Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Watkins Glen State Park
We went to Watkins Glen State Park in the Finger Lakes region of New York for our last camping trip of the summer. When we arrived on Friday it was HOT. Miserably hot. And we had crappy campground neighbors who were terribly loud way too long into the night. We were not happy campers.
Saturday was a bit better temperature wise. And the crappy neighbors had been warned by the park rangers that they would be evicted if they chose to be loud again that night. Saturday night we were hit by a storm during supper. Greg and the boys took the opportunity to sing my favorite song, the "Crazy Caillouet Camping in the Rain" song, to me. I've heard that song on all three trips that we went on this summer!!!
Sunday was a beautiful day. The temps were cooler and we had no rain.
Greg left on Monday morning to head back to Oswego because he had to work. The boys and I stayed until Tuesday.
Our campsite was ENORMOUS. We put our tents way back in the woods.
Mason caught a salamander.
Saturday was a bit better temperature wise. And the crappy neighbors had been warned by the park rangers that they would be evicted if they chose to be loud again that night. Saturday night we were hit by a storm during supper. Greg and the boys took the opportunity to sing my favorite song, the "Crazy Caillouet Camping in the Rain" song, to me. I've heard that song on all three trips that we went on this summer!!!
Sunday was a beautiful day. The temps were cooler and we had no rain.
Greg left on Monday morning to head back to Oswego because he had to work. The boys and I stayed until Tuesday.
Our campsite was ENORMOUS. We put our tents way back in the woods.
Mason caught a salamander.
Oops! That doesn't look good.
When Greg was getting out of the tent Monday morning, the rainfly pole snapped in half and split the fly. Fortunately, Coleman still stocks replacement poles and flys for this tent, so I can replace them.
The Gorge Trail
The weather was gorgeous on Sunday, so we headed out that afternoon to hike the Gorge Trail.
Corning Museum of Glass
On Saturday we decided to head to Corning to visit the Corning Museum of Glass. The glass-blowing show was fascinating! The gaffer blew a beautiful bowl.
One of the main exhibits was Botanical Wonders. It featured glass flowers and sea creatures.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Sunday, August 19, 2007
It's starting to look like lawn (sort of).
The work goes on. Now that I'm mostly over my poison ivy, I can get back in there. I've probably dropped at least 40 trees by now. We've taken (by my very rough estimate) about 20 or 25 face cords of wood out of there. We burned some last winter and will burn some this.
Bub's tractor. An old Case 995. 50 hp. About 9000 pounds of weight (without the brushhog or the bucket).
Lots of open spaces now. This was all wooded 3 years ago. I think I'll have all of the trees down that I want down by the time the snow flies. In the spring, I'll get someone in there with a backhoe and a dozer to remove all of the stumps and then grade it. From then on, it's just a matter of seeding, feeding, and overeating. OK; the last was just a gratuitous rhyme that had nothing to do with the land and everything to do with the fact that I am a Rabalais.
Below is a view from the other side of the extra acre looking towards the house. This is across the short axis of the property.
Of course, da pooch has to supervise everything. "Hey! There is not enough meow over here. Get some more meow and put it right here."
This is as seen from the road. The house is off the pic to the left. Da pooch is checking for stray food. I don't know what he thinks about the whole clearing project. I gotta think that he'd rather we just left it as jungle so he can play jungle cat with his friends. "Hey! There is not enough meow over here either. Who keeps using up all of the meow?"
Bub's tractor. An old Case 995. 50 hp. About 9000 pounds of weight (without the brushhog or the bucket).
Lots of open spaces now. This was all wooded 3 years ago. I think I'll have all of the trees down that I want down by the time the snow flies. In the spring, I'll get someone in there with a backhoe and a dozer to remove all of the stumps and then grade it. From then on, it's just a matter of seeding, feeding, and overeating. OK; the last was just a gratuitous rhyme that had nothing to do with the land and everything to do with the fact that I am a Rabalais.
Below is a view from the other side of the extra acre looking towards the house. This is across the short axis of the property.
Of course, da pooch has to supervise everything. "Hey! There is not enough meow over here. Get some more meow and put it right here."
This is as seen from the road. The house is off the pic to the left. Da pooch is checking for stray food. I don't know what he thinks about the whole clearing project. I gotta think that he'd rather we just left it as jungle so he can play jungle cat with his friends. "Hey! There is not enough meow over here either. Who keeps using up all of the meow?"
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
You tell me which cat is best
Here is Punjabe sleeping quietly in her little crib. Note the obvious goodness just oozing off of her. Good posture, clean fur, and if you look closely, you can see the hint of a halo over her head.
Then there's Pierre. He looks like the hunchback from Notre Dumb. He can't even sleep correctly. His badness has him contorted and twisted. He's full of burrs because he snuck out this morning and stayed out until he got hungry (It took about an hour.) and then sat on the deck and whined until we let him in. What a loser.
Then there's Pierre. He looks like the hunchback from Notre Dumb. He can't even sleep correctly. His badness has him contorted and twisted. He's full of burrs because he snuck out this morning and stayed out until he got hungry (It took about an hour.) and then sat on the deck and whined until we let him in. What a loser.
Converting the Extra Acre Into Lawn (The Continuation)
In the ever-going effort to convert the extra acre into lawn, I was removing more trees yesterday. Lots of pulling, pushing, cutting, lifting, and beer drinking.
This was a big pine of some sort. It was a nasty job getting it down and an even nastier one getting it out and to the trash pile. It is a softwood (conifer), so it is useless as firewood and will creosote up your chimney something fierce. The only thing softwoods are good for is making building lumber. To the trash pile it goes.
I have to limb it up so that it doesn't take up too much room. Lots of sap and a few bees. Gee, thanks a lot, mister.
My friend Bub brought his tractor over so that we could play. Later in the day, we put a limb right through the battery. Busted it wide open. I had to buy him a new battery and all new lugs and ground straps. Oh, well.
Cutting off some more limbs so that he can get it out. Those things are like velcro. They grab onto everything.
This is me performing a very delicate maneuver. It is called the one-legged, poison ivy avoiding, pine sap absorbing, sprung-limb-barely-missing-the-head-but-catching-you-square-in-the-gut limbing cut (Norwegian technique). It takes years of experience. Don't try this at home.
This was a big pine of some sort. It was a nasty job getting it down and an even nastier one getting it out and to the trash pile. It is a softwood (conifer), so it is useless as firewood and will creosote up your chimney something fierce. The only thing softwoods are good for is making building lumber. To the trash pile it goes.
I have to limb it up so that it doesn't take up too much room. Lots of sap and a few bees. Gee, thanks a lot, mister.
My friend Bub brought his tractor over so that we could play. Later in the day, we put a limb right through the battery. Busted it wide open. I had to buy him a new battery and all new lugs and ground straps. Oh, well.
Cutting off some more limbs so that he can get it out. Those things are like velcro. They grab onto everything.
This is me performing a very delicate maneuver. It is called the one-legged, poison ivy avoiding, pine sap absorbing, sprung-limb-barely-missing-the-head-but-catching-you-square-in-the-gut limbing cut (Norwegian technique). It takes years of experience. Don't try this at home.Daddy's hat
Daddy went outside to work in the yard today. When he reached for his hat look what he found! Yuk!
Friday, August 3, 2007
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