H2O alarm clock

I bought a new alarm clock which failed to wake me up,but I just read at Tall Pines that alot of water will get you up in the morning! I have to be at my orientation tomorrow at 8:30 AM. My regular hours will be 10am-6:30 pm,not so bad.

My usual alarm clock is Dan saying,"get up and turn that alarm clock off!"

I was thrilled to learn I should get laid off for the Christmas and New Year's holidays! I hope it's true.I think I'm gonna love this job.

We did our annual 5am Walmart Black Friday trip to get the Grandson's present at $30 less.he wanted a guitar for his PS2 with the game to go with it.It's fun seeing walmart so packed at 5:30 am. Something uniquely festive about it.

It's going to be a crazy week,what with starting the new job and finishing the old one.I have get over to walmart to exchange my alarm clock today.Too bad you can't see how loud they are right in the store.

Happy Holidays

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Not Boomerang, but almost as cute. Squeaky, another dumbo rat.

Boomerang

Sunday I went to our favorite pet store to get a large excerise ball for "Speedy" our pet rat.Normally we have 2 rats at a time,as they are smart and get lonely. Speedy's buddy that we brought him home with died right away,and he's been alone a long while now.

I saw him as soon as I walked in the door! What a little dollface!I told myself we don't need another rat,move along. The shop was out of large balls,so I got a bag of food and was ready to cash out. Waiting in line,I could see him staring at me. The sweetest little rat face I ever saw."Is that rat for sale?" I blurted out."Yes." "I'LL TAKE HIM!"

I got my first rat in the late eighties."Rattus Norvegicus" was his name.I've had many since then. Never have I bought a rat without picking it up first.That's just crazy. As I sit here today my little boomerang (Boomer-as Dan calls him) is happily cleaning his face in my lap.I've had him less than 48 hours and honestly he's the best little rat I've ever had.

Unfortunately, in a somewhat ironic twist, Speedy wants to kill Boomerang. He doesn't like hime one bit.I thought Speedy would be so happy to have a buddy to snuggle with when it gets cold,to run around with and clean each other.Nope. Boomer is definitely my rat,not Speedy's.I have to keep him in a separate cage,and even then,he managed to draw blood from his tail last night somehow.

So, I finally got that tooth out yesterday.All I will say about that is that for once in my life, the level of fear and and anxiety about the incident was,as it turns out,appropriate. Awful. The whole afternoon Boomerang laid on the bed with me watching a dvd of "My name is Earl". We even fell asleep together,and Dan came home from work and woke us up.I need to get some pictures,but I am still pretty worn out from my dental adventure.

I may never eat in public again. This flipper is a nuisance. It's like trying to eat with a poker chip in your mouth. And it comes loose if you get too involved in your eating.(Which I frequently do!)

One more thing about the dentist,you know when you're getting a tooth pulled,and there's no turning back and you're scared to death,and you try to think about happy things? I thought about Montana,the mountains,bears,goats,deers,flowers,huckleberries,the trails,the tourists and our friend Clif.I had a slide show going in my head.It was just long enough that I got through it.All was not pleasant,though. Turns out,my friend could hear me screaming in the waiting room.

Enough whining already. We got some squirrel proof feeders this week,and there's birds-a-plenty outside my window-and it's snowing big fluffy flakes!

Almost forgot, I got a job,I still have to pass the physical and drug test.My appt is 1:30 today.Medical and dental,hot damn!

Will Work For Teeth

I finally went to a dentisit this week.Unfortunately they do not offer a payment plan,and I need extensive work done in my mouth.Would you believe they had the audacity to suggest I take out a loan or open a 0% finance credit card?I would have canceled my upcoming extraction and subsequent "flipper" right then and there,had it not been that I had already forked over $70 to get looked at,and fitted for a "flipper".

I can't help but put "flipper" in parentheses. It seems to me they could come up with a better name for a single tooth replacement. Is it too much to ask? I am already going to be sans a major front tooth. Must I suffer the indignity of having to put a "flipper" in my mouth,also? Why not call it a "single" or a "unit"?

Anyway,for $450, they are going to service my one problem tooth and launch my dental journey and send me on my way,in search of the elusive "dentist with a payment plan".Yesterday at work, someone I told my story to replied with a dolphin sound. If I didn't have a sense of humor,there'd have been hell to pay,as I am still a little mean from quitting smoking 4 months ago. However,I thought it was hysterical,and she actually made me laugh pretty hard.

