It's A Wee Bit Hot Out There

The week that The Boy was gone started a cycle of rain that we were in for another week. It also included high humidity.Needless to say,it put a damper ( no pun intended!) on the outdoor plans. It put us a couple of weeks behind in laying down the loam and seeding. Last week,the chance of rain lessened as the week went on,but the temps have been in the 90's,with over 70% humidity-which put the actual temperature around 100 degrees. Rick has been out there,determined to get the loam spread as best as he can. Scoop up a load with the tractor,dump it in the area,and spread it out manually. I have been telling him to come inside where the AC keeps the house nice and cool every so often to rest a bit.He has been drinking plenty of water. We have also been fighting with the pool. We bought Green to Blue from HTH. Unfortunately,it didn't say on the bottle that it's not for use for a cartridge filter system,and that you need a material vacuum system for your pool. It broke down the metals,etc in the water and made them settle,but because our filter is not designed to pick up this sort of material well,when we vacuum the sediment spews back out of the outtake into the pool again. I finally looked this issue up last night,and found out that we have been using the wrong chemicals. Sigh. So we blasted the pool with chlorine,and have to start all over. I joked that by the time we can use the pool,the weather will turn to cold and rainy. Live and learn. I am hopeful that we can get the pool functioning for this coming weekend. We are having our Boy Scout Troop to the house for their Year Planning Weekend. It would be nice for them to use it.If not,then we do have the beach down at Sunrise Lake.

I think The Boy came back a carrier from NYLT,because on Monday at Yoga,My Dear Friend Michelle mentioned that her son,Ethan,who was at NYLT was sick with a cold. That night,I started having a scratchy throat,and by Tuesday AM I felt like I was swallowing glass. I was in bed for three days,even most of the Fourth,so it didn't feel much like a holiday for me. I did make some potato salad,and we had chicken ka bobs and corn  on the cob with the salad. We set off some fireworks (no ordinances here in town,though anything after 11:00 PM is noise nuisance)which is our yearly thing. Each day I do a bit more,not to over do it. My poor garden was so sad and full of weeds-Friday I got out there and weeded,finally. The Girls loved the weeds. The mornings are a bit rough.It takes a while for my head to clear,and I am bit stuffy,Mostly I just feel tired all the time,but I just putter along and yesterday was the first day I didn't nap or lay down.

The broilers have all been processed. Rick vacuum sealed them,some whole as roasters,some cut up. It took him over 6 hours to do it. We had about 28 broilers,give or take. We did lose a few over the course of time. That seems to be normal. Michelle and her hubby  were kind enough to lend us their homemade chicken plucker,and it was a time saver. The plucker is all clean and under cover. We just need to return it,I think it will be sometime this week.

In between rainstorms,I have been able to pick a couple few things.......

Some German Chamomile . I used my tea infusers to dry out the flowers. You can see the dried ones on the right, and the freshly picked ones waiting to be dried on the left. I am going to try some Chamomile tea this year.

This has been the best year for our strawberries so far. I have made it point,no matter what the weather or how I feel,to go out and pick the ones that are ready.I wash them,pluck the stems (which I then compost) and put them freezer bags.I am hopeful that I will have enough of my own berries this year to make jam with them.If not,I will have to go to the local farm and get some to combine them with. We have three harvests,and this was a sample of what I was gathering during our first.It has since gone down to just four or five berries at a time,but now we are getting some new blossoms for the second harvest.

We have invested in a roadside sign. We put it out on on the Fourth. Folks have been slowing down when they pass,which is good. Yesterday I sold three dozen eggs.We will have a regular sign by the road with our farm name,and this sign will be used just for what we are selling,which will increase with time.

Hopefully everyone out there is staying cool...if you work outside, please don't over do!!

Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet!

Back Home

The Boy is back home!

We went to Camp Bell Saturday for 8:00 AM to pick him up. All the Scouts how participated in NYLT came down the mountain together,in their respective patrols.They formed a rather long line of three or four across. The leaders were yelling chants and the Scouts would yell back,a la the movie Stripes. It was quite impressive.We didn't see Zach at first. Each patrol would then line up,and they waited to be dismissed... "NYLT disssmissssed!!!"  It took a minute to find Zach,because there were 80+ boys there,plus the parents picking them up. I kept saying,"Where's The Boy? Where's My Boy?" and scanning the crowd for him. I was so anxious to see him. Finally,I spied him coming towards us,and I went up to him and gave him a huge hug,backpack and all. I admit that I cried a bit. I couldn't help it,I was just so happy and relieved all at once. 

I took this quick photo after Rick and I had hugged and kissed him. "My shoulders are killing me," he said before this photo was taken. "My backpack is heavy."

When we got home,we saw his wound.He still has a very faint spider web line on his left heel,and raw area where the blister was.He said it didn't bother him all week,he kept a Band Aid on it. Overall,he said he had a great week,and though it rained for most of the week and there were more thunderstorms,it didn't dispel anybody's spirits.He learned a

lot about leading patrols,how to deal with difficult Scouts/adults,how to plan meetings,etc. He seemed older and filled with more confidence.

When he arrived,they gave him a NYLT hat,three NYLT shirts,and a NYLT notebook that had certain exercises in it for the week.

At the end of the week,they gave him a certificate and a patch:

He does have project that he needs to complete. Each Scout had to come up with an idea to help better their respective Troops,and to create a step by step plan to implement it. Zach's is to have the Troop do more fun activities.He needs to complete the plan by Dec,and if he does,he received a completion pin.

I am so glad he's back!

Close Call

Zach was picked to attend the Boy Scouts National Youth Leadership Training program (NYLT). The boy applies,the Scoutmaster gives a recommendation,and then he is either chosen or not. The program is for 6 days,and the boys are taught various things such as how to run a patrol,leadership skills,etc. NH's NYLT takes place at Camp Bell,in Gilmanton  Iron Works (GIW,incidentally,is the setting for the famous novel Peyton Place. The author based it on people she knew).

We dropped Zach off on Sunday for noontime.Once everyone in his particular patrol arrived,they hiked two miles into woods,up a mountain for their week long training. The only buildings are the shower houses. They do have tents on platforms with cots for the boys to sleep in.

