Working on the Deck

When I bought this house 5 yrs ago I knew the deck would have to be done over. I just chose to ignore that little problem until now. There were other, more important things that needed attention first...like replacing the furnace and the roof...which have both been done. (I'm proud of that even though I didn't do the work myself).
The deck (and the fence too) had been painted some kind of puke color and that paint was peeling badly. I remember wondering why anyone would allow a color blind person to pick the paint color...it was that ugly. It was a relief to see it peeling up so much. That way I knew it would come off easily. Or so I thought at the time.

I now know that truly ugly paint knows it's ugly and feels unwanted. Therefore it refuses to leave the surface it's on. This paint thinks it has squatters rights. The big peeling parts came off easily but the rest of it is hanging on for dear life!
Out come the palm sander and the fight is on in ernest. (who's Ernest?) I was picking blueberries when the project was started. It was Justin's idea to start it..he thought it could be done in a weekend. Silly boy!
When I came home I found my nephew Jake and his girlfriend Stacey working their butts off on that deck. But where was Justin? He had a previous commitment to play basketball with some friends. Jake and Stacey had actually stayed to work with neither of us there. What a team!
KC (Justin's girlfriend) and I joined the group and started doing our part too. There was paint and wood dust everywhere. And determined faces on all of us. But still the going was very slow. That paint will just not give up!

That was a few weeks ago and the deck is still not paint free. Between the effort it takes, the other chores that need to be done, and the unending rain storms, it's been a very slow process. (and lets not forget I'm still going to physical therapy too). The "kids" as I call them have been great. They kept showing up for the first few days and they've worked very hard each time. But lets face it, it's going to be several more weeks before just the sanding work is done. And now that we've settled into another rainy period...nothing can be done until the deck dries. It's difficult to work in between rain storms but that's the way it has to be done.
So we're still plugging away and hoping for a nice sunny streak of weather to work. I'm hoping I won't be stuck doing all the work myself. It's hard to keep anyone motivated on this kind of project. The only one that seems really motivated is the ugly paint that's still remaining!

The pictures above are of the deck when we started and Jake working with one the sanders. Hopefully, in the not too distant future I'll have some pictures of a beautiful, newly stained deck to post. And a picture of a pile of "I give up..I'm ugly" paint chips to prove I'm the boss of that deck!!

Springfield Museums

This is just a small sampling of what we saw at the Springfield Museums. The last picture is my favorite. It was a wall sculpture. I didn't catch the name of it or the artist. There were too many things I liked for me to remember all the artist for each one. But this wall sculpture just hooked me. It was weird and dark and beautiful! I'd like to meet the artist who created it. I really enjoy the different way these people think and see the world. They should have given it a place of honor. I almost missed it...but it was in the same room with the lizard lamp. I liked that too!

The other pictures here are of sculptures that I thought were interesting. The detail is amazing but it's hard to capture that in a photo. I did notice that the artists seemed to take great care to cover the male "tender bits" on these sculptures...but had no problem showing female boobs all over the place. What's with that??!! And even where you might see an occasional male "member" (member of what?) they are always depicted as small and unimportant to the piece. I say if you're going to show it, make it something to be proud of or don't bother. (tee hee) If I were to sculpt a wonderful piece depicting some mythological person, I'd make that part large and impressive...in keeping with the entire sculpture...not made so small it could be covered with a half a walnut shell....or so small it looked like it came from an infant boy. Relax...I have no talent for sculpting...yet. (I never rule out anything) Of course my sculptures probably wouldn't be accepted in most museums. Bunch of penis phobics out there.

But before you start thinking I'm some kind of pervert, I want you to realize I like all parts of the human body. And what can be better than larger than life? Haven't you always wanted a giant hand on your front lawn? Or the tops of giant toes sticking out of your flower garden? Ahhh come on...admit it. A pair of giant eyes squinting out from the edge of your driveway?....Now THAT'S art!

Mashapaug Lake

Mashapaug Lake is an old favorite haunt of mine. I've been going there since I was 16 yrs old. Over the years it's changed a bit and a LOT more people seem to know where it is now but it's still the cleanest lake I've been to. You can see right through the water and to the sandy bottom. (so you can see what's about to get you before it happens) You can also see the "attack fish" that slowly and carefully come closer to check out your feet when you stand in the water. They are punkinseeds or sunfish I suppose. A common fish for most lakes around here. But these fish have always amused me. They insist on checking out any feet that stand in one spot...their spot...for what they decide is too long a period of time. Eventually the boldest fish will always try taking a nibble. It always cracks me up when they do that. (I swear they have a surprised look on their faces when they do that) Like you could eat my feet dude! It kind of freaked Bunny out when they did that to her but I was expecting it...so of course, I didn't warn her either. ha ha

The pictures above are of the trails and the mushrooms we encountered and one shot of Bunny peeking from behind a tree. She made me laugh doing that so I had to get a picture of it.

