Day 1308: Once in a blue moon

Lots to write about tomorrow, but it's late and it will wait.

Garrison Keillor walking the aisles wearing his distinctive white suit and red tie, singing to a packed house in the amphitheater at Chautauqua!

Day 1307: Something Rotten

We booked our Thanksgiving show!  Something Rotten was featured on the Tony award show and we were pretty much convinced then. In addition, Ben saw it last weekend and said it's hysterical!

Another sign of autumn was Steve's first musical meeting with the director for sets, lighting and scenery.  All afternoon, they moved through the entire script and planned what they will need to fulfill Ben's vision of the show.  This year Steve will have a partner as he will be joined backstage by Ben S. in designing sets and acting as stage manager.  It's a positive move that will help prepare for a future transition.

The Brocton teacher is on board and eager to start recruiting!  This year's 8th grade class is much larger than last years and we've heard they are more likely to participate.  Each class, as we well know, has its own distinct personality.  Hopefully, they can meet the four student minimum.

A wild storm moved through the area last night and brought cooler temperatures and reduced humidity.  I left the pool uncovered so it would cool off a bit and the temp actually dropped down to 88 degrees.  Swimming was much easier so I did 270 lengths.  61.5 miles!

Femme de Joie

Frances Joiner

Paddy

Day 1306: The hottest day

No complaints, really!  After the horrible long winter we had, this heat wave is welcome.  However, I've escaped to the basement to recover after trying a few laps.  After dark I'll try to finish another fifty to make my sixty mile goal.

Backpacking is starting up so I know that summer is waning.  Tomorrow, a teacher from Brocton is coming over to talk about being adviser for their program.  We had pretty much decided to drop Brocton because of the lack of participation.  This past year, two kids went through the classes and only one actually backpacked.  We will set a baseline of four participants. That's one cook group.  After seven years, the program should have grown beyond one hiker.  One of the factors contributing to the low numbers is the lack of a contact person inside the school.  In the first two years the physical education teacher did it, but she left and no one has volunteered since then.  If this teacher works out, she can do more promoting, advertising and encouraging eighth graders to join in.

In addition, Fredonia's principal contacted us about scheduling the parent meetings.  Very soon, he'll be sending out information to the parents with the entire schedule of middle school events and he always includes Quest dates.

Finally, I decided to download the video of the 2015 Quest so I could start editing.  Well, nothing is ever simple when it comes to the videos.  I got a new computer in April that would have more capacity to process a movie, but of course, the cable is not compatible because Apple changed the ports.  So, I spent an hour on the phone with tech help to figure out which adaptor to buy.  We might as well have driven in to the Apple store.

I have to get the movie done over the next five weeks because we will be away for much of September.  Although my skills have improved over the past few years, it's always a stretch when I start a new project.  There are probably changes in iMovie as well that will throw me off, also.

Swimming was nearly impossible today.  The pool is 93 degrees and the air is 90.  When I spoke to Evan tonight, he said it's dangerous to swim in water that warm and that 86 is the outer limit.  No wonder I've been struggling.  It's taken all day to complete 100 lengths in bits and pieces.  My last fifty will come after dark.

Steve is off at a class focusing on responding to oil spills from train accidents.  It's their nightmare scenario for the county because so many tanker cars pass through.  Hopefully, this knowledge will never be needed.

Spacecoast Gone Bulldoggin'

Mascara

Day 1305: 90 degrees!

The pool feels like it's boiling!  I did 100 at 11:30, 100 spread out through the blistering afternoon and then 150 after 8:00 tonight.  It was lovely and, as an extra bonus, I was treated to a shooting star!

Lorraine is here from Florida so she organized fourteen friends and classmates from the classes of 1966 and 1967 to meet at Whiskey Hill for dinner.  Over the past two years, our classes have become very close.  Tonight, we comforted Evie, who lost her grandson in a motorcycle accident a few weeks ago.  As I looked around the table, nearly everyone has experienced serious loss.  Now, when we get together, we help each other through tough times and celebrate simple joys.  Grandchildren, a son moving back, a new kitten, cleaning out the garage, travel adventures, a concert.  There is no pretentiousness, no rivalry or cattiness.  How fortunate we are to have such good and loyal friends.

