WanderingFoxFarm

I was lucky enough to be sent to the UK for a few days with work at the beginning of June and managed to spend time with Mum, Mike, Hazel and of course Sarah and Alana.

Sarah is doing really well with work and has signed up for additional education – life is a little easier for her now she has a her car and she is hoping for news about getting a house out in the countryside by Sonning. Alana is of course a total poppet, she looks so like Sarah did at that age, just as happy and independent too. We had some professional photos’s of the three of us taken so that we can capture the moment. I really can’t wait till I get them.

Three weeks ago was the start of the little league season ( Baseball for children) and the town centre was closed for an hour to allow all of the children to march through, followed by fire trucks, emergency medical, local park rangers and the police. It was great to see the town come out to support them.

We have had a few new businesses open up recently including a very nice cafe and bakery. Hopefully this will encourage more people to stop in the town and not just drive through.

I spent a week in Irvine California at a sales training course 94 degrees of blue skies, very nice. Aaron drove us to San Clemente and Laguna beach, they are both worth a return trip. On the Thursday I went to see the Angels play the Tigers ( Major League Baseball ) we were in a corporate box so we had plenty to eat and drink, it was a lot of fun.

The puppies are growing at a rate of knots and are costing us a fortune in toys, food and vet bills. Cagney is a real tick magnet with her long fur so I booked them both to get clipped and bathed. Little did i know that I actually picked a doggy day spa. Dropped them off at 9 in the morning and they spoil them all day, collected them at 5. Cagney looks very grown up with her new cut. Cagney and Lacey got their own mail today, from the doggy day care to say welcome 🙂

Saw my first Turkey Vultures last week, they really are ugly looking creatures. Not sure I was keen on them licking their lips when they saw the pups!!
BOB flew to the UK on Friday so that he could find a car for Sarah and sort out some other things. I am exhausted, the dogs are getting me up at 5.20 and running me ragged all day. It has rained constantly and the dogs are stir crazy. I will be very glad to see him back later today.

Well I finally convinced the “bob” to let me get a puppy and what does he go and do…… tells me to get two!

We are very lucky and they are sleeping through the night and have quickly established a pretty good routine that revolves around food, pooping and playing with lots of sleep in between. Not too many accidents so far.

We thought Cagney had a heart murmur, which is why the breeder let us have her at a reduced price, but we took them both for their first visit to the vets yesterday and what ever the issue was, seems to have sorted itself out. Who knows we may have the basis for a best seller on our hands Cagney Lacey and The Fox’s ( not quite the same ring to it as “Marley and Me” but Rob says I am better than Jennifer Aniston)

Cagney and Lacey brought the spring in with them as well. The weather is starting to improve and we now have our first daffodils in the garden. Also we have Daziel and Paxo (oops sorry I mean Pascoe) the wild turkeys back in the garden for their daily constitutional. They are probably the babies that we saw from last year. No sign of the old ones yet. It is really interesting to work out where they have been over the winter. According to the websites they are not migratory so they must have been holed up deep in the mountains avoiding the thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter dinners and now feel OK about being seen again.

Almost but not quite. The leaves are beginning to show but it will be another week before we can be confidant enough to take up the snow markers on the drive. The weather has been undecided for this last month. We haven’t had snow for ages and it has cleared from the back garden quicker than last year. Winter doesn’t want to let go. There will be nice sunny, warm days and then freezing cold. The poor plants are quite confused.

One freezing Friday evening, just as it was getting dark, Rob heard an odd noise coming from the front garden. It was the sound of a very sorry (cold and hungry) cat. I was in the kitchen and was very surprised to see the boofy old bloke leading our new best friend in. I didn’t know he had such a soft spot for animals. He said it was too cold out there and anyway, the coyotes might get him. Cat made him self at home right away, while Rob made enquiries with the neighbours and went to fetch food. Well he ate well and loved every minute of his stay but it soon became clear that he was free loading and had a perfectly good home somewhere else. He only came back for the food, perfectly groomed after a night away. Tart! He soon stopped coming when he knew he was rumbled. Lovely looking cat though.

