Had trouble going to sleep again last night...it was 2:30 a.m. the last time I checked the clock before finally drifting off. I sure wasn't ready to get up at 7 a.m., and I've been bleary-eyed all day.
The reason I didn't sleep later this morning is because Hubbie and I wanted to take the truck downtown and park it in a space on Main Street suitable for viewing a local festival parade. Hubbie drove the truck, and I drove the van to pick him up after he got the truck parked.
Things, though, didn't quite go off without a hitch. I was in the lead, in the van, with Hubbie following me in the truck. I turned down the street I usually do to get to our favorite parking lot, but when I arrived, I found the lot was completely full.
So I turned around in the lot and headed back up the street. At the next intersection, I turned right....onto a one-way street going left! Yikes! How had I managed that? It's not like I don't thoroughly know the downtown streets. I zipped into a nearby parking lot and turned back up the street, going the right way this time. Embarrassing. I'm sure glad there wasn't any traffic on that street this morning.
I traveled around the block, down a couple of blocks, and then turned right onto another street, hoping to intersect with Main Street...but this street was blocked at the intersection. Hubbie was right behind me, so I was hemmed in. A lady standing at the corner kindly pulled the block back a little so I could go around it. I headed down Main Street, but whipped into a parking space when I noticed that Main Street was barricaded about a block away. Hubbie whipped into the space beside me.
We weren't sure why we were running into so many blockades, but within minutes, we found out, when a starter gun went off and about 200 people came sprinting over a hill and down Main Street. Once the runners had passed, we were able to pull out of the parking spaces, travel a half block down Main Street and turn into City Hall parking lot. There, finally, Hubbie found a space facing the parade route.
Back home, I had a breakfast of peaches and bananas, with buttered toast, and a glass of milk, but I skipped my exercises, so I could get ready to go to the parade. Mother came over a little after 9 a.m., and we headed to town around 9:30.
We found a convenient space to park the van at City Hall, and we all walked to the truck. The space the truck was parked in was ideal for watching the parade. We were seated high enough to see clearly over the heads of folks seated in lawn chairs on the sidewalk. Also, the parade judges must have been close by, because the floats slowed in front of us, and the cheerleaders and others stopped to perform in full view of our truck. It was like having box seats.
The theme for the parade was Route 66, and there were some cute floats in keeping with the theme. My favorite parade entry, though, was a colorful Scimitar Shriners calliope wagon featuring an automated organ playing riverboat music. A clown was at the keyboard, pretending to play.
We also enjoyed the baby and little girl beauty pageant winners, some swathed in dresses with yards and yards of ruffles, and little sparkly tiaras on their heads.
The parade ended just as it began to rain. The inclement weather didn't bother those gathered near the end of the parade route, though, since they were engaged in the water war zone, where water pistols were firing away, as the participants were sprayed with water from a fire engine and other vehicles equipped to douse the crowd.
We got back home in time for a lunch of PB&J sandwiches, after which we relaxed for a while before going to a program at the museum at 2 p.m. Two men who used to dive local rivers for mussel shells and pearls talked about their business, and their adventures under water. They brought along various mussel shells that they identified for us, as well as lots of tiny pearls in a variety of shapes and colors. Also shown were a modern wet suit, and a very heavy and cumbersome diving helmet fashioned from a hot water tank, which was used by divers in earlier days.
Diving for mussel shells and pearls is over right now, because of a decline in mussels due to over-harvesting and destruction of habitats from dams along the rivers, and because the current economy has created a decline in demand. Also, some mussels are on a government protection list and cannot be harvested. The haydays for pearling and mussel shelling in our area were from 1897 to 1970, with a short resurgence in the mid 90s.
Back home, we fixed baked potatoes and bagel pizzas for supper. Mother went home after that, and Hubbie and I relaxed in front of TV.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
Friday, July 31
It's hard to believe that July is gone already. The months just speed by!
We were up around 7:30 this morning, and as usual, I did a treadmill session with weights exercises right after breakfast. I didn't accomplish much else after getting ready for the day. There was nothing pressing, so I read my novel until around 11 a.m., when we had a lunch of the remainder of the chicken noodle soup, with cheese and crackers, and mixed fruit for dessert. Mother joined us for lunch, so we could leave the house a little after 11:30 to go to the local movie theater.
We were invited to join the Caring Hands Hospice group for a movie matinee as a thank you for our work over the past several months. The staff member asked us to be there at noon, so she could report on how effective our efforts have been, advise us of upcoming events, and award us with hospice pins.
Then she gave us each a white lunch sack, tied with ribbons, that contained snack items to enjoy with the movie. Since Mother and I had eaten a sufficient lunch, we didn't open our sacks til we got home...each had a small box of Cracker Jack, and a candy bar. I held the sacks in my lap through the movie, behind my purse, next to my stomach, so by the time we got home, the candy bars were soft, and we had to put them in the refrigerator to harden.
We had four choices of movies today: Harry Potter, Transformers, Funny People (rated "R"), or G Force, a 3-D animated film. Mother and I chose G Force. Since the staff member had e-mailed the list of movies to me yesterday, I knew to be prepared with 3-D glasses when we went. Hubbie and I had gotten the glasses when we saw Beowulf, and I figured they'd work with today's movie, and they did.
Last night, we debated whether we even wanted to attend this event, since all except one movie was kiddie oriented, but then we decided that it might be fun to see the animated film in 3-D. We enjoyed it...mainly because of the 3-D effects, where stuff flings right out in the viewer's face.
The combination live and computer-generated animation movie features three guinea pigs and a mole who are agents of a secret government agency charged with saving the world from certain destruction by weapons-implanted, computer-controlled, appliances. Along the way, the animals learn that they are not super beings, as they were led to believe, but are just ordinary pet store guinea pigs. Lesson one: we don't have to be superhuman to perform great deeds; we only have to believe in ourselves. Lesson two: holding a grudge against the world is no excuse to forget your friends.
After we got back home, we relaxed for a while before fixing omelets, with sauteed mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, and white American cheese, for supper. We had those with potato patties made from leftover mashed potatoes, sliced tomatoes topped with cottage cheese, and toast.