I had to take this photo of Zach when we dropped him off. I am so proud of him being chosen. You can tell how excited he was to have his Mumma take his photo in front of everyone. :)

The weather forecast for this week is thunderstorms off and on all week long. My Dear Friend Michelle and I were saying at yoga class Monday that we hoped they had some sort of shelter in case a bad storm came up. Her son Ethan,is at NYLT with Zach. They wound up being in the same patrol.

Monday night around 11:30 the phone rang,and it was the ER at Lakes Region Hospital in Laconia,NH. Zach was in the ER,and he had been in a lightning strike. He had a burn on his heel,but he was OK,and she told me to hold while she connected me to Zach.

When Zach got on the phone,he told me what happened. Apparently,a storm came up quickly,and it was a bad one. The only had time to get under a staging area. It looks like they may have used it for some classes or for meals. I got the photo from the WMUR (Channel 9) webpage:

Lightning hit a nearby tree,and the electric current traveled through the root system,coming out to where they boys were. There were approx. 30 boys and leaders under the tarp. Zach said everything was bright white,then a very loud clap of thunder followed. There was pandemonium,of course,with yelling and screaming. Zach says he yelled for everyone to "shut up" because "they were hurting my ears".

No one felt any effects until 30-40 minutes later. Some boys complained of tingling sensations in their arms,legs,or down their sides. One boy had blurry vision and his left side was numb. Some, like Zach,felt burning and spider web like markings started to show. Because the storm was still going on,they could not go down to the main building at the base of the mountain. Adults and older boys who had experience and training did first aid on the boys as best they could until the storm passed and they were able to go down to the main building,where most of the boys were put into buses. Six boys who had burns on their chests were driven by truck. They all went to the Belmont fire station (23 boys,3 adults) where they were assessed and then they were all sent to various local hospitals depending on their injuries. Some boys were just shaken up,but those like Zach who had burns, etc,were brought to Lakes Region. Zach had a burn on his heel,and a blister that popped. He said on a pain scale of 1-10,it was a 15,but when he spoke with us,it no longer hurt. His ears had rung for a brief period,but that,too,went away. Michelle's son has a burn on his back. 

Zach sounded fine,but tired. He complained that he didn't get a chance to finish his dinner,because as soon as he started eating,that's when everyone was brought to the hospital. He joked that they all should get a "I Survived a Lightning Strike" merit badge. I knew he was fine. 

This is the tree that got hit. Again,the photo is from WMUR Channel 9 in Manchester,NH.

Zach is back at camp,and everything seems to be fine. I have been a bit of a wreck,just thinking about how close he came to getting either seriously hurt or killed. A lightning expert was on the news discussing this and he said that it is very rare that so many people  get hurt from one bolt,and that there must've been a very large charge of electricity.He was shocked that no one was killed. Usually someone is in that circumstance.

This week just happens to be Lightning Awareness Week.

Oh,the irony!

We are so very grateful that he is OK.

Fresh,Cold Air

 Yesterday Zach's Boy Scout Troop took part in the Abnaki District's annual Klondike Derby. The boys have to tow/push a "Klondike" sled that that they have made themselves from station to station.Stations have such activities as fire building,first aid, obstacle  course,etc. Our sled consists of an old shopping cart that is attached to two old skis.The day culminates with the boys havin  a race with these sleds. The boys did well,earning two third place awards. The only down side was that we lost most of our snow from the warm temperatures and  heavy rain earlier in the week. It was a day long event,and it felt good to be out in the fresh,cold air,since I don't go out much in the winter,with the exception of gathering eggs,chores,etc. I don't do any outdoor winter sports,so I tend to stay in my warm little house. It was nice spending the day with Rick and chatting with other adults,and watching the boys work together on their stations.Our scoutmaster,Ray,brought seafood chowder,moose,and venison meat for the adults for lunch,which was good. The boys had beef stew and grilled cheese sandwiches.

The sun shone until just after noontime,when the clouds started rolling in a some snow started to fly.  It was somewhere between the upper teens to mid twenties,and there was a slight wind that would blow on occasion,but we were bundled up so it wasn't that bad. I did use hand and feet warmers,which made a big difference.There was a warming tent for those who got too cold,and a nice big campfire that we could stand in front of. ( We didn't use the tent,but we did use the fire).

Needless to say,being in cold fresh air all day makes one sleepy. Zach fell asleep on the way home. Rick and I were both in bed by eight. We were beat,but it was a good kind of beat. 

Today,here in the US is Super Bowl Sunday.  On one hand,I would like to see San Francisco win because Baltimore beat the Pats,but on the other, I would like to see Baltimore win because they are from the East Coast. I guess it doesn't really matter either way. The commercials themselves are well worth watching. We have some coupons for Pizza Hut so we are going to to get pizza and Buffalo Chicken wings to nibble on during the game.

Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet!

A Hard Frost

We knew it was coming,and that we were actually overdue.

Our first hard frost of the season happened Friday night. The temperatures went down in the low 20's. Of course, Rick and Zach were camping out all weekend with the Boy Scouts for their annual Fall Camporee,so needless to say it was a wee bit nippy for them,but thankfully they had warm clothes and sleeping bags. It was windy all weekend,which made the temperatures even colder. Sunday morning it was pouring out,so they had closing ceremony at 8:00 AM instead of 9:00 AM. We made sure there was hot coffee and cocoa waiting for them,and we did start the wood stove up so they could have some nice heat to warm their bones after being out in the cold all weekend. It was the first time we started up  the wood stove this season. This week is suppose to be a nice week-only a chance of rain today with temps in the 70's,and the rest of the week is going to be sunny,which is good. Our poor chicken run is still a muddy mess,because the weather has been rainy and chilly all last week. At least now it will dry out and we can get it de-smellified ;)

Once everything is dried out I can put the garden to bed for the winter. 

We brought our cat Smokey to the vets today to be neutered. It was his first trip to the vets and he actually did OK. We brought Samson and Sasha last week for their check ups. Samson is having hip problems so we give  him meds every day to help with the stiffness. We discovered that Sasha has Lyme's Disease, but it doesn't bother her at all. Her joints are fine and she is not suffering from any symptoms,which is good.

