Oradell, New Jersey

Back in Oradell for a couple of days before the New Year Holiday. Lindsay is on her way to Israel for a week of journalistic education. T is getting the house re-organized after a week of family visits, holiday meals. Bonzi is enjoying the return to normal.

Black Cloud and Otis are enjoying the cold weather, with extra hay rations.

Freak is still under the deck.

I'll be back home on Wednesday.

Everbody's Home!

I made it in just ahead of the blizzard & so did Lindsay. No animals were harmed on the trip home (although some birds may have been inconvenienced).

T & Otis are working the drive-thru nativity at the church tonight through Tuesday night.

I haven't started my Christmas shopping yet.

Groundhog Day

I'm in Missouri this week. Off to a bad start -- I hit a groundhog with my rental car. It was late at night and he came across two expressway lanes and ran smack into the car, cracking the plastic cowling on the right front.

Bad luck for me, worse for the groundhog.

I told my banker clients the whole story. I was expecting a little sympathy but they laughed and said it was really quite rude of me. They said they wouldn't go to Pennsylvania and run over Punxatawney Phil, so I had no business coming to Missouri and running down their groundhog.

They said the least I could have done was field dress it and take it to one of the local restaurants for the daily special!

Warrington, Pennsylvania

Holiday Family Fun time in eastern PA. Christmas music tonight, a walk in Longwood Gardens tomorrow, church on Sunday morning, then back home and back to work. Can't wait.

Chicago, Illinois

Lovely weather here this week. Ice, snow and 13 degrees. I fly home on Thursday night just in time to experience it all again.

'Tis The Season

Cold enough for a WR fire tonight.

Erie, Pennsylvania

Lake effect snow. Presque Isle State Park. Presque Isle Downs and Casino. Fishing. Lots of restaurants.

And me. For four days anyway.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I'm here for two days of meetings, then I pick Lindsay up at Pitt and head home for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Hopefully there won't be too much traffic.

Booth's Trail, Reversed

I started from Port Royal, Virginia. The Garrett Farm, where John Wilkes Booth was caught and shot, is located a few miles south of here. Nothing is left of the farm - just a marker in the Rt. 301 median.

In Port Royal I stood in the front yard of the Peyton House, where Booth and Herold stopped briefly on the afternoon of April 24, 1865. There were no men at home that afternoon and the fugitives made the ladies of the house nervous so they were booted out.

I crossed the Rappahannock, heading north, following the trail in reverse back over the Potomac.

The Pine Thicket where Booth and Herold hid for five days is a short distance to the east of Rt. 301. There isn't much there, except a "Civil War Trails" historical marker. The Bel Alton, Maryland Post Office is across the street, a rustic little building.

I got back onto Rt. 301 and headed north to the Dr. Samuel Mudd farm. Mudd was a southern sympathizer who was acquainted with Booth, although he pretended he wasn't. He set Booth's broken leg early on the morning of April 15, 1865.

The house was closed to visitors, a wide iron gate across the driveway. I peered at the house through the bars, then read the historical markers. The farm is in good shape and sits in a picturesque location. The landscape looks much the same as it would have in 1865.

I skipped the Surratt Tavern. There was too much traffic by this time and I was ready to head home.

I'll back in the area next March so I can fill in the blanks then.

A detailed description of all the stops can be found here, and James Swanson's book Manhunt is well worth the time.

Tappahannock, Virginia

The cool part is that my GPS navigator brought me straight down Route 301 in Maryland. This is close to the route John Wilkes Booth took after leaving Dr. Mudd's house in April, 1865. I discovered where I was at a rest stop just before the Rt. 301 bridge across the Potomac.

I must have driven right by the pine thicket where Booth and David Herold camped for the better part of a week, before trying to row across the river to Virginia. They made it on their second try, drifting downstream south of where I crossed. The river is pretty wide at that point and I could see how they lost their bearings, especially at night.

I didn't see any signs for tourist-trap like places, other than the "historical marker" style plaque at the rest stop. Off the main road the landscape probably looks pretty much like it did in 1865. After I crossed into Virginia I was no doubt close by the Garrett farm where Booth was finally caught, though I don't think there's anthing left of it.

Maybe, if I get away early on Friday, I'll have some time to explore.

Atlanta, Georgia

I'll spend the Veteran's Day holiday here, alternately working and listening to some new audio books I downloaded over the weekend.

I am staying next to the I285 Beltway. On the other side of 285 is the world headquarters of the Home Depot Corporation, where we got our red washer and dryer. Maybe I'll stop in and let them know that the new equipment is working out OK. They'll probably want to know that the appliances do indeed use less energy and water, and that we're reduced our carbon footprint as a result.

