It's December!

 Last Friday we started out with rain and warm temps.  The temp started to drop but the rain continued and started to freeze.  Then after everything had a coat of ice, it turned to ice pellets, then snow.  These pictures were taken throughout the afternoon.  By the time it quit snowing we had about two inches on the ground.

 We even got ice cycles on the awning.  You could watch them form while it was raining and the temp was freezing.

 

We had talked about getting a bird feeder and some seed, so I did that the day before we got the now.  We have seen cardinals, tufted titmouse, chickadees, finches, and some that I haven't ID'd yet.  They are fun to watch.

Today we had some other visitors.  They stay in the woods just beyond the fence.  They usually don't come out into this area.   I had to take this through our plastic covered window so it isn't as clear.

 

The temp came up some on Sunday so roads cleared and things weren't as slick.  Most of our ice cycles came down.  Now, tonight, we are to get more snow and maybe some freezing rain.  Sure glad we don't have to drive the roads.  Last Friday it took our son half an hour to go two and a half miles.

Enjoy the winter!!!

Passing It On, Work And Play

I remember several times that my parents would come to "visit" and helped with projects around our home.  Now it is time for us to pass their example on to our kids.

By and L purchased a home in northern NY with several projects to be done.  They have had a problem with some water seeping into the back of the basement into a concrete extension.  Since they back up to a hillside, the thought was to put in a drain line along the base of the hill and where the water from the house also drains towards.  There was an existing drain down past the house that didn't quite do the job.

They dug up the end of the old one, which they will bypass as it is too high, rented a ditch witch, and started digging the length of the house and yard.

This was the ditch after they were through with the machine.  (That is also their fire pit.)  Then it was widened and rocks, many rocks, dug out.  The part that looks like a storm cellar door is where the water would leak in.  The rain gutter to the other side of the door was also missing so that was replaced and also one put along the garage.  These were joined and taken down and tied into the new underground drainage, hopefully to get it away from the house.

 This little critter was found one day during the digging.

 The tench was lined and the pipe put in.  Then it was filled with many truck loads of gravel.  Eventually, it was covered with dirt and sand.  There are now many piles of rocks to be moved.

In the meantime, L and I have been busy painting.  Before we could do the painting, we had to clean up around door and window frames from the previous paintings.  They had gotten the kitchen, dinning room, living room, and front entry painted before we came.  No matter how good a job we think we did there was always some patching to do.  L is busy patching up missed spots.

This is the room off the kitchen, which is listed as a family room.  This was the color of most of the rooms with the exception of the bedrooms.

Almost everything takes a primer coat as well as the actual paint.  This is when it was done.

 During our working, we also enjoyed watching the trees change colors.

Another thing that had to been done, so that they could have insurance, was to rebuild the missing railing from when the hot tub was put in.  Here is the finished rail.  I just got it painted the other day after it had about five days to dry out.  We have been getting lots of rain.

This is the stairway upstairs with the same orange yellow paint before painting, and then after painting.  We still need to do the upstairs landing and hallway.

When B had a couple days off with fall break and it wasn't raining, we took a hike along the Raquette River.  It was a beautiful and warm day for seeing fall colors.  There are several sets of rapids.  Sorry, I didn't get any good pictures of any of the rapids.  There are also several dams along this waterway.

If you look back at the picture of the deck railing, you will also notice a jack under the deck.  The deck was also bowing under the weight and not properly supported.  Also there was a large deep hole under the deck towards the edge of the hot tub.  After researching, By found out, from the previous owner, that when digging the basement there was a large rock that was pushed to this area and then covered.  The dirt had settled around it.

So the guys collapsed the sides, poured concrete into the bottom, and are putting in a post here.  They also put in a beam under the tub the length of the deck, and replaced several other supports, placing cement supports under them.  This is By collapsing the sides of the hole,

and getting ready for the cement to come down the "chute."  Yes, he was sore the next day.

Some of the outer replaced posts.

This is the downstairs rec room before painting.  It isn't quite finished so no finished picture.  Notice the post under the stairs.  The guys put that in to help raise the main floor and above.

This is looking at their house from the road.

More pretty trees, these across the road from their house,

and just after turning off the main road.  This is some of their property.

