It's begun...

It seems like this year, there are alot of changes... well, I know there is.. but it's strange where I notice them the most. One would be the decorating for Christmas this year. I find myself doing it in small bits, taking my time, and really enjoying it. Not having little ones around to "rush me", I am definitely slower and planning more. When the kids were little, they were always in such a hurry to get it done.. maybe they thought the sooner we decorated, the sooner Christmas would get here, but either way, it's a much slower pace.

We'll be having two trees this year, one is up already. Kay had collected over the years, 64 gold ornaments from the Danbury mint (these are real gold!!!) I remember her having them on her tree, but the last couple of years she didn't bother with them. One afternoon as we were going thru some things at her house, I came across the ornaments. I told Ed it was a shame to have them in boxes and not being used, so after checking with brother Bill, it was decided that I could have them (someday they will be divided between Kas and Sadie). Because there are so many and my tree is always so full with my ornaments, I told Ed I would like to have a tree just with these gold ones. And since I didn't want to worry about keeping two live trees, we decided to go with a "fake" one for the gold ornaments. We set it up on the new sunroom and it's just perfect. at night they catch the white lights of the tree and during the day, make all sorts of rainbows around the room with the sunlight. I will always think of this as "Kay's tree" and will enjoy it for many years I am sure. One day next week, Ed and I will go and pick a live tree, and that will go up in the living room with all the "family ornaments".... pretty special to be able to host two trees at Christmas!!!!

We had to get the outside work done next.... they're talking a possibility of "real snow" for the first of the week, AND.... I wanted to have it all done in time for the Christmas parade (read next blog). The parade lines up on our street and goes up thru the center of the town, SO... I had to have the house looking it's best for those parade folks!!!If all goes according to plan, next year this will be Kassy and Nate's project of decorating... I don't know if they will have the same taste that I do, but I am happy at the way the little house looks in it's Christmas best. NOW... if we can only have a little snow (and hope it keeps for Christmas) it will be just right!!!!

"Pete"

Yesterday didn't start off too well, the little white guinea pig in this picture is Pete..... and Pete died yesterday. I had a feeling something wasn't quite right the night before, when I put the doggies to bed with their cookies, Pete and Applejacks (the bunny) always got a piece of apple or carrot... well, Pete loved his little night snack, and would always whistle until it arrived..... there wasn't any whistling. So, I cuddled him for a little bit, and then tucked him into bed, and found him all curled up this morning..... he has gone to be with Bella.

Funny how attached you get... Pete sort of came into our lives. Sadie had bought Bella for her birthday, and as we were leaving the shop, one of the clerks said, "you wouldn't want another?".. seems Pete had been bought there and then returned when the people got tired of taking care of him. Sadie really wanted Bella, so I said I would take Pete. At first he was rather shy and a little hard to handle, he didn't like being held and would stay at the back of his cage when you approached it. But, like any animal----time, patience and love changed that all around, and Pete became quite a little actor!!!! He wasn't afraid of anything, and actually "chased" after the others, whether it was Bella and Applejacks... or the cockers and cats. I will miss him greatly.

So, little Applejacks (who we also rescued) is the last one of "Sadie's zoo"... I am thinking I might get another piggie, but I will wait.... with Christmas coming... who knows what might be available come January or February after someone else "gets tired of taking care of them".

Say hi to Bella for us Pete!!!!

found it

Well, it took me two weekends, and a lot of lugging, stacking and planning, but I finally found that piece of wood I had been looking for..... the LAST piece!!!! With Ed working on the barn, I was determined to get this project done myself not only is it great to have all this dry wood put away, but the yard looks so much neater with this big pile up and gone. My little stove is going to be happy this winter, and the couple of nights that I have had it chugging, the house has a nice cozy feeling and the cats are already claiming the bed beside it.

THIS is what I'm talking about.... wood stacked to the ceiling and no room for more. I had to put some of it outside on the deck, but that will be the first pile that I use up.

I don't believe I have told you about the "treasure" we brought home from North Carolina. As we were heading back, we passed a place that has all kinds of cement "critters". Ed was the one that noticed this horse and asked me if I wanted to go back and look at it. I said no because I know that these things can be quite expensive... at least around here they are!!! But, he turned around just the same and we pulled in. Mind you, we had a trailer on the truck because we had towed Nate's truck down, so it wasn't like we didn't have any room!!!! Well, the folks that ran this little shop couldn't have been nicer, they were quite "impressed" that we were from Maine (asked all about our ice and snow!!!!) and I couldn't believe how little they were asking for this fine beast. He is quite large, maybe three feet high, and VERY heavy (they loaded him on the trailer with a fork lift).. but he looks pretty fine under the apple tree and will look even finer up on the farm!!!!