Phoenix, Arizona

No Amish buggies here. They have Trader Joe's, though. I stopped on my way to the hotel and grabbed some organic stuff.

Should be healthy by the time I leave on Friday.

Tuesday morning I woke up and discovered I forgot my toothbrush. I am afraid to tell T since she will yell at me for being absent-minded. After work I picked up a new toothbrush, which is red. I was in the mood to experiment with new and different colors.

So far the red toothbrush is working out fine. My smile is dazzling and my breath is minty fresh.

Lititz, Pennsylania

I drove in last night in the rain. It was dark, which happens frequently at night in these parts.

It's Amish country. N0 street lights. No house lights. I didn't even see lines painted on the roads.

Makes it hard to dodge the buggies.

I'm spending two nights in Lititz, two days in Lancaster. Then back home to rest.

Paramus, New Jersey

I'm staying in Paramus, working in Oradell. Oradell is close to the Hudson River, and almost directly across from Yonkers. The straight line distance is not that far, but driving would take a long time -- either downstream to the George Washington Bridge, or upstream to the Tappan Zee.

This is a crowded area; lots of people going in different directions. There are plenty of restaurants and stores, many visable from the hotel; all hard to get to.

Blairsville, Georgia

The Appalachian Trail starts (or ends, depending on your perspective) at Springers Mountain, a few miles south of where I am this week. If you're interested in a little virtual hiking check out the the Appalachian Trail Conservancy's Web site for an interactive map. You can zoom into the map at any location and see the topography.

At approximately the half-way point you could zoom to Duncannon, Pennsylvania and see where the trail crosses my river (the Juniata), and then the Susquehanna River at Clark's Ferry.

Or, you could zoom at the Southern end of the trail and see what the landscape is like where I'm working this week -- in the Northwest Georgia mountains.

I could walk to work if I wanted to. Except that it would take six months to get here!

First Fire

It's cold around here this week.

It's been raining the past few days, and so cold that I decided to get a jump on the season and build a fire.

In the workshop, not in the Wilderness Room.

Bonzi watched the proceedings from the passenger seat in the Rhino. He wasn't interested in getting close to the fire until I made him a platform out of an old lawn chair with a coat for a cushion. He was suspicious at first then realized it wasn't too bad and he curled up and went to sleep.

It was fun.

Jonesboro, Georgia

I'm here for the week.

The Civil War Battle of Jonesborough (now renamed to make spelling easier) was fought here in 1864. You can read all about it here.

Jonesboro is the county seat for Clayton County, Georgia. The book Gone With The Wind featured several scenes that take place in Clayton County. There are some GWTW touristy things here -- a "Road to Tara" vistor center in Jonesboro (a converted old train station), reconstructions of the typical plantations and other fun stuff.

I have no time though -- gotta work.

I remember when Lindsay first saw GWTW. She was horrified that anyone could behave the way Scarlett did.

Yonkers, New York Redux

Back in Yonkers. It hasn't changed much since I was here last. Traffic, road construction, horns blowing.

It's not Perry County, but it's a nice change of pace.

Next week, Atlanta -- and a different style of traffic. Can't wait!

Tractor Battery

I had to replace the battery in the tractor this week. The old one didn't work anymore.

I am not cut out for mechanical farm chores.

Sullivan

Sullivan e-mailed me, so I guess he's still alive. I sent him a note six months or so ago but the e-mail came back undeliverable.

I figure he's retired now and moved into his new house and has little interest in communicating with the working world. He probably sits on his porch most of the time, drinking Chablis and getting on Linda's nerves.

Riverhead, NY and Fishing Memories

It's out on eastern Long Island, a resort town near the sound. I'm working in Bridgehampton this week, about 40 miles farther east, toward Montauk.

This a great area, and it brings back memories. I used to, with a bunch of cronies, go fishing here about this time each year. At least we told everybody we were fishing. I mostly remember hanging out in the local barrooms, misbehaving with Ray, Greg and Gil.

We actually did go fishing once, sort of. We hired a charter boat out of Montauk. We drove up early one morning and had breakfast about 5:00 am at some greasy dive by the wharf. I had toast and coffee and Ray wolfed down a plateful of awful looking red and yellow stuff. We warned him, but he said he was a navy veteran and could handle anything. I forget what Greg and Gil ate because I only saw it once.

I saw Ray's breakfast twice.

The weather wasn't good. It was windy and overcast. The sea was so high that most of the boats stayed in, but our captain took us out.

He needed the money.

We bucked the waves on the way out, powering up the crests and then dropping down into the troughs. Greg slept on a padded bench the whole time. When the boat fell he would hang in mid-air for two or three seconds, and when it hit bottom he would smack down so hard we thought his fillings would fall out.

