Spintall

You may wonder what that word is - it is a new season I witnessed today - Sp(ring)(w)int(er)(f)all. While mowing for the third "last time" I mowed through several patches of snow and then, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but forsythia and johnny jump-ups in bloom! How can all those things be happening at the same time? And the temperature was 56 degrees in late November in upstate NY.

While it was this warm, I put up the outside Christmas lights to be turned on at a later date. Cannot believe Christmas is just a month away.

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are looking forward to a Christmas with family and friends.

The Wonders of Lake George

A Quote from Thomas Jefferson in a letter written to his daughter in 1791
"Lake George is without comparison, the most beautiful water I ever saw...formed by a contour of mountains into a basin thirty-five miles long and from two to four miles broad...finely interspersed with islands, its water limpid as crystal and the mountain sides covered with rich groves of thuja, silver fir, white pine, aspen and paper birch down to the water edge...here and there precipices of rock to checker the scene and save it from monotony...An abundance of speckled trout, salmon trout, bass, and other fish with which it is stored, have added to our amusements the sport of taking them.....

Follow the admiration of Thomas Jefferson and come to Country Life B&B for a visit with day trips to Lake George.

The British are Coming!!

We have had four sets of wonderful guests from England lately and each and every one has added to the richness of our lives. One of the men leaving today was actually one of the four finalists to be in the Soyuz program. (Spaceship) However, money ran out and he never made it.

The people just before them travelled the world and had a home in Florida to go to for English winters! They were taking the Queen Mary home directly after leaving our house - from NYC harbor to Southhampton, where my family and I landed in 1948 so my father could be the Operations Officer of the Berlin end of the Airlift.

Hurricane Irene

We do hope that all of our past and future guests had little or no inconvenience from this huurricane. We were fine here, but all of our guests left a day early and one cancelled a four day booking on Friday morning. One couple did not show up at all and we did not know it until morning.

The gardens and trees survived here but our creek was raging and overflowing. Richard took a video of it and the sound was loud and it was wonderful to see. The bridge over the creek was unharmed as were the tree swing and the deck.

We spend most of Sunday watching videos about ancient Rome or reading. It was a wonderful relaxing day for us.

The racing season will be over a week from today and we can catch a breather. It is an exciting time here in Saratoga - so much to do and see.

Heat Wave

Havin' a heat wave, a tropical heat wave - anybody remember that song or am I giving away my age??? Lordy it is hot, but we are staying cool inside with the AC. I do feel sorry for my gardens though - they are having a rough time.

July has been a busy month and we are loving it and looking forward to the racing season which starts tomorrow. A very exciting 6 weeks ahead.

Hope to get back here before too long, but I can't promise.

Mama and twins

Early this morning, as we returned from the gym, we saw a doe in the tall grass near our Saratoga B&B. She crouched down, so we figured she must have a fawn nearby. Sure enough, as we passed the end of the grass, there she was with twins. One was nursing. I wish I had had my camera. She was so beautiful. Oddly enough, one of the fawns was the first to run, followed by the doe and the other fawn.

It is beautiful here today, and my garden beckons. Out I go.

Garden fence

Today the fence around my vegetable and strawberry garden was finished - the swinging gate was the final touch. I hope that I have finally foiled the rabbits, moles and voles: we don't get deer or squirrels here. The last bit, tomorrow, will be the black netting across the top to keep out the birds.

We just love the warm days and cool nights, but that too will pass!! Hot August weather, which we had in May, will return. No problem. I will work in the gardens anyway.

Speaking of gardens, they are gorgeous right now, the iris in full bloom and the Sweet William too. We have a grandson named William, and he is sweet.