It wasn't sunny enough for me the day we were there. The sun would tease us by coming out for a while, we'd get in the water and the breeze would start up while the sun ducked behind clouds. This kept happening most of the day. The water was just chilly enough for me not to want to actually swim...knowing that the breeze would be too cold once I got out of the water. So I got as high as my waist and spent some time wiggling my toes at the "killer attack fish"...who couldn't seem to remember they had already tried tasting them. Fish must have a 3 second memory. But they are cute just the same.

I had hoped to bring my inflatable kayak to the lake that day, but never having taken it out of the box, I had no idea how time consuming a job it was to inflate it. I left it in my living room...frustrated, but determined to get to the lake anyway. I did manage to blow it up (it comes with it's own pump) later that night. And now it's sitting in the middle of my living room. I guess I didn't think that one out before hand. I don't know where to store the thing. It's a lot more sturdy than I expected and larger too. I got it for free via a program through work and never opened the box until now.

Anybody up for some living room kayaking?? Bring your own attack fish!

Molly

Meet Molly. She's a grey speckled pony who was abandoned by her owners when Hurricane Katrina hit southern Louisiana . She spent weeks on her own before finally being rescued and taken to a farm where abandoned animals were stockpiled. While there, she was attacked by a pit bull terrier and almost died. Her gnawed right front leg became infected, and her vet went to LSU for help, but LSU was overwhelmed, and this pony was a welfare case. You know how that goes.

But after surgeon Rustin Moore met Molly, he changed his mind. He saw how the pony was careful to lie down on different sides so she didn't seem to get sores, and how she allowed people to handle her. She protected her injured leg. She constantly shifted her weight and didn't overload her good leg. She was a smart pony with a serious survival ethic. Moore agreed to remove her leg below the knee,and a temporary artificial limb was built. Molly walked out of the clinic and her story really begins there.

This was the right horse and the right owner,'Moore insists. Molly happened to be a one-in-a-million patient. She's tough as nails, but sweet, and she was willing to cope with pain. She made it obvious she understood that she was in trouble. The other important factor, according to Moore, is having a truly committed and compliant owner who is dedicated to providing the daily care required over the lifetime of the horse.

Molly's story turns into a parable for life in Post-Katrina Louisiana ....The little pony gained weight, and her mane finally felt a comb. A human prosthesis designer built her a leg. The prosthetic has given Molly a whole new life, Allison Barca DVM, Molly's regular vet, reports. And she asks for it. She will put her little limb out, and come to you and let you know that she wants you to put it on. Sometimes she wants you to take it off too. And sometimes, Molly gets away from Barca. 'It can be pretty bad when you can't catch a three-legged horse,' she laughs.

Most important of all, Molly has a job now. Kay, the rescue farm owner, started taking Molly to shelters, hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers. Anywhere she thought that people needed hope. Wherever Molly went, she showed people her pluck. She inspired people, and she had a good time doing it. It's obvious to me that Molly had a bigger role to play in life, Moore said. She survived the hurricane, she survived a horrible injury, and now she is giving hope to others. 'Barca concluded, 'She's not back to normal, but she's going to be better. To me, she could be a symbol for New Orleans itself.'

Above is Molly's most recent prosthesis. The top photo shows the ground surface that she stands on,which has a smiley face embossed in it.. Wherever Molly goes, she leaves a smiley hoof print behind.

The Red-Spotted Newt

It seems that the bright orange salamander that I saw while hiking with Bunny is an immature Red-Spotted Newt. The picture here closely resembles the picture of the little guy in my blog post entitled "Hiking with Bunny" dated 7/25/09. Take a look and see if you think they match. I think they do. And from what I've read below they are fairly common in our area but not everywhere.
Mystery solved!




Wildlife -->Nongame Amphibian & Reptile Book -->
The red-spotted newt is a widespread and familiar species in many sections of Connecticut. -->
Red-spotted Newt
(Notophthalmus v. viridescens)



IDENTIFICATION: Aquatic adults are smooth-skinned, with an olive green dorsum. A row of red ocelli (red spots ringed with black) are present on each side, and the belly is yellow with black dots. The tail is fin-like. The conspicuous terrestrial eft stage is bright orange to dull carmine brown, with very granular skin, and a row of ocelli along each side as in the adults. Small size, adults 60-110 mm total length.
The red-spotted newt is a widespread and familiar species in many sections of Connecticut. Newts have a three part developmental stage, an aquatic larva, a terrestrial "eft" stage, and an adult aquatic stage. The bright red-orange eft is the most familiar, and large numbers of these can be found wandering on the forest floor in damp weather. Newts are most abundant in theupland areas of Connecticut, especially the northwestern highlands. They are far more localized in the low-lying sandy areas of the state, and are absent from large portions of the Central Connecticut Lowland. Newts are secure in many areas of the state, though they are declining in more urban areas. They require large areas of forested habitat adjacent to their breeding sites to support the multiyear terrestrial eft stage. Under Section 26-66-13-C of the Connecticut Code, eggs and juveniles may not be collected, and adults may be taken only by hand or handheld implement. The collection of newts by seine, minnow traps, or with the aid of a motorboat is specifically prohibited.
Salamanders Amphibians and Reptiles in Connecticut

