Ahhh Summer

Let's see...what have I been doing. School for me got out the end of May. It is now July 11th and I haven't left for New York yet.
I have been working outside around the pool, patio, and garden for six or more hours a day since school got out. It's starting to look nice. The pool is filled again and the kids are using it. I have ignored my plants and yard for so long now. I lost all interest in most everything for the last couple of years. If feels good to get something in shape. Now that I finally got water that will reach where I garden I am out watering and planting like crazy. Good thing too because it is really hot.

My car is being fixed. Three people hit it in it's first year. Hope that's the charm. I am going to drive it to New York. It should be out of the shop in the next couple of days, then I hit the road. I have to carry a carrying cage for my bunnies. I am bringing back four Satin Angora bunnies. I have told a woman I will pick up her spinning wheel in Philadelphia. I am driving a Miata. Hope the weather is good because I may just need to keep the top down from Philadelphia to New York once I get the spinning wheel.
Needless to say I am traveling light. That's not something easily done for me. At least I have a spinning wheel, circular sock knitter, and sewing machine at camp already. I have to remember to take a couple of the bobbins and some fiber, and some basics for the sock knitter. Of course I need to take a couple of knitting projects too. Clothes you say? I don't remember what I left, but I do have some there. One bag with enough clothes and toiletries to get across the country and that's that.

The kids are not going to camp this year-Summer School, though they weren't offering the classes my daughter needs to take. Paul is already in New York, about an hour away from Innisfree/Cool-Shag-Na. He got a job in North Creek as Chief Mechanical Officer of a new railroad. Start-up is next week if they can get everything done. Jobs appropriate for him just aren't available in California. He's finally got a job that he deserves and can shine. Unfortunately it's on the other side of the country. Well, he or we can visit.

Before I go I still need to get two cars registered and one more fixed. It needs some suspension work and the muffler separated on Saturday. It sounds like an airplane. It's checked out and arrangements are made except for the welding of the muffler. Still need to get to the dentist and make appointments for kids to get their whooping cough shots so they can go back to school in August.
I am essentially a single parent again and hitting the road for three weeks. At least there is another mom available. Jessica, a friend of Claire's who has been living with us since before Christmas will have her mom staying with the kids while I am gone. Justin and Audra will be checking in and hopefully swimming and taking some veggies from my garden. I think all will be alright. I hope so because I really need to get away from it all for a while. I just don't know who I am anymore and need to be away from my regular life to get a grip on where I am going. The Adirondack Park is a good place for reflection on the natural world. Or should I say real world?

Ta Ta For Now...

We've Driven Off the Map!

We drove into camp early this morning after driving most of the night and taking a nap at a service area about 20 minutes from Utica. We didn't want to get to the grocery store too early and get hassled by security waiting for it to open. Besides, I was really tired. Nobody was at their best when we did get to the grocery store before 6 am and found that it was open 24 hours a day. Anyway, we stocked up and headed to camp a bit more than an hour from there. It rained on the way, but not hard. It is such a heady experience driving closer and closer, the smell of the balsam and pines perfuming the way. My eyes dilate to soak in the green. I LOVE trees! We don't have enough of them in Southern California. They aren't lush like these either.
I guess we are now officially off the map until we come into town to get on the internet. Through Otter Lake and after Old Forge our GPS signal failed. Our cell phones don't work here either. So I guess, we are officially off the map for the summer. You may see me sporadically here. If you don't, Have a Great Summer!!!

Prepping to Leave for Camp!

