OK, even for me it's too hot. I'm sure I'd be fine if it wasn't so muggy. We turned on the air this afternoon and it's still running. Tomorrow and Wednesday are supposed to be worse. And of course if it's muggy we can expect more thunderstorms. More water we do not need.
I got the paths laid out in the new bed today and that was all. There was a new tiny caterpillar this morning. This evening I couldn't find either one. There were lots of butterflies though.
The silver lining - we went out for dinner.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Perfect Day
Today was just perfect. I slept all night and slept in late. It was warm but not muggy. The sun was out all day long. I had to stake several plants that yesterday’s storms knocked down. While doing that I found the monarch caterpillar had been washed down several feet from the milkweed plants so I put him back and he’s back to munching away. I managed to catch up on almost all of the weeding. Hopefully I got all of the poison ivy behind the shed. I pulled several buckets of wild strawberry vines that the weed killer hasn’t touched. The new bed should be ready for seeds by the end of the week. I spent the afternoon going through my seeds and bidding on more. My blue glads have started to open, only they seem to be burgundy! The oswego tea that my sister gave me has already started spreading and the red salvia that I started back in March is finally blooming which should make the humming bird happy. The yard was full of birds, butterflies, dragonflies and toads.
Hopefully the rest of the summer will be filled with days like this!
Hopefully the rest of the summer will be filled with days like this!
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Happy Birthday Mom!
Mom turned 81 today. We went down to see her in the morning while it was still relatively cool. It rained during the night and again this morning so I was worried that the flowers I planned to cut for her would be ruined. I was surprised; the gladiolas’ still looked good.
There were plenty of zinnias; several that the bugs hadn’t started to feast on yet. It was nice to be able to take her flowers that I had grown myself. We also took her a book and some candy and had a nice visit.
We had heavy rains yesterday. More rain last night. Two heavy downpours so far today. We’re lucky we live on high ground (at least during these rains, come winter I’ll be complaining!) As far as I know the rivers still open but I won’t be surprised if they close the Oswego canal again for a day or two.
While John was grilling dinner yesterday I was poking around the garden and found a monarch caterpillar on one of the tropical milkweeds. I got quite excited and got the camera. I made him come and look at it. He humored me but I could tell this wasn’t an exciting event for him. My camera takes fairly good pictures of people but makes everything blurry if you try to get a real close-up. I’ve been playing with cropping some pictures and it helps some but it’s still a little blurry.
I originally thought that these butterflies were meadow fritillaries but now that I finally have a picture for comparison I think it is actually a silvery checkspot. Funny name for an orange butterfly!
There were plenty of zinnias; several that the bugs hadn’t started to feast on yet. It was nice to be able to take her flowers that I had grown myself. We also took her a book and some candy and had a nice visit.
We had heavy rains yesterday. More rain last night. Two heavy downpours so far today. We’re lucky we live on high ground (at least during these rains, come winter I’ll be complaining!) As far as I know the rivers still open but I won’t be surprised if they close the Oswego canal again for a day or two.
While John was grilling dinner yesterday I was poking around the garden and found a monarch caterpillar on one of the tropical milkweeds. I got quite excited and got the camera. I made him come and look at it. He humored me but I could tell this wasn’t an exciting event for him. My camera takes fairly good pictures of people but makes everything blurry if you try to get a real close-up. I’ve been playing with cropping some pictures and it helps some but it’s still a little blurry.
I originally thought that these butterflies were meadow fritillaries but now that I finally have a picture for comparison I think it is actually a silvery checkspot. Funny name for an orange butterfly!
Friday, July 28, 2006
Kids "Night" Returns
The kids have been complaining about the suspension of kids night for the summer, parties that their parents also attend don't count! Since I'm home from work by 1:30 we decided we'd have kids night in the afternoon on Thursday.
BJ and John brought my glider over from PJ's last week and on it was the old pool we bought for Mike when he was two. John blew it up and we scrubbed it out. The boys promptly popped it Wednesday but John got it patched up.
They had a great time running in and out until one of them spotted an itty bitty spider.
Mike and Liz spent some time being super hero's. Mike lost both of his front teeth on Wednesday. The Tooth Fairy has gotten very generous over the years.
Alex and Nikki. It was unusual for them to pair off this way. She is still an inch or two taller than him (she's leaning in here) but won't be for long.
The pool didn't cool them off enough so they had to have pushpops.
Liz and Alex took turns being cranky. Liz won't play games by the rules which frustrates him. They both thought that we should cater to their every whim and that my rule that the sofa and chair should not be used as trampolines couldn't possibly apply to them. I'd like to start having Sprout over with them but I know these two won't like being the "big" cousins. Mike and Nikki played games together, colored and got along very well.
They finally settled down and made birthday cards for Nana. They had a good time and we enjoyed having them but I was very tired today. Why was it so much easier 20 years ago?
BJ and John brought my glider over from PJ's last week and on it was the old pool we bought for Mike when he was two. John blew it up and we scrubbed it out. The boys promptly popped it Wednesday but John got it patched up.
They had a great time running in and out until one of them spotted an itty bitty spider.
Mike and Liz spent some time being super hero's. Mike lost both of his front teeth on Wednesday. The Tooth Fairy has gotten very generous over the years.
Alex and Nikki. It was unusual for them to pair off this way. She is still an inch or two taller than him (she's leaning in here) but won't be for long.
The pool didn't cool them off enough so they had to have pushpops.
