A Fourth of July celebration in Chesterfield MA, including Henry the Clown from out of town.
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Thursday, July 03, 2008
A walk in romantic woods
On our way back from dinner at our favorite restaurant, The Jenkins Inn & Restaurant in Barre,we stopped for a walk to Long Pond in Rutland. We used to go there in the summer time when we were dating oh, those many decades ago. You walk a short way into the woods, through the old cemetery, and then turn left onto a narrow path that leads up and down small hills along the shore. The big tree that held a rope swing had been cut down quite a while ago. (Setting up a rope swing takes just the right combination of a strong tree with a thick branch parallel to the water, high enough that you can swing out some distance before letting go and plunging into the water.
Most times, the pond is a lively place with people fishing, kayaking, swimming, 'n such. This evening, we were the only people there, just as it should be.
Perfect pitch
This morning, I tried out our new set of clippers, clearing away dead branches and branches that were in the way along our back fence. The maples are in charge, with trees large and small. The pines along our back fence had branches that were thick at the base, making it difficult to clear away the leaves and clutter. When I was done with the cleanup, my hands had a familiar smell that took me back 50 years.
There were lots of pine trees in the back of the house where I grew up. So, it seemed as though my hands and clothes were always covered in the rich, sticky pitch. They were good climbing trees for a kid, branches every foot or so. It was easy to get 40 feet above the ground and survey the neighborhood. There's probably no better place for a kid, getting high off the ground on his own strength, brought to a height where you could see far.
At this house, we have a couple fairly good climbing trees. The maple tree on the east side of the house is probably ok, but there aren't any low branches to give a kid a leg up. Our tallest tree, the ailing spruce out front, has branches that are too close together so there's no room for climbing. The honey locust looks good, strong branches and plenty of space. There were a couple of pine trees right behind the house when we first moved here. They were too close to the house and we had them taken out when we put in the back deck.
There were lots of pine trees in the back of the house where I grew up. So, it seemed as though my hands and clothes were always covered in the rich, sticky pitch. They were good climbing trees for a kid, branches every foot or so. It was easy to get 40 feet above the ground and survey the neighborhood. There's probably no better place for a kid, getting high off the ground on his own strength, brought to a height where you could see far.
At this house, we have a couple fairly good climbing trees. The maple tree on the east side of the house is probably ok, but there aren't any low branches to give a kid a leg up. Our tallest tree, the ailing spruce out front, has branches that are too close together so there's no room for climbing. The honey locust looks good, strong branches and plenty of space. There were a couple of pine trees right behind the house when we first moved here. They were too close to the house and we had them taken out when we put in the back deck.
RoasterBoy Playlist
| 1) | iPod shuffle playlist Sitting In The Stern Of The Boat (The Journey Begins) Various Artists Lewis & Clark - The Journey of the Corps of ... http://rbplaylist.blogspot.com/2008/07/ipod-shuffle-playlist.html |
| 2) | Janis Joplin - Summertime She looked so old then and looks so young now: Crooks and Liars » Late Night Music Club with Janis Joplin http://rbplaylist.blogspot.com/2008/07/janis-joplin-summertime.html |
| 3) | Barack Obama’s playlist Inside Barack Obama’s iPod : Rolling Stone : Rock and Roll Daily http://rbplaylist.blogspot.com/2008/06/barack-obamas-playlist.html |
| 4) | iTunes Shuffle Playlist I Want To Be FreeRobert Gordon (With Link Wray)Robert Gordon w/Link Wray & Fresh Fish SpecialLonely Teardrops (1958)Jackie ... http://rbplaylist.blogspot.com/2008/06/itunes-shuffle-playlist_25.html |
| 5) | In honor of what would've been June Carter Cash's 79th birthday - Ring of Fire FARK.com: Fark Video Player (3687547) In honor of what would've been June Carter Cash's 79th birthday - Ring of Fire http://rbplaylist.blogspot.com/2008/06/in-honor-of-what-wouldve-been-june.html |
| 6) | iPod shuffle playlist SongArtistAlbumGive Us A FlagRichie HavensSongs Of The Civil WarBohemian RhapsodyQueenClassic QueenThe Red RoosterHowlin' ... http://rbplaylist.blogspot.com/2008/06/ipod-shuffle-playlist_18.html |
Crime in suburbia
From The Landmark (subscription required):
6:00 p.m. Caller asking if he needs passport to go to Canada,
and if Holden borders Canada; advised that Central
Mass. doesn't border Canada; will contact a Maine PD
Sunday, June 29
8:16 p.m. 911 Snapping turtle on Wilde Willow Dr.