We got to the fishing area and put some lines in the water. But the swells were about 8 feet high and we didn't catch anything. We just watched the horizon rise and fall, rise and fall.

Ray the navy veteran got seasick, which we enjoyed immensely. I was fine. I've never been troubled with motion sickness of any kind, plus I didn't eat much for breakfast. Greg continued to sleep -- he didn't really wake up till we were near the dock. He looked around wild-eyed and asked when we were heading out. We told him we'd been, and that he had a good time.

Times have sure changed. I don't fish much any more or hang out in bars.

I still eat, though.

River Trip #4 - Greenwood Access to Howe Township Park

This was Bonzi's first kayak trip. He did OK, a bit nervous at first but he settled down and began to enjoy the scenery. He wasn't real wild about sitting in the storage compartment so he hopped back with me. It was a little awkward at first be we adjusted.

The trip took about 3 hours. The river level was a 3.39 feet at Newport. That's a little low and I had to get out two or three times and walk the kayak. Bonzi seemed content to stay still while I floated the kayak and waded, as long as I was visible.

We took one break just below the Newport Bridge and stretched our legs. Bonzi saw turtles, ducks, egrets, a goose, and a couple of fish.

Attica, Ohio

Yep, all this week. I'll do some research on the area and let you know what, if anything, happened here.

Historically, that is.

Haven't found anything historical, but there's a racetrack in Attica. That should count for something.

Doggy Life Vest

I saw a picture on a web site of a dog riding in the cargo area of a kayak. I showed it to Bonzi and he appeared to be interested. So I did a little research and and it looks like, with a few basic safety precautions, it can be done.
So we'll give it a whirl. I ordered a CFD for Bonzi, small size. For the uninitiated, CFD stands for Canine Flotation Device. Of course.

It should be here in time for River Trip #4.

At some point I'll also get another paddle tether -- those coiled plastic cords that stretch out. I can attach one end to the CFD the other to my belt loop. If Bonzi falls in or jumps in to chase ducks I can reel him back.

River Trip #3 - Thompsontown to Greenwood Access

T drove me to the PA Fish Commission access area near Thompsontown. The parking lot was full of boat trailers and I saw some bass boats with two or three fishermen in each. Motor boats on the Juniata can't get very far -- a little upstream or downstream from the access areas, and that's about it. I guess the attraction is more fishing that boating. I haven't bothered to get a fishing license yet. I'm having enough fun just paddling and taking pictures for now. Maybe next year.

I traveled light this time -- a small cooler with drinks and a dry-bag with my GPS and camera. I had the the GPS tracking turned on. I like to measure the exact distance in river miles so I can see how fast and far I go. Plus it helps get the timing down so T can plan her day.

Because of the Labor Day holiday there were more people than usual on the river. In addition to the fisherman I saw canoes and kayaks. I think kayaks outnumber canoes now. When I was young there were more canoes.

Occasionally I passed families on the shore -- parents sitting in sling chairs, kids playing in the water. Most modern Moms are horrified at the idea of kids playing in a real river with rocks, mud and critters.

The float was smooth for the most part. I paddled through a few riffles but nothing too exciting. I ran into a shallow stretch just below Millerstown. I had to get out and drag the kayak for about 50 yards or so. No big deal.


The trip lasted just about 2 1/2 hours, which turned out to be perfect.

I'd like to take at least two more trips this year. Early fall is a nice time to paddle.

Defiance, Ohio

View of Defiance, Ohio from the north side of the Maumee River, 1887.

I'm in Defiance, Ohio this week -- enjoying really ncie weather. I'll be here until early Saturday morning, then I'll join the holiday travel crowd and head home. Holiday travel crowds are a real joy for business travelers. But I'll get through it.

Some Historical stuff on Defiance:

Defiance is the county seat of Defiance County, Ohio. The city was named for Fort Defiance, which once stood in the confines of the city. In August 1794, General Anthony Wayne ordered the construction of Fort Defiance at the confluence of the Auglaize and Maumee Rivers. Wayne built the fort during his campaign against the Indians of Ohio to provide his men with protection and a staging ground for their operations. The fort was a rough square with a blockhouse located on each corner. In addition to the stockade, a wall of earth eight feet thick and a ditch eight feet deep and fifteen feet wide protected the fortifications. Lieutenant John Boyer, an officer in Wayne's army, claimed that the fort could protect the American soldiers from "the English, the Indians, and all the devils in hell."

Pretty arrogant, but he was an officer. The enlisted men may have felt differently.

Find more stuff about Defiance here.

Wide Screen Monitor

We had a thunderstorm a couple of weeks ago that zapped one of the connections on my video card. At least that's what I think happened. I have only been able to use one monitor for the past couple of weeks.