Mother went home after supper, and I called a few friends to see if they'd like quarts of Reliance grapes that we brought back from the grape festival, since we were afraid they'd go bad before we could eat them all. Four people were at home and gladly agreed to accept the fruit. So we set out to deliver them to two of the ladies from water aerobics, a lady from Master Gardeners, and one other friend.
Then we went to the WDCS to pick up the mug I'd ordered for Mother, and a few groceries. I'm sort of disappointed with the mug, because my attempt to get rid of red eye on the cat came out as little black dots on the pupil. Oh, well. Mother will no doubt like it, anyway.
Back home, we watched TV, as usual. I've checked the eagle nest a few times over the past couple of days, but there has been no sign of the eaglet.
We were up around 7:30 this morning, and as usual, I did a treadmill session with weights exercises right after breakfast. I didn't accomplish much else after getting ready for the day. There was nothing pressing, so I read my novel until around 11 a.m., when we had a lunch of the remainder of the chicken noodle soup, with cheese and crackers, and mixed fruit for dessert. Mother joined us for lunch, so we could leave the house a little after 11:30 to go to the local movie theater.
We were invited to join the Caring Hands Hospice group for a movie matinee as a thank you for our work over the past several months. The staff member asked us to be there at noon, so she could report on how effective our efforts have been, advise us of upcoming events, and award us with hospice pins.
Then she gave us each a white lunch sack, tied with ribbons, that contained snack items to enjoy with the movie. Since Mother and I had eaten a sufficient lunch, we didn't open our sacks til we got home...each had a small box of Cracker Jack, and a candy bar. I held the sacks in my lap through the movie, behind my purse, next to my stomach, so by the time we got home, the candy bars were soft, and we had to put them in the refrigerator to harden.
We had four choices of movies today: Harry Potter, Transformers, Funny People (rated "R"), or G Force, a 3-D animated film. Mother and I chose G Force. Since the staff member had e-mailed the list of movies to me yesterday, I knew to be prepared with 3-D glasses when we went. Hubbie and I had gotten the glasses when we saw Beowulf, and I figured they'd work with today's movie, and they did.
Last night, we debated whether we even wanted to attend this event, since all except one movie was kiddie oriented, but then we decided that it might be fun to see the animated film in 3-D. We enjoyed it...mainly because of the 3-D effects, where stuff flings right out in the viewer's face.
The combination live and computer-generated animation movie features three guinea pigs and a mole who are agents of a secret government agency charged with saving the world from certain destruction by weapons-implanted, computer-controlled, appliances. Along the way, the animals learn that they are not super beings, as they were led to believe, but are just ordinary pet store guinea pigs. Lesson one: we don't have to be superhuman to perform great deeds; we only have to believe in ourselves. Lesson two: holding a grudge against the world is no excuse to forget your friends.
After we got back home, we relaxed for a while before fixing omelets, with sauteed mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, and white American cheese, for supper. We had those with potato patties made from leftover mashed potatoes, sliced tomatoes topped with cottage cheese, and toast.
Mother went home after supper, and I called a few friends to see if they'd like quarts of Reliance grapes that we brought back from the grape festival, since we were afraid they'd go bad before we could eat them all. Four people were at home and gladly agreed to accept the fruit. So we set out to deliver them to two of the ladies from water aerobics, a lady from Master Gardeners, and one other friend.
Then we went to the WDCS to pick up the mug I'd ordered for Mother, and a few groceries. I'm sort of disappointed with the mug, because my attempt to get rid of red eye on the cat came out as little black dots on the pupil. Oh, well. Mother will no doubt like it, anyway.
Back home, we watched TV, as usual. I've checked the eagle nest a few times over the past couple of days, but there has been no sign of the eaglet.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Thursday, July 30
We awoke to a gloomy day, threatening rain. I did a treadmill session and resistance exercises right after breakfast. Once I was ready for the day, I ironed clothes and sorted through outfits, choosing what I'll want to take on our next trip. We want to be prepared for every weather contingency in Michigan.
While I was doing that, Hubbie took the van to a service station to have the oil changed. Then he studied maps and looked for campgrounds along our trip route, and I spent some time reading the third novel by Stephanie Meyer, "Eclipse," which I finished by the end of the day.
Since tonight was weigh-in night for Mother and me at Weight Watchers, I had only a small lunch of a slice of buttered toast, with half a cup of milk. Hubbie microwaved a burrito for his lunch. Afterward, I went to the store that has a sale every weekend to look for a pair of navy slacks for Mother. She didn't feel up to shopping.
I found a petite pair that I thought she'd like, as well as a cute pink and white plaid blouse on the clearance rack for myself. It was raining just a little when I left the house, but came a downpour while I was in the store. So I waited a while, looking through other clothing racks, until the rain eased, before I left the store.
Back home, Mother tried on the slacks, which fit nicely. Even though they are petite they are still several inches too long for her 4'11' inch height, so she'll have to hem them.
I didn't accomplish much else for the afternoon, besides reading my novel. Mother came over around 4:30, and we went to Weight Watchers. The scales showed she lost a half pound, and I lost one pound. We stayed only long enough to pick up lots of new recipes, before coming home and heating leftover chicken noodle soup and bran muffins for supper. We had slices of a very good, sweet cantaloupe for dessert.
Mother went home after supper, and Hubbie and I read our novels for an hour, before watching TV. When I'd finished the novel, "Eclipse," I started the last one in the series, "Breaking Dawn."
Then we watched the movie, "Rising Sun," with Sean Connery, Wesley Snipes, and Harvey Keitel. It's original rating is "R," but for TV, it's rated TV-14. Based on a novel by Michael Crichton, a detective and a retired cop team up to solve the mystery of the murder of a call girl in a Japanese big-business boardroom.
While I was doing that, Hubbie took the van to a service station to have the oil changed. Then he studied maps and looked for campgrounds along our trip route, and I spent some time reading the third novel by Stephanie Meyer, "Eclipse," which I finished by the end of the day.
Since tonight was weigh-in night for Mother and me at Weight Watchers, I had only a small lunch of a slice of buttered toast, with half a cup of milk. Hubbie microwaved a burrito for his lunch. Afterward, I went to the store that has a sale every weekend to look for a pair of navy slacks for Mother. She didn't feel up to shopping.
