Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group discussion
What are U doing today?
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What are U doing today? (Ongoing thread)
Jim wrote: "We had a great visit with Mom. Yesterday, the girls had to work, so Mom & I went to the Shaker Village (Pleasant Hill) which is about an hour away. Mom has collected antiques for years & is very ..."What a wonderful day for you mom and your family.
I found the website of Shaker Village at: ====>
http://www.shakervillageky.org/
Looks like an interesting and beautiful spot.
We spent yesterday packing up for the "big move", our annual transfer to our summer place. We are now "ensconced" but there's a lot of unpacking to do and a lot of work to do to set the place up. One step at a time...
Ed is happy as a clam! (are clams happy?) See the following website for the answer: ====>
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/as...
As for me, I wish we had more space here and more closets. And I wish the water in Lake George were warmer. :) At least I have my laptop for rainy days like today. :) (P.S. ... and my books!)
Joy,Both websites are entertaining..It has never occurred to me to wonder if clams are happy..Maybe so, if they are perceived as smiling. And the Shaker village does look like a fun place to visit..Interesting people who have preserved their heritage..I wish I could have been on that boat ride with you and your Mom, Jim. I loved seeing our resident blue heron at Lake of the Ozarks..He/she lived on an island not far up the lake from our dock. And most every morning he stopped by to do a bit of fishing off our dock; until, our Irish setter caught sight of him and off he flew, much to the setter's disdain..We too are having huge huge thunderstorms and hail and it's ruining my pretty garden..nina
Nina wrote: "Joy, Both websites are entertaining ... It has never occurred to me to wonder if clams are happy..Maybe so, if they are perceived as smiling. And the Shaker village does look like a fun place ... I loved seeing our resident blue heron at Lake of the Ozarks. ..."I love seeing large birds fly. It seems so improbable that they can do it. I love the way the herons, etc. fold back their long legs when they fly. Once in a while we'll see a blue heron fly by over the marsh at Lake George.
When we were if Florida, the Egrets used to come up on the patio for treats.
I spent a long time getting a good shot of a Pelican perched in the classic position on a dock post.
I hope you can access the following links showing a couple of pics I took. (I get so much pleasure from my photos. They renew happy memories, "recollected in tranquillity", as the poets say.*):
THE EGRET;
http://www.wunderground.com/wximage/m...
(Scroll down.)
THE PELICAN
http://www.wunderground.com/wximage/m...
(Scroll down.)
About "recollection in tranquillity", see:
http://www.bartelby.com/66/88/65488.html
The rain has stopped here, but it's still cloudy. Temp is only 60F. A nice day to rest. :)
PS - More of my bird pics:PELICANS FLYING: ====>
http://www.wunderground.com/wximage/m...
(Scroll down.)
This PEACOCK posed the me: ====>
http://www.wunderground.com/wximage/m...
(Scroll down.)
Yesterday, June 12, I went to our library's used book sale.I wrote about it at the following topic here in our group: ====>
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...
PS-I have to thank Jackie for encouraging me to attend the used book sale. I has so much fun. It was worth getting up and out early in the morning. I never expected to enjoy it so much. Thank you, Jackie.
Book sales are fun. I used to be a 'Friend of the Library' at 2 different libraries near home just so I could help them with their book sales. Those who put the books out get first crack at them. I'm kind of glad I don't do that here. I'm out of room for books.I got high speed Internet at home today!!! Finally! It's wireless & seems to be just fine, even compared to the T1 at work. Tehre is no comparison to the horrible dialup I've been suffering with for 2 years.
Jim wrote: "Book sales are fun. I used to be a 'Friend of the Library' at 2 different libraries near home just so I could help them with their book sales. Those who put the books out get first crack at them...."Jim, I couldn't get over the way people arrived at the book sale with corrugated boxes. They scooped up books off the tables and loaded up their boxes. I imagine that some of them must be used book dealers.
Congrats on getting rid of dial-up. I'm so glad those days are over for me. Our sons set us up with high speed wireless. I'm sure they did it so that they could use it when they visit. :) They all sit around with their laptops. It's really not conducive to conversation. But that's the way of the world now.
Nowadays the kids make their living via their computers. So, much of the time, they're working even when they're visiting. They don't even have to go into the office. One of our sons takes part in conferences via his computer. Everyone has to be very quiet during conference time. :)
It's really a strange world nowadays when you think about it. So futuristic. It's almost science fiction come true.
I saw a good friend who is having some trouble this afternoon. I also just came back from Bible study. Both outings were good today.