Talking of cats ……. Sister Kat(rina) has been visiting. Her and Iain had a conference to attend and combined it with a short holiday. Iain went straight to work and Rob met Kat and Catlin at Newark airport. Catlin stayed with us for a couple of days while work had to be done. Rob did not want Caitlin to feel left out on the work front and made her earn her keep by clearing leaves in the garden and serenading him with the Oboe. It was lovely to see her again. She’s looking so grown up these days. We were treated to oboe practice each day (very good too) and she managed to wear the old boy out on a walk around Minawaska Lake and Gertrudes Nose. He slept so well that night …….. she can come back and take him for walks more often.

We traveled up to Mt Tremblant to meet up with Kat and Iain at the apartment. The road is one that I am all too familiar with as I have to go up and down every few weeks to visit our Montreal office. Rob drove the truck with all our gear in the back “Clampet” style. We arrived at around 7pm, just in time for food at one of the many eateries. A lot of effort has been made to give the resort a European ski village feel. You know it’s not real but is a good effort. Lots of shops, bars and food places. We even got Rob to “enjoy” sushi.

Weather conditions weren’t ideal so we took a relaxed approach to skiing. Rob managed to get a few photos of us on the slopes. Catlin is doing really well and is in great shape for her school trip next year. I watched her following Rob down the hill and she was doing parallel turns without thinking about it.

Well, if the skiing wasn’t the very best then we more than made up for it with other activities. I finally got Rob snowshoe walking! We all went out on an organised walk from the top of the mountain all the way back to base via a sunset meal at a mountain hut. The second part of the walk was by the light of 30 head mounted lamps. One or two of the group were more relaxed on the second half!

It was all over too quickly and we were soon on our way back south. Iain had to continue on to another meeting in Canada so Kat and Catlin came back with us for a few days. We stopped off at the Lake George outlets for some retail investigation (it’s part of my job … honest) and got home at tea time. It’s nice to get back to your own bed, don’t you think?

The next day I had to go in to the office but Rob looked after the girls until the afternoon when he brought them into meet me. We went off for another round of retail while he went on a boys trip to see the NETS basketball meeting in New Jersey. It was very good, he said.

Catlin was very keen to take Rob for another walk. Especially when she found out about the “Lemon Squeeze” scramble Rob and I had done last year. Fortunately the old boy had recovered from his last one so he took Kat and Catlin on the hike to the top of Sky Top at Mohonk Mountain House. They all enjoyed a beautiful spring day, getting back just in time for food at a local Italian restaurant. Yummy.

So while Rob and Kat packed the ski gear in boxes, there was just time for Catlin and me to make up a tote bag that she had taken a liken to. We went into Pine Bush and chose some material. It didn’t take too long to cut and sew. She had something special for her carry on when Rob drove them back to Newark airport. It was lovely to see them all again. This looks like becoming an annual event. Well we hope so — we are also looking forward to a Fall hiking trip

It’s a new year and the middle of the long winter. We have snow on the ground, bitterly cold days and even colder nights. At least the days are getting longer again. For the last month, only Rob’s truck, with it’s 4×4 and snow tires, has been able to make it up the driveway. I’ve enjoyed driving it to work with 2ft of snow in the back, but it’s not quite as flash as my Acura.

We have been watching the BBC reports from the UK and notice that it’s been snowing there too. I suppose it’s a bit different here. After all, they expect it and are ready for it. There are almost as many vehicles with snow plows attached as not. Not much seems to stop them, although the schools close at the hint of snow. Even our local UPS delivery man hiked across the snow filled gardens from our neighbour’s property to bring us a package …. above and beyond!

We have been trying to make the most of the good days. New Year’s Day was a lovely bright day so we went up the mountain for a hike. I took my snow shoes to practice.

It was pretty cold but dry and bright. We took a packed lunch which included a flask of hot tea. It was great to get out in the fresh air and see the mountain in the snow and ice. In one photo you can see the “look out” that we climbed up too in the summer.

