Two for Tuesday - Sparklers!

This past weekend saw the 2nd annual Harrington/Hart reunion

many, many, highlights:
Lake of the Isles

Boat Rides

The Riff
Oh Canada vs The Star Spangled Banner
Bonfire and fireworks on Rita Rock
Full moon on the river
Blue skies
Swimming
Apples to Apples
Harry Potter interludes (5 copies of the book present with numerous family members sneaking off to read)

Saturday night italian feast
Kayaking
Fishing
Waiting in line for the bathroom

Henway

Ship of fools

Tiki torches

Kate's volvo penta

lowlights - 5 family members weren't there to join in the fun!

click HERE to see additional photos

(warning: family members will find of interest, the rest of you, not so much.)

Grrrrrls top DVD pick for the week

Haven't gotten into any of the summer tv shows this season.

Been catching up on last year's films instead.

Last night we watched one that is worth a mention

it has dramatic intensity, an unpredictable plot, and great acting

Efter brylluppet (After the Wedding)
"Champagne is poured, secrets are spilled."

A danish film with english subtitles

Nominated for an Academy Award

Nominated for 15 others with 6 wins.

one of the actors is Mads Mikkelsen (he's the guy that weeps blood tears in Casino Royale)

Co-written and directed by Susanne Bier

Beaver Lake

About 15 minutes from our home we have Beaver Lake Nature Center. Trails that wind through the woods and around a lake. It is open year round for hiking, observing, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, etc.

To the river....

Heading to camp tomorrow.
Childless!!

No towering teenagers to cook for
or pick up after
or take tubing
or say "be careful with those spears you made! why can't you just use fishing poles?"
or "who ate that package of 24 rice krispie treats that was here an hour ago?"
or "do NOT try to catch the chipmunks with that net"

hmmm, although, I prefer saying any of those things instead of "get off your computer" or "turn off the television"
but still, an adult weekend is something to look forward to.

so I want to bring a cheese/fruit platter to a dinner party Saturday night, what kind of cheese goes good with grapes and strawberries? (besides cheddar)

and that big yellow boat? saw it last weekend and it is by far the prettiest tanker I've seen on the river yet. and check it out, it's from Amsterdam.

Two for Tuesday

Two things you may not know about July 17.

1. It is the 198th day of the year with 167 days left.
2. There are 29 days of "the dog days of summer" left.

speaking of dog days, I had no idea why they were called that so here is what I found out-

wikipedia says they were named by the ancient romans after Sirius "the dog star"
the dog days are usually the hottest days during the summer months and ancients believed that the dog star was the cause of all the hot, sultry weather.

believed to be an evil time "when the seas boiled, wine turned sour, dogs grew mad, and all creatures became languid, causing to man burning fevers, hysterics, and phrensies.

hmmmm, I don't think it sounds evil to go languish in the sun with some wine. and what the heck does phrensies mean? if anyone knows, please enlighten me.

manic monday

manic monday word for today? marble

a while back, I took photos and manipulated them into marbles on my paint shop program.
I wish they were real, they'd make good shooters!

if you click on them, you can see them better.

check out all manic monday marble posts at Mo's

ps. these are the photos that were manipulated.

another bird post, of sorts.

I had been looking for some way to cover this old concrete slab we have at camp. I guess, before we bought the place 3 years ago, the pump house used to sit on it but was then moved. It was an eyesore and just a little dangerous as it has 4 huge nasty bolts sticking up out of it which could defintely wreck some havoc on bare feet.

This week I came up with a solution, and today, I created it.

A river rock birdbath and painted flower pots. Voila!

Speaking of birds and their mates.....

this little birdie is looking for something, or someone. she has been sitting outside my office window at home for 2 weeks now. she alternates between the hanging pot to the small tree outside my window. she leaves her perches to knock on my window starting early in the morning and ends at twilight. she detects any movement and won't let me get near enough for a close up shot. she's a beautiful wild canary - maybe looking for her mate? cause I haven't seen him around at all.

Matchmaker, Matchmaker, make me a match

A dating service for parrots? uh huh.

A German ornithologist who started a dating agency for parrots has just brought her 2,000th pair together.

Rita Oenhauser, 34, who runs a bird sanctuary at Schoenefeld just outside Berlin, said: "I realised there was a gap in the market because I had so many people asking me about finding a partner for their birds.

"Unlike a regular dating agency my work is very satisfying, as parrots, like swans, will mate for life and remain faithful - parrot pairs stay together until the end.

"It is really sweet to watch, they spend every minute of every day together, the male looking after the female and feeding her and sitting together on their perches."

She added: "I don't have to do much other than make the introductions, some birds experience love at first sight, while others make a really careful choice before entering a relationship and need to be talked into it with a complicated courtship.

"It can take up to three months of being given the best bird seed or even building an elaborate nest to entice a reluctant partner."

Manic Monday

Manic Monday word for the day?

Seven

today my thoughts went to the "7 habits of highly effective people" an excellent read by Stephen R. Covey. It's a keeper.

In short, here are the 7 habits:

1. Be proactive in life (not reactive)

2. Begin with the end in mind (set goals)

3. Put first things first (prioritize)

4. Think win/win (search out mutually beneficial solutions)

5.Seek first to understand, then be understood. (empathize)

6. Synergize (collaborate, value differences)

7. Sharpen the Saw (balance self-renewal)

he has another book (that I haven't read yet) called the 8th habit: from Effectiveness to Greatness. In this he lists the 6 "cancers" that inhibit peoples greatness.

They are:
Cynicism
Criticism
Comparing
Competing
Complaining
Contending

anyone read it?

be sure to check out the rest of the manic monday posts at Mo's place

Happy Manic Monday!

(ps. on 7/7/7 my friends Nancy and Mark got married. may they have 7x7 wonderful years)

And the winner of Five Fun Facts for Friday is.....

Travis of Travsthoughts
Travis went 5 for 5 (plus the bonus) on the american twist.
Nice win Travis!

Trav's prize?








A bottle of dinosaur bbq sauce made right here in upstate NY.
It is yummy.
Trav, you have your choice of sensuous slathering sauce, roasted garlic honey, wango tango habenero or cajun foreplay spice rub.

Travis, email me here and I will send this east coast prize off to the west coast!

(Thanks to all who played! answers are given on the original post below)

5 fun facts for friday with an american twist

1. where is the only place the flag is not flown at half mast?

2. what animal did Ben Franklin prefer over the bald eagle as the official national animal?

3. what is a vexillologist?

4. How many people signed the declaration of independence on July 4, 1776?

5. What was the first state to allow women to vote?

bonus question: What famous Confederate escaped capture during the Civil War by dressing in his wife's clothes?

Thanks for playing!

1. the moon

2. the turkey

3. one who studies flags

4. two. the rest signed on August 2 (they were John Hancock and Charles Thomson)

5. Wyoming

bonus: Jefferson Davis

Scene on the river.....

Some photos from our boat ride yesterday.

Two for Tuesday

Two flags a flyin.

The flags at camp were finally put up yesterday and with a brisk wind it was perfect flag flappin weather.