Course what is even funnier, is what the cockers think of him. They are quite certain it is something that must be dealt with.... Moxie went racing out across the drive barking and growling, then she looked rather embarrassed when she figured out he wasn't real.... Trevor is determined to "get him" and Hunter is a bit afraid and won't go near him at all.... wonder what the horses will think of it......

"black Friday"

I never liked the term "black Friday"... I know "why" they call it that.... but, it still sounds sort of gruesome to me, why would you begin the most wonderful holiday season with the word "black"? just call it "money Friday??" Either way, it means that lots of people are out there.. spending money, and though I vowed never to get caught up in it... guess what... Ed and I spent more money yesterday than several people combined.... though, our spending took on a different look from some....
It came on the back of a truck!!!! THIS is our new barn being delivered to Acton. All I see is lots of boards and things, but Ed is like a kid and this is simply a big kit that needs to go together!!! (maybe now I understand how he feels in a material shop ...... I see quilts and he sees bolts of cloth) Naturally the weather was almost bitter cold, the wind was whistling across that field but it seems like Ed always begins big projects in the cold!!!

Now, here's a pair that spells "trouble"!!!! Thank goodness..... we have DAVE!!!! always the good sport and willing to lend a hand. He and Ed work well together, so bundled up as much as they could be and still work.... they sorted all the lumber off the truck and began the lay out of the barn. This is the "fussy" part of the work, and when I went back to check on them (try to bring them a hot lunch,) it seemed as though they hadn't got very far, but in reality... a lot of work had been done.

Look who's working and who's goofing here!!!!

So, this is the start of a dream coming to real life... the day after Thanksgiving, how blessed I am!!! Good friends/family, projects that are in the works, a future that is bright and full of promises!!!! I guess I won't fuss about "black Friday" anymore... for it now holds a special meaning for me........

Hello snow!!!

well, it really isn't that much to talk about... but it is the first of the season, and with Thanksgiving just a couple days away, it really does start "the holidays." I didn't think we would get any snow today, the weather man said that "inland" would get maybe an inch, but it would all turn to rain on the coast. So, I was pretty excited to see it coming down, though it looks a little strange with my autumn wreath and pumpkin by the door ( notice NO deployment flag!!!) and with just a rise of a degree or two, it will quickly change over to rain.

Ed and I went out to the barn to do chores and give out some lunch. The paddock looked so pretty with the white covering and the trees look just as handsome!!! "Everyone" was snug in the barn waiting for their lunch.....








Well, almost everyone!!! I told Mocha that a smart horse would know to get in from the snow, but she only gave me a look that said "oh please... only sissy horses have to stay inside when it's snows!!!" Besides she has the thickest coat in the barn, so maybe she is just showing it off!!! I don't think I will need to worry about her being cold this winter!!!



We saw the first of the "timber plans" this morning. The company that we are pretty certain we'll use, sent their rep out with the sketches of the framing. It's pretty basic as far as timber frames go, but we have a few things to ponder and of course, are a little anxious to see what this is going to price in at. It would be nice if it turns out like the barn has.... Ed ordered the lumber for that, and it came in a bit under of what we thought... nice surprise!!!! The lumber is being delivered to Acton on Friday.....pretty exciting!!!!

Cam and Hunter are doing well, both are feeling much better after their surgery/illness which makes me very happy. So, looks like all is good on the homefront.....

home again

Ed, Moxie and I had a wonderful time in the south!!! The weather was grand, the time was relaxing and of course it was great to see Nate home safe and sound, and spend time with him, his family and Kas. But I have to admit, I am a real home body and it was good to head north and sleep in my own little bed once again. However, Ed didn't stick around too long, early Friday morning he was off again, heading to Baltimore, MD with some friends to attend a "towing show".