Liz and Alex took turns being cranky. Liz won't play games by the rules which frustrates him. They both thought that we should cater to their every whim and that my rule that the sofa and chair should not be used as trampolines couldn't possibly apply to them. I'd like to start having Sprout over with them but I know these two won't like being the "big" cousins. Mike and Nikki played games together, colored and got along very well.
They finally settled down and made birthday cards for Nana. They had a good time and we enjoyed having them but I was very tired today. Why was it so much easier 20 years ago?
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Butterflies
I saw several different types of butterflies today; Whites, Meadow Fritillaries, a blue Swallowtail and everywhere I went there were Monarchs. This one was chased away by Mike and Alex but decided to come back and let me take some pictures.
Monday, July 24, 2006
The Monarchs Have Arrived!!!
Over the weekend I saw the first monarch butterflies. I've also had a meadow fritillary, several cabbage whites and a large brown butterfly that I haven't been able to identify. Of course I haven't been able to get any pictures.
I was able to get these pictures though. In the first picture it's holding it's wings like a damselfly and in the second like a dragonfly so I don't know which it is. We continue to see dozens of dragonflies.
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I was able to get these pictures though. In the first picture it's holding it's wings like a damselfly and in the second like a dragonfly so I don't know which it is. We continue to see dozens of dragonflies.
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Friday, July 21, 2006
Fantastic!
Betty Ann and Sue Ellen meet up at their ten year reunion and start chatting.
Betty Ann – “So, Sue Ellen what have you been up to since high school?”
Sue Ellen - “Well first off I went to a very exclusive college.”
Betty Ann – “Fantastic!”
Sue Ellen –“There I met a very rich, very handsome man.”
Betty Ann – “Fantastic!”
Sue Ellen – “When we got married we had 400 guests.”
Betty Ann – “Fantastic!”
Sue Ellen – “We now have three perfect children. The oldest skipped kindergarten.”
Betty Ann – “Fantastic!”
Sue Ellen – “And last year I opened my own business.”
Betty Ann – “Fantastic!”
Sue Ellen – “ I could go on and on about how perfect my life is. So Betty Ann, what have you done since high school?”
Betty Ann – “Well right after high school I attended Mrs. Barbour’s finishing school. The first thing they taught us was to say Fantastic! instead of bullshit.”
Betty Ann – “So, Sue Ellen what have you been up to since high school?”
Sue Ellen - “Well first off I went to a very exclusive college.”
Betty Ann – “Fantastic!”
Sue Ellen –“There I met a very rich, very handsome man.”
Betty Ann – “Fantastic!”
Sue Ellen – “When we got married we had 400 guests.”
Betty Ann – “Fantastic!”
Sue Ellen – “We now have three perfect children. The oldest skipped kindergarten.”
Betty Ann – “Fantastic!”
Sue Ellen – “And last year I opened my own business.”
Betty Ann – “Fantastic!”
Sue Ellen – “ I could go on and on about how perfect my life is. So Betty Ann, what have you done since high school?”
Betty Ann – “Well right after high school I attended Mrs. Barbour’s finishing school. The first thing they taught us was to say Fantastic! instead of bullshit.”
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Where There's Smoke
When I came home from work this morning the firetruck had just arrived at the corner down the street to block off the road. There was no sign of an accident but the pole on the corner was leaning and the cable wires were drooping very low but I was able to get through. My camera isn't the best for things that are far away but you can tell that we live a little way from the corner.
After I got home and changed John and I walked out to the road to see if we could tell what was going on. Our cable was out but we still had power. When we got close to the road we could smell smoke and as we walked around the pole in our yard we realized that it was the neighbors yard that was burning. The power line between the pole in our yard and the one in theirs was down and still live. (If you click on either photo you can see the fire better.)
It seems that a tractor trailer, delivering to the business around the corner, caught the cable wire and brought down the pole on the side road. That in turn brought down or damaged at least three other poles, the one on the corner, another one on the side road and one across our road. The tension traveled down the line to our neighbors and brought down the wire there.
Trucks from the phone, cable and power companies all drove right by us as we stood at the side of the road pointing at the wire. As we debated whether or not to walk down and make sure they knew about it the power company truck turned around and came back. The guy got out of the truck and told us that it would be a little while before they cut the power. We walked home and worked outside for awhile.
They cut the power and after a long time passed crews started showing up. We were without power for at least four hours on the hottest day that we have had so far this year. Keep in mind that we live in the country so not only could we not use the fans and airconditioner, without power we have no way to pump water out of our well. Not knowing how long we would be out we didn't want to open the fridge very often.
Even after the power came back on the crews still had the road blocked off. John and I were allowed through from the other direction but the State DOT guy refused to let our daughter-in-law through to drop off the boys. John ended up going over there to babysit. Our road finally reopened just after 5:00 but the side road was still closed, and it's a long way around. The crews are just leaving now.
I would really like the opportunity to kick that trucker in the butt!
After I got home and changed John and I walked out to the road to see if we could tell what was going on. Our cable was out but we still had power. When we got close to the road we could smell smoke and as we walked around the pole in our yard we realized that it was the neighbors yard that was burning. The power line between the pole in our yard and the one in theirs was down and still live. (If you click on either photo you can see the fire better.)
It seems that a tractor trailer, delivering to the business around the corner, caught the cable wire and brought down the pole on the side road. That in turn brought down or damaged at least three other poles, the one on the corner, another one on the side road and one across our road. The tension traveled down the line to our neighbors and brought down the wire there.