Of course earning a living at my consulting job requires two monitors and the ability to move documents from one screen to the other.

So on Tuesday I finally got around to ordering a replacement video card from Amazon.com. While I was making my selection a screen popped up with an offer of an Acer 22" wide screen monitor. Only $149.00, including free shipping.

While I considered this offer Bonzi jumped up and bumped my elbow. I must have accidentally clicked the left button on the mouse, because the graphics card and monitor were delivered yesterday by UPS. I unpacked everything and hid the boxes in the garage. I'll burn them later when nobody's looking.

I installed the new card and plugged in the new and old monitors. I must say they look very elegant, and the larger screen area hides the clutter of wires on my desk.

Also, I have no doubt that my clients will appreciate the enhanced quality of my work and will want to pay me more money.

Please don't tell T about this, though. I don't want to get Bonzi in trouble.

County Fair

T & I came to the startling realization the other day that in all the time we've lived here we've never been to the Perry County Fair. So we hitched up the buckboard and headed to Newport to check it out.

We discovered that we had been missing quite a lot.

We visited an antique shed where we saw an old coffee grinder and some cast iron skillets.

There were a couple of pavilions with crafts and the like. T went through these while I mostly trailed behind.

We went past a bunch of old tractors and a row filled with new farm equipment -- log splitters, outdoor wood-burning furnaces, and some of those cool zero-turn mowers.

There was a bored looking camel walking around in circles. Every time around he would stop at a little platform and someone would climb onto his back for a ride. The camel was moving his lips in a funny way. Probably muttering camel swear words.

It was a one-hump camel, for those interested in such things.

All of the local fire companies and ambulance crews had their equipment on display. The volunteers had their uniforms on, with utility belts dangling flashlights and two-way radios. Just in case.

There were three rows of food booths selling various deep-fried things. Even fried Oreo cookies, which we did not sample.

We saw cows, goats, sheep, and rabbits. There was a contest where two pairs of kids would throw a hay bale. The pair that threw the bale the farthest won. It wasn't clear what they won.

County-wide fame, maybe.

We didn't see everything, though. We missed the horse show, the pig races and the Moore Brothers.

Maybe next year.

Unhinged

Lindsay has an HP dv9500 laptop computer that she uses at school. She told me the right hinge was broken and asked if I could fix it.

I said, "Sure".

I'm the Dad, after all, and have the Illusion of Omnipotence to maintain.

So she left it here when she went to England. She'll be back in a week, so yesterday I attacked the hinge. After all, how long could it take?

Turns out that this particular HP model has a chronic hinge problem. A cottage industry has emerged with many entrepreneurs offering discounted HP replacement hinges on eBay.

So I ordered a set yesterday, and ripped the machine apart to get ready for the final fix. It also turns out that, to get to the hinges, one has to remove every single piece of hardware from the machine.

I have 450 little screws of various sizes laying all over my desk. And only one week to put it all back together -- or risk having one of my daughter's childhood delusions dashed!

Columbia, Tennessee

Columbia is about 1 hour South of Nashville. Two hours if you happen to hit traffic at around 5:00 pm, which I did yesterday when I arrived.

But I had my audio book player hooked into the stereo in the rental car, so I was able to finish the last two hours of 1776 -- the history book by David McCollough. The timing was just right -- Washington finished stomping the British at Trenton and Princeton about the time I pulled into the hotel parking lot.

I'm in the mood for some lighter fare now, so I started listening to a Nelson DeMille novel. It's a spy thriller -- at the moment I can't think of the title. I need a change of pace from history.

Columbia is the home of Stan's Restaurant and Country Store. Stan's opened in 1947 and originated the country cookin'/country store combo concept that Cracker Barrel later "borrowed". At least, that's what the locals tell me -- and they wouldn't make something like that up!

What's nice about Stan's, though, is that it isn't jam packed with senior citizens and there aren't 100 RV's in the parking lot. Food's good, too!

Birthday Adventure

T's birthday is Saturday. We have an adventure planned that involves a semi-aimless drive in the Westward direction. Perhaps toward the Raystown Lake area.

We'll find a unique place for a late lunch or early dinner, then we'll head home. Maybe we'll stop and pick up some of the high-class wine that comes in the convenient refrigerator boxes. When it starts to cool down in the evening we'll get out the plastic wine glasses & a plate of cheese. Maybe some grapes.

T can sip wine and nibble on cheese (I'll gulp and gobble).

And we'll watch the sun go down...

Bonzi & Otis Go Hiking

T & I took Otis and Bonzi hiking along Stony Creek in Dauphin County. Otis needs practice with new surroundings and he has to get used to people coming up to him and petting him.

T wants him to entertain kids at various functions this fall. She prefers that Otis just stand there and take it when the greasy little buggers poke and prod at him.