Camerandi wrote: "I saw a good friend who is having some trouble this afternoon. I also just came back from Bible study. Both outings were good today."Hi Randi. Good to see you. Hope your friend is OK.
I was just getting ready to close down for the night and start doing some reading when I saw your message come in.
Tonight I took Eddie out for dinner for Father's Day. We did it tonight because all the restaurants will probably be very busy this weekend. Our sons will probably check in by phone on Sunday. We plan a family get-together in July.
Well... onto my reading. Take care.
I just realized last night that this is Father's Day Weekend. I doubt we'll do anything special, but getting high speed is a wonderful present to myself. There are no major chores to do this weekend, other than mowing the lawn & I got about half of that done last night. I do have to pull Blue's remaining shoe & trim up his feet a bit, but that takes 15 minutes. The girls are going to a show tomorrow. I swear I don't know why they put shoes on those horses. They lose them as fast as they put them on. Still no Starlings in the barn & even the Sparrows are staying out. A bird free barn! Amazing.
A neighbor has an Apple tree that blew down. I'm going to go over there & get some of it for turning. Should make pretty bowls. Otherwise, it's going to be a nice, slow weekend.
Jim wrote: "I just realized last night that this is Father's Day Weekend. I doubt we'll do anything special, but getting high speed is a wonderful present to myself. There are no major chores to do this week..."Enjoy your relaxing Father's Day Weekend, Jim.
I'm sure you're already enjoying surfing the Net.
Why do the horses lose their shoes?
Please post the link to pics of your bowls. I'd like to see one made from apple tree wood. I've never thought much about the difference in woods for craft purposes.
A mother robin has built a nest under our deck. Every time we go out into the yard, she appears on the fence post, looking out for her babies. Can't see anything in the nest yet. I assume there are eggs in there. No baby birdies to be seen. Stay tuned. :)
PS-What's keeping the birds out of the barn? Is it the screen you put up?
Horse's shoes are generally nailed to their feet, sometimes glued. Either way, as the hoof grows, it moves & the shoes loosen. They can also step on them or have another horse step on them & pull them off. Very muddy ground softens the hoof & will suck them off. Some horses, like Erin's horse, Topaz, have thin hoof walls & so the shoe doesn't stay on as well.Shoes come in a variety of styles & materials, some are better on roads or other surfaces. Some correct posture or other foot conditions. Some are lighter & wear faster, like aluminum shoes. They're good for race horses, but not so good for a trail horse as they don't have the traction. Different types come off easier than others.
All of the above is what a blacksmith has to take into account when he trims the hoof before putting the shoe on. Our current blacksmith is young & still learing. He left too much hoof on Blue, so he lost a shoe in 3 weeks. I had to pull the other one so he could stay in balance. I trimmed the hooves because he had left them too long & to clean up some raggedness.
I'm not a blacksmith & just trim hooves. I'm not super at it, but with Marg's critical eye behind me, we get it done well enough.
Yes, the nylon netting is keeping the brds out. I'll post some pictures soon.
Jim wrote: "Horse's shoes are generally nailed to their feet, sometimes glued. Either way, as the hoof grows, it moves & the shoes loosen. They can also step on them or have another horse step on them & pull..."Jim, thanks for all the info re horse shoes, of which I know absolutely nothing. There are so many worlds to learn about. The horse world has never been part of my world. It's interesting to talk to people like you who are so involved with horses and their needs.
Glad to hear that your nylon netting did the trick. I wish there were something to keep mice away that easily. We stopped feeding seeds to the birds. So now have less mice, but we caught one in the kitchen last night. He was clinking a glass container on the counter. That's how I heard him. So we set a trap and got him. We don't like poison because they die in the walls and smell.
Does it hurt the horse when you trim its hoof?
Why would too much hoof cause a shoe to be lost?
Hooves are like your finger nails. It doesn't hurt a horse to have its hoof trimmed unless you get too close. Too long & they tend to lose cohesion & crack.I sent you & Jackie some pics I took today. There is a picture of the netting in the ceiling of the barn. I agree about the mice. They're a pain. Marg keeps all her feed in metal trash cans to avoid that problem.
Jim wrote: "Hooves are like your finger nails. It doesn't hurt a horse to have its hoof trimmed unless you get too close. Too long & they tend to lose cohesion & crack. I sent you & Jackie some pics I took ..."Rec'd the pics. Thanks. They're great. Looks like it was quite a job putting up all that netting. I sent a thank-you email a few minutes ago.
Had no idea that horses' hooves were like finger nails. Thought they were more like the calluses that build up on our own heels.
