Thanksgiving

We have much to be thankful for; most of it taken for granted most of the time. Thanksgiving Day nudges me to acknowledge our many blessings. Some of them, not in any particular order are........

Having a Father in heaven and a Good Shepherd who looks after me and our family.

My wife, family, and pets

A satisfying job and great employer

Nearness to nature

Learning to enjoy what I have, rather than getting what I want.

This year, Todd was able to spend a week with us, away from a pretty hectic job in Nashville. We saved some more complex outdoor lighting efforts for him.

Todd and Suz work on outside Christmas lights.

Our daughter Amy and her family joined us on Wednesday with their 3 grandchildren, 2 dogs Zoey and Holly, and new kitten Marcel. We played Oh Hell (a bridge-like card game)and enjoyed a couple of decent movies at home.

Zoey, Emily, and Todd relax around the fire after a movie.

We attend mass on Thursday morning. I think of my father who passed away earlier this year. It seems odd not to be making the almost daily trips with family to see him around the holidays. Gregg disappears Thanksgiving afternoon to watch the Packers play. They continue their unbeaten streak; he emerges from the TV room in a good mood.

Connor enjoyed splitting wood by hand the hard way and with the mechanical splitter. Emily and Catrina like to hike along the trail and IN the creek. They call it "creeking." Great fun, especially for me to see the excitement in their eyes as they see an animal track, recall a previous creek adventure, or explore a new branch of the creek.


Catrina proudly celebrates slippery climb up side of waterfall ledge.

Several family members set out on Black Friday shopping missions. I managed to dodge participating without seeming to be a grinch.


God's handiwork along the Buckeye Trail. Thank you, Lord.

The visitors left on Saturday. The house suddenly seems empty and quiet...yet it is nice to have the place back to ourselves. Our two dogs, Gabbie and Tess, rest up around the hearth. I run the vacuum; Suz cleans floors and bathrooms. Life is good. In a few weeks we'll do it all again at Christmas.

Christmas in September

Our three grandkids have birthdays in September, along with their father Gregg and their maternal grandmother Suz (AKA Nana). Two of their birthdays are on the same day, September 1. With Connor, the first out of the chute, Amy went into labor and delivered on.... well, Labor Day.

So Labor Day holiday weekend has become a standing family gathering on Oxford. We celebrate all three kids birthdays. The result is that we arrive with a van load of wrapped packages that sometimes fill up half the living room. There are lots of gifts - no minimalist effort ever for this event.

The youths are wide-eyed with excitement as the gifts are unloaded along with our stuff and the 2 dogs. "Can we open the gifts tonight?" "Can we open just one tonight?" "Nana, can we open one NOW?"

We hear the same litany the next morning. The birthday party is almost always Saturday night. We usually hold them off until then. Other activities usually fill up the day. At last the big moment arrives. It's like Christmas. Gifts, anxious kids, adults scurrying around with cameras, and four dogs overwhelm the normally placid living room.


Zoey relaxes in the midst of chaos.


Let's take a trip!

Then a flurry of activity erupts, along with lots of chatter and wrapping paper flying through the air. In 10 minutes or less, the whole thing is over. The kids are exuberant. The adults shuffle around, picking up the mess and returning to more mundane activities.


alRIGHTY then.

The celebration winds down with a birthday cake and a movie. Just think....it's just a few short weeks until Christmas, and we can do this all over again. Financial crises and political turmoil loom large this year in the national news, but more important stuff goes on in Bittersweet Woods.

On the Appalachian Trail

The Buckeye Trail Association organized a hiking trip on the Appalachian Trail in Virginia. I reviewed the itinerary - 60 miles from Mt. Rogers Visitors Center west to Damascus. A couple of the days were 12 miles of hiking. It seemed a little intimidating to a once or twice a year hiker like me. So I did some extra hiking in Bittersweet Woods and the treadclimber to get in shape.

Saturday, Sept 10. Karen Smith from Canton area and I arrive at Iron Mountain campground outside of Damascus, VA. The tent camping area is primitive but located next a beautiful stream. I found a level spot and was ready to put up the tent. To my surprise, there was a garter snake curled up in the exact spot I want to use. It did not seem to happy about hikers invading its habitat. After a some flicks of its tongue, it quietly left the area. Later the group went to Quincy's for good food, legal beverages and reminiscing about previous hiking trips.