I am going early next week to the college to see if I can get some sort of entry level job with medical benefits. It occured to me that I could do something else when my friend Clif ran my blog though some sort of test,and it thought I was smart.I graduated high school,and that's it. However,I have always loved to read.And I guess I have a few things on the ball that may help me to a better job.I don't drink or use drugs,I have no record,I have no kids,I don't smoke and I have my own transportation.I can find my way around a computer,and perhaps most importantly....the title "3rd shift Janitor" doesn't frighten me.

It's probably good that this is happening now,pushing me to do something different if I can. One certainly doesn't want to be a waitress when the economy collapses.The college will always be there. The restaurant I work at? Not so much......

75.19

Today's watch

The USD has fallen-and it may not get up

Yesterday I was reading the Stock Market thread and saw it was looking ugly out there,so I went for a lovely walk in the woods,and found a letterbox planted by the DEP.It took my mind off worrying about the economy.I fear that people are going to stop going out to eat.Gas is over $3 again,and the USD is under 76.Gold is over $820 an oz!

The sky is falling.I can't go for a walk today,it's pouring cold rain. It's also election day.Honestly,the way those clowns we elected last November are doing,it's tempting to skip voting.Do nothings.But I'll go.It's still the right thing to do.

I heard a mouse this morning. Time to start up the "Mouse Relocation Program" again,before they get at my coffee and cake mixes! We have little plastic traps called "ice Cubes"-mouse gets in,but it can't get out. We take the box far away and "relocate" them.I'll get a shot of one,soon as I catch one.

The DEP has hidden boxes in all the state forests (32?),so that should keep me busy until spring. There was a lot of uphill climbing yesterday,good thing I was alone. It was beautiful though. At one point the trail ran next to the river,and the sky was blue and there were still a few red and orange leaves,the sun was reflecting sky on the river.......it was nice.

I brought the big backpack,because 2 times now,I have gotten lost and ended up far from where I intended.So I brought water,a lunch ,maps ,my camera and stamping stuff. I ordered a new map,mine is from 1996,and a compass the other night from the DEP store. Hopefully,it will reduce my lost johnny episodes. I don't mind hiking 3 hours,as long as I know where I am, approximately.

Trees and River

The sky is falling

Time to hit the woods.

Tall Pines Ranch photos..

I can't post the slideshow,but I managed to create a link.
Tall Pines Ranch
Finally I got a disc so I can upload some pictures. My computer refuses to communicate with my camera lately,so I am forced to make discs if I want to upload.I am so afraid to invest in a new computer,because I have no clue what to buy,that I keep working around this one's difficulties.

It really is a great computer,it's just old and has a rough time sometimes(I can relate!)

So,some Montana Tall Pines Ranch photos..

Lunettes

Saturday I had Dan drop me off at a trailhead a few miles away,so I could find 2 more letterboxes in the forest. I found them both but then lost the trail and,after walking awhile, ended up in someone's backyard! I took a picture of their dog barking at me,but haven't uploaded yet.

Sadly, I had chosen the route because it would have taken me through the pines I wanted to photograph,and to the overlook. I missed the whole thing! As soon as I knew where I was, I phoned home and he came and got me,laughing. Today's hike will be more of an adventure,because if I get lost,no one is coming! I also got lost last week,I got turned around after stopping to stamp and ended up adding 20 minutes to my walk. It would've been allright if my friend wasn't coming to meet me at noon. Thoreau said if you've never been lost in the woods,you've never been in the woods,or something to that effect. I tend to agree,unless I am on a time restriction. It is a truly delicious feeling to be lost in the woods. Invigorating.


In honor of Halloween, I am focusing on finding the lunette letterboxes for the remainder of the month. Yesterday, at sunset I went to a graveyard and found one. The first in a series.I took a cemetery picture,it looks pretty spooky!

I love Halloween,I even got married on Halloween once. In 1992. It didn't work out though. In February of 1996 we gave up,and I actually filed on Valentine's day.I couldn't help it,it was my only day off,and I was in a hurry to get it done. I remember hoping it would be final on April fools day,but it went final in May instead.

Yesterday my friend and I went to the flea market,and I couldn't believe my good fortune, I got 2 good as new hiking bags(One for rocks!) and a hat(Cheesy china cowboy)all for $11.

Also last night I got anew stamp for boxing. A feather with blue ink. I have been using a camel,but decided on the feather when I went to get Dan a bear,incase I can get him to come with me sometime. I use ruby as my name and told him "Lost Johnny" would be a good one for him. I have a picture of him at the Lost Johnny sign in Hungry Horse,as he and his friends all call each other "Johnny."

Letterboxing

I have started hiking here at home, in case I never get to Montana again. It really is the perfect time of year for it. I also started letterboxing,which is actually a nice little treat out on the trail .(I had to do something to spice it up,since I probably won't be seeing any bear!)