I found a petite pair that I thought she'd like, as well as a cute pink and white plaid blouse on the clearance rack for myself. It was raining just a little when I left the house, but came a downpour while I was in the store. So I waited a while, looking through other clothing racks, until the rain eased, before I left the store.
Back home, Mother tried on the slacks, which fit nicely. Even though they are petite they are still several inches too long for her 4'11' inch height, so she'll have to hem them.
I didn't accomplish much else for the afternoon, besides reading my novel. Mother came over around 4:30, and we went to Weight Watchers. The scales showed she lost a half pound, and I lost one pound. We stayed only long enough to pick up lots of new recipes, before coming home and heating leftover chicken noodle soup and bran muffins for supper. We had slices of a very good, sweet cantaloupe for dessert.
Mother went home after supper, and Hubbie and I read our novels for an hour, before watching TV. When I'd finished the novel, "Eclipse," I started the last one in the series, "Breaking Dawn."
Then we watched the movie, "Rising Sun," with Sean Connery, Wesley Snipes, and Harvey Keitel. It's original rating is "R," but for TV, it's rated TV-14. Based on a novel by Michael Crichton, a detective and a retired cop team up to solve the mystery of the murder of a call girl in a Japanese big-business boardroom.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Wednesday, July 29
We were up around 7:30 this morning, and I did a treadmill session and weights exercises after breakfast. After I got ready for the day, I did this and that until noon, including ordering a vintage cookbook online, and helping Mother finish a greeting card she'd created.
For lunch, we had turkey bacon, tomato, Vidalia onion, lettuce sandwiches, with potato salad. Then Hubbie and I ran a couple of errands...to my cardiologist's office to drop off a letter about the price of my cholesterol medication increasing, unless the doctor can justify my taking the name brand instead of a generic; to the grocery store to pick up prescriptions at their pharmacy, and bananas for 39 cents a pound; then to a couple of fruit stands to get a half bushel of peaches, some tomatoes (since our vines are not producing right now), a watermelon (priced at $2, because the vendor was ready to close), and a giant cantaloupe, all of which are locally grown produce.
Back home, I washed a couple of loads of clothes, and made a batch of bran muffins to have with chicken noodle soup for supper, which was very good on this rainy evening. Mother went home after that, and Hubbie and I settled in to watch TV.
We started with "Deadliest Sea," recorded on DVR from the Discovery Channel. It's a 2009 made-for-TV movie about Kodiak, Alaska, scallop fishermen trying to survive in a storm pounded sea. Based on a true story.
The second feature we watched was "Blood Crime," rated "R" and starring James Caan, Jonathon Schaech, Elizabeth Lackey, and David Field. A Seattle man takes his wife on a trip, and they stop to camp. He returns to a store to get snacks, leaving his wife behind, and she is attacked while he is gone. From there, things get violent and tense.
For lunch, we had turkey bacon, tomato, Vidalia onion, lettuce sandwiches, with potato salad. Then Hubbie and I ran a couple of errands...to my cardiologist's office to drop off a letter about the price of my cholesterol medication increasing, unless the doctor can justify my taking the name brand instead of a generic; to the grocery store to pick up prescriptions at their pharmacy, and bananas for 39 cents a pound; then to a couple of fruit stands to get a half bushel of peaches, some tomatoes (since our vines are not producing right now), a watermelon (priced at $2, because the vendor was ready to close), and a giant cantaloupe, all of which are locally grown produce.
Back home, I washed a couple of loads of clothes, and made a batch of bran muffins to have with chicken noodle soup for supper, which was very good on this rainy evening. Mother went home after that, and Hubbie and I settled in to watch TV.
We started with "Deadliest Sea," recorded on DVR from the Discovery Channel. It's a 2009 made-for-TV movie about Kodiak, Alaska, scallop fishermen trying to survive in a storm pounded sea. Based on a true story.
The second feature we watched was "Blood Crime," rated "R" and starring James Caan, Jonathon Schaech, Elizabeth Lackey, and David Field. A Seattle man takes his wife on a trip, and they stop to camp. He returns to a store to get snacks, leaving his wife behind, and she is attacked while he is gone. From there, things get violent and tense.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Tuesday, July 28
We got up late this morning, and I skipped my exercises, because I needed to spruce the house for an anticipated visit from the pest control guy somewhere between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Later, he called to say he'd come between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. So, drat it, if I'd known that, I could have exercised after all. I know I don't do anything important with my days, but it's still aggravating when service people act as though I don't have a life at all.
While I was waiting for the pest control person, I uploaded camping trip photos to Wal Mart. I also uploaded a photo of Snoops to Wal Mart to have printed on a mug, which we'll give to Mother as a surprise gift for Christmas. I managed to get a pretty good close-up shot of the cat while Mother was in the bathroom at camp. I hope it translates well onto the mug. This is a gift guaranteed to delight Mother.
Around 11 a.m., Mother came over and started a pot of chicken boiling to have with supper, along with mashed potatoes, gravy, and baby Lima beans. The remaining chicken and broth will be used to make chicken noodle soup for tomorrow night's supper, which will taste good on a rain-cooled day (70% chance).
After lunch, Hubbie and I ran errands...to the bank, to a grocery store to get apples and my favorite brand of fat-free ice cream, and to the WDCS for groceries, including another box of peach cereal...the ants got the other one at camp. We slipped up when we didn't put the cereal in a Ziplock bag, since we've experienced before that ants will invade anything sweet. It was quite a surprise when Hubbie started to eat a bowl of the cereal at camp and noticed ants doing the breaststroke in the milk.
The pest control guy finally arrived around 2 p.m. After he left, Mother and I cut up a bowl of fresh fruit, to use up cherries, strawberries, blueberries, and red grapes that were about to get too ripe. I also added a couple of fresh peaches to the bowl, and then cut up an extra small bowl of peaches to have over vanilla ice cream for supper.
Other than that, I returned a call to the art gallery director, who asked that I conduct another gingerbread house workshop on Saturday, December 5. The reason she needed to know now if I'd agree to do it is that the downtown association wants to include it on a December Trail of Lights events brochure. I agreed to do it.