Trucks from the phone, cable and power companies all drove right by us as we stood at the side of the road pointing at the wire. As we debated whether or not to walk down and make sure they knew about it the power company truck turned around and came back. The guy got out of the truck and told us that it would be a little while before they cut the power. We walked home and worked outside for awhile.
They cut the power and after a long time passed crews started showing up. We were without power for at least four hours on the hottest day that we have had so far this year. Keep in mind that we live in the country so not only could we not use the fans and airconditioner, without power we have no way to pump water out of our well. Not knowing how long we would be out we didn't want to open the fridge very often.
Even after the power came back on the crews still had the road blocked off. John and I were allowed through from the other direction but the State DOT guy refused to let our daughter-in-law through to drop off the boys. John ended up going over there to babysit. Our road finally reopened just after 5:00 but the side road was still closed, and it's a long way around. The crews are just leaving now.
I would really like the opportunity to kick that trucker in the butt!
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Computer Lesson From A Four Year Old
We had Mike and Alex for a few hours today. They brought a board game but Alex quickly got bored with it. When he is here he wants to play on the ‘puter.He just turned four but he is very good at online games. Don’t even think about trying to get him to play lapware games, he wants to be online like the big boys. And he can pretty much do it himself. If he’s trying out a new game I’ll sometimes have to read him the directions and then he’s set. He occasionally gets frustrated when he can’t figure out what to do next and neither can I!
I find that the touch pad is a pain in the neck so I use short cuts keys whenever possible and I’m always looking for new ones. The Ctrl, Alt and F keys are my friends.
Today I was about to use the touch pad to help him scroll down so his game would be in the center of the screen. He told me that he could do it himself and proceded to use the arrow key. I’m glad that he’s so smart but now I feel really dumb.
Monday, July 17, 2006
It's HOT in Snowville!!
It's hot and I refuse to complain. We get very few days like these here! I listened to a lot of whining about the heat at work. I do feel sorry for the mechanics and the drivers that are cleaning buses, this was an awful day to start, but it can only get better from here on for them. I'll save my whining for October when it starts to get cold.
In honor of the heat I have added the current weather conditions to my sidebar. When it starts to depress me I may remove it.
In honor of the heat I have added the current weather conditions to my sidebar. When it starts to depress me I may remove it.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Started from Seed
I started quite a few things from seed this year with mixed results. There doesn't seem to be any difference in size between the ones that I started indoors and the ones that I sewed directly into the garden. There were some that never came up at all; delphiniums and bellflowers. For the most part the annuals are doing well and the perennials are tiny.
(You can click on any picture to enlarge it)
The morning glories are not covering the teepee as fast as I had hoped but I got my first bloom today and it is beautiful.
The coleus were slow to get going but are now catching up to the ones I bought. I’m pleased with the color variation. They’ll get planted in a pot and brought inside for the winter so that I can have fresh cuttings for the spring.
I thought something with the name liliput would be small! These zinnias are quite a bit taller than I expected them to be. You can see some of the blanket flower seedlings in the background, which are the perennial that is doing the best.
I love the way they open a row of petals at a time. You can see that the japanese beetles have been feasting on them.
The sunflowers are doing well, especially considering that I planted them late. You can just see a tropical milkweed seedling in front of them. If you enlarge the picture you can just make out the tiny butterfly weed seedlings that I started inside back in March. Is it normal for them to stay so small the first year?
These sweet peas are my biggest disappointment. They sprouted very fast and now seem to be taking forever to do anything. I can picture in my head how pretty they’d be covering the trellis so I’m doubly frustrated whenever I see wild ones growing by the side of the road.
(You can click on any picture to enlarge it)
The morning glories are not covering the teepee as fast as I had hoped but I got my first bloom today and it is beautiful.
The coleus were slow to get going but are now catching up to the ones I bought. I’m pleased with the color variation. They’ll get planted in a pot and brought inside for the winter so that I can have fresh cuttings for the spring.
I thought something with the name liliput would be small! These zinnias are quite a bit taller than I expected them to be. You can see some of the blanket flower seedlings in the background, which are the perennial that is doing the best.
I love the way they open a row of petals at a time. You can see that the japanese beetles have been feasting on them.
The sunflowers are doing well, especially considering that I planted them late. You can just see a tropical milkweed seedling in front of them. If you enlarge the picture you can just make out the tiny butterfly weed seedlings that I started inside back in March. Is it normal for them to stay so small the first year?
These sweet peas are my biggest disappointment. They sprouted very fast and now seem to be taking forever to do anything. I can picture in my head how pretty they’d be covering the trellis so I’m doubly frustrated whenever I see wild ones growing by the side of the road.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
More Flooding
It rained all day yesterday. We got over 4” here. Syracuse set a one day record at 4.92”. So where do you think I was yesterday?
At noon, when the kids were getting out of school, it was pouring. I handed out lots of paper towels.
I then headed down to Mom’s. She said it had poured all morning but it was just sprinkling there for most of the afternoon. The sky decided to really open up again just as I hit the city on my way home. I drove up 81 & 481 with my four-ways on hoping the other cars would see me. The ditch on 481 just south of the mall was level with the road. It was raining too hard for me to see the Oneida as I crossed the bridge. The ditch at my off ramp was full; I don’t recall ever seeing water in it before because it is so deep. One lane of the state road was closed because of high water. I was worried about the swamp on the way home but the new drainage ditch seems to be working.
