Today, Dick had his monthly blood test. He was perfect again! Sue says that he is very boring. She wishes, actually, that she could figure out what he is doing right for the rest of her patients. Now she is challenging him to be the EXACT reading for two months in a row.

We went grocery shopping too. We didn't need as much as usual, so that was a pleasant surprise. We racked the wild grape wine today. Once more and then we can filter and bottle it. It has a rather nice underlying flavor but, of course, needs to mature. I get a quick taste as I have to suck the tube to get the stuff flowing.

Tonight was choir night. We have so few people show up for practice. I think we need to regroup at the beginning of the church year which is September, just in time for Celtic Faire. We will be singing this Sunday, my birthday. We are singing two songs, that I really like. Come to the River and My Song Will Be for You Forever.

I worked a bit on the banner this afternoon too. I am drawing out the symbols for the Four Evangelists tonight. So far so good. I will definately put the picture on the blog when I get it done.

I am thinking of sending a story to Reader's Digest and/or Field and Stream. What do you think of this.

I made it to my stand overlooking the marsh at about 7:00AM, Thanksgiving morning, just as dawn was breaking. It was really quite beautiful, despite the cold. I had dressed in several layers with hand and foot warmers in my gloves and boots. To pass the time as I scanned the swamp, and sang songs in my head to pass the time. By 8:00AM, I was bored so I ate the bag of trail mix that I had brought for a snack. We were only staying out until 11:00AM so that we would be home in time for the big dinner.

Because of the cold, it was slippery and each leaf seemed to be its own little ice encased entity. After the snack I realized that it was time to “mark my territory”, to put it mildly, so I worked my way to a small stand of trees close by that make a kind of shelter. As I pulled down my pants and crouched down, (boy, do men have it made) to my dismay, my right foot slipped down a small incline. I discovered to my further dismay that in that position, it is impossible to stop the bladder from doing what it is doing. So I did the best I could to avoid clothing, and got myself put back together.

I maneuvered around the evidence and crawled back to my post, just before my nephew made his way around the swamp. I find it very important to retain one's dignity.

Let me know what you think.

Mary