Change is good!

So, for the first time in 24 years, I bought a new vehicle. I've always bought late model used since my '87 Nissan pickup blew the motor shortly after the warranty expired. After 5 years and 110k miles with my trusty Dodge Durango (originally purchased with 30k miles, so was up to 140k, a long life in my neck of the woods), it was time for something new. Since I sold my moderately heavy boat recently, I was free to get something that didn't require being able to tow 5,000 lbs. This lead me to go a little "hog wild", so to speak :-)>.

I've always liked Jeeps, their rugged looks and durability, but hated the bumpy nature of the short-wheel base on the highway (which, unfortunately, is where the majority of my driving is done). Enter the 4 door version introduced in 2007. This longer wheel base is much smoother, but still retains the off-road capabilties. Of course I went with the rag top and 6-speed stick, as the former was appealing, and the latter just makes sense to anyone that goes off-road.

As to buying new, well the price point was what made the difference. In pricing out used models with 30-40k miles on them, the savings was less than $1,000. That's not much, so I made the decision to just buy new for once. Now I can't wait to go south again.

RIP Pudgie

Today we lost our oldest pet, Pudgie, at the age of 14. He led an uncomplicated life, even for a cat: never outdoors, never sick, and the dominate male pet in the house (even the dogs gave way to him). Part Mainecoon, part barn cat, he's been with us since he was 8 weeks old (even then he was chunky, hence the name). Pudgie loved being the center of attention, seeked out those willing to scratch him and tolerating virtually any indignity imposed on him by little children.

Pudgie recently lost a third of his body weight, became anemic and dehydrated. The vet ruled out the normal "geriatric cat issues" such as parasites, kidney disease, and diabetes, but was unable to figure out what exactly was going on. This morning he was listless and wheezing, and apparently had a seizure before collapsing and passing on quickly. My daughter, Kelly, witnessed his final moments, something I'm sure will stick with her for many years.

About time...

Ok, so I'm a crappy blogger that doesn't update too often. So what's been going on lately?

My most recent "adventure" was my participation with the celebration surrounding the Battle of Plattsburgh that occurred in September, 1814. As a bit of background for the uninitiated, this was the last time a foreign power launched an incursion on American soil. The War of 1812 in the history books centers mainly around the incidents at Baltimore, Washington, and New Orleans, but the records actually show that those were diversions. The british's true intent was to invade the US along through Lake Champlain in northern NY. Unfortunately for them, they ran into some stalwart locals on land, and were outwitted on the lake, and the entire invasion force (which greatly outnumber the US troops) was turned back. This annual event is a week long celebration of this relatively unknown victory. It's funny how time obscures history.

The good side of ice

What week it's been. Last Sunday was spent skiing the heavy powder with my daughter Kelly (at right) at Jay Peak , where I wrecked more often than usual (once due to her) pushing hard to hammer through the heavy powder and glades. Just an awesome day. Then Thursday I skied the ice on Whiteface mountain in Lake Placid. Scary stuff it was due to an icy storm the day before, but when the sun came out in the afternoon, it softened up a lot and was almost like spring conditions.

This weekend was Kelly's ice skating show, for which I edited the program music. The image here is just prior to her group's "James Bond" number. This is her third year there, and she's progressed quite well from never having been on the ice before. A combination of natural athleticism and 5 years of gymnastics training allowed her to progress from "newbie" into the lower advanced levels in short order.

Volleyball star

My older daughter, Tessa, hits a kill shot right between the opponents. As a junior on the varsity squad, she's becoming quite the all around player. This image made page 3 of the Sunday sports section of the local paper.

Something different

My mother runs a rehab center for injured birds in North Carolina. She does this mainly on a shoestring budget and her own time. This morning I recieved this from her:

"Yesterday, I had the distinct privilege of releasing this gorgeous osprey in a very special place. The Sunny Pt Army Depot is more than 18,000 acres of mostly deserted land. They found this bird October 5th weighing 1.6 lbs and too weak to fly. He was 3 miles from the nearest water and they only eat fish. On Nov. 5th, he weighed 3.6 lbs and was catching fish in a kiddie pool. Now he has 22 acres of a shallow water and bass filled lake to hunt in and several local ospreys to join. That felt good!"

What an awesome image.....

Time to go fishing

It's spring around here, and like many others I like to go fishing. I don't do it as often as I used to, but it's still something that I look forward to. Catching them isn't as important as it used to be, just being there still is - perhaps more.

So, I will be spending some time tracking down the ever-elusive brookie for the next week or so, and might have a few beers in the process (chances are pretty good that I'll probably have more of the latter than the former). I think what I'm really chasing is the peace and quiet, and time away from the hectic pace of daily life.