choice because his engine quit on him when he was inverted in the first flight. Had to borrow a glow plug to be able to continue flying in the contest. He did a great job winning. On Sunday he came in third because he ran out of gas before he could finish his manoeuvres. Still had a good time. On Sunday while they were flying I was working on the jigsaw puzzle that daughter-in-law had started. It was a painting of an Indian Chief in all of this regalia. It was so hard but with a little help, I stress little, from the guys we managed to finish it Sunday night.

Went to Sammy's for dinner Saturday after the contest. Can't believe that I ate the Grilled Tiger Salad! It was great. Grilled, highly seasoned shrimp and craw fish spread out over the lettuce and greens, covered with pepper jack cheese and served with a garlic dressing on the side. I loved it. Sunday we decided to eat Chinese and daughter-in-law and I really lucked out! The Asian Pearl in Zachary gave us a container that said "Free." On the way home we just had to see what we had been given. Absolutely the best "beignets" I've had, bar none, even when we were in New Orleans. Can you believe getting fresh hot" beignets " at a Chinese restaurant? There were five of them. We ate four and saved only one for grand-daughter! That was piggy but delicious.

Left for Connecticut in the 2004 Dodge Hemi early Monday morning and arrived in Gadsden, Alabama early so we took in some of the sights. I've already talked about Noccalula Falls. Grampa didn't want to eat at Ruby Tuesdays so I talked him into the Mexican Restaurant. It was pretty good and cheap but they didn't have their liquor license yet! What to do? Since the gas stations in Louisiana and Alabama carry beer and wine we bought a nice bottle of Yellow Tail Shiraz and enjoyed it in our room. Cool beansies! (When we stay in a hotel we don't like to drive to go out to dinner so that's why we walked around to the places in the vicinity for our victuals and drink! The only place where we drive to dinner from our hotel is when we stay in Nashua, NH. We would never miss going to Florence's North End and we have to drive about 5 miles for that. It's worth it. The food is great and Florence is a character!) Arrived home Wednesday at 3pm and I only goofed up twice in the navigation department. I tried to override the GPS! Didn't work. I blew it. Made us a whopping 12 minutes late! Yikes!

Quote: On telling Socrates that such an one was nothing improved by his travels, "I very well believe it," said he, "for he took himself along with him." ---Montaigne

And so . . .

Grampa's plane is the orange one in the forefront. We were in East Baton Rouge for this contest. Eldest child was in charge of the camera while I stayed at his home working on the puzzle!!

Still not back in sync but getting there! Went to the 10:30 Mass this morning and it's pretty neat. Our newest priest from Poland wants the 10:30 to be the children's Mass. He speaks directly to them after the Gospel and he's pretty cool. Also finally back into my walking at the Dog Track while best husband is flying. It felt good to get back to something semi-normal. We've driven 8 hours a day for 6 out of 8 days and I was feeling lethargic. Now I've got a bit more pep! The trip to LA was still beautiful and most worthwhile. We always enjoy visiting with our son and his wife. This time we left the 2003 Stratus there and came home in a 2004 Dodge Hemi. Good deal. I'll try to get back to my usual patter later this week. We start off tomorrow with doctors' appointments in Norwich and Providence. Just usual stuff but messing up our day! Will get back to the particulars of our latest foray South soon.

By way of Alabama

Not too much time this morning before I am on my way to lunch duty! Thought I'd put in a couple of pictures from Gadsden, Alabama. On the return trip from Slaughter, LA we were a bit early getting to our hotel in Alabama so we took in some of the sights! After a ride on a little train we ended up at Noccalula Falls. Found out we could have walked there for no charge but what the heck. We had a nice time on a beautiful day. Originally known as Black Creek Falls the name was changed to Noccalula Falls because a heartbroken Indian chief gave the cataract his daughter's name. He was forcing her to marry outside of the tribe and she slipped away from the festivities and leaped to her death. I wish I could have gotten a better photo of her but they don't let you climb over the protective barriers! Next time I'll walk down to the bottom of the falls and also walk behind them. It was too wet Monday because of all of the rain they had had and too slippery going down.

Ready, Set

Still walking to the mine. We were actually in a rain forest!

I guess we're ready for our trek. Got the insurances all set to kick in when we transfer vehicles Saturday. We should have a beautiful drive to Slaughter, LA. Just getting everything packed up. Lots of puzzles! Whoopee!

Found out that sister-in-law was right! She took a few gourds for herself and "the grandchildren" the other day. She told me they were pretty expensive in the stores. When we were in Baton Rouge they were only $1.25 a lb. Biy Y of Plainfield has them for $2.00 each! Wow, what a mark up! That's incredible. I could've been rich!

Took all of the dahlia toes out of the ground yesterday. Had no clue toes could be so heavy. I'll let them dry up a bit in the lean to before I transfer them to the cellar for the winter. Went for my walk at the Dog Track and was impressed with the dirigible that was floating up 395. Pretty sight on a cool, clear day.

Quote: The poorest education that teaches self-control, is better than the best that neglects it. --- Anon

So it's Columbus Day

And we're still walking.

