Some Thanksgiving & Hunting Photo's

Well Gang , it's been a few days since my last post so here are some Thanksgiving & Hunting Photo's. We will start with the tree lighting in Gloversville Friday night. Jen played the guitar and sang a few Holiday Songs... They did not have to use the "CLAP" sign in the background when Jen sang. Some of the singers from the Glove

More Good Spirits

Ahhhh The Thanksgiving Crew after Dinner

A little too much to eat, Seems like it was Nappy Time

Bailey sorta tellin Jessie ...Hey I was going to sit there!!!

One of Dave Friends Down the Road with His Deer, shot on Opening Day in the Southern Zone

Not Bad !!!! I'm hunting for 3-4 weeks and nothing, these two taken in the 1st day in Southern Zone

As I walk along I just find pictures that need to be taken. This is a stone wall in the middle of the woods. It appears that at one point this was a plowed field and the farmers moved the stones to the edge while plowing. I wonder how many years ago we are talkin and how long did it take to move those stones?

This is a small wal but some go on for what appears to be miles.

Just Looked Nice so I took these.

I'm Hunting in the New York State Forrest>

Just a creek in the woods.

Another creek

Snowmobile trail Bridge in the Forrest

Well as Jen said , we cooked the two turkeys in the BBQ for about 2 1/2 hrs. I Hickory smoked them and they tasted that way, I seemed to be the only one who cared for the Hickory flavor. These turkeys not as large Breasted as Butterballs...( Did That Sound Dirty ????). Anyhow not so much left over white meat cause just not that much Turkey Boobs. They kinda belonged to the itty, bitty, tittie club .

We all ate too much and had some other great meals over the weekend. My Clam Dip (Hot) went over well and no leftovers of that, Sorry Mike & Nicole.

Jen & I made a large amount of dinner sides...all the "Must Haves" and those we will be eating for a few more days.

Thanks guys for coming up , Had a Great time, come again ! Missed all the rest of you who did not make it!

Til next time Gang.....Jerry ( Sorry it the words don't match up with the photo's , did when I typed them.)

Turkey, or turkey

Well, the jury is in. Next year, Butterball. Don't get me wrong, the turkey was delicious. Jerry did his usual spectacular job in coordinating the entire meal, and the turkeys were both done to perfection. I say turkeys as in plural because there were none that were 20 lbs, so we opted for 2 tens. We are big sandwich/leftover eaters and anything less than 20 lbs would not suffice. So, instead of one turkey we executed two. I was over that pretty quickly. More of everything. Really quite brilliant when you think of it. Not just two large legs, but four substantial legs. Perfect. Anyway, the turkeys were cooked on the barbeque and hickory smoked. We sat down to eat, Jerry, myself, Jackie, Jesse, Walter and Allison. The sides were all completed and everyone's must have's were present. Grace was said, and we all took our turns expressing that which we were most grateful for. It was a lovely moment, really. Walter's comment that he was thankful for Birth Control notwithstanding, it was a warm and happy moment. My heart was big. I took my first bite of turkey and that first inkling dawned on me. This doesn't taste like my favorite turkey. It tasted delicious, I will admit, but it was different. It had a "gamey" taste about it. And the texture was different. Now, I realize these differences are most like a result of no antibiotics or growth hormones being injected, and the fact that these are the tastes that I am used to is not something I'm proud of. In fact, it is a total embarassment. I'm reminded of the time we took Jackie, Walter and Allison to the Goshen County Fair in Connecticut. We had passed through the agriculture building and the smell amongst the cows and livestock was overwhelming. Just manure, good, wholesome manure. My three children were coughing and gagging as though they were dying. We finally escaped out the exit, which landed us right next to the generator truck which was running the carnival rides. The gasoline and fumes were black and swallowed us up, and the comment from my kids? "Thank God-Fresh Air!" It was one of those moments when you realize you might have missed a bit of their country education. Well, that is how I feel today. We went to such great lengths to get a hormone-free range turkey, which is clearly beneficial to us all, and I expected it to taste as good as its benefits. I'm sad to say, I'm not a fan. Now, it could have been something to do with the hickory chips on the barbeque, because that wasn't moving me either-kind of a smoked kind of flavor which I don't love. Except the texture was different too. But I will say this - Next year, hormones, antibiotics, whatever else they want to throw in there. Bring it on. And in the meantime, I will be busy pointing out all those things in life that Walter might want to focus in on. Besides, well. . . . never mind.