Carpenter Falls with the Gang

The hike today was to Carpenter Falls in Granby. I told you I love to hike and waterfalls are a special interest for me. Luckily these falls are rather close by so I didn't have to leave the house too early. My back is still holding up pretty well. It hurts but I'm able to ignore it as long as I'm moving.

My companions for the day were supposed to be just Sara and Kaylee but Justin and KC decided to come along too. None of them had been to these falls before. We packed our drinks; some blueberries and cheese and we were ready. But Kaylee wouldn't leave until I found her the "bear whistle". Since her and I came across two overgrown baby bears while hiking last year, she won't go hiking without her bear whistle. (That hike is a story in itself )I don't blame her a bit. It scared me almost out of my mind and I can imagine it was even worse for a 4 yr old. So Kaylee's got her whistle and we're finally off.

The hike begins with a rather long climb up a rocky drive. We had parked at the bottom across the road from Scottie's house. He's the Gordon Setter I met on my first trip to the Carpenter Falls with Bunny. This was the same place Bunny and I had parked. I was secretly hoping that Scottie would show up so everyone else could meet him too. Unfortunately he wasn't out and about today. Well because the walk up the drive was long and steep Justin made a point of noting each spot we could have parked that would have been closer...resulting in less of a climb. Well he was right but when I had first come here (with Allie) in my car the road had been partly washed out and there were some very deep ruts and large rocks to drive over and around. I didn't think my car could make it so I didn't try it. I guess that stuck in my head and I thought it was not really possible to drive up further than we had.

Okay, so technically we didn't have to hike as much of the uphill part....but if we had not walked it we would have missed the pretty shiny rocks; the tiny frogs that kept jumping around the puddles; the tiny bright orange mushrooms and the three salamanders we met in a large puddle. I think all those things made the climb worth the effort. (Kaylee agreed with me)

There's a bridge at the top of the falls and we all stopped there to take pictures. Kaylee and I went to the shallow side so we could feel the water. It was cold the last time I was there and it was still cold now. Then we started down the path that leads to the bottom of the falls. I pointed out items of interest to Kaylee as we went....tiny mushrooms; small tiny purple flowers; moss covered rocks, etc. I think my best audience is someone Kaylee's age. They are always interested in the same things that I am. (which puts me in the arena with 5 yr old I guess.)

I began to worry about getting Kaylee down to the bottom of the falls. I hadn't remembered it as being so steep and slippery looking. But I did manage to find a fairly safe way to get down. She held my hand as we side stepped our way down the moss covered rocks and around the large boulders and low hanging tree limbs. Kaylee took it all in...never faltered or doubted that she could make it down. She's a little trooper and such a budding naturalist! I couldn't ask for a better companion while hiking and it's so gratifying to have a little one that seems to be maintaining an interest in the natural world. She's been loving and fearless with most animals since she could crawl. We used to have to keep an eye on her for fear she would love one of our pets to death!

We made it to the bottom of the falls without incident. The cool air and the light spray from the falls was refreshing. Sara even managed to get down in one piece despite the fact she was wearing flip flops. We all started taking pictures. Kaylee was playing a soft tune on her whistle. Justin and KC had crossed the falls about midway up and were taking pictures from a different vantage point. They climbed down and crossed a large tree that had fallen across the lower end of the falls. I was having visions of Justin falling and breaking something but he didn't. KC did end up with a wet butt from schooching across the tree but she made it across safely and that's the part that counts. After all, if you come back from a hike wet and dirty you know you've had a good time!

The walk back down to the car promised to be anti climatic but at least not as tiring as the walk up had been. However, we discovered 3 salamanders in a large puddle and KC didn't hesitate to grab one for Kaylee to examine. I was surprised that KC was able to catch that salamander like she does it every day and I was equally surprised that Kaylee didn't hesitate to hold it in her hand. This one's not a squeamish little girl. Then Sara piped up and said she'd never seen a salamander in her whole life. That shocked me! Justin remembers turning over rocks and finding them in the woods behind my mother's house. And I remember making the same discovery in those same woods when I was a kid. How that experience managed to pass by Sara is a mystery to me.

