Lost in the Woods

It was too nice an afternoon to stay home and watch television, so off we went in search of an adventure. We found it at the south end of Irondequoit Bay when we went for a walk on the trails of Lucien Morin Park.

We tried to follow the White Trail but it gets a little crazy in there and doesn't take a well established route. We got "lost" but not hopelessly lost.

We stopped at the water's edge where Irondequoit Creek meanders through the swamp. I thought of my dad and his boyhood adventures by boat and then his days of hunting in the Ellison Park wilderness. The Cabinet Maker, unaware of my thoughts, watched a guy fishing while seated atop what looked like a surfboard. I asked him to stand on one foot so I could take his picture, but he declined my request.

I carried my camera as we walked, slowed down to take a photo here and there, and then resumed my chase of the Cabinet Maker as he made his way through the woods. I was reminded of Hansel and Gretel and suddenly wished I had a bag full of shiny white pebbles to drop along the trail should the man chance to abandon me altogether. Then I remembered the cell phone in my pocket. I was fairly certain a rescue team could find my location should the occasion arise.

And here I shall leave you to enjoy the photos I collected along the way. Just imagine me huffing and puffing up the hills all the while wondering where we were and which direction would take us back to civilization.

The Barn Collective

barn¹

noun

1. a large farm building used for storing grain, hay, or straw or for housing livestock.

They aren't barns, but they are a big part of apple country, and sometimes they're stacked in piles as big as a barn. They're used for storing apples. Temporarily. So they're kind of like barns. Sorta... maybe.

For some strange and unknown reason. I find them fascinating, these stacks of crates brought in on trucks and piled in the orchard. Perhaps it is because they signal the time of harvest and a bit of excitement in the orchards. I've learned to look forward to the hootin' and hollerin' that goes on, along with the occasional distant sound of Mexican music.

Stacks of apple crates are growing in the field across the street from my house. Taken from the flatbed two at a time, like blocks, and set down to build fine jungle gyms perfect for teenagers to climb. (Ask me how I know...) Apple Crate Cities I called them.

So, maybe I'm stretching the definition of barn today, but I'm hoping you won't mind too much. Just imagine those stacks painted red. Maybe that'll help.
:0)

More real barns can be found at Tom's Barn Collective.

1964

Reading family history and unwinding tangles...

July 7, 1964- Words can't explain the grief we feel for our little Timmy. We took him out to Newark and left him there. Our only comfort is that we're sure the Lord is with us in all this, and somehow He'll make the sun shine again. This is a terrible experience. Very tired. 11:25 PM.

July 8, 1964- Anguish, wild dreams, cold sweat, tears and terrible depression are words to describe our long night. But in all this the Lord was with us, Rough day, We miss our Timmy so. Worked. Tonight we've experienced some relief. Exhausted. Bed, 11:30 

The baby is me, they boys are my brothers. Life at home wasn't easy when I made my arrival. I'd like to think I was a distraction from the pain and sorrow, but as a parent I know better. Nothing assuages the anguish of hurting for your child. In this case my parents were admitting their non verbal 5 year old son to a state institution. He would be there for a month before they couldn't take it any more and brought him home for another year.

The following September Tim went to Elim Christian School (for the deaf, although he can hear) in Chicago. He stayed for the entire school year and did great, but when he returned for his second year it was decided he was too big a discipline issue and after 2 weeks my parents were notified to come get him. I was 2 1/2 years old. Believe it or not, I remember parts of the trip, especially the basket of toys on the car floor by Mom's feet and stopping at a motel late at night. A year later he would be readmitted to the State School.

Trouble With Buuba

Blast! My rooster does not like small children. I'm unsure whether or not he has reason, but I don't suppose that is going to matter. An aggressive rooster is a problem. It's time for an enclosure or the soup pot. I don't have the heart to put him in the soup, at least not yet, so I guess we'll have to look into building a pen. The plus side of keeping them in a fence is the yard will stay cleaner and, if and when the hens start laying, I'll have a smaller radius to search.

