Grandchildren's visit

It is an almost annual event. Our Amy and Gregg's children summer visit to Nana and Pap's house for a week or so from their home near Cincinnati. They love it here; it has always been their hangout. They can run through the woods, play in the basement, work on projects, and Nana usually takes them shopping.

What's in it for us? We get to enjoy being with them. There are usually activities and projects we have planned for them, and they have their list of things to do. Their visits are fun and gratifying. It is also tiring and occasionally stressful if there are youthful behavior "issues" or sibling arguments. But each time, there are moments that they and we will always remember.


At the American Queen at the Ohio River Landing

Their dogs are part of the visitation package. Maggie (labradoodle) and Zoe (American Mastiff) take up residence with our two old english sheepdogs, Gabbie and Tess. They behaved well together. Nearly 10 days together improved the pack dynamics which had a few rough edges in past visits. It was great to see them romping through the woods together.


Catrina with Zoe and Maggie


Illegal parking - community service for Zoe


Maggie was here.....doing her puppy thing.

This year the fun included endless swimming and games in the pool. We watched several favorite movies, including Second Hand Lions, Sea Biscuit, Secret Garden, and the Narnia Chronicles. Connor and Pap played tennis (including a 6-1 rout by Connor) and a little golf. Pap managed to dodge the retail activity, but Nana treated the youths to two or more shopping trips.


Emily and Catrina show off their wardrobe additions.

We also perform an important grandparenting function - what I call coaching. We encourage, suggest, and even scold when necessary on topics such as values, faith, behavior, family time, wise use of money, the dangers of drugs and alcohol, and more. The challenge is to be stealthy about planting seeds on these topics, so we get the point across without being too "preachy" about it.

We always eat dinner together which also means they are eating with each other. The latter often is not possible with their activities and schedules at home. One dinnertime tradition is that each of us tells their favorite activity of the day. The kids mention one good thing that they observed about each other that day. The youths ("utes," if you have seen My Cousin Vinny) helped plan dinner menus. We enjoyed a Hawaiian night and an Italian night.


Nana and the "utes" grilling on Hawaii Night

Suddenly, after the anticipation and excitement of their being here......they are gone. The house is eerily quiet. It is bittersweet - sad goodbyes mingled with relief that we can get back to our normal routines.

It was a success complete with fond memories. Connor and Nana finished their coffee table project Emily grew noticeably in her ability to go with the flow with her siblings. Catrina's swimming skills improved markedly. All three were much more patient with each other. And their Mom and Dad enjoyed their Hilton Head vacation.


Connor, Emily,Catrina, and Nana with the finished table project.

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.

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.

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.

First snow

November was very warm, sunny, and dry - unusual from most years. We enjoyed golf and late day walks almost every day. But we are paying for that now with a stretch of 2-3 weeks of really (for here) cold weather. The first snow on December 5 was a mere dusting. It was just enough to silhouette downed trees in the woods and create a filigree on evergreen trees.



Today, December 19, a monster snow storm moved up the east coast. We caught some of the back side of that storm. Fortunately, it was not enough to require shoveling our rather long driveway. Whew - close call. But the wet snow and calm winds combined to created a beautiful lacework of snow covered branches in Bittersweet Woods.



Gabbie and Tess loved it, racing through the fresh powder, leaving rooster tails of glittering snow dust behind them. They are the consumate explorers; all smells and sights take on a new aura in the snow. In a few days all of this will disappear. Time to enjoy it now.

Kids in the woods

Our grandkids have enjoyed Bittersweet Woods for many years. Connor was the first to notice elevation differences as a two year old. He clambored up the hill behind the house and announced "I'm way up high." He had not experienced a "high" at his one story home in the flatlands of western Ohio. Everything was on the same level.

Later, he took to splitting wood with a lighter weight axe. "That axe is sweet", he announced after taking a few swings as a 5 year old. Thereafter it has been referred to as the sweet axe. I saw it today as we put away tools in the shed as the rain started falling. He ran several toy chain saws and lawn mowers into the ground "helping" the grown-ups with that important work.

Catrina, the youngest, couldn't he kept from the trail. She demanded, as only a two year old can, to accompany us on dog walks down the trail. She toddled bravely, usually shunning Pap's offered helping hand. By the end of the week, she was negotiating hills, rocks, and roots with confidence.

Their summer visit is an annual event. Here are pix from this year's visit. Bittersweet Woods brings out carefree fun and goofiness - for the adults, dogs, and kids. These are the precious moments, to use a spoofy line from the Trains, Planes, and Automobiles comedy movie, in a serious tone. We remember these times wistfully, knowing that the young'ns will grow older so quickly. But they'll have the memories their whole life.

