Forestry 101

Last weekend, while Hubby and I were doing yard work, I noticed that we had a dead tree hanging precariously over the path through the woods to our neighbors' house. On further inspection, we realized that it was being eaten up by big ants and the tree would surely meet its downfall soon. Not wanting it to fall on someone on the path, I thought we should take it down ourselves. Hubby explained that his chain saw blade was very dull and would need to be sent out for sharpening first. Being the helpful wife I am, I made sure on Monday that I got the blade to the hardware store to be sharpened. Wouldn't want a dull blade to stand in the way of our forestry project, now, would we? I think Hubby was secretly hoping that the blade wouldn't be back in time to do this little project before we leave on vacation at the end of this week. But the store called yesterday....the blade was ready! Weeee, I exclaimed....sigh, groaned Hubby. We sounded a bit like the hippos, George and Martha (do you remember those stories?).

Today we went out to fell the tree. Our neighbors on the other end of the path came down to help and while the two ladies watched, the men with the chainsaw wielded their power. Once the dead tree was taken down, it was amazing at how many other dead trees I could see. We could take those out too, couldn't we? And what about the sick wild cherry that's dropping nasty staining berries all over the driveway? That could go too. Well, that was the last suggestion. That tree was BIG, but Hubby did agree to cut off the big limb hanging over the driveway. While cutting it up into manageable pieces, the chain saw got stuck in the tree and just hung there by it's blade. Hubby wasn't happy. He had to get out a hand-held saw to cut his chainsaw out of the cherry tree! This is when he pronounced this as Forestry 201....the project that turned into a lot more work and aggravation than he ever dreamed possible. Oh, and did I mention that all these trees are growing amongst the poison ivy? Hubby is now in the shower scrubbing every square inch of himself in hopes of not spending our vacation itching and scratching. Now that will make another interesting post! Stay tuned.....

1000 Places to See Before We Die

Have you seen the book, "1000 Places to See Before You Die" by Patricia Schultz? It is a compilation of amazing places to visit which the author believes you should see before you make that final journey at the end of life. Hubby and I checked two more places off the list yesterday. First, we journeyed out to Lenox, Massachusetts to visit Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. It's a little mystifying why we had never gone before, but we decided to finally remedy that. We started out bright and early for the two and a half hour drive and arrived in time for the open rehearsal of "La Damnation de Faust" by Hector Berlioz.

Maestro James Levine conducted the Tanglewood Orchestra, the soloists, and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus in a working rehearsal of the piece which was wonderful to watch. The day was cool and breezy in the 60's, not a typical August day at all but we were surrounded by many elderly patrons who were dressed in their winter clothes, hats, scarfs, and bundled in blankets. There was a high cane to patron ratio. It made us wonder what would become of Tanglewood in 20 years when these patrons are long gone. Will younger people discover the joy of Tanglewood and the beauty of the setting and the music? But, I digress. Maestro Levine did a wonderful job rehearsing his performers, often going over bits of the piece again and again, looking for just the right sound. "The Damnation of Faust" is Goethe's story of Faust's love for Marguerite, for whom he makes a pact with the devil. Marguerite has been condemned to death for poisoning her mother with a sleeping potion and Faust offers himself as a servant to the devil in exchange for her freedom. Faust goes to Hell while Marguerite goes to heaven. It was a very moving story in music. We are fortunate to know one of the tenors in the chorus. He sings in our church choir with us and have talked to him often of his love of Tanglewood. It was wonderful to see him perform and experience this masterwork. During the break in the rehearsal, we moved from under the shed to the lawn where we dined on a wonderful picnic lunch, shared a bottle of wine, and enjoyed the rest of the rehearsal in the warmth of the noon-time sun. It was so tranquil.

After our lunch, we set out for the Hancock Shaker Village about a half hour away from Tanglewood. Set in the Berkshire mountains, it is an idyllic place, full of history of this now almost defunct sect of people. The Shakers began in Manchester, England and came to America in 1774. They were hard workers who believed in embracing technology, but who believed in the importance of celibacy, communal life, and the confession of sin. To perpetuate their religious sect they adopted children from outside the group and gathered converts to their new Christian movement. They made important contributions to art, craftsmanship and architecture, including this unusual round stone barn. Below is the dormitory where the Brethren and Sisters lived, in the same building, but totally separate. They did however have equal responsibilities for the working of the village and no one was allowed to do any one job for too long a time. Everyone rotated through the different chores in the village. Although at their height, there were nineteen major Shaker communities in the United States, today, the only Shakers left live in a settlement in Sabbathday Lake, Maine.

We had a lovely day, experiencing two new destinations in one day, and checking off two more places to see before we die. I think I shall have to make a working list from the suggestions in Ms. Schultz's book and actually mark each off as we see them. How many places have you seen? I plan to count ours up and I'll let you know!