We watched the pictures on the news. People were driving through flooded streets and of course some cars floated. What is wrong with these people? The one that really got me was the van of local news crew ended up having to be towed out after it floated away. They had been telling people not to drive through standing water. Lots of flooded basements, entire neighborhoods in waist deep water.
The Oswego was well over its banks this morning. The canal system is closed again. It was closed for 8 days at the end of June. They say that they don’t know how long it will be closed this time. This will hurt some of the businesses in town that count on boat traffic. Some of the farms I passed today are going to loose a large portion of their crops that had washed away.
Hopefully we’ll get rain in small doses for the rest of the summer.
At noon, when the kids were getting out of school, it was pouring. I handed out lots of paper towels.
I then headed down to Mom’s. She said it had poured all morning but it was just sprinkling there for most of the afternoon. The sky decided to really open up again just as I hit the city on my way home. I drove up 81 & 481 with my four-ways on hoping the other cars would see me. The ditch on 481 just south of the mall was level with the road. It was raining too hard for me to see the Oneida as I crossed the bridge. The ditch at my off ramp was full; I don’t recall ever seeing water in it before because it is so deep. One lane of the state road was closed because of high water. I was worried about the swamp on the way home but the new drainage ditch seems to be working.
We watched the pictures on the news. People were driving through flooded streets and of course some cars floated. What is wrong with these people? The one that really got me was the van of local news crew ended up having to be towed out after it floated away. They had been telling people not to drive through standing water. Lots of flooded basements, entire neighborhoods in waist deep water.
The Oswego was well over its banks this morning. The canal system is closed again. It was closed for 8 days at the end of June. They say that they don’t know how long it will be closed this time. This will hurt some of the businesses in town that count on boat traffic. Some of the farms I passed today are going to loose a large portion of their crops that had washed away.
Hopefully we’ll get rain in small doses for the rest of the summer.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Summer Vacation
I had a week and a half off after the regular school year ended. I slept in a little and puttered around in the garden but I really didn’t do much. My ear infection cleared up but the ear is still plugged. My NP says it may take a month to clear.
This is the first summer that I have worked in 20 years and I really wasn’t looking forward to it.
I went back to work last Thursday and it’s been fun. I only have 12-16 elementary kids, during the regular school year I have three times as many. I drove some of their older siblings, cousins and neighbors last year so they had heard I was mean and expected the worst. A driver who plays radio Disney, hands out stickers, sings and dances certainly seems to have been a pleasant surprise for them. The route is long but always interesting. I’m driving my new to me bus and quite pleased with it.
I do miss having the freedom to make last minute plans but overall I think it will be a good summer. I will be off the 2nd half of August. With my schedule I can work in the yard and maybe get some painting inside done. The kids want us to take them camping. I’m not sure I’m ready to take four of them at once! But we’ll work something out, maybe all four of them in the backyard and then two at a time to Yogi Bear. There are a couple of family parties planned and maybe we’ll get away for a few days.
This is the first summer that I have worked in 20 years and I really wasn’t looking forward to it.
I went back to work last Thursday and it’s been fun. I only have 12-16 elementary kids, during the regular school year I have three times as many. I drove some of their older siblings, cousins and neighbors last year so they had heard I was mean and expected the worst. A driver who plays radio Disney, hands out stickers, sings and dances certainly seems to have been a pleasant surprise for them. The route is long but always interesting. I’m driving my new to me bus and quite pleased with it.
I do miss having the freedom to make last minute plans but overall I think it will be a good summer. I will be off the 2nd half of August. With my schedule I can work in the yard and maybe get some painting inside done. The kids want us to take them camping. I’m not sure I’m ready to take four of them at once! But we’ll work something out, maybe all four of them in the backyard and then two at a time to Yogi Bear. There are a couple of family parties planned and maybe we’ll get away for a few days.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Family Picnic
I can't remember the last time all of my kids and grandkids were all together in one place, usually at least one or two can't make it because of work, so it was great to have everyone here today! The weather was perfect.
The kids all got along well thanks to my niece Edie.
They all wanted to be near their newest cousin.
Twig has doubled his birth weight in two months!
Sprout loved the car but was also frustrated by it because it only opens on one side. She's too young to understand sharing yet but will be playing with the other kids before long.
Lizzie is used to being the youngest and wasn't sure if she liked being the big cousin. Sprout is almost as tall as she is but two years younger.
The kids got to play with the hose and the splat balls. John and BJ played ball with them. When PJ got here he played hard with the kids, each got a turn being swung through the air. Amazingly no bandaides were handed out all day.
He was worn out but they still wanted more.
The kids ended up playing board games in the screen house while the rest of us battled the bugs.
The kids were thrilled to discover one of my resident toads. I don't think he was too happy though! Only a few seedlings were trampled. Everyone had a good time. We made too much food so I won't have to cook all week.
The kids all got along well thanks to my niece Edie.
They all wanted to be near their newest cousin.
Twig has doubled his birth weight in two months!
Sprout loved the car but was also frustrated by it because it only opens on one side. She's too young to understand sharing yet but will be playing with the other kids before long.
Lizzie is used to being the youngest and wasn't sure if she liked being the big cousin. Sprout is almost as tall as she is but two years younger.
The kids got to play with the hose and the splat balls. John and BJ played ball with them. When PJ got here he played hard with the kids, each got a turn being swung through the air. Amazingly no bandaides were handed out all day.