Not putting my tent here. These and other photos by Karen Smith


Fuel for the trip at Quincy's in Damascus.


Sunday, Sept 11. Mt Rogers Outfitters shuttle us to our starting point. We decided to start where VA 601 connects with trail. Our shuttle driver is a former sheriff but says he has never been on that part of 601. "Don't worry, I'll get y'all there." He did. But the last mile was a narrow, rutted one lane (if that) track hugging the side of an incredibly steep drop off. Whew!

Ready to go.

We hike to Trimpi shelter. There are great tent sites there, but.......no water. The pipe from the spring is dry. No water!? All the AT shelters are supposed to have reliable water sources all the time. Never mind. We bushwack to some less than optimal water on nearby private property - and live to talk about it. That evening we talked some about the 9/11 anniversary, then lapsed into campfire chatter, games of Farkle and a few sips of wine - a first day hiking treat. The evening winds down as a tired hiker snores softly in the shelter.

Monday, Sept 12. A pleasant hike to Hurricane Mountain Shelter except for a steep, unrelenting uphill section on a road just before the shelter. Not a switchback in sight. Shelter is nice, but tent camping areas are marginal. A few more hikers are tending their feet and limping more noticeably. We camp between roots and rocks, spend an hour trying to get a fire started, reminisce about the antics of a group member who passed away since the last trip, and savor the prospect of the great scenery ahead.

Tuesday, Sept 13. Started off with an uphill climb, nice walk through the woods, and lunch at the Pine Mountain trail. A beautiful open area with expansive vistas beckoned before we were back in the woods. We emerged at The Scales, an open area with distant hazy views, long horn cattle grazing, camping, and....real live toilets.

At The Scales near Grayson Highlands State Park

Camping and water near Wise shelter is excellent, along with a new privy built by an eagle scout. Morale is good. Some of the group bathe in the rushing water of the nearby creek. There are a few more blisters among the less experienced hikers. Everyone is a little sore. But we've made it this far, weather is great, and even better scenery is ahead. Campfire chatter is lively.


Mess hall on the AT

Wednesday, Sept 14. It's my wife's birthday. I think wistfully of her and the dogs at home. We're on the move in the open areas of Grayson Highlands State Park. Views in every direction amaze and distract us.



Rock climbing slows us down, but close up visits in Grayson Highlands State Park with the wild ponies are a delight.



Lunch at Thomas Knob shelter, then we press on to Whitetop Mountain road. It's our longest mileage day, 12.9 miles. Thank goodness the weather holds - warm, clear, light breezes. We camp in the open. I guy out the tent just in case. There is an amazing view of mountain ridges from the side of Whitetop Mountain. We talk quietly; a few of us lay on the ground peering up at the milky way. Early to bed.

Thursday, Sept 15. Skies are grayish with high clouds. We hesitate to think of the r word. Scenery is great along the ridge from Whitetop Mountain to Buzzard Rock. Almost a 360 view. Then we head down - back and forth along superbly aligned switchbacks. As we reach the gravel bed along the Virginia Creeper hike/bike trail the sky darkens. A steady rain starts. A quick passing shower, surely. Wrong. Rain continues for 30 minutes, an hour, two hours. Dang, we're climbing again. Is it getting colder? The wind picks up, too. We reach a ridge and hike through rain and low clouds. Where IS that Saunders Shelter? On we go. The hikers with sore feet slow way down but trudge on.

Finally the shelter trail appears. We file in one by one over the next half hour. It's getting colder and windier. Wind chill has to be in the 40's. The rain lets up enough to pitch tents. We huddle in the shelter, layer up, and cook. We share thoughts about the trip to date and talk about where to go next year. Off to bed. Sleeping bag feels good; pine needles underneath make for a comfy bed. About midnight I awake with a start - the camp is lit up. Then I realize it is moonlight. Good news - that means the sky is clear; back to some much needed sleep.

Friday, Sept. 16. Temps in low 40's. But we're up and moving, ready for the final push to Damsacus. Trail drops steadily along another excellent set of switchbacks. Flora surroundings change as we move through successive zones to lower altitudes. Rhododendren, Mountain Laurel, Golden rod, iron weed, white snakeroot, solomon's seal, cohosh, lobelia, angelica, and other fall wild flowers appear...then disappear as we descend.