So far, I have found 2,pretty near to home. I also came across a lovely overlook,where someone made a bench out of 2 folding chairs! It's called Orchard Overlook. I have to go back with my camera.

Monday while I was out on the trail, I was startled by a group of 12 or so schoolkids on some sort of fieldtrip. I've been here a few years,and it's never happened before. They had 2 chaperones,and they were all around 9 years old. Good to see. Most of them said hello,and one proclaimed,rather loudly "Hi lady!". It was kinda funny. I think they were as surprised to see me.

It's no Glacier Park, but we even have a nice section of tall pines on trail,which I will photograph soon. It feels really good to be out there again, I was getting pretty depressed since we've been back. Silly of me,really,considering where I come from. I should be jumping for joy every single day to live in such a lovely place!

The Fourth Dimension

I have been back almost a month,and I cannot bring myself to accept it. I mused before I left that I wouldn't be coming back the same person. I wasn't sure how that would manifest itself,but I knew it would happen.

I am sure of only one thing,and that one thing is this: I was right. It was the most beautiful place on earth,the park was so Large! The surrounding area was filled with things I'd never seen or imagined. Who goes to a bar for lunch and sees a polarbear and griz display? I assure you,you have a better chance of getting shot before your cheeseburger arrives where I come from.

Roadside stands with huckleberry pies and milkshakes. I never had a huckleberry before. They are amazing. There were even little bushes of them at the airport. The airport was like a mom and pop operation,almost. Not the looming near-metropolis airports I have always experienced.

The people smiled and joked everywhere you went. Everybody had a bear story. We put 1,200 miles on the rental car. Car hiking,we called it. When we got back to CT,as we left the airport,I looked around,it was a nice day,sunny,blue skies, trees ..hey...where's..the..mountains? I felt so sad that they were gone. It's actually hard to look at pictures of them,because I miss them.

I finally got some pictures back Wednesday,seems they had been delivered to the wrong address,the apt. next door is empty,and I found them in the door. I won't be doing that again.I have alot more ,but I'm going to do them in person.

I hate being back. I went on one hike out in the woods,and it was the best I felt all month. I need to go more,it's the only way I'm going to get over this sad feeling. It really is beautiful right now,too. I believe we are at peak foilage.We had a good storm last night and there are alot of pine needles floating on the river alongside the leaves. And the sweet perfume of the fall is everywhere.
Yet, everywhere I go,everything I do, I miss Montana. I should not have gone,because now I know what i am missing. That was the shortest week of my life,and I need to find a way to keep the dream alive,because I have all I need right here. Scenery,nature,wonderful people a good life.
But, out there is was SO INTENSE. Intoxicating, even.

The Fourth Dimension.

Bidden or not bidden,God is present

Unable to sleep,it is with great trepidation I bid farewell to all that is familiar,and thrust my pilgrim soul onto the universe,my dear one humoring me on my notion that there is something to be gained for the advancement of our souls in this undertaking.

My how the longest summer in my memory seems to have flown in the last few hours where I begged sleep to find me. For an instant,then gone again. We leave in one hour.

To all that is, I say a humble thank you,and a prayer for traveling mercies and safe passage.

Thoreau's Blog

What if Thoreau blogged?

Wonderful idea. Found this today as I was googling to see if there was any Montana/Thoreau connection. Henry would have adored GNP, I have no doubt. I can imagine him walking off into the wilderness and being eaten by a bear while in rapt contemplaton.What a lovely way to go,though. Sure beats alot of other ways.....

TSA What can I bring?

Please be advised that all hatchets,axes and cattle prods must be in checked luggage and are not permitted in carry on. Jello, yogurt and pudding must be in no larger than 3oz. containers.
All spear guns,sabers and swords must be checked,not carried on.

Lighters,hairspray (3oz. only) and mace are permitted.

Jesus H. Christ on a raft. Who decides this stuff? Captain Obvious and his sidekick, Lieutenant Clueless?

Check

Rechargable batteries? Check.
Comfy hiking sneakers? Check.
Power bars and a good book for the 3 plane rides? Check.
Empty memory card for camera? Check.
Eyes welling with tears of gratitude to finally see this place for myself? Check.

Run to the mountains

13 days to go. I got lost yesterday coming home, and thought, oh dear if I can get lost here, I am in big trouble out there! It was very pretty, I turned down a dirt road,only to realise soon after that it was not a road,but an ATV path or something. I finally found a place to turn around, but I must admit I was a little panicked! There were alot of big rocks,and it was kind of hilly! Practicing, I thought. Adventure,in my own backyard!