He was worn out but they still wanted more.
The kids ended up playing board games in the screen house while the rest of us battled the bugs.
The kids were thrilled to discover one of my resident toads. I don't think he was too happy though! Only a few seedlings were trampled. Everyone had a good time. We made too much food so I won't have to cook all week.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Build It and They Will Come
Or will they? When I decided to plant a butterfly garden I had visions of dozens of butterflies flitting about and visiting the flowers. I often see a butterfly or two but rarely do they stop and stay a while. I enjoy the eastern tailed blues and sulfurs that I see most often. The sulfers seem to prefer the dandelions in the yard.
What I didn’t think about was all of the other critters that would be stopping by or moving in.
I shouldn’t have been surprised at the hummingbirds as they like the same flowers as butterflies. I usually hear them before I see them. I had never seen one before this year. They usually startle me so much that I don’t get to really look at them.
We have at least two resident garter snakes. I swear the one was chasing me the other day as he started climbing the blocks next to the steps where I was! He found a hole in the skirt and slithered away under the house as I ran for the middle of the front yard and John came running to have a good laugh at me. I know they’re as afraid of me as I am of them and I know that they eat insects for me and I know that their bite won’t really hurt me if it should come to that but I wish they would stay out of sight.
Then there are the ants. Half of the property seems to be one big ant hill. Black ones, brown ones and every shade in between. They are aerating the soil for me, they don’t seem to be hurting any of the plants and for the most part they leave me alone. The biting ones need to go!
I’ve still got moles and except for leaving ridges in the garden bed they don’t seem to be doing any damage. I’ve done some reading up on them and I guess that they are also aerating the soil and eating grubs and ants. They don’t eat the roots of plants, that would be their cousins the voles which we seem to have gotten rid of. All I can say is that they’d best eat faster!
The grubs have turned into beetles which are feasting on my zinnias and hollyhocks. Other insects seem to be getting their fill too. So the ever helpful spiders keep spinning their unsightly webs in the plants. I have seen almost as many types of spiders as I have ants. So far the only caterpillars I have seen were the tent caterpillars that I’m glad to say are finally done.
I have never seen any standing water in the yard or woods. The gully in back is dry and even after all the rain we’ve had I haven’t seen water collect back there. So where do the toads and dragonflies come from? The nearest pond is almost a ¼ mile away. There seem to be three toads currently in residence. Did they hop all the way here? The dragonflies must also have come from some wet place. I don’t recall ever seeing them away from water before. I find myself enchanted by them. They often rest on the flowers by the back steps and come in a rainbow of colors.
I guess most of the critters were here before and in the yards of the other places I’ve lived but I’ve never taken the time to notice before.
What I didn’t think about was all of the other critters that would be stopping by or moving in.
I shouldn’t have been surprised at the hummingbirds as they like the same flowers as butterflies. I usually hear them before I see them. I had never seen one before this year. They usually startle me so much that I don’t get to really look at them.
We have at least two resident garter snakes. I swear the one was chasing me the other day as he started climbing the blocks next to the steps where I was! He found a hole in the skirt and slithered away under the house as I ran for the middle of the front yard and John came running to have a good laugh at me. I know they’re as afraid of me as I am of them and I know that they eat insects for me and I know that their bite won’t really hurt me if it should come to that but I wish they would stay out of sight.
Then there are the ants. Half of the property seems to be one big ant hill. Black ones, brown ones and every shade in between. They are aerating the soil for me, they don’t seem to be hurting any of the plants and for the most part they leave me alone. The biting ones need to go!
I’ve still got moles and except for leaving ridges in the garden bed they don’t seem to be doing any damage. I’ve done some reading up on them and I guess that they are also aerating the soil and eating grubs and ants. They don’t eat the roots of plants, that would be their cousins the voles which we seem to have gotten rid of. All I can say is that they’d best eat faster!
The grubs have turned into beetles which are feasting on my zinnias and hollyhocks. Other insects seem to be getting their fill too. So the ever helpful spiders keep spinning their unsightly webs in the plants. I have seen almost as many types of spiders as I have ants. So far the only caterpillars I have seen were the tent caterpillars that I’m glad to say are finally done.
I have never seen any standing water in the yard or woods. The gully in back is dry and even after all the rain we’ve had I haven’t seen water collect back there. So where do the toads and dragonflies come from? The nearest pond is almost a ¼ mile away. There seem to be three toads currently in residence. Did they hop all the way here? The dragonflies must also have come from some wet place. I don’t recall ever seeing them away from water before. I find myself enchanted by them. They often rest on the flowers by the back steps and come in a rainbow of colors.
I guess most of the critters were here before and in the yards of the other places I’ve lived but I’ve never taken the time to notice before.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Happy Independence Day!
Today we celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence. So what does this mean to me personally?
The Second Continental Congress met starting in May 1775. In June 1775, Congress assumed control of the army and George Washington was appointed commander-in-chief. Congress appointed four majors-general to serve under Washington, one being General Artemas Ward. (My 2nd cousin six times removed.)
In June 1776 the Congress voted on Richard Henry Lee’s resolution promoting independence. Esquire Henry Wisner was the only delegate from New York to vote for the Declaration of Independence. He left Philadelphia before the signing of the document to attend the Provincial Congress in New York. (1st cousin, 7 times removed.)
