An Adirondack Inspired Cat Tower...And A Cataract

Well. Here we have a shot of Larry bathing in the high peeks of the Adirondack inspired, cat tower, seasoning from the fallen maple. Summer has flown by once again. Not one of my better summers...due to a cataract in my left eye which will be removed this Thursday. It will be wonderful to be able to see. Dr. Novak is doing the surgery and will remove the cataract (which feels like I have a nickel shoved into my eye) and replace it with a lens which will allow me to see close up for reading. Next year my right eye will need to be done. I'll have a lens in that eye to see distance. Bionic Mono-vision Pamme. The cataract. A gift from the stupid tattoo I got on my ankle 4 years ago. I had an allergic reaction to the red ink giving me a skin infection. I was on prednisone then on a sulfur drug which I had another allergic reaction to causing the doctors to put me on more prednisone...Anyway the prednisone sped up the growth of the cataract that was already there but I wouldn't of gotten it till later in life. My luck! For this surgery though I really can't wait. So I'm on a stay-cation house arrest for a few days doing the eye drops. Life is good.

Chittning Pond ~ Larry And The Frog

It's the little things in life where I find the most happiness. We took some time today to paddle on a peaceful place not so far from here on Rte. 20. Chittning Pond. There were several fisherman there with no luck on their lines, a gaggle of Canadian Geese, a great blue Heron and the most beautiful stands of cat tails surrounding and blowing quite serenely around the pond. A very short kayak. I miss my smaller boat! It felt good to be in her again as she is much lighter than my Delta. We came home to do another job in setting up the pump in the old whiskey barrel in the garden by the house where I got the shots of Larry and the frog. They were very good posers. Lovely day. And now it's time to get a fire in the outside kitchen for shrimp on the barbie. Yes it's the little things.

My Fourth Of July Weekend

A micro burst blew through here on July 3rd. I filmed it and it's on my website at www.pammeswan.com. It lasted about three and a half minutes which was the longest three and a half minutes of my life taking down hundreds if not thousands of trees in the Earlville, Poolville, South Hamilton, Brookfield and Bridgeport area. So much for my Back To Eden Arboretum. So sad. I'm very lucky none of the seven maples...my guardian maples as I call them, I'm very lucky they still stand and didn't fall on my house. As you can see we have a lot of work to do. The cats love their new tree play ground and I can live with out this maple. My lilacs now will have more sun for blooming. I'm sick about losing the ancient pines in the back. My land will never be as picturesque as it once was ever again. I'm heartbroken. But damn...I'm been through it all so I can get through this.

An American Tragedy

After visiting the American Tragedy exhibit at the Fenimore over in Cooperstown, and visiting the gift shop. I found the book I've been meaning to buy for years and simply forgot about it. Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy. For the last week and a half I once again threw my self into the world of Chester aka Clyde and Grace aka Roberta. It's amazing to me even though I know this sad story very well how intrenched I became yet again. I just finished the book and again find my myself in a very peculiar sense of sorrow one being very hard to shake. Dreiser wrote a master piece to be sure.

A Bird Song Summer Morning

We've got the woodshed stacked and the peonies a especially beautiful this year. I'm very grateful for all I have in my simple country life out here in Sunny South Hamilton.

Grace's Ghost At the Fenimore, Coopertown NY

An American Tragedy:The Gillette Brown Murder is on exhibit at the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown through September 1st. My song, Grace's Ghost is part of it and I couldn't be more thrilled. My 5th CD, Songs From Mountains East And West is also on sale in the gift shop. A huge thank you to Chris Rossi for making this happen!

The 17th Annual Stillwater Boat Race/Pig Roast

The day couldn't of been more perfect! It was the Seventeenth Stillwater boat race and I've performed at least 7 of them. The Cowboys from Campsite 3 returned as well as many others and of course the Izzo clan along with Chuck Biss on the smoker with their fabulous pulled pork. I help Marian in the kitchen the day before and we whipped up many different salads, mock lasagna and deviled eggs. Everything was delicious!