The Endeavor!

If you sit on Bill's father's dock. It pretty much a front row seat to the Kennedy Space Center. Well not a front row seat actually.
I'd rather not of had a front row seat as I heard it took people two hours in traffic for those who actually went to the center to witness this blast off. I was quite happy on the dock with a chilled orangey screwdriver in one hand and a camera in the other!
Here's some shots of the Endeavor.

Kayaking The Banana River in Cocoa Beach Florida

So the kayak rack failed to get here in time to go.
It was ordered and re-ordered I think 4 times. Finally I was instructed to drive once again to Utica to have this garage actually take some measurements. DUH! They re-ordered it an said "Over night shipping"! Well, overnight turned to two nights. We finally got on the road Tuesday morning. Bill cobbed a cross bar out of wood and clamps and it worked just fine! We were on the road!
I only got to kayak and swim once as it wasn't that warm! Got lots of reading in and of course secured my spot in the here after cooking up many home cooked meals in the senior citizen ward of heavens waiting room.
Yep, thats the dolphin that came pretty darn close to tipping Bill over right in front of his Dad's condo. The manatee were there. We counted 14 sleeping lazily in one warm calm lagoon with pelican, egret and osprey swooping down overhead on a cool breezy Florida November day.
We brought along a electric blow up mattress and set up our temporary bedroom in the Sunroom over looking the rarely used pool and next to that the peacefull ever flowing Banana River. AAAAHHHH it was so lovely waking up facing water every morning. I miss it already.
Oh an scan! I scanned my ass off to do a Brown family iMovie. Yep I should have a nice cozy spot in the here after!

Biltmore

Its taken me three days to clean the house that grows dirt and get it back up to snuff. The car and suitcases have been unpacked. The mountain of laundry has been leveled and put away. The floors have been swept and mopped. The granite counters all have been washed an shined with a beef stew slow cooking in the crock pot. My animules Lila, Sammy and Ed have all forgiven me for being away for so long. Its great to be home!
I even made it to the gym today.
The vacation is officially over and only one more Thanksgiving Bird to cook.
Instead of jetting down oh so boring 95 we decided to take the more scenic route. 81. Down to Asheville North Carolina where we toured the Biltmore House. House my foot! This place was amazing! I was opened mouthed, wide eyed and 100% speechless at its enormity and splendor. At first I felt like I was back in England when Uncle Milty took me when I was seventeen. We toured so many unbelievable places there such as The Westminster Abbey, Longleat and Winchester Cathedral. And of course Buckingham Palace.
Being up in the Adirondacks and having toured Sagamore, Santanoni and a few others. I understood that these early pioneers were well off by with all their logging and railroad loot. The Adirondacks was their play ground and housed these " great camps" built in the funky Adirondack woodsy chalet type way.
Touring Biltmore helped me understand just how rich they were.
Amazing! They wouldn't allow camera's inside. Which I can understand. It makes you want to buy the book with all the shots of the Biltmore even more. It was quite an overcast day so the shots I got outside weren't great. It was also the end of fall there an all the incredible gardens are in winter rest. The staff at the Biltmore made up with for this by all the Christmas decorations adorning this magnificent queen of a mansion. There had to be over a hundred Christmas trees from 5 feet to 100 feet perfectly decorated by a crew of what I would expect to be totally type A gay men! Everything was perfect and beautiful.
So, if you are ever in Ashevile. Tour the Biltmore! Tickets were like 53 bucks or something but totally worth it.
Just the anticipation of driving up through the manicured woods of rhododendrons, Oaks, grasses and ferns of paradise. You get the feeling your about to witness something amazing. Bill and I followed directions of the parking guys. Parked the car. Still not really seeing anything. Then a short hike on a well worn trail through the woods. Then all off a sudden you come out and BAM! The Biltmore!
There it is in all its glory surrounded by these breathtaking mountains.
I'm going back!
I'm reading up on the history now. George Vanderbilt, the youngest of eight. Loved the arts and traveled all around the world collecting books, furniture, artwork, prints you name it he bought it to fill the walls, rooms and halls. He married himself up a rich, classy broad of social importance by the name of Edith Stuyesant and had one child. Cornelia.
Oh Cornelia! I'd love to pick your brain. I just can barely imagine being an only child and living and playing in this mansion of such size. I'll bet there are children still lost in this place from a romping game of hide and seek.
It took 6 years to build it! Oh an all the different plant materials and trees. Just AMAZING!
So here are some shots.

These BEAUTIFUL Girls

My daughter, Aurora was in a wedding this past weekend! It just makes me so happy that she has these wonderful girlfriends to walk through life with! Aren't they all simply beautiful! Aurora, Liz, Caitlyn, Abbey and Alex!
The other shot is with her boyfriend John.

Some Shots That Got Away But Worthy

Cemetery Next To The Old Loomis Land
Reviving On The Front Porch~Jimmy, Steve, Reyna and I (I'm sure Ed was stowing away somewhere there too)
Big Moose Chapel
A Very Nice Collection
Reyna and Pamme Hands At Skyway

Shots From Cranberry Lake, Camp Santanoni and Lafayette Apple Festival

The four C's Crazy about Comet, Cranberry Lake and Camp Santanoni

So here it is the 14th of October and Central New York is finally getting the weather we deserve after this gray rainy summer.
Before I start this blog I just want to finish up the story of the last blog. The Insurance man ended up totaling my subaroobie!
I'm embarrassed to say that I cried when I was given the go to remove all my belongings from the car! That little white car and I went every where together! It was a tough week but I got over it and I'm now driving a fine new/used Mitsubishi!
Its a little bigger than the subie which is good for my music equipment. So! back in the car loan hole I go!

On my quest of being environmentally green around my house I re-discovered Comet! Yes thats right...Comet! I'm crazy about Comet! Bill bought a 6 pack of scratch free 21 ounce cans of Comet at BJ's for $2.36 as its his job to clean the downstairs shower.
When I saw the cans of comet in the broom closet it was a blast from the past as thats what my mother used to clean just about everything around the house while growing up! And the smell...Ahhhh comet!
Not only is it cheap it cleans like a charm! My stainless steal appliances never looked so good. Comet is biodegradable and contains no phosphates.
I also re-discovered a cook book a friend bought me a couple years ago. I put it on the shelf and forgot about it.
I made the best Morning Glory Muffins in the world! The Book is the King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking and its a great book filled with yummy healthy recipes for whole grain baking. I'm glad winter is coming to fire up the Kenmore and bake!
Yep look at those Northern Pries! I've got some baking to do later today!
Bill and I had the best weekend! I've been wanting to go to the more remote quiet places of the park. So I unfolded the map and looked a little further west of Stillwater and found Cranberry Lake. So we loaded up an took off!
We took a different route heading through Boonville then up to route 3. It was a beautiful day but as luck would have it Cranberry Lake isn't as remote as I thought as there where party barges buzzing all around the lake. To noisy for me! Not a good kayak!
We rented a pretty nice room as far as affordable Adirondack lodging goes and stayed the night. The next morning after a hearty breakfast in a cozy little Tupper lake diner covered in grape vines we headed for Newcomb and hiked the 5 miles in to Camp Santanoni. Just beautiful! Here's some shots. Little stiff today! I did 10 miles tho!