Absolutely nothing on the front page of the Norwich Bulletin today to remind the readers that it's Columbus Day. I may have to fore go getting that ridiculous paper. It aggravates me to just think of how asinine it is. There is no respite from the inanity.

Another frost and 31 degrees this morning! That should really take care of my flowers! It is crisp, bright and gorgeous out. We'll go flying this afternoon when the sun isn't at such a slant that Puppy's Pop has trouble keeping track of his plane. I walked without a jacket yesterday and was almost too cold! Yikes! It's only October 12! I wish the "Climate Change" would help us out a bit up here in New England.

Cooked up Mother Nature's Wild Rice for supper last night. It was delicious and easy to do: wild rice, celery, peppers, chicken bouillon, water, salt and popped it in oven to bake. Along with a ham steak. Delicious.

Went on line to let the Post Office know that we'll be gone for a week and also canceled the paper. I've watered the porch plants and put them on the sun porch because I'm not sure they'll survive mornings around here. Of course we'll probably have 60 degree nights while we're gone!

Alaska has nothing on us. We have two bridges to nowhere in Connecticut. They'll never finish Route 11. Keep running out of money; paper work keeps piling up; the environment isn't conducive to road building; but we have two bridges that just sit above roads that can't be used. It's only been 30 years. What the heck. The bridges will probably be repaired soon with stimulus money and they will still lead to nowhere! Pretty neat!

Quote: It takes a clever man to turn cynic and a wise man to be clever enough not to. --Fannie Hurst

Already a frost

Walking to a defunct goldmine in Juneau. River/stream coming down the mountain in the background.

Expected to pick the Swiss Chard and freeze it for the winter. Got up yesterday, looked out the window and the Chard was wiped out!! Puppy's Pop checked it out and there were nice deer prints all over the place. They had a feast and we're out some healthy veggies! I really do mind because I don't want those deer to start thinking that the garden is their dining area. A lot of people around here fence in their gardens and I think it's ugly and too expensive and too much work. I wonder if we put a salt lick on the hill if they'd stay up there?

Very cold bright morning. Heavy frost and more on the way tomorrow. It will probably finish off the dahlias and I'll be able to dig them up when we get back from Louisiana next week. Then we'll put down some fertilizer and have the garden turned to get ready for Spring planting. Since we've been back from Trip #1 I've had a chance to walk while Grampa flies. It felt good to be back on my routine. I think that I'm even walking a bit faster now! Perhaps the break did me some good!

Have a beautiful black and white portrait of Pepere in the computer room. Renee had drawn it for her Dad a few years back and she made and framed copies for her Aunts and Uncle. She really got him to a T. He's not a young Pepere. He's the Pepere you all remember. Very nice present and greatly appreciated.

Quote: Next to excellence is the appreciation of it. ---Thackeray

Juneau, Capital of Alaska

Juneau is the second largest city in the USA, not population wise, geographically! The borough of Juneau covers more than 3,000 square miles - three times the size of Rhode Island. You can't drive to Juneau. Access is strictly by air or sea. Gold was discovered in 1880 and mining continued until WW II. No longer any mining in Juneau; it seems that the city, state and federal governments now provide half of the jobs! Who'd a thunk it? It is certainly a very beautiful area.

I'm all pooped out and really haven't done much of anything today! Grandson, Grampa and I had a good time yesterday and this morning playing with a nerf gun. Wow, they are too much fun. I think that we need at least one more so I don't always end up having to throw the balls at people. Much more fun to shoot them!

Had some company today, younger brother and wife. I'm glad they came as I was able to give away some of my gourds! I really have too many and don't know what to do with all of them. I've made up a bushel basket and a crate of the little suckers. They don't look too bad siting on the picnic table with a few pumpkins. They're getting $1.25 a lb for them at the stores. I don't think I'll be getting rich off of these.

Getting ready for Trip #2 to Louisiana. Grampa cleaned out the Stratus and I had to put Grandson's booster seat and books and CD's in the other car. I think he'll get a kick out of riding in the Dodge truck. He'll really be able to see well. We'll have to turn off the air bag so it'll be OK.

Of volleyball and skunks

Leaving Ketchikan. We have junk on the side of the road; they have junk along the waterways! Most of our trip was beautiful scenery but there were occasional derelicts.

Got a phone call from our neighbor (cousin many times removed). She has to leave Soldier, one of her dogs, out all day because he was sprayed by a skunk! Second time in the last couple of weeks. It seems that the whole family of skunks is burrowed in near their old well. That is so close to their back door it's not funny. I doubt that Animal Control will help them to get those buggers out of their cozy home. It would probably cost and arm and a leg to pay an Exterminator to come out too. Hope the skunks don't try to find a home here. I no longer throw food scraps in the woods because I don't want Lex to get fat so maybe we won't end up a second home to the stinky ones.

Was also advised that cousin's son, about 11 years old, now has the job of picking up the "biggest" dog poops in the yard. It seems that the oldest girl is playing volleyball at PHS and those dog patties are a real menace! That's really great news because I've been picking them up for quite a while and I doubt anyone noticed! I have to really watch out when grandson comes here and we play on the hill. We are careful to only play on the side closest to the garage. Lex's run comes across the hill but he's been pretty good about pooping close to the big maple.