Salamander's are cool little creatures. These were brownish on top and had bellies that were a soft yellowish/orange. (This is turning out to be a salamander weekend for me) In an earlier post I showed you a picture of a bright orange salamander. These guys were not what I was used to either. My previous experience with salamander's had been only solid black ones found under rocks. These brown ones were actually spending time in the puddle...they didn't seem to need to come up for air..at least not while we were there. I didn't know they like water like that. Now I'm beginning to wonder how many kinds there are out there.
Well needless to say, Kaylee loved him. And she was quite good at keeping him in her hand without hurting him. I tried taking several pictures but my camera seems to have issues focusing on small salamanders in little girls hands. Must be something in the directions about that.

You know it was nice that Kaylee (and Sara) got to meet their first salamanders but I can't help feeling there's a bigger issue here. With all the rain we've had this summer I'm realizing I'm seeing a lot more snakes (in my yard and garden); frogs and now salamanders. In the past few years I've been hearing that frogs have been declining. Maybe this rain is helping them (and their cohorts) make a much needed come back. Maybe all these rainy days have been worth it even though we don't enjoy them. In any case I'd like to believe that someone is enjoying all the rain.

And yet again it's raining outside now. I hope you enjoy it little guys. If this is your come back, take advantage of it. Make this wet and thunderous summer count for something!

More Physical Therapy

My physical therapy is progressing nicely. I'm not saying it's easy, it's certainly not. But I can see some progress and that's encouraging.
The exercises I'm doing are still very difficult. They are intended to build my strength. (Let's not forget I'm a weakling.) But strength is not built overnight. It's a slow process and success is measured with some pain..at least in my case.

I'm still not able to stand on one foot with my eyes closed. And I can't stand on one foot on the squishy square thing even with my eyes open. I have to admit, that is driving me crazy! But at least now I know it's because my ankles are weak. (weebles aren't the only ones that wobble)
Another thing I'm having a lot of trouble with is the incline sit up. It LOOKS easy...SHOULD be easy...I can barely do it. Kiera (my therapist) and I were laughing as I'm struggling to do even one sit up! The problem is I'm supposed to keep my feet on the floor and apparently I need to flail my feet and legs around to do a sit up. I keep asking her where the hidden camera is because I just know I'm going to see myself on t.v.. at some point and I want to make sure they get my good side.

Then it's time for the torture bands. That's what I call them. I don't know what she calls them. I can't hear well over the screaming of my muscles. To use these bands you put them around both ankles...they are wide and not very long. The exercise entails stepping two times to the right and one to the left, making sure your step is wide enough to feel resistance from the bands. Sounds easy doesn't it? Well, it's not! Especially when you have to do this side step the length of the room and back. It takes about 5 steps before it starts to hurt...deep in a muscle on the side of your thigh/butt area. This is a muscle that will strengthen the hips...a muscle I've never met before...and there's one on each side; both of them screaming very loudly at this point!
The very nice part about this exercise is that Kiera does them with me. She's a marathon runner and she said these muscles are weak in her too so she lines up facing me and we go the length of the room and back together. Her band is a stronger one and she gets a pained look on her face much quicker than I do...which makes me giggle.

Eventually I end up on the table where Kiera starts to press the muscles on either side of my spine. She has revealed to me that a certain number of the disks in my back are out of alignment and the muscles have learned to compensate which is why I keep having so much back pain. The disks and the muscle are out of sinc from where they should be. I understand that this misalignment is visible when I'm laying down. She's been trying to move them both back manually which is the most painful part of my therapy. A couple times I had to tell her to stop because it was just too painful.

Then a small miracle happened. Kiera had me sit up on the edge of the table and she put her arm around me from behind (this just sounds like "bad touch"..keep reading) and twisted me to the left and down somewhat. Then she put her hand against my right shoulder and told me to try to twist to the right. Being a weakling, it was not much of a challenge to resist my efforts which is what she was doing. It didn't hurt to do this so we tried it again. And when she released me she asked me how I felt. It was like a miracle. All the pain was gone...every bit of it! I was elated to say the least. She had me lay down on the table again so she could see how my alignment was...it had worked..the alignment was back where it belonged. I was so happy!!
Therapy was over for the day and she sent me home, but not before she warned me that this may not last. My muscles are used to being in the wrong position so they may revert back over the next few days...especially because the muscle is not strong enough to stay where it belongs...at least not yet.
But for now it still feels pretty good. I have muscle fatigue and some pain from using lazy muscles. But I've managed to take a long hike today with no lower back pain at all. That hasn't happened for a very long time. Back pain has become the norm for me.

What a pleasant surprise it is to me to go through an active day with no back pain. I've become so accustomed to some variation of back pain that I don't even notice it. It wasn't until it was completely gone that I really realized how good I felt. I have Kiera to thank for that and I'm committed to working as hard as I can to complete all the exercises she asks of me. Obviously Kiera knows how to make a weeble NOT wobble anymore. And that means the new goal is to be GUMBY !!