Last week when I went for a walk I saw a turkey in someone's yard,and as I walked by I watched her pecking at the ground.We are not raising turkeys anymore,so if we want fresh turkey for Thanksgiving,The Men will have to hunt one. Further down the road on my walk,I noticed an old cemetery. I love old cemeteries and of course,had to walk over to check it out. As I climbed the small embankment,I heard a rustling off to my left,and I just caught the flash of the white tail of a deer as it jumped into the woods. The cemetery consisted of four stones-two adult sizes and two child sizes,which made me rather sad. There are quite a few family cemeteries around here-in the woods,on the side of the road-and coming upon one always makes me wonder about the families. Sometimes their homes are still standing,sometimes there is just a foundation left. What drove them off their property? What killed the little ones? Were they farmers? Trappers? Hunters? All three? When the resting places become overgrown,and the stones broken,I feel so terrible. At one point,these were living,breathing,humans who laughed,cried,and loved. Now they are forgotten. It's so very sad.

Have a fabulous day on this Fabulous Planet!

Yay For Farmington!!!!!

This morning Patriots Nation is in mourning over the loss to the NY Giants.Better luck next year,boys.

There are days I find it hard to put words down on this blog,because,let's face it,there are days when nothing noteworthy happens or when nothing inspires me. There are only so many times I can tell folks that we cleaned house,fed the chickens, and the weather was great. Not very exciting to write,nor exciting to read.So is the dilemma of a blogger.

This past week was Garden Club,and we had a guest speaker from Dover,who helps run their community garden. Apparently,Farmington has a piece of land that is no longer in use that they are willing to let folks use as a community garden. The land has fencing around it,which will be good for keeping out animals. It will be cleaned up in the spring. One of the selectman in the town was at the meeting,and we all had a great discussion of whether is should be a communal garden,or should folks be able to rent/buy their own plot? Many questions were asked of the Dover lady,and it was very interesting.They have a communal plot,where everyone works it and shares in it. The last thought for the Farmington folks was maybe having a communal area,and an area for folks to have their own plots,depending on how big the response is. I think the fact that Farmington is willing to do this is fabulous,and kudos to the Farmington Democrats for bringing this up to the town for consideration.There are lots of folks who live in town with no land that could benefit from this endeavor,as well as low income families who could help themselves grow some fresh food.(Here in Middleton,there are no apartments,only single family homes that are owned or rented.The townsfolk do not want apartments,and any new homes must have a minimum of two acres,so a community garden is not necessary) Our next meeting should be very interesting as well. We have a lady who sells raw milk coming to discuss the raw milk issue. I think we have all heard the controversy over the selling of raw milk. Personally,I can see both sides of the argument:one hand,it's not processed,so who knows if someone could get sick,but on the other,if someone is willing to buy raw milk,and they are aware of risks (if any),then shouldn't they be allowed to do so? I really don't know enough about this subject either way,so the discussion should be very enlightening.

Saturday Rick and Zach went to the Boy Scout Klondike. The Klondike is a yearly winter event in which the boys drag a sled to various stations,and they have to complete each station (first aid,shelter building,etc). The boys received a 2nd and 3rd place in a couple stations,and won 3rd place overall. Both Rick and Zach came home quite pink faced and tired from being in the wind and cold for eight hours,but they both had a great time.

Yesterday was  Green and Red (a yearly celebration of the birthday of Boy Scouts) but I wound up staying home.I woke with my head foggy,and I just thought that maybe I didn't sleep well and once I had my coffee and got moving it would clear up.( I think we have all been there before) Well, I was sitting here at the computer,and all at once, I had a massive head rush.I thought I was going to pass out! After that,my stomach started getting funky. Oh no! I thought maybe if I ate a bit of something that would help,but I couldn't finish my cereal. OK,maybe I can just work through it. I made my gluten free cocktail hot dogs for the  Red and Green,and then took my shower. Maybe after that I would feel better.

Well,that was a bad call,because as soon as I stepped out of the shower,I proceeded to get sick. Twice. Lovely. So for the first time in all of Zach's scouting years (which started in first grade) I missed the yearly celebration,which also has the boys getting advancements. Sigh. I watched "Game of Thrones" (my new obsession) and took a nap,getting up in time for the Super Bowl. Looking back,I would've preferred sleeping through it!

Have a Fabulous Day on this Fabulous Planet!!!

Where's My Deer?

The Menfolk had no luck yesterday,though Brother B did get a shot off at one.However,there were some trees in the way,so the deer was unharmed.They came back to the house a couple of times,and each time I heard them come in the door,I would call out,"Where's my deer?" "Out in the woods,"they would reply. So far, NH has had one hunter killed,and another wounded. We don't have many hunting accidents here in NH,thankfully. What causes these accidents are hunters who shoot at movement.They hear something,get a glimpse of what they think is a deer and they shoot.They don't make sure that it IS a deer.

Today it's foggy and there is a light mist coming down.It is suppose to rain this afternoon,so no hunting today.Rick has had a small fever for a couple of days,which he thanks me for (you're welcome,honey!).Rick will hunt even if he isn't feeling well...he tries to plod right through any illness. I,on the other hand,am down for the count when I am not up to snuff. I have a chest cold,and have been gacking and hacking. My head still feels weird,but my fever is pretty much non existent at 99 degrees.Apparently,this plague stays with folks for a while. People say the start to feel better,then they get set back. Lovely. Hopefully that won't happen to me.

Aside from the basic chores,there hasn't been much else going on. Zach is now the Assistant Patrol leader of his Boy Scout Patrol,so he had his first patrol leader meeting last night.Tonight,he has an Order of the Arrow meeting (OA is like the Honor Society for Boy Scouts). Saturday is our Scouting For Food pick up.

Since Zach has Veterans' Day off tomorrow,he is going hunting with the Menfolk. We would love it if Zach could get a deer.It would be his first one. He also needs to start brushing up on his Scout rank information,since Monday night he has his Scoutmaster Conference for his Star Rank.He will be quizzed on all info he has learned for his Scout,Tenderfoot,Second Class and First Class Ranks.If he passes that,then he will have his Board Of Review,which consists of members of the Troop Committee (Rick and I are not allowed to participate in that,of course).If he passes that, he will get his Star Rank.