I'll be off soon for lunch duty at Sacred Heart and grandson will come back home with me this afternoon. Grampa hasn't seen him in about three weeks and I'm sure they'll be glad to get together.

Quote: Our greatest joy is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. ---Confucius

Learning to spit

Note the loggers climbing the poles. We watched a show up close and then Puppy's Pop got this shot from the deck.

Was sitting out on my most comfortable swing the other evening and drinking a nice glass of red wine. Appreciating the beauty that is Fall in New England I sipped the elixir . . . dregs!!! Man, did I spit them out and far to boot! Yuck. That sort of brings you up short. All I was doing was enjoying the good life and it bit me! I must say I'm impressed by how far I could spit that out!

Back to the problem I had with the blood test at the Backus Lab here in town. I did call Backus Hospital and ended up leaving a message with some sort of administrator. Got a phone call the next day from a different administrator letting me know that she had "reeducated her staff" so they will never do that again! Cool beansies! They are supposed to start hand paperwork after five minutes if the computer is down. No more waiting! She thanked me profusely but Puppy's Pop brought me back to earth. "I'd hate to be you the next time you need a blood test! You'll be bleeding all over the place!" Oh man of little faith!

Quote: In all science error precedes the truth, and it is better it should go first than last. --Walpole

Away from Alaska on to The Fall Garden

Was surprised to see how many gourds our garden produced! We cleaned up yesterday, a lot of back breaking work. The only things left are flowers, raspberries (huge and delicious!) and Swiss Chard (I'll cook it up and freeze it.) After the dahlias die off or freeze I'll have to pull them out to winter in the cellar. Then Grampa will put some fertilizer on the poor used soil and we'll have the garden turned before we plant the winter rye. I have to put in at least two photos of the harvest. They are really pretty, I think!

How's this for efficiency? And Efficiency Redux!

Looking down from the deck to the dock.

How to begin? One wonders. OK. Here goes. Got an extra check for $80 from Social Security posted to our savings account. Got a letter from SS explaining that I will be getting an extra $4 a month because of all of the work I have been doing. The $80 check was a one time check to catch up on all the four dollarses they owed me. Do the math. Over 20 months of four dollarses! Pretty neat! Wow, our government at work.

Yesterday I went up the street to the Backus Lab for some blood work (fasting regular check up stuff). There was one lady waiting. It was 7:20am. Someone, a somewhat surly someone, took my paperwork and told me to take a seat. There were 3, count them 3, ladies working in that office. After waiting a while and nothing was happening I asked the lady in waiting if the computers were down. "Yup!" They had already taken care of two other patients when the computer went down. After some more waiting I asked the 3 ladies, count them, how long it was going to be. They had no clue. (First time I went there I had to wait for a half hour for the computer to come back on line.) So the other patient and I both suggested that they do the paper work by hand so we could get out of there. That wasn't reasonable to the 3, count them 3, office ladies. Said there was no protocol for such a thing and they'd need permission. I left. Lady in waiting left. And so I went again this morning and was almost taken immediately. Still 3 ladies working and even though they managed to get the paper work completed on the computer I had to wait until one of them was free (all of them were sitting on there "derrieres" doing nothing, oh yes, one was on the phone laughing!) When I was finally allowed to be pricked and on my way I asked the girl why they didn't have some sort of system for when the computers went off line (all yesterday morning they couldn't work!). She calmly explained that it was a lot of work to do by hand. I did explain that it was a real pain to wait. They still don't get it. I remain incredulous. I should complain to Backus but am truly doubtful they'll understand the problem.

Got there so early we were late

Many people in Alaska own their own planes and fly into town for supplies.

Left Baton Rouge and arrived in Atlanta half an hour early! We were so early that there was still a plane loading at our gate so. . . we waited more than a half hour in the plane before we could taxi up to our gate and off load! Wow, how's that for efficient. The flight from Atlanta to Providence left 35 minutes late and we arrived 10 minutes early. And . . . we flew to the West of a line of thunderstorms. That was really neat. I've never seen lightening lighting up the clouds before. It was beautiful. Also saw some real fireworks going off below us. Not at all spectacular.

Went with middle child to see Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein at PPAC yesterday. It was so much fun. The music, the singing, the acting the sets and costumes were stupendous. I haven't laughed to hard in a long time. One of the best plays I've seen in Providence.

Spent this morning sorting through two weeks of mail. What a mess. Had to pay bills since it's the beginning of the month. Yep, what a mess. Got a call from Puppy's Pop's older brother. In order to sell the family estate a new well had to be dug but the estate only had $1000 to put on the $6400 cost. So we payed the rest which we'll get back when the property sells. We all doubt that that will be soon. I'm sure that it will sell eventually. I hope it's before taxes are due!

Got a call from my older brother and his wife. Our younger sister's husband fell and broke his hip in the parking lot where they live in East Granby. He was operated on and is now in a nursing home convalescing before they send him home. She's spending time with him as he gets better and I believe enjoying a bit of time alone at home. Good on her!