Perhaps I should start reading up on how to do the plucking and find some good recipes...

Blast!

Cat in the Hen House

It's still early in the day, if one counts 9 am as early... Not much has transpired today, and although I took my computer with me to work yesterday, I don't plan on doing the same today. It's too heavy to lug around. I guess I'll squint at my Nook this afternoon instead.

My chickens are looking pretty, but as of yesterday I've not yet found any eggs. They are 20 weeks old and should have started laying by now. I've got half a mind to leave them in the coop today and see what happens. In fact I think I will.

A part of me is wishing for my dad and his "expert" chicken advice, and another part is trying to remember his chicken stories. When did they use those glass eggs? When the chicken hid their eggs in the hay loft? Dad used to laugh and tell how they would take the eggs and leave a fake one in their place. "Chickens are too dumb to count," he'd say. "You could take three eggs and leave one and they wouldn't know the difference." Of course you have to find their eggs first...

 My cats follow me down to feed and water the chickens. Now that the chickens are big enough to fend for themselves, I don't worry about the cats hurting them. I worry more about the chickens hurting the cats, at least Naughty One. He's the braver of the two cats and the more curious.

He's also being treated for an eye infection. Ever tried to put drops in a cat's eye? Oh yeah, that's fun!

Random Acts of Kindness

A couple weeks ago I went into the local grocery store with The Trio of grandchildren. We were in search of Essential Everyday Penguin Crackers because Uncle Jim designed the penguin. Well, the original drawing was his... We also bought a stack of Essential Everyday Designer Cups, because well, Uncle Jim was the designer. As we stood at the register, a complete stranger, who we'd seen on our way in, handed me a bag. Inside was a giant chocolate bar. The cashier smiled and said he does that often. She has been the recipient before too.

I have been noticing little opportunities to spread smiles and kindness. This morning it came totally unexpectedly and suddenly. I neglected to go to Ladies' Prayer. I'd been out all day yesterday. I had an am. appointment, gave my son a ride to the bank, took an afternoon walk with my sister, and had an evening meeting as well. During my evening meeting I lent Ben my van so he could finish up his car buying deal. (It's really a truck.) So yeah, since I work all day today, I wasn't in a big hurry to run out again early this morning. I washed and dried some laundry and loaded up the dishwasher as well.

I was on my way to Hannah's house at about 10:15 am for a short visit, a mini loaf of banana bread in tow, when I drove through the construction going on in the Webster four corners. Just past the center of town, less than a mile from my daughter's house, a woman along the side of the road waved her hands at me. For some unexplained reason I pulled over. A look of utter relief flooded the woman's face. "Can you take me to the church on the corner?" she asked, "My car broke down and I was on my way to my Uncle's funeral. I've called everyone at the funeral and no one is answering their phone." She was wearing a dress and sandals. It was less than a mile to the church. A two or three minute drive, but a 15 minute walk in good shoes. I was more than happy to help. "I've never hitch-hiked before," she confessed.

I smiled back at her. "Well," I said, "I don't usually pick up hitch-hikers either." It worked out perfectly. We both ended up smiling. Me and Jane.

And when I handed her the banana bread, Hannah was smiling too.

Sunday Baking

Friday and Saturday were both such sleepy days that I was surprised to find myself not feeling tired today. I managed to vacuum the floors and carpets AND bake a double batch of banana bread. I was out of vanilla extract so this time I added a few drops of rum flavoring. I ended up with six miniature loaves and sent two home with Ben. Not too shabby for a Sunday afternoon.

It would have been a great day for renting a kayak or two and paddling up the creek, but I hadn't let that wish be known and Ben is in desperate need of a vehicle. The Cabinet Maker was available to help him look today and that seemed a bit more important to me than kayaking. I was rewarded this evening with some leftover pizza from their stop at Uno's. I'm not kidding, I was really happy to have it and my mouth and tummy are happy too. I'm also happy to say their search was successful. Tomorrow there will be a trip to the DMV and hopefully Ben will be back on the road again soon.