 I suppose I should get motivated.I hope you all have a lovely day!

Some Had Fun This Past Weekend,Some Did Not

Friday at 3:00 AM I woke up with the most horrible pain the back of my neck and head that I have had in a while.  I did fall back asleep,but when I woke back up at 8:00 AM,my eyes were sensitive,I still had a pain in the back of my head,and I felt sick to my stomach. I took some  Excedrine Migraine,and went back to bed. I hate when days like that happen,especially days when I have much planned. By the time 2:00 PM rolled around, I was feeling good enough to at least shower,and I went outside to gather eggs,then laid back down. I was wiped out.

Rick,on the other hand,had gone with a friend of ours to pick up what we consider our first farming purchase:

Yep. An Actual Tractor! Rick has been wanting one for awhile to help out around the yard.New ones are way too expensive,but he found this old Bolens on Craig's List,in Farmington,the next town over! He made arrangements to check it out and brought our next door neighbor,Kelly,who is very mechanically inclined and knows alot about tractors,and his friend,Joe. The tractor came with a mow deck,tow behind trailer,weights,and a rototiller. It was for an excellent price. Both Kelly and Joe were envious. Rick did not make any purchase without discussing it with me,mind you. :) Joe helped Rick bring it home and unload it. Then Rick spent the next hour getting used to how it runs,and how the bucket works. He played in the compost pile (which you can see behind him in the photo)moving the compost,then went to the remaining fire wood piles and tried to scoop up some wood to move them to the back of the garage.(he moved a few piles) He proclaimed it "perfect for what we want to use it for." This year, it will be regrading the back yard,redoing the driveway,moving the compost pile,filling the garden boxes,and moving wood.

Zach had a great weekend,at least until Sunday afternoon. He went to the Boy Scout Spring Camporee that was held in Farmington,which was very convenient for us,since it's not far. His patrol won first place in knot tying,and third in First Aid. When we picked him up Sunday AM,he said he had a nice time,and seemed tired,but that wasn't unusual. Lots of fresh air does it every time. He curled up on the couch and slept.By the time late afternoon rolled around,he was complaining that he head felt swimmy. I took his temperature and it was 101.5. I put him to bed,gave him some cold ginger ale,put a cold cloth on his forehead,and gave him some nighttime meds to help reduce the fever and help him sleep. He had no stomach complaints,or body aches. He is sniffly,so I guess he's fighting a head cold. I kept him home from school today,and we won't be going to Scouts tonight. Poor thing. We hate when he gets sick. His little body feels like a furnace,and he never complains,he just gets real quiet. Today I gave him some day time meds and will keep pouring the cold fluids to him.

In plant news, our strawberry plants are coming up nicely,my thyme and oregano have made a strong comeback,and my mint will need to be pulled. It's starting to take over the herb box. I should've planted that as a ground cover. I am going to see if there are any good peppermint soap recipes where I can use the leaves.

I need to go check on The Boy now. I hope you all had a great weekend!

Doings

Our weekend with the Scouts went well and we had a lot of fun. Zach's Troop helps the district run the Fish and Run each year. The annual Abnaki District Fish and Run is designed for Webelos to stay the weekend,have a fishing contest,and do various stations to test their scouting skills.They have a big competition at the end of the day and a campfire with skits and songs. First year Webelos are fourth graders. Second year Webelos are 5th graders and they are already crossed over into Boy Scouts by the time that Fish and Run happens. Each station covers what the boys are learning in their handbooks. Each patrol is graded on how well they work together,etc. The younger Cub Scout-,the Tigers (1st grade),Wolves (2nd grade)and Bears (3rd grade)-have their own fishing competition and they too,can try their hand at some of the stations. Zach was again this year at the First Aid station,playing an injured person. The Webelos had to figure out what was wrong with him. He enjoyed it,as he got to lay down in the dirt all day!!!! Rick helped man the rain gutter ship building station,and I sold hamburgers,hot dogs,chips,drink,cookies and brownies to help raise money for the troop. Needless to say,by the time we got home on Sunday AM,we were all tired from the fresh air. I think we all napped-I know I did!

 We ordered more turkeys this year. We have 14 Bronze turkeys coming next week.We will have to see how well our remaining turkeys get along with their new pen mates. We are still getting random turkey eggs.

Today Rick and I are going to Zach's school for their "Lunch At School Day." We like sitting with Zach and his friends. The school has a great salad bar,which I always enjoy when we go. After that,I need to get more pots. My pumpkins are growing like crazy and I need to transplant them from the seedling tray.No planting outside yet. It's not safe until Memorial Day-ish,unless you have a low tunnel,etc. Which we don't :(

Our backyard is still quite soft,so we haven't been able to get out and work on our beds.We are going to build more square foot boxes within the next week. We also need to get more compost. I don't think we will have enough to replenish our current boxes and fill new ones. We also need to get some fill for our backyard. When we had our artisan well put in,the subcontractor who back filled the trench did a very poor job,so we have sink areas. Not cool. Just one more thing to add to the already long list!!!!!! Our strawberry plants are starting to come up,and I hope we get a good amount,because I want to make quite a bit of jam this year.

We did have a bit of a scare on Sunday when we got home. Our cat Moxie apparently got out and was gone for over 24 hours. He hasn't been outside since we found him in our woodpile back in November. Monday afternoon I went into the "boathouse" (one of those canopied  half circle storage things that folks put boats or cars in that zippers up)thinking he could be in there. Brother B went on the other side in case something ran out. I called ,"Moxie! Little Mo!" I then heard a faint "Meow." Turns out he was underneath a pile of miscellaneous stuff we are storing there until household pick up day. Brother B was able to retrieve him and now he is back in house. Right now he is laying at my feet under the desk :) Zach was really upset and worried that he would never come back. I was too. I have a real soft spot for cats.

Turkey season opened up on Tuesday,and they boys have been out each morning. They have seen turkeys but never in a good spot to get off a shot. Here in NH,they can only hunt turkey until noon. Maybe tomorrow we will have fresh turkey!

Seedlings!

