Thank you Washington County

When I get bored with sitting at home, Neil and I often take a drive to neighboring Washington County...filled with farms and forests. I take pictures and listen to country music while Neil naps. I especially like to turn onto drives ending with "Hill Road". A lot of people say they are happy to stay home alone every day with a baby. I am not one of them. I need to travel and experience the world and seasonal changes however closely to home. So thank you, Washington County, for afternoon naps and wild beauty through the windshield.

Victorian Streetwalk

When I win Powerball

Found items

I seem to remember my artist roommates working on projects where they made something out of nothing...out of "found items". A sculpture, a painting...My items are digital and paint a little story.

Today's walk gave me a bunch of random ideas and moments to play around with and think about as Neil napped. First we walked to the old Ice cream factory on Division St. They are in the process of tearing it down, but I was hoping the facade was still standing. And it was. I don't know much about the factory and when it ran, or what types of ice cream it produced. It was still running when I moved up here from Delmar in 2004. I used to use their old buckets for my trout stocking event. Townhouses will replace the old factory and some of its surrounding trees. I do hope they keep the one in the front.

 

As we continued on our way, I kept thinking about brewing. I thought about the Christmas beer waiting patiently in the basement to be packed up and distributed as a gift for friends and visitors. I thought about the milk stout we discussed over the weekend. I really couldn't get brewing out of my thoughts...and then I realized...the whole town smelled like wort! Sweet sweet wort! The new Druthers brewery was making a beer. You can see the two small stacks blowing out steam on the left of the second (? Maybe) picture below. I smiled and Doug peed, and I wondered if anyone else noticed the smell. I wondered if anyone else would know what it was. It kind of reminds me of a horse's breath on a cold morning after they've had their breakfast of grain...warm and honey flavored in a comforting way.

 

Neil kept napping so we walked along Broadway admiring the new Christmas decorations. Saratoga really loves Christmas. Each storefront and restaurant is decked out...including Maestro's, whose tree is pictured below. On our way back home, we were stopped by many people asking about Doug, his age, his breed, Neil's age, Neil's eyes... One woman in particular stood out. She was nearly a foot taller than me, well dressed, and told me about her son who is an offensive lineman for Northern Colorado. He also has blue eyes. She said when they wanted the linemen to bulk up they would feed each an entire pizza after the game. I told her it was very brave to be a mother of a football player. She called Neil her boyfriend and handed me a prayer, and said remember... He loves you...and pointed to the sky.

 

 

 

 

Approaching home, I stopped into Dehn's florist to let Neil look at the Christmas trees and take in the evergreen perfume. You want a sensational, instantly uplifting free seasonal adventure? Go to any greenhouse and walk around. Sensory overload whether it's spring or winter. As we left, I peeked into their recycling bins to see if they had any plants worth saving. I saw this rose, a little rough around the edges, but still pink and pretty. So I picked it up and brought it home and put it in a bud vase my mother gave me a while back.

It's my found item...today's something out of nothing.

Coop Lights

Winter garden

 

I was blessed with a champion baby holder today, so I got to go out and finish a bunch of winter preparation chores that had been building up in my head. First, I attempted to string up some white lights along the chicken coop. After trying various props and chairs, I used my favorite tool, the hand cultivator, to get the lights up and over the ancient nails in our shed. The coop is now under the shed for the winter, and I find the lights give it a final seasonal touch. They help you find your way in the dark too. While I was doing this, Doug escaped through the back gate. A neighbor returned him to me. She found him "doing his business" on the street corner. As she left she said, "everyone knows Doug the dog!". I hope it's for better and not worse.

I also finally planted two pots of bearded irises and a peony that Anita had given us when Neil was born way back in June. I covered them all with leaves, but the chickens scratched them all off within 30 seconds. Whatever. I also planted a daisy? Bush? that Anita's father sent home with us yesterday. I hope the plants make it through the winter. It will be interesting to see what comes up in the spring...I'm sure I'll have forgotten what I planted by then. I heard some snow was in the forecast for Tuesday, but that it may stay south of here. I'd really like an inch or so (just deep enough to cover the chicken shit).