Hiking with Bunny

These pictures are from the Granby trails. I went for a nice long hike today with Bunny and her dog Randi. The dam has just been done over and even though I didn't think it looked like it needed work, I have to admit it looks much nicer now. There's a picture of Bunny with Randi. Yes, this is the same "Bunny" from one of my previous posts....I told you she's all grown up now!

The odd blueish, purple thing is a mushroom. I was finding all kinds of different mushrooms with some really different colors. This place is the best place I've ever seen for really colorful mushrooms but I usually see them earlier in the year. Prior to finding this place I never knew wild mushrooms came in so many colors. They are really amazing to see. They all seem to come out around the same time so within a few yards distance you can have 5 or 6 different colored ones all along the trail. It's one of nature's pleasant little surprises.

And the orange salamander would be another one. I had never seen an ORANGE salamander before and I was really excited about it. I called to Bunny to come and see him...she and Randi had walked right by him without noticing. He never moved a muscle. She didn't seem all that thrilled but she indulged me like I was her easily excited "slow" sister or something.

But I still maintain that an orange salamander is something special. And to find him "playing statue" at the same time I was finding so many different colored mushrooms...well, maybe I am easily impressed...but I just had to get a picture of him. And I'm thankful that he stood perfectly still while I did that...another thing salamanders are not know for...standing still.

He was a nice little dude. I hope I meet him again.

My Garden's Not Gay!

I have proof now that my garden is NOT gay. It's finally producing vegetables and at a rate that's beginning to scare me a little. I just made 3 stuffed squashes and so far I haven't run out of people willing to eat them. That could change in the future but I do have a good sized freezer and I know how to use it. If all else fails I'll be wrapping squash as Christmas gifts!

I'm not complaining. I'm glad there's no more show tunes coming through the windows at night. I have continued to "diddle" the squash blossoms every few days just to be on the safe side. I'm noticing that the zucchini are cooperating much better than the yellow squash. And I do prefer the yellow squash but I'm sure they'll get on board real soon. It's beginning to be a competition out there now and the zucchini are winning. But the yellow are pretty butch as squash goes...I've got complete confidence in them. They won't let me down.

The lettuce at the other end of the garden is really putting out. So much so, I'm wondering why I planted so much of it in the first place. What was I thinking?! I could never eat this much lettuce even if I was a rabbit!

But I can't forget to mention the tomatoes. They were really giving me a hard time in the beginning. I had many firm discussions with those delinquent plants before they finally got their act together. As you can see in the picture, they have finally stopped yanking me around and started to produce. And I only had to threaten them a little.

And I can't forget to mention my flowers. They would be terribly insulted if they thought I had snubbed them. After all the flowers (especially the lilies) have had a very hard time of it. Moles have killed off most of their family members and for a long time I thought they were going to be a total no show...actually could see the dollar signs racking up for the fall if I had to replace them all. Well I have lost most of them...the most expensive ones...the ones that were all planted with particular attention paid to the color scheme I laid out. Moles have no respect for color schemes. But I do still have the lovely dark maroon ones pictured here. They were the first thing I planted when I bought the house. It just wouldn't be right to lose them too.

Hang in there guys, we're rooting for ya!!

Maggie and Co.

A couple of weekends ago I went hiking with Justin and Maggie. It's rare that Justin has free time and even more rare that he'd be willing to spend his free time going hiking with me. (what a great son he is!) Maggie (Mark's dog) wasn't originally part of the plan but at the last minute I figured what the hell. We stopped by and picked her up. Maggie loves going anywhere and I do mean ANYWHERE, so she was half way to the car before we even told her where we were going.

We decided to go back to my favorite spot in Granby...of course. I'm still working through quite a few "Allie issues" and going hiking at our spot without her is one of them. I tried jumping a step and going by myself once. BIG MISTAKE as far as I was concerned. There was no pleasure in that trip. I suppose it was a type of therapy but it wasn't pleasant at all and I'm not eager to repeat it.

Being the basic wimp that I am (hard to believe isn't it?) I've been avoiding hiking a lot this year unless I had someone with me. And it's tough for me to ask people to go because its one of those rock and a hard place types of things. I generally avoid them too. So when I finally decided I was going to force this on myself again I was very happy that Justin wanted to go too. Maggie on the other hand is little more than a distraction for me. I've never bonded with Maggie (have I shocked you?) so this was little more than a pity hike as far as she was concerned. I have to be honest here. Maggie is a twit. She has a dogs mentality. I know that sounds odd but it's true. When I look in her eyes I see dog thoughts like "do you have food for me?"..."pet me...come on, pet me!"...."what, rolling in that was bad?"...."why do you keep pulling me back and saying heel?"......"I'm going in that water just as soon as you look away". Maggie is a twit!

The good thing about being a twit and she lives in the moment and this was her moment.

I shouldn't be too hard on Maggie. She's a Chocolate Lab and she's really beautiful. And aren't all labs all about fun? Don't they all look like they're laughing most of the time? And what self respecting Lab would walk calmly by something that smells good if they have half a chance to roll in it instead?