I have a slightly different view. I'm open to the idea of juvenile delinquents being stampeded, kicked and munched on by an angry Mediterranean Mini Donkey.

Anyway, Otis took it all in stride. He got some attention from other hikers and passers-by but he mostly gave them the cold shoulder. He seems to know that he stands out in a crowd and prefers being aloof.

Bonzi went wild, though -- pulling me along and snuffling in the brush, marking territory. I explained that we were on State Game Lands and the Commonwealth was unlikely to acknowledge his marking. He didn't care.

By the end of the hike he was entirely out of marking fluid.

I tracked the hike on the GPS -- we started at N40° 24.3592' W76° 49.1620', then proceeded .57 miles East to N40° 24.545', W76° 48.548'. Then we turned around and returned to the starting point. The total distance was 1.15 miles.

Of course I forgot my camera!

Big Blue Tub

For some time I've been looking for a better solution to washing dishes at the barbecue patio. I've been using a big stew pot that holds maybe 2 or 3 gallons but it really isn't wide enough.

Today we stopped at Dick's Sporting Goods on the Carlisle Pike and I found a big blue tub that should work perfectly. It's wide enough so my spatulas will fit, and deep enough to cover even my dutch ovens. I'm pleased with the purchase, although T thinks that the bright blue color is a bit much.

She thinks dish washing accessories should be more understated, I guess.

T Finished The Deck!

For the record, T wants it known that she is the one that actually finished the deck. I was not able to go the distance and collapsed just yards from the finish line.

T finished screwing down the deck boards, about 500 screws in all. For each one she had to drill a pilot hole plus drive in the 2 1/2 inch screws. I played a limited role consisting mainly of keeping the batteries for the cordless drill charged.

I can claim some of the credit for the lovely deck, but T did much of the work and provided all of the inspiration.

East Brunswick, NJ

The challenge driving in New Jersey is making left-hand turns. You have to get in the right-hand lane and watch for an "all turns" sign. Then you exit and quickly loop around to a traffic light. To turn left you must turn right.

This week I am staying at a Best Western Inn, about 15 minutes from the bank where I'm working. Looks like I'll have four full days' of work and won't get home till late Friday night. It happens sometimes.

But there are three restaurants within walking distance, so I don't have to drive anywhere in the evenings. The weather has been nice -- not too hot in the day, low humidity, and cool in the evenings. No ranch chores, so all I have to do is hang around in the evenings with a clear conscience -- surf the Internet, post on the blog and listen to my audio books. I can even "Sling" local TV over the Internet to my little netbook. Almost like lounging in the WR!

It's a wonderful life!

River Trip #2 - Howe Township Park to Amity Hall

It rained last night, pretty hard. The river (Juniata) popped up about 6 inches overnight -- a total of about 4.2 feet at Newport. It wasn't too muddy, though, so I talked T into taking me to the river. I got in at Howe Township Park about 2:15 pm, got organized and was on the river by 2:25.

It was a smooth float, peaceful till I hit the rapids about 3 miles above the Amity Hall access. You can see these from Rt. 322 - just before the Midway exit. Since the water was high I wasn't too worried about getting hung up, but I did get a little wet going through the fastest section. No harm done, though. I pulled the front scupper plugs to drain the water from the cockpit. The rest of me dried out quickly.

Below the biggest drop is is a series of smaller rapids, not too scary but I got hung up on a rock and for a while though I might pitch it. I rocked back and forth and worked myself loose, then went through the rest of the rapids backwards.

I probably was a sight. An old fat guy wearing a safari shirt, an explorer hat (Lindsay got it for me), an XXL blue life vest, Teva sandals and wet shorts -- ricocheting down through the rapids backwards, trying to pretend I meant to do it that way.

Good thing there are no pictures of that part.

Anyway, I was off the river by 5:30 pm -- a good trip, all considered.

Finishing Touches

The deck trim is done. All I have to do now is fill some cracks with wood filler. Most of the cracks are small gaps between the top of the spindle and the bottom of the top rail. There are lots of gaps in the fist two sections, then fewer in each subsequent section until virtually none at the end.

Reason: I acquired rail-building skills as I progressed.

The filler should be easy -- I can sit on the step-stool and work the putty knife with one hand. I can even switch hands if I want to. And I will want to!

Depending on how the wood filler goes on I might have to do a little finish sanding, but that's it!

Lindsay In London

Lindsay made it safely to London. You can follow her adventures here, provided she can find enough time between work and fun to keep us updated!

She'll be doing intern work with Crimestoppers, UK. I'm interested to know just what kind of crimes she'll be stopping and how, but I guess we'll all learn that shortly.

Meanwhile, you can feel a tad bit safer now since Lindsay is on the job!