As for the mice, we kept the seeds in metal cans too. But when we put them out for the birds on platforms and feeders, the mice would collect the seeds which the birds scattered on the ground. The busy little mice would store the seeds back in our house. (lol) I'd find them in our drawers and storage boxes. They'd leave their calling cards (droppings) too. Since I stopped feeding the birds, we don't have many mice anymore, just a few unfortunate strays which we make short work of. I miss watching the birds at the feeders.
We've cut back to feeding the birds twice a week except for stockings of thistle seed, peanut butter & sugar water. Too many Starlings, Cowbirds & Red Winged Black birds have been coming around & it's getting too expensive. I too miss the birds, but we still have Tree Swallows that are almost tame (that closeup picture I sent you was of one that I was 15' away from), finches, woodpeckers & Hummingbirds. Not many of the latter right now. Lots of woodpeckers; Downy, Hairy, Red-bellied, Red-headed & Pileated.Yesterday, while I was mowing, a Pileated woodpecker scared me half to death. I have a peanut butter feeder on a low branch on one of the Bradford Pears in the front of the house - the one closest to our porch. I was on my second pass & got near the feeder & suddenly a Pileated woodpecker flew off it. How I missed it on there, I don't know. It's as big as the peanut butter feeder with wings closed.
The outer hoof is like a fingernail. There are parts that are more like a callus, but the frog is rubbery. If you look here:
http://ultimatehorsesite.com/info/hoo...
The bulbs of the heels (#1) are like a callus.
#2, 5 & 6 are rubbery. They're all part of the frog. That gets pared down with a hoof knife to make sure it won't trap bacteria.
#3, 4 & 8 are like your fingernails. #3 grows down from the cornet band, where the hair on the leg meets the hoof. The cornet band is like your cuticle. If it gets damaged (scarred) badly, the hoof will grow with a crack in it, just like a fingernail will.
#7 is like the quick, under your fingernail. If I trim too close & hit it, it hurts & they can bleed, just like if you cut your nails too short.
Hooves are very complicated & important. They're slightly soft & pressure on them helps pump the blood around. If a horse is stuck on 3 legs for any length of time, likely it will develope issues in other hooves & then die - they're too big to lay down for any length of time or they'll get pneumonia. Hoof soles also 'breath' a bit. If you put a horse on Walnut shavings, they can founder (laminitus), which is swelling in the foot. Very dangerous. The hoof sole can become almost gooey, like taffy & their bones can push right through, into the sole. More here:
http://www.acreageequines.com/HorseCa...
Shetland ponies are very susceptable to foundering. They evolved on very little food on the Shetland Islands & in our lush grass or too much grain, they will founder easily. Too rich food is one thing that will cause founder, but I don't think anyone really knows why it happens. Welsh ponies seem to just get fatter, but Shetlands will founder. Weird.
Of course, a sudden influx of too much grain usually causes colic in most horses & ponies. That's a stomach/intestine blockage like constipation. Often they'll roll around due to the pain & they can literally 'twist a gut' - break their intestines loose & cause a kink in them. More here:
http://ultimatehorsesite.com/info/col...
For such big, tough looking animals, they can be amazingly fragile.
Jim wrote: "We've cut back to feeding the birds twice a week except for ... Hooves are very complicated & important ... For such big, tough looking animals, they can be amazingly fragile."I had no idea about all of this. I often worry about the horses pulling the tourist carriages on Beach Road in Lake George Village. It's often very hot and the pavement is probably hard on their hoofs. (Your link said that "standing too long on a hard surface" can be harmful.)
I hope the folks in charge of those horses know what they're doing. I suppose they do. Hope so.
I've seen one of those large woodpeckers only once and I've never forgotten it, especially the red on it.
The pic of the Tree Swallow was excellent. Swallows have taken over the special Bluebird house we put up in our yard. Bluebirds are the official bird of NY. I've seen a few, but not many, around here. They're such a beautiful shade of blue.
I got two of my short stories published!!! You can see them at ponderworthy.org. I'm so excited!!! I hope I am not spamming by announcing this, but I have been announcing it in as many groups as I can (my own groups of course).
I found out I don't need to have the operation. The largest nodule is the size of two sequins. The two smaller ones were the size of a sequin. My lung doctor said it would be very dangerous to operate at this point. I am going to be getting a CT scan of my lungs every six months to make sure that they don't grow. We are still trying to figure out what is causing the breathing problem. We don't seem to be making much headway on that right now. I don't have any kidney disease at the moment. I hope that they find out something pretty soon. I don't like being hugely winded everytime I do something like walk, fasten my seatbelt, try to clean, etc. It's not fun, but at least there is not going to be an operation.