Gabbie has a boo-boo

Gabbie had a cyst removed from her right rear leg, a boo-boo in kid-speak. She can be outside only with a leash for a week or so until the incision heals. This means limited mobility for her and temporary loss of a playmate for Tessie.

Normally we let them out, they go tearing out the door to explore and to protect the perimeter of our home from invaders, imagined or otherwise. Now,Gabbie waits to lunge outside, but submits very reluctantly to the leash being attached. Tess races out only to come back to look inquisitively at her restrained friend. Gabbie looks at me the same way - as if to say "WHAT is going on here?"



Can't you see I want to play now?

It's also much slower going walking on the trail than they are used to. Gabbie can't chase after squirrels, chipmunks, birds, and other wildlife. Tess makes the effort halfheartedly, knowing the Gabbie is not with her. She often glances at us and Gabbie.

She stays close to Gabbie, sensing that something is not right. Fortunately, this will pass in a few days. Soon they'll be playing, sprinting after wildlife, making unauthorized incursions into neighboring yards, and occasionally rolling in poop. Ah, the life of a dog.

Paul and Judy from North Dakota visited yesterday. They claimed to have a business purpose for their visit, but they really want to see our Old English Sheepdogs (OES to save keystrokes). They have an OES big boy puppy, Bentley Bear IV. They miss their dog and lit up when Gabbie and Tess burst outside and made our guests suitably welcome with incessant licking, herding, and pawing. We together recounted the dogs' antics and characteristics. And there were recollections about pets of yesteryear.

I realized how much enjoyment they bring to us despite episodes of extreme annoyance. Gabbie and Tess are sitting beneath my office chair demanding to critique this post before it is published. Ain't gonna happen, girls.

Tess and Gabbie - babes in the woods

Our two old english sheepdogs, Tessie, and Gabbie, are right at home in Bittersweet Woods. They are officially indoor dogs - at night and during the day while we are work. But otherwise, they love the outdoors. And they do almost everything together. Tessie is the youthful one, just approaching 3 years old. She is smaller at about 65 pounds and slimmer than your average old english sheepdog. When running she reminds me of a cheetah running full bore on the Serengeti. The puppy energy and playfullness is still there but starting to fade a bit. She has a gentle spirit but is a little less affectionate around other people.



Gabbie is the big sister at 5 years old still very active but a little more calm, protective when needed, and a disciplinarian. She scolds Tess when youthful one returns after bounding off to chase a deer or visit an unsuspecting neighbor. She is also larger in stature and weight. Her coloration includes black fur around her eyes, resembling a raccoon mask. Gabbie loves everyone and can quickly become a pest by demanding too much attention from visitors. She also has developed an odd vocalization, resembling what I call a loud purr, when she greets us in the morning or when we return home. Grandson Connor is her favorite person of all time. She is relentless in her attention, purring,licking, nuzzling, and herding him in true sheepdog fashion. He is barely tolerant of the hubbub.

Every day we walk Tessie and Gabbie on the trail in Bittersweet Woods. Mention the word trail and they are alert, lunging toward the door and skidding on the tile. Or they look at us expectantly if we're outside. Yesterday on the trail was a typical day for them. They each grab a tennis ball without fail on the way out, having failed again to realize there is no ball throwing on the trail. We start down the trail. Tess scouted the lower perimeter along the creek looking for deer and squirrels. Gabbie nosed around a known chipmunk hideout, then strolled nonchalantly into the brush to uh,well,leave a solid waste deposit.

Waiting for Mom


Near the waterfall, Tess abruptly zoomed up the hill and disappeared. She probably saw a deer. She acts predatory in the chase, but if a deer ever turned around on her, she would run away just as fast. Five minutes later Tess returns. Gabbie scolds her for leaving the pack - barking and chasing after her. Tess pretends to ignore the provocation but quietly enjoys the attention. Together they run breakneck down the trail to the house.

So ends a loop on the trail - one of several each day. They are a joy to watch. There are complications once in a while. Their feet often have to be cleaned when there is mud around. There are unauthorized visits to adjacent neighbors yards. The worst is when they roll in some noxious fecal matter and return stinking to high heaven.

Busted by the hazmat team


But we love them. They bring us more enjoyment and love than aggravation. HEY! TESS AND GABBIE, GET OVER HERE. NOW! Yeah, right.