Patagonia

Well, it looks like I am really going. Feb 8th is the big day and so far I have met with two friends that have been so I have all kinds of tips. I just got another message today from a third friend that is willing to share pictures and stories. This is great with all this recent imput. Now, the problem is what to pack! Maybe I will see a condor do these isometrics as above!

I finally read the information from Natural Habitat and it seems I may see lots of birds. There are four pages listed so I must study up so I know how to identify them and perhaps even get a few good shots.

Christmas went well and the appliqued initials went over very well with friends and family. I still have lots of family to do on the 30th but have been eating cookies and egg nog for three days now and it is lots of fun getting all the Xmas cards and wrapping all the presents. Today I intend to make phone calls to people that I only talk to once or twice a year and try to catch up. A holiday tradition with me.

Things are going well.

A new Day

Wow, what a week. Barack Obama is our president and I think this is going to be a good thing!
My cousin Richard is doing better and we are all thinking about him and his family. We just can't have any more bad health in the family. Enough is enough!
I got my driver's license renewed today with no line and I don't need my glasses to drive anymore. How is that possible at my age?
65 in January and filing papers like mad for Social Security and Medicare. I think this is a good thing too! Less money for healthcare and money from the government that is mine anyway!
Have booked Patagonia for February! It has been on my list forever and finally just want to do it and not keep looking for someone to join me!
Making progress is Bethesda Quilters with our organization and getting ready for the 2009 show! It is a lot of work but keeps me busy and meeting lots of people and getting to know lots of people much better while working on our projects!
It has been quite a week but it all seems like good omens for 2009 even though the economy sucks. We have been through this before and I'm positive that it will get better soon!

Bird Club

Now I have joined the FONZ bird club and went to my first lecture yesterday. It was on the migratory issues of the American redstart by a gentleman presenting to us his research for his doctorate. He got it down to an hour so was really watered down but unbelievable. It always amazes me how people can get so absorbed in the most intricate of subjects. He basically was putting forth the theory that the colorations of the bird determined the quality of their breeding ground so determined the success of their breeding and the numbers of their offspring. They did this with measurements of the brightness and the amount of orangeness (SP?) of the tail, wings and bib etc. etc. I probably understood about 11% of the presentation but the audience seemed to get it and had very technical questions about his dissertation and his research. If these people are so into the brightness of the color of the feathers on a bird, why haven't we solved cancer yet?

Day trips

I am still enjoying day trips when I am not tied up with buyers and sellers. Last weekend I made it to the Patuxent Research Refuge in Hyattsville which I have heard about for ages but finally found it and wandered out there. The Visitors Center was closed for renovations but got there just in time for a ride on their little tram so heard all about it's history and got a good tour of the many environments they have created there. Also walked around one of the lakes and got some good shots of sandpipers, egrets and some other water birds. Great walking path and I will definitely go again.
Last week also made it to Black Water Preserve down on the Chesapeake and the main drive was closed ( a trend with my recent trips) but the old drive was open and I caught a egret eating what I think was a crab. It was quite a challenge for him and my shots were good even through the car windows. I couldn't open the windows for all the bees in the area.
Just a few more weeks and no more bugs.....whooppeee

SMART

The Smart Car arrived and I have even put a tank of gas in.
It is too much fun and certainly gets a lot of attention. I have taken everyone for a ride and they all seem impressed except my sister who is afraid and doesn't want in. She thinks she will be killed.
I am anxious to see how the mileage goes and so far have not made the venture onto 270 or the Beltway except to run to Tysons on Labor Day to buy gas ( no traffic)
It is a little noisy but should help me save the planet.

New wheels

The Smart Car finally arrived after 13 months of waiting! It even came a week earlier than the email said it would! I love it and have been zipping around showing it to friends for many hours now. I still have some buttons to figure out and can't seem to pull up to the curb because I can't judge the front! There is only about a foot of distance in front of my feet! It is soo cool

August?

I still can't believe it is August and the summer has flown by. The trip to Churchill was wonderful and much more than I expected. We saw hundreds of Beluga whales and the weather was really nice. It was almost like staying in D.C. There were people in shorts and flip flops in Winnipeg! Really enjoyed traveling with my cousin as usual and she even enjoyed all my birdwatching! Got back and had a few days to sightsee around Washington and then off to family reunion in the hills of Harrisburg. My dad had an emergency surgery after a scary drive up and back to the reunion but is recovering nicely and everyone seems pleased with his level of rehab. Then I was off to Nova Scotia for a friend's 50th wedding anniversary and it was a really classy operation with everything organized down to the smallest detail. I stayed at a wonderful club outside of Liverpool and again did lots of bird and bunny watching.
It has been two years now since I have made it to our Maryland and Delaware beaches and will try to get there after Labor Day.
Business is slow but after 30 years of this, I have been through this before and it will speed up one of these days!
Am busy with about four quilting projects and the Olympics so don't notice that the phone is not ringing like last year. Thank God for all my other interests and for all that $$$ that I kept for slow times!

Water

I do everything I can to recyle water and reuse it.
The bucket in the shower to capture some of the water while it heats up.
Taking water from the dehumidifier to use in the washing machine.
Using the extra boiling water in the kitchen for watering the plants and the bird bath.
I think I really do a better than average job....then there was this morning!
Walked into the bathroom and heard a running sound.
The toilet had been running all night after a use last night!
I could just picture hundreds of gallons streaming down that pipe unused!
What a disaster!
I will have to keep an eye on that toilet from now on and become more vigilant after flushing.
I will also have to redouble my efforts before the next bill so I don't see the results of last night on my bill.
I also play a competitive game with the electric bill. Each month I compare the usage with the same month last year and try to use less than last year. Last month, I used 100 less kilowats! That was a good day.
We must save this planet!

Dad

We had a family reunion last weekend and my Dad had some kind of an attack on the way to Harrisburg and had to be rushed back after a 6 minute visit. He had brain surgery on Friday night and a stroke on Monday and is now in rehab and doing much better. His younger brother died this morning and we will probably have the services next weekend.
It is all so scary and just happens in a few minutes.
My resolution is to travel more, not worry about money and just do what I want.
I still love real estate after 30 years and love helping people but I have always arranged to have a life too! I think my buyers and sellers appreciate my travels and love to hear all the stories.
Some of them have actually said they envy me and my freedom. How long will it last? It seems to just take one fall and older people are never the same! Dad's hematoma was the result of a fall that he didn't tell anyone about!
It has been a roller coaster all week and there is probably more to come but all of this is for a reason and has a lesson for all of us......

Manitoba

My cousin and I are back from Churchill and saw thousands of Beluga whales! We were in rubber zodiacs and the whales came right up to the boat and were curious about us!

They are completely white except for the young that are shades of grey. They can move their heads unlike all other whales so they could peek at us.

We also saw a couple caribou, artic foxes, a red fox and lots of exotic birds.

Day trips

Have become a firm believer in day trips in addition to longer trips when possible, of course.
Just taking off to enjoy the day has all kinds of advantages! There are so many places I have never been and they are just a few hours or minutes away.
Saturday, I ventured down to The National Harbor to visit my favorite sculpture(The Awakening) that was recently moved there. The complex is amazing and easy to access from the Beltway even though Map quest didn't know that! The Gaylord Convention Centre is larger than life but parking there is a big mistake. The St George Parking garage is the way to go at $1 an hour! The views are amazing and in a couple of months the galleries and stores will all be open. Definitely worth a visit!
Lately have also made it to downtown Frederick, Whitewater State Park in West Virginia, various Quilt shows and the Frank Lloyd Wright home built in nearby Virginia.
Too much fun and really is a good break not to mention educational.