Today I am making homemade crock pot beans. Once I get the beans on the boil,I am going to transfer my seedlings to individual pots.As you can see,my peppers,tomatoes,and broccoli are ready. I had to move the seedlings from the trays which are still on heat to the trays that are not on heat.(Once plants sprout,they are suppose to be taken off heat) I have a few pumpkins and cukes that sprouted right up,after only three days on heat. So I need to replant them as well.I will have to set up another fluorescent light because I will have plants covering my card table. I may even have to get another table! I hope what we plant will produce enough to do some serious veggie canning this year,but we will do what we can. Each year we are going to do more until we are satisfied. We just don't want to go hog wild and be overwhelmed.
The girls are laying well,and I think we are at the point where we can start selling eggs. We will have to make a sign to hang under our mailbox.
Tomorrow Rick,Zach and I will be camping out with the Boy Scouts for the weekend. Zach's troop helps to run the annual district Fish and Run. The Cub Scouts have a fishing competition in the morning on Saturday,followed by various events at different stations. Sunday AM awards are handed out. It's has been a while since Rick and I camped out with the boys. Before Rick's knee surgery,he would go,but he was always in so much pain that he couldn't enjoy himself,so we stopped. Now that his knees are better,he is really looking forward to camping again. He is even going to summer camp! He is happy that he can do things like this with Zach again and have fun!
Those of you who are getting ready for the garden,what are planting and how far along are you?

Busy Time

The past week has been a busy one,and that will continue until Christmas. My house has been overrun with boxes containing decorations. I can't see my dining room because of them and I have pile next to me here at the computer. I dried orange slices,and hot glued ornament hooks on pine cones. Friday we got our tree after Zach's dentist appointment.Saturday after I dropped Zach off at a spaghetti dinner fundraiser he was helping out at I put the lights on the tree. Yesterday after we got back from our shift at the Lilac Mall selling popcorn for our Troop I decorated it. This year I went a bit primitive,with orange slices,pine cones,popcorn garland,and a few ornaments. I opted for white lights again this year. Last year I put the Christmas cards we received in the tree,but I am still deciding if I am going to do that again or not. So I am not posting any photos of it until I decide.

Today I am going to put my greenery on my mantle,and on the windowsills. That should do it for the decorating. I do have to make candles,and start making pork pies for various friends and family.

This morning I woke with a terrible headache,so I am lying a tad low until the Excedrine Migraine kicks in. Brother B went with Rick to the Somersworth VA Outpatient Center to Rick's blood work appt. Rick sweats terribly at night,so bad the sheets get stained. We have always been told that it is due to his PTSD,but the Dr that is taking over for Rick's primary care Dr (he is on medical leave) wanted to test his thyroid to see if his thyroid medication might be too high a dose. So we shall see what happens.

There is a very good chance that they might put Rick on a ADHD med. Brain injuries cause symptoms very much like ADHD-lack of focus,organization,etc.We are going to discuss it further when we see Rick's TBI dr, Dr Whitlock,on the 23rd. He had mentioned that it was a possibility,and when we saw Ken,Rick's PTSD counselor,we discussed it with him. Ken used to be a ADHD counselor for kids,and he has extensive knowledge on the subject. One can obtain ADHD from birth,or from a brain injury,such as Rick's. In the list of 9 symptoms,Rick had 8. So Ken put down our discussion in his notes and sent it to Dr Whitlock. I wouldn't be surprised if Dr Whitlock does move forward with that idea. It would be wonderful if it helps.

Still no snow in our neck of the woods. Up north in the mountains they have some. Saturday we woke up to a dusting of snow. Yesterday we had freezing rain and sleet,which actually caused the Spaulding Turnpike to close for a few hours because the highway was an ice rink and 50 cars were off the road,even the sand truck(I can only remember the Turnpike getting closed a couple of times).Everything then turned to rain,and we had a couple inches of that,with some heavy wind. I am surprised we didn't lose power. Right now it's in the 50's (degrees),which is balmy for us this time of the year,then later today the temps are suppose to go down the 20's. According to the Farmers Almanac,we are not suppose to get any snowstorms until January,so it is looking like we may get a green Christmas. I hope we at least get a little snow. It's very strange to be in NH and not have a White Christmas!!!

Rainy and Raw

That describes our weather right now. Rainy and raw. Not to mention foggy as well. The front moved in yesterday,and it seems we will have this weather up until Thursday or Friday. Yep,Fall is here!

Saturday Rick and I went out for our 13th anniversary,which was yesterday( We had Zach's Boy Scout Court of Honor last night,so we celebrated over the weekend).We went out for dinner in Portsmouth.Our first stop was the Dolphin Striker,as Rick wanted some oysters from the raw bar. I tried one with cocktail sauce,and it wasn't bad,but still not something I could order. We then went to the River House just up the street for dinner. They have gluten free options,which is not easy to find in a restaurant. Rick and I have not been in Portsmouth on a Saturday night since before he left for Iraq.We used to go out somewhat often,whether for drinks,dinner,or just walking around.We wanted to sit on the deck,overlooking the Piscataqua River ( which feeds into the Atlantic ocean,there are tugboats,fishing boats,etc docked out there).There was a 30 minute wait,so we left our name and went and sat on a bench and watched people. I asked Rick a couple of times if he was OK,because there was soooo many people,either milling around or sitting outside at the various restaurants.He said he was fine. People had money to spend,that is for sure. We had a lovely dinner and enjoyed being out on a nice romantic evening.

Sunday we split and stacked wood from our log pile. I thought I would be more sore that night and into Monday,but I wasn't. We were going to continue with the wood yesterday,but it was drizzling starting in the morning,and continued to do so off and on all day.I washed floors,made crock pot beef stew,and made a batch of hand soap.It was a good day for beef stew. We wound up waiting an extra 20 minutes for Zach's bus. It wound up smoking from the back,and our bus driver Audrey called in another bus to bring the kids the rest of the way home. She said that all her gauges were fine,so she had no idea what was wrong,but didn't want to take any chances. He didn't get home until almost 3:30. I felt chilled,so I made myself a nice cup of Apple Cider Tea ( from Bigelow).