I let Justin handle her most of the way. He's not irritated by her constant pulling and general dog behavior. (he always thinks she's funny) I can't help comparing her to Allie and that does nothing but disappoint me continuously so I gladly let him take her over. But once we got to the river area Maggie could be let loose and she didn't waste time asking for permission to jump in that water. We spent a little time tossing sticks in the water for her and then she nosed around the whole area while we stopped to rest. I had brought some cheese with me so I asked Maggie if she's like some. Stupid me. Maggie doesn't know the word cheese; Allie did. So I gave it to her anyway and continued trying different "Allie words" on her. Not a glimmer of understanding was in those eyes....oh yeah, that's right...I already said Maggie is a twit. But when she's out in the woods, running her legs off and splashing through the river..she's a happy twit. And that's all that counts.

On the way back through the woods we stopped at one of the ranger cabins to take a few pictures. I wish they would allow us to camp overnight in that cabin but it's always kept locked so I know that's not an option. The cabin reminds me of a week long camping trip me and several friends took when I was about 16 yrs old. No adults on that trip. Now THAT was a good time!

Overall it was a good day out hiking with Justin and Maggie. Justin even thanked me for inviting him to go! Wow! And I was thinking I should thank him for babysitting me through another "not with Allie" hike. Maybe it's not as noticeable as I feel it is...maybe it's just all in my head and doesn't show on the outside. But I'm always running memories of previous hikes with Allie through my head every time I go there. This time we had taken the green trail. The last time I had been there was in November of 2008, with Allie and with Justin. It was the last hike Allie ever took but we didn't know it would be at the time. It seems fitting that when it was time to go down that trail again it was with Justin.

And when I'm finally ready to get another little furry baby I'm going to ask Justin to come along again. We'll start all new memories on that green trail. And I will guarantee you my new little friend will know the word cheese. (big smile)

Bunny

Look at that face...just look at that face. Isn't that the cutest little face you've ever seen?

No, that is not my granddaughter...that is my sister. And no, she's not 5 yrs old...not any more anyway. But I would guess that's about how old she is in this picture. Let me introduce you to Bunny! Ta Da!

This is one of the few pictures around where she didn't have a terrible home haircut that Mom always insisted was a pixie cut. Why do mothers always assume it's no big deal to learn how to cut hair on their children? (And yes, I did the same thing on my kids too! ha ha)

She's been Bunny to our family all our lives. I think I was about 10 yrs old before I knew her "real" name was Florence. (yuck!) Unfortunately for her, she was named after my mother. Fortunately for me (being the older sister), I was not!

Somewhere along the way my Dad nicknamed her Bunny and that's been her REAL name ever since. Everyone in our family had a nickname. Some of them stuck, some of them didn't, some of them were used as forms of torture during our teen years....(you know how that goes).

My nickname was Tootsie...also started by my Dad. The good part is Tootsie was his name for me and it really never left the boundaries of our house. Only one of my brothers ever used that name with me and of course he has his own version. My brother Tom used to call me Tootsie Rose Lavender (with the accent on the DER part so it sounds weird). And he used to say it in a weird, cartoon-ish voice, so he could get my attention...and it worked of course!

Many years later Bunny named a dog after me...yup, Tootsie! That was the most surprising compliment I could have ever received. I was so shocked when she told me and touched.
I remember Bunny calling me and telling me she got a puppy and named her after me. I immediately thought who the hell would name a dog Elaine?? But then she said no, stupid I named her Tootsie! So of course I had to go meet my name sake. But that's a story for another time.

Bunny and I have a lot in common. We do a lot of stuff together. And we can't go anywhere together without someone inevitably mentioning how much we look a like. And worse than that, people say we sound the same too. In fact quite recently one of her neighbors said to me..Hey, Bunny how are you? To which I promptly said, Hey,I'm fine but I'm not Bunny! That freaks them out every time and usually starts the same explanations of yes, she's my sister...yes, I know everyone says we look a like...no, we're not twins....yes, I know I'm the prettiest one. OK, I just added that last one to be a stinker. ha ha

If you read this blog enough you'll see pictures of us together eventually (something to look forward to!) and maybe you'll think yeah, they do look a like..or maybe you won't. But maybe you'll see the sweet little girl pictured above and think yup, that's Bunny...because that's what I see.

Walter Cronkite 1916 - 2009

Walter Cronkite died yesterday in his home with his family around him. It's been reported that he died of cerebrovascular disease. I wasn't sure what that was so I looked it up. I found that it is a disease of the blood vessels supplying the brain. For a man of 92 I suppose that's not so unusual.