I had internet added to my cell phone,so I have mapquest,if I have a signal. We probably won't have a signal where we're going! I also got the internet added to the phone so I could access all my bookmarks, but I have to wonder if it'll even work out there.

I am going to write alot down,and map some stuff out, hopefully we won't won't need the phone.Really we don't need it,I just worry that once there we'll waste alot of time wondering where we are. I can think of worse places to be lost.

The trip I was planning in 2002 was to see Montana for a place to live, I really wanted to move there. It's going to be weird to go as a tourist. I feel more like a pilgrim. I don't want to go .
I have to go. Always there has been a tug at my heart at the mention of those glorious mountains and woods and open sky. I really have only one dream,to stand at the vista and declare my freedom once and for all. I pray the fires are out so i can see the glaciers that have beckoned me in my dreams all this time. I wish to wade in a cool mountain stream,to bask in the sunset,to listen to the quiet of nature as it sleeps. To sleep myself, in the middle of the last best place.

Thank you, average day

Yesterday was such an average day. Morning reading, walk, trip to town shopping,come home,eat lunch, make his dinner, go to work...

Afterwork, a trip to the grocery store. I like to shop when there's only a few people. Makes stopping to read all the box labels easier, I'm not in anyone's way. Then, I come home and watch the Daily Show and Colbert Report.

Last night the teevee was on CNN when I got home. And the day wasn't average anymore.Not for those folks. Still average here,and I am so glad. I think I am so uncomfortable from quitting smoking, and then I see the news.........

Thank you average day.

August

I wish the beebalm lasted longer,this photo was so fun to take. I planted some purple for next year!
2007. It will always be "The year we went to Montana". I can't remember what year Hawaii was. 2000 or 2001. My friend and I got a fabulous deal on a package,and went for a week or so. Since I already had a bug in my ear about wanting to go to Montana,I was taken enough by Hawaii,but remember saying"It's beautiful,but it's no Montana".

In May 1997, I got the idea. I was on a retreat back in Detroit. The retreat leader had put a picture on the retreat schedule of a guy standing facing a beautiful mountain,arms outstretched as if to embrace the mountain. All weekend I wuld look at that picture,at the joy that guy had and think....how do I get that?

Turns out,it was the retreat leader's son,also from a city. He had gone to Montana on a trip,and fell in love with it and moved. Curious, I thought. Not so fast. One month later,I visited Connecticut,and the very same thing happened to me. That guy was truly an inspiration. We have never met,or spoken. But I am glad his father shared that photo with us.

As much as I love it here,I wanted to see what that guy saw,so in 2002,I started saving for a trip to Glacier Park in Montana. I figured I'd go visit first,then make a second trip to move. There was no doubt in my mind that if I liked the rural Northeast,I would simply die for Montana's Northwest( I am still convinced of this,although I no longer am deluded to think I can move there :( . )

I watched some videos,got some pamphlets in the mail,I was thinking maybe June of 2003 would be a nice time to go. In a story for another day,the wheels came off the bus. The cheese slipped off the cracker. I ended up with a hospital bill I couldn't pay,unable to work,and had to go bankrupt, with a side of food stamps and state aid for 6 months. Wow do they treat people like crap. I still get nauseous when I remember that whole ordeal.

The following spring I was able to go back to work,and slowly work back to a normal life.
More later.....it's time to walk.

HOT HOT HOT

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Stifling.

No walk today.

Couldn't walk yesterday.

Misery.When I don't walk I feel crazy.

Haven't smoked though.

Day 23.

Hanging in there.

Too Much Change

Good grief. Quit smoking and all hell breaks loose. The head gasket went on the Honda and we have new owners at work. My dinosaur of a computer has been acting like it's finally going to give up the ghost. Feels like the wheels are coming off the bus.

Times like these I refer back to the Desiderata,and remember that "No doubt the universe is unfolding as it should".The bus probably needs new wheels! And truthfully,if I was still puffing away,I'd probably be far less agitated.I mean,everything seems just a little harder to get through when you're trying to stay off the butts. I've been here before. It's an illusion. Life is life,and there are situations.Change is uncomfortable,but often for the best.

It's been three weeks now. Things were rolling along until the car died. Fortunately we were able to get something right away. A voyager. It's alright I guess,but I was hoping we could wait until after vacation.Theoretically,we'll be able to camp in it,too. Fat chance,in my opinion! We'll at least be able to toss a canoe on top and go somewhere. Oh wait...we don't have a canoe. Ok,maybe next year.

Walked today,like I do most days. I found a large black feather to drop near the tibetan prayer flag someone has hung in their driveway. I say a short prayer every day at that flag,grateful for another walk,another day without smoking.And whenever I find a feather, I carry it to to leave at the flag. Most days I find one.

