'Tis the Season

The evergreen bough (balsam) gatherers have been at work for two weeks now.  If you buy a wreath at a big box store, please know that the greens were collected in mid October from my neck of the woods.  Some companies around here pay as little as 30 cents a pound, but if you collect a pick up full with a trailer, you may receive several hundred dollars a day for your efforts.  I wonder what the income tax situation is for this seasonal work.  Perhaps I should look into it....

Pittsburgh Flora and Fauna

 In the morning we visited the Phipps Conservatory - the largest under glass of this type.  Each room was stunning.

Then we crossed Pittsburgh to tour the National Aviary.  A bit smaller than expected but very well managed.  This toucan looked so soft that he looked like the toy toucans in the gift shop.  Several toucans shared this enclosure with a sloth.  Go figure...

Falling Water House

 I always had wanted to visit Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous house - Falling Water in Pennsylvania.  I finally did on this trip and it lived up to my expectation.  It is built over a stream with stairs going down into the stream.   The whole experience was amazing.

Here I am going upstairs (NOT) to visit Frank and the family. 

Bedford Springs, PA

 

I so enjoy history and this property fit the bill.  It is Bedford Springs Resort that has been in operation since 1796.  The US Presidents would stay here. In fact it served as James Buchanan's summer White House.  There were many ledger entries where the Presidents had registered.  Lincoln couldn't come because of the War so he sent his entire cabinet.  It is a magnificent place.  

This is their logo embroidered on the back of chairs like this one.  Of course, many other places as well.

There was also a hall of First Ladies that showed silhouettes of each Presidential couple who stayed there.          Ronnie and Nancy

Fun Out East

In September we traveled to Pennsylvania to visit friends and then traveled home through Niagara Falls and Canada.  I will show a few pictures of our adventures.

That part of Pennsylvania - Somerset County - has many covered bridges that you can still drive through.  We enjoyed several of them.

Our friends live 4 miles from Shanksville.  I brought my camera and snapped the entryway sign.  I did not take any more pictures.  It felt like sacred ground.  It was a bright sunny day just like September 11, 2001.  Whoever is in charge of the ideas as to how to set up this memorial is doing it right.  A house has been purchased on the edge of Shanksville to accommodate any of the families of the victims who come to visit. 

October 3, 2014

It snowed yesterday and is still on the ground today.  Enough said.

Fourth Anniversary

It was four years ago that we moved lock (precious items), stock (our birds), and barrel (it just seemed like every box weighed as much as a full barrel) to our place in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.  We pulled away from Mt. Prospect with the Dakota pulling an enclosed snowmobile trailer* (fits 6 snowmobiles) that was filled from floor to ceiling.  Oh my goodness!  We asked Tad to take a day off from work where he networks computers in the largest privately-owned printing company in the US to help his Mom and Dad set up our system at the new place.  (We have to get something back from that fancy school learning!) 


The last four years has brought ups and downs as with everyone everywhere.  No one is immune to problems and challenging situations.  We are enjoying our new life in the quiet woods.  Starting year five...


*One of our new friends loaned us his trailer.