Later in the afternoon, I created a thank you card on my computer, using a photo I took of a cluster of grapes on the front, to give to our Master Gardener neighbors who come by our house when we are gone to feed the cats and birds and take care of watering our plants and veggies, etc. The card accompanied a two-quart basket of Reliance grapes from the grape festival, and a large bottle of wine. We delivered the card and gifts before supper.
After supper, Hubbie and I did the usual...watched TV. Tonight's fare included a 2009 Lifetime movie channel feature called, "Midnight Bayou," based on a book by Nora Roberts. It's a haunted house mystery.
The second movie we watched was "Countdown," a 1996 film rated "R" for violence. A guy falls in love with a Japanese girl, then sets about killing any Japanese males who show her kindness, on the pretext of taking revenge for the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Along the way, stuff gets blown up.
I checked the eagle nest a couple of times yesterday and today. I never saw the eaglet at the nest yesterday, and wondered if he'd flown for good. But today, he returned briefly, before flying off again. Later, I saw the shadow of his wing cross the camera lens. So, while he is not spending a lot of time in the nest, he is still close by, no doubt perched on nearby limbs.
While I was waiting for the pest control person, I uploaded camping trip photos to Wal Mart. I also uploaded a photo of Snoops to Wal Mart to have printed on a mug, which we'll give to Mother as a surprise gift for Christmas. I managed to get a pretty good close-up shot of the cat while Mother was in the bathroom at camp. I hope it translates well onto the mug. This is a gift guaranteed to delight Mother.
Around 11 a.m., Mother came over and started a pot of chicken boiling to have with supper, along with mashed potatoes, gravy, and baby Lima beans. The remaining chicken and broth will be used to make chicken noodle soup for tomorrow night's supper, which will taste good on a rain-cooled day (70% chance).
After lunch, Hubbie and I ran errands...to the bank, to a grocery store to get apples and my favorite brand of fat-free ice cream, and to the WDCS for groceries, including another box of peach cereal...the ants got the other one at camp. We slipped up when we didn't put the cereal in a Ziplock bag, since we've experienced before that ants will invade anything sweet. It was quite a surprise when Hubbie started to eat a bowl of the cereal at camp and noticed ants doing the breaststroke in the milk.
The pest control guy finally arrived around 2 p.m. After he left, Mother and I cut up a bowl of fresh fruit, to use up cherries, strawberries, blueberries, and red grapes that were about to get too ripe. I also added a couple of fresh peaches to the bowl, and then cut up an extra small bowl of peaches to have over vanilla ice cream for supper.
Other than that, I returned a call to the art gallery director, who asked that I conduct another gingerbread house workshop on Saturday, December 5. The reason she needed to know now if I'd agree to do it is that the downtown association wants to include it on a December Trail of Lights events brochure. I agreed to do it.
Later in the afternoon, I created a thank you card on my computer, using a photo I took of a cluster of grapes on the front, to give to our Master Gardener neighbors who come by our house when we are gone to feed the cats and birds and take care of watering our plants and veggies, etc. The card accompanied a two-quart basket of Reliance grapes from the grape festival, and a large bottle of wine. We delivered the card and gifts before supper.
After supper, Hubbie and I did the usual...watched TV. Tonight's fare included a 2009 Lifetime movie channel feature called, "Midnight Bayou," based on a book by Nora Roberts. It's a haunted house mystery.
The second movie we watched was "Countdown," a 1996 film rated "R" for violence. A guy falls in love with a Japanese girl, then sets about killing any Japanese males who show her kindness, on the pretext of taking revenge for the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Along the way, stuff gets blown up.
I checked the eagle nest a couple of times yesterday and today. I never saw the eaglet at the nest yesterday, and wondered if he'd flown for good. But today, he returned briefly, before flying off again. Later, I saw the shadow of his wing cross the camera lens. So, while he is not spending a lot of time in the nest, he is still close by, no doubt perched on nearby limbs.
Misc. Photos from Camp
The top photo shows guys fishing from a boat near the dam at the lake near the campground (it could be seen from our campsite); the second photo shows a cluster of grapes at a vineyard we visited; the third photo shows the lighted bridge, which can be seen from the other end of the campground; the fourth photo is of the sandstone and redwood mural featured at a bank at the town near the campground...the mural, which stretches all along two walls of the bank, and depicts the history of the area, must really been seen to be fully appreciated (this portion of the mural shows the bridge shown in the photo above it); the fifth photo is a mural on downtown building, which is a storefront church.
Grandson at Camp
Grandson tried his hand at fishing several times while at camp, with no success. The one-legged goose was grateful to him, however, for the bread that he tossed. We all felt sorry for the goose, who seems to be an outcast with the rest of the goose flock, leaving him to beg for food along the campground.Grape Stomp
The snapshots above show Grandson stomping grapes at the grape festival, and then a festival staff member holding the jug as grape juice pours in, and then all four jugs lined up (Grandson's is the last jug on the right, which would have been filled to the top, if all the juice had gone in, instead of splashing onto the ground).Fireworks Show at Grape Festival
These are some images of the fireworks show on the first night of the grape festival, Friday, July 24. Naturally, photos don't do pyrotechnics justice.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Monday, July 27
We slept late this morning, and after breakfast, I did a treadmill session and resistance exercises. While I was doing that, Hubbie called to arrange to have the camper repaired, which required us to travel a couple of hours east of our town to take it to the shop.
He also decided to use my cell phone to call his, in the hopes that his phone was found by someone who would agree to send it back to him. But when he dialed the number, I heard it ring in the living room. I found it there, tucked down in the folded wheelchair. Hubbie must have dropped it in there as he was taking the wheelchair out of the back of the truck. He breathed a sigh of relief. At least that problem was solved.
We left for the other town after lunch, taking Shih Tzu with us. Mother stayed home. We got to the repair shop around 2:30. While we were in that town, we visited Hubbie's son, and two of the grandchildren for a few minutes, before returning home.
We got back home at 5 p.m. Mother had heated hamburgers and corn-on-the-cob, left from Saturdays meal at camp, which we had with the remaining potato salad. After supper, Mother went home, and Hubbie and I watched a couple of episodes of "Miss Marple," recorded on DVR from the public channel.
He also decided to use my cell phone to call his, in the hopes that his phone was found by someone who would agree to send it back to him. But when he dialed the number, I heard it ring in the living room. I found it there, tucked down in the folded wheelchair. Hubbie must have dropped it in there as he was taking the wheelchair out of the back of the truck. He breathed a sigh of relief. At least that problem was solved.
