Summer's Slide into Fall

We've jammed a lot of living into the past couple of weeks, trying to savor Summer as much as possible, although I admit, I look forward to the start of school and getting some unsupervised time to call my own again to work on drawings and unfinished projects. (Whew- that is a fine example of a run-on sentence! Sorry!)



Right now, our blueberries are prolific, and so delicious! We rarely pass the line of bushes without pausing to cram a handful or two into our mouths. The birds seem to have moved on to other outdoor buffets, and have left plenty for us! Speaking of birds, we've heard several flocks of geese honking overhead, "Time to fly South!" they seem to remind one another. Many don't heed the call,however, because huge groups of them cluster around open water and stubbled cornfields all winter long.





Recently, D and I attended a picture perfect wedding of the daughter of a dear friend on a Saturday afternoon, the following Tuesday, I attended a funeral of the son of my weekly tea pal and we took our daughter to college the Thursday of the same week. In the span of six days we celebrated and honored several major emotional milestones.




















This week we attended our State Fair, my oldest son started a new job, and a few friends and I "did" lunch and visited a few fabric shops.Today, we made another trip downstate to take our daughter a few more things like bike and beanbag chair, books, and a big container of our backyard blueberries.

Bumper cars

Bumper cars
Originally uploaded by Farmhouse Greetings

Bumper cars seem to be kid magnets.

Fair Days

Yesterday, my youngest and I spent several hours at the Delaware County fair in Walton, NY. It's a wonderful event, large enough to have plenty of animals, quilts, produce,vendors and wildlife exhibits, small enough to be enjoyable.J won an inflatable Yankees bat at the pitching booth because he correctly guessed the speed of his last pitch (44 mph according to the radar gun)and had fun on the bumper cars. I squealed on the Tidal Wave ride much to the amusement my young seatmate. J chatted several times throughout the day with his last year's teacher at her family's extreme sports tent, and I saw a few acquaintances-our postmistress and her family, as well as a fiddler from the Jericho Jam who often attends the Town hall bluegrass concerts. I'm still trying to remember his name! I marvelled at the quilts.In the wildlife exhibit, Mr. Scribbles transformed kids' doodles into souvenir cartoon images. Turns out he graduated from RIT, also, and knew several of the professors I mentioned. We bought colorful earrings for R, as well as socks from the sock tent. A young girl was sitting in the poultry tent, calmly holding a beautiful, red rooster. We plan on going to the State Fair in Syracuse later this month.























R decided she wanted to give J a kitten for his 10th birthday. J and R decided on the name Jazz and it seems to fit. We've all become Jazz aficionados lately.

August Days

August started out with a Bald Eagle sighting near Bainbridge. It is always spectacular to witness one soaring high overhead; it's nice to share the same river valley as eagles! I'm glad they deem fit to put up with us humans. 

Enjoyed biking with J to Nineveh Country store and back yesterday afternoon.  We got rained on but weren't thoroughly soaked so kept going.The cornfields are in tassel and smell great. Maybe the sweet, damp, earthy smell seemed more pronounced after the rain.

Today my brother drove down from Camillus for a porch visit.  There weren't many trains this morning; we determined there seems to be more freight traffic on Sundays. Mom and Dad joined us, too.We spend a lot of time on the front porch, and eat most of our meals out there until Autumn's chill drives us back inside.  (Sometimes, mosquitoes force us inside, too.)

I've been trying to declutter my room- dumped my top dresser/junk drawer to sift through the debris that mostly contains snippets of memories for me.  Can't say that I threw much out, but found necklaces I'd forgotten, including a cherished one my brother, Jim, gave me when I was in eighth grade made from a Mercury head dime the Chief of police in Denver, CO, (his room mate's Dad), realized I have enough lipstick to last eight years (I rarely wear the stuff),discovered I have quite a few pocket knives, and found the tooth fairy's stash of lost baby teeth.  (Now tell me, how do you throw them out?)

Swinging lady

Swinging
Originally uploaded by Farmhouse Greetings

My Mom (over 4 score and ten) still enjoys some of the simplest pleasures in life like baby animals and swinging.

Savoring Summer

Today is July the last; Summer vacation is nearly half over. It's been filled with biking, baseball , sunflowers, baby chicks, swinging, more baseball (J even dislocated a pinkie diving for a catch) and touching base with Colorado cousins. Tuesday evening ten of us met and sat together overlooking third base at the Syracuse Chiefs game (vs. the Scranton Yankees).A perfect night weather wise and for the family, too. Even D's Mom joined in the fun and enjoyed watching people as much as the game (a favorite pastime of mine as well).





Yesterday, J and I spent a leisurely day at the local State park, walking around part of Chenango Lake, wading in the water, grilling hot dogs and hamburgers, and catching a grasshopper and chasing after T's baby sister, who is exploring the world every moment. When we got home my cousins, E&K, surprised us with a quick but wonderful visit, long enough to reconnect and keep the family ties strong. They met J for the first time and we got their current Colorado addresses. So glad I saw them- it's always a treat. I have a photo somewhere of K holding R as a baby- 17 or 18 years ago,during one of their driveby visits between Albany and PA; now R is taller then all of us and leaving for college soon.









Today Mom and Dad stopped by for their weekly diner visit. The new baby chicks captured Mom's attention and she enjoyed swinging on the swing. I'm sure both activities triggered childhood memories. She commented that her father often sat for a long while, mesmerized by a new batch of baby chicks.

Maine memories

We spent the weekend in Wells, ME. Loved hearing the waves crash along the shore and breathing in the sea smells. Spent a lot of time walking along the waves'edges, looking down at the pebbles and shell fragments, had to remind myself to look around and savor the sights of families enjoying themselves. We read, ate seafood (lobster for me!), made a sand dragon,shopped a bit, and discovered a wonderful one and a half mile walkway along the ocean between Perkins Cove and Ogonquit Beach.