Saturday, Nov. 7th... The Pool Is Closing TODAY... Amid Ice and Cold Conditions...

Well, we're really sorry, but you cannot swim here anymore until next spring! I'm closing the pool today, amid imagined complaints from the local "Polar Bear Swim Club", which I haven't seen or heard from yet. I just know they are complaining, because we are the only open, outside pool, between Upstate New York and Florida!
I loosened the top cap of the strainer at the pump to reveal a little ice around the top edge as frigid water gushed forth to start that freezing effect on my fingers which I will endure all through the closing function performed today. I don't like to do things too early you know... like opening the pool before summer is about over or closing it before winter's snow, but this year I'm gonna make an exception and close it before Thanksgiving... and anyone that doesn't like that will just have to find another place to swim!

We were going to simply drain the water below the skimmer and eyeball socket, install the skimmer cover plate and the expansion plug into the eyeball opening and leave the pump and lines in place...and NOT install a cover this year, but I re-considered. I will leave it uncovered, but we are removing the hoses and pump/filter assembly to the Wilson house or the basement for the winter. I just don't like leaving fragile plastic things like that out there in the winter freeze. I'll install the skimmer cover plate to keep that enclosure empty and insert the eyeball plug to keep the ice out of it. We will also remove the steps to sit on the deck. No cover will be used and we will not worry about ice and snow, since it doesn't make a difference anyway. It will be what it will be in the spring anyhow.

We had two visitors already this morning... Peter our friend from Ravena, stopped this morning for alpaca beans for his garlic patch. Another neighbor stopped by for two dozen of our farm fresh eggs. He stops about twice a week. Hard to tell how many others will stop today for eggs.
Later this afternoon, we are going to a 75th birthday party for Vick's uncle in Simsbury, CT. It appears that there will be a lot of family in attendance, that Vicki seldom see's, so we are anxious to go. We have a friend that will stay with the dogs here and watch the farm and feed the critters this evening, so there is no hurry in returning. That's great, because they're being here will allow us to enjoy the family gathering as we celebrate, without worrying about rushing home.

Well, I see the water has quit draining from the filter on the pool, so I'm off to close it up. Well.....I've always been off a little anyway, so......nothing new.

Friday, Nov. 6th... We Need To Set Up and Take Notice In This Country...I'm Pissed Off!

I'll tell ya, I've about had it with these civil rights nuts... tree huggers and radical ninnies that don't want to be politically incorrect in their views of Muslims, their threat and the way they are taking over our country from the inside! Call me what ever you want, but I am an American. Nothing Else! I don't care about anyone's religion! You can be what you want to be, but if you live here, you do it as an American or an American wanna-be! I don't want to speak anything but English! If you want to live here, learn it! If you wanna speak some other language, go to a country that speaks that language! If you don't want to work...starve. I'm tired of supporting you and your wife which continues to pop out kids like a Pez dispenser shoots out candy! I'm tired of paying outrageous school taxes to fund your nasty mouthed, uncouth, spawn that wants everything, but expects to have it handed to them as they give me the finger, or worse yet curse me to my face thinking I won't rip their lips off for doing so because they are under eighteen.
Think of the thirteen families of the brave victims at Fort Hood...or the thirty other families who are thanking God that their American children survived. Think of the many, many others who have recently mourned the loss of their beloved children, killed overseas, by such ruthless ingrates as this idiotic Muslim, that should never have been in our military, let alone be free to walk our streets to wreak havoc on our citizens as it occurred back on 9/11/2001.
How sad that we allow the infiltration of our country by such slugs...allowing them to walk the streets, proudly cloaked in Muslim garb and spouting off crap in the morning hours, about the fear that he is going to be deployed to their country to actually fight and possibly kill other Muslims, then not thinking twice about killing thirteen Americans and wounding another thirty others in that same afternoon. Say what you will about me...call me a hate monger or whatever you wish, but I think this guy needs to go the route of Sadam Hussein and the noose outside the barracks in Fort Hood. The charge is Treason against the United States. He committed it and he was caught in the act...red handed...Hang Him!
Muslims need to swear allegiance to America and the United States or they should be deported! If you do not want to be an announced American Muslim, go to a Muslim country and take your chances there. If we keep this up, we will all be executed by Muslims at some point. They will never give up their cause and all Americans will be their enemies because we breathe. WAKE UP AMERICA!!!

Thurs. Nov. 5th... I've Been Violated...Saved and Restored All in one Day with Norton...