Thanksgiving

As the week gets closer to Thanksgiving Day, I cannot help but reflect on the past year and the things that I am thankful for. I will save you from the full list, but I can tell you that way up at the top is just the word "life". It kind of pulls it all together-just that one word. It means that all that I am, and all that I do, and all that surrounds me, is good. And that is how I feel, this year especially. I am at that age when I am having the opportunity to see my children as they reach adulthood and make choices about their futures and their partners. I am proud of them all, and happy that I approve of their choice, even when my opinion is not sought. Inside I feel that happiness, and it feels good. What a treat to get to see the child that you poured your heart and soul into turn around and begin to apply the lessons and the passions that you helped to nurture, into their own lives. How cool it is to watch them seek their own happiness and fulfillment. So yeah, Life is Good. And that is what I am thankful for. My Life, and everyone in it. Happy Thanksgiving. God Bless.

Sitting on fences

We're waiting patiently for Brian to arrive! He got on the road this morning at 3AM, and should be here shortly. Actually, he is about 20 minutes overdue, but knowing Brian he is exactly following the speed limit and probably made a few stops. We seem to be the only ones who go straight through. I guess when you make this trip twice a month, 200 miles becomes like a cross-town jaunt. Not a big deal for sure. The Newburgh midway point becomes the goal and after that the traffic gets increasingly annoying. Up til then, it's just a drive in the dark. I've been downloading the Prairie Home Companion series to CD, and listen to that during the trip. It makes it go much faster when you can catch up with an audio book or radio program. I used to knit a little when Jerry was driving, but now with daylight savings time over, it's too dark. They do make lighted knitting needles, but I haven't yet made that investment. The dark outside just makes me sleepy. That's when Jerry is driving, not when I am driving. Bailey is looking over my shoulder as I write this, because he is the morning guy. He sits on the arm of the sofa and looks over my shoulder as I write. A 75 lb. dog sitting ON the arm of the sofa is probably seen as bad behavior in some circles. Not this circle. We're still sitting on the fence with the kitten (actually WE is not the most correct term). Allison and I are not on the fence, we're totally over the fence and just waiting for Jerry to join us. I do want to bring the kitten home, and NOW. Every day we wait just makes it more difficult to introduce this little kitty to the rest of the fam. But I do want jerry to be SOMEWHAT OK with it, and we're just not there yet. Bringing a kitty into a hostile environment just sets me up for guilt, and I have enough of that in my life already. So, we wait for that weak moment when I can drive the mile to Hannah's house and pick up Nala. Driving the mile to Hannah's house, we also pass four homes that have lit up the Holiday lights already. We're WAY BEHIND in the Holiday Light competition, but Allison is holding us back with her idea of when it is appropriate. I'm on the fence on this one. Usually I like to wait until the day after thanksgiving, that's been our tradition. Jerry has already put the lights on the porch columns, and I was totally behind that "weather motivated" program. It's a warm decision. We just held off on the official Lighting of the Lights. Now that the neighbors have lit up the night, well what the heck, let's get in on it. We have had "twinkle" lights on the back deck all year. Just because they're pretty and we like them. the stores have all jumped off the cliff and are in full holiday swing-trees, ornaments, lights and music. The local radio station is playing holiday music EXCLUSIVELY,so what's a few lights on our porch? I am seeing a bargaining chip as I speak here. Light the lights, bring home the kitten? ooops-Brian's Here! have a great day-I know we will!

Deer Hunting in the Adirondacks this year

Well Gang I have been hunting down the road with some new hunting friends and Dave ( Maple Dave ). Been only hunting in the late mornings and afternoons. So far only one in our party has got a deer and a bear shot. I have three days ago shot at and wounded a bigger Buck but have spent the last two days tracking him. Going out again today for my 3rd day which might be my last as it going to rain soon and his trail will be washed away. This is just a shot of what it's kind of looking like where I am hunting

A Buck rub on the tree. This is about 2 miles into the woods.

A great spot that I found, Apple trees off in the distance that has apple trees with tons of deer tracks ,on right.

Eric & Larry, Some of the hunting crew cutting up a deer

Looks like good eating. Very Little Fat in this deer.

More to come but time to get back out there and find my wounded deer, Wish me Luck, Brian (One of my Sons for those who don't know)heading up to try his luck

Til next time Gang....Jerry

P.S. I loved the Turkey Boobs post Jen....

Funny no one had anything to say about that!

You Guys are slipping.