Angels Around Us

(One of my top five favorites)

Chautauqua Blueberry Swirl

Day 1304: The oranges

As I've worked to complete my daylily catalogue, an array of orange and gold lilies remain to be identified.  Many are so similar that my untrained eye can't see much difference among them.  I need Nancy to be here during the peak blooming season.  The oranges, like Flasher and Hot Town, are Steve's favorites, because of the intense color.  Unfortunately, by the time Nancy gets here in a few weeks, most of the lilies will be done.

Flasher

Infinity

Trading Places

Unknown pink in the deck garden

I love bread and pasta, but I'm trying to live without them.  More veggies, more fruit, more protein and no chips or crackers. Melons, cucumbers, greens, cherry tomatoes, zucchini are all their peak, but they're not enough to fill me up.  With all the exercise, I'm famished all the time.  Steve grilled a steak yesterday and chicken today.  Still not satisfying.  Professor Lupin gave chocolate to Harry when he was trying to summon a patronus, so after a bunch of laps, why not eat semi-sweet chocolate bar?

Another 330 lengths in a 92 degree pool!  That gives me 57.3 miles so I should hit sixty miles on Wednesday.  The hot water sucks the strength right out of me.  Next week a cooling trend is coming, the 80s!

Day 1303: Harry Potter again

Today we finally finished the property line garden.  Sweat ran down our faces as we tackled the last ten feet.  Weeds: pulled.  Mulch: spread.   Driveway: cleaned up.  Jumped in the pool immediately.  It isn't cooling us much cause the water is 90 degrees!  Now we can turn our attention to getting our house and my brother's house ready for the family to arrive on Aug. 13!

Too warm to swim continuously, I broke my laps into small sets: 30, 120, 50,50,50.  After a meal of grilled steak, green and yellow beans from my garden, corn on the cob, sautéed onions, peppers and mushrooms, my strength was restored.   Without the intense rays of sun in my face and refreshed by a good meal, the last fifty was most soothing.  The summer outdoor total is now 55.6 miles.  The week promises to be very hot, so I will try to swim in the morning and evening.  

Why watch Harry Potter again?  Well, it's a Harry Potter weekend on the family channel and they include footage that is not on the DVDs.  It's extremely relaxing to sit and watch with Molly by my side after a strenuous day.  Plus, I have no difficulty editing photos and writing while watching.  Plus, Daniel Radcliffe looks so much like our son, except for his blue eyes.  

We lost an old friend this week.  Bruce was another Vietnam veteran who died of cancer at 72.  He served a year earlier than Steve and then they were in the National Guard together for several years, too.  A neighbor during our years on Spring Street, he was always happy to lend a hand.  When we moved, he came to help and made the job fun because of his great sense of humor.  He and his wife, a classmate of Steve's, were married forty-six years.  

But, on the other side, we also celebrated the marriage of our friend and former student leader, Ben, to his long time girlfriend, Jeannette.   They are starting a new life together and I hope they, too, have forty-six, or more, years together.  

Our favorite summer hangout!  Surrounded by flowers, all we need is close at hand.  Towels, sun shirt, comfy chairs, and a peaceful, shady spot to rest.

Day 1302: Ben's wedding

Cajun Christmas

Ezekial

Penelope (and a friend) at Ben's wedding

The perfect day for a lovely and distinctive wedding of our friend's son.

Day 1301: All booked!

All the reservations have been finalized!  We had to adjust our itinerary because of the lack of accommodations, but we really like our final decisions.  We'll be able to see both the north and south rims of the Grand Canyon and then top off the trip with two days in Sedona, AZ.  That's the biggest change and one I'm delighted with because many friends have said it's the most beautiful place in the US.

Another 1.5 miles today, so I'm exhausted.  Mary, Steve and I went to the Mustard Seed for a fabulous dinner.  I was famished!  For dessert, Steve and I split a cream puff and I ate every bite!

Lavendar Illusion

Raspberry beret

The Rockefeller Arts Center addition

Day 1300: Vacation planning

We made a big mistake in planning our westward trip.  We waited too long to make reservations!  Although I started weeks ago and made a few reservations, I should have booked the ones near the Grand Canyon first.  We like camping, but I don't know about the sand pit base for the tent.  Many of the state parks don't even have water or bathrooms.  We'll give it a shot and see how it goes.  We can always sleep in the car, I guess.  This whole trip is an experiment.  Clearly, most of the facilities are set up for RVs.