The Barn Collective

It was a short walk because I couldn't shake the sleepy feeling that had descended upon me the past couple of days. (This was yesterday.) Just across the road, down the orchard lane, and around back on the closest road and out again. That's as far as we went, and it was enough.

Perhaps there is a new kind of pollen floating through the air this week. I haven't felt so sleepy since the last pollen explosion, and just as I drastically reduced my coffee consumption too. *sigh* The temptation toward an afternoon iced cappuccino is almost unbearable. Almost. So far I'm still holding out. Mostly in hope of sleeping better at night. Maybe it's working. So far I want to sleep all day too. Of course, staying away from weeds and grass has never been my practice... Especially at evening with a camera in hand.

It's a good thing we live on a country road with lots of country noise because my friend Bubba is making a racket out there in the hen house. My son and husband are looking up capon recipes.... Ha ha. Not really... Well, at least not yet...

I missed the link earlier so I'm linking up now. (Thanks, Tom.)
The Barn Collective

On Counting Chickens

Sometimes he helps me round them up and put them to bed for the night, like last night. I stood down by the coop and the Cabinet Maker shooed them down the hill and around the corner of the barn. Finally the last of them was inside. We made a quick count, latched the door, and went inside for the night.

My grandkids arrived bright and early this morning. They ate the breakfast their mother fixed out on the back porch, got up midway, and ran off into the yard. Naughty Too did not miss the opportunity.

Aubrey came in once to inform me that there was a dead mole in the "yawd." The boys fought viciously over a rope they "found" that belongs to their grandpa. Aubs returned to inform me that one of the chickens was out. "One is on the outside," she said, "All the others are inside the cage and the door is locked." Oops... I guess I'll need to be more careful when counting.Visions of raccoons, foxes, and coyotes flashed through my mind, but so far Hazelnut is still safe.

I dropped The Trio off a Vacation Bible School this morning, ran for chicken feed and gasoline, and returned home to find eight chickens on my back porch. By some stroke of luck, or maybe a miracle, they did not leave any floor decor, and I shooed them back into the grass, which now reminds me of James Whitcomb Riley's poem Little Orphant Annie that Dad used to read. I memorized it in 6th grade, which was really like cheating since Dad had read it to us for years, maybe even since I'd been born, but the kids in my class loved it.

Ltle Orphant Annie's come to our house to stay,

An' wash the cups an' saucers up, an' brush the crumbs away,

An' shoo the chickens off the porch, an' dust the hearth, an' sweep,

An' make the fire, an' bake the bread, an' earn her board-an'-keep;...

A Tim Post

No posts for four days and then two in one day. I am so unpredictable.

We went to see our brother this afternoon, Rachel and I. It was an emotional ride. As Dad played old hymns on his guitar and harmonica through the CD player, Tim wiped tears from the corner of his eyes, and Rachel cried too.

"We haven't gotten any kind of communication from him in a long time due to med changes, but I got a "Hi" today. I also saw him wipe his silent tears a couple of times while we were on a car ride listening to Dad's music. That's all it took. I cried too. Uninitiated hugs given to me and my sister, Martha... I can't provide any details, but please pray for my brother Tim. He's hurting and that makes my heart ache."

There was an incident at the residence. We aren't sure exactly what happened, only that it involved him and it is obvious that he is hurting. Thankfully, it is also obvious he knows we love him, and he loves us too. I even collected another kiss on the cheek before we left him. Tonight, two weeks seems a long time before we see him again...

Life in the MCU

I'm still here. Worked yesterday. Posted this on Facebook last night...

"Supper was interesting. One sweet woman, concerned about my hysterectomy, gave me instructions and the name of some doctors. I had to assure her later that I was okay and not bleeding. And then another observant lass noticed that I did not have gray hair. 
They're taking good care of me here..."

My sister is concerned that rumors will be started by those who don't understand my post. 

"What do I say when people ask me how your hysterectomy went? Or maybe you are hoping for meals delivered to your house. Cagey!"