Turkey Boobs

The sun is out and it looks deceptively lovely outside. The kicker is when you open the front door and find that it is 28 degrees. 28! I love down. It's that time again when I begin to wax romantic over my down booties, down comforter and down coat. There is nothing like down to keep you toasty warm without weighing you down (pun intended). I find that down is comfortable on even warmer days. Just the right weight all around. It's the only way I can survive here. Down. I don't get too deep in thought about how the down is acquired, because then I would have to face the fact that somewhere is a goose running around without his feathers. Sorry bub, it's every man for himself. Speaking of, our Thanksgiving Tom is still enjoying his pasture and friends, not knowing that he is seven days away from execution. How sad for him. I have been reading about the differences between the Butterball variety and the fresh free-range variety. There are definite differences, one of them being that the free-range birds have breasts that are appropriate to their size. The Butterball variety has huge breasts because they are raised to grow exceptional breasts-albeit chemically enhanced - the Pamela Anderson of the turkey experience. Now I prefer white meat to dark meat, in fact I don't like dark meat at all, which means I may be hugely disappointed in the breasts of our free-ranged bird. If that is the case, I WILL be out at Price Chopper on Friday after Thanksgiving, purchasing and cooking up another bird. There is nothing like sandwiches after the big meal, and if there isn't enough white meat to add to my leftover experience, I'm going to be just a tad freaked. White bread, white meat, cranberry salt and pepper. I cannot be without that sandwich around 10 PM. Hopefully, our free-range friend will measure up in the boob department. We're also preparing the rutabaga, which until last year we have incorrectly called them turnips. I was raised on turnips which my father cooked with lots and lots of pepper in the boilng water. Who knew that they were really rutabaga? It caused us no end of confusion in the vegetable section. but now that we know what to call them, we still cook them the same way. We all have our "must haves" for Thanksgiving and we try to respect that. Jackie's must have is the green bean casserole. Not my favorite, but we make it anyway. We're still working on those lists, but the bird is ready. Whether he realizes it or not, he's ready. He's taking one for the Rasiak-Rowland team. We appreciate it. but I'm still cutting my price chopper coupon. Just in case.

Company

We have been slow to Blog this past week, we have had Company. Carrie , Jen's cousin stopped in last week , up from Long Island, over from the West Coast and on her way to Fla. Wow........... That was a mouth full. Carrie is moving from the West Coast and moving to Fla. to live and work. Carrie stopped by here back over the summer and landed at her parents home for last three months, helping out and visiting. We always enjoy when she comes around, Carrie also likes the out doors so we did take a few hikes into the woods. This being a tough time as it's hunting season and a little tough walking, Didn't want to be shot at, did not want to disrupt any one's hunt with us walking through the woods. All quiet here , Jen's working at The Glove and I have a few things to take care of before doing a little hunting this afternoon. I got to get out there and get a Buck....All of my hunting friends from the Island are chiming in with pictures of deer that they have taken.....Bucks !!!!, I on the other hand have not seen a Horn in the woods at all. I live in the woods and nothing, Dean S. poked a hole in a nice one after only two days..... John S. also shot a Monster. Well that's about it, Carrie Drove south yesterday on her way to Fla, Brian is headed here Friday for some hunting and then the crew arrives week after that for thanksgiving. Company......Got love it! Til Next time Gang ......Jerry I'm sure Jen's got tons of stuff and will be up and Blogged

A bloody Mary does not qualify as brunch.

As Jerry said, we had a whirlwind weekend. It was and always is so great to see everyone, and it was and always is never enough time to visit as much as we'd like. He left out the drive-by Clint and Joanne's and also the other stops for coffee, food and sundries. We ran through the weekend. When Allison got dropped at Jackie's we realized ten minutes after her Dad left that she had forgotten her IPOD in his glove compartment. The "making good time" program came to a screeching halt as we had to meet him on Roslyn Road at mcDonald's so she could get her IPOD and we could get something to eat before the road trip. This daylight savings time means that if we leave after 4:00 PM there is no reading or knitting in the car. Just miles and miles of dark nothing. I much prefer the spring trips where daylight lasts till 9 PM-knitting and reading gets done and the trip goes so much faster. Today's activities include meeting the oil delivery guy at the theater, mammagram and my cousin Carrie working her way up here for a few days R&R before hitting the road for her southerly trip to FLA. We are always glad to be the wayside on anybody's trip. I can't wait! The theater had a spectacular weekend with three activities back to back-all of them well attended-we seem to be getting the word out that the theater is up and running. I'm learning some Irish songs for the Celtic Christmas Show we have on December 19th. I remember a year ago when we retired thinking "how will I fill my days?" and being somewhat concerned that we would be bored. BORED? HAHAHAHAHAHA. I have not been bored in quite some time. Well rested and de-stressed absolutely, but BORED? Not so much. That's OK. We're doing it as we like, not as we have to. There is a huge difference there. HUGE. So, as we wind down after a busy weekend I am always grateful to be returning here. I love visiting and seeing everyone, but my pace has changed so that I am running a little slower and and not keeping up with the Long Island pace. So I park myself in someone's living room and visit with them as long as I can. It's all good.

