Saturday

Today we're taking a day off......mostly  a day off.   A little laundry, getting tax stuff together in one place, cleaning up a few bills, etc. but no running around.

Saturday we went over to the farm and fired up big Beluga.    I put some things away, readied the inside for departure and then waited a nervous few minutes while the air system (think brakes and suspension) SLOWLY came alive.    Whew!

Dave and Beluga leave the Morton bldg. one last time

Its a beautiful sight

We've decided to take her to our local RV shop for the annual inspection and a few other small upgrade,s including one that that will be a big help in the windy west.   Nina had a small awning over the beast's passenger side window (under the "big" awning) installed and I thought it was a stellar idea.   We are rarely able to extend the patio awning in the windy west and that leaves the window on that side vulnerable to rain and sun most all the time.   Putting a small window awning on it solves that problem nicely - thanks Nina and Paul!    

The sun was out and the roads were dry, so.....off we went.   It felt good to be on the road again if only to drive 20 miles!     Dave, the weatherman, says he's expecting the temperatures to moderate in mid-March so we're hoping to be able to bring Beluga back to the lake for its final loading by then.   Finger's crossed!   No matter, we're out of here by the last weekend in March - YES!

In the spirit of a fresh new adventure, we dropped into our local Jeep dealer to check out the new models.     Yep, we're picking up our brand new Jeep on Monday!    I hope the house sale money isn't starting to burn a hole in our pockets....

On the way home we passed a restaurant (Caledonia Village Inn) with two men outside carving ice sculptures!   Don't ask why, I don't know, but they were beautiful, glittering in the bright sun.  There were two more in the making!

ride em cowboy!

Back home we hung a few more pictures, adjusted a few doors (with help)  and gave the dogs a little fun in the snow.

Oh, they do love the snow....especially you-know-who!

the deed is done.....

The deed is done, the check is in the bank, the farm officially changed hands today.    I hope the new owners move in soon, I don't like to think of it being without a loving family for long.

Cindy, Walter and Geneva brought over a lovely bottle of bubbly to celebrate the official closing of the farm sale.  I took no pictures, I just enjoyed the occasion and the company.

this and that

Thanks to some intense nursing and a healthy body, Dave is feeling quite well.   He's still eating mush but he has no pain and is pretty much back to normal.

The weather was frigid, snowy but sunny here today.   We decided to take advantage of the relatively dry roads to transport my car from the soon to be someone else's garage to its new home away from home in Victor, N.Y.   I followed in the jeep.

The further we drove, the nastier the weather became.  Ah... the fabled lake effect snow squalls.   It became windy and snowy and whiteouty and our nice clean little car became decidedly not clean.  I could just feel Dave cringe as he drove on through the salt encrusted roads and blowing snow.   What can you do?

One more thing checked off our "list", the car is in the storage, being washed, covered, trickle charged and stored until we return in a year or so.  

After a few attorney related errands, we arrived home and found the sun still shining brightly.   If you haven't lived in an area with lake effect storms its hard to fathom the difference a few miles makes.
Take my word for it.

We ate lunch at our sunny table and enjoyed the sparkling ice covered lake views.  The dogs both seek out the patches of sun coming through the big windows.

Even the birds came out to bask in the sunshine, although they were puffed up to stay warm.   The high temperature today was 1.    February will be the coldest month ever recorded in this area.  Aren't we lucky to be here to bear witness?

She wants you to know

Sasha's feelings were hurt by yesterday's post......she wants you all to know that she has a very important part in Dave's nursing care continuum.  

Her job is to lead him to a patch of sun, convince him to stretch out for a nap, then help keep him nice and warm.    She's an excellent nurse.


I have a job too.    Its to come up with a variety of tasty but mushy meals.    The "Super Bass o matic 76" blender is my friend.

"Why yes darling, you can have chicken enchiladas for dinner tonight!"

  I won't show you a picture of what blenderized Mexican food looks like, you can use your imagination.

The model and the nurse

Lewis wears many hats.    This week he was a model and a nurse.


Robin and Tom gave us this great pillow for a housewarming gift.   They thought it looked miraculously like you-know-who.     Do you think he modeled for it in another life?

Today Dave had some very unpleasant dental surgery and he's NOT a happy camper.   He'll be out of commission for at least the weekend but Lewis is using all his nursing skills to alleviate Dave's discomfort.    Oh, and the Daytona 500 race is on TV this weekend, that ought to make bring a smile to his bruised face.

is this where it hurts?

 

Valentines

Its been an up and down day for us.  Its snowing and blowing and frigid outside.   The estate sale guy came this morning and loaded up everything that was left in the farm house, took it away in his big truck but left us with a sweet little surprise.

His mother (88 years old) made us a batch of her famous Italian cookies and even four chocolate cupcakes for Valentines Day dinner.    Jim used to own a wonderful, friendly restaurant down here, (Station 42)  one we'd go to every single Thursday night after Jesse's Suzuki piano lessons.    In those days his mother, Ann, would make sauce, meatballs and pizza fritta on Thursdays and the three of us looked forward her cooking all week.    We never met her, just enjoyed her "gravy and meatballs" and never met Jim.       Fast forward -  the restaurant closed years ago, we'd all but forgotten about our weekly ritual and then I called an estate sale agent in nearby Avon.     After meeting and talking with him a few weeks ago, I discovered who he was and found out his mom is still alive and still cooking up a storm.    She'd like me to come to her house for a cup of tea before we take off - perhaps I can persuade her to give me her memorable recipes, who knows!

So, after an emotionally rough morning we're sitting here enjoying a cocktail in our nice warm cottage.   We're waiting patiently for the wonderfully fragrant Sauerbraten to finish cooking and looking forward to our hearty German Valentine's dinner.    Its a good way to finish the day I think.

my view across the lake right now.....

progress

Winter days can be beautiful.   Today was one of them to be sure.  The thermometer even cooperated and rose shakily to almost 25 degrees!   Gotta make hay while the  sun shines, however, because the high temperatures are forecast to be well below zero starting Friday.   Sheesh!

beautiful blue sky visible through one clerestory window

We even have a rather large flock of Eastern Bluebirds in the beech tree.   I tried to take some photos of them this morning, but they were way too busy drinking the slowly dripping water coming out of our breakwall.  I'll keep trying.   Dave says it stays liquid there because its coming out of the hill above us, through the French drains under the warm house and out through a hole in the breakwall.    Whatever the reason, these little blue beauties appreciate it enthusiastically and reward us with flashes of their stunning color in the mornings.

Lewis enjoys the warm sun since Mr. David clipped him Monday. 

Dave spent the morning taking advantage of the balmy day to use the tractor (while it still belongs to us) to plow a path from the Morton bldg. at the farm (where Beluga waits patiently) to the road in an effort to keep a route open for our March departure.    We know there will be more snow before then, but its a start.

After lunch we worked in the basement, trying to organize the boxes and furniture that Angel's guys stacked willy-nilly down there.     We made great strides and finally feel we have our arms around it all.

I know it looks like a warehouse, but believe it or not its really organized.   I even have a tiny potting table carved out of the mess.

And Dave has a small shop/grooming salon at one end.   He's tightening up our kitchen chairs for his first project.

Guys, guys, are you down there guys, can we come down now, guys, guys, can we?