I grew up watching the news with Walter Cronkite. He long ago was established as an American icon; the voice of American news. He had a way of reporting that was not only professional but he strived to always present the news with objectivity and accuracy...something that is rarely seen today. His voice was very distinctive and you could recognize it was him speaking even if you weren't watching the broadcast. Being a no-nonsense type of persona, I've read that off camera he was nicknamed "Old Ironpants". And in 1972 and 1974 polls voted him the most trusted man in America.

I'm not an expert on Walter Cronkite's career but the man lived through and reported to us on so many key events in our history, it's no wonder he felt like a member of our families. Millions of families tuned into his news cast every night. And it was Walter that announced it when John F Kennedy was shot...interrupting a live CBS broadcast of a soap opera to do it. The nation watched this man make the announcement of Kennedy's death...watched him as he struggled not to break down; removing his glasses and fighting back tears. And we cried with him.

Walter Cronkite was there to report Martin Luther King assassination; Watergate; the moon landing...just to name a few. He actually was there for so many events I couldn't possibly know them all or list them. And he was the first television reporter to be referred to as an anchorman. (Swedish anchors are known as "Kronkiters" and in Holland, "Cronkiters".)

But to me and millions of others Walter will always be known for the closing line he used at the end of each CBS news broadcast..."And That's the Way It Is".
Good bye Walter and thank you.

Kevin Richardson

This guy is called the Lion Whisperer...and with good reason. The links below will show you what I mean. In a way I envy him so much for being able to do what he's doing. I wish I could experience it too. But on the other hand I keep remembering that guy and his girlfriend that had an obsession with bears. I don't remember their names. They spent every free moment they had living in and around bears. He was considered an expert on bears. Well his expertise didn't save them when they went camping and were both killed and eaten by the bears they loved so much. I can't help thinking that this Kevin Richardson is going to end that way too...in the stomachs of a few of the lions that he loves so much.

But at least he seems to know it and accepts that as his eventual end. I guess I can't argue with that...as long as you know how it's going to end dude, just keep making these videos for us!

http://www.flixxy.com/lion-whisperer-kevin-richardson.htm

http://www..youtube.com/watch?v=X2jrS27USQE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHk43wyk9cM

Physical Therapy

The sad puppy image is pretty close to how I felt when I went to physical therapy today. For some time now I've been having back issues. A twinge here a dull ache there...until I finally had the ultimate experience with a full blown spasm. Any of you ever been there? It's not a fun place to be but unfortunately it's a familiar place to me. I don't have back pain often but in the last few months I should have seen the handwriting on the wall. (Who exactly IS it that writes on that wall anyway?) The spasm caught me completely off guard. Apparently when you haven't had one for awhile you not only forget how bad they can be...you forget what to do about it too. Eventually I got reacquainted with muscle relaxers which helped a lot but certainly is not the answer. So I had to concede defeat and go to physical therapy.

This first session was mainly an evaluation. But who knew that an evaluation would be so involved and so informative. I think I learned more than I wanted to know because now I have more to work on than I want. The good news is after telling me I have more than one problem, and that my muscles are very weak, my therapist claimed very proudly that she can fix me!
Here I was thinking we'd do some exercises and maybe some ultrasound and call it a day...come on, that's way too easy! Everybody knows that physical therapist measure their success by the amount of pain you have the next day.

Actually there were no exercises and no real pain today. She's saving that for the next session and she announced it to me like I was supposed to be excited about coming back for that.
Today was all about "can you do this" and "does this hurt when I bend you this way" and "what number is your pain when I twist this over to the side" (can you see me screaming out numbers and swinging at her?) and lets not forget the "I'm going to press on this area and you tell me if it hurts you". Yikes!

The first little disappointment came when she asked me to stand straight and lift one leg (keep the foot off the ground; knee bent)...hold it as long as possible. That was fine. Then repeat the same thing on the other leg. I'm thinking this is a breeze...I'm doing great. Then the little stinker said ok do that again, but this time close your eyes. What?! It's incredible how quickly you can lose your smugness when you suddenly feel like a roaring drunk trying to break dance just because you have your eyes closed! What the hell??!! I'm not kidding. It suddenly became a whole new ball game once I had to close my eyes. And I have no idea why that should make a difference but it's very disturbing. I was able to keep my foot up for all of about 6 seconds...that's it! Once she stopped laughing, she claimed she could fix that too.

Now I ask you...was that test legit or is that some sick way that therapist get their jollies?
Next she had me lay on the table while she bent me in positions I'm sure only married couples are supposed to be in. Each time she said, does that hurt?..how about this? None of it hurt me and she said I'm very flexible...that's good. (Although I'm pretty sure that means we're engaged now.)

So to recap this sad adventure...my muscles are weak (I'm a weakling); I have more than one area that needs work (also a basket case); I'm very flexible (a subtle threat that the human pretzel therapy is coming); and my back is stiff as a board ( flexible ain't gonna save you sister).