The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought June 17, 1775 and Daniel Carlisle, my 4th great-grandfather was there. He later made the rank of Captain and had a colorful life that I will write more on in the future.
Other ancestors that fought for my freedom were my 5th great-grandfather, Capt. Anthony Badgley and his three sons, Anthony (4th great-grandfather), George and Stephen who all served in the Dutchess Co, NY militia. Five my six 4th great grandfathers that were in this country at that time of the Revolutionary War served. The three others were; Ananias Wisner (and his brother Adam) with the Northumberland Co, PA militia; William Hall who was born in England but fought for his adopted country in MA; Henry Glover who also served in MA.
Knowing my ancestors were a part of the founding of this country gives today a special meaning for me. So this morning I will reflect on the battles fought and the history that followed. Later today I will celebrate with my grandsons, maybe watch Independence Day or National Treasure. I am sure the neighbors will have more fireworks to light tonight.
The Second Continental Congress met starting in May 1775. In June 1775, Congress assumed control of the army and George Washington was appointed commander-in-chief. Congress appointed four majors-general to serve under Washington, one being General Artemas Ward. (My 2nd cousin six times removed.)
In June 1776 the Congress voted on Richard Henry Lee’s resolution promoting independence. Esquire Henry Wisner was the only delegate from New York to vote for the Declaration of Independence. He left Philadelphia before the signing of the document to attend the Provincial Congress in New York. (1st cousin, 7 times removed.)
The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought June 17, 1775 and Daniel Carlisle, my 4th great-grandfather was there. He later made the rank of Captain and had a colorful life that I will write more on in the future.
Other ancestors that fought for my freedom were my 5th great-grandfather, Capt. Anthony Badgley and his three sons, Anthony (4th great-grandfather), George and Stephen who all served in the Dutchess Co, NY militia. Five my six 4th great grandfathers that were in this country at that time of the Revolutionary War served. The three others were; Ananias Wisner (and his brother Adam) with the Northumberland Co, PA militia; William Hall who was born in England but fought for his adopted country in MA; Henry Glover who also served in MA.
Knowing my ancestors were a part of the founding of this country gives today a special meaning for me. So this morning I will reflect on the battles fought and the history that followed. Later today I will celebrate with my grandsons, maybe watch Independence Day or National Treasure. I am sure the neighbors will have more fireworks to light tonight.
Lightning Strike
We woke early Sunday morning to the sounds of thunder and winds. I fretted for my screen house which came through the storm just fine. The storm lasted for hours and we finally got up at about 6:00. The rain came down hard and there was lots of thunder and lightening. I still find myself counting the seconds between the lightening and the bang as I have since I was little. 5 Mississippi, 3 Mississippi. We both jumped when the flash and the bang came at the same time.
The power stayed on. I looked out and couldn’t see any smoldering trees or downed limbs. When the storm seemed to be waning we both tried to log onto our computers only to find that we had no cable connection. We just had the cable company out on Tuesday because of problems with our internet service. A quick check of the TV and we realized that the cable really was out.
After the rain stopped I went out and looked up and down the road. No blackened poles. I puttered in the garden. When there was no sign of a repair crew by 11:00 I decided to call and report that we were out. Our phone service is also through the cable so I got out my cell phone, which I only have for emergencies and which only works if I am out in the yard. So of course it started to rain again. I managed to get a signal standing by the back door and used up 10 of my precious minutes only to be told that they had no other reports of outages in our area and that they’d send someone out Monday afternoon.
Now John and I don’t watch much TV so we only have basic cable. But we are on the internet for hours every day. We read the newspaper online. He gets his sports fix online. I have my genealogy sites.
So how did we spend our time? I spent time weeding and adding twine to the morning glory teepee. I moved plants and mulched. I cleaned out most of the room that we would use as a den if it didn’t end up as a catch all room. We played a board game which we rarely do when it’s just the two of us. I cleaned up files on my computer and got rid of a ton of out of date stuff. I backed up my genealogy files and John then downloaded them to his computer so that they are twice backed up. He got the ancient TV in the den to work with the antennae.
Monday the cable guy showed up as promised. We learned from him that the lightening struck at the neighbors down the road and burned down his shed which surprised us. We never smelled smoke and we didn’t hear any fire trucks. Turns out that most of the houses in our area lost their cable, so much for no outage in our area. The lightening must have traveled down the cable line and phone lines. Our trap was fried as was a cable closer to the house. The phone company repair truck was here too and since we don’t have their service they must have been checking the line all the way down the road.
The canal system is still closed in our area and there are more flood gates open than you would normally see this time of year but still no real flooding here. My plants are thriving. It is supposed to rain most of the day here but so far we're dry. The areas southeast of us haven’t been so lucky. They got more rain both Sunday and Monday. Right now it looks like there is more headed their way.
The power stayed on. I looked out and couldn’t see any smoldering trees or downed limbs. When the storm seemed to be waning we both tried to log onto our computers only to find that we had no cable connection. We just had the cable company out on Tuesday because of problems with our internet service. A quick check of the TV and we realized that the cable really was out.
After the rain stopped I went out and looked up and down the road. No blackened poles. I puttered in the garden. When there was no sign of a repair crew by 11:00 I decided to call and report that we were out. Our phone service is also through the cable so I got out my cell phone, which I only have for emergencies and which only works if I am out in the yard. So of course it started to rain again. I managed to get a signal standing by the back door and used up 10 of my precious minutes only to be told that they had no other reports of outages in our area and that they’d send someone out Monday afternoon.
