Summer Afternoon

"Summer afternoon... the two most beautiful words in the English language."

Henry James









Turtle Eggs that a fox or coon or something got into before they had a chance to hatch.














My Boy " Yoda" and Dog in the creek, fetching sticks getting bit by mosquitoes, a running narration of all that was happening in the creek- butterflies, where it was deep, where it leveled off etc.. great fun to listen to.

Turtles and Beavers

Above is the Turtle activity that we are seeing daily now in several locations where we walk. These would be snapping Turtles. They lay there hatch in a sandy gravel area and then the eggs incubate 60-90 days depending on the temperature outside. last year in this area we saw hatch-lings in mid- September. All the disturbed ground on the right of the path is potential spots. Flowergirl actually saw 2 turtles "nesting"

Above is one of the Beavers swimming in the water - kinda hard to see, head is out of the water and tail is in .

The first of 2 beavers heading into the water from the woods. I can usually hear them in the woods and when I go to the edge to see them- Wow- there they are. So big in real life. Edna the Yellow Lab stands very still watching them but her whole body is usually shaking.

Wood Frogs Awaken

On Wed. March 21,2010 we were out on the walk wiht the dogs when we heard what sounded like ducks quacking. I said i thought it was frogs. We kept walking and then we stumbled into this pair on the walking trail. I thought they were Wood Frogs but went home to look it up and sure enough we were correct. They are an early frog to wake up, they live in Vernal ponds which are areas that have water April through JUne. They are among the first to mate and the time from egg to frog is quite short. the coloring was very unique of the larger Female. When time has passed they both look very brown matching lead litter that is found on the ground.

Road Trip in the FingerLakes

Fingerlakes are beautiful this time of year. They are filled with wonderful colors, sights and smells and treats to eat!!

We try to get out at least once for a drive - destinations abound, limited only by the mount of time we have.

This day we traveled to Millard Fillmore State Park, home to Fillmore Glen. THis is a wonderful narrow tree lined glen that is cool colorful with slowly triclcking water, falling leaves and wonderful sights and smells. We hiked to the Cow sheds, then in the gorge and then up to the far end where the Dam is. In the summer this park has natural creek bed swimming holes. Millard Fillmore was the 13th President and the only one born in NYS.




















Then we drove between Owasco and Skaneatlas Lakes to reach the quaint town of Skaneatlas. We like to eat fish at Doug's Fish noted by sign on street saying simply "Good Food" also stop in an Artisans Co-op, Jewelry store and chocolate shop of course.

We stopped at Red Jacket Orchads on the way out loading up on the bounty of the season . . . Apples, pears, grapes, Starwberry/apple juice, Local cheese, Maple Sugar . . . . . wonderful things to try!!




























It would not be complete without a atop at a Pumpkin Patch. Pumpkins, corn, squash we are all set for the Harvest Season.

Wondering Wednesday

I wonder all the time . . .

What will this winter be like?

Summer Letterboxing

Letterboxing: Check out Atlas Quest you will find general information, clues everything you need!

The search is on with clue in hand, down the path stay to the right look for the multi- trunked tree and there is the treasure that you seek.

Always neat things from mother Nature along the trail. The milkweed pods are all different sizes right now. This one is a huge cluster.

The Box! It holds a stamp- hand carved usually, a log book for us to stamp our signature stamps in and we stamp the "box's" stamp in our personal log books that we carry with us.

Here we brought crayola washables to color in this beautifully carved Pheasant. He is a true beauty!

Spring Firsts

First Swim in the Creek
First laundry on the line - smells so good
First seedlings

The simple Womans Daybook ~March 5,2009

Please go to Peggy's to see all the Daybook Entries.

For Today...

Outside my window...Bright sunshine, cloudless sky and cold 15 degrees should warm up to 40 something today.

I am thinking... it will be nice when I totally understand how to get everything linked, uploaded etc...on this here blog and that I have more typing for Boy Scouts today.