He was a little "worried" that I might be lonely at home, but I have used the time well these past two days, and have begun to "pack". NOT that we are moving into our new house any time soon, however, we have been in this house for nearly 25 years. AND I have never really "weeded out", I figured it's going to take me a few months at least to be ready to do any sort of moving. I also have several things that would make for a good yard sale, and a few times last fall, I thought that if it had been organized I would have done a yard sale or two. So, I have decided that over the winter, I am going to get everything sorted out and come spring, have a yard sale or two and get things out of here. I have also decided to start with the "easy stuff"... for example, I did the upstairs bathroom, half of our bedroom and my closet. Here's the pile of "throw outs" that I got just from that... (plus a couple of bags of donations AND some yard sale things)... it's kind of shocking really, that we have that much "stuff!!!" I don't even dare think of what it will be like when WE (I'm not going to do that alone) tackle the basement and/or the barn!!! I have been very good and look carefully at each thing and ask myself "are you really going to cart this to Acton?".. sometimes I say yes, and sometimes I say no!!!!

Speaking of Acton, the barn floor was poured while we were away. Makes a big difference just having the floor in, and it has also inspired Ed to get back to work on it. Originally, when he heart was giving him trouble, he thought that he wouldn't even get to the barn building this fall. But, he has been feeling quite well, and Dave and brother Bill have offered their help when needed, so Ed is going to try and get a weather tight building before the "weather". He did get the lumber ordered before leaving on his trip, so when he gets back, it should be just about ready to be picked up. I guess the game plan is "as much as can be done" over the Thanksgiving weekend. If all goes well and we have decent weather, I bet he will get a good chunk of it done.

Poor Cammi...... just before we left, I noticed a lump in one of her teats... it's fairly common with female dogs that have not been spayed or bred. This one was pretty big and ugly, and since Karen (her co-owner) and I have decided that she won't be bred, it was time to get her in for spaying. I wanted to get this done before the holidays, so I took her in the moment we got home. Well, the spaying went well, but there wasn't just one tumor... there were three, so the vet took them all. Cam came home with a little row of stitches from the spay and about 20 staples from the tumor removals... boy, do I know how she feels!!! It wasn't that long ago when I was in the same spot. She's doing very well, but I keep her crated right now, and have her laying low. The staples come out in 10 days.. so it will still be a big of a recovery. AND then Hunter!!!! He wasn't feeling too well while we were gone, so I took him into the vet with Cam and something is going on that we can't quite put our fingers on. He has a slight cough, which, had he been in the kennel, would be like kennel cough, but he hasn't had any exposure to that sort of thing. So he is on meds for a virus and the vet wants to watch him closely cause it still could be a heart thing, though the x-rays looked OK. He's feeling much better and has been back to his old self today. I guess it never "just rains".... let's just say I gave the vet more money that we spent on vacation!!!!!................... yup, it's good to be home.....................

homecoming

The very first thing I have to say about homecoming... is "Praise be to our Heavenly Father, who answered our prayers and kept Nate and his unit safe!!!! I am so very grateful!!!!!" And I am well aware, as we were welcoming everyone home, there are many families have not had the same happy reunions, and I will continue to keep them --- and the ones still there, and the ones still leaving --- in my daily prayers. I encourage all of you to do the same, for it is very easy to "forget" when we are here at home and life is running on it's "normal" course.



We were told that the bus should arrive sometime around 3:00, Kassy had us at the base by noontime, because she wanted to help decorate and finish off the "welcome home" bags that the wives had been working on. The day was bright and sunny, but cold!!!! (yes you heard that word from me!!!) There was a sharp wind that blew all day long, and it whistled across that parking area and between the barracks. We spent most of the waiting time talking with other families, and sitting the in car warming up enough to go back out and talk some more. Finally, around 4:00 the bus pulled in and marines climbed out!!! What fun it is to watch and be a part of such a happy reunion!!! Everyone looked great and were more than happy to be home once again.


Charlie had to be the funniest of all. He definitely knew that something was up, and I wouldn't be surprised if he knew exactly what was up, because he was at the last homecoming. He didn't like Kassy being one step away from him, and kept a very careful eye on her whenever she was. It didn't take him anytime to "find" Nate and when he did, he didn't quite know what to do with himself--- Jump all over him, or Kassy. One thing for certain though, once the two of them were together, he wouldn't let either one away from him!!!!! and got very upset when Nate had to step away for a moment to retrieve his sea bags.


Nate loved his "new" truck, the one that Kas had bought over the summertime!!! It wasn't a surprised (she couldn't keep it quiet that long) but Nate was pretty excited when he finally got to see it in "real life". After he had the chance to say "goodbye" to his pals, we headed for home. Deb, Dave, Ed and I went onto the hotel, to check in and give Kas and Nate a little time together. Then we met later for dinner and to hear some stories from Nate. It's hard for me to picture exactly what life was like in Iraq, but I am very certain, it would not be my choice as a place to live... even without a war brewing there. I just can't imagine a place with hardly any trees or green grass.