With the pool at 88 degrees again and the sun so intense, I swam later in the day.  I added 300 lengths for a total of 51.6 miles.

Where's Westfield

Day 1299: Goal achieved!

Fifty miles!  9800 lengths.  With nine days left in July.  That means I have 58 days left before our trip to complete the next fifty miles.  Piece of cake!

Course, I'll have lots more time to swim this weekend since our son cancelled his trip home.  Yes, mom's instinct were correct.  The girlfriend backed out and he agreed.  He says they'll come in August when the rest of the family is coming, but, we'll see.

The pluses of the situation include: house cleaned top to bottom, carpets cleaned, yard in tip top shape and refrigerator loaded with food.  The negatives: two disappointed parents.

Naomi Hope

Day 1298: Preparing for company

Tonight April posted a picture of her and Colin when they first started dating seriously.  They've been together for ten years!  Married for nearly seven, but ten years!  Wow!  Of course, that doesn't even take into consideration the time they date in high school for a few months.

This weekend, we get to spend time with Justin and Kaoru.  She's a bit skittish.  Tonight he called and said she wants to fly back on Saturday night.  She's nervous about meeting people at his reunion and about staying here with us.  Hopefully, we can put her at ease so she can enjoy all the delights of western NY.  We plan to go to Niagara Falls to ride on the Maid of the Mist on Friday and then experience Sky High Adventure on Saturday morning.  Somewhere we have to fit in a trip to Whiskey Hill for authentic chicken wings!

The pool is incredibly warm.  Yesterday, it was 89 degrees and far too warm for serious swimming.  After each fifty lengths, I had to get out to cool off before I could continue.  This mornings rain cooled it off to 84 degrees which enabled me to swim 340 lengths.  So, now my total is 48.88 miles.  With any luck, I'll reach my 50 mile goal tomorrow.  That puts me nine miles ahead of last year's pace.

Between sets, I continued work on updating my daylily photo catalogue and the database.  I don't know if it's worth the time, but I like to know what I own, where each lily is located and it's characteristics.  There's a short window for this task because many of the lilies are nearly done blooming.  Very soon, I'll be moving on to new jobs - like finishing the book!

Chautauqua Blush

Day 1297: Swing

Philip Beard, author of Swing, was our guest speaker at book club tonight.  I enjoyed the book very much.  The characters were beautifully drawn, the story was compelling and original.   I found his discussion of his writing, editing and publishing process to be even more fascinating.

His first book, Dear Zoe, was picked up and published fairly quickly because he had found an agent to represent him.  Penguin published it and sponsored a three week book tour to promote it, so his sales were quite good.  They published his second novel, but its sales flopped, mostly because they did not promote it at all.

When he finished the third novel, the agent's staff recommended adding a hundred pages.  He developed a bunch of secondary characters and sub stories.   Then Penguin wouldn't touch it because of his previous sales record.  It was rejected by thirty publishers.  After that, he sat on it for a year and a half and finally cut the extra hundred pages which helped pick up the story's pace.  After more rewriting, he was satisfied with it.  Nevertheless, none of the publishers would look at the new version so he wound up self-publishing it.  He hired a professional cover artist and a copy editor.  It's a print on demand strategy, but he always keeps 50 to 100 books to sell when he speaks to groups or distribute to small book stores.

He has now sold the rights to his first book to be produced as a feature film.  What an exciting prospect.  His writing career has had lots of ups and downs, but in ten years, he's published three books.  That's pretty awesome.

Dancing Shiva

Day 1296: Forty-six miles!

Perfect summer day!  It was the kind of day I love.  No where to go, a cool breeze, an inviting pool and good company.  I did 330 lengths because, why not?  Pool is 86 degrees.  Can't remember the last time it got that warm.

That-a-way

Day 1295: I'm melting!

Heat sucks the life out of me.  It was only 85 degrees, but with 87 percent humidity.  I strolled around the yard this morning, slowly deadheading the lilies and pulling a few weeds.  By the time the job was done, I had a terrible headache that persisted for much of the day.  The pool has warmed to 83 degrees so even swimming was a challenge.  To complete my required mile, I divided the laps into three segments over several hours.