Home Again !!!!!

Well Gang We are Home Again after being down on Long Island over the Weekend. There are not enough days in last weekend to get ALL the things that we wanted to get done. Our 1st stop was in Mineola to visit and with Jackie & Jessie, Alison was also being picked up by her dad for a weekend visit. We arrived about an hour later then we expected at 7:30 pm, due to traffic about 9 miles before the Throgs Neck Bridge ( Seems at a time it was only about 4 miles). Jackie and Jessie out for a little Friday Night fun so we let ourselfs in to be greated by Blue the dog.... :>) We, us / Me, being older, hit the hay before Jackie & Jessie made it home, say 9 pm. Trip in some ways short and other ways just tiring . The next morning with some sleep under our belts we had a short visit with Jessie & Jackie. Jackie off the a Baby Shower, us a honey delivery to a Glen Cove Store and then headed to the dentist. Gotta love Dr. Lee N. and his Team. Never any Pain and Gentile Always. Both Jen and I finished after a short while at Dr. Lee's office, we chatted a while, then Off to Mike and Nicole in Holbrook for a visit and a overnight stay. Miss Payton was there, Brian showed up too...We did miss Ashly who could not break free to come over and see us.....We missed you! Well the whole gang piled in to the car and had a great dinner and conversation at the local Red Lobster. The food was great and it was good to do a little "face to face" catching up! After dinner we had some good times back at the house and shown all the great things that Mike and Nicole doing to the house...It is all Great Guys, Keep Up the Good Work ! Nicole such a great hostess, did all of that with us on just 2 hours sleep as she had worked the overnight shift at the hospital the night before we arrived. The next morning we shared bagels , coffee and conversation in our PJ's with Mike , Nicole and Payton , Payton who did a quick run over with her Christmas "Wish List"!!!!!!! Payton and I had a little game of football catch out front and then a short nature walk around the area. We found some Acorns to be planted in the back yard. Payton and Mike Said "Good Bye's" , Mike off to work and Payton to be dropped off at her mom's. Jen & I Cleaned up our act, Said our good bye's to Nicole, then headed West and North To Manhasset NY to meet with Carrie , Jen's cousin from California who has been visiting. Thanks Nicole & Mike for putting us up.... We ran into Carrie just coming out of Church at about Noon , Said Hello to a few relatives , Aunt Ruth & Uncle Bob, then headed in to Port Washington With Carrie For a little brunch at Louie's Waterside Restaurant , Sat outside on the deck and had a nice face to face catch up. Later, on a sad note we visited with Jeff and Lynda M. as her Dad had passed away , Wake being at a Port Washington funeral home . Sorry for you loss, Lynda and family , You are in our thoughts and prayers. Jen & I did some further visiting at the wake and saw old co-workers , and friends. Then off and back to Jackie's to await Ali's return from her visit with her dad. Jackie and Jessie being great hosts at the house and we did some more face to face catching up, loaded a desk into the pickup for our office and then headed north to Caroga Lake and the dogs. Thanks Jackie & Jessie You are Best !!!! Can't Wait to see you guys up here in a few weeks. Well with the crew in the pickup we headed North and arrived home in the Adirondacks at about 9:30 Pm, the dogs happy to see us and in a very short time we all headed in for the night. Thanks Dan & Jenny for watching the dogs, we owe you a dinner . That's about it gang......Til next time Jerry

baseball, football, whatever. . .

Hooray for the Yankees! Good. Now it's over. I've seen more spitting in the past few days than I have seen in my lifetime. I gave birth to one spitter. He knows who he is. I used to take a walk outside and discover a huge louie hanging off something in the back yard and, gag, had to get the garden hose or something to take it down. Spitting is gross. It makes me sick. All throughout the world series we were treated to one player after another hucking up a louie and spitting something onto the field. I mean really. All the instances where I was either performing or competing or something that required intensive physical activity and focus, never, NEVER did spitting come into my head as something I should do. Spitting never entered my mind. I'm stressed, I'm tired, We're in a crucial spot here. Maybe I'll spit-that will help! What are these guys doing? And what about the guys who are coming up BEHIND them? Do they have to step around it? Are louies hanging off all the bases and laying in the dirt like little mine fields? What about sliding into 2nd? If I knew I would be grazing through a louie pasture in order to get to the base, forget it! I'll just stand here on first and wait. So now we move to football, where they spend endless hours patting each others heinies and pouring ice cold gatorade over each others heads. Could someone explain all this to me? I'm confused. Allison and I were discussing the benefits of being a "fan" of something - anything! But we're not. We're not fans, we're tolerators. And so, now we move to Sundays. Oh well. That's OK. Football has good food with it. That we're into.