It's getting close. The car is getting it's last touches/repairs for the trip. I am procrastinating getting my laundry done. I guess we'll all be trying to get everything done at once. Today is the planned day for getting the car carrier and Swing-Away out and ready. The kids are starting to get excited. I guess my oldest daughter will get to join us this trip too. It'll be good to spend some time with her. Lots of catch up work around the house to try to get to. Some more driving practice on the freeway in the Expedition with loaded weight for my son. We have a birthday party for my youngest daughter to get through Friday, Father's Day and Summer Birthday dinner Sunday, orthodontist appointment on Monday then ON THE ROAD!
I wish everyone was going but Paul needs to work and Justin has other things going on. Besides someone needs to look after the house. Hopefully they'll come out before we leave. Paul will probably fly in to drive us home. It's usually quite a haul on the way home. It's strange to be starting out without them.
I finished knitting a bag for the trip. I just have to felt it now. I need to get what I want to work on this summer organized. I would so like to work on some glass flame working but that is just too much equipment to have to take along. I don't know what Jewelry making stuff would be appropriate either.
Time to start packing...

Summer is really over for me

See you next year Innisfree and Cool-Shag-Na.
I've been home and back at work for two weeks now. School is in full swing complete with parent meetings, back-to-school nights this week, lesson plans, and tech problems. My son is playing stand-up bass this year and my daughter auditioned for a play at one of our high schools, so will have to be taken to rehearsals regularly after school now.
Not too much knitting going on. I am trying to finish one more pair of socks before Summer of Socks '08 is over on Sept. 1st. I guess I'll have time to knit waiting at rehearsals.

We're working hard to get the house back together with the living/family room relocated to a bigger room and the computers relocated too. Furniture, books, and knick-knacks are all over the place. There is practically no where to sit down. We are almost done with the painting of the two main rooms and should be able to get furniture moved tomorrow (I hope.) I can't wait to see how everything looks when it's organized. Maybe I'll even have a lamp to sit and knit under.

The bathroom work is almost done. I finally have a tiled shower upstairs. Just have to wipe off the haze, seal the grout, hang the shower curtain, and take my first shower. Oh yeah, the handles still need to be adjusted. Bought primer to seal the replaced piece of wall too. We'll have a really nice bathroom soon.

My older kids are at Innisfree now enjoying the lake and my new finished kitchen. I am very envious. I only got to use my kitchen one day while we were there with all the renovations. And I really didn't get to have that much fun with everything there was to do. It's still just a wonderful place to be.

Best Cousins Ever

We have had a great time so far at camp. We've had the great fortune to visit with our favorite cousins. Here we all are in front of the "Caboose." Didn't do that much. It was just great to catch up and spend time together. Now back to the kitchen.
The boys made up some ice cream with the old hit and miss engine.

Spring Break is Over. Come On Summer!

Here are some orchids blooming in my back yard

Went back to work and school today. My students are so cute. They went to camp over the break. One says, " I learned how to fall out of a canoe." Priceless. One fell out of a bunch bed and fell down a lot. Another almost fell off a horse. When asked who went to camp and did not get hurt most raised their hands.

I have two new pairs of socks started. My Earthy Tabi socks out of Arucania Ranco Multi and Jeanne Townsend's Maple Leaf socks out of Claudia Hand Painted yarn in the Jungle colorway. Neither will win design of the year with the yarns I'm using, but they'll be decent socks. Don't get me wrong the yarns are nice they just don't play up the patterns I'm knitting.


Went to pick up some dance shoes after school. I ordered them while on break. I don't like them. They fit alright except the strap hits at the fattest part of my ankle. Really, it's not the shoes. When did I get elephant feet? I don't suppose dancing with slim ankles down, will it?

Images of the Woods in Fall

I've been told this isn't typical for Fall. It was very warm this weekend.
I am home. Happy we made the trip. Born and raised in California, I have never seen the leaves change before. It is spectacular. I can't get over the depth of color. Every leaf is different.

Isn't Innisfree beautiful with the stairs and door stained. My son and daughter did it after the rest of us drove home in August. This is the first time I've seen it.

I went around today taking close ups of leaves. Every time I looked again I wanted to take more photographs.
DH was great shutting down camp for the year. Talking on the way back down the mountain to the airport I described what it felt like to go for the weekend. It was like visiting an old friend, or like touching the roots of my existence. It is primordial and familial all at the same time. I love it there.

