Merry Christmas

 Every year I say the same thing. This is the best tree ever. Yes, this year, definitely we got the one with the best shape. Somehow, every year its true.

Day 2

Day 2

A beautiful poem You will only see here

Well another booth I stopped at at the fair was the small woodlot owners association. I got a few of their newsletters and this poem was in one of them.It is by Clark L. Stevens who was chair of the UNH forestry Dept 1938-1958. I think this is right up there with very famous and beloved poems.

If I could learn the secrets of the tree,
the art of living fully in one spot;
of using wisely that which is my lot;
to grow above my lesser company
though still a part of community;
to fight the menace of an inner rot
or outer parasite, for one cannot
of all such enemies be wholly free.


If  I could learn to alternate the days
of strong production with the days of rest
and in my older years provide the best
of strength, of beauty, and of shaded ways.
How fortunate indeed my life would be,
if I had the powere of the tree.

The Truth About the Birds and the Bees - Well just Bees

I just got back from the Fryeburg Fair and I asked the bee keeper at the honey booth how things were going with that honey bee disease. Bee discombobulation disease or whatever they call it - the thing that is killing them all off. WELL I got the true story of what is going on. It used to be that bee keepers could make a living selling honey. Then trade opened up with China and China undersold American honey and cornered the market. About 70% of all honey in stores now actually comes from China. Even if it doesn't say China it could come from China. Because, after China cornered the market in the USA, we put a big tarrif  on their honey and they started laundering their honey through other countries. So, U S bee keepers started having to find other ways to make money - so they started hiring themselves out to farmers just to pollinate their crops and traveling far and wide - not caring about hony production just selling their services for pollination. This has led to overstressing the colonies and using the bees in a way that nature never intended and that is a major part of the problem. I plan never to buy honey in a store from now on only from American bee keepers.

Bubka model of pole vaulting

Interesting drive home

On my way home from work I now get to view a bunch of decorated houses. There are two that stand out. This one I call OMG.

It takes 3 views to capture most of it and the pictures still don't do it justice.

And then there is this next one which is right down the road which I call "Why bother"

One string of blue lights thrown in a tree? Maybe it's just the contrast between the two but they both make me laugh.

Puddles

A few days ago Rick and I went to the Cape to visit with friends from Pennsylvania - (John and Fran). We left Wednesday evening after Rick slept awhile after working a 24 hr shift. It rained furiously the whole way. We stayed in an Econolodge because they allowed dogs and we had a free night. What a dump!! They had a hot tub but it was closed. Smelled musty - very yucky all around. We were supposed to meet John and Fran about 11:30 AM the next day, so we decided to walk the dogs along the beach in the morning. It was very windy but not too cold. I like the beach when it is deserted. The dogs had fun frolicking in the waves (but not too far in) Emma didn't like the salt water ( got some in her mouth right away) and Zoe is a chicken to begin with. But they got wet and rolled in the sand and had a lovely time. I had flip flops on (took them for the hot tub) so when it was time to leave, my feet were all sandy and there in the parking lot were - PUDDLES. So convenient for washing my feet off in clean, fresh  water. It made me think that it's been quite a while since I have waded in a puddle and it reminded me of what fun puddles can be! I used to read the kids the book "Henry and Mudge in Puddle Trouble" I played in puddles all of the time as a kid. I can't remember if my kids did or not.
Well, a pool isn't a puddle, but this reminds me of when Rick was opening the pool one spring and told the kids (plus Ashley) that they could "put their feet in" So, of course they wound up all of the way in with all of their clothes on. ( occuring one small step at a time - can we roll our pants up?)  We didn't have a pool when I was a kid, but I do remember that you can get completely soaked in a small puddle, too. Actually, I do remember that Kim, in Oklahoma, after the one or two rains we had in three years did have fun in a puddle.