As I drove down the road last night on the way to the theatre for a meeting, I was slowed by two deer sightings. TWO! The first was along the side of the road, and I didn't notice her until I was right alongside. The other happened as I slowed to take a picture of the autumn moon over a field, and as I turned back to the wheel to continue driving, there was a deer standing in front of my car. Just standing there looking at me. My point is this. . . in the space of ten minutes, which is how long it takes me to get to the bottom of our road (4.4 miles) I spotted two deer. Hunters up and down the road have been parked at the crack of dawn and all through the day trying to find these things. I don't see many hunters, just their cars, but they should know that the deer are OUT IN THE ROAD. COME OUT OF THE WOODS GUYS! I FOUND THEM! Sorry-couldn't help myself. I just laughed a little to myself and went on my way. We have a fun group at the theater, which is why I keep going back day after day. Right now we are working on the Christmas Magic of December 5th, which includes a harvest market for vendors from 9-1, a children's christmas show from 2-4, and an adult Christmas extravaganza from 7-10. Three events in one day! This has been a marketing blitz that we are all very proud of. Not to mention that bringing so many people into the theater is a thrill. The more that come in, the more the word is out-the Glove Theater is back on its feet! I am in the process of trying to get some grant $$ for restoration, and the money is out there. We just have to get it over here. That's our mission. So I work, I blog, I sleep, I run, and now, as of this weekend, I will be spinning and knitting in the Blue Line Farm and Apiary corporate offices - our studio is set up! We are operating out of the lower level (basement sounds so cold and dreary) and it is set up for work! Anything creative goes down there-wool,alpaca,painting,weaving,spinning,honey,honey products and all that. We're in business! Actually, we've been in business, but not its all in one place - I LOVE THAT! I finally have a spot to place all the acoutrements of the knitting and spinning field. Socks stretchers, knitty noddies, spindles, yarn wrappers and steamers. The sewing machine is also going down there, since finally I can work on a project and not have to postpone dinner for three days while I work on it. The dining room table used to be the spot for cutting and pinning, and eventually just became easier NOT to do it then to take any projects on. So yes, we're busy. We're in negotiations for a kitten, and slowly I am chipping away at Jerry's concerns. What's not to love? Allison has already named her Nala. And I am trying hard to be objective because I agree, we do have a full house when it comes to pets. But isn't that the very nature of rescue? She is living around the corner and we are just waiting for the high sign. It could take some time. But Allie and I are both on a mission of sorts. Bring Nala Home. As I was driving Allison to school the other day, it dawned on me as I careened around a corner and overtook the Amish buggy; I am comfortable here. I fit in. It is where I should be at this point in my life. All of a sudden everything is right with the world. And a feeling of peace settled around me. Whatever the future brings, I know that these years in the country have soothed my soul. It was just what the doctor ordered. And so today, I'm off to the theatre. We're busy writing songs for an upcoming production.

Moving on to the next holiday. . .

Jerry would like everyone to know that we've hung his balls out. That's right, it's Holiday Decorating time! Traditionally, this was a task we always took on the day after Thanksgiving. It was a day off from work and the family was usually all around. The day after thanksgiving was the perfect time to get out on the roof with a staple gun and start hanging those lights! Until we moved to Caroga Lake, it always worked perfectly. Now we live in a area where there may already be six inches of snow on the ground the day after Thanksgiving. And cold. And when the family (most of them)arrive for Thanksgiving, we do not want to waste a moment of their visit out on the roof freezing our patooties off. A warm drink and good company here by the fire is the master plan. We are also setting up a skate pond by the campfire and hope to have that up and running. Everytime we go out and see skates (yard sale, garage sale, thrift store, whatever) we buy them. No matter the size-they'll fit someone. This way, when the fam comes for a visit we can all skate right in the yard-not far from the Tylenol and heating pads. Our hope is that the weather will cooperate. Now that halloween is behind us, I feel free to move forward with the holidays. It always bugged me to see the Christmas decorations out before Halloween, no less thanksgiving, and here we are stapling and arranging on November first. Shameful. However, we have both vowed that the lights will not be turned ON until at least thanksgiving. This way we don't have to go out in the bitter cold and get them set up. Which explains why you may see christmas decorations up on people's homes here in the northeast well beyond Christmas, say, into the fourth of July. With a decorating season so woefully short, I wonder if these decorations are actually coming down. I'll have to ask him about that. . . but as I said, he's busy outside, hanging his balls. Go ahead anonymous, could we make it any easier for you?