And what does this prove to us all? It proves to me that just because you are thin doesn't mean you are in good shape. And I have to think of a nice way to break off this engagement...but not before my therapy is finished of course.

Gran Torino

What can one say about Clint Eastwood that hasn't been said a million times before?...probably nothing. He's never really clicked in my head as one of my favorites yet I can't think of any movies he's done that I didn't like. I was never a huge fan of his "spaghetti westerns" as they called them. (not sure why...never saw pasta of any kind in those movies). But I would usually watch it if I came across one on the t.v. And that wasn't HIS fault...you see, I already had John Wayne and nobody can top him in my book!

But tonight I watched Gran Torino and I loved it. It had a well thought out plot, characters that you grew to know and care about, a twist to the ending that was surprising, rather sad and yet perfect. I really enjoyed this movie.

One thing that really struck me is the way he looks now. He is obviously one of the very few actors that has not given in to the pressure to have plastic surgery. He is an old man and he looks like it. It makes me feel a little sad to remember how gorgeous he used to be and see him as an old man now but at the same time I have to respect him for his choice to be exactly who he is. It's going to be a tough day when we lose him. He's a marvelous actor, a great director and a real person. Watch this movie. You won't regret it!

I TOLD you I love dogs

No self respecting DOG would do this!

Vegetable Fish!

I love this kind of artwork.

A Real Independence Day!

Independence Day means a lot of things to a lot of people. The celebration of our freedom; pride in being an American; love of our country for example. But in this case it means the right to bare arms.......and I do mean bare arms...as well as a few other body parts as the evening went on.


Yes, my "peeps" know how to celebrate the 4th of July. And this 4th of July party was no exception. It started out like most parties, a couple of drinks, a few laughs, more family and friends arriving. The fireworks are set up and a few of the smaller ones have been lit. This is just the warm up; the pre-game if you will. Some of the larger fireworks are brought out, spinning pinwheels; sparkling fountains; fire crackers and sparklers for the younger kids. Everyone is enjoying themselves. And then the neighbor down the road a bit started his display. And what a display it was! He and some friends had set up in the field across the street; plenty of room there with no trees to get in the way. And it's a good place to pick because his fireworks rivaled some of the displays put on by the town over the years! They were magnificent to say the least. I found myself watching huge bursts of brilliant colors that went well above the tree top level and I was impressed! It's not every 4th you see this kind of display in a neighborhood area. And the best part was there wasn't a cop in sight and they never showed up the whole night. Wonderful and yet curious, because I'd be willing to bet money that if I had put on this kind of fireworks display, the police would have had me in the back of the cruiser before the smoke cleared.


So while this is going on, our little party decided to try to compete with the big boys across the street. The results? Well it was dueling fireworks! And I was standing in the right spot evidently because I had a clear view of both sides.


Now I'm not saying that our party was able to really compete against the level of fireworks the neighbor had...but we put our hearts into it and it was almost poetic. Our side of the road put out the steady, yet smaller bursts, in between the larger and louder ones the neighbor sent up. It was very complementary and could almost have seemed like it was choreographed. And when it was all done, the grand finale was met with a loud round of cheers and applause. But that wasn't enough for our gang...somehow it never is.


Justin and Mike (an unlikely duo for sure) were hatching a scheme designed to top the neighbors performance and crash their party at the same time. And somehow it always involves Justin taking some article of clothing off! Hmmmm...that boys got pagan stripper blood in him somewhere. So before everyone even knew the plan Justin had his shirt off (we talked him out of taking his pants off); had two huge sparklers in hand and Mike had gone to get his American flag. And off they go running down the sidewalk, heading for the neighbors yard party; a small band of drunken party goers following in their wake. And very sloppy runners they were too. Not a marathon runner in the bunch. Unfortunately for the me, as the blogger photographer of the party, I had to run to catch up to them too. Luckily for me they had to stop to light the sparklers for their grand entrance or I never would have gotten a picture of this event.


And that's what it was...a grand entrance...or at least they thought so. They came tearing through the party screaming at the top of their lungs, waving the flag and sparkling all the way! However, the reaction they got from the unsuspecting party goers was less than enthusiastic. Apparently that group of partiers had been drinking just as much or more than our group and they were more stunned (in a stupor perhaps?) than anything else. Eventually they did manage to put forth a small cheer and many wishes for a happy 4th of July....but it took a minute or two for them to decide they weren't being invaded I think. (Relax guys, no need to defend the keg)


The walk back after such a display was rather anticlimactic. Jake lost his beer somewhere along the way and was whining about it. Justin had to put his shirt back on (always a disappointment to him). Mike was left behind somewhere in the crowd. And Stacey was complaining that nobody waited for her. But me? Oh I was happy...giddy even...because I was the sober one and I got the picture. (or evidence, as I prefer to call it)


Yes, it was a 4th of July to remember. And remember it we will. But how in the world are we ever going to top it I wonder??