White Snakeroot

Great Blue Lobelia

We reached the Virginia Creeper trail and hiked into Damascus. There we got cleaned up, stopped for a final lunch at Quincy's and hit the road.

It was fun, mostly, except for some of the more strenuous sections and the rain. But the beautiful scenery, camaraderie with our hiking group, and beautiful wooded areas more than offset the unpleasant parts. The weather for 6 of the 7 days was great. A big thank-you to John Rethman for organizing yet another great trip! I made my obligatory post hike notes on what items to pack, not pack, or add to my gear. I always learn something new from other hikers.

A week later, I'm rested up.....and ready for another hike.

Keeping Cool

This has been a warmer than average summer here and across much of the US. Temps have been above average for weeks, especially at night. So, many creative solutions have appeared to keep cool. Here are a few of ours.

First, we can walk in the woods. Temperatures in the shaded valley along the creek are usually 10 degrees cooler than in the sun on pavement. Walking the dogs is good therapy - for aerobic benefits and to stay a little cooler.

Water helps keep cool. Gabby immediately heads for the water if it's around. She is usually the first to dunk herself in the creek. Or, she steps into the water-filled black tub (I believe it is a livestock watering trough)and lays down.


Our grandkids visited recently. The slippery slide was a hit. It is a plastic sheet with water inlets along the side to wet the slide and the participants. It cools and helps dissipate excess energy, don't you know.


We rented a pontoon for a cruise on the Ohio and Muskingum rivers. It's very relaxing and enjoyable to be out on the water. It lifts the spirits as you can see in the photo.


Or, you can simply dial back the activity level, stay in where it's cool, and take life easy. Zoey, the puppy in the background, has the ultimate relaxation response.


Sometimes staying cool is a state of mind in Bittersweet Woods. An enjoyable outdoor activity - like golf if you are playing well - causes you not notice the heat as much. And listening to good music - such as streaming internet radio really keeps you cool and relaxed. Try it.

Visitors

We have visitors often in Bittersweet Woods. I call them visitors; most of them really live here - and we are the visitors.

A box turtle greeted Suz as she drove up the driveway yesterday. We moved it into the lawn. Ten minutes later it had disappeared.

We have had several snakes "visit" us this year. The latest resides in our newspaper box at the end of the driveway. It is probably a garter snake. Our newspaper delivery person left this message with our mail - which she left near the house: "I wanted to make you aware that there is a snake in your newspaper box; that's why your paper was not in there yesterday." The box in question is part of a larger brick enclosure. Apparently the reptile lives in a compartment behind the newspaper box.

Then we have Amy and Gregg's two dogs (Holly, a boxer and Zoey, an american mastiff puppy) visiting with us for the week, along with Gabbie and Tess. The Wentzells are vacationing in Hilton Head - without us! There will be lots of action here and a few extra piles of excrement to clean up.



Today, this beach scene image popped up randomly on my desktop. It reminded me that we visited Hilton Head recently. One morning we are standing on the beach at sunrise. Low clouds block the sun from our view. Suddenly the sun appears from behind the clouds. Lunge for camera. Pelicans fortuitously swoop into the frame. Click.



We are all visitors in this earthly life, and our real citizenship is in heaven. It is easy to overlook that on many days.

Life Goes On

Tomorrow is Father's Day, my first one without an earthly father. Dad died in March of this year. Ironically, he never liked Father's Day - considered it a nuisance, a distraction. Dad never was really comfortable receiving things from others. It made him feel awkward, as though he did not deserve it. Today I will remember his dry sense of humor stoic acceptance of his frailties. I will be thankful I have a heavenly Father.

Last week Wandalee died at age 96. I had taken communion to her for several years. Turns out the same priest who married her also married my wife's parents - at the same rural catholic church. She struggled the last year. But even when feeling down, she always asked how I was and about my family. She had a wonderful family, including 22 great grandchildren. They will miss her; I will, too.

But life does go on in Bittersweet Woods. My niece gave birth to a baby girl. We are godparents; the baptism will be in a couple of weeks. Steve, our former neighbor, was married at age 69 to a Thai lady. It will be a new beginning for both of them. Herb, a hiking and trail building friend, is as active ever after a near-disabling tractor rollover accident a year ago. He has a new lease on life, as the saying goes. Today Suz proudly showed me a small flower pot with a formerly dead palm tree - that had amazingly sprouted back to life with four tender shoots.