I didn't post any pictures of their bedroom.  After several coats of paint, it is now how they want it.  By and L will have to show that picture.

So it hasn't been all work and there has been some play.  It is also good to be able to help them out.

New York Summer Time

 

July found us traveling to West Point to attend P's baptism.
We were very glad that we could be there. 










One of the great things is that we get to attend the Sunday evening outdoor concerts.  Since the cut backs, there are fewer, but we got to listen to the steel band play.  They did play music that is typically played by steel drums.

 P and her friend were having a great time dancing to the music.  They were not the only ones dancing.

 One Saturday afternoon we decided to go to Sleep Hollow Cemetery.  There are lots of family mausoleums.  That may be because the ground is very rocky.


Some are very large.

Some look like small churches.

 Some are very small and humble even though it marks the resting place of one who has done so much.      
                                                   

                                                  

Some are very pretty to look at and resemble a garden ornament.













 Some are doors leading into the ground.

 Some have ornate details.

This is the Irving family plot.  The flag marks the resting place of the one who made the town so well known, Washington Irving.

This is the bridge mentioned in the Legend of Sleepy Hollow



 And this is the Old Dutch Church.  It was built in 1697 and has been in use since that time except during the Revolution.                                                                                                                        

Once during the summer the West Point Band travels to Hyde Park and gives a concert on the lawn of the Venderbilt  Mansion.  We went up with R so we had lots of time before it started.  These are some close ups of the mansion.

And some pictures of special people, making funny faces.

Then we listened to the music.  R playing drum set.

Then it was time to leave and head north to help the new house owners.  That will be a new post later.  Hope you had a good summer too.

And On We Go

 I guess it is about time I let anyone who may be interested in knowing that we made it to southern Indiana.  Only difficulties that we had was a blown trailer tire before we got to Billings, Montana.  Because of this problem, we were not able to go see one of Bob's cousins.  Instead we spent the time getting a new tire purchased and on the trailer.  

We didn't make any finds or make any side trips until we got to Nauvoo, Ill.  There we stopped for a few nights and got to see our dear friends, the Thompsons, who are serving a mission there.  They were able to find us a spot in the RV Park where they are staying so, between their working keeping the grounds beautiful and watered and their  other responsibilities, we got to spend time with them.  We watched them in the play "Rendezvous."

 

We did take a side trip to the town of Quincy.  Bob's great grandfather and his two brothers lived there before moving to Montana.  His grandfather was born there.  The only record of them that we found was the marriage license and certificate for his great grandfather and mother.

We traveled on and arrived in "Kentuckiana" in time for the heat of the summer, which was accompanied by lots of humidity.  The heat index was over one hundred for several days.

We made it across the river to see W and C.  This is the boat that W has been working on.  It is looking good.  He was just putting the gunwales on.  We also saw their transformed back yard and garden.  We got to bring home some garden produce.  Yum!

 We have been busy looking at property to build on but nothing decided yet.

We took a break and went down to Four Bridge; the old railroad bridge that is now for walking and biking.  This is the I 65 bridge.  It was cool and there was also a breeze blowing so it made it very nice.  It was called the Four Bridge because it was used by four different railroads.  Kentucky is on the left and Indiana is on the right.

This is the Louisville skyline.  If you look close, and though the girders  you can see the Kentucky Fried Chicken Yum Center.  Lots of things happen there.  It is directly below the two red roofed buildings.  This area is pretty at night with the domed building's dome lit up.



The Four Bridge is one mile long.  Indiana still needs to finish it's ramp up to the bridge.

 

This is looking down river.  On the right you can see two darker towers and a white one.  That is what is now called the Water Tower, which it was.  We went there for Blues and Barbecue with W and C.  There are other functions there also.  The white tower and building are very pretty.

Counting the bridge that we are standing on, there are four bridges crossing the Ohio River in this area.  If you look close you can see the other three.  The cranes are working on the area where the new bridge will be located.  Then interstate traffic will go south on one and north on the other.






There is lots of barge traffic on the river.  Here is one of them.  There are locks on the river upstream from here that they have to go through.



A walk by the river wouldn't be complete without seeing one of the river boats paddling along.