These past few days have just been days of fun. Kas and Nate have taken us to different parts of Jacksonville, we toured up to New Bern today and went thru some historical buildings, and have just enjoyed being all together. The dogs have had great fun together, Ed and I brought Moxie down with us, and Deb and Dave brought Hallie with them. They have had runs thru the park, long walks, and "hours" of waiting the cars while we toured around.
But it's time to think about heading home, I am missing the rest of the four footeds and even think I am ready to get back onto schedule again. There has been some work going on with the new barn while we have been away, and I want to check that out. I have a pile of wood to get inside, and Thanksgiving to think about.... so, it's time......

a Homecoming poem

T'was the night before homecoming
and all thru the house
everyone was excited
especially the spouse (s)

The "welcome home" banners
had been hung with great care
in hope that Nate and the other marines
would soon be there

The parents had arrived
traveling down from the north
they went to the base and
got passes to go forth

for the next day they would go
thru the gates at LeJeune
and wait for the bus
that would bring home the platoon

The day of homecoming dawned bright
and families gathered together
but not too many of them
even noticed the weather

For the balloons and banners
were much more to see
And the excitement and smiles
of each family

Then what to our wondering eyes
should appear.....
a large big bus,
Marines with their gear!!!

The shout of happy greetings
rang loudly in my ears
and the Marines were caught up
in big hugs and tears

For finally the deployment
had come to it's end
our heros are now home
with us once again!!!!!

Colonial Williamsburg

Colonial Williamsburg and I have a long history together, I first saw it in the early 70's when my parents took us there for a family vacation. I have always loved history and remember that trip as though it were yesterday.

When Ed and I were first married we went to visit my sister (who was living in Virginia) and took a day to visit Williamsburg. Ed fell in love with it and to this day, it is one of his most favorite places in the world. Keeping with "tradition" we have taken many family vacations there, Kas and Sadie know the "city" well. Now that Kas is living in North Carolina, Ed and I always have the perfect excuse to visit Williamsburg whenever we are in the "south".

After we got the dates of Nate's homecoming, Ed and I decided to take a few extra days to visit "our" Williamsburg on our way down to North Carolina. It was as wonderful as it has always been and though it was a little strange visiting without the girls, we had a grand time walking around the "city" and enjoying all the sights and sounds.


For anyone that likes history, or just being around "days of the past" Williamsburg is a must see. The people of the town stay in complete charterer, and any conversations that you have with them, will be done as though it were the 1700's. They don't seem to "understand" things like, "we live in Maine" (Maine wasn't a state back then)... or telling them it took you 12 hours to drive there (they think you have some special breed of horse and buggy!!!) Discussions about the upcoming revolution (which side you are on) is important, as well as "how your crops are doing" or who/what is the latest arrival from England.

They do the work of the "time" .....blacksmith, wheelwright, grocery, shoe maker, saddle maker... etc. etc. and they encourage their guests to take a hands on approach as well. Cars are not allowed in the "city" (though many of the folks that work there, do live there) so, when you walk the streets, you may have to step over for the carriage or ox & cart that pass by. If it weren't for all the other folks that are dressed in modern day clothes or the groups of school kids that walk about, it would be very easy to forget what year you were really in.

Something that is fairly new to Colonial Willaimsburg is the computer age. If you go to their website there are all kinds of things to do and see, almost as interesting as the old city itself. One of the things they have are web cams in certain spots of the city. Ed loves to check them out and before we went, he had figured out where a few of them were. So, as we walked about the town, and using our cell phones, we were able to have friends and family watch us!!!! At one point, we got Kassy on the phone, and she was on the computer with Nate!!! Nate then went to the website and was able to spot us in Williamsburg!!!! It was just so hard for me to wrap my brain around that one!!!! I even went and found a colonial citizen and had him come into the camera's view for Nate to see. You can be sure our "colonial citizen" was some surprised when I told him... "You were just seen in Iraq!!!"It was a great way for us to begin our vacation and it will only get better as the days move along...our next stop.... Camp LeJeune!!!!!

spinning.......