Bonzi Hates Cats

Hate might not be the right word, but he sure screeches whenever he spies one. He's figured out that Freak is usually hiding under the deck or the big shed. When we go out he makes a point to snuffle at all the deck/shed openings. If he catches a whiff of the Freak he starts to holler, no doubt scaring her out of a couple more lives.

He has the stray cats in a state of panic, too. In the evenings they creep along the treeline next to the deck in the hope of getting a shot at Freak's cat food. If Bonzi happens to be on the barbecue patio and spots one he lets out a ferocious squawl. It scares the crap out of the little buggers.

The barn cats are wary, too. We rarely see the ugly black one that used to saunter in an out like she owned the place. The kittens cleared out a couple of weeks ago, too.

We keep Bonzi on a leash, or course, so he won't actually hurt any of these interlopers. We don't want to be picketed by animal rights activists.

Screwing Down Boards

OK, major deck construction is done!

Now for some finish carpentry. I have to go back over each piece of decking and put the missing screws in. After that I have to do the finish trim. I will make quarter round stock out of decking material and frame around the bottom of each post. A few of the deck ends need filler pieces -- I can do this as I trim.

Finally I have to fill various cracks and gaps with wood dough.

If I can stay on task I'll be rewarded with another river trip on Saturday!

Driving To The Hoop

T is headed north for a combination birthday party (Eric) and 4th of July weekend while I assume Acting Ranch Manager status. I have absolute power and complete freedom to do exactly as I please.

Provided, of course, that the deck is finished by the time T returns on Sunday.

Oh, and critter duty, of course. And general landscape maintenance. And T asked me to drag the riding ring. And I have to hang curtain rods in Lindsay's room.

But other than that I'm free!

River Trip #1 - Millerstown to Howe Township Park

T gave me a break and let me take a river trip today. I floated from Millerstown to the Howe Township Park in about 2 1/2 hours. The river was 4.5 feet at Newport, which turned out to be perfect. I stayed dry the whole time & only scraped once.

Now I can finish the deck!

Yonkers, NY

I'm back in NY, Lindsay would be jealous. Yonkers is a bit north of NYC and has all of the charm (and traffic) that you would expect.

I'm reading about the history of the area on the Web, here and here.

I had fun driving around last night and today, with some help from the GPS. All of the natives seem to be able to drive and talk on their cell phones at the same time, but I'm not ready for that.

Tall Tees

T told me that the Tee shirts I got at Big R last week were actually XXLT, not XXL. The "T" at the end stands for Tall.

That explains why they come down to my knees.

Strawberry Shortcake With A Cherry-Red Washer

T made us fresh strawberry shortcake this morning for breakfast. We ate it as we plotted our day. Since it's raining and our outdoor fun is curtailed we are falling back on contingency plans. These will involve a trip to Home Depot and the laundromat.

The back story to the laundromat trip is this: Our washing machine suddenly broke last week, spewing water over the floor and into the basement. (I suspect sabotage since T had her eye on one of those cherry-red front loaders.)

Till the matched set arrives next Thursday we are slumming it at the laundromat. Observant readers will have noticed the "matched set" reference. The old dryer still works, of course, but we would not dream of having a washer and dryer that does not match. We live in Perry County but that doesn't mean we're unsophisticated hicks.

Well, T isn't anyway.

Two Tees From Big R

There's a "farm & home" style variety store in Warsaw called "Big R". They have clothing -- mainly work stuff like Dickey and Carhartt. I spotted Tee shirts on sale for $5.99. They were crew neck with a pocket and seemed heavy duty so I got two.

T has observed on several occasions that my Tee shirts all have holes in them and grease stains that won't come out. So I'm hoping to surprise her with my new, clean Tee shirts.

I also picked up a pair of summer work gloves. They are really light weight so my palms won't sweat as much when I move lumber around.

I am wearing one of the Tee shirts now, in my hotel room, as I type this blog entry. I feel very stylish. I'm not wearing the gloves, though, as that would be silly.

Anyway, I'm eager to resume work on the deck this weekend. I just have the rails to finish, and a few more pieces of decking -- then I'm free to hit the river.

Warsaw, Indiana

Warsaw is "Lake City" and close to the Billy Sunday Historical site. Billy Sunday was a famous evangelist in the early part of the last century, the "Billy Graham" of his day. I will not have time to visit the museum, though, since I have much work to do here in town and can't afford to be wandering around.

Another time, maybe. For now I am content to read the Wikipedia entry for Billy and leave it at that.

