Monday, July 19, 2010

Do I have a fish tale for you!

We spent the weekend at the lake and it was just gorgeous down there.  It was much cooler then in town with a lovely breeze to keep any lingering bugs away.  Most of the black flies are gone by how but there are other creatures flitting around that can give you a nasty bite.  Poor Son got stung twice on Friday at a golf tournament once INSIDE the nose and once on his big TOE!  His toe is a mess, it's twice the size that it should be.  I think he should go to Walk In Care but I am just the overly protective mother of her 34 year old only child!  :o)


The grands and an extra came down to stay with us which makes for a lively time.  Grampie took them out fishing just a little over from our place in front of BIL's place and they were bringing in the sunfish left and right.  In all the caught about 30-35!  Today they wanted to go again so out they went in the boat to that nice fishing spot and before long we could hear yelling and hollering, I thought someone had got a hook in their finger!!!  I ran out and Mr. D was pulling in a big one with all his might with Son holding onto his pants to make sure he didn't fall in!


They came to shore to show us the big bass that he caught and then released it back into the lake.  If you aren't going to eat them, release them!


Now is that a proud look or what?!!  He caught it on a little hook that he had been catching sunfish on a few minutes before!




I think that is one proud Papa too!  :o)






We had a great time, there was way too much to eat, something about eating outside at the picnic table at the lake makes things taste soooooooo good!  Ribs, chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers, veggies, chips, coleslaw, potato salad etc etc  For brunch I made a double batch of cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting and those didn't last long...........


Of course it isn't the lake without going for a few rides in the boat.  Nothing like a Personal Flotation Device to make one look styling! :o)






We packed up and came home and my sister and BIL have moved in for the week.  I hope they get good weather like we had.  It's looking like it trying to rain today, I sure hope we get a good dousing! 


We didn't go near Bar Harbor while the Obama's were here over the weekend.  Roads were closed and there were enough Secret Service guys around to keep an eye on everyone.  Cars were lined up for miles as people were trying to get a glimpse of the First Family,  First Dog included.  The merchants in downtown were happy as their cash registers were ringing from all of the tourists in for the day.  I don't know of anyone around here that went down.  It's just too hard to get around with so many people and half the roads being closed off.  I love going to Bar Harbor and look through the shops plus have a popover at The Jordan Pond House, the later being more important then the former!!


Must get out and mow the grass before it starts raining I guess.  I can hear Dad mowing my FIL's lawn next door and the yard man is over there trimming the shrubs,  Summer is more then half over for us here in the north east.  Sigh.......

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Ear problems, cats, flowers and camp~







Goodness gracious me, it is just plain unbelievably HOT!  I think it is the hottest it has been in a long, long time!  My friend Needled Mom is out there on the west coast in COLD weather and we are here in the northeast just about melting.  Go figure!

The horses go out really early in the morning when Funsize comes to do the barn or if I wake up early and go out and put them out.  They can come in and out of the barn whenever they want and I find them many afternoons standing under the big fans keeping cool.  A friend told me to hose down the barn floor which is concrete except where the stalls and isle are and that is wood, and it helps keep the barn cooler.  It works, I have been doing that and also closing the back south side door to keep the sun out so the barn is really quite comfortable. 

They have their supper around four and then like to go back out again during the evening which is much cooler.  My guys aren't spoiled much are they?  They don't like to come back in for the night but due to the coyotes, bear and other wildlife I make them come in where they are safe.


Lil' Bud has had a mysterious issue in one of his ears.  These pictures aren't for the faint of heart but I want to show them to see if any of you in Texas or nearby have dealt with this before as my vet says the only place he has seen bites like this is in Texas where he worked for a while.  These are like someone took a tiny cookie cutter and cut these circles out of the inside of Lil' Bud's ear.  I had the vet come look at it and he cleaned each and every one of them out as it looked like something had laid eggs in them.


