There are reasons I like working in the Memory Care Unit, I only wish I could do more than sit mostly silently with my friend. Last night was a little on the crazy side. There are several new residents who are mobile but in need of assistance. They are constantly getting up when they are supposed to be sitting, and are therefore a fall hazard.

Upon bringing V, who had to "poop," out of G's room, I was witness to a runaway wheelchair and the fall of its occupant. Since she scoots herself around, the wheels on G2's chair were not locked. She reached for a washcloth she'd dropped and promptly plopped onto the floor directly behind the attending aide's back. She was unhurt but it did cause a bit of a stir. I decided to "help" the only way possible by being an extra set of watching eyes.

It was almost time for me to leave when my retired nurse friend/resident caught sight of me again. I'm not sure how or or why I turned into her patient, but she was once again concerned by my hysterectomy recovery and insisted on checking to see if I was okay. I assured her (the best I could) that I was "feeling better" and thanked her for her concern.

In the meantime my friend G was laughing at the aide telling V she needed to "sit down and relax."
"How can you tell a little kid it's time to relax?" she asked me, her voice full of amusement. Ah, yes. It was an interesting evening. I almost felt bad going home at 7:30pm. 

And since photos from the nursing home are frowned upon, I give you The Naughties sleeping on the back porch during Monday morning's rain. 

:0)

Midnight Visitor

Last night we had a midnight visitor...

"Oh My!!! What did you do?"

Why I grabbed my camera, of course! :)

"Good answer! But....then what?"

It was about midnight when, over the hum of the air conditioner, and through the closed door, I started hearing noises downstairs. They didn't sound like noises The Naughties would make, and James was snoring, so I got up and peered downstairs into the darkness. I heard something shuffling around down there, so I put on my Big Girl Pants and sneaked down the stairs.

I could tell by the noises that something was moving about in Mom's room. (I thought about the book where an alligator hides under the kid's bed...) I flipped on the kitchen lights, but in order to turn on the light in Mom's room, I had to go in and that wasn't happening without backup, so I went upstairs to find help. I had only one choice of helpers and he was still snoring. Lucky for me he is not a terribly sound sleeper.

Slightly groggy from being stirred from his sleep, my brave assistant crept into the dark, and now scary, room and turned on the light while I watched from the shadows. My brother's old double barrel shotgun, propped in the corner, fell over making a terrible clatter on the floor. Neither the intruder nor my helper were shaken, and no crazed animal bolted for the door.. "It's a raccoon," James said and he picked up my sign that says, "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord" He held it like a weapon/shield and told the furry, masked animal to get down. That is when I went for my camera.

Our minds were spinning. We have trapped tiny rodents, caught birds in our hands, and knocked bats out of the air, but this guy was a little too big (and possibly vicious) for those actions. We decided to open the door and see if he would comply and leave of his own accord. Mom's room has two doors. We opened the door from Mom's room to the computer room, and then one from the computer room to the front steps. Then I closed the one from the computer room to the living room. James stepped out of Mom's room through the other door and I peeked through the crack to see what would transpire.

"Yikes! Then what?"

And then, after looking around a bit, the masked intruder very quietly got down from the buffet, waddled through the door to the computer room, out the front door, and back into the darkness.

My rescuer and I went into the kitchen to find the masked bandit had knocked a few things over; a container full of kitchen tools, a teapot full of Jade plant (into the sink)... He had licked clean the spatula and knife from the peach pie and dropped the knife on the floor. (The noises I'd heard from upstairs.)

Good thing I'd covered the pie with a giant Tupperware bowl or he'd have likely had a feast and been back tonight for seconds. 

And then we went back upstairs and tried to go to sleep. Ha ha!

"How did he get in?"

The only way would have been the cat door.

"Yikes! Good thing you had your "helper"...I would not have liked to go through that alone" :-/

I went to bed wondering how I could have done it alone, and decided probably just the same way, except perhaps without pictures and with much more fear and excitement.

"wow....that is nuts!!"