Bonzi Probation & Deck Rails

Bonzi likes the ranch -- lots of exciting things to do and see. I think he'll keep us. Here's a sample of what he accomplished today:

• Made coffee on the barbecue patio
• Took a bunch of Rhino rides
• Finished framing the deck
• Visited the Memorial Garden
• Made some deck rails
• Cooked some brats
• Built a fire in the fire pit
• Ran under the old deck and scared the Freak
• Barked at Otis and Black Cloud
• Helped me do the dishes
• Watched part of a movie in the WR

Right now he's a little worn out & ready for a good night's sleep.

Bonzelli

Hey, we have a replacement for Rat Dog on the way. T decided that I could not, by myself, fill the void left when Rat Dog bit the dust.

Enter Bonzi, who was staying with T's Aunt temporarily. Bonzi was trying to persuade Aunt Shirley to go for long evening walks and fishing occasionally, but hadn't met with success. So he arranged a transfer to the Ranch, where he could not only fish but go kayaking and chase cats.

Bonzi arrives on Friday and will stay if we meet with his approval. After a suitable trial period, if he decides to keep us, I will change the blog description. T thinks that my crossing out "One Rat Dog" was tacky.

Front Porch Sittin'

Lot's of progress on the deck this weekend. Framing is 95% done, decking 90%. T hung some flower baskets to make it feel more homey. We sat out on it for about an hour this evening. T described to me how the furniture would look: Porch swing, rustic rocking chairs, hammock.

I'm very close to my first river trip of the year!

I think the first run will be Newport to Amity Hall. Within two weeks, I hope!

Marital Bliss & Boots

T & I went for pizza last night & grocery shopping afterward. The pizza guy made a mistake and rang up two medium pepperoni's instead of one. He didn't know how to run a credit on the cash register so he gave us a "coupon" for a medium pizza.

Now we have to go back.

At the grocery store (where I got the shoelaces), I forgot most of the stuff I needed for barbecue brisket. Thank goodness for T, who remembered everything (well, everything but the cat food).

Tried on the boots this morning. The 72" laces are a little long but they are working out OK.

Gotta go shave now, T says I look kinda rough.

After that, back to deck work!

Shoelaces

I got two pair of shoelaces today. T gave me a pair of 72" for my boots and I bought a pair of 60" for my sneakers at Giant. After dinner I went down to the shop and had a good time lacing them up.

I haven't tried on the boots yet, but the sneakers feel real good.

75% Done!

Had some help with the deck chores this weekend. Brody donated his time and expertise, which consisted mainly of demanding Rhino rides and guzzling Juicy Juice. His mom & dad went to the Nascar race in Dover & they left Brody take care of us. He did a good job!

I have one more section of the deck to finish, then I can start on the rails. Estimated completion time: Two more weeks!

National Museum of the American Indian

The American Indian museum is in Washington, DC at the intersection of Fourth St. & Independence Ave SW.

T & I are headed there today, our first visit. We'll meet Eric at his house and he'll guide us from there.

At this point we don't know if we'll ride the Metro or drive into the city.

The excitement and suspense are exhilarating.

I'll take pictures an upload them later. Posterity will be able to discover how we resolved the situtation.

Deck work will begin again tomorrow.

Lindsay's Home!

For the whole week!

She had a pleasant and quiet ride on the bus from Pittsburgh. She told me it was full of convicts but they were well behaved.

She is happy to be home and we are happy to have her. She says it's not the same without Rat Dog, though.

Not Playing With A Full Deck

Three consecutive days of deck construction and I've turned the corner. The framing is 80% done and more than half the decking is down.

Another couple of weeks and I should be done and headed for the river.

Anniversary Adventure

T & I took a day off on Saturday to celebrate 11 years of marital bliss.

We visited Adams County Pennsylvania. First we bushwhacked (with GPS assitance) to the Round Barn near Biglerville. We missed it the first time because I turned left instead of right, but in the process we found Boyer Nurseries. They had lots of unususal plants and T fell in love with a tree.

I predict that it will be in her flower garden soon.

We found the Round Barn and walked around in it. It was round. We bought some strawberries.

Lunch was in Gettysburg, at the Appalachian Brewing Company. Nice.

Next we toured the new Gettysburg Visitor Center. We saw the movie, stood in the cyclorama and roamed the museum for a while.

It was OK but there were 'way too many kids running around, with no visable adult supervision and no proper respect for history.

Then, on to Cathy's Country place. I stayed in the car, too frightened to enter. I listened to some podcasts on my Zune while T browsed.

On the way back we popped into Home Depot and picked up some charcoal. I was running low.

We had an anniversary dinner at a steak place on the Carlisle pike. I forget the name of it already.

Tomorrow, back to deck work.

All Hands On Deck

I hope to make some progress on the deck this weekend. I put some more decking on last night and did some work on the framing this morning.

