Lover mowing for the first time this season..once you start; it doesn't end till late Oct. What a difference a day makes; yesterday a light snow covered the grass. 

Monday's visitor 

Monday snow..better not be any Tuesday snow. 

Sunday snow..again 

Trip; too quick

Quick trip to Canada; left on Wednesday at 8am and returned Thursday at 9pm. We left sunny skies in Pa to hit rain at Buffalo.. Miserable cold rain and high winds. The kind of high winds that make you grip the steering for the white knuckle effect. Especially on the Sky Way bridge in St. Catharines, Ont.
Lover got blood work done, then we headed back to Niagara Falls to the Super 8. Hunger hit us; got a pizza and crashed for awhile. The weather wasn't good for boat watching and by 7pm I was getting antsy to get out of the room. Lover was still sound asleep; so I nudged him to tell him, I was going out. He knew I was headed to the Casino. My luck came and went at the Fallsview, but I enjoyed just being out amoung a crowd. They had a great band playing oldies and I relaxed while being there. Looked at my watch and thought how time flies. It was 1am and (we) had to be up early to go to a doctors appointment, so time to leave the bright lights and the activity and get back to the 8. So after alittle sleep for me; it was time to get up and get going. A bright sunny day greeted us; still rather cold and we're off to the doctor. Did some business and crossed the border by 12. Stopped at the Seneca Casino in Niagara Falls, NY to eat and an hour of play. Then headed towards home. Ellicottville,NY is a resort town: as the picture shows still has some base snow on the slopes and flowers blooming in the valley. The shops are too pricey for me; but the tourist go gagah over it. On to Salamanca and another hour of play and gas. By 9pm we pulled in the driveway safe and sound. Only to open the door to a blasting tv and the my kitchen is a wreck, newspapers spread out on the dining room table, a trial of cookie crumbs to the sunroom and my dad half asleep in the recliner. Now I know I'm home...did I even leave?

Snow on the slopes in Ellicotville, NY on Thursday 4/21 

Packed and ready to go...

Well its late and finally finished packing and making lists.. Having a little me time. Earlier today (1am) when the bear visited the feeder; I thought to myself that we haven't seen a bear..And behold I got up to check ouside and even before I turned the outside lights on; you could see him by the moonlight. He was lying down eating the big suet from the cage that he tore from the tree. He got up when we turned the lights on; and walked away but he came back to retrieve the suet cage. Then meandered towards the gas well road. I did find the suet cage; bend outward from where he stuck his snout in to get the suet. Sorry about the picture; I have to remember to keep the outside lights off when taking a pictures with the digital. He was a huge bear; looked in good health and might weight 450-500lbs. So now we only put feeders up in the daytime; and put some sunflowers out in the crook of the tree at night for the flying squirrels.(3 out there now) So now the list of critters that have visited our feeder:
Black Bear, raccoons, possum, skunk, large variety birds, gray and flying squirrels, female pheasant and the ever present deer. What else can there be? Got to go get some sleep for the trip to Oh Canada.
Good night all........

Least he didn't destroy the feeder. 

Oh my! You have to click on the picture to make it larger...and look really hard where you see the eyes.This big black creature visited about 1am and took the big suet cage and tipped the birdfeeder. I think it time to take the feeder down...we don't want him back.

Those bandits are back! 

My favorite place in Canada..