Rick did not have good day yesterday.He is down to 1 morphine pill now,and is feeling the effects of having last week's dose cut in half. To make things worse,an elderly gentleman pulled out of a side street without looking and almost hit our truck.Rick and Brother B were running errands. They slammed on the brakes and narrowly missed hitting this man's car. I can only imagine how that sent Rick's hypervigilence up. When he got home,he was not feeling well,and when he handed me the ATM card,his hand was shaking badly. He went to bed around 12:30 and slept until 5:00. He went with us to the Court of Honor,and sat in back,but he chatted with the other adults. He still was not feeling well last night,and had a hard time falling asleep. In fact, he is asleep in his recliner now,so I know he didn't sleep well last night.

Zach did well at Court of Honor. He earned four merit badges at summer camp-First Aid,Wilderness Survival,Carpentry,and Pathfinding.All the boys did well,and many merit badges were given out. Zach only has a couple requirements left before he can earn his First Class Rank. He loves scouts!

Today I am off to grocery shop and I am going to make some homemade pumpkin puree,maybe even an apple pie.

Enjoy your day,where ever you might be!

Mmmmm...That Smell!

Yesterday was a beautiful day here in good old New Hampshire. Zachary left for 5 days for Boy Scout camp up in Raymond,ME,at Camp Hinds. It's an old fashioned style camp which the boys all love. The lake is beautiful,and the shore is surrounded by nice shade trees.They vote each year where they want to go to camp,and apparently the last three or four years they all want to go to Hinds. This is Zach's second year. He signed up for his Swimming,First Aid,and Carpentry merit badges. Swimming and First Aid are requirements for Eagle Scout,which Zach wants to earn. Rick and I drove Zach and his friends Ethan and Shane up. We didn't follow the rest of the group,we took a different route which consisted mainly of country roads. It was the perfect day for a Sunday drive,and we enjoyed looking at the old farmhouses,Colonials and small towns. I wanted a lesiurely ride,and that's what we had. We were missing Zach as soon as we left camp,however. It seems strange not to have him around.


( Our finished chicken coop,with our garden in the foreground)


One of the things I was enjoying on the ride to and from the camp was the smell of fresh cut hay. It is one of the most pleasant smells I know. One cannot help but breathe deep and take a moment to savor it's sweet aroma. All of a sudden,we would pass by a farm and the smell would hit the car. It was wonderful.

We were lucky last week that we were able to get a small amount of hay for free. Our neighbor cuts the grass at the park ball field,and Rick and I had commented a couple weeks ago that the ball field was turing more into a field than a place you could play ball. Then a week ago we heard the mower at the park,so we knew the ball field was getting mowed. Later, our neighbor showed up with a truck bed filled with the cut grass,AKA hay.

Apparently our good friend Kelly had run into this neighbor and told him we could use the hay! So Rick,Brother B and Zach put it on a tarp and started making small bales of it. They posed for the above picture. After I took the photograph, I went over,grabbed a handful,and buried my nose in it. Mmmmm...that smell! Who doesn't love that?

We are off to the Manchester VA today.Rick has physical therapy,and I think his therapist will be even more surprised at his progress. He can ride the elliptical really well,and I haven't seen him use a cane or crutches for a bit now. He faithfully stretches and exercises each day,sometimes twice day,especially if his knees get stiff. He can now bend his knees even more,and has kneeled a couple of times,but it feels strange when he kneels,because he can't tell how much pressure he is putting on the knees. That will just take some getting used to. Everday brings more healing,and that is wonderful!!!

A Beautiful Day

It is a beautiful day in the beautiful state of NH. The temps should be in low 70's in our neck of the woods. We had quite the wind yesterday,with gusts upward of 50 miles an hour,so the day was chilly. However,we made the small cage for the chicks and I rototilled last year's garden area,then smoothed it out. We will be putting our boxes there,and a couple will go in the area between the garage and the house. Those boxes will be my kitchen garden and my strawberry plants. I will probably put my melons there as well.

Today will be a busy one. Rick has an appt at the VA Outpatient Center in Somersworth with Ken,his PTSD counselor. Then it's off to buy vermiculite,peat moss,and some dried cow poo. Hopefully we have enough compost here to mix and fill the boxes with what we buy.We are also going to pick up our chicks. This year we will have Buff Orphingtons,Rhode Island Reds,Silver Lace Wynadottes,and Cornish Game Hens.This will be our first time having Game Hens,so I'm curious to see how they do. Those will be for eating. We have had the others in the past,and were pleased with their egg production. We went with the Rhode Island instead of the NH Reds this year because they do lay more eggs. It's always a fun day when they chicks arrive.

We also need to build our garden boxes,plant our blueberry bushes,strawberry plants,onion sets,and I need to start my Straight Eight and pickling cucumbers.The Paradiso Mix coneflowers arrived,so those need to go in the ground very soon as well.

This should keep us pretty busy over the weekend. Zach will be camping our with his Boy Scout Troop. They help out each year with Fish and Run,which is a Cub Scout event. The cubbies fish in the morning and prizes are given out for the biggest and the smallest. Then there are stations that they can do throughout the day. Some are geared for the younger scouts and some for the older,Webleo scouts. The Webelos are graded and awards are given out on Sunday morning. The Boy Scouts help run the stations,measure the fish,etc. They also run the campfire on Saturday night,where all the units can do skits and songs. It's a good time. We drop Zach off this evening,and the event is only about 15 minutes from our house,so it works out well. He will be pooped out on Sunday,that I am sure of.

We have not started on our chicken coop yet,but the plans have been drawn up. We have some time before the chicks are big enough,anyway.

I must go and start my day.......and what a beautiful day it is!

Busy Hands,Good News, and Rememberances

Good morning!
The sun is shining right now,but the forecast calls for some clouds and some showers later on in the day. The leaves on the trees are popping out everywhere,and before we know it,all the trees will be full of them. I love looking out my kitchen window and seeing the transformation each day-just a tiny thin mist of green at first,then overnight the whole forest is a sea of green. Gorgeous.