Have to entertain Alex for a few hours this afternoon since all of the ladies are at the gala Mother's Day church luncheon. I probably won't get started again till about 4:oo pm.

The house will be full of women tonight so I'll hide down at the barbecue patio and try to keep a low profile.

Tall Tales

I've kept the same batch of sourdough starter going for over a month now. I think I will tell my grandchildren that it came over on the boat from Ireland with great-grand pappy Carroll in 1895.

Last night it was Cheesy Chicken Italian-o and sourdough biscuits. I did the chicken in the 12 inch oven and the biscuits in the 14 inch. Everything was ready at the same time, and T was happy since the food was on the table only 10 minutes later than I had projected.

I have 1/4 of the deck framing done. The weather is slowing me down a bit, but that's OK. I can stay occupied in the workshop organizing my cooking tools and cutting rail posts.

T's landscaping projects are moving faster than the deck. She is younger and has more energy.

R. I. P. Rat Dog

Well, the Ranch is in mourning. Rat Dog cashed in her chips. She is now permanently boarded in that great kennel in the sky, where the doggie dish is always full.

Rat had an uncomfortable night Tuesday. T was worried. I was optimistic. I thought she was just "pining for the fjords".

Not so. Around 8:00 am she ran down the final curtain and joined the "choir invisible".

I found a link to a Web site that outlined the seven stages of grief, with helpful tips for moving through the process quickly. I bookmarked it on my cell phone for handy reference. I was able to work through to Grief Stage #7 (acceptance) by around 10:30 am.

T was stuck on #4 for a while but has now moved to #5. She'll be OK by the weekend.

The good news is that we'll be able to walk barefoot in the front yard without fear of stepping in Rat doo doo.

Deck Construction

I can't go kayaking until I finish the deck. Can't cheat either since I need T to shuttle me to the river and back.

So, no deck - no river trips!


At this point I have three boards up, part of the framing. Here is what it looks like now. When finished it will be 48' long and 10' wide.

Hope I get to the river before October!

Temporary Ranch Manager

T went to Minnesota with Laurie Ann. They are working the Equestrian Journey booth at the mega horse exposition in Minneapolis. No daily report yet, but I'm sure they're doing fine.

Meanwhile back at the ranch...

(sorry!)

I am totally without adult supervision. I used my freedom by working all day and taking care of the animals, morning and night. Some freedom!

After work I fired up the Dutch Oven and the Camp Chef stove and made some chili. Since it's just me I added plenty of heat. I had chili for dinner, and there are eight plastic containers with leftovers. So I can eat chili for the rest of the weekend. Even for breakfast!

Wish Lindsay were here to share!

Here's the deal:

Modified Gringo Chili*

Yield: 8 Servings

2 tb Olive Oil
1 large onion coarsely chopped
2 lb Lean chuck
2 tb Dried red pepper flakes
2 tb Chili powder
1 ts Dried ground oregano
2 tb Ground cumin
5 ea Cloves of garlic crushed
4 ea 10 1/2 oz cans tomato soup
2 ea 10 1/2 oz cans of onion soup

1/4 tsp habenero sauce
2 tb corn meal

Saute the onions in olive oil until the onion becomes transparent. Add the garlic.

Combine the oregano, red pepper flakes & 1 1/2 Tb of the cumin. Dump into the onion mix & stir.

Add the ground chuck to the mix. Cook and stir until the meat is browned.

Stir-in the soups and bring to a boil.

Add the corn meal slowly, while stirring.

Reduce heat to simmer.I added some habenero sauce, about 1/4 tsp (be careful!) just because I like things lively. Lindsay would've put in 1/2 tsp.

Cook for 30 mins., stirring frequently. Add the remaining cumin & simmer for 5 more mins. (* This is based on original chili recipe from the pot of Dr. Donald Houston - ICS Life Member # H-4 - thanks Don!)

Since I had to work all day I decided I won't start the chores till tomorrow. Maybe late tomorrow.

Freedom's just another word for no one watching!

Weber Grill

In Lombard, IL there is a Weber Grill restaurant -- the same company that makes the dome covered barbecue grills. I'm staying close by in Westchester, so I drove out for dinner. In the lobby there is a huge bronze statue of an old guy cooking steaks on a grill.

He is turning the steaks with a spatula. Obviously a rookie.

I wanted to get a picture of the bronze guy but didn't want to look like a tourist. So I settled for a shot of the big red grill outside. Anyway, I had a great New York strip, medium rare, with a Caesar salad.

This is not a place for vegetarians!

They served it with a big pile of garlic mashed potatoes and pretzel rolls.

I left some of the garlic potatoes and rolls on the plate. I wanted the waiter to see that I had self control.

I now have to eat fish for three straight weeks to make up for my self indulgence! It was worth it, though!