Of course, one really good thing about lots of snow is that there is skiing to be done. I actually managed to take a week off and so we packed the truck and returned to Stowe (Vermont) for a few days. We had so much fun with great snow and reasonable weather. It was very cold but the resort has a good (warm) restaurant right at the lift base for regular thawing sessions.

This year we stayed in Stowe village (there is a needlecraft shop) at the Stowe Inn. We were in the older (budget) motel part although it was all we needed. Breakfast was continental style with DIY waffles available.
The bar/restaurant is great if you can’t face driving out again after a long day skiing. We had no fixed plan and were going day by day depending on the weather forecasts.

There are several well known ski areas in Vermont. Stowe and Killington are probable the biggest and we were on our way to Killington but passed a place called Sugar Mountain and thought we’d give it a try. How lucky were we! It was a promotion day and the lift tickets were half price. We had another good day in the snow. We never did get to Killington as the forecast for the next few days got bad. It gives us somewhere to explore next time. We are now looking forward the skiing in Canada with Kat, Catlin and Ian ….. roll on March.

It’s been quite quiet on the the animal front. We are beginning to see the deer again as the snow starts to thaw. Rob has been battling with the squirrels (he’s a laugh). They keep stealing the bird food and every five minutes he’s chasing them off. We did have one new visitor. Rob just had time to snap an Opossum scuttling through the back garden. It didn’t hang around long.

I suppose all the recent exercise has been keeping the old boy from vegetating. Must be working. Look what I woke up to the other morning.

We were kept entertained and amused by Blake, Missy and Ali. Blake is a demon on the Wii as well as being a fine breakfast chef. The girls put on variety performance like only young girls can and were just sugar and spice. We all went down to the arts centre in Atlanta to see an exhibition of the “Terracotta Warriors”. Fascinating! It had the desired effect and we now want to visit China to see the whole thing. The list just gets longer ….. must give up work some day. To balance out the high culture, Paul and Robyn took us to the local comedy club. As advertised, it was side splitting, cringe worthy and “oh my god, did she just say that” in equal measure. We really enjoyed ourselves.

Robyn made big efforts to support my bid for a dog. Despite having a good time with both dogs Rob is still holding out …….. and I’m still working on him.

We finally left Atlanta, bound for Gatwick and England. Bob* felt at home right away in the BA lounge with a host of UK news papers and biscuits to keep him quiet. It’s so important to keep him out of trouble on long journeys. BA in flight service was a joy compared to the complete lack of any service on US flights. It was a real system shock, joining the M23/25 at 8.30am. So much traffic … so many people all crammed into such a small space. We had a long “to do” list and started right away with visits to the bank, letting agent and accountant. It was quite a strange feeling to be back in Maidenhead with no Toni to shop with and no home to go back too. I mean, it’s still there (we drove past) but someone else is living there and there is a strange car in the drive. We visited Robs most missed shops, WHSmiths and M&S, to stock up on PC magazines and underwear. Rob claims that the UK (and these companies in particular) are world leaders for these items. He has a point.
Having got the “business” out of the way I could then get to see Sarah and little Alana. Oh how she has grown since I last saw her. I know that I’m very biased, but she is gorgeous …. almost edible. She is such a happy baby. All smiles and giggles. A real credit to Sarah’s hard work as a young mum. I’m very proud of the way she cares for Alana and the bond they have developed. I miss them both very much. Our trip was a whirlwind of family visits an lots of driving (1500 miles) and was over too soon. Sorry to anyone that we couldn’t get to. Especially Caitlin. Hopefully we will get to see you for some skiing later in the winter. Back home to Pine Bush and both Rob and me have succumbed to after flight head colds. At least it didn’t turn into flu. Our quest to see as many old 70’s stars as possible continued on Monday night. We saw Neil Young at Maddison Square Gardens. I like the more acoustic stuff but the screaming guitar bit were a bit too much. Mind you it was funny to see all those old Bobs rocking out as if they were teenagers. Needles to say, Rob came out grinning from ear to ear. It was 1am by the time we got back to the hotel and I was ready for shut-eye. The next day Rob saw me to an airport taxi and he took the train back up the Hudson valley. So it’s back to the grind and looking forward to a white Christmas.

