art in the neighborhood

When buying vegetables from my neighbor's farm stand this summer 

I noticed some neat little pieces of art work for sale.  

They were done on the back of some plastic.  

Gene's daughter Elyssa had done them.  

I bought one of a moth.  Way nice.  

We had a batch of paint left from others 

who have painted things here 

and some brushes and some nice plywood 

that I had Tim cut in assorted sizes.  

I gave them to Elyssa to work with 

and lo and behold look what I got in return.  Nice.  Way nice. 

tired

Am I alone in being tired of the badmouthing going on ... ?

Politicians, media, movie stars, just people

 cannot keep their mouths shut and say nothing.

My earliest lessons in life were 1. children should be seen and not heard.

 2 If you can't say something nice say nothing.

I can remember biting my tongue not speaking because nothing was better.  

I knew it and I had this guide line to follow.  Thank you Mom.

Beyond this I have learned

we have such freedom to voice out thoughts, our opinions, 

but is this hurting 

or helping us.

So often when we speak out we are trying to change someones opinion 

to our way of thinking.  

Who made us god?  

What makes us  "right" ?

Maybe accepting the world 

and our family and friends as they are 

and allowing them to find their own way is the way.  

Time and again I find that I am guilty of this.  Lesson ongoing......

blustery walk around the field

The temps have dropped ~45 today with wind whipping, 

the clouds rolling through and the leaves raining. 

It is so intense. The colors seem brighter. One feels very alive in the midst of it.

each season

Leaves are off the maples on the lower 40. Berries are profuse and small birds are in feeding.

seeds are about to disburse. it is a shutting down but it is still busy.

 All the seasons here are stunning and bring us something different. Aren't we blessed?

“Spring passes and one remembers one's innocence.
Summer passes and one remembers one's exuberance.
Autumn passes and one remembers one's reverence.
Winter passes and one remembers one's perseverance.”
― Yoko Ono

new friend upstairs

This fine lady had joined me inside for the winter.  

She was made by a gentlemen here in Maine 

and lives outside when it is warm,

 but she needs to be protected against the cold of winter

 so she dances in my begonia for the next months.  

Is she wonderful or what?  

global warming ~ climate change and me

This is a 2006 Scion XB with manual transmission which I drive ~ 

because it gets good gas mileage. 32-34 mpg, it is big enough to haul a Great Dane,

and it has a radio, windshield wipers and a good heater.  
That is all I needed and what I got.

It is not 4  wheel drive, but with winter tires it does fine in the snow. 

It was cheap $15000 new.  There is no fancy with this Scion. 

It has not needed repairs.  

The most it has cost me to fill my tank was $33

 and that was when gas was high.  

~~~~~

We are having changes in the world and they are terrifying.  

When checking to see what can I do to stop 

or help stop global change  advice #1 is says  use less fossil fuel. 

Every person I know of late who has purchased a new car has bought a vehicle

  that does not get good mileage, big SUVs, or big trucks. 

 Many are on the road often, making multiple trips instead of one.  

They drive faster than the speed limit thus bringing down the mileage.  

~~~

My question to me and the universe is why do I bother if others aren't.

~

I am older and I will not be here ages more, 

but the younger people will and their kids will and many don't seem 

to be taking this seriously.  

These are not dumb. The information is so in their face.

"Well but I need it for.... "  well butt my ass!

~

I am like chicken little, "the sky is falling, the sky is falling".  

Is it?  

Why do I bring up these unpleasant subjects, global warming, running out of water,

 being overrun by trash when many do not want to hear it, let along discuss or fix it.

These are family, neighbors, friends who mostly don't care enough to give up anything 

Less car, less driving seems doable, if we all did it.

What might happen if we all tried?

~

So should I join everyone.  Not care, not try - get that 4 wheel big SUV 

 with fancy bells and whistles, drive around at top speed day in and day out, 

instead of conserving. 