"You are such a great story teller! You should write children's books! I'm sure I'm not the first one to suggest that." :-)

Another Naughty Post

Life gets crazy and there are times when I long for a spell of silence. It's quiet now... An hour or so of stillness in the midst of a sometimes hectic schedule. The sky is overcast. Perhaps it will rain. The clock ticks loudly on the living room wall. It's so quiet in here that I actually notice... It's hot outside, stifling even, and I am attempting to cool my dwelling with the air conditioner in the upstairs bedroom window. I could clean the remnants of grandchildren from the carpet and furniture, but I am sitting here instead, soaking in the quiet. But all that is not naughty, and I did title this "Another Naughty Post."

I was on my way to work on Wednesday morning (actually on my way to walk with Rachel before work, but that's beside the point), and getting into my vehicle, when Naughty One hopped up on my windshield. He is the most rascally of the two and was likely looking for a little excitement.  I snapped his picture and got out of the van to catch him, but he scurried up onto the roof instead.


I needed to take care of the chickens before I left home, so rather than snatch the cat off the roof, I drove very slowly up the driveway and down around the back of the barn. I could see Naughty One's tail cast in the shadow on the ground. I kept my eyes on the mirrors and made my way around and stopped in front of the chicken house. When I got out, there he was, proud as punch, and enjoying the ride.

Later, at work I showed P. a cat photo on my Nook. 
"That's my cat," I told him. "He's naughty."
Not everything P says is comprehensible, but this time he looked at the picture, laughed, and said, "No kidding!"

Yesterday morning that Naughty thought it would be a good idea to ride on top of Leta's van. When I attempted to scoop him off the roof, he layed down and made himself comfortable instead. He's a crazy one, that cat! Of course, we couldn't let him ride down the road to work with Leta, so we persuaded him to get down of his own accord. (He also likes to get inside of vehicles, so we have to keep a close eye on this character. One day he could end up going on a grand adventure!)


And now, I must attend to the crowing rooster and his harem of hens. They're all getting bright red faces and wattles now. I'm going to have to find some egg eating friends or family or we're going to be eating a whole lot of custard and quiche!)

Tuesday's Treasures

My grandchildren love treasures. Rocks. Feathers. Sticks. They are always collecting treasures of one kind or another. This assortment is from early June. Various leaves, flowers, and chicken feathers.

On Thursday I walked around the back of Barn 3 and found some new collections growing. Rocks (they love rocks) and chicken feathers (which they also love) on a concrete block table.

Beside the concrete block on the slab behind the barn was another collection. This one included rocks and bird nests.

I'm starting to love their collections. Perhaps a trip to the beach or the woods is in our future, and I think I'll bring an ample supply of Ziplock bags.

A collection of Tuesday's Treasures can be found at Tom's.

The Lazy Blogger (or something like that)

Either my mind is tired or my fingers are. What have I been doing?

* Friday morning found me helping a friend, and Friday afternoon found me out at my sister's house. We walked the street fair in Canandaigua and went out for dinner together.

* On Saturday afternoon I kept my eye on several children so their daddies could help my friend and her husband move. In the evening the Cabinet Maker and I met our youngest daughter and her husband for a movie and a bite to eat.

* Sunday was church and then a picnic at Casey Park. The Cabinet Maker and I took a walk around the old iron ore bed. The trail on one side is flat and wide and goes through the woods. The north side trail is very narrow and follows a ridge high above the water. It was a good walk.



* After the church picnic I made a batch of brownies for an evening gathering in honor of Hannah's 21st birthday which is actually today. Messed up the first box by adding 1 1/4 cups of water rather than just 1/4 cup. (A blond moment to be sure.) It was a good thing I had two mixes on hand. In the evening we enjoyed brownie sundaes in spite of my earlier blunder.

* I've been letting the chickens wander the barnyard more often. Today they were out all day... For better or for worse, I'm getting braver and so far, so good. I still have 12 birds and no eggs.

Any Questions?

Life is a curious adventure...

1. Do you have any plans for the summer?

2. If you had the chance to go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

3. What is you favorite childhood vacation memory?

All of this has very little to do with chickens, however, they do have quizzical and questioning looks regarding the cat who really wasn't at all interested in them.