The natural world goes on, too, with births, deaths, and struggles. We caught a glimpse of such a struggle today. As we drove by a nearby house, there was a 30 second chain reaction drama with a baby bird, a 5 year old boy, and a puppy. The baby bird fluttered in the grass, perhaps hurt. The puppy kept circling the little bird, probably wanting to play with it. The bird's parents squawked and dove at the puppy to keep it away from the bird offspring. The little boy was yelling at the bird parents to keep them off the puppy and at the puppy to keep it from the baby bird. You're probably wondering how this life and death drama (for the bird, that is) came out. We are, too. As we drove on, the scene passed from our view before there was a resolution.

May Colors

Most of the flowering trees are done blooming by mid-May in our latitude. Colors become more muted; less pronounced. This year we had weeks of above average rain. So, everything is a lush green, like a rain forest. But around the edges, there are other colors in Bittersweet Woods. Here are some of them.


Catmint


New Holly tree growth


Tri-colored beech


Blue-eyed grass


Smoke tree leaves


Kousa dogwood in bloom


Multiflora rose


Early morning on the beach at Hilton Head Island SC

Winter in May

Blackberries in bloom.

Seems like every May we have a week of cool, rainy, annoying weather. It happens just after a few 80 degree days, the winter coats are stashed for the summer, fireplace is cleaned out, and we are used to wearing shorts and flip flops. I remarked about this once to a client. He looked at me and announced matter-of-factly that this weather phenomenon is called Blackberry Winter.

It has that name because it occurs in May when the blackberry bushes are in bloom. Variations of this are referred to as dogwood winter, redbud winter, depending on when and at what latitude you live. Here is more about it: http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2410/.

We had such a period this year after a few recent years without a noticeable episode. It was rainly, cool, and gloomy - day after day for about 5 days. It is impossible do mow the lawn or do outdoor activities. The trail footing was mushy; dogs feet required constant cleaning. It is frustrating to outdoor addicts like us.

But, oddly, there was a beauty to it. The woods were lush, leaves glistening in the perpetual moisture. The rush of the waterfall was audible throughout the valley. Wildflowers persisted, yet the birds were more hushed. There was a quietness and peace about it. We saw blackberry blooms. Even the invasive multiflora rose thickets flowered and threw off a pleasant scent wafting along the trail.




Now it's gone. We're ready to move on, thankful for the rhythm of the weather and life in Bittersweet Woods.

Dad is Gone

It's been a month today since Dad died on March 30, 2011. He had been weaker and weaker, worn down by multiple afflictions of old age - almost deaf and blind, barely able to walk. His frustration was obvious at times, but he was usually stoic and accepting of his situation. But he was ready to be with the Lord - where he could hear four part harmony sung, see a glistening raindrop on a leaf, and walk briskly along a tree lined street.

We were blessed that he received expert care at the assisted living home where he lived out his final five years. The staff and private duty caregivers provided wonderful, caring support. They became like family. Dad could be stubborn and often private. He was focused on others. Accepting help for himself, especially in personal activities, was not easy. But he was grateful for the help as the realization of his limitations became evident. Caregivers remarked that he always thanked them for even the smallest act of help. They were grateful and often said that others they cared for rarely said thanks.

He lay quietly for several days at the end. Many of the staff and caregivers came in to see him on their own time or at the end of their shift. Most were on our list of those who wanted to know - day or night - when he passed away.

I think back to Dad's life in his own Bittersweet Woods. He was not an outdoor person in the usual sense of the word. But he enjoyed camping when we were kids. We literally saw America from the back of a Ford station wagon. That's where my interest in the outdoors was awakened. He loved working in the yard, plucking out weeds, pruning bushes, and mowing. And for most days for the 50 years running the jewelry store, he walked to work. His route took him along tree lined streets and the past the tranquil Mound Cemetery where he was laid to rest.

"Life goes on in Bittersweet Woods" is a phrase that I have used often. There is a rhythm of cycles and a continuity that goes with the natural world. Now the phrase has a deeper meaning and a reminder that there is continuity in the spiritual world as well.

Water Wonderland

It's been a rainy April - about 9 inches of rain so far, more than double the average. The Ohio River and local streams have flooded regularly. Mowing is a challenge. The grass is growing like crazy with the rain and warm temperatures. But it is often too wet to mow.

