OPENING DAY!!!

this is lar and mitch's opening dasy of early goose season...sure looks like mitch has been busy retriening!!!!!!! for them it was a nice walk in the woods with th gun but at least they got out...things came up around the house that lar needed to get fixed like the ice maker ...he like ice in his afternoon refreshment so in order to enjoy that he needed to get it fix...2 trips to lowes and it got done..we bought a new ice maker only to find out when we got home it had already been used..we bought an allready opened box (i thought maybe we ought to take one that hadn't been opened but i didn't next time) so when it had water/rust marks on it ..off we went back to lowes..nnow ice for the afternoon refreshment...

so mitch and lar had opening day the second day of the season..it was a lovely summer day hot...NO geese flying around where they were too bad they didn't find a golf course near by cause that's where we hear they like to be...again this morning they are off to anpother place to see what they can shoot at and maybe mitch will have to go for a swim to retrieve...

we are getting ready for our sept adventure...leaving town on wed for the rest of the month...heading to kentucky to visit lar's brotehr doug and iris...but first a visit with his mom--visit with brother outside pittsburgh-an old school friend of lar's-dayton air museum-kentucky and then who knows wherewe might just land to do some sightseeing etc..

the garden is winding down a bit..have canned a coupkle of batches of tomatoes-pickles-dug a few potatoes -froze peppers-now aiting for the wingter squash to ripen..so not planning on having a garden this year we feel lucky that we were able to plant some stuff and eat from it...just going out to the garden to pcik and eat is such a treat...also have picked at least a bushel of pears and apples glore..can not say how many buckets of drops we have taken to the woods to feed the wild creatures and the trees are still loaded with them...

so all well here on the home front as we get ready to adventure forth..enjoy fall..

VASE

as some of you know my brother dan in an artist wodd turner in other words he turns wood into some beautiful things like bowls-vases-plates-you name it and he can turn it...we brought back a truck load of different pieces of wood from this past winters trip ..we picked some up along the road-some from fields-and different places along the way..well to our surprise he made us a beautiful vase out of orange wood that we got..(lar went to a house next to an orange orchard that had been cut down and asked for a couple of pieces--the lady didn't speak english but he thought she said yes so we picked up a couple of pieces...and this is what he made for us...it is two different colors of wood and is just beautiful...it now sits on display in our house along with some other things he had made for us..it sure is nice to have such a talented brother..we just need to find more wood for him to work with...(not that he is running out--so if any of you know of some pklace to find some different kind of wood let us know)

also there are some pictures of some of the otehr things he has made now he just has to find some place to sell his work....so if anyone knows of any place just let me know and i will pass it on to him...

garden is slowing down a wee bit--still eating lots of tomatoes-cucumbers-zucchini-potatoes look like we should have a good crop--enough for winter...also the butternut squash still growing...

SQUASH JUNGLE

as you can see the winter squash have taken over the garden..climbe up the 4 foot fence surrounding the garden..gone out into the lawn where i mow and are just about every where...i don't dare walk into the patch as i don't want to crush what i don't see...it appears that we are going to have a good crop of squash...the ones that are on the outside of the fence the deer might just eat and i'm not sure what to do about that as if i move the vines i might break them...so we will just wait till it is time to harvest them..

we have been busy trying to get caught up with projects..the rig has been over to the local rv person oh no nothing serious..needed an inspection and lar wanted the brakes looked at and possibly replaced due to the miles we but on them this past winter......

early goose season is fast approaching...lar will get in a few days before we take off for kour sept adventure...heading to kentucky to visit brother doug and help celebrate his birthday...we have a few stops along the way we want to do..like the dayton air museum in dayton ohio and visit a old high school friend of lar's that lives in ohio...the plan is to be back the last week in sept...or so..

have seen a few deers out back as a matter of fact the other day while mowing the lawn i had a deer not to far away (i'm not a good person to judge distance) she seemed close and we just looked at each other for what seemed like a long tme...then off she went and i had to finish mowing the lawn darn...

some of you know that i've had cataract surgery first the left then this week the right..so far i think i am happy...vision is much cleared and brighter in both..i will need glasses for reading but that also isn't clear right now as it has only been a week for one and a day for the other..time will tell...very easy surgery and i don't remember a thing...lar even has had a laugh or 2 with some things i've said and repeated..but i don't remember so life is good...

