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Some things don’t change

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Last night I noticed both cats focused intently on something out the window.  I looked and saw a two point (I think) buck munching on the grass.  I could be in the Adirondacks.  Apparently, deer are not known here and this one may have swum out over the winter.  Two weeks ago, a rabid raccoon entered a house here via the cat door and bit the sleeping owner on the foot.  We have been acting as doormen for our cats who have already caught two mice here.

Deer on the island

Two point buck

We are settling back into island life.  We really appreciate how much work we did here last year.  Today, we saw more sailboats than we can remember.

Daisies and sailboat

We’ve been using the lawn mower, string trimmer ( the official name for a week wacker) and some other lethal motorized device to thrash our wheat.  I think we need pitchforks to create a big hay pile.  Today Tim found a scythe and looked the part clearing the lawn.

Tim with a scythe

Thrashed wheat from the lighthouse

Boston skyline

This was our biggest feat last year.  We managed to snag a snap on a pole, eight feet out and a hundred feet high.  This is the line that flies the flag off the lighthouse tower.  Except we don’t have a flag at the moment so we just admire our line.

Last year’s amazing project

I found a new Beaufort scale measurement today.  The wind speed was probably 20-25 knots which was enough to blow our rice crackers right off the plate.

To the lighthouse

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We drove to MA to head to the lighthouse yesterday.  The cats traveled like champs.  They didn’t do too bad on the boat and dinghy ride either.  Unfortunately, when we got here, our mooring had vanished, likely from a storm in winter.  We looked around and then arranged a borrowed mooring with the island’s winter caretaker.  While this was going on, a squall blew in and all my clothes and Tim’s electronics got soaked.  Then the grass was waist high.  But today was a new day and all is well.

Shirley bewildered

Cats and other luggage

My wet clothes

The waist high lawn

Today I tried to get the weed wacker to work for about an hour then took the John Deere lawnmower out to the field.  I set it on a hover craft setting and thrashed the wheat.  Much improved.

A better day

The helipad

Phelps Mountain

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We are moving to the lighthouse island on Wednesday and climbed our last Adirondack peak,  Phelps Mountain, on Monday.  The views are supposed to be spectacular from the summit but clouds and fog rolled in right about when we arrive.  Total trip about 8 miles and 2000 foot elevation gain.  Marcy Dam was beautiful.

Phelps’ View

I took plenty of opportunities for breathers both on the way up and down.  That’s where I met this guy.

Toad on the way down

There was a request to hike with a rock and drop it off at the summit.  Since we weren’t heading to the right peaks, we left unburdened.

Hike with a rock?

Unfortunately my boots bit the dust mid hike.  I lashed them to my feet but had to discard them at the end of the road

Top of the hill

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Shirley and I were on top of the world today

Today I hiked to the top of Round Mountain with my hiking group. The views were spectacular. This was my last hike with them before we leave for the lighthouse. The group hiked, snow shoed or skied in all weather. I’m looking forward to rejoining them in the fall. We saw wildflowers and fungus. I’m a fungus fan.

Shirley had her own little adventure to the top of her world.

Lady slipper

Toxic fungus

So when is Father’s Day?

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I woke up yesterday and made Tim french toast for breakfast. Then I presented him with this plaque for the house and a handmade card for father’s day. Next it was lunch of his choice. Later in the day, I called my brother to wish him a happy father’s day. He said thanks but it’s not for a few weeks!! Oops, I guess I don’t live by the calendar enough anymore. I know I have to go to traffic court tomorrow though.

Long Distance

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Life has been crazy. I put about 2000 miles on my car last week before turning it over to Cooper. I picked up Chelsea from school, dropped her off on Long Island (after some day drinking for her birthday), drove to Annapolis and picked up Tim, drove to NYC to vacation with Tim’s brothers and then drove home. Now we are here for a week before we head back to Long Island for a wedding and then off to the summer lighthouse.
Whew.

Adirondack extremes

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Here is our bumper crop, the first strawberry. It measures about a half inch long but is a real, tasty strawberry. We have lots of them growing but we will need thousands to even consider a pie.

On the other hand, the spiders are ginormous.  This one visited me on the front porch – while Tim is sailing to Annapolis so I had to contend with it myself.  It filled the bottom of the 4 inch glass I trapped it in.

I was hoping the photo made it appear that it was as big as Jay Mountain. It was

It was really hot the other day and the cats were hiding in the shade of cool plants and lying in the dirt.  The temperature improved after a thunderstorm rolled through with winds that blew the screens right off the windows.  Here’s Loki looking very cool.

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Giant crop

thumbnail strawberry

If you build it will they come?

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Tim ordered and installed a hummingbird feeder recommended by his brother, Lee, and within hours he had attracted hummingbirds. They flit around even though the cats are perched on the windowsills inside watching closely.  They are so fast, neither cat has a chance of catching them.

I wonder what would happen if we built a leanto?

They drink a boiled mixture of 1/4 cup sugar to 1 cup water, hold the red dye No. 5

They drink a boiled mixture of 1/4 cup sugar to 1 cup of water, hold the red dye No 5

The dance  for prime real estate

Missing the view

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I am on Long Island to meet up with old friends and Cooper.  He just completed his first year of law school!!  Chelsea finishes her junior year of engineering next week (I can’t mention one without the other, very competitive) and I am so proud of both of them.  I think Chelsea sleeps a lot less than Cooper because she always seems to be pulling all nighters.  It’s all about choices.

When I moved to the Adirondacks, I thought I might have a hard time being off island and away from the water.  Instead, I thoroughly enjoy our view of the mountains.  I love to look at them from afar, while Tim likes to”do” them.

Sunset from home

In a fog

Jay Mountain April 29