The weekend was beautiful,and we got most of the turkey cage done. Rick,true to form,pushed himself so he could barely walk each night. We could only work a bit before he had to take a break,and we probably put in about an average of 3 hours each day,give or take. It depended on Rick's tolerance. We got the upper cross supports on,and the attached the top row of chicken wire to it. Today we are going to put the wire across the top so the turkeys don't fly out and flying predators can't get in. Then we just need to put one more roost in ( we use cut down decent size saplings and run them between trees) and a shelter for them and it will be done. Our friend,CJ,is selling us turkeys that will be big enough to go right in the pen.Then we have to organize the garage and redo a small cage for the chicks when they come in later this week. Then we need to build the coop,and make our garden beds. All this as soon as we can. Our rush is twofold. First,we need to get them done,because we need to get them done! The second,is Rick is finally getting his knees replaced! His surgery date is June 7. They are going to set him up for both knees at once,but if the anetheseologist says it's too risky,they will do one then the other about a month and a half later.The VA cleared it and he will be getting his surgery done at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. We are very excited and happy that he will finally get this portion of his life back!!! Pain free. Imagine the concept!

Zach had his Boy Scout Camporee this past weekend,and the troop did well-two first places and a third. He had a great time,and was quite tired. He and I redid our fire ring,and I thought he was going to fall asleep right on the ground. Later in the afternoon we watched "Avatar",and he fell asleep. Poor little guy. He had vacation last week,and was such a big help to Rick and myself outside. We didn't even have to ask! He was more than happy to help his Dad. He's such a great kid.

Yesterday was a sad day for me. It was the one year anniversary death of my dear friend,Alexandra O'Rourke. She passed away from lung cancer. I was going to say something about it to My Dear Friend Michelle while we were picking up the boys at Camporee,but I had a feeling we would both cry,so I didn't say anything. I didn't need to remind her. Alex was her best friend. We both knew,though I did mention it in an email to her later and I posted a remembrance to Alex on Facebook. It was then I started to cry,and went outside to help Rick. He gave me a hug while I wiped my tears. I haven't cried over Alex in a long time,though I think about her alot, and miss her,especially this time of year when she would out in the garden. Rick told me he thought Alex would be proud of me for starting to live this kind of life,and I like to think that she would be. It still feels strange and hurts a bit when I see her sons,especially her oldest boy who is in Zach's troop. He is the spitting image of Alex,and she loved the scouting program so much. A whole year. It has gone by so very fast. It seems like yesterday.

Achy Achy Body

Zach ( in the green jacket) getting ready to hike

Saturday was our Boy Scout Troop's Hikeathon. We were going to do our own,instead of doing the District's. We were going to in May around the Duncan Lake area in Ossipee. Well,there is logging going on in that area now,so we had to cancel those plans and went with the District.

The trails were on the Branch Hill Farm property in Milton Mills. As you can see,we received a bit of snow,and it was snowing as we started our trek. Before too long,it was a slight mix,then a bit of drizzle took over,but it started and stopped. The weather really wasn't bad at all.

One did have to keep an eye on the trail,since a lot of roots or rocks were covered up by the snow. Some areas had slippery leaves,some had mud holes we went around. The boys had 6 (I believe) stations to stop at along the 12 mile trek .Here they had different activities to complete-how to tell the height of a tree using a stick,making specific knots,and how to use a cross saw.

Our loop was 6 miles,which we had to complete twice. After the first loop,we stopped and had snacks and something to eat. Now....6 miles for me is ALOT. I am no longer used to walking long distance,let alone walking at the pace we were going,and the trail conditions. I didn't think I could do another 6 miles. Happily,for me, the 6 mile trail was getting a bit muddy and slippery,so we opted for the 3 mile loop.

I was sore by the time we reached the car,and by that night my whole body hurt.My neck and shoulders ached from looking down most of the time to watch my footing.My hips,legs,and feet hurt from the walking. In fact,as I write this,I am still a bit sore.

However, it was worth it. The boys get 50% of what they earn,with the other 50% going to district. I did something with my son,and I got 9 miles worth of exercise! Rick says he is going to join us next year.

I Finally Get Through!

I have been trying for the past two days to post,but for whatever reason,I was not allowed to go to the sign in page. I am glad to see whatever issues were afoot are now resolved.

We knew it was too good to last. Our stretch of summer like weather has left us and now we are back to typical April showers and temperatures. However, that did not deter us. Thursday Rick and I put up the chicken wire around the bottom of the turkey cage. We also cut down some saplings that were in the way. It took about an hour,and that was all that Rick could do. Then yesterday it rained all day,so there was no outdoor work.

My seedlings are coming along nicely. I just went into the basement to check on them,and I now have three more pepper plants. So now I have 10 in total. Yesterday I planted 20 tomatoes,because I know not all of them will take.I put the cells that did not have their seeds sprout yet in the same tray with the tomatoes,and kept the sprouted ones under the light. I use regular heating pads for the seeds. I have heard that you should not use heating pads,that regular plant pads are the way to go,but so far it's worked fine. I did make one error,however-when I first bought the heating pads,I bought ones with an automatic shut off. After an hour,it would shut off and I would have to manually turn it back on. Not an option. Fortunately, I had an old heating pad and it worked, though it didn't get quite as hot as it used to. I checked at Rite Aid,and they had the heating pads without the automatic shut off,so I bought two for about $30. It sure beats one plant pad for over $50. You do not need expensive items to get your garden going. I have an basic shop light and cool fluorescent bulbs,for which I think I spent no more than $14. Plant lights are not necessary. I do make sure the soil stays moist,as that is very important.

Rick and his brother Brian are off to pick up the supplies for our square foot garden boxes. We are going to have 9 boxes this year. This is our first attempt at square foot gardening, and starting seeds,and while it does seem pretty straight forward,it's like anything else one tries for the first time-we feel a bit overwhelmed at what needs to be done.We can only do our best and learn from any mistakes we make. Hopefully we will have enough to can and maybe sell a bit by the roadside for a bit of pocket money.We didn't want to go too over board our first year.

Today I am going hiking with My Dear Friend Michelle and her two boys. Zach is best friends with her son,Ethan,and he spent the night there last night. We are going over to Strafford to hike Parker Mountain. It has been quite a while since I have done any hiking,but Michelle promised to go slow. The sun is shining,the air is brisk,so it it great hiking weather. Tonight Rick and I are going to the Abnaki District dinner.This is for registered adults in our Boy Scout district,where leaders can receive awards. Rick did not go last year. They had spaghetti for dinner,and Rick did not want to pay $10 just to eat a salad (he can't have regular spaghetti because of the gluten).This year they are having roast beef,so he can eat that and feel like he's getting his money's worth. :)

Enjoy your day!