Fly all over the country, shower daily, use the dryer and leave on the lights?

Those of us who try will not be able to save the world or even change the world.

When it gets worse, will others then try 

and will it be too late by then?

summer and fall collide

the lower 40

coming through Laura's low land

crossing the drainage on Laura's land

the lower field abuts the Saco Frost Mt. in the distance.

Our lower 40 acre, the second  piece we bought, is an strange piece.  

It is pie shaped with the small end 200 ft. up on the hill next to our original lot.  

The large part on the Saco River below is 1700 ft of frontage 

and most of the lower 40 is a flood plain.  

We can not build there,

 but we can canoe/kayak in the spring when we have floods from the snow.  

It allows us to paddle miles into the Brownfield Bog right up in the trees. 

Pretty neat that.

 There is a drainage area midway between the 2 lower fields.  

Herons, turtle, ducks hang out here all summer.  

It is impossible to cross as it never is totally dry.  

We cross on our neighbor's property, 

but this summer the water level did not go down enough for us to access our land this way.  We have had to go around though the Bog and come in on the river side. 

 These are shots I took the other day when we could finally in October! 

cross the drainage.  

Tim has mowed our fields.  

The neighbor has not which is what the bottom shot is the boundary between our fields and hers looking at Frost Mt.

The top of the pie is where the yurt is and where the views are.  

Funky piece of property with a long drop through hemlocks down to the wetlands and springs at the bottom on the edge of one field, then the drainage, and them our bigger field edged with maples and alders.  

beach on the Saco

the top of the pie with views

We bought this to protect ourselves from a neighbor building in our view.  
Really a crazy idea, but the thought of a house and electric and telephone lines 
was not pretty so we bought it.
The other part is I would rather stand on my money than read statements
from financial institutes.  Perhaps that is really the crazy part.
~
The "subdivision" is 240 acres. 6 - 40 acres lots.
Not your average subdivision.  
In the years here we have never gotten together as a subdivision 
to discuss rules, regulations.
We all pretty much just enjoy the solitude that spacious property allows us.
Having 80 acres with each of our neighbors 
also having 40 acres each is pretty amazing....  
Then you add the Bog's 5000+ acres and one can feel pretty isolated 
in this world of overpopulation.

some young people and wisdom

I read on facebook the comments of a young 20ish woman here in Brownfield.  Every post was one sentence in text spelling about how boring life is.....Boring Brownfield, boring when not working,  boring, boring, months of this and how sad.  We live in vacation land.  You don't need money to find entertainment here, lakes, rivers, mountains. You can walk, swim, play.  There are libraries if one is not interesting in outside...books, reading, and people are more than happy to teach you new hobbies, knitting, painting.  Life is full if one opens the door.  This young lady has a partner. It sounds as if life is dull alone and together.  

Then I got a note from a 13 year old who does not like school in general.  He does not like to read.  He likes to roller blade, play lacrosse and sports.  At least we are not sitting home mooing about boring.  I am hoping in spite of not liking school that he is learning math, English, science, history.  I am hoping that he is becoming educated so he can speak something besides sports, write intelligently, so he can write a resume or cover letter.  

Another young woman a bit older pays no attention to the news. Boring....  These people are our future. Beyond the sports and entertainment celebrities  do they know anyone? authors, politicians, world leaders?  Do they know what is is going on in our country and the world.  I did at 13 because where I went to school it was mandatory and we discussed what we read in papers and saw on TV.  It has stuck with me all these years whether I liked it or not, I got educated and I thank the good lord for that as it has served me well.  Those multiplication tables, treaties, grammar, geography, etc. all come back to me even though at the time I was not sure why they might be important.  

I worry about the world with pollution, global warming, water issues, 

trash issues, violence, abuse, lack of respect 

and try to do something about it for these young people and for their children.

I wish I felt that they cared enough to worry too.

poor cat

Wooly came in the other night hurt, 
but I didn't realize it as it was 4 am and dark.  