We left for the other town after lunch, taking Shih Tzu with us. Mother stayed home. We got to the repair shop around 2:30. While we were in that town, we visited Hubbie's son, and two of the grandchildren for a few minutes, before returning home.
We got back home at 5 p.m. Mother had heated hamburgers and corn-on-the-cob, left from Saturdays meal at camp, which we had with the remaining potato salad. After supper, Mother went home, and Hubbie and I watched a couple of episodes of "Miss Marple," recorded on DVR from the public channel.
Camping Trip, Day Four
Sunday, July 26:
We were up by 7 a.m. Apparently, the dam was opened last night, causing the river to rise, leaving a large puddle of water just below our camper, and the air smelling strongly of fish.
After a cold cereal breakfast, we got ready to leave for home, and were on the road by 9 a.m.
Rare is the time that we've gone on a trip when something doesn't go wrong, and this trip was no exception. Not long after we got home, around 2 p.m., Hubbie discovered two things...that his cell phone was missing, and that the rubber seal on the camper slide-out is rotted and broken, which will require taking the unit to a repair shop.
Otherwise, we spent the rest of the afternoon after getting home unloading the camper, washing clothes, and doing other things necessary following a trip.
Phone messages included one from our water aerobics leader, who notified me that the pool will be unavailable to us this week, because of swimming competitions. Wednesday was to be our last day until August 24, anyway, since the college will be closed for summer break. I'm sort of glad not to have to get up early tomorrow, since I need some down time after the trip.
For supper, we had some of the pancakes we'd made last week and put in the freezer, with turkey bacon. We followed that with fresh peaches over ice cream.
Mother went home after that, and Hubbie and I watched a couple of TV shows, before hitting the sack.
We were up by 7 a.m. Apparently, the dam was opened last night, causing the river to rise, leaving a large puddle of water just below our camper, and the air smelling strongly of fish.
After a cold cereal breakfast, we got ready to leave for home, and were on the road by 9 a.m.
Rare is the time that we've gone on a trip when something doesn't go wrong, and this trip was no exception. Not long after we got home, around 2 p.m., Hubbie discovered two things...that his cell phone was missing, and that the rubber seal on the camper slide-out is rotted and broken, which will require taking the unit to a repair shop.
Otherwise, we spent the rest of the afternoon after getting home unloading the camper, washing clothes, and doing other things necessary following a trip.
Phone messages included one from our water aerobics leader, who notified me that the pool will be unavailable to us this week, because of swimming competitions. Wednesday was to be our last day until August 24, anyway, since the college will be closed for summer break. I'm sort of glad not to have to get up early tomorrow, since I need some down time after the trip.
For supper, we had some of the pancakes we'd made last week and put in the freezer, with turkey bacon. We followed that with fresh peaches over ice cream.
Mother went home after that, and Hubbie and I watched a couple of TV shows, before hitting the sack.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Camping Trip, Day 3
Saturday, July 25:
We were up by 6 a.m., so we could get ready to go to the grape festival. Son and family didn't sleep very well in their tent last night, thanks to constant traffic on the campground road, and the train that passed through on the other side of the lake. But they were still up and ready to leave by 9 a.m., since Grandson was scheduled to compete in the grape stomping contest at 9:30. Also, Hubbie wanted to be at the roadside fruit stand before the vendor arrived with peaches.
But Hubbie was at the festival before 9:30. He, and several other folks, waited a long time for the vendor, who never showed up. Maybe he didn't pick peaches for sale today. Anyway, I was glad he returned to the festival in time to see Grandson compete.
And he was glad he did, too, because Grandson won! He competed against two boys, younger and smaller than himself, and a young adult woman. It was obvious to us by the way Grandson stomped the (very cold) grapes that he was going to win, but we gasped when the lady who held the half-gallon jug under the spout nearly dropped it when the grape juice gushed forcefully out, splashing over her hand and onto the ground. Still, when Grandson's jug was compared with the lady competitor's, his held a fraction more...enough to make him the winner. If all the juice he stomped had gone into the jug, though, it would have filled it.
For his win, Grandson was awarded a certificate, and his choice of a grape festival logo t-shirt, which pleased him, because that's exactly what he wanted. I took lots of pictures of him, of course, including one with him standing with the town's mayor.
Following the grape stomp, we spent some time watching The Polkateers perform. One of the members of the band urged festival-goers to be sure to sample the wines being offered by area wineries at tents around the festival grounds. "The more you drink, the less we stink," she joked.
Seriously, though, we've always noticed that even though free samples of wines are served at every winery tent, no one has ever appeared to abuse the privilege. The crowd is well-behaved, and there has never been an "incident" in any year that we've attended. Of course, the festival is patrolled by local law enforcement, and maybe that's a deterrent, but it's more likely that the locals fear losing this fun event if things got out of hand.
The town's mayor invited folks to get up and dance to a couple of The Polkateer's numbers...the Hokey Pokey, and the Chicken Dance. I did the Chicken Dance on the sidelines, which Daughter-in-Law caught on video, while the rest of the family laughed. Well, it is
a funny dance...or maybe watching a great-grandma dance it is what made it funny?
After that, we left the festival to tour the town. We stopped first at the beautiful Catholic Church, on a hill overlooking the town. We were disappointed to find the church doors locked. But Family enjoyed the view of the valley below, anyway.
From there, we went to see the vineyards of one of the wineries, where Family climbed up to a platform that overlooks the vineyards, and where we took pictures of grape clusters.
Then we headed to a town about 22 miles away to hunt for peaches. We didn't want to come home without peaches, since we were in the part of the state that is known for the succulent fruit. We finally did find a roadside vendor who had two varieties, and we bought both kinds.
I asked the older lady who was selling the peaches if she was having a good sales day. "Yes," she said, "I've been busy all day, and I'm tired. If my husband would have come out here today and helped, it would have been better. But no, he's at home in the air conditioning, playing games on the computer. I could kill him." Whoa! Sorry I asked.
We were back at camp around noon, and had deli meat sandwiches, with tomatoes, Vidalia onions, and lettuce, along with chips (we'd stopped on the way back from buying peaches so that Grandson could choose his favorite chips for lunch).