August Joys

I have the bad habit of thinking of August as the end of summer, the end of carefree living, and just the precursor to the the craziness of September activities. I fear getting back into the routine of weekday evenings full of meetings, no more leisurely dinners on the deck watching the birds and sipping wine, and cooler shorter days replacing the long warm summer nights. This year I've decided to look for the positives of August, to find the things that bring me joy in this month, rather than dread the end of summer. These are a few of my favorite August things:

I love fresh tomatoes grown on my own plants, this year in a big container on the deck. They are a little worse for the wear after our vacation but they are still producing their wonderful red delights. With slices of mozzarella cheese, some fresh basil, and a little balsamic dressing, they are a true joy of August. I do believe I could live on this salad for a long time!

I also love the flowers that bloom in my garden this month. While so many of my perennials have come and gone, my black-eyed susans and my hydrangeas are blooming happily in the hot sun, eager to rise above the other plants that need a good cutting back already. They make me happy with their gorgeous colors and long-lasting blooms. Every morning I stand at my kitchen window and drink in their beauty.

So here's to August, no longer just the end of summer, but the beginning of many special things that bring me joy.

My New Cell Phone

I got a new cell phone today...a Motorola KRZR. My old one was giving me problems....it kept shutting itself off unexpectedly, even in the middle of a call. So, with our trip to Europe pending, I decided to upgrade my phone. The deals were great because my service contract was up and "The New AT&T" wanted to keep me as a customer. But the story started two days ago when I ordered a phone on-line through their website. Yesterday I got an email saying it was out-of-stock and back-ordered. Now why was I allowed to order it if it was out-of-stock?? I called Customer Care, only to be on the phone for over an hour with three different customer care representatives, none of whom could tell me when I would get my phone. With our trip looming, I needed to do something quicker than that. So finally, finally, the last rep agreed to cancel my order and reset my service contract date back to 2004 and then I could order another phone. BUT, that all wouldn't be in effect until at least 48 hours away, and then I'd have to wait till sometime next week for the phone to be mailed to me. "How can a get a phone sooner than a week from now?", I asked. I was told I could go to the AT&T store and a manager there would be able to give me the Internet price (a dramatic savings over store prices). So, after one failed trip to the store yesterday (no manager on duty to do the over-ride!), I finally got my phone today. It's lovely...it matches my eyes...hahaha...and it has fun capabilities. Thankfully, my youngest son is coming home for a visit next week and he's my expert on all things media. I want him to put our family photo on this phone to have as my wallpaper (just like my old phone), and he'll put song clips on it that will ring when family members call me. How would I know it was him calling me if my phone didn't sing, "Bring Him Home" from Les Miserables??? Oh, and my new phone has a camera too. I never thought I'd needed one before, but it might come in handy occasionally. Seems like you can't get a cell phone without one now. So, I'm excited to have updated technology and blue is such a nice color!

The Attack of the (cicada) Killing Bees!

Our little neighborhood has been besieged by enormous giant wasps known as Cicada Killing Wasps. We have never seen them before and since we don't have a big cicada population, we're quite mystified as to why they have taken up residence here. They are the largest wasp in North America, measuring 1 1/2 inches long. This photo doesn't do their size any justice! They burrow into the ground, leaving big mounds of dirt in their wake, where the female lays 16 eggs. Then she goes off in hunt of food for her offspring. She kills cicadas, or other large insects, with her sting and then drags the dead bug back to the hole where it becomes food for her larvae. Oh, ICK!!



They began in the front lawn of one of our neighbors and have now spread to the grassy area on our island in the middle of our circular cul-de-sac. They are multiplying rapidly. Every day there are more mounds of dirt to be counted where they've formed their little tunnel. You can see it at the top of this photo....it's the dark circle at the top of the sand pile. What started as one nest a week ago has now grown to 40 nests! Who knew these creatures would be so prolific?

The female will sting, but the males, who appear quite aggressive guarding the nest, do not sting. None of us really want to test this theory out, so tomorrow an exterminator is coming to get rid of them. They are beneficial insects for the most part, because they kill other insects, but with children and adults sharing this space, we can no longer just watch. Updates to follow!

A New Home

Our DD and HOHO will soon be moving into their brand new home. They are having a house built for them and enjoying the excitement of watching their home become a reality. As a young couple, they are very fortunate to be starting their married life this way.


Hubby and I visited their under-construction home this week. DD was concerned about not having the proper cables for Internet in the room that will be the upstairs home office, but her Dad assured her that he would help them run the wires after they move in. To make that future job easier, he wanted to mark the rafters in the attic where he would need to run these cables. With nothing to stand on, he offered to give DD "ten fingers" so she could mark the rafters with a pencil for him. Here is their resulting collaboration. DD is learning that home improvement projects start early and that Mom will be there with a camera ready to record the occasion!

Hubby and I are thrilled for them and can't wait to see them tucked away in their little house. The neighborhood is wonderful, their house is an Energy Star home so it will be very efficient, and best of all, it will be new with very little to go wrong in the first five years. But there will be decorating and landscaping to do. I'm already planning which perennials I will divide and take to her next spring, Hubby is telling her she will need to plant a few trees, and DD is wondering what colors she will paint the rooms. All this, and they don't own a ladder, a shovel, or a lawnmower yet! It's going to be fun to watch them become homeowners!