is the Welland Canal. By chance I got to ride the freighter Capt. Ralph Tucker. I became a canal junkie when I met the lover. I sat by and drove the canal in my truck watching the big ships go through the locks. Eight Locks in total; but I usually went from one to seven daily when I was there. To me this was amazing to watch. Here in Pa theres nothing that matches the canal in Canada. Not Pittsburgh thats for sure. Any way; one day I was watching them restock supplies below lock 1; and I being nosy; I started talking to the guys; I asked one if maybe somehow I could come aboard for travel thru on lock? He asked the captain and he said he had no problems with this. YA Hoo! He had to get some clearance and I had to sign a waiver. I would have signed in blood if I had too...
I gave him my cell number and he called when I could board and where. He said I could board at lock 2 and go to locked 3. Remember I had to get the lover to drive the truck from lock 2 to 3 about 3 miles; run and get disposable cameras for me to carry on board and a gift for the captain all in a half hour. But I was ready.. When I boarded the guys were great; remember they have been in the lakes for three weeks or more and not have been in the present of a woman for awhile. They had all showered and looked their best for the guest that came aboard. The captain was great; I was up in the wheel house and got see how they maneuver these big lakers...Oh what fun I had; the tour of the galley and the sleeping areas, the laker was carrying brine to be delivered to the great lakes.
All to soon we were entering lock 3; believe it or not theres only 1 foot on each side of freighter when in the locks. I just hated to get off but I had to. Lock 3 has a visitor center and a platform that people watch the ships transit the lock. I had to get off when the deck of the freighter was even with wall of lock; and walk the plank to do it. It takes about 15 minutes to enter and exit a lock; so by this time I was on the platform waving to the captain and the guys. What an experience...the people on the platform asked how I got on; I just asked and my wish was granted..How cool is that! Today you can't do this (security,911) even though I did this in 2002; it was by chance, once in a lifetime thing....The Capt. Ralph Tucker is no more...sent to the Alang, India shipyards for scrap; but the memories that I have. You can still see the ships at lock 3 on the Welland canal. On this trip to Canada I plan to spent a good part of the day just watching....Hoping and dreaming of another time..

We're in Lock 3. I'm in the one in green and white, 

I'm on board this freighter. 

Worried

Bit worried about the lover; he isn't feeling too good. Strange happenings going on..we think a light stroke; won't go to an doctor here in the US. He only trust his Canadian docs. If he isn't feeling better by tomorrow; maybe an early trip to Canada will be in the works. We are to leave on Wed. for the plan trip; but if things don't look-up I can be on the road in less than hour and drive so he can get checked out and I can have some piece of mind. My mind won't let me relax, on edge; simply scared.. We'll see tomorrow..

Twenty years ago this tree stand was used by many in the family to hunt for deer. I hated when the wind blew; that old tree creaked; it sounded like your nails scrapping across a blackboard. I didn't mind the climb up to it; I only had trouble with the first step out of it. Now no one uses it anymore; it has seen better days. Walking by it brought alot of memories back of when my son got his first deer 17 yrs.ago (4 point) 

Snapper Sunday  

Hand feeding the bluegills. 

Better

Feeling much better after 2 extra-strength tylenol - 2 asprins -2 cups coffee and an ice tea. Just have a dull ache in the back of my head for now. The shooting pains are gone from the eyes and I'm not holding my head as if it was going to explode. This all started after we were down at the pond raking cat-of- nine tails out of the water. Last summer they started taking over parts of the pond; its good cover for the frogs,bass, bluegills and the carp (who is a monster). But they've taken up a good chuck of water. When I had ducks we never had the catties in the pond. So I put my name on the list for ducks/geese at the tractor supply store. I don't know how long they will survive with the red-tailed hawks and the pair of owls that we have around here; but well see I guess. The other ducks/geese survived almost two years; horned owl killed the female goose and the gander met an untimely death by my ex; he turned mean (the gander) he would attacked you when you were in the yard. The ducks wondered onto the road and they had mishaps with cars. So the new guys will be hopefully trained to go into a box at night and stay in the yard and not wonder whats on the other side of the road. Yea right. Last year the neighbors had 6 white ducks; who liked to visit us; eventually all but one were roadkill. The posted speed limit is 45 but we live on a straight away and no one follows 45 unless they're behind my dad. Well my eyes are starting to bother me so I'm calling it quits for tonight. Sleep tight everyone.

Burgers and Hot Dogs

I don't know about you; but burgers and hot dogs taste so much better on the grill than on the stove. I have a massive headache so the lover is cooking on the grill tonight ( right now ). Onions, mushrooms, tomatoes on a grilled bun. Hungry yet? I am! So maybe later after everyone goes to bed I'll post some more; or not if my head explodes!