Oh, and DH had fun playing with his friend in the leaves.

On the Road Again

Parting memories as we leave the Adirondacks. I can't describe the sadness I feel every time we leave camp. It is such an alive place. Very different from Southern California.Innisfree from the dock

Early in the morning on our last day.
The beach on Seventh Lake.

Once again we are driving across the country. This time from New York to California. We actually left yesterday. Not making great time, but we did stop at another yarn shop.
We caught a mouse in the Havaheart trap. To assure it did not return we took it in the motorboat to the other side of the lake and let it go there.


This is the yarn store I stopped at in Springfield, Ohio. Here is the machinery at work at YarnSmiths. I bought some boucle yarn of cashmere, silk, and nylon called Truffles. Here it is being spun. I wanted enough for a sweater, but not mixed colorways so they spum up some on the spot and I got to watch! It is undyed so I can make it any color I want. They do have some lovely colorways.
I don't know what I was thinking. I didn't get a picture of Ann or the front showroom. There are other popular yarns besides their own. They have a HUGE table for knitting night on Wednesdays. I understand there are sometime 50 ot more people at a time. The table must hold about 30. We had such a lovely visit.

Yeah, I disappeared a while...

Wouldn't you if you had these great kids to hang out with? It's so good to have us all together in such a magical place.

I haven't blogged in a while. The whole family has been at camp. We've been having fun together! Justin is out of the Army!!! We took a flight over the Fulton Chain of Lakes to celebrate. This is the pontoon plane we rode in.
Meet Tom Payne who flies out of Seventh Lake. He's a great guide! He even took us over and showed us an Osprey nest far from the populated areas.
This is Raquette Lake from the air.

Mr Bill has been very busy too, though I don't know how much fun he is having.

Further adventures of Mr. Bill

Mr. Bill is a busy guy. As are we. The kitchen is almost usable.
Paul and the kids are heading to Long Island tomorrow and I am taking another painting class. More family and friends are coming in to camp within the week. Fun and games are beginning!

Mr Bill's Adventures

Mr Bill has been busy at camp. Poor Mr. Bill. Mr Hand is not playing nice.

Went to Utica today to find a sink.
Okay, we found a sink and counter. It’ll work. It's actully a very nice sink. My goal for having the kitchen usable, the burn piles the contractor left cleaned up and hauled away and the garage floor graveled and all the stuff off the driveway and put away was today. We didn’t make any of them. Not only that but the septic and water guys seem to have us just waiting around. I think I’ll cancel. If I can’t start to make some of this back or at least get some tax advantage to all of this I don’t need to spend anything on it.
The family have started arriving, the Trouts from near Albany and the Sloans from Oklahoma arrived this afternoon and evening. It's supposed to be time for having a vacation, not just working and we're not done with anything.

What's new in the Woods

Wow, it’s been a few days since I’ve checked in. The watercolor class with Sondra Freckleton and Sally Baker was phenomenal. It is the best class I have ever taken! I have not finished my painting yet. Here is a picture of the still life set up.Here is how far I have gotten on my painting.

The kitchen is progressing. It is now too late to get my garnet granite countertop so I am designing a cement counter with inset tiles of garnet tile and whatnot. Hmmmm, thinking about murals and airbrush techniques for the refrigerator and wall paint… Someone stop me. I almost found a sink yesterday. If it wasn’t an undermount I would have brought it home. We also had a load of driveway gravel delivered to fix the floor of the garage. We filled in some mushy places in the driveway with the extra.
It’s been raining. I’ve done a little antiquing, knitting, cooking, reading, gathering interesting branches and such. My son made himself a copper wrist cuff and baked bread today.
My daughter and I visited Old Forge Hardware and found Mr. Bill. We decided it would be fun to surprise people with Mr. Bill in precarious situations. My son was in on it after we got him the first time. This is what Mr. Bill did today.



We have a visitor a lot these days. Don’t tell, we’ve been giving him popcorn. Paul has named him Gerald.