When I think back to other summers spent in Morocco, China and Uzbekistan, the heat was the most significant obstacle.  In Uzbekistan, we spent most of our days taking classes in air conditioned rooms.  Our hotel room was air conditioned, but also had the benefit of lovely evening breezes.  At night, we'd rinse out our clothes, hang them on the balcony and they dry in an hour.  Supper was at ten o'clock in the patio of a little Mediterranean cafe nearby.  We munched on pita bread with hummus and baba ghanouj and talked till midnight.  Orange Fanta sustained me for the whole month.  Only a few times was I overcome by the heat.

Northern China's temperature was quite manageable, but the high level of  pollutants compromised air quality.   The heat and pollution of Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Macau were brutal.  Eastern Morocco  was the toughest location.  Here in Fredonia, we're fortunate there are only a few days a year of oppressive heat and humidity.  I'm sure we won't ever live in a subtropical climate.

Day 1294: Quiet time

Quiet day, finally.  No accidents, no meetings, no fires, no floods.  We took Molly to the vet, mowed the lawn, swam and read for hours.  It was peaceful and restorative.  Steve really needed a break and it was nice to see him again after a wild week.  

I swam 250 lengths for a total of 43.3 miles.  The exercise is so important for my aging body, but it wears me out and I get so hungry!  Red raspberries, blueberries, cherries and melons are all in season and are irresistible.  After a delicious, low calorie fresh veggie stir fry,  we topped it off with berry shortcakes.  Yum!

There were even more lilies blooming today, including several spectacular blooms like Jane Trimmer.    Many of the plants had a dozen flowers.  These few weeks are such a joy.

Jane Trimmer

Day 1293: Garden Party 2015

Today Steve got called out to the crash site of a small plane in Dunkirk.  Apparently the passenger side door flew open when he took off.  Protocol calls for the pilot to land immediately if that happens, but he decided to try to close the door.  He was very lucky and was able to walk away from the crash site.  A deputy searching for him, however, stepped in a ground bee's nest, got stung and had a bad allergic reaction.  The paramedics were on site to tend to the pilot, so they were able to treat the deputy too.

So, that took most of the day.  He was home for a few hours and then drove off to two consecutive meetings concluding at 9:00.   He ran directly from the garage to the bathroom.  Isn't retirement wonderful?  So much free time to do whatever you want!

I spent the day escorting dear friends around my gardens.  They staggered their arrivals so I could visit with each guest.  Lovely.  The best surprise was a former student from the class of 2007 who arrived with her new fiance.   It was a delight to hear about their adventures in China and Peru, plans for their wedding in Vermont and her job with the NFL.

Allison told us the story of her career.  After graduating from SUNY Albany with a degree in physics and math, she was working at the White Inn as a receptionist.  That was ridiculous so she decided to go stay with a friend in NYC, slept on her couch and applied for jobs.  She landed a terrific one and after a couple years moved on to the NFL in statistics.  Honestly, Fredonia grads can do anything!

Of course, after all the guests left, I jumped in the pool and swam 300 lengths.  That takes me to 42 miles!

Trahlyta

Unnamed delicate lily in crescent garden

Day 1292: Mom's birthday

Yesterday was my mom's 87th birthday.  I didn't forget, but the floods dominated all of our time and the entire blog.  Mom's sister Jane called to reminisce and catch up on family news.  In August, she and my mom's brother Jerry are coming for a visit.  I treasure time with them because it's like being with mom again.

I spent the day preparing for the annual garden party tomorrow, starting by baking cookies.  Steve spent five hours working at a house fire down on the lake near route five.  Six departments responded even though they were all busy dealing with the flood damage.  Fortunately, no one was injured, but the house was a total loss.  It was another long day for him, but the fire investigation team and other firemen were tied up even longer.  What a week!

The gardens are in really good shape considering the intense rains.  Nevertheless, there were lots of weeds poking up.  I crawled around under shrubs and scooted between towering lilies to grab the worst of them.  Pulling weeds is actually harder on my elbow than swimming.  After that workout, I did 270 lengths for a total of 40.5 miles.   Tonight my arms are shot.