Now John and I don’t watch much TV so we only have basic cable. But we are on the internet for hours every day. We read the newspaper online. He gets his sports fix online. I have my genealogy sites.
So how did we spend our time? I spent time weeding and adding twine to the morning glory teepee. I moved plants and mulched. I cleaned out most of the room that we would use as a den if it didn’t end up as a catch all room. We played a board game which we rarely do when it’s just the two of us. I cleaned up files on my computer and got rid of a ton of out of date stuff. I backed up my genealogy files and John then downloaded them to his computer so that they are twice backed up. He got the ancient TV in the den to work with the antennae.
Monday the cable guy showed up as promised. We learned from him that the lightening struck at the neighbors down the road and burned down his shed which surprised us. We never smelled smoke and we didn’t hear any fire trucks. Turns out that most of the houses in our area lost their cable, so much for no outage in our area. The lightening must have traveled down the cable line and phone lines. Our trap was fried as was a cable closer to the house. The phone company repair truck was here too and since we don’t have their service they must have been checking the line all the way down the road.
The canal system is still closed in our area and there are more flood gates open than you would normally see this time of year but still no real flooding here. My plants are thriving. It is supposed to rain most of the day here but so far we're dry. The areas southeast of us haven’t been so lucky. They got more rain both Sunday and Monday. Right now it looks like there is more headed their way.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Doing Some Online Research
I don’t usually get much online research done in the summer months because I prefer to be walking cemeteries or traveling to libraries and other research centers. However since I’m not feeling well and ancestry had a free three day search of the 1930 census I have found myself digging online.
I spent most of my time on John’s lines. He has no interest in it at all and I already have most of the basics to pass down to the family. For me it is the thrill of completing a giant puzzle that will forever have pieces missing.
I started with this obituary that I found in the online archives of the Syracuse, NY newspapers:
The Syracuse Herald, Monday, March 22, 1920, pg 18
Mrs Andrew Grabowske, 83, died Sunday at her home 936 North Salina street, after an illness of one week. She leaves two sons, Andrew and August Grabowske; three daughters, Mrs Mary Nelipowitz, Mrs Tina Schwahn (sic) and Mrs Anna Schaknowske; 54 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren. She was born in Germany and had been a resident of the North Side for 35 years.
Frank H Wenz took the body to the home of Mrs Nelipowitz, 104 Lawrence street, where the funeral will take place Tuesday at 9:30 A.M. and a half hour later in the Church of the Assumption. Burial will be in Assumption cemetery.
Her first name was Helena, her maiden name a puzzle piece yet to be discovered. She was John’s 2nd great-grandmother. I tried to see how much I could find out about her and how many of her descendants I could locate. The German names in the older newspapers were spelled however the person at the paper thought they ought to be spelled, which added to my challenge. Searching for the two addresses listed gave me more information and more addresses to search for.
I learned that she was born near Millborg, Germany (which so far I have been unable to locate on any map) and that she married Andrew Grabowski there in November 1858.
The Syracuse Herald, Thurs, Nov 12, 1908
At 9 o’clock this morning Mr and Mrs Andrew Grabowski were remarried at the Church of the Assumption in celebration of their fiftieth wedding anniversary. The ceremony was performed by Rev. Fredolin Stauble, of Trenton, N.J., the step-son of Andrew Grabowski, Jr., at whose house at No. 1208 Park street a reception was held after the wedding. Mr and Mrs Grabowski were born near Millborg, Germany, and came to this city 26 years ago.
From various census records I learned that she had had 12 children (in 1910, five were still living) and at least six of them emigrated with them to the US between 1882 and 1885. (The notice in the paper would indicate 1882, census records 1885. Some of the children’s records show 1884 or 1886 but I believe they traveled together. I have not yet found there immigration records. Ellis Island did not open until 1892.) So what happened to the other six children? Did they die in infancy or early childhood? Another puzzle piece.
German immigrants settled mostly on the north side of Syracuse and this is where the family made their home. It appears that Helena was a house wife and her husband a laborer. Life certainly wouldn’t have been easy but certainly it wasn’t a bad life either. She saw the marriages of all six of her children and they settled around her on the north side. Beginning in the late 1880’s the grandchildren started coming. More than the 54 listed in her obituary would be born, funerals would take place too. Marriages, births and deaths – the Church of the Assumption would have been a central figure in the family’s life. Several descendants would become priests and at least one would join a convent.
On January 14, 1902 her son, John, died.
The Post Standard, Wednesday, January 15, 1902, pg 6
BLOW CRUSHES SKULL OF SYRACUSE MAN
John Grabowski is killed while at work on Cazenovia Lake
John Grabowski of North State street, employed by the People’s Ice Company in harvesting ice on Cazenovia Lake, was struck in the head by the handle of a windless and instantly killed at 2 o’clock yesterday afternoon.
Grabowski was operating the windlass when he met death. He drew out a block which held it in place, but failed to catch the handle firmly and the weight caused it to fly around and strike him upon the head. The force of the blow caused instant death. Coroner Knapp of Cazenovia will make an investigation.
Grabowski was 28 years old and leaves a wife and two children. He was born in Germany and had lived here about fifteen years.
World War I was doubly hard on the German immigrants as they knew soldiers on both side. I’m not sure how many Helena knew in Germany but in 1914 there was an article in the paper about her daughter-in-law, Rosa Schmidt, widow of her son John, about word she had received about her two brothers being drafted into the German Army. Helena lost at least two grandsons to the war.