Even though I have a million things to do before this trip, and really should have been doing them yesterday... I snuck away for a couple of hours and met with a "spinning teacher". I have wanted to learn how to spin for a long time, I don't really know why... I certainly have "plenty to do in my spare time", but spinning has fascinated me (besides, it will be the perfect excuse to have some sheep when we are on the farm!!!!)

Ruth has been spinning for over 20 years and has a huge collection of spinning things... a number of different wheels, all sorts of bags of fibers, carding brushes from brand new to antique.... and she herself is a wealth of information. We started with carding, (which I have done before), I didn't have any trouble with that and actually ended up with some pretty good "wads" to spin with. Then she showed me how to use a drop spindle, which was ok, but I really wanted to get onto that wheel. After I had the knack (sort of) of the drop spindle, it was onto the wheel. I have to tell you, it's trickier than it looks, she said that each wheel sort of has its own little personality and I think she might be right. "My" wheel wasn't about to cut me any breaks!!!! But after a couple of hours, "we" (the wheel and I) came to an understanding, and I managed to put a few rows on the spool.

This is what I came up with for yarn. You probably could mix it into a pair of mittens (and I might do that), but I certainly wouldn't be looking for this scane of yarn if I had to buy it in the shop!!!! Ruth said that if you don't get discourage and give up the first time you try spinning, then you will probably become a spinner. Well, giving up isn't what I plan to do, and I have the whole winter to learn. Since Dale and Karen got me knitting last winter, I think I could find a use for any yarn that I was able to spin!!!! Speaking of knitting, I made a pair of mittens out of bits of wool that I had left over from the "animals" I made. They came out kind of funny looking with all sorts of colors, but Sadie thought they were "neat" and "stole them" to use at college. So, my first pair of mittens for the season have come and gone!!!!! That's OK, we have a long car ride coming up and knitting while riding certainly is easier than cross stitch.........

barn work

Ahhh... November, the month that we have been waiting for... the month that Nate arrives home from Iraq!!!! and we can hardly wait. We head out bright and early Tuesday morning to spend a few days in Colonial Williamsburg and then onto Jacksonville for the big home coming!! It's going to be an exciting week.

But, leave it to my Ed. He decided that if we were going to get the floor poured in our new barn, it had to be done... NOW!!! He's right, because come next spring, there is no way we can get a big cement truck thru the field to the barn. So, even though his heart is still playing games with him, and the doctors have advised "do what you like, but go easy"... he has spent the whole week working on the barn and getting it ready for a floor to be poured next week while we are gone. One of the major things that had to be done, was to get these big tubes into the ground, they will be filled with cement and will be the supporting posts for the barn frame. I think he said there are 16 of them that need to be ready to go. Fortunately, brother Bill has been on hand to help out.

Along with the supports, the lines have to be in place that will carry the water, the drains and the electrical. Ed has an idea of where this all needs to be, and good thing, because I haven't got a clue!!! He knows from being around the horses enough and the barns that we "hang out in" as to where things will work and what things we will need. The little John Deere has had a good work out!!! Nice to see it on the farm, just were "deeres" belong!!!! Ed was anxious to get everything in place and packed down, we're expecting the tail end of a hurricane tomorrow, and actually, the rain will play a good part in packing the dirt down and making it firm and ready for the cement. After this storm gets by, the weather is suppose to be great next week, so it could be we lucked out and got things done in the nick of time.

And here is the princess!!! I haven't said too much about Dancer in the past few blogs, but she is doing well and pretty much rules the house!!! She actually is quite funny and follows me about just like the cockers do!!! (she is sitting on the desk even now as I do this blog!!!) Next month she will have her first anniversary with us!!! I honestly can't believe a whole year has almost gone by. In fact, I have been "blogging" for a year now. Each month, I print my blogs and tuck them away in a note book, its a neat way to keep a journal, and even more fun because of the "comments" left by friends and the pictures that go along with the stories!!!!

So, the next stories will be from the south. Colonial Williamsburg, one of our MOST favorite places in the world.... and then the "landing of the marines!!!" Josh is house sitting while we're away and I told him one of his "jobs" will be to take down the deployment flag when we call and tell him that Nate has arrived!!!!!

a very sad day

It is with great sadness that we bid farewell to Teresa's old horses... Nutty (the one with the white blaze) and Ransom (the appie). This has been a very hard decision for Teresa to make, but for those of us who have loved pets, we can understand the greater love it takes when it is time to say goodbye. Ransom hasn't been feeling well for some time, Nutty was in better health, but with both of them being well into their 30's it basically was a matter of time. They had lived together for almost 25 years, so Teresa knew that if she had to say goodbye to one, it would be in their best interest to say goodbye to both.