I got up this morning at 6:00 as usual, kicked the rear slider open and turned the dogs loose to run, started coffee and sat down in front of the computer, only to see a huge square box from my Norton Anti-virus program. It informed me that security was breeched and Norton would not start! It also said that I had to remove my Norton Program and reload it. RED FLAG!!!!!!! Usually you get this message when an unscrupulous actor invades your computer, which is exactly what happen. First, you're told to remove your old version of the program. Next they give you a link to re-install it, but it is a link that really allow them to invade your personal data and you've actually taken them by the hand and invited them in to steal your identity, personal data stored in your computer and your entire email address book, so they can do it to many, many more people. That is why I immediately throw up a RED FLAG as soon as I see these. This one, however was different. It told me to remove my program first, thus trapping the invader inside the removed program, then to re-boot the computer to make sure it was gone, then I was directed to go to the Symantec home page and enter my order number (which we all keep when we buy the program) and download their fresh new program from there. They did not give me a link to Symantec, but instead said to use my browser and go to their home page. Then, after finding my account and downloading it, I was instructed to use our old activation code number to open it and resume our service. At least I trust this! It is a welcome change, opposed to guessing whether it is a legitimate problem or not. At least I am going to Symantec's Norton site and downloading a "clean" program. The problem is that it is now 8:58...two hours and fifty minutes later...after finding I had a problem. (I did save and download my Norton removal tool, installation link and their store homepage into my external hard drive for future reference and time saving later) OK, so done...over...complete and no harm done. Thank you Norton Anti-Virus.... You were worth changing over to from my old program.

Yesterday we headed to Troy for my Doctors appointment at 2:30 in the afternoon. I was pleasantly surprised (if that is possible in a Dr.'s office) with the report that all my tests came back ok. So why was I there then? Good question!
He believes it is a pusteous psoriasis which he is going to treat. He is also going to give me the three series shots to the knees of the lubricant to try that and see if it will do any good. They usually like to use it in the early stages of Arthritis, but as he said... if you're going to replace those knees anyway, what do you have to loose? Maybe it will prolong the replacement with pain free years... Sounds pretty good to me. Upon leaving the Doctor's office, we went to Kim's and picked up Vick's finished artwork. BEAUTIFUL! Kim did an excellent job of printing with the Giclee fine art prints. Now all we have to do is matte and frame them.

Today we are going to work on the gift shop a little more, but want to take a trip to our friend Isabelle's to see her before she leaves for a needed medical procedure, somewhere in Boston. We want to visit and help to boost her moral with future promises of her and Vick doing spinning classes and other farm related, fun type projects that they both enjoy.
The gift shop is in really good shape right now, but still needs little things like the cupola installed, the ends of the rafters cut off under the porch to be ready for the ceiling material to be added and the door knob and lock installed. Trim around the windows and battens next to the windows need completed then too......you know what I mean, trim and boring stuff. Well, I suppose I should get crackin... there are things to do.

Wednesday, November 4th... We're Off to Troy To See The Doctor Today...

My Grandfather and Grandmother, my younger brother and me, many years ago.... My Grandmother was quite inspirational in my poem below...

I have an appointment with my rheumatologist at 2:00 this afternoon to go over the results of bloodwork taken earlier. We will discuss his diagnosis of my skin condition and what the intended treatment will be. I've waited for a long time for someone to really take an interest in getting to the root of the problem and after taking close to thirty years, this Doctor has taken that interest in finding the problem and he then intends to treat it. How nice to know that I have three doctors who really want to help me. My primary care physician initiated the knee specialist that will hack off my old knees and install new ones and if the Rheumatologist defeats my skin ailment, I'll be like a new guy! (forget the two heart attacks I already experienced at 46) I plan on living a long time to complete a bunch of promises I've made to two that are very important in my life. God and Vick! Below is an excerpt from my book, "Poetry From the Heart"... read it and think about the meaning.....but ultimately, enjoy...

From Seed of Past, Blooms the Future

We are all the forefathers of a still unborn generation to come,
for in retrospect, we now look gratefully to those who came before us,
as we consider them the pioneers of our daily lives from years ago,
likewise, I suppose, they thought the same of generations before them.

It is no different those years ago, nor in the future years to come,
for tomorrows adventures will be truly yesterday’s histories today,
and we will all be instrumental in the creation of all those memories,
as we simply live our lives without giving second thought of it.

We must strive to live exemplary examples of truly faithful friendships,
and in the end, what else might we pride the existence of ourselves,
for you may amass a multitude of monetary wealth and prestige,
but when our time here has ended, no amount of wealth will shine,
yet good deeds and true friendships will light the darkest of nights.

Live doing well toward another and enrich their lives by being a friend,
learn from another, that we may then pass this knowledge to all in need,
help one in need, for as a life is saved, it is destined to reflect on another,
enjoy the friendship of those near you and share life as a luxurious party,
give freely, a love you feel, for the love of another may hang in the balance.

Go forth with joy and plant seeds of happiness in the lives God created,
for as sunshine begins as a glow upon the distant horizon each morning,
so too will the growth of happiness take over the darkness in those lives,

and the happiness that blooms, so enriches the life of the gardener as well.

Tuesday November 3rd... The Windows and Door Are In and the Voting Is all Over but the Shoutin' and the Poutin'!

