Spending Time in a House Full of Love

Our road trip continued with time in Western Massachusetts. Rick's main purpose of the trip may have been to sell his wares at a trade show. Mine was to not only help him but especially to spend time with Elaine and Randy. Randy is "the middle brother" in Rick's clan and the best part of our time on the road is being with them. This time, it was extra special because they hosted a small dinner where we could meet some of their friends (who, not surprisingly, were just as fun as they are!).

The theme of the dinner was New Zealand food, as that's their "heart place," and the site of their recent travels. We had amazing kebabs (not kebobs)...

...and tornado potatoes with a wonderful Gruyere topping!

I told Elaine that it had to take her hours to prep up all the veggies for the kebabs -- tomatoes, onion, pumpkin, squash -- and wrap them with bacon. Oh, yes it did, but WOW!

For dessert we did something called the Tim Tam Slam. Tim Tams are little chocolate cookies.

You bite off opposing corners, dip them in your hot liquid and slurp it up through the cookie quickly!

Randy's concoction was coffee ice cream with kahlua and vodka. You couldn't drink a lot of it but on a bitter cold night it was a perfect way to end the dinner!

Of course I had to bring a bit of Michigan with me! If I'd known it was more than the four of us, I would have brought a bigger pie! But with the Tim Tams, just perfect!

The next day Rick and Randy went on a hike. Meanwhile, I couldn't resist taking a few photos of the many birds that flock to their feeders.

I put the zoom to the test with this chickadee!

And I am wild about cardinals, anytime, any place. I missed the shot with five or six of them, but this one posed!

After the guys returned, Rick and I went to the Norman Rockwell museum where there was also a Hanna and Barbera exhibit. (More on that later!) We explored the town of Stockbridge, NY and returned home for a family dinner and time with Pickles and Daisy.

Pickles and Daisy are cats. Pickles is one of the coolest cats of all time, right up there with the Marmelade Gypsy and Lizzie. He's a senior but still unbearably sweet.

Daisy is the fluffier version of sleek Pickles and she, too, is a love.

But they don't often photograph together!

Look like twins, don't they? Both great cats!

We were out early the next morning, the impending blizzard motivating us to get home before the east was snowed in. Randy and Elaine's pond was definitely looking cold!

Past the Shaker Village...

...and on the road. Where we were continually warned about the weather.

Home now, safe and sound and no blizzard to shovel. If we hadn't left when we did, I think we'd still be there!  Lizzie was glad to see us and it's time to do laundry. But oh, what fun! Thanks, Randy, Elaine and and all who made our trip terrific!

Roadtrip East: Friendship, Family, Birds and More!

There is a yin and yang to traveling together. Chinese philosophy explains how opposite forces are actually complementary and interdependent in the natural world and how they give rise to each other as they interrealte to one another (thank you, wikipedia!)

In no where is that more evident in traveling with a partner! For Rick, it was a bike ride as soon as we landed in Geneva, to be followed by work at the trade show. For me, it was to connect with people I enjoy in a part of the country I love. While I am content in my world and eagerly anticipate venturing out to see sights and then return home, Rick just wants to move! (He was ready to move to Oberlin last fall, Massachusetts or upstate New York last week and Canada any time!)



But our opposite forces clearly interrelated, as wiki would say, on this trip! After driving through torrential rain, we landed in the best spot imaginable -- the cozy home of Randy and Elaine, Rick's brother and wife.

We were warmly welcomed not only by the humans but by Pickles and Daisy, two of the friendliest cats ever!



The following morning it was off to the trade show where Rick and I hawked his wares.

Then a special event -- the reunion of Rick and his high school friend Eugene after at least 20 plus years (and more likely, more than that!). Gene and his wife met us for dinner and both were so terrific I wished they lived next door! Somehow I felt we would be doing lots of fun things together if we lived closer. While I expected Rick and Gene to pick up quickly, I often have a hard time meeting with new people and yet within minutes I felt like I'd known both of them a long time. It was such a treat and I was sorry when the evening ended.

After another day of trade show we returned to Pittsfield, riding through some glorious countryside as we abandoned the turnpike for one of the quieter routes.

 

We passed through the small town of Lee where I was finally able to capture this church in a drive-by shooting. I've been trying for years but the sky was right and so was the camera!

                           

Randy and Elaine invited their good friends Tim and Nancy for dinner and it was another delightful evening with much laughter and camaraderie.

 

I would be remiss about talking about our visit without mentioning the birds!

Randy and Elaine have a wonderful deck and many bird feeders. They attract a wide array of birds and I couldn't stop photographing them!

One disturbing thing was the prevalence of a disease affecting many finches, notably in the northeast. It's a mycoplasmal conjunctivitis and is caused by a parasitic bacterium. The eyes become red and swollen. Apparently the disease is contagious, at least among finches. (For more on this visit HERE.)

Apparently after pet stores stopped illegal sales of finches, the birds were released, bred and the disease spread. There are concerns as to how far west it may have spread since it crossed the Rockies in 2006.

 

Nevertheless, the birds are still lovely to watch, though this is a bit disturbing.

And it's clear that Daisy is watching, too!

Dreaming of France: Le Chat!

This week, in her "Dreaming of France" challenge, Paulita chose to feature some cats of Paris, inspired as she was by Virginia (Paris Through My Lens) and Genie (Paris and Beyond).

I thought I'd add to the mix. The sweet boy above was waiting for us at the top of the Abbesses Metro in Montmartre. At the time I visited, my sweet Marmalade Gypsy was home waiting for me, quite ill. I think this cat was a sign that Gypsy was hanging in there for my return.

This one above was in the Montmartre cemetery, sheltered from the rain.

If you take a closer look, you see a strong resemblance to Lizzie Cosette -- perhaps a sign that only five months from my visit, Gypsy would have passed and Lizzie had wiggled her way into my heart.

Of course you can't speak of cats in Paris without mentioning a little art. The above is one of my favorite paintings from Musee d'Orsay.

If you love France and have a photo, story, book or film to share, add your name to the list at Paulita's Dreaming of France space and find others who love this beautiful spot!

Purr Girl Rules

She nags. Once she's up in the morning, she's on your case. Just try to do email before breakfast -- you'll hear about it. But then, morning isn't the only time of day she nags. Just try walking into the kitchen -- she's there. Doesn't matter if the food is in her bowl or not. If you don't stay and watch her eat (or pretend to), she will let you know her displeasure in no uncertain terms.

She won't fetch. Every morning she sits on the side of the bed while I get dressed, waiting for me to open the sock drawer where I keep her toys. (They go in there at night because she will find them at 2 a.m. and run wild through the house tossing her mice and fish.) I throw one and she bolts after it like a cheetah. She tosses it around with abandon, then abandons it and comes back for another. The thrill is in the chase.

She still has bits of her inner alley cat -- if you rub her soft furry tummy (because it really is warm, like a mitten and it's cold here!), she will grab your wrist with her claws and gently put her teeth around the artery in your wrist, implying that if you don't gently remove it and fast, she'll claw the heck out of you or bite down and leave you in a pool of blood on the floor.

But she purrs like a motorboat and she's learned how to snuggle. And if anyone tried to take my sweet purr girl away from me, this silly black an white fur ball that makes me laugh -- well, they're not going to get very far.

Sweet Lizzie (and she is sweet) is here to stay. And nothing makes me happier.

(The last two photos were taken by my friend, Judy Winter)