Today, God has two more horses in his green pasture..... running fast, grazing on good grass and finding sweet apples to eat. And we will miss their gentle presence.

visions of fall

For some reason, I think the colors of fall have been some of the best in years!!! Everywhere you look, the reds, golds and oranges just seem to call for your attention. I think it must have been a great "pumpkin" year as well (not to be confused with the great pumpkin) because it seems as though the pumpkin patches are full with almost any size and.or shape that you would want. Even though we don't have any little ones around to carve pumpkins for, I still plan on doing a couple, if for nothing else... to roast the seeds!!! I love pumpkin seeds.....

Kassy left for J-ville in the nick of time, because just days before we went, the woodman arrived with this wonderful load of wood!!! My little stove will be happy this winter!!! Now, all this wood needs to get into the shed (behind the pile) but I actually look forward to the work, something about a full woodshed before the snow flies that just sits right with me. When the girls were little, it was their job to help fill the shed, it was also a "standard rule" that you never came into the house without a arm load of wood for the box!!!! I guess Kas and Sadie will never forget it, because when it arrived... Kas happily stated.. "well I won't have to do that job this fall!!!" No, maybe not, but guess who will be happy to cuddle beside the stove when she comes to visit at Christmas time!!!!!

And we are finally on the final stages of completing the new sunroom. It sat over the summer, just too busy (and weather too nice) to be working inside. While I was in J-ville with Kas last weekend, Ed got all the windows trimmed out!! What a difference that makes!!! He was hoping to get the floor all done as well... but his heart was giving him some trouble, and he just can't go at "warp speed" when it's acting up..... so, yesterday, he started on the floor and is finishing it up as I type. (I help out where I can, but this last course seems to be a one man job at the moment)..... after the floor, just some trim around the bottom, a bit of paint on the windows... and ta-dah, we'll be done with this project. I look forward to winter afternoons, sitting there in the sun with a good book (cross stitch, quilting, knitting) and the woodstove chugging in the other room!!!!





It was "bye-bye birdies" today. Early this am, we packed the "Holidays" into crates and took them up to the butcher. Sad, I will admit, but, after having "home raised" turkey last year, I am a fan..... I do feel a little guilty "doing this to them", but balance that thought with... giving them a good home, all comforts we could provide, top quality food, and a quick and safe ride to the final destination. When we go to get them this afternoon, they will look just like the "store bought kind" and the pet side of them will be a thing of the past. We're betting on all three being at least 25 lbs. so, it will be interesting to see what they dress out at. I said my "thank yous" to them, and will say my "thanks" to the Lord when they are on the table. We're not sure if we will raise any next year, Ed thinks we might be too busy with house building... but once we are settled on the farm, I know this will be a yearly project, and most certainly, we will have a few more there as we will have the space to do.

Tomorrow, Nate begins the journey home!!!! We are SO VERY EXCITED about that!! He leaves the base that he is on and moves to another... stays there for just a few days, and then makes his way towards home. We are told that the homecoming window is still between November 10-14th....and will know more as the date gets closer! Kas is pretty much settled in J-ville, and reports that many of the other wives are moving back as well, so she is re-connecting with a number of "old friends"....... the weather hasn't changed much, but I do hope it cools some before we head south.

J-ville

Bright and early Thursday morning (around 3:30 am) Kas, Charlie, Nora and I hopped into the car and headed for North Carolina!!! Overall, the trip went very well, we did hit a traffic jam in Conn. and crawled our way thru it for two hours!!!but Charlie and Nora were good little travelers... it's hard for anyone to stay in a car for 16 hours!!! When we arrived in "J-ville" (as Kassy calls it) her friend Mandi and hubby, Patrick, had the apartment all opened up with the lights on and were awaiting our arrival.


The moment I stepped out of the car, I knew for certain that I was no longer in New England. The air hit like a blast furnace (even at 8:30 pm) hot, muggy weather.... not my kind for sure!!! And what was really odd, is for a second or two, I was sort of "lost in time"... it was the same weather we had left back in April, and when we walked into the apartment, all of Kassy's little Easter decorations were still out... I knew that six months had gone by, and yet, it hadn't!!! It was weird!!! Patrick and Mandi helped us unpack the car (thank goodness.... Kassy's computer and TV can be heavy!!!) and we were pretty much settled in within the hour. Needless to say, we were tired, but we ran out for a few "need to have's now" and then crashed for the night. (One thing about J-ville, it's a 24 hour town, and almost everything and anything is open in the city!!!)