Nice Warm Days

Good morning!
The sun is shining yet again in NH. We have been having what I call a touch of Indian Summer.The temps yesterday were in the low 60's,and today in some spots it might hit the upper 60's. That is considered rather warm for mid November around here!
Poor Zach has come down with a cold. He spent Friday night at My Dear Friend Michelle's house,since he and her son,Ethan are great buds. I picked him up at her house Saturday morning so we could go do Scouting For Food. (If you are not familiar with what SFF is,Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts go out and place door hangers (up til this year is was a bag) on people's doors,then the following week they pick them up. People donated canned goods which go to local food banks.) On the way to our meeting spot,Zach informed me that he was coming down with a cold. He started coughing Fri night,and his nose was stuffy. I asked if he felt OK otherwise,and he said he was OK, he could still do SFF. The route took about 3 hours,with two other boys helping at one point,but for the most part we only had one other boy helping us. We placed slightly over 200 door hangers.
That afternoon,we had a birthday party to go to. Rick's nephew,Brody,turned 13. It was mostly adults,Zach and Brody were the only kids there,so there wasn't any running around or anything. I could tell that Zach was tired-he had circles under his eyes,which he always does when he is under the weather-and he was a bit quiet.We didn't stay long,maybe a couple of hours. When we got home, I took his temp,which was 99.5. Low grade fever. So I gave him a good dose of nightime cold medicine,some Gatorade,a box of Kleenex,and he was asleep by 8:30.
Yesterday I kept him in bed all day,and today,even though his fever had gone down,I kept him home from school. He coughed all night,so he didn't get the best rest,and he still doesn't look well. He is taking part in a flag ceremony tomorrow at school in a Salute to Veterans,so I want to make sure he doesn't miss that.
Rick has been working on our hallway/living room remodel. Hopefully my computer will be cooperative and download photos so I can show you the progress.

A Soggy But Fun Weekend

This last week,not only were my allergies bothering me, but I came down with a cold as well. How can I tell the difference? I don't get stuffy with allergies,but my eyes get really dry and itchy. With a cold I get stuffy,and I don't feel well overall. The cold started about a week ago,and I was not going to let it interfere with my apple picking plans with My Dear Friend Michelle. We went Tuesday to Butternut Farm,where the public can pick their own fruit,pumpkins,etc. I got a bag of MacIntosh ( Rick's Fave) and a bag of Honey Crisp ( my Fave). After we were done, Michelle wanted a bite to eat,so we went down to the little restaurant where we meet for our muffin dates. I wanted a cup of tea,so I knew I wasn't feeling well.( I like tea, but am more of a coffee kind of gal.) After we had tea and a muffin, I was suppose to go grocery shopping ( as Tuesdays are grocery days) but I really wasn't feeling well,my stomach was off and on unsettled,and my head was feeling weird. So I called the Boys and asked them if they would mind getting the groceries this week. No problem! I drove home,made up the list,and Rick and Brian went to the store. Now, normally I would have the list already made,but since I wasn't feeling 100 %, I was just going to grab the normal things we usually get. Since I do the shopping,they didn't have a clue what to get,so I had to write it down.
By Friday, I was feeling better,which was good, because Friday night was the beginning of our district Boy Scout Fall Camporee. We had been keeping an eye on the weather forecast all week,and it had been the same-rain. It's pretty well known that any Abnaki District event conjures up rain at some point,so it wasn't surprising.Being involved in Cub Scouts for 5 years,and now in Boy Scouts,one tends to get used to rain. However, one still hopes that the front will move through faster,or will move more to the south. No such luck.
We were fortunate though that we were all set up in camp and settled in our tents before it started raining in the wee hours of Saturday morning ( about 2:00 AM). And did it rain! It rained most of the day Saturday,with some short breaks. The boys,however,had great attitudes and worked well together at all their stations-archery,.22 target shooting,paintball wrist rockets,first aid,troop jeopardy,orienteering,and water rocket targets. Rick and I followed the boys from station to station,though we were a bit behind them because Rick cannot walk as fast as they can. He kept telling me to go on ahead,but I stayed with him. He was in a lot of pain,but determined to do what he could. The other adults were helping run the paintball wrist rocket station.
Like I said, the boys worked very well together,and we did not hear them complain about the weather once. In these type of situations,attitude is everything. If you let the rain get you down,then you will be miserable,and your attitude will affect those around you. Chris,the Senior Patrol Leader,gave the boys a little pep talk before the days events started,and said as much. This was his last district event,as he is working on his Eagle Scout rank,and will be leaving us very soon. He wanted this to be a good weekend for everybody,for the boys to have good spirit,work together,and have fun. It was a good speech,and everyone took it to heart. The boys sang,cheered each other on at the various stations,and had good attitudes. It paid off. The troop won Most Creative for their Mud Cake in the dessert contest,second place in Troop Jeopardy,first place in First Aid,and won Honor Patrol. Honor Patrol is a special award for the patrol that best exemplifies the patrol method-working together,scout spirit,etc. It doesn't matter how many events you place at,the whole purpose of the patrol method is teamwork. Chris was especially pleased,since he had been wanting the troop to win this for a long time,and this was his last chance with the troop to do so. We are so proud of all of them.
We got home late morning on Sunday,unpacked all our gear,took showers,and by 2:00 PM,Rick and I were both sound asleep in our recliners. I slept for three hours,but Rick was very hard to wake up. We had to wake him at 6:00 PM for his morphine,then again at 8:00 PM for his night time meds. He also ate supper,then fell back asleep. Poor guy,he was exhausted but had a great time getting to know the adults and seeing the boys working do what they do.
Tonight is our Court of Honor,and Zach is excited because he will be receiving his first Merit Badge that he earned at Summer Camp-Fingerprinting. It is a basic badge that all first year campers earn. He could've have earned his Swimming badge as well,but it took him a few days to pass his BSA Swimmers Test,and that put him behind. You really have to pass it the first day so you can complete the rest of the of the requirements during the week. That's OK,though! He had a great time at camp. It has inspired and motivated him to work hard,and that is very heartening. Like he says,next year he will kick butt!!! :)