Last month I drove to Pennysylvania,and picked up a lovely feather at my friend's house that I went to see. On the way home I stopped at Bushkill falls,and took a photo of it,and left it there. Kind of a thankyou prayer,as the waterfall side trip was a surprise,I didn't plan on stopping,it was on the way.

My shy neighbor

Finally! Some good photos of one of the great blue herons! They are so shy,I
swear sometimes they fly away before I have my lens cap off!

Sunday,when I got back from my walk,it stayed long enough for me to get these! I can't wait to get them to the photo machine and print some!I feel like a hunter with a buck on the back of his truck.I have been stalking this bird for the entire 6 years I've lived here,and finally.........

Something worth printing.

July 2007

I feel lucky

Friday the 13th...

Life in the woods

Unfortunately, I have been unable to live deliberately,as my
dear Thoreau suggests. I am certainly more awake than many years
before,but I would love to be free of cigarettes.It has been exactly 7
days today,since I have ingested the foul marlboro weed.I am sure he would be appalled(as am I) at the amount of money spent on tobacco.The heart website says I will save $3650.00 this year.That's a lot of meandering.

I have been trying to quit for 10 years,to no avail. I absolutely refuse to try the latest pill,I don't trust the FDA. A year from now,they'll be recalling the damn things. My husband has been on them awhile now.He has recently added the patch,and is not smoking.

I will keep this short today,I need to go for my walk.Every time I have quit in the past,walking has released the proper chemicals in my mind to keep my head above water.Natural endorphins.I don't dare smoke again,I turned 40 last month.My grandma died of lung cancer,and my 65 year old aunt has emphysema. When I speak to my mother on the phone,she coughs uncontrollably.Who am I kidding. It is not,nor has it ever been,safe for me to smoke.Not to mention how much money the tobacco lobby donates to commander cuckoobananas,but that's a story for another day.

I have taken to carrying my new camera phone,maybe I'll see something interesting.

Free at last

These hot days are reminding me of where I come from. I lived in Detroit til the ripe old age of 31.(Except for that one year when I was 20 and escaped to San Francisco for a year-but that's a story for another day)And when Detroit was hot,it was hot.And stinky.

Then one fine day,I went to visit a friend who had gone to Connecticut to finish a degree. Now, aside from a year in San Franciso,I also went camping in Virginia beach ,once. And a whirlwind 5 day trip that consisted of 3 zoos,Sun Studios and Graceland.Not exactly a big traveler.

I always wanted to go to India(another story for another day),but Connecticut?No thanks. What's in Connecticut? All it conjured up for me was images of David Letterman(Whom I have loved since the 80's when I first started watching him-but didn't think he'd want a visit!)Martha Stewart,and pilgrims.But I wanted to see my friend,so Connecticut it was.

I drove through Canada one hot June day in 1997. It seemed like the fastest way to get to-yawn-Connecticut. I stopped in Taughannock falls in New York on my way. I had been to Taq falls in Michigan once in 1996,and I believe whoever was trapped inside me stirred that day,so much so that I have made it a point never to miss a waterfall when the opportunity presents itself. They are alive to me, I adore them. So I stopped at one on my way to CT.

Next day, I journeyed on to the hamlet of Storrs, CT. Home of a rather large state university. I'm only a high school grad,so I wasn't particularly taken by Storrs or CT........yet. My friend was moving to a nearby town,and transferring to a Massachusetts school to do her post-doc,so part of my visit included helping with the big move.

That's when I was introduced to what I lovingly refer to as Connectitucky. The northeast corner of our little state stole my heart right away. When my friend was all moved in,I did a little exploring.Mystic, Coventry,Putnam, even the little town of Willimantic was indeed romantic to me.

To make a very long story short,when I left for Detroit July first,I left my suitcases in her basement. Sounds a little crazy,but it's a story for another day.And it wasn't crazy. ( I forgot to mention I had read Walden while I was visiting that June-and went to Concord. I was onto something....)

I moved to our lovely little state June 18, 1998(my 31st birthday). I have never regretted it. Not for one second. I wish I could say that about alot of decisions I have made.(Like those 2 tattoos in the eighties!)People would ask,why are you moving? Do you have a job out there? Did you meet someone? Logical questions. My only answer would be to make a frame of my hands,point it up to a tree and say "see this tree and sky between my fingers?" Yes,they'd say. "What if you didn't have to do this? What if there was trees and skies everywhere? THAT is why I'm moving." Some folks knew what I meant right away. Most importantly,I knew. It was a long year that last year in Detroit,but I am ever grateful for it. I got to say all my goodbyes,and leave without regret.