Friday, we did some running around with Mandi. Did the grocery shopping, grabbed some lunch out, things like that. We went to take the pups for a walk (Charlie and Mandi's corgi Evie) but a rain shower sent us back in for a little bit. We did squeeze a quick walk in and then Kas and I went out to supper. The weather was unbearable (in my opinion..) very hot and extremely muggy, I was not a happy camper, and we had to give in and put the ac on in the apartment, just to get some relief from it. Even Kas, being the hot weather gal that she is, said it was almost too much for her.

Saturday, Kas and I went out for breakfast, and then I wanted to poke around J-ville. There is a great little quilt shop that I always visit, so we went there ... (got some cute patterns and a couple of "kits") then we ran over to the base and I actually did some Christmas shopping . In the afternoon, we met up with Mandi, Patrick and Evie, and another friend of Kassy's ... Rae and her aussie, Rocko. Rae wasn't too excited about bringing Rocko, as he pulls her around on the leash, so guess what..... a bit of dog training for me!!!! What a grand dog he is and a quick study.... we went to PetSmart, picked him up a prong collar, and that was that. Rae was so proud of him and is thrilled that she will be able to walk him (which is what he needs).

Kassy took us to a beautiful park not too far from her house. There are trails and boardwalks along a river, and the day was grand... a little better now that some of the humidity had lifted. The first thing I noticed at the park entrance was this sign......being the "northerner" that I am... I was worried about running into one of these alligators!!! But Kass assured me that she has never seen one there, and we would be walking along the boardwalks and not the shore!!!! The board walks are really neat, and the trails go from them along into the woods and out again. Along the way there are benches to sit on and enjoy the view.

I snapped this cute picture of the three gals and pups together!!! We did a long walk, and at the end, both "man and beast" felt good and tired!!! Saturday night we just hung out and didn't do much of anything too exciting.

And then Sunday, it was time to think about heading north again. I flew home, which went fine, but flying just isn't for me!!!! (I don't know how folks do that as part of their jobs!!!) And home sure looked good when Ed and I pulled into the driveway last night.

So, in just a couple of weeks, we make the trip again. This time Ed and I will go together, spend sometime in Colonial Williamsburg and see Nate at homecoming!!!! can't wait.....................

Harvestfest weekend

The second weekend of October, for the past 10 or so years, has been Harvestfest weekend here in town. It's a wonderful event, with lots of good food (like the ox roast sandwich and bean hole beans) and a huge number of vendors selling all sorts of hand crafted items. There is generally a "hayride" drawn by horses, music, and the historical houses are opened up for tours and people showing off their skills...like spinning!!! (which I am determined to learn how to do this winter!!!!)

The weather was just perfect, which is always good, because some years it hasn't been..... and Ed, Kassy, Sadie, Deb and I all walked up to town to enjoy the festivities. Of course we saw a number of friends, ( all the ones you know and love, but somehow never see them until you find them at Harvestfest.)

On Sunday, Harvestfest continued over at York Beach. They had a different group of crafters, a Pow Wow (which was really great) food... and hayrides again. This time, the horses giving the rides were Becky and Butch's Belgians ... Dick and Bob. They had been asked to do the rides on Saturday as well in the village, but they were already booked elsewhere, so they came just for Sunday. Well, you all know where Ed and I were.... riding behind those beautiful horses all day long. We did try to be useful to Becky and Butch (answering questions, watching traffic, etc), but I think really we just did more riding than working. I told Becky that I thought it would be neat to get a picture of the team at the Nubble Light... ( I drove her out to see it and see how far it would be to drive) she was delighted take them out and get some shots!!! At the end of the day, when the rides for Harvest wrapped up... Ed, Kas, Sadie and I with Moxie and Charlie... rode out with them. What fun that was.... cold!!!!... but fun. I got all sorts of great pictures of the team there, so did a number of tourist who got a real treat watching the team pull up . What a great day we had together.... then, to top it all off (as though it could get any better) Kas treated Deb, myself and Sharon (her mentor) to dinner at Olive Garden, as a "thanks for putting up with me thru this deployment"... after a cold, windy day of being outside ... that dinner tasted so good, and it was such fun to have the company of the "girls"!!!!!