Mother stayed home after lunch, while the rest of us went back to town to continue touring. This time, we visited three wineries, and toured the cellars of two. I'm glad Mother wasn't with us, since we climbed up and down steps at the first tour, and up and down a hill at the second.
Obviously, the most fascinating thing for the guys at the first tour was the "Swiss Miss" (a buxom young woman dressed in a Swiss maiden costume), who was our tour guide.
The most interesting things at the second tour was a gentleman playing folk music on a fiddle, and the information from our tour guide that the winery feeds its fermented grape hulls to its cattle. Staff have to begin shoveling the hulls onto the ground as soon as they enter the field to keep from being stampeded by the cattle, who can't wait to eat enough of the stuff to get "mellow."
At the third winery, we sampled wines in the pleasant air conditioning of the large area set up for the event. Here, Grandson tasted several varieties of grape juice, while Daughter-in-Law, who is not fond of wine, learned that she liked certain varieties, if they were doctored with grape juice, which takes away the after taste that she dislikes.
Back at camp, we had hamburgers, potato salad, and corn-on-the-cob for supper, at the picnic table. Afterward, we visited for a while, before Son and family packed up to go home.
Later, Hubbie, Mother, and I played four games of Skipbo, with Mother and Hubbie each winning one, and me winning two. Then Hubbie and I went to the other end of the campground so I could photograph the lighted bridge.
And that ended our day, and our trip. Time to head home tomorrow.
We were up by 6 a.m., so we could get ready to go to the grape festival. Son and family didn't sleep very well in their tent last night, thanks to constant traffic on the campground road, and the train that passed through on the other side of the lake. But they were still up and ready to leave by 9 a.m., since Grandson was scheduled to compete in the grape stomping contest at 9:30. Also, Hubbie wanted to be at the roadside fruit stand before the vendor arrived with peaches.
But Hubbie was at the festival before 9:30. He, and several other folks, waited a long time for the vendor, who never showed up. Maybe he didn't pick peaches for sale today. Anyway, I was glad he returned to the festival in time to see Grandson compete.
And he was glad he did, too, because Grandson won! He competed against two boys, younger and smaller than himself, and a young adult woman. It was obvious to us by the way Grandson stomped the (very cold) grapes that he was going to win, but we gasped when the lady who held the half-gallon jug under the spout nearly dropped it when the grape juice gushed forcefully out, splashing over her hand and onto the ground. Still, when Grandson's jug was compared with the lady competitor's, his held a fraction more...enough to make him the winner. If all the juice he stomped had gone into the jug, though, it would have filled it.
For his win, Grandson was awarded a certificate, and his choice of a grape festival logo t-shirt, which pleased him, because that's exactly what he wanted. I took lots of pictures of him, of course, including one with him standing with the town's mayor.
Following the grape stomp, we spent some time watching The Polkateers perform. One of the members of the band urged festival-goers to be sure to sample the wines being offered by area wineries at tents around the festival grounds. "The more you drink, the less we stink," she joked.
Seriously, though, we've always noticed that even though free samples of wines are served at every winery tent, no one has ever appeared to abuse the privilege. The crowd is well-behaved, and there has never been an "incident" in any year that we've attended. Of course, the festival is patrolled by local law enforcement, and maybe that's a deterrent, but it's more likely that the locals fear losing this fun event if things got out of hand.
The town's mayor invited folks to get up and dance to a couple of The Polkateer's numbers...the Hokey Pokey, and the Chicken Dance. I did the Chicken Dance on the sidelines, which Daughter-in-Law caught on video, while the rest of the family laughed. Well, it is
a funny dance...or maybe watching a great-grandma dance it is what made it funny?After that, we left the festival to tour the town. We stopped first at the beautiful Catholic Church, on a hill overlooking the town. We were disappointed to find the church doors locked. But Family enjoyed the view of the valley below, anyway.
From there, we went to see the vineyards of one of the wineries, where Family climbed up to a platform that overlooks the vineyards, and where we took pictures of grape clusters.
Then we headed to a town about 22 miles away to hunt for peaches. We didn't want to come home without peaches, since we were in the part of the state that is known for the succulent fruit. We finally did find a roadside vendor who had two varieties, and we bought both kinds.
I asked the older lady who was selling the peaches if she was having a good sales day. "Yes," she said, "I've been busy all day, and I'm tired. If my husband would have come out here today and helped, it would have been better. But no, he's at home in the air conditioning, playing games on the computer. I could kill him." Whoa! Sorry I asked.
We were back at camp around noon, and had deli meat sandwiches, with tomatoes, Vidalia onions, and lettuce, along with chips (we'd stopped on the way back from buying peaches so that Grandson could choose his favorite chips for lunch).
Mother stayed home after lunch, while the rest of us went back to town to continue touring. This time, we visited three wineries, and toured the cellars of two. I'm glad Mother wasn't with us, since we climbed up and down steps at the first tour, and up and down a hill at the second.
Obviously, the most fascinating thing for the guys at the first tour was the "Swiss Miss" (a buxom young woman dressed in a Swiss maiden costume), who was our tour guide.
The most interesting things at the second tour was a gentleman playing folk music on a fiddle, and the information from our tour guide that the winery feeds its fermented grape hulls to its cattle. Staff have to begin shoveling the hulls onto the ground as soon as they enter the field to keep from being stampeded by the cattle, who can't wait to eat enough of the stuff to get "mellow."
At the third winery, we sampled wines in the pleasant air conditioning of the large area set up for the event. Here, Grandson tasted several varieties of grape juice, while Daughter-in-Law, who is not fond of wine, learned that she liked certain varieties, if they were doctored with grape juice, which takes away the after taste that she dislikes.
Back at camp, we had hamburgers, potato salad, and corn-on-the-cob for supper, at the picnic table. Afterward, we visited for a while, before Son and family packed up to go home.
Later, Hubbie, Mother, and I played four games of Skipbo, with Mother and Hubbie each winning one, and me winning two. Then Hubbie and I went to the other end of the campground so I could photograph the lighted bridge.
And that ended our day, and our trip. Time to head home tomorrow.