Holden
Monday, June 236:00 p.m. Caller asking if he needs passport to go to Canada,
and if Holden borders Canada; advised that Central
Mass. doesn't border Canada; will contact a Maine PD
Sunday, June 29
8:16 p.m. 911 Snapping turtle on Wilde Willow Dr.
Rutland
Friday, June 273:05 p.m. Party requesting an officer for threats made by her
future mother-in-law, Main St.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
What was easy isn't so much so.
It seems as though there used to be some good freeware tools to let you create and publish web sites. As a part of the preparation for our Queen Lake Association annual meeting, I need to update our web site with information about the meeting agenda and a few other reference documents. I know how to edit HTML documents and publish with FTP commands, but it doesn't seem much easier than it was 15 years ago when I first created web sites.
I've used NVU, Amaya, and a few other tools (Emacs, the wrench for every nut), but none seem to have a good integrated editor and publishing solution. None has been satisfying. There are commercial tools that start at $100 and go up as fast as you can keep adding zeroes. It's doubly-discouraging when you find a long list of programs and then see that they're showcasing their 1998 favorites.
So, while I continue the search, I'll use Emacs and rsync to get today's work done.
I've used NVU, Amaya, and a few other tools (Emacs, the wrench for every nut), but none seem to have a good integrated editor and publishing solution. None has been satisfying. There are commercial tools that start at $100 and go up as fast as you can keep adding zeroes. It's doubly-discouraging when you find a long list of programs and then see that they're showcasing their 1998 favorites.
So, while I continue the search, I'll use Emacs and rsync to get today's work done.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Medical News: Memory Deficit in Middle Age Linked to Low HDL - in Neurology, Dementia from MedPage Today
Medical News: Memory Deficit in Middle Age Linked to Low HDL - in Neurology, Dementia from MedPage Today: "'The 'life-long' view of dementia stresses the importance of risk factors in midlife,' the authors said. 'Our findings on individuals ages 55 and 61 at the two phases of data collection suggest that low levels of HDL-C may be an important risk factor.'"
Low (<40)>60).
Past studies have identified low HDL levels as a significant risk factor for heart disease, but this is the first study that I've seen that links low HDL with cognitive abilities and memory.
Yikes.
Update:
via Fark
Low (<40)>60).
Past studies have identified low HDL levels as a significant risk factor for heart disease, but this is the first study that I've seen that links low HDL with cognitive abilities and memory.
Yikes.
Update:
via Fark
Monday, June 30, 2008
We got our gummint money
The check finally arrived. I'm not sure if it's our money that the feds are giving us or if it's really our kids' and grandkids'. In any case, we'll be good citizens and go spend it. After all, after September 11th, the president told us, "When [the terrorists] struck, they wanted to create an atmosphere of fear. And one of the great goals of this nation's war is to restore public confidence in the airline industry. It's to tell the traveling public: Get on board. Do your business around the country. Fly and enjoy America's great destination spots. Get down to Disney World in Florida. Take your families and enjoy life, the way we want it to be enjoyed."
And, in May, as the checks were put in the mail, he said, "[W]e hope people use that money and take care of their families and shop."
So, get going. America needs you.
And, in May, as the checks were put in the mail, he said, "[W]e hope people use that money and take care of their families and shop."
So, get going. America needs you.
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