*Bob ………. Boofy Old Bloke aka Rob

The whole place went mad for Halloween. Houses and gardens were all decked out with cobwebs, skeletons, pumpkin lanterns and other spooky stuff. We even had an area of our offices decked out and all the kids were invited in for a “trick or treat” party. I’m not sure who had more fun. That night, the traffic through Pine Bush was at a crawl with dozens of dressed up children (and a few scary adults) filling the streets for a haunted house event. Lights, music and hot dogs. It was the last day of the year for the ice cream parlour and they were exchanging candy for ice cream. I really enjoyed the spectacle. Bob (see previous blog) wasn’t so enthusiastic but did brighten up at the sight of one or two of the older girls costumes.

Well after the excitement of the Vegas visit, it’s been relaxing to spend some time on home turf. I did have one multi-day trip on the east coast with the last stop in Boston. Business was wrapped up sooner than expected so, rather that kick my heals at the airport, I rented a car and drove back. I was able to get home at a decent hour and there was lots of autumn colour to be seen on the way.

Autumn is giving Rob plenty of work in the garden. The trees have provided a lovely display in the last weeks but have now shed all those beautiful leaves. Until recently, Rob has been able to mulch them when mowing. This week, though, there have been just too many for the mower to handle. Well that’s what the old boy said when he convinced me that we (he) needed a leaf blower. What is it with boys and toys? He’s been out there for two whole days blowing piles of leaves around the lawn. He said that he needed to finish it before the snow came. He only just managed it. There was a bright white carpet to greet us this morning. The locals say it’s going to be a harsh winter and that we got off lightly last year.

Mother nature seems to be getting ready. Our plants have lost their leaves and died back. Only the box wood has any colour but the ornamental grass is still magnificent, even as it fades out. The animals know something is happening as well. The deer are coming around more often, the squirrels are back and the birds have become very active on the feeding front. The other day we looked out on the lawn to see it covered by a mass of black birds. There couldn’t have been an insect left!

A week or so ago, I left Rob pottering in the garden (fighting chipmunks) and joined the ladies at the “Quilters Attic” for a one day course. It was just so relaxing. I learned some new techniques and ideas for Christmas. It’s generally been busy on that front!

Talking about relaxing……. we’ve both decided that the hot tub was our best idea this year. Well, Rob insists it was his idea but we know don’t we. We climb in after putting in some time on the gym machines. Mind you, it’s getting a little exciting on the trip too and from. The evening temperatures have been hovering around freezing for the last week.

We’ve been remarkably social in the last few weeks. We had a very pleasant meal at a local restaurant with a couple who live nearby but even further into the woods (they’ve had bear in the garden!!). Coming from the west coast, they are just about as far away from home as we are. They told us about a local artist that works with glass. The following weekend we went with them to visit the studio. It was a kind of open day stoke sales opportunity. They were demonstrating glass blowing and showing a variety of pieces from vases to stained glass panels. The studio is an annexe of the house set in the woods. Rob was very impressed by the glass blowing demo and the house but I think the event was a little bit “artsy” for his taste. Amazingly, neither of us took a camera. Fortunately our friends remembered.

There has been a lot of activity in the field to the left of our driveway. It soon became clear that we would have a new neighbour. The basement was quickly formed and concrete poured. Then, incredibly, the whole single story house, complete with plumbing, electrics, a fitted bathroom , a fitted kitchen and all the appliances arrived on two huge trailers. This was followed two days later by a giant crane which flew the two sections onto the waiting foundation. The building was completely watertight by the end of the day. Good job too as it bucketed down for the next two days. They’ll be in for Christmas.

So it’s been another busy month …….. in a relaxing sort of way. Oh, I nearly forgot. Rob is back on the road again …….. more boys toys. Apparently it’s got a 4.7 V thingy. More importantly, it can seat six. That saves mine on the trips to the diy centre and will make things easier when we have visitors!

click on image for full splendour ……

I’m pleased to say that everything is pretty much back to normal after the “landscaping” accident. I’ve got my car back as good as new and we have a cheque in the bank for Robs. (although I’m not sure that’s the best place for money these days) We haven’t found a replacement yet but hope to pick up a bargain soon. The rental company provided a couple of different trucks for Rob to try. They were a breeze to drive even if they were the size of a small house. Oh well I’m sure he’ll find something soon. ……. then I won’t have to keep adjusting the seat and mirrors on mine!

