Fun day with family

Earlier today, both my sons, Michael and John, and my grandsons, Kevin, Jake, and Andrew came over.  Michael stayed until time for his golf league and Jen came later.  She works for a company in Rochester but works from home.  So while she is in town here, she worked today.

I smoked a pork shoulder roast in the smoker and it was a hit.  We had pulled pork sandwiches with shredded cabbage and a great North Carolina BBQ sauce for dinner and my apple pie for dessert.

Kevin, my oldest grandson is now taller than I am and Jake isn't far behind!

Not exactly a peaceful Sunday afternoon on our street

A short while ago, I backed out of my driveway onto our street and a whole lotta people were staring at my house.  I drove up to them and asked what was going on.  There was a mange infested fox very near my property line and they were trying to keep an eye on it till the police or animal control arrived.  I was gone about a half hour, hoping this would all be over by the time I returned.  It wasn't.

I came inside and soon looked out my window and saw two police cars on the street directly in front of my house with one of the officers walking toward my door.  I went outside and asked if this was about the fox.  It was.  "We are going to put it down, ma'am.  You may want to go back inside."

"NO!"  I said, "I want to watch!"  He seemed okay with that.

I kept an eye on the animal until he grabbed his gun.  It wasn't his service firearm, but a shotgun. The fox would walk a few feet, then lay down.  Then get up and do it again.

The neighbors thanked the officers for taking care of this on a Sunday afternoon.

Pacific Coast Pillows. . . the best!

Rarely do I endorse products on my blog.  But this company is an exception.  It is very difficult for me to find a bed pillow that I really like.  My current pillows are ready to be replaced so I have been looking around, hoping to find something I could be happy with.  Well, guess what!  I found it!

I had never heard of Pacific Coast Pillows (www.pacificcoast.com).  I found them in an internet search.  They offer a 30 night money back guarantee so I decided to take a chance on their pillow.  They have been in business for 125 years, another factor that led me to try their product.

It is the most comfortable pillow I have ever found.  I just love it!

Check them out.

A throw together dish that turned out great!

Just on a whim, I tried something different tonight for dinner. . . a one-dish vegetarian concoction.

I chopped fresh kale.  Then I combined olive oil and apple cider vinegar with a generous dose of salt.  I had a jar of sun-dried tomatoes for another recipe which I never made.

First I put the kale in a hot pan and poured the olive oil mixture over it.  I  cooked this until it was still slightly crisp.  I added a few chopped sun-dried tomatoes and stirred just until they were heated.

What a pleasant surprise!  It was a very satisfying meal.

Where does time go?

Earlier this week, I saw Brian Wilson, of the Beach Boys, on TV.  Ouch!  He is OLD, I thought.  I quickly put that out of my mind.  The Beach Boys were big when I was in high school and college. . . and I am not "that" old.

Tonight I was driving around in my car listening to Cousin Brucie's Palisades Park reunion on Sirius Radio.  Neil Sedaka was on.  Another one of my favorites from yesteryear.  Oh, my God!  Listening to his voice, it was obvious he is not the young super star I remember.  Ugh.  I came home and looked him up online.  He is 75.  That can't be!

I haven't aged.  Why have these musical greats that I have loved for years gotten old???

Look what jumped out at me at the mailbox today!

You can't be too careful these days, even in "safe" neighborhoods.  Look what jumped out at me when I went to the mailbox!

This is Atraiue, who is quick to remind me these days that "I'm four!"

Morgan goes to Doggie Day Camp

I took Morgan to Doggie Day Camp today.  It was the first time she has been with other dogs all day long, except for when Molly was still with us.

This afternoon when I picked her up after work, I looked in the window in the room where she was, and there was one pooped pup laying next to the wall!  They told me she ran out of steam before the end of the day!

Here is what her "pawgress report" says:

Morgan had a great first day in camp today.  She had no trouble making lots of friends, and she played very nicely with everyone.  She especially loved to wrestle with Jessie and Zoey, the Collie mixes, and Lilly, the Spaniel.  Morgan was such a good girl today, we can't wait to have her back!"

There were 14 dogs in her play group today.  They separate the smaller dogs from the larger ones.

She has been on the lethargic side since I brought her home, but she still follows me around from room to room.

A nice paddle on the canal today

My friend, Nancy, and I paddled on the Erie Canal this afternoon for several hours.  It was too nice a day to stay inside.

This is just one of many boats we passed.  It is fun to point your boat in the direction of the wake from big boats and ride the waves!

Nancy in her boat.

Me!

The Sam Patch.  Behind the boat is the Canal Path where bicyclists, walkers, and runners can be found.  The Erie Canal, which runs across NYS is a valuable recreational asset for our state.  Twice in years past, I have ridden my bike across NYS on the Canal Path in guided tours.  It was a fun trip both times.

Chicken thighs on the grill tonight

Tonight I cooked chicken thighs on my grill, enough for my dinner and leftovers for the weekend.  I used my rub and bbq sauce on them and they turned out just great.  I sometimes overcook thighs on the grill but not this time!  It was a frantic week at work.  Sitting beside my grill in my outdoor chair, looking up at the sky and picking out designs in the clouds was the perfect escape from the pressures of earning a living in this crazy world we live in.