Didn't figure it out till breakfast when I noticed she was limping.  

Looks like something bit her foot. It is terribly swolen.

 She did not wish to discuss it or show it off.  
She hissed and showed off her teeth. 

 I treat Wooly gingerly as she can be rather aggressive.  

Called vet and agreed he did not have to SEE her,

(He knows her and her antisocial behavior)

 but would prescribe antibiotics.  

Have started them and her foot is not swollen quite so badly.  

She likes the pill pockets which makes this easier. 

What an incredible invention are these!   

Now to shift  the schedule (every 12 hours) toa civilized hour not 3.....
~

I cannot say enough good about my vets 
who have not made much 

money on me and the animals this week 
as we aren't coming in 

but working by phone.  

I mentioned this to Dr. Caffrey yesterday on the phone

and he said he has never had anyone say this...

He thanked me for caring. 

 I popped Dr. Simpson out of bed at 2 30 am

and she talked to me for a good 20 minutes.

That is good doctoring, but these are good people.

puppy problem

We had a Shunka incident last night.  About 2 30 I heard him make a sound, hard to explain, not bark, kind of distressed sound and move across the room, came upstairs to check he was leaning on the kitchen door head down, panting slowly, looking gray  is the best description.  He wanted to go downstairs, but wasn't walking right so I grabbed him held him up and yelled and yelled for Tim who finally got downstairs.  Noticed S had pooped right by his bed.  By the time Tim got downstairs Shunka had collapsed in the panty.   He was not moving, eyes closed, breathing shallow. Threw a blanket over him . Called the vet emergency number where they take info and have vet call you back.  Vet called back about 10 minutes later.  We talked.  I asked heart? she said dogs don't do heart attacks, probably neurological.  I asked what to do.  Carting a limp 130 lb dog downstairs to car not easy.  She said even if we brought him in there wasn't much or anything she could do.  While talking, he wagged his tail, lifted his head briefly.  She said sit and watch him.  This felt a great deal like what Luke used to do and they can't do anything about it.  Seems like a short circuit to me like the wiring gets confused, dog is not there, and then comes back. First time Luke did it he turned blue.   Shunka is far younger than Luke when Luke started doing these.

At any rate he finally stood up and wanted to go downstairs so we both helped him down.    Tim took him out and brought him back in saying he really didn't want to be out.  I had moved his bed down next to mine, he climbed right into it.  Gated the stairs so he wouldn't try them in the night.  Sat and watched him sleep, threw a blanket on him and fell asleep. 

This morning Indigo came down, we went out and then came in to breakfast.  He is acting fine, not the worse for wear.  Just like Luke once the episode was over, it was over. 

Not the funest night for sure.  Indigo was so good, wanting to be part.  I popped her back in bed told her to stay and she did till Shunk went downstairs then she wanted to come down and sleep on his bed.  Oh and the cats were already downstairs so I had to get them particularly Wooly upstairs. 

Today I work the afternoon and since the day is rainy not sure what my early plans are.  Vet suggested blood work this morning.  With Luke bloodwork showed nada and since Shunka got so stressed at vet last time I am not sure I am going to bother with this.  He had bloodwork done last month for heartworm which he didn't have (he tested positive for Lymes a couple of years ago so he will always show positive for that now and he did.)

So I do not understand how a dog as big, active, healthy and strong as Shunka can have this problem at age 5.  

the fair

Fryeburg hosts the biggest state fair and it doesn't change much from year to year.  

It has rides, food, animals, vendors and competition.  If you want to see rabbits, 

there are rabbits.  If you want entertainment, there are bands playing

 thoughtout the fair and at night name entertainment.  

On Saturday a parade and at night fireworks. 

Saturday brings masses of people

 and I will never be there although I would love to see that parade!

People who come are in every size, age and shape.  

Real people, real America, that is what these fairs are.  

Apple pie, fun day out, games of chance, exhibits, all in one week.