I am thankful for...warm house, healthy bodies and jobs

From the kitchen... Bananas that need to be made into bread and muffins, spoiled milk

I am wearing... Old sweats/ T-shirt from exercising about to change to begin my day teaching Second Steps in Yoda's room

I am reading... Twilight, All minds learn differently,
I am hoping... to get a lot accomplished today-

I am creating... Card Swap for First Friday, Parent Handbook, Bookmarks
I am hearing... the dryer tumble and the water kettle on the wood stove sizzle
Around the house... pick up clean up, thank you notes

The most interesting thing I have seen outside right now . . . . Sap dripping Plunk plunk into our Buckets, love the Maple Season!
One of my favorite things... Earl Grey Tea in a big Mug
A few plans for the rest of the week... First Friday tomorrow, Mardi Gras for Middle school,

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you... Oren and Edna CatNapping or Dog napping?? I don't know.

Family Hike, Indian Lore

Yesterday we drove out to the Eastern side of Canandaigua Lake, we hiked at Bare Hill 865 feet above the Lake a "DEC Unique area". I had always wanted to go here for a hike, It has strong connections to the Iroquois Indians and home to the Lore Tale of the 2 headed Serpent. There are also 2 letterboxes here but we only found one of them. Muggles prevented us from finding the other. Let me say before I tell the tale that taking a Family Hike, sharing time in the great outdoors, sharing a tasty treat along the trail is tops for me. I love being together in this environment. We followed the directions to the first letterbox which yielded this stamp in the first Photo. The tale goes like this- much abbreviated, A young Indian boy found a 2 headed snake that he cared for and fed, it grew to enormous size and had a huge appetite that in the end included a whole village. In a dream a young Indian learned how to Slay the Serpent. Firing an arrow to a spot in the back of its neck, it was killed. As it rolled down the slope to the lake, it cleared all the vegetation and trees - "Bare Hill" it also spit out the skulls of those it had eaten- hence the erratic rocks known to Geologists as Septaria and to locals as Indian Heads on the slopes. This spot also is home to the Council fires of the Seneca tribes and the Origin of Genundowa Festival of Lights (the Circle of Fire) every September to celebrate the Harvest.
Photo 1 is the Letterbox stamp, Photo 2 is Council Rock, Photo 3 is looking North up Canandaigua Lake, Photo 4 is part of the icy road that the kids enjoyed trying to skate down as mom said be careful a hundred times.
It was beautiful sunny as the hike started but back to going gray as the hike concluded.

Silent Snow

1/9/08

The last few days we have had a lot of snowfall. Now it has not been huge totals but it has been steady. Thankfully it has provided coverage over all the ice in the driveway, making walking a little less treacherous. Today I took Edna the yellow Lab over to the nearby County park Mendon Ponds Park http://www.monroecounty.gov/parks-mendonponds.php
It is a large and lovely park with many glacial remains- Kames, kettle ponds, Eskers, Drumlins. In fact this part of NYS is known for its Drumlin fields and right behind our home blocking the TV reception is a Kame. Any ways we went to the Devils Bathtub area for a nice walk. Devils Bathtub is a deep kettle pond.The walk down is steep, now aided by steps and handrails but with the recent ice and snow it was precarious to say the least. I just kept telling Edna "slow" and "wait" she was good and got her "treat" at the end. We then continued on the trail that went around a steep Kame. As we rounded the Kame the smaller of the 2 ponds came into view. The snow out covering over the "Deep Pond" has an impending silence to it. It is appearing as a thick soft blanket. It does not appear that birds,animals or man has yet to interfere with it. Just thick,lush white fluff like whipped cream. As we continue to walk, it is very silent, there is no ice cracking, no birds, no wind which aids the silence. Just snow and us. There are different types of snow where we live. This qualifies as Powder. So, the photo at the beginning we took on our walk. How silently this leaf rests- waiting for the next thing to happen. It looks like it fell on this blanket recently as there is not snow yet on it. It is still in the silence. Waiting... we all wait.


Powder is freshly fallen, untouched, soft snow. Powder, tiny flakes and crystals form the smooth and soft surface in mountains. It forms a soft smooth surface that will give you the feeling that you are floating in a weightless environment. Powder is often packed in thick layers that form a natural pillow for any crashes.

Oh! the snow, the beautiful snow,
Filling the sky and earth below,
Over the housetops, over the street,
Over the heads of the people you meet.
Dancing,
Flirting,
Skimming along.
Thomas J. Watson

Another weekend beckons at the door. so much anticipation. So often dissapointment. Always to much to do. Taking the Tree down will be on the agenda, Library Lady or Flowergirl will go to build sets for the upcoming musical with her Dad. Sledding party with church, both church and scout meetings. Never dull. Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy