beluga

beluga

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Oh Happy Day!



We want to send our very warmest congratulations to Tracy and DJ on their recent wedding.  We're fortunate to count them as old friends and were thrilled to hear their happy news.

Donna (DJ) and Tracy 
Nightie night Tracy......


Friday, August 30, 2013

No more work for a little while



Since this picture is at the beginning of today's blog, you are correct to assume that it is a sunrise shot, not a sunset.     You'll rarely see a sunrise on this blog, I prefer to sleep through them.

   But, Wednesday I saw the sun coming up through the windshield of the jeep as we drove into Rochester to keep Dave's appointment with the hand surgeon.   He's been having considerable pain in his right thumb for quite a while now, but too many things kept getting in the way of a permanent fix.     After all the work he did around the house when we got back, he couldn't deny the pain any longer.    In 2009 he had the same surgery on the left thumb, so we knew there was a solution to the problem.


Woozy patient in the car on the way home
A nerve block served two purposes.   The first to deaden the arm while Dr. Delsigniore did her magic, and the second to keep the pain away for about 12 hours post surgery.     The bad thing about it was that Dave had to maneuver a totally dead arm for those 12 hours.   He left the surgi-center with a huge, yellow arm support that looked like a chunk of swiss cheese and was very unwieldy for poor, slightly out of it Dave to handle.

Once we got home we discovered that Mr. David's Visiting Nurse Service had sent us a very gentle, curly haired male nurse to cater to his every need.

nurse Lewis checking patient's vitals

and making sure the elbow support is in place

and checking wrist alignment

and keeping the patient quiet at naptime


Dr. Delsigniore's sense of humor!

Nurse Lewis came back the next day to taste, I mean check,  Dave's dressing and make sure it was clean

Long story short, offending joint removed, tendons rerouted to form a "cradle" for the thumb and the healing begun.    No more big projects for Dave and we leave for points south at the end of October.


sunset behind the barn

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Good to see more old friends

Its been really great to see old friends.

Judi waits for our favorite Rabbit Room waiter, Michael, to take her order

Judi came out last week and the three of us enjoyed dinner at our favorite restaurant, the Rabbit Room.   Its a little gem in a small neighboring town that is only open for dinner on Thursday evenings!   A good excuse for a pleasant meal and overnight with an old friend.




Cindy P, Geneva, Walter, Pat and Dave enjoy the  fire's warmth on a cool summer evening
Last Saturday evening Pat and her family (Cindy P, Geneva and Walter) came up for a picnic dinner outside.   The weather cooperated and we were able to have a fire in the chiminea after Cindy's yummy chocolate pie.  .  Lovely evening with old friends.


Later that evening I shared a glass of wine and the waning fire with my very best old friend......




Last night Dave and I were invited to dinner at long time friends, Cindy and Norm.  Dave and Norm grew up together and they were married two months before us - 43 years ago!

Its nice to see old friends.

Friday, August 23, 2013

Harvesting and transplanting

Hmmmm, an idea is forming......
Yes, we have two identical grey jeeps....don't ask.   We'll sell one later this month, but the one we want to sell has the trailer hitch on the back.   How will we tow the boat?   How will we tow the utility trailer?


Always ready to help, Mr. David's Collision and Body Shop sent their most talented and resourceful worker over and the problem seemed much smaller.

and so it began, the harvesting of body parts



the transplant
The answer was simple.... remove the bumper facia from the "sale" car and the bumper facia from my jeep, remove the trailer hitch, scrape and paint it, transplant it to my jeep,  switch the bumpers  and voila!   Problem solved.    My jeep, the one that is set up for towing behind Beluga, now is the grey jeep with the trailer hitch.
done


rest after a job well done
I invited the worker to sit on the back porch with me and enjoy the beautiful sunset.   He was relieved to have the job done and the problem solved.    Now to figure out craig's list.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Sunday went to the dogs

Jesse and Erin flew back to Boulder early Sunday morning.   It was such a whirlwind visit that we almost aren't sure they were really here!     As parents of an adult child, we've learned to enjoy his company when and where we can get it!

We went back to bed after taking them to the Rochester airport, we got home at 5 a.m. and couldn't see any reason to start our day that early!

Our "second" morning was spent outside with our second cup and rhubarb muffins.   The dogs were happy to finally be up and outside, it had been a confusing a.m.routine for them.