Syracuse Herald, Nov 21, 1918, pg 3, col 2
Corp. Fred Grabowski, Company D, Eighth Machine Gun battalion, was killed in action Sept. 27. He is the second son of Mr. and Mrs. August Grabowski, no 122 Culbert street, to make the supreme sacrifice. His brother, John A Grabowski, Company A, Seventh infantry, was killed in action June 23d. Another brother is at Camp Dix.
It would be nice to have a more personal account of her life written by someone who knew her but for now the records from various census and newspapers are all that we have. I have traced many of her descendants in some cases to seven generations and the outline tree generated fills 10 pages. There are still many, many pieces left in the puzzle that I will revisit on another day.
I spent most of my time on John’s lines. He has no interest in it at all and I already have most of the basics to pass down to the family. For me it is the thrill of completing a giant puzzle that will forever have pieces missing.
I started with this obituary that I found in the online archives of the Syracuse, NY newspapers:
The Syracuse Herald, Monday, March 22, 1920, pg 18
Mrs Andrew Grabowske, 83, died Sunday at her home 936 North Salina street, after an illness of one week. She leaves two sons, Andrew and August Grabowske; three daughters, Mrs Mary Nelipowitz, Mrs Tina Schwahn (sic) and Mrs Anna Schaknowske; 54 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren. She was born in Germany and had been a resident of the North Side for 35 years.
Frank H Wenz took the body to the home of Mrs Nelipowitz, 104 Lawrence street, where the funeral will take place Tuesday at 9:30 A.M. and a half hour later in the Church of the Assumption. Burial will be in Assumption cemetery.
Her first name was Helena, her maiden name a puzzle piece yet to be discovered. She was John’s 2nd great-grandmother. I tried to see how much I could find out about her and how many of her descendants I could locate. The German names in the older newspapers were spelled however the person at the paper thought they ought to be spelled, which added to my challenge. Searching for the two addresses listed gave me more information and more addresses to search for.
I learned that she was born near Millborg, Germany (which so far I have been unable to locate on any map) and that she married Andrew Grabowski there in November 1858.
The Syracuse Herald, Thurs, Nov 12, 1908
At 9 o’clock this morning Mr and Mrs Andrew Grabowski were remarried at the Church of the Assumption in celebration of their fiftieth wedding anniversary. The ceremony was performed by Rev. Fredolin Stauble, of Trenton, N.J., the step-son of Andrew Grabowski, Jr., at whose house at No. 1208 Park street a reception was held after the wedding. Mr and Mrs Grabowski were born near Millborg, Germany, and came to this city 26 years ago.
From various census records I learned that she had had 12 children (in 1910, five were still living) and at least six of them emigrated with them to the US between 1882 and 1885. (The notice in the paper would indicate 1882, census records 1885. Some of the children’s records show 1884 or 1886 but I believe they traveled together. I have not yet found there immigration records. Ellis Island did not open until 1892.) So what happened to the other six children? Did they die in infancy or early childhood? Another puzzle piece.
German immigrants settled mostly on the north side of Syracuse and this is where the family made their home. It appears that Helena was a house wife and her husband a laborer. Life certainly wouldn’t have been easy but certainly it wasn’t a bad life either. She saw the marriages of all six of her children and they settled around her on the north side. Beginning in the late 1880’s the grandchildren started coming. More than the 54 listed in her obituary would be born, funerals would take place too. Marriages, births and deaths – the Church of the Assumption would have been a central figure in the family’s life. Several descendants would become priests and at least one would join a convent.
On January 14, 1902 her son, John, died.
The Post Standard, Wednesday, January 15, 1902, pg 6
BLOW CRUSHES SKULL OF SYRACUSE MAN
John Grabowski is killed while at work on Cazenovia Lake
John Grabowski of North State street, employed by the People’s Ice Company in harvesting ice on Cazenovia Lake, was struck in the head by the handle of a windless and instantly killed at 2 o’clock yesterday afternoon.
Grabowski was operating the windlass when he met death. He drew out a block which held it in place, but failed to catch the handle firmly and the weight caused it to fly around and strike him upon the head. The force of the blow caused instant death. Coroner Knapp of Cazenovia will make an investigation.
Grabowski was 28 years old and leaves a wife and two children. He was born in Germany and had lived here about fifteen years.
World War I was doubly hard on the German immigrants as they knew soldiers on both side. I’m not sure how many Helena knew in Germany but in 1914 there was an article in the paper about her daughter-in-law, Rosa Schmidt, widow of her son John, about word she had received about her two brothers being drafted into the German Army. Helena lost at least two grandsons to the war.
Syracuse Herald, Nov 21, 1918, pg 3, col 2
Corp. Fred Grabowski, Company D, Eighth Machine Gun battalion, was killed in action Sept. 27. He is the second son of Mr. and Mrs. August Grabowski, no 122 Culbert street, to make the supreme sacrifice. His brother, John A Grabowski, Company A, Seventh infantry, was killed in action June 23d. Another brother is at Camp Dix.
It would be nice to have a more personal account of her life written by someone who knew her but for now the records from various census and newspapers are all that we have. I have traced many of her descendants in some cases to seven generations and the outline tree generated fills 10 pages. There are still many, many pieces left in the puzzle that I will revisit on another day.
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