A Blue, er, make that Green-Ribbon Day

I did wrap gifts at the mall today. I arrived at 2:00 and there were two young lovelies working hard--just past college-age. (I asked later if they were students. Oh, NO, the one said. She'd graduated in 2004.) They were sisters. They stayed for about another hour and I was very grateful. The more assertive sister didn't quite want to leave the post to an oldie (that would be me), but the younger was ready to go so she just kind of hung around waiting for her sister. Like I said, I really was grateful for the help. Business was VERY steady! A couple had left about 8 gifts, ranging from a Scooby-Doo lunch box (no box around it) to a dinosaur in a sort of cardboard tray--you know, the kind that hangs on a rod in the store: has a back and bottom but no sides, front or top. Read VERY challenging to wrap! The sisters left me that pile to work on while the one handled the walk-ups. However, I did take one. He had only 2 things and brought his own boxes; well, they were Victoria's Secret boxes (nice boxes!). One was a very nice jog set and the other was a selection of 5 thong underwear. He was about my age. (Boy, I'd like to be the size that could feel attractive in a thong.) But the most challenging came later, a lovely older English woman who had bought gifts for grandsons. The hardest was an ice-fishing rod ... WITH reel attached. I KNEW all my Martha genes would pay off sooner or later! I got it wrapped and pretty attractively, too, I might add. Obviously I had fun.

But that was my second fun for the day. I bought myself a new toy yesterday.


Yup, they're snowshoes. I was just back from my first walk with them. There's about 10" powder to plow through in our back 40 and it was FUN. The dog of COURSE had to lead the way. I don't know how she can even walk for the rest of the day. This is how deep she was in, breaking trail for me!


As you can see, she's up to her chest. Boy it was tough going for a bit. Of course, the trail home was much easier because I was just pounding down what we'd opened up on the way to the dam. Whatever those muscles are on the outside of your hip joints were letting me know I should learn their names! Just sitting here now (10:00 p.m.) my fanny tells me it worked today.

But I remembered to take the camera so I got some nice pics. NYSEG had some crew working on the dam in the fall. Unfortunately they didn't get finished before winter hit. I wonder where they thought they were working that they could begin a rebuild on a dam in about October.....



Anyway, I think you can see rebar sticking out of the dam through the snow. (Faint dark horizontal lines at about 10:00 in the picture.) The crew didn't work for a few days while it rained, leaving their materials where they were, and then we got snap hard hard freezes for several nights. So much for their stuff. I wonder in the spring what will survive--the water pours over that dam with enormous power. In the inimitable words of daughter Jane, Oh well.

And I have to include a shot of my favorite photo subject at the dam, the tree that sits just opposite where I stand to take pictures. I love it in most seasons because it sits so nicely above all that ledgerock, and it has the chutzpah to keep growing!


Then Hollydog and I walked along the penstock and I took my "artsy-f_rtsy" shots. The little isolated weeds that managed to stay above the snow, even though their stems are only about 1/8" in diameter, never cease to amaze me.



Sturdy little buggers, eh? I'm always impressed at their hardiness, their determination NOT to be done in by something as inconsequential as 18" of snow. (That 10" powder I mentioned above is only the top layer.)

So it was a good day today. Stan came to the mall to treat me to a soda after my draining stint wrapping and we had a nice dinner of spaghetti (whole wheat, of course) and baby veggies. I'll be out snowshoe-ing again tomorrow. What fun.