It has made the trail pretty muddy at times. Our water bill is above normal because the dogs' feet need to be washed each time they go out when it is wet.

The creek is running full but is beautiful: Lots of riffles, rivulets, and fast flowing stretches that sparkle in the sun. The sounds are a pleasant distraction, creating a world apart from the usual noises of civilization: gurgles, babbling, rushing, roaring - you get the idea. Then there is the waterfall. You can hear the roar of waterfall throughout the hollow in Bittersweet Woods. As the former mayor of our town was fond of saying: its "beauty-ful."

The rainy weather limits outdoor activity that we are addicted to. But we've learned to be flexible. Yesterday was a good example. Rainly, dark, and foggy in the morning. By noon, rains stops, sky clears, there is a pleasant breeze. Dave hustles out for a few holes of golf. Suz grabs garden tools, and gets to work edging some of the planting areas and cutting off last year's lariope grass ground cover.

Tomorrow it's back to work. Life goes on, rain or shine, in Bittersweet Woods.

March is here, thankfully

It has been typical March weather here in the Ohio Valley - snow one day, 65 the next. Rain, wind, river flooding are part of the picture. We spent a week in Orlando, then Hilton Head Island in SC, for some late-winter malaise relief. It was March in Florida,too - 85 one day, 65 the next. But sunny most of the time - that makes a big difference. I was surprised that some trees were not leafed out yet. I suppose Florida would become boring if we lived there, but to visit it is always a pleasant surprise to see palm trees, egrets, and herons.



In Hilton Head, the bermuda grass was still brown, and lots of trees were still without leaves. But we were able to enjoy the ocean, tennis, and occasional sun bathing. There it was windy, also.



We're home now, in Bittersweet Woods. The dogs romp, get their feet muddy, and chase the deer as usual. We have some downed trees to clear up. But there are signs of life. Crocus and daffodils are just starting to bloom.



The creek is full and the waterfall overflowing. Spring is almost here in Bittersweet Woods.

The Visitor

We have had a stealth visitor for the past few weeks: a skunk. I say stealth because we see and smell evidence of a skunk, but we have yet to see it or even the tracks. There have been numerous clues over the past few weeks.

The dogs come back with their snouts smelling skunk-like. Apparently they have been nosing around where the skunk has been. No one has been sprayed yet, but we have stocked up on skunk odor remover just in case.

I have seen some of the suspect digging - usually small round shallow holes. The information I see refers to them as being configured like a dixie cup - if anyone remembers the shape of a dixie cup. Not sure I do.

Often when walking the dogs I notice a distinct skunk odor somewhere along the walk. But it is not strong enough to say that the skunk has sprayed something but enough to be unmistakably skunk. Efforts to find the source of the odor have been uniformly unsuccessful.

Two bizarre episodes had skunk all over them, so to speak. First, I noticed a solar powered outside light way out of place lying against a tree. I asked Suzanne if she had moved it over there. She had not. The base had been gnawed. When I picked it up, there was skunk odor all over it. Second, one of the dogs' toys had been left outside - a stuffed frog. We found it laying out in the yard over the hill. Annabelle had doubtless taken it outside and left it. I picked it up...wow, it had a definitive skunk odor. So, we have a skunk relocating a solar light and playing with a dog toy. Those are not found in the list of top 10 skunk behaviors.

I talked to an animal control guy. He explained that skunks often have dens under porches, outbuilding, brush piles, and similar hiding places. The key is to look for tracks and signs of digging. If you find the den, they are much easier to trap and remove. I have looked in every suspicious place on our nearly five acres of property. We have several prime locations for skunks to hide out. But no sign of activity.

I have been looking for tracks. With so much snow cover, I figured that would be an easy way to observe their movements and find a den. No luck. No tracks. I have seen deer, turkey, human, and cat tracks. No skunks.

About the time we are lulled into thinking the skunk is gone, more evidence appears. Today, I noticed two locations along the trail where there was noticeable skunk odor. As usual, I could not find the source or even identify the direction where the smell was coming from. And Tess's nose had the odor when she returned from being out this morning.

I would like to set up a remote camera to see this critter roaming around at night because they are nocturnal. But that is too much effort and expense.

We'll remain vigilant and hopeful that the skunk will eventually move on. Meanwhile, life, wild and otherwise, goes on in Bittersweet Woods.