Spacecoast firestarter

Yazoo wild violet

Day 1291: Floods!

The rain started last evening and didn't stop till mid afternoon today.  At 1:00 am Steve left the house to help with Westfield flooding, but he never made it.  The center of Brocton was flooded so Julius had him work there instead.  A couple feet of water flowed through the center of town sweeping away cars and collecting debris.  The creek overflowed and gouged out chunks of Lake Rd.  He finally got home for the first time around 8:00 am.

Of course, I rarely sleep when he's out on calls, especially floods.  I remember too well his close call in 2009 in Silver Creek.  Molly must have seen the lights on because she started crying when he left and cried all night long.

He was telling me about the damage in Brocton and Westfield and all the flooded basements when I suggested maybe we should check our own basement.  Thank goodness we did because our sump pump had stopped working, maybe just for the last ten minutes, and water had risen to the rim.  Even five more minutes and water would have spilled out all over our basement.  What a close call!

So, my job all day was to monitor the sump pump and I figured I might as well clean the basement while I was there.  Steve, on the other hand, had a very eventful day, most of it in Silver Creek where they again had to evacuate the firehall, village hall and a mobile home park near the creek.

Meanwhile, route 60 was closed between Rt. 83 and Cassadaga, part of the thruway was closed for a few hours, Forest Place was evacuated, the creek overflowed the Water St. bridge.  Lots of damage all over the lake shore region.

I resisted the temptation to go out and photograph the wild waters of Canadaway Creek.  Too many people get in the way, make mistakes and endanger the lives of first responders.  That happened to a gawker in Brocton who tried to get film of the rushing creek.  She slid into the creek, had to be rescued and her foolishness put others at risk.

For a few hours late this afternoon, the sun came out and the pool was calling to me.  I only paddled around to cool off from the humidity.  I had decided today would be a rest day, but I meant from swimming.  There has been no rest for twenty-four hours!

So, Steve finally got home at 10:00.  Now, he needs a long sleep.  Me, too!

Day 1290: Thirty-nine miles

Take an early morning trip to Orchard Park for Steve's eye appointment, drive back, change the bed, do laundry, shop at Tuscany, plant three new lilies, swim three hundred lengths, take photos, shower quickly, share dinner with fifteen classmates, toast to our recently deceased friends, iron pillowcases, do more laundry, eat blueberries on vanilla ice cream, collapse.

Geneva Firetruck

One of the unnamed lilies

Day 1289: Comforting Kate

Brain tumors suck.  There's no getting around it, no easy way to deal, no escape from the devastating prognosis.  My friend's mom was just diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor.  She is dazed, terrified and overwhelmed.  Although her mom is 80+, she's been physically very active, playing tennis regularly and living on her own.  It's so hard to lose a parent, no matter how old they are.

I know just how she feels.  I remember those early days nineteen years ago when I heard the same words for my dad.  It was July 26 and I was out to lunch with a former student teacher at Ellicott Brew.  Evan was due to arrive home from Germany the next day.  The bartender was a former student and he brought me the phone.  It was Steve and he said, "You have to go up to your folks house right  now."   When I walked in, my parents were sitting at the dining room table, in their usual places.   "Your father has a brain tumor."  I stopped sleeping that day and didn't sleep again until April.

Then came the crazed rush of appointments, tests, consultations, specialists, neurologists.  But, it all came down to, "There's nothing we can do but make him comfortable."  Ten weeks later, he was gone.

So, what can I do for Kate?  Listen patiently, supply tissues and orange juice and perhaps provide a little break from the onslaught of horrors that await.

Siloam shocker

The Penelope discussion was quite amazing today, but I will leave that for another day.  This afternoon, I did 270 lengths for a total of  37.5 miles.  

Day 1288: 100 lilies blooming

Asian Occasion

Dad's Best White

Pierce's Cats Meow

Where's Westfield

Day 1287: The Nass Day Lily Farm

We said goodbye to Harold and Janet today.  Their gardens are closing for business and so they are selling as many day lilies from their collection as possible.  A son, daughter and a couple grandchildren were on site to assist with the digging, labeling, billing and packaging.  Mrs. Nass said that her kids had no idea how much work the gardens involved until they arrived.  Now they understand why it's time for the folks to retire.