Congrats on both, Randi. I'll check the stories out later. Not a spam, great you let us know.
Camerandi wrote: "I got two of my short stories published!!! You can see them at ponderworthy.org. I'm so excited!!! ..."Congratulations, Randi! That's great. Can you give us a direct link to your short stories? Thanks.
Camerandi wrote: "I found out I don't need to have the operation. ..."Randi, Thanks for letting us know. I'm sure you're relieved that there will be no surgery needed. Best wishes for your good health.
The site for the short stories is http://ponderworthy.org. When you look for them, they are under my real name...Susan Anderson. Thanks to one and all on your congratulations on both issues I discussed.
To Camerandi: although I don't know you, its exciting to hear about someone getting published. How exciting for you!Sometimes, I think about writing a short story, write some paragraphs, save them and forget about it!
Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Jim wrote: "We've cut back to feeding the birds twice a week except for ... ."I used to feed the birds in summertime. Thought the goldfinch were pretty to watch. However, they never seem to leave the feeders. Costly!
Now, in the summertime, I just put out the feeders for hummingbirds. Plus a few baskets of flowers.
My home in Lake George is surrounded by tall pine trees. Not many flowers grow in shade. Plant a few here and there for some color - and nice to look at amongst all the greens.
You should pursue with your short stories. Any subject is good for a short story.
Camerandi wrote: "You should pursue with your short stories. Any subject is good for a short story. "That's what my husband says! Now that I'm currently inbetween jobs (makes me feel better than saying unemployed)there is time to try my writing skills (or lack thereof). Ooops, I'm supposed to think positive!
Camerandi wrote: "The site for the short stories is http://ponderworthy.org. When you look for them, they are under my real name...Susan Anderson. Thanks to one and all on your congratulations on both issues I dis..."Thanks, Randi.
I found your two short stories at the following links:
"Molly's Excitement" ====>
http://ponderworthy.org./mollys-excit...
and
"The Breakthrough Office Visit ====>
http://ponderworthy.org./the-breakthr...
I'll be reading them soon.
Linda wrote: "I used to feed the birds in summertime. Thought the goldfinch were pretty to watch. ... My home in Lake George is surrounded by tall pine trees. Not many flowers grow in shade."Hi Linda! Yes, the birdseed does get expensive. And yes, I know what you mean about the pine trees and the shade. You have to plant flowers which like the shade like begonias and impatiens. The pine trees also drop huge cones which must be cleared away. But I still like their needles when they cushion the ground as they do on Sagamore Island on Lake George. Makes for comfortable walking along the paths. Their scent is wonderful too.
Linda wrote: " ... Sometimes, I think about writing a short story, write some paragraphs, save them and forget about it! "I tried writing a short story to include in a series of children's book for which I had a good idea. I even wrote a great poem as an introduction to the series. It was a good idea but when I read the story back to myself, I didn't feel my prose writing was good enough. Besides, you have to find an agent and/or publisher. Also an illustrator. It's lots of work. Then you have to promote the book. More work.
If I had a better imagination, I might think of more stories for the series. But my imagination isn't good enough for thinking up plots. So there it lies, a good idea with nothing else to get it going.
It must be a common situation for many would-be writers.
That's how I started out also. I finally decided to give it a shot, and it worked!! You never know until you try.
Camerandi wrote: "That's how I started out also. I finally decided to give it a shot, and it worked!! You never know until you try."Randi - Will your short stories be published in hard copies?
I won a short-story contest for Brotherhood Week in High School. I believe the contest was run by the local YWCA (or another local organization). They were supposed to have it printed in a booklet form, but I never saw it. There was an article about it in the Yonkers Herald Statesman with a photo of me receiving the award at a special occasion in the YWCA building.
Quotation:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"There is no heavier burden than a great potential."
-Charlie Brown (from a "Peanuts" cartoon by Charles M. Schulz)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Linda wrote: "I used to feed the birds in summertime. Thought the goldfinch were pretty to watch. ... My home in Lake George is surrounded by tall pine trees. Not many flowers grow in shade."Hi L..."
Agree with you on the scent of the pine needles and trees. Picking up pine cones without gardening gloves (or other hand covering) is a mistake! Even washing your hands doesn't get the sap off.
Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Linda wrote: "I used to feed the birds in summertime. Thought the goldfinch were pretty to watch. ... My home in Lake George is surrounded by tall pine trees. Not many flowers grow in shade."
Hi L..."