Now, our life has certainly had a major horse theme to it lately, but we are doing other things as well.... one of which, working on the house plans and getting things together, so in January, we can apply for our building permit. You may know, we are planning on building a timber frame colonial, and since the floor plan is mostly in place, it was time to talk with the timber frame company. We met with the rep on Friday, and as luck would have it, they are putting a house up in North Hampton. On Monday, Ed and I took a drive down to see the house and talk more with the rep (who's name is Paul). This is a nice house they are building, but it's very modern and though it is a timber frame, its not to our liking. It won't be any trouble to do our house, in fact, they are quite happy to do something more "traditional".... it was nice to see the big timbers, get some ideas and go over some details of things we would like to have in our house. We need to work out some more details and begin to "crunch" the numbers!!!!We have an idea of what it might cost us, so it will be interesting to see how close we come to it (and how much of it we can afford-- it all looks easy, on paper!!!!) We hope to do a good portion of it on our own... Ed can build and "do" about anything, and not only would that be a savings, but a fun project as well.So, that's the scoop on this end. Thursday morning, bright and early... Kas and I head for North Carolina... I don't know how much blogging I will get done between now and then, and my next story, just might be from NC!!!!

footwork

All of you are going to be so tired of hearing about Tonka's driving training... but Ed and I are having so much fun with this, that it's hard for me not to "talk" about it. Yesterday's lesson was all about "footwork"... getting Tonka to place his feet and body exactly where we want him to be. This is an important part of the training, especially if (when!!!) you have a team of horses that you are working.

(And yes, Ed and I have no doubt that one day, we will find a match for Tonka and have ourselves a little team of horses!!!)

Buffy set up an obstacle course for us to play with. The work consisted of one or two steps, to place Tonka in a more "exacting" position, and/or to work around and guide him thru. It's fussy work, and can be draining on both horse and human, to work on the communication between the two. Tonka is quite sensible and patient, which is good with new drivers like Ed and myself. He tries very hard to do just what we ask of him.

Here Ed is working on stopping him and asking for a solid stand between the logs.

I am working on "step back", asking him to back up one step at a time, and standing quietly between the steps. This is a good exercise to move him in between the shafts of the cart, or place him in a spot where you could easily hook up a drag or whatever else you wanted to be pulling. After all this work, we took him out along the road again, and had a nice walk. Buffy will be keeping Tonka the month of November to do more training with him while we are away. I need to speak with Dean about shoes... which I am going to do today, as he is coming out to do trims... and on that note, I need to get moving.....

Lipizzaners!!!!!

When I was a little girl, and first in love with horses, I could tell you all about the "famous white stallions"... how they were rescued during World War II by General George Patton and his Calvary, I must have watched the Disney movie of that a "million" times..... I have never been to the Spanish Riding school to see them in real life.... but I have had the good fortune of seeing their "american cousins" twice, once when the girls were quite small and again this past Sunday evening.

They are, for sure, a beautiful breed of horse, and have a long and interesting history. If any of my "readers" are interested, you can find out all about them at www.lipizzaner.com. and if you ever have the chance to see their show, it is worth going to. The riding and music are amazing, and the horses are just wonderful to gaze upon.

They do perform some of the "Airs Above the Ground" which is a series of maneuvers developed when the horses were used in battle. According to what we were taught, only the stallions can perform these moves, because their center of gravity permits it.... mares can not do them, because their center is different due to the fact that they have the foals.... I never knew that..... and another interesting fact... is there are only six bloodlines on the sire's side (father) that all Lipizzaners stem from, even to this very day.

Some of the horses that we saw on Sunday, were from Europe and carry a different series of branding, so that it's plain to see (when you know where and how to look for it) which horses are from where. But, aside from all that..... just to watch the show, and see the work and training that have gone into it, to see these animals do moves that you wonder how they ever could... it's just the coolest thing.

Alot of the work is dressage... which is the same schooling that I am working Tonka in.... not that I ever expect him to fly threw the air (in fact, I would rather he never did !!!) but certainly some of the steps are the same, and it was fun to watch them being done in a perfect manner. Ed kept asking thru the performance... "can Tonka do that???"... and mostly I answered... "sort of !!!!" I think I got some pretty good pictures, and hope that you all enjoy them.

By the way... I understand I have two more "readers of the blog!!" Hello to Alex and Cindi!!!!!!!