I only bought four lilies, partly because I already have most of their stock and there's very few open spots left in my gardens.  Their own cultivars are most precious because they will not be hybridizing any more.  I chose Chautauqua Blush and Pale Faced Geisha from their cultivars as well as Naomi Hope and Dancing Shiva.  Great names!

Despite the ferocious rain yesterday, the pool only dropped to 80 degrees so I was able to swim 260 lengths.  The weekend promises more delightful days and opportunities for many more laps.

Day 1286: Better news

Justin and Kaoru are coming after all!  A bunch of Justin's classmates had already made travel plans and taken vacation days so they will have an informal event on July 25th.  He wants Kaoru to see Fredonia, visit Niagara Falls and play at Sky High Adventure.  I'm so glad my prediction was incorrect.

We drove through a ferocious storm on the way to Jamestown and thick fog filled the valleys.  It poured most of the day so the creeks are raging and Lake Cobb has refilled.  A few nice days are on the way so we sprayed the gardens again.  The deer keep nibbling a few lilies per day no matter what we do.  It's hard to understand why they have to eat the blossoms when there is an abundance of other food.  About sixty to seventy are blooming now so I anticipate peak will be late next week.

Day 1285: Daring dilemma

Daring dilemma 

Sanford firefly

I swam 250 lengths today for a total of 33.6 miles.  So, I am one third of the way to my goal with 67 possible swimming days left.  That means a mile a day with no days off or more than a mile with a few days off.  It seems unlikely I'll make it with a family coming to visit in August.

Day 1284: Sharon's gift

At noon the phone rang and it was Justin.  My stomach always does a little flip when he calls during the day cause I know something is up.  Sure enough.  His class reunion was cancelled so now he and Kaoru are not coming home after all.  I told him they should still come and we'd have a great weekend together, but no.  Disappointed, we suggested they come in August.  We'll see.  My guess is that we won't see him till Thanksgiving.

A storm front was due to move through the area so I swam early and frantically with my eye on the sky during the backstroke.  The whole time I was thinking of alternative plans for him.  But the problem is that we have no say in those decisions.  We just want fun time together in summertime while we are still healthy and active and not drooling on our bibs.

Just as I was to reenter the pool for the second set, I got a call from the daughter of our classmate who died on July 4.  She could barely speak without crying, after all, her mom passed away only three days ago.  We talked about how much her mom enjoyed the last reunion in 2012.  Arriving in a wheelchair, she didn't let that slow her down.  All through the evening, classmates visited and laughed with her.

The daughter explained that the family wants to make the Class of 67 the recipient of memorial gifts in honor of her mother.  Her mom was so proud of the yearly awards we make at graduation that they want to contribute to help students at FHS.  What a generous, selfless act.  A dear friend, her grieving daughter and granddaughter, make a decision in her final days to make a difference in the lives of our students.

And so I was crying again and feeling ashamed of being disappointed over our son's cancelled plans.  But, I also felt very proud that our classmates are so caring, for each other and our community.

Day 1283: Steve's glorious yard

There are still wild areas in Fredonia and one of them belongs to my brother Steve.  He has tamed maybe three of his sixteen acres.  His home is on the Webster Rd. ridge of the ancient lake shoreline and faces north to Lake Erie.  Vineyards and the whole village resting in the lake plain stretch out in front the house. Despite the incredible view, most of our attention goes to his gardens in the back.  There are no shade trees so the assortment of perennials thrive, especially the day lilies.  For years he had two horses that happily enriched the soil.   Now the lilies are three feet tall!

A stream through the property provided huge boulders and rocks which he has moved in to encircle the gardens.  He prefers a more formal design compared to my free flowing approach.  The results are spectacular.  Unfortunately, he works so many hours that it's difficult to keep up with the garden maintenance.  It takes him nearly six hours on the lawn mower just to mow the tamed portion.

We stopped by tonight when the sun was low in the sky and I got some beautiful shots.

After we got back from the airport to drop off Colin and April, I swam 300 lengths or 1.5 miles.  It was wonderful!  Water at 82 degrees and air about the same.  That gives me 31 miles thus far this season.  That puts me on target to reach 50 miles before the end of July.