Camping Trip, Day 2
Friday, July 24:
We were up early this morning, so we could get an early start touring the little community near the campground. Though the town (founded in 1835) is small...only around 3500 population...it has a lot going for it. First stop: the visitor's center/chamber of commerce, to ask where we might buy peaches. The lady we talked to referred us to the fruit stand we'd visited yesterday.
She noted that the vendor at the fruit stand arrived around 9 a.m. each morning, when people were already waiting in line to buy his peaches. However, she said that this peaches weren't as good as last year's. "But he's mighty proud of them," she said. Translation: he's overcharging for an inferior product.
From the visitor's center, we went to the historic museum. Several women were meeting in a small room off the museum proper, but one of them greeted us when we entered, and gave us a personal tour.
Along the way, she pointed out a handgun and several newspaper articles in a glass case, noting that early in the town's history, two young men got into a shootout over a young woman. They ended up killing each other, she said, but what became of the young woman afterward is not known.
Also in the display case was a photo of a young soldier and his oriental war-bride. The couple lived in the community many years. Even now, the lady said, the son of the couple travels a long way from his home in another state to mow the yard of his parents home once a month, though the parents are now deceased.
The museum has lots of neat stuff, including an old service station gasoline pump, a beautiful Victrola record player with brass horn amplifier, a shiny red cast iron coffee grinder with crank wheels, an industrial pressure canner, a ladies side saddle, and a lethal looking permanent wave machine.
From the museum, we went next door to a mini-mall antique shop and flea market. This is a rather large building, so Mother was comfortable riding in her transport chair. We found a few bargains...a pretty little bud vase ($1.49), a beverage set that includes a two-quart pitcher and four 8 oz. cups, that all look like canning jars ($5 for the set), and a set of perfect condition queen-size comfy soft cotton sheets (white with small pink roses), for only $3. Mother found a large brainteaser puzzle book for $2.
At both the visitor's center and the museum, we were told we should have lunch at a certain barbecue restaurant on the town square, where the food is great and serving portions generous. So at noon, we headed for the restaurant.
There were several people waiting in line, but we got a booth within minutes...maybe because there were only three of us. The restaurant, decorated with lots of antiques, had a museum quality about it. We ordered half salads (under the menu heading "Slop and Salads) which featured crumbled barbecue pork, and which, as promised, were huge. But, drat it, the salads were covered in shredded cheddar cheese, so I had to send mine back and request one without cheese, since I'm allergic to yellow dye.
With the salad came two dessert-size dishes filled with ranch dressing (enough for several large salads) and slices of buttered Texas toast. Hubbie and I preferred mild barbecue sauce rather than dressing on our salads, anyway. Mother and I were only able to eat about half of our half salads. We took the rest of it home to have with more leftover goulash for supper.
Besides the usual expected barbecue fare, a list dinners concluded with "Creamed Possum with Sweet Potatoes with Coon Fat Gravy" for $7.95. We never got around to asking if this was a real menu item, or a joke.
After lunch, we returned to camp to feed Shih Tzu and tend to Snoops, and then we went out again. This time, we visited the bank where there is a wonderful mural that stretches the length of two bank walls. It is carved sandstone, inlaid with California redwood, with enamel paint, that depicts the history of the area. It is a remarkable work and we were fascinated with it. It features ten overlapping panels, beginning with Cherokee Indian immigrants, and progressing to settlement by pioneers, steamboats bringing goods up the river, the Europeans settling in the area to farm and grow vineyards, and historic landmarks, like founding churches, and the lighted bridge.
From the bank, we toured around town so that I could take pictures, and then we took Mother back to camp, so that Hubbie and I could go to the grape festival to enter Grandson in a grape stomping contest Saturday morning, and buy 24 quarts of our favorite kind of grapes...a sweet pink table variety called Reliance.
Back at camp, after supper, Mother and I sat in the yard again, where she worked puzzles and I read until Son, Daughter-in-Law, and Grandson arrived around 7 p.m. Within a half hour of their arrival, we went to the festival and just walked around looking at the crafts booths and listening to the prison band perform. Grandson was amazed that prisoners, dressed all in white, and being watched by an armed guard, were allowed to leave prison to perform at a festival. I assured him that these guys were serving time for non-violent crimes...maybe drugs, or petty theft or something.
At 9 p.m., we drove to the area where there was to be a fireworks show. There weren't a lot of people on the lot where we parked, and we got a good view of the 9:30 show. For a small town, the fireworks are always pretty spectacular each year, and Son and family were impressed with them.
The only thing we didn't like was that the fireworks scared the bejeebies out of the geese on the small pond nearby. The panicked birds, wings spread, ran honking into the field and across the road, where we feared they might be hit by passing traffic. They escaped harm, however, and I suppose they returned safely to the pond shortly after the noisy pyrotechnics ceased.
Afterward, we headed back to camp, making a side trip down to the end of the campground, where there is a beautiful view of the lighted bridge.
At camp, Son quickly set up a tent for his family. They brought two tents...one for Grandson...but Daughter-in-Law discovered that the cap to the inflatable air mattress was missing, so all three of them slept in one tent.
We were up early this morning, so we could get an early start touring the little community near the campground. Though the town (founded in 1835) is small...only around 3500 population...it has a lot going for it. First stop: the visitor's center/chamber of commerce, to ask where we might buy peaches. The lady we talked to referred us to the fruit stand we'd visited yesterday.
She noted that the vendor at the fruit stand arrived around 9 a.m. each morning, when people were already waiting in line to buy his peaches. However, she said that this peaches weren't as good as last year's. "But he's mighty proud of them," she said. Translation: he's overcharging for an inferior product.
From the visitor's center, we went to the historic museum. Several women were meeting in a small room off the museum proper, but one of them greeted us when we entered, and gave us a personal tour.
Along the way, she pointed out a handgun and several newspaper articles in a glass case, noting that early in the town's history, two young men got into a shootout over a young woman. They ended up killing each other, she said, but what became of the young woman afterward is not known.
Also in the display case was a photo of a young soldier and his oriental war-bride. The couple lived in the community many years. Even now, the lady said, the son of the couple travels a long way from his home in another state to mow the yard of his parents home once a month, though the parents are now deceased.
