The Winter Of Our Discontent

 

Hey where's my spot?!

This is the second snow of the winter and the one that looks to stay for at least a couple of days.  We have plenty of food, wood for the fireplace and puzzles to last us through the winter. No sled though, and I'm happy about that, otherwise I would be forced to get on it and who knows how many things I would break. 

We are really stranded here in the hills around Lake Lanier.  There are no plows and no trucks dumping salt in the middle of the night like we had in Connecticut.  The temperature is supposed to stay around the freezing mark for the next couple of days so it looks like we will be hibernating and stuck in the house for awhile.  The roads are a mess and the weathermen on TV all have their sweater vests on.  It is cold. 

Boy, you guys are slow....

This morning we walked down to the lake to see how the dock had fared.  Everything was so quiet, except for the ducks who are probably wondering what the heck is going on.  The dogs had a blast, particularly Miss Lucy who had to get rinsed under warm water to take out the clumps of snow that had gathered around her little legs.  She is out like a light now, curled up next to me in front to the fireplace.

Our northern friends laugh at us and at how bad we are at handling snow.  Truth of the matter is we are just not prepared for this kind of stuff.  There is also the ice for which Atlanta is famous



The road in front of our house



Stay tuned!

Fall Boating on the Lake...Bittersweet Memories

This is the time of the year that I look forward to.  Beautiful foliage, cool temperatures, less people...nirvana.  But this is also the time to take better precautions when you are out on the lake so take a look at this post from the folks who have your safety at heart.

These photos were taken a couple of weeks ago when we went out on the lake with our good friends and neighbors who, unfortunately, will be moving at the end of this month. 

Our cove

Lake Lanier 10/21/10



 Stephanie & Gretchen our lake neighbors!



I'm so sad they are leaving...



Gonna miss him!

A great island for overnight camping!, boys on the left, girls on the right!

Going back to our original favorite island!

So many memories of the past year!



This beats the tanning salons!



Bet you can't do this on Madison Avenue!



No Lucy, I don't want to play catch now, I want to fish!

So when do I get to fish??

Pssst!



Not again...

It was a bittersweet afternoon and looking at this post makes me terribly sad.   They have been the best friends, so kind and loving, , and I am going to miss them very, very much!

L'Heure Bleu

The French have a wonderful name for that time of the day which we call dusk or twilight.  It's L'Heure Bleu and it is so much nicer than the English version for it really captures the essence of the hour and the color of the sky.  It has always been my favorite time of the day, just like autumn is my favorite time of the year.  I don't want to read too much into it for it can be a bit worrisome.

Wherever I am in the world at that hour, I always stop and look up at the sky.  When my children were home and I was out and about, it was always my signal  to start heading home.   I distinctively remember being in London on business one December and rushing to grab a cab to head back before I realized it was only 4 p.m. and there was no one waiting for me at the hotel.  True story and though I laughed at the time, that memory has always stayed with me.

There is something marvelous about being in the water at that time.  The sunsets are spectacular and the colors...well, look for yourself although my pictures do not really do it justice. You might think we are all crazy swimming at that hour with our dogs, but remember, there are no sharks and nothing to come grab your legs, so what is there to worry about? the Loch Ness monster?

Heading Home

All photos by Lindaraxa

We Are Having a Baby!

Yep, but not me...my daughter in law! Which means I will be busy enjoying my new grandson who is coming next Sunday, August 15.  What that means, darling subscribers, is that I will be posting sporadically, if at all, during the month of August.  Come on over to Lindaraxa's Garden for the time being where things will be slow but where I will be posting at least once a week.

I apologize to my new subscribers but I sincerely don't think, at this time, I can maintain the two blogs.  I'll let you know when I'm back in the Fall. Promise!  In the meantime, if we go on any fun excursions, I will sure share them with you.

A Visit to Cocktail Cove... With the Family!

A nice quiet island.....all to ourselves!

This past Sunday, while my brother, sister in law and their two labs were visiting, we went on a picnic to yet another small island on the lake.  It was quiet and lovely and we spent a couple of hours swimming and having lunch.  On the way back, we decided to stop and show my brother Cocktail Cove...bad move. 

Cocktail Cove is one of those places where young people and, unfortunately, some old ones, gather to swim, drink and have fun.  Typically,  it can get rowdy, loud and, sometimes, out of control.  All in all, from what I hear, it is harmless but it is definitely not my cup of tea by any stretch of the imagination.  It used to be on a pretty cove but now it has moved elsewhere to what I think is a honky tonk part of the lake with water slides and the like and it's just plain tacky.  When our friends suggested we swing by to show my brother, I agreed, only to regret it immediately on arrival.  To boot, we couldn't let the dogs out to swim and you know who went ballistic.

Cocktail Cove is only for the young at heart, and those who have very nice bodies! 

Me first!..  No, me first!

I won!

...and I'm all tangled up!

I'm done, where's my towel?!

....and I'm still tangled up!

Yo! why am I here and you there?!

Now I'm really tangled up!

 Trick is getting into the little raft

Told you, there I am with my sister (see me?) 

And we are back in the shade...we are non swimming labs!

Hey pool guy, how about another beer over here!

Whoa! what was that...thunder?!

I'm outta here!

Better check up on Mom and lunch...

Need any help Mommy, dearest?

Hey, how about another round!

Cocktail Cove

 Topless you said?

Hey Mom, I don't think Cocktail Cove is for us puppies!

Still waiting...

What a dump!

Hey Mom, where are my shades and my lunch ?!

Bye everybody, we're off to a dog friendly cove!

Bye, Cocktail Cove...don't think we'll see you any time soon!