On the Q

Bar-b-que that is. We had chicken on the grill tonight; it tasted so good and I even baked a banana cake tonight. How's that for a completely boring Monday.. Father came home looking not so well; his eyes all teary and red with a runny nose. He says its not a cold; (like I don't know what a cold is, I raised two kids) but come on Dad your around the nursing home all day; aids and nurses that have kids at home that have colds and they bring the germ to work with them. Not to mention the different people that visit their loved ones and bring a virus in. I also said if he isn't better by tomorrow afternoon he's visiting his GP. I also tried to explain to him about being more careful around the step-mom; if she catches something she might not bounce back from it...and having the lover here with a kidney transplant we have to watch out also. My father has a bad habit of not using tissues; he uses a hanky. This just spreads his germs back to himself. He doesn't grasp this. Then I ask him to leave his drinking cups and whatever he uses in the sink; not the drain board with the clean dishes. I usually use alittle clorox in the dishwater when someone has a bug so it doesn't spread. I know he isn't feeling well and to bomb him with this may have sounded mean but we don't want to come down with what he has. Does anyone have a solutions to deal with this? It feels like I have a small child again. I seem to have so many down days that when I have a good one it ends up bad. I'm fighting depression; I know I'am. When I'm down the lover is down. I snap a him; or I just don't talk. I need a place to run away too for acouple of days; but I can't do that. I have responsibilities and I'm a adult but I would like to chuck it all and do something for me. (maybe its time I use my Whites metal detector that I purchased a year and half ago, used it twice so far: found a quarter, paid $500 for the detector; priceless huh!) Selfish I know; but whats the alternative? Maybe I need a new do; that usually helps..something short and sassy to fit my mood. This time change has me so messed up. Its 12:30am and I'm not tired. I hear dad coughing now; the lover is snoring and I'm putting in the earplugs and I'm going to surf for awhile..on the net that is. Bye for now..

taken around 4:30pm on Monday; big difference from Sunday. Between the ponds a White Heron stops for a visit. 

What a sunset.. 

Front yard on a spring day!! 

Who messed with my clock?

I mean my internal clock. What in the world possessed me into getting up at 5am; which is really 4am and I didn't go to bed till 1:30am. And now its almost 7am and I am nowhere tired enough to go back to sleep. But I will say this: Its beautiful outside. The tree branches are heavy with fresh snow. Its a spring wonderland out there. Even the peep frogs are still peeping. But the robins look lost. But who cares it's to be in the 50's tomorrow. So If you have spring snow outside your window enjoy it. Don't look for the shovel that you just put away. Its Sunday; relax....it will be gone by tomorrow.

Another spring day.. 

Isn't spring beautiful!! 

Spring Ahead

Hey its 10:30pm and snowing out. If we turn our clocks ahead now will it end sooner? Weather people calling for 4-6 inches by tomorrow afternoon. Didn't Penndot take their snowblades off? And is it not Spring? Its just like years ago; when I used to yearn for opening day of trout season. Its the first day and you have ice on your line and your favorite fishing hole is crowded with men. You still want to fish but your hands are like ice and you can hardly bait that hook; and you think to yourself that these men aren't going to like you nudging your way in to the bank. But you do it anyhow. You've fished in this same spot since you were 5 and no man is going to stop you today..I learned if I act like I don't know how to cast and I snag someones line by pure accident; I can clear that hole pretty quickly.
And I can have it all to myself until someone new comes. And then it starts all over again till my hands get too cold and I have to head for the truck to get warm. Then I watch the guys drift back over to my spot. HaHa they don't catch anything either! So I usually head home with thoughts of the next day and hope the snow is gone by morning. Like tomorrow; the snow will be gone by Monday. Oh and I didn't bake that cake yet; maybe sometime this week.....

Ho-Hum

Looks like another dull weekend. April showers have already started. My birthday was just that! Another day. Lover got me flowers, I do love the smell of roses...upped my spirits abit. Father didn't remember or he chose not to remember. No Happy Birthday from him, seems he's got a bug up his butt yet. Only thing I really missed was a cake..I guess I'll have to bake one for myself, maybe a wacky cake (homemade dark chocolate) with german icing or maybe a peanut-butter pie; I'm getting hungry. So I'll decide tomorrow what it'll be, its too late to be baking tonight. So goodnite all....

Todays pic of the old barn; door is almost off;seems to be shifting some. If the wind picks up some it could fall.