The museum has lots of neat stuff, including an old service station gasoline pump, a beautiful Victrola record player with brass horn amplifier, a shiny red cast iron coffee grinder with crank wheels, an industrial pressure canner, a ladies side saddle, and a lethal looking permanent wave machine.
From the museum, we went next door to a mini-mall antique shop and flea market. This is a rather large building, so Mother was comfortable riding in her transport chair. We found a few bargains...a pretty little bud vase ($1.49), a beverage set that includes a two-quart pitcher and four 8 oz. cups, that all look like canning jars ($5 for the set), and a set of perfect condition queen-size comfy soft cotton sheets (white with small pink roses), for only $3. Mother found a large brainteaser puzzle book for $2.
At both the visitor's center and the museum, we were told we should have lunch at a certain barbecue restaurant on the town square, where the food is great and serving portions generous. So at noon, we headed for the restaurant.
There were several people waiting in line, but we got a booth within minutes...maybe because there were only three of us. The restaurant, decorated with lots of antiques, had a museum quality about it. We ordered half salads (under the menu heading "Slop and Salads) which featured crumbled barbecue pork, and which, as promised, were huge. But, drat it, the salads were covered in shredded cheddar cheese, so I had to send mine back and request one without cheese, since I'm allergic to yellow dye.
With the salad came two dessert-size dishes filled with ranch dressing (enough for several large salads) and slices of buttered Texas toast. Hubbie and I preferred mild barbecue sauce rather than dressing on our salads, anyway. Mother and I were only able to eat about half of our half salads. We took the rest of it home to have with more leftover goulash for supper.
Besides the usual expected barbecue fare, a list dinners concluded with "Creamed Possum with Sweet Potatoes with Coon Fat Gravy" for $7.95. We never got around to asking if this was a real menu item, or a joke.
After lunch, we returned to camp to feed Shih Tzu and tend to Snoops, and then we went out again. This time, we visited the bank where there is a wonderful mural that stretches the length of two bank walls. It is carved sandstone, inlaid with California redwood, with enamel paint, that depicts the history of the area. It is a remarkable work and we were fascinated with it. It features ten overlapping panels, beginning with Cherokee Indian immigrants, and progressing to settlement by pioneers, steamboats bringing goods up the river, the Europeans settling in the area to farm and grow vineyards, and historic landmarks, like founding churches, and the lighted bridge.
From the bank, we toured around town so that I could take pictures, and then we took Mother back to camp, so that Hubbie and I could go to the grape festival to enter Grandson in a grape stomping contest Saturday morning, and buy 24 quarts of our favorite kind of grapes...a sweet pink table variety called Reliance.
Back at camp, after supper, Mother and I sat in the yard again, where she worked puzzles and I read until Son, Daughter-in-Law, and Grandson arrived around 7 p.m. Within a half hour of their arrival, we went to the festival and just walked around looking at the crafts booths and listening to the prison band perform. Grandson was amazed that prisoners, dressed all in white, and being watched by an armed guard, were allowed to leave prison to perform at a festival. I assured him that these guys were serving time for non-violent crimes...maybe drugs, or petty theft or something.
At 9 p.m., we drove to the area where there was to be a fireworks show. There weren't a lot of people on the lot where we parked, and we got a good view of the 9:30 show. For a small town, the fireworks are always pretty spectacular each year, and Son and family were impressed with them.
The only thing we didn't like was that the fireworks scared the bejeebies out of the geese on the small pond nearby. The panicked birds, wings spread, ran honking into the field and across the road, where we feared they might be hit by passing traffic. They escaped harm, however, and I suppose they returned safely to the pond shortly after the noisy pyrotechnics ceased.
Afterward, we headed back to camp, making a side trip down to the end of the campground, where there is a beautiful view of the lighted bridge.
At camp, Son quickly set up a tent for his family. They brought two tents...one for Grandson...but Daughter-in-Law discovered that the cap to the inflatable air mattress was missing, so all three of them slept in one tent.
Camping Trip, Day 1
Thursday, July 23
We left town about 9 a.m., headed to the small hill town hosting the grape festival. The trip was uneventful, we stopped only once, at noon, to have a sandwich lunch. We were back on the road about a half hour later, and close to 2 p.m., we arrived at the campground. This is a lovely area of the state, where, on this brilliant blue-sky day, fluffy, white cotton candy clouds, hovered over distant blue mountains.
Hubbie was a little put out when, at the registration desk, he discovered that our phone-in reservations had been recorded for June 23-26, instead of July 23-26! So the space we requested was occupied this weekend. Fortunately, the space right beside it was open, so we set up camp there. We were just glad the whole park wasn't full, after we'd traveled five hours to get there.
Once we'd set up camp, Hubbie and I went to a local fruit stand in the hopes of finding local peaches, and Reliance grapes. We were disappointed to find the stand closed. So we visited a couple of wineries, instead.
Back at camp, Mother and I sat in the yard, where she worked puzzles, and I read my novel. It was a very pleasant afternoon to relax on the bank of the lake. Later, we had leftover goulash for supper, and then played five games of Skipbo, with Hubbie and I each winning two, and Mother winning one.
By then, we were ready to hit the sack.
We left town about 9 a.m., headed to the small hill town hosting the grape festival. The trip was uneventful, we stopped only once, at noon, to have a sandwich lunch. We were back on the road about a half hour later, and close to 2 p.m., we arrived at the campground. This is a lovely area of the state, where, on this brilliant blue-sky day, fluffy, white cotton candy clouds, hovered over distant blue mountains.
Hubbie was a little put out when, at the registration desk, he discovered that our phone-in reservations had been recorded for June 23-26, instead of July 23-26! So the space we requested was occupied this weekend. Fortunately, the space right beside it was open, so we set up camp there. We were just glad the whole park wasn't full, after we'd traveled five hours to get there.
Once we'd set up camp, Hubbie and I went to a local fruit stand in the hopes of finding local peaches, and Reliance grapes. We were disappointed to find the stand closed. So we visited a couple of wineries, instead.
Back at camp, Mother and I sat in the yard, where she worked puzzles, and I read my novel. It was a very pleasant afternoon to relax on the bank of the lake. Later, we had leftover goulash for supper, and then played five games of Skipbo, with Hubbie and I each winning two, and Mother winning one.
By then, we were ready to hit the sack.
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