July 7-14, 2005 #348

I had a busy 4th of July morning, but I got my macaroni salad done in plenty of time. It was a beautiful day for Natalie Fisher Annual 4th of July celebration. She had all the flags up, including the Betsy Ross flag that my brother, Terry, gave her. It was quite inviting as I drove in. All the usual guests were there or headed there and it was a great day. Claire Kepner arrived with her daughter, Rachel, who had severe sunburn, which her Mom tended to through the afternoon. Claire's son, Jay Crossman and his wife, Donna, and her two children and a new little puppy were next. Beside the other goodies, Jay brought a fantastic chocolate cake! The McBreartys soon arrived. Judy is doing much better after a bout with pneumonia. Claire was hobbling around due to a break in her foot. Natalie was her busy self, barbecuing chicken and beef-one burnt one for Pat McBrearty! It was great sitting outside enjoying this beautiful and peaceful setting.

Jack, the McBrearty's black lab and the Crossman's new 13 week-old English terrier & poodle pup, also a Jack, made friends and the little pup just followed the lab all over. Pat was teaching not only the children, but also the new puppy how to fitch. The pup followed the Lab's lead, running to the Frisbee, trying to pick it up and then run with it. He would trip on it and start over again. The fluffy, energetic pup did very well and we all cheering him on. The two dogs will sleep well tonight.

Bill, our Bernie Bus driver, told me that he and his passengers had seen a bear lopping on the edge of a hedgerow in Mt. Vision last week. "I couldn't believe my eyes, but it was definitely a bear and I bet it weighed 600 lbs!" Bill said. It was just a few days before that I was told of a bear was hit by a car and killed on Route 11 a few weeks ago. Rumors of bear sightings have come about the last few years, so if you think you've seen a bear, it might be just that-a BEAR!

Believe it or not, Mary, Maureen's mom, wanted to go to the Turning Stone Casino! She is 86 not 84 as I last reported. Apparently she had gone to a couple of Casinos with friends some years ago and had fun, so she wanted to go! Someone told her it was not far away so Maureen called Natalie and I to join him or her. We took off at 10:00am and did fine, but Maureen made a wrong turn in Herkimer and we went 10 miles out of our way before we could correct it.

We made good time after that.

The Casino is in Vernon, just off Exit 33 of thruway. It is huge and now has lodging, restaurants, seemingly hundreds of game tables and of course-slot machines of every description. We each went in different directions and I, not being up on it, watched the activities. The few times I tried my luck, I lost so I stopped, losing all of $8.00! Maureen sat her mom at a machine and showed her what to do and even being blind she managed. After an hour or so, the decision to have a bite to eat was meet and we enjoyed a nice lunch. Mary's complaint was that you had to get a credit card in the machines instead of quarters. The smoke bothered us all. Mary announced that she would not be coming back.

Andy called on Saturday morning and asked if I would like to go to an auction near Gilbert Lake. He said it started at 9:00am and they would be leaving in fifteen minutes or so. "Sounds like fun. Sure I'll go, always looking for an adventure," I said. We found it on top of a hill, on a side road off the lake road and folks were congregating. We roamed around and Andy found the compressor he was looking for and there was a tractor! Surprisingly enough the compressor came up early on and he got it. Laura paid a whooping $2.00 for a weed killer spreader and with it came an assortment of pots and pans, cake pans, a little TV and two elephant boxes and a Coleman sleeping bag in good shape.. We stayed for a time just listening and watching then I saw a familiar face. It was Jan Whelan of Mt. Vision and hubby, John, who was always our first customer in the morning at our Country Kitchen. John Finally opened his own garage in Otego, next to Pie-in-the-Sky! He is doing so well that Jan has been working with him. That was good News.

Sunday morning at church, Ed and Jo Ann Winslow said they had seen me at the auction. We got chatting and I heard that bear had been sighted in the Gilbert Lake area and that it had demolished a bird feeder at a neighbors.

Terry and Maureen left for Jersey early on Sunday. They will be back on Thursday. Maureen heard me talking about the wine and cheese at the Fennimore Museum and said she would like to go if she can get away early enough. It is so lovely there. She'll love it.

I made my stop at Hazel McShane on the way home from church and when I said I would be cutting the lawn that afternoon. She firmly scolded me and said that I was not to work on the Sabbath. I said that the Good Lord had given me this blessing and I felt I should take care of it, plus I enjoyed doing it. She was not happy with that. I went home and cut the grass and when I was done, I made a glass of iced tea and a sandwich and sat outside in the lounge and listened to the birds and the breeze whistling through the trees, yet another blessing. She loves me and wants me to be in HIS good graces.

Nature Scene: All my nesting boxes are empty. Bluebirds and Swallows alike managed to coax their little ones out about the same time. I can hear them now. Robins have babies near by and they are actively searching for worms for them. Andy had cut a few low Apple tree branches so I can easily cut the grass beneath them. It is a favorite spot for me. I haven't seen the woodchucks. Perhaps they found less aggravating accommodations elsewhere.

Thought for the Week: Greet friends with open arms and open hearts.