Linda wrote: "Agree with you on the scent of the pine needles and trees. Picking up pine cones without gardening gloves (or other hand covering) is a mistake! Even washing your hands doesn't get the sap off."So true. I always make the mistake of trying to "delicately" pick up the cones with the tips of my fingers. Invariably the sticky sap gets on my fingers anyway. Then I use lighter fluid to dissolve the sap from my hands. A product called "Goo Gone" also does the trick. Oh, and don't park your car under pine trees. The sap drips on them and is hard to get off. Otherwise I love pine trees. :)
Camerandi wrote: "I got two of my short stories published!!! You can see them at ponderworthy.org. I'm so excited!!! I hope I am not spamming by announcing this, but I have been announcing it in as many groups as..."Randi, I enjoyed your short stories. They certainly are "ponder worthy". Nice work.
Today I am getting through the fallout from yesterday's news. I sent another short story in today, and I hope it gets published as well. I have mostly been at the computer all day today. I keep hoping that people will tell me what they think of my short stories, good or bad. I am also hanging on to see if he has read my story yet, and if he will publish it if he does like it.
Joy H. (of Glens Falls) wrote: "Linda wrote: "Agree with you on the scent of the pine needles and trees. Picking up pine cones without gardening gloves (or other hand covering) is a mistake! Even washing your hands doesn't get th..."Turpentine.
Camerandi wrote: "Today I am getting through the fallout from yesterday's news. I sent another short story in today, and I hope it gets published as well. I have mostly been at the computer all day today. I keep ..."Camerandi, just read your stories. My favorite is "Charley's Strange."
Camerandi wrote: "... I sent another short story in today, and I hope it gets published as well. ... I am also hanging on to see if he has read my story yet, and if he will publish it if he does like it. "I think he published it, Randi. I read your third story at: ====>
http://ponderworthy.org./charleys-str...
This one is also "ponder worthy". It's a combination of a short story and an essay. Keep up the good work.
Jim wrote: "Turpentine."Jim, you're man of few words. LOL
OK, turpentine will remove the tree sap too, but lighter fluid comes in smaller containers and can be kept on the shelf next to the kitchen sink. :)
OMG! That is the one I was waiting to hear about. I now have three stories published. I wish he would have told me rather than let me hear it from someone else. Thank you very much, Linda for your opinion and also for letting me know that my third story is published.
Camerandi wrote: "OMG! That is the one I was waiting to hear about. I now have three stories published."Congratulations, Randi.
How did you hear about the PonderWorthy website?
http://ponderworthy.org./index.html
"Camerandi wrote: "OMG! That is the one I was waiting to hear about. I now have three stories published."Congratulations, Camerandi!
P.S.: Glad I was useful (letting you know your 3rd story was published on PonderWorthy.
:)
Camerandi wrote: "My friend owns it."That's cool!
He actually refused three out of the first five stories that I gave him. He has taken three now, though. 3/6 isn't bad at all in my book.
Camerandi wrote: "He actually refused three out of the first five stories that I gave him. He has taken three now, though. 3/6 isn't bad at all in my book."Did your friend at Ponderworthy give you any feedback on the 3 he turned down? Such as, with a little work, they would be Ponderworthy?
Today, 6/23 - preparing for a trip to Atlantic City. Going W/Th and returning home on Friday. In addition to some fun playing the slots, we plan on walking the boardwalk, window shopping, visiting/chatting with local vendors and trying some new foods and restaurants.
Although, rain is in the forecast for Wednesday, Thursday the weather is expected to be sunny and in the 80's.
Should be a good getaway trip. Maybe we'll come back with $$$. :)
Linda wrote: "Today, 6/23 - preparing for a trip to Atlantic City. Going W/Th and returning home on Friday. In addition to some fun playing the slots, we plan on walking the boardwalk, window shopping, visit..."Have fun, Linda. I've never been to Atlantic City. Hope you win a bundle.
Glens Falls (NY) Online Book Discussion Group
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The village is something like Colonial Williamsburg. Lots of folks dressed up in period costumes doing what they did back then & very willing to share what they know. Some of the exhibits had changed & some were still the same, but worth seeing again.
We also took the riverboat ride, an hour ride up & back down the Kentucky River. It was a perfect day for it & the Palisades (cliffs) are just awesome. We didn't see a lot of wildlife since it was 2pm - the heat of the day when sensible animals are taking a siesta - but we did have a Great Blue Heron fly ahead of us for about half the trip. He was fun to watch. We saw a wood duck with 5 babies perched on a log & a bunch of turtles. The captain was interesting & very willing to answer questions. He had a good eye for catching interesting sights, too.