Lewis enjoys spending "second cup" chasing his fish...

he always catches and returns it dutifully, but sometimes its not  pretty



Sasha enjoys her "second cup" time in a more dignified manner





 Later in the day Dave and I joined Cindy P and Geneva at a Lure Coursing Event in the small town of Hemlock, near one of the Finger Lakes.

did I forget to mention Glory came along??

Lure coursing is a sport usually reserved for sight hounds, but is becoming a fun activity for dogs of all sizes and breeds.     The idea is to have the dog chase a mechanically operated "lure" around a prescribed course of hard, fast curves.   Most dogs take to it after a few trials and really seem to enjoy the wild run.   Some even figure out the course and start trying to cut corners to reach the lure before it gets away!   Lots of fun to watch the seasoned dogs as well as the ones just learning the ropes.

Cindy P and Glory on their way into the course

Tiny Glory in  hot pursuit of the blue and yellow lure

three lovely Afghans await their turn

as does an American Hairless dog

she's really into the chase

Cindy P, Geneva and a tired  Glory walk back to the truck

we stopped at a bright little farm stand on the way home.
A very pleasant way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon.

Monday, August 19, 2013

Monday, August 19

Robin and Tom hosted a night at the ball game Saturday evening as a unique way to celebrate the wedding of their son Stephen and his lovely new wife, Laura.   They are big fans of our city's minor league baseball team and  a club suite seemed a perfect venue to have a casual get together of friends and family.

Frontier Field is right in downtown Rochester near our beautiful High Falls disrict



view of the diamond from the seats outside the Club suite


Stephen, Laura, Robin and Tom pose with Mittsy, one of the Red Wing's Mascots

nothing better than a burger and a beer Stevie!

Jesse chats with Robin

good friend Bill smiles for the camera

retired film critic Jack Garner acts up while Steve pretends not to notice.
in the background Dave watches the game,  Jesse, Erin and I try not to encourage Jack
It was a pleasant evening and we were so happy  to be able to give Steve and Laura our best congratulations in person.  Steve has always been one of our very favorite people but our paths don't cross often now that they live in New York City.   They are a truly beautiful couple.   

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Aug. 16 - Ascot Night at Walnut Hill

Jesse and Erin arrived last night around 10 p.m. for a whirlwind visit.   Their return flight leaves Rochester at 6 a.m. Sunday.   They're in town to attend a party celebrating the wedding of a dear friend, Stephen and his lovely new wife, Laura.  We all missed their June 7 Long Island wedding because Jesse was busy graduating in Oregon and we were busy bursting with pride as we watched.

Lewis enjoys hugs from Jesse during breakfast on the porch



Last night the four of us attended Ascot Picnic Night at the Walnut Hill Driving Show.  We took a dinner of quiche, fruit salad and Nutella brownies and met up with niece Lisa, husband Chris, Cindy P, husband Walter and daughter Geneva.  Oh, and plenty of nice cold white wine in the cooler.

Erin, Jesse, Lisa and Chris


Dave shows off his newly re-discovered cowboy boots to Geneva (on the ground), Cindy P and Walter


We ate and watched some specialty classes in the ring.  Ascot Night classes are usually geared more to the "general" public than the dyed in the wool horse people that populate the white seats during the other 5 days of the show.   You know, costume classes, huge antique English coaches pulled by four matched horses, and even an agility class using of dogs paired with  miniature horses to form a team.   A little confusing, but enjoyable to watch.

Dorothy, the Scarecrow driving the Cowardly Lion

a Wedding Party

my personal favorite - a white Standard Poodle driven by a "girl" in a poodle skirt

my fav moving around the ring, leaving bits of poofy white hair in his wake...
in the background are two mice driving a bit of "swiss cheese".


the whip (the driver) on this English coach works to control the enthusiasm of his team of elegant Hackney horses.   They're raring (rearing actually!)  to GO!

thats more like it

a beautiful four in hand of dramatic Freisian horses beginning their drive down the road



Jesse and Erin strolled around the Carriage Lane Boutiques and antique Carriage Museum.  Did I mention the variety of hats for sale?


this one was so huge Erin had to hold on!
What a nice time we had.   Its great to have Jesse and Erin here, we'll be sorry to see them fly away on Sunday.   Sigh....