DELAWARE

a report about the wedding in delaware...and a lovely time it was...the hotel dupont was a grand hotel with all the fixins...lovley ceremony--then on to the appetizers and cocktails followed by dinner in the grand ballroom...each course was served slowly and graciously wiht time in between to dance...the friends from enfiled made a hit as we had taken dance lessons so we could dance proper at the reception...and we did...the first dance was dedicated to the bride and groom with fashion and we recieved high marks...

then three other couples and us had a 2 hr drive down the coastal highway to a house we had rented for 4 more nights of activities...and a 2 hr drive took us 3 1/2 as it appeared that we weren't then only ones going to the beach..and a fun time ws had there...did some biking/swimming both ocean and poool/ate lots of good food both out and prepared in/drank a little/shopped as delaeware is a tax FREE state...then back to realty and catch up...

this coming monday i am having cataract surgery on my left eye so i hope to be able to see a whole lot better..things won't look so blurry i hope...then the following week the other ones will come out...

today was spent in homer for the tracy renuion...good to see all the cousins and families...

the summer sure has gone by quickly and we will be on the road again for the sept adventure..more about that later..

MORE FAMILY

this past weekend we adventured back to falconer for lar mom's side family renuion and it was crazy like always...ahahha you just have to be there to really understand...

they did the usuall parade down the main street of town as you can see...there is also a picture of lar and his mom..)92) and seems to be in pretty good health even after breaking her hip this winter ...

on sat the days events included the auction of stuff--dinner--parade--and then the weather socked in and we were less than 5 miles from 4 tornados that touched down in the area...not that common ..some damage was done around and minor injuries..a kayak was picked upo at a marina and put threw the window of the club house..roof taken off a golf club club house...we experience heavy down pours and heavy winds lasted about an hour or so...

on sun some of us got together for breakfast and clean-up and the place where the renuion was held...all in all it was a fun time...

the garden is beginning to produce some veggies..have eaten a couple of cherry tomatoes-green peppers and tonight we are having new potatoes mmmm good...cucumbers soon will be producing and the winter squash is growing and growing up the fence and trying to take over the whole garden ...the beets some creature has gotten in and ate all the tops off the beets so that is the end of them...anyway what ever we eat from the garden is a bonus as you know we hadn't even planned on having one...now enough for a freah tomatoes sandwich on toast...my mouth just waters just thinking of it...maybe next week after we come back from delaware..

we are going to a wedding of a daughter of a good friend who is a wedding planner so it ought to be a fun time...after the wedding 4 other couples and us are going to rent a house on the beach for a few days..hopefully we will have some good weather...

i tried to include some pictures but ffor some reason they didn't want to down load...i will try to send them later ...

FAMILY

yesterday was famly day..sylvina and stu were in town for syl 45 aniversary from high school so she had a busy weekend seeing old friends..they were staying at sister chris's house so chris decided what better than to have a family brunch...so we all arrived around 10am and had a grand old time...it was nice that we culd all be together..and what a beautiful day it was...we could sit outside under the canopy and it was comfortable...just a great day...it was not humid and hot...everyone brought something to share i guess a poit luck brunch and evdrything was of course very tasty and good...

sat evening we went to the park for the concert at mid way thru it it started to lighting and we all thought someone must be having some fire works...NO it was a t/storm coming..so we packed up and as soon as we got to the car it came down in sheets and some hail didn't last long just enough to send everyone home...drove about 5 miles and the road was as dry as a bone...go figure summer storms...

garden is doing ok we have eaten peppers-lettuce and pulled the garlic...over all we aren't too awful
disappointed in it as we didn't think we would even have one..

before i forget the picture are of course of the tracy clan one of just us and then the in-laws i'll let you figure out who is who...

HOT JULY

so this is july and it is hotter than hattie!!!!!!! we haven't been able to get what we would like to get done around here causeby afternoon it isway tohot to do anything it jmust wipes us out big time...

but can you believe that morning we have gone to the back of the barn wherewe have a stash of fire wood and hauled a wagon full to theback porch..we need to have the winter stash in place soon..we are a wee bit later than usuall...we have it all done by now but i guess not getting home till the last week on may has something to do with it...

the garden is growing and of course has needed to be watered and if we don't get some rain in the next day or 2 we will have to start watering again...we were suppose to go on a bike ride today but cancelled it due to the oppressive temps...just as well cause it got over 100 and that's way to hot to be doing any physical activites...we will plan another day for the ride..we had planned on doo9ng to erie canal then out to lunch at the dinosaur and popular place in syracuse...a biker and i mean motercycle place for good b-b-q...also a favorite for lots of others...but it got it's fame from bikers...and not pedal bikers like us...

we are now waiting for it to cool down..last night we went to a friends house who has a pool they had invited several couples to come ono down and enjoy which we did..and a fun time was had by all and it sure felt good ..lots of laughs

mitch does NOT enjoy these hot temps..he walks around trying to find the coolest place to lay down..if is isn't the bathroom floor it is the flag stones at the front entrance...sometimes even the kitchen floor...we do take him for a swim every now and then but he has to stay outside till he dries off...

so we are holding our own in this heat ugh i say.....have even thought about sleeping in the rig at night but thankful it does drop some by night and with the fans on it hasn't been too awful for sleeping...