One of North America’s big tourist attractions is the Autumn (Fall as they say here) colours. It’s usually associated with New England but it’s just as spectacular where we are on the Southern edge of the Catskills. What was really interesting was driving north into Canada and seeing the countryside changing from green to red. By the time I returned at the end of the week, it had spread all the way home.

We’ve had glorious weather with temperatures into the low 70’s (all changed now though). We took advantage of the blue skies to go for a bike ride in our local state park. Quite a few other New Yorkers had the same idea and we had to join the line to get parked. It wasn’t bad once we got away from the car park ……. it’s a big place.

We did something over 15 miles around the lakes of Miniwaska and Awosting. There were some difficult uphill sections that we walked but the paths are well maintained and ideal for mountain bikes. One of the rules for bike riders is the use of a crash hat. Of course, “grumpy old granddad” objects to wearing a crash hat on a push bike …… “I’ve been riding a bike for 50 years with out one” …….. “They look silly” ……. etc. Anyway, after the third time of being told off by park rangers, he has decided that it’s easier to wear one. It doesn’t make sense to me. The “buffy old bloke” has no problem using a helmet when he’s flying or when riding a motorbike. It’s funny really, he’s just becoming Victor Meldrew.

We’ve just got back from a short trip to Las Vegas. The company holds a convention there for customers and though it would be nice to see some of the surrounding country this time. The flight in passed over some spectacular mountain/desert scenery and over the Hoover Dam and it looked too good to miss. Our stay was right in the heart of the strip at the Caesars Palace Hotel. Las Vegas is like Blackpool on steroids or perhaps like Disney World for big kids. I’m not sure that Rob was really comfortable in the town but it was a fun place to be working for the week.

We hooked up with our friends Paul and Robyn to make the most of it. It was great to catch up and enjoy dinner(s), the Jersey Boys (amazing show) and a road trip to the Hoover Dam. The Dam Tour (endless fun) started and ended with a top down ride along the strip in the “American icon” Ford Mustang………. well that’s what Rob said. I just kept thinking CSI! It’s only about 20 miles to the dam but wow, what a change in scenery. That mountain come desert look is something I remember from old westerns.

The dam is a remarkable structure and is a national monument. It gets a lot of visitors but we were pleased to find that it’s all well organised and the people seem very proud of the whole thing. We had a lot of fun with the staff and the “Dam Tour” …… how many times must they hear that! We had a top quality guided tour of the whole place including a trip into the heart of the dam and the turbine hall. At one point we were able to walk along a 6ft tall tube to see the view from a grating half way down the dam wall …………. and this is where Bob (buffy old bloke) excelled himself. What is he like! Well I’ll tell you. If he’s not being a grumpy old man, he’s reverting to child hood. Just imagine what an eight year old boy would do if he’s asked to go down a long 6ft diameter tube like tunnel ………….. yes that’s it …… think skateboard pipe. He only starts running up the walls…….. big kid. And yes it all ended in tears. Not being a kid any more, he lost his footing and landed on his elbow ……. chaos ensued with calls from the deep to alert medical staff at the surface.

Still, the tour went ahead and we were met at the surface by a bemused first aider …….. what more can I say! We continued on our way back to Vegas via lunch beside lake Mead. The fish were taking advantage of the no fishing rule and looking for offerings.

Apart from the weekend, I actually had to work so Rob looked after himself and walked the strip form one end to the other. Thank you to our friend Jayne who took time out and join Rob for lunch. I’ll try to meet up next time.