It was very itchy and only in this one ear plus the other two horses didn't get it.  The vet gave me some cream to put in twice a day after scrubbing the ear out with some medical soap and it actually felt good to Bud as I could hold my hand with the washcloth still and he would rub his ear back and forth.










It 's much better now after a week of the cleaning and medicating and is drying up and flaking off.  Still don't know what did it and hope it doesn't happen again.  Noodles likes to watch all the goings on in the barn.  He  is not one bit afraid of the horses which probably isn't the best thing for his well being!  Don't ask me why Bud is in Kipper's stall as his own is three times the size, must have been a couple blades of hay in there to find!




















                         Now where did my teeth go?????












Noodles on the fence hoping that a lame mouse will walk by so that he can grab him without having to exert himself too much!






                    How's this for the balance beam?








The flowers have sure loved this hot muggy weather that we have been having.  Also the raspberries are yielding more this year then any year since we've had them.








                                        Cleome




















I puttered around at the lake all day today.  I set out some plants in my new garden that my yard man put in for me.  It's rather shady so I picked up some things that like the shade.  I just hope the deer don't eat all of them, I put out lots of impatiens and they LOVE those so will take my hot pepper with me next time.  It seems to be working here at the house keeping them at bay.


I found some flatware this past week for the lake house and I just love it.  It is so campy!  I hope you can see the designs.  It's a camp, a canoe, a fir tree, a bear and a moose!  Best of all it was one of Kolh's sales and you buy one service for four and get one free.  I got enough for 16!  Yah!  Nothing beats a good sale especially when it's something you just love!!



















Tuesday, July 6, 2010

July 4th








What a great weekend we had for the 4th of July holiday!  It was hot so the perfect place to be was at the lake which was a bit cooler then in town.  It was hotter then usual there but when you can jump into the cool lake you don't seem to mind it as much.


We had a crowd in for the 4th and there was so much food I could hardly fit it all in the refrigerator.  Everyone brought things plus I made stuff to serve too.  Everything tastes so much better at the lake,  I did try to be good but a few things called my name...........  My DIL's mother makes brownies with chocolate/peanut butter frosting that is to die for and my DIL makes a spicy chicken dip that has lots of good stuff in it, the main ingredient besides the chicken is cream cheese!  I have never met a food that I didn't like with cream cheese on it or in it! :o)


I broke a long tradition of mine this weekend.  Many years ago I went out on a tube and was thrashed all over the lake by the driver of the boat, that person would have been the Hubs, and swore I would never get on one again........  Well, never say never plus the tubes are much improved now and you can sit in them instead of laying on the top of them so with the Grands urging I hopped in.  Well 'hopped' isn't quite the right term, it wasn't graceful as we were out in the middle of the lake but I did manage to get in.  Getting out was another whole story in itself but  you will lose sleep over it if I go into detail so I will spare you!  :o)


Notice at this point I am smiling.  We haven't moved yet....










NOT SMILING!  Kids think it is hilarious!








Getting brave again.






How do you like the hair do?!!






The kids were much better at this then me and kept wanting to go faster but Grampy kept it at a safe speed. When they have their thumbs up they want to go faster,  you will not see my thumbs up in any pictures!












Now it wouldn't be the 4th without some ribs.








And ribs are meant to be eaten with your fingers.










Love this picture of Funsize!  Hi B!






Cousin K.






Miss T.






One place the kids like to go is the rock slide.  It is a place a couple miles up in the woods on an old dirt road mostly used now for snowmobiles and ATV's but you can get up there with 4 wheel drive.  The rocks are very smooth, probably from so many years of little be-hineys going down over them........  It is a beautiful spot and rather unique for our neck of the woods.
















You land is this shallow pool of water.








We had a wonderful weekend to say the least but our thoughts and prayers were with a family close by that had just lost their son in the war a few days before.  We had the flag at half mast as the Governor instructed, it was the least we could do.   God bless those that give the ultimate sacrifice for their country!