In other news, Neil began sitting unassisted last night...he's still a weeble though. And for the first time in four years I can see my neighbor's Christmas lights through the kitchen window! Perhaps the hood is finally getting a little more jolly?

Going home...

We headed down to New Jersey on Wednesday afternoon to start celebrating Thanksgiving on the eve. First we stopped at the Sussex County Library to say hello to my mom an the other library ladies. It was nice to be welcomed by some smiling faces, and Neil enjoyed looking at the books. One woman was knitting a baby blanket for her first grandchild. The yarn was made from alpaca wool and oh so soft. It made me want to knit again. Someday I will relearn. Another woman gave me a guilt trip when I told her I planned on returning to work soon. I didn't even know her, but she made me feel like shit anyway. I wish people's opinions of me didn't color the way I feel about myself and my decisions so starkly. I need to work on this aspect of my life.

We were soon sent on our way to Highland Ave and a huge lasagna. My dad poured wine and we enjoyed appetizers with Neil until my mother returned home from work. Neil slept a fitful first night in his travel swing, but he did alright. In the morning we awoke to a beautiful sunrise filtering through the winter trees. Thanksgiving!

 

After we got Neil's needs met, we watched the Thanksgiving parade and the dog show and snacked on breakfast goodies until it was time to move the party to the Schweizer's house up the hill. It was wonderful and quite amazing to introduce Neil to his great grandparents the Abers. You could really feel the love and light in the room. Our Thanksgiving meal was so special this year, and Neil never uttered a crank. He was content to be passed and hoisted and bopped and cuddled until he fell asleep in a heap on his Uncle.

After the pie and the Irish coffee, the Corbetts and Abers left for home and warm beds. We sacked out on the green couch to watch the Jets but couldn't even get through our holiday Beers as the performance was so pitiful.

The next morning we ate waffles with the Schweizers before heading back down the mountain to hang out with the Corbetts for the day. We played with Neil until he couldn't take it anymore and took catnaps on the couches. Finally in late afternoon we drove down to Tillman's Ravine and tried to hike the trail along the creek. The trail had been closed by the department of parks, but we hiked part way until our path was blocked in all directions by downed trees. Sandy didn't hold back much in northern New Jersey. All over we saw trees snapped in half, trees down like matchsticks on the forest floor, patched roofs and close calls in driveways. Later in the evening we tried to venture to Third Base Pub, but it was closed. Instead we enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the Boathouse. My mother and I had pumpkin raviolis with shrimp and scallops, and the guys had filet. Neil was great in the restaurant. He really like snuggling with the waitresses and staring at strangers while they conversed. We saw lots of Christmas lights on the way home. Everyone thought it was strange but I welcome them always after Thanksgiving.

On our final full day in Jersey we hauled back up the hill to hang at the Schweizer house. Anita, Neil and I went to the Balesville church craft fair and N scored a sweet, red hand knit Christmas hat with ear flaps. it looks like it was made for him. We spent the afternoon lounging around the woodstove playing baby games and watching college football. We tried to concoct some home cough remedies for a&g, but I'm not sure they worked. One involved honey, turmeric, black pepper, ginger, lemon and garlic. Sounds gross to me!

Today we traveled up to the Abers house so Neil could spend a little more time with his great grandparents. We talked about past relatives over a veggie pizza and N talked to a placemat. George and Jane showed us a picture of George's grandmother Mary who died when she was 37. They also had her ring, which had an engraved M on it that she used to stamp into the wax on her envelopes. Stories from the past are so interesting...I think George's mother Lela Watkins is part of the original Watkins Glen family...I will have to ask more about this the next time we get together.

After one last cuddle with Big N, the great grands gave us a plant (of course!) and bade us farewell. We enjoyed spending so much time with our family, and we are thrilled that Christmas is just around the corner. This next month will be such a blur of beauty, nostalgia and new hope. (after we get this crying baby home and in bed of course!) It's snowing!

Thanksgiving Highlights