Getting back home after a week away was a bit of a shock. Leaves covered the garden and the first night went below freezing. It’s been time for logs on the fire and wrap up. I’m suddenly realising that I’ve been over here very nearly a whole year. So while I caught up with being away from the office, Rob busied himself in the garden in an attempt to keep on top of the falling leaves. They are everywhere. Rob was up a ladder clearing the gutters yesterday.
The wild life is also getting ready for winter. The squirrels are busy burying nuts all over the place and the deer are coming around more often again. One surprise though is that the Mantis is still praying in the fountain grass ……. perhaps he’s praying for warmer weather.

I’ve been having a quiet Sunday with my quilting and generally relaxing after another busy week. Rob is pottering about in a wet garden after the heavy rainfall last night. We didn’t sleep enough last night following the evening excitement, but I’ll get back to that later.

My lovely little friend, Toni, came to see us last weekend. She flew in on Thursday and took the train ride up the Hudson. Rob did his taxi bit from Beacon station and then turned around again to come and collect me from Newark airport. After a short nights sleep we had a noisy pancake breakfast reunion. It was so good to see her again and be able to get some girly time together. I think the buffy old bloke was pleased that I had someone else to go shopping with.
The weather Saturday might have been better but we didn’t let it stop us. We took a tour through the back roads into the Catskills. The mist and clouds were hanging low over the forested mountains and we managed to get a lunch break just as the heavens opened again. The traditional Diner we stopped at was run by a Greek lady who instantly recognised our ascents. She had lived in southern England for some years. There were some interesting photos on the walls. Pictures of locally spotted bears (not bears with spots!), hunters with their “kill” and a whole bunch of the cast from a 2006 film “the night listener”, staring Robin Wiliams. The Diner had been used as a location. Our route home took us via the quilt shop in Woodstock and the college town of New Paltz.

Sunday brought sunshine and another pancake breakfast…….. Rob insisted! As Toni was due to fly back that evening, we stayed close to home and took a walk in the grounds of Mohonk Mountain House. I was in charge this time and we avoided the scramble and the Lemon Squeeze …. much to Toni’s relief. It was a beautiful day with blue skys and sunshine. The temperature was in the mid 70’s (23c ish). As an added bonus Toni and I had the distraction of seeing lots of tri-athletes completing their event with a swim across the lake (last of 3) and a run to the skytop lookout. The winner was 7 mins ahead. Anyway, following that excitement we needed a sit down so had lunch at the Picnic Lodge ……. very nice too! Rob wouldn’t let me come to the station to drop off Toni. He said that we didn’t have enough tissues. It was sad to say goodbye as the next time I see her it will be at her new home in New Zealand.
Bird watch continues. Rob has been trying to get some close up shots of the humming bird (the ones that he said would never live here) I selected a couple of the MANY that he has taken. I’m pleased that digital photography was invented …….. we’d be keeping Kodak in business otherwise. I’m not sure what the other bird is but there seem to be lots circling around here.
So now to the excitement I mentioned at the beginning. The landscaping work is almost finished at the back of the house now. We’ve added a stone patio, sorted the drainage issues and built planting beds that include the big rocks that were dug out, on the way.

It’s relaxing to sit in the hot tub and imagine what it’s going to look like next spring. Ok, you have to look beyond the muddy patches and the straw protecting the grass seed but it’s really taking shape now. We’ve had a couple of big downpours and the run-off no longer streams across the drive way.

Talking about driveways; ours is totally empty since last night. We are carless. It all happened with a big bang. Resulting in a pile of mangled vehicles.

Tony (the landscaper) was loading his tractor onto it’s trailer, attached to his pickup truck, at the top of the drive. All of a sudden the whole train started rolling down the hill ….. with Tony still sat in the tractor cab. The pickup, trailer and tractor slewed across the grass and hit both our cars which we had parked away from the house for safety!

Rob’s is a write off and mine is extensively damaged. Tony was, thankfully, unhurt. It’s amazing that the tractor didn’t topple off the trailer as it wasn’t yet strapped down. Still, it’s only metal and not a body that we were clearing up. The next couple of hours had the driveway fill with police patrol cars and tow trucks. We couldn’t sleep very well last night and Tony was here first thing to clean up the dive and lawn. This will keep the insurance companies busy for a little while.