We finished the door, side lights and windows this afternoon, had lunch her...eating our friend Jimmy's outrageous Lasagna. It was indescribably delicious. We then decided to go to Lowe's to pick up the needed supplies and banister spindles needed to finish off the porch. We'll do those tomorrow if we have time, because I have an appointment with the Rheumatologist in Troy tomorrow. After that is finished, we will take a hop-skip-and-a-jump across route 7 to Kim in Schenectady, where we will pick up Vicki's artwork copies she made for her. Kim runs A photography and copy business which Vick uses for her art, and she has several copies and enlargements to be picked up. After that, if we get home and have anytime before dark, we can install the door knob and lock, and then start working on the banister spindles. Below are pictures of today's progress... and now, I'm going up to the TV to see who won our local elections.

Tuesday, November 3rd... TODAY...Windows and Doors Go In The Gift Shop......

Still one of our favorite opening pictures....

FINALLY...the doors and windows will be installed today. After that, we can finish the trim work around them and the battens near them. We are then going to Lowe's to look for something affordable for the porch ceiling and to price spindles for the porch railing. We'll pick up a door knob and dead bolt for the door too. It's really looking good now and we're really proud of our efforts and hard labor.
Today is Election Day, so we'll take off to vote first thing and sometime after today, we'll have to get the building inspector to come and inspect whatever it is he has to inspect. Once everything is closed in and weather tight, I'll switch to the pool and water lines to the outside hoses. They will be ok for now, but soon the temperature will reach the danger zone and they will have to be emptied and blown out. It's a half hour job with the compressor and my special fitting. The pool will take about an hour or so to accomplish. This year we are not going to cover the pool. It's never clean in the spring anyway and the cover causes major problems and is still everyone's excuse for the reason the liner was destroyed last winter. So, this year...we take Mike's suggestion of not covering it and cleaning it in the spring, which will be much easier anyway. Ok folks, its 8:00 and time to get crackin' with the installations at hand. We'll go vote in a little while, but right now, I'm setting a door and side lights... Pictures later.

Finished gable end fascia and ridge cap... nice.

What people from the road see.

The door set in place...

Picture next summer in your mind... some nice hanging plants above the bannisters and ice cream tables and chairs on both sides of the door, with soft music playing....

Monday Nov. 2nd... The Roof Is Completed & the Door is in Place...Now Windows...

We finished the roof this morning, after meeting our new neighbors that bought our friend Ransom's house down the road. They were here originally and then moved to California, which they said was a big mistake...so they told Ol' Arnold Schwarzenegger, "We won't be back!" They bought the house and plan to remodel it before moving in, and are running back and forth to Albany. We gave them the short route to where they are staying and a bunch of other information about trash pickup, phone service, internet and TV. They like the same types of restaurants as us, and I think we will probably be pretty close friends, spending some time together doing things and helping one another. Anyway... after they were on their way, Vick and I went to work on the gift shop and got all the trim work and ridge cap on the roof to complete it. We also got the side lights inside the building and the door in place. Tomorrow, we will finish installing windows, sidelights and the door. We'll go to Lowe's and pick up a door knob and deadbolt lock. First thing in the morning, we have to vote though.
I was going to take some pictures of today's progress, but it really would be hard to see what we did unless you were on the roof. Tomorrow sometime in the morning, I suppose, we will have the windows installed, the door secured and the side light panels installed and I will then take pictures of the building. The next thing after that would be to work on the porch ceiling......then the inside area....

Before all that though, I'm gonna close the swimming pool before it snows or freezes over! Then I have to do something with our boat to get it ready for winter.

Monday November 2nd... Another Spectacular Day to finish up the roof......

I took the liberty of waiting until early this morning to blog about yesterday and post the pictures because after returning from dinner last night, all we wanted to do was go upstairs and collapse. (so to speak) We got a lot accomplished with finishing the steep side of the roof, by installing the last two pieces of roofing. That side completed, we decided to install batten boards to the gable and end walls toward the road. We stopped for lunch after that installation was done.
After lunch, we ambled out and started installing the other half of the purlings on the roof, threw the drip edge into place and started to install those 18 foot pieces of steel roofing the contractor told us would take four people to install. We thought that to be extremely funny, because there was no one around to help. All day long it was only Vick and I working on the project. I'll say one thing though, when you promise dinner to your help after a days work party, it can become pretty expensive...but not if you and your wife are the only ones to show up. Our helpers vanished twice... not a word...gone from the face of the earth.
Today......we will do it all over again, except this time we are applying the finish trim on the gable overhang and the ridge cap. That will definitely finish the roof properly and we can maybe even set the windows and door. Now that would be awesome!
Below are pictures of the building and onlookers from the peanut gallery.

This is the back side toward the road. We need the fascia cap yet. The battens are done.

The new front roof. all completed, except for the ridge cap...

The "peanut gallery viewers"...

Iggy surveying the progress...

Can't wait to see the door, sidelights and windows in place.....

The lumber pile at the barn area is gone and only batten boards remain leaning against the wall...

What a nice view the little cottage type gift shop will be...

Our newest residents... the Guinea Fowl are everywhere and happy...

There are too many of them to get in one photo... about 35

This must be a scout for the pack...

This IS the PEANUT GALLERY...