Not at my house, but just down the road!

I’m back. Maybe not so much in mind, but my body is now here in New Jersey instead of the Adirondack Mountains of New York.

My husband just left in a stretch limo bound for Newark airport. Normally his limo service arrives in a battered car which we are never sure is going to reach our destination. When we came back from Las Vegas the limo driver explained to us that one windshield wiper was not working and it was raining heavily on his drive down. Great. I think maybe Rick is really being spirited away to the next Bachelorette interviews without my knowledge. A stretch limo to the airport? Really, come on.

Looking back on the past week, everything about it has been a stretch which I will write more in depth on when my brain decides to let my words wrap around it enough to write. It was wrought with memories, regrets, emotions and so much more. Like I said; I am here in body but my brain is in another place. I feel so strange right now and Rick will gone for a week. Not the best of timing, but it has to be.

While we were gone we had our first snow fall of the season: one inch. We didn’t even have that in upstate New York; just a few brief flurry showers. Last year our first sign of snow was well into the second week of January. What’s to come?

Just a note to the few who comment: I had to turn on the approval feature for comments since the spammers have been hitting my blog really hard over the past week and leaving junk for comments. So sorry, but your comment won’t appear until I approve it. I am tired of 15 or more junk comments. Hey, at least they are comments!

Look for more from me in the next few days.

Okay, I admit I’m stretching the words a bit, but truly, isn’t orange beautiful?

My sister arrived yesterday to join me this week in going up to my Mom’s house (which has recently been sold) to sort and pack her belongings. Not a fun task to be sure. One filled with all kinds of memories, regrets and so much more.

Today we took her on what will probably be our last canoe trip around Green Turtle Pond before Winter arrives.

My sister was very skeptical because she doesn’t like “boats,” but she was a good sport about it as she sat in the middle like Cleopatra as Rick and I paddled her around. I think even she will admit that she enjoyed it a great deal. The wind kicked up midway around and we had a pretty good workout just paddling back. A beautiful day though!

I won’t be blogging until next week since I don’t have access to a computer at my Mom’s house. Until then, I wish you all a great week!

Remember the cow that escaped this summer? What follows is the latest article published in our local paper. Talk about having bad cow karma ... sheesh!

It was nearly déjà vu all over again Sunday afternoon when a cow rented from a New York livestock dealer escaped and went for a run near the West Milford Equestrian Center on Union Valley Road.

Frank Battipaglia, owner of the Equestrian Center, said that the bovine escaped after a door on the truck in which it was being transported opened as the vehicle moved down the driveway.

Her excursion was short-lived, however, as she was soon wrangled and returned to Monticello, NY, from which she came with the other cattle rented from dealer Jay Rubin Livestock.

The incident was reminiscent of one nearly six months ago when a cow escaped from an event at the Equestrian Center on May 6.

That day, it had a literal run-in with a Honda on Union Valley Road, but fled the scene of the accident.

That black cow tagged with the number 0, which the center also rented from Jay Rubin Livestock, has been spotted several times over the past several months. Numerous employees and loyal riders at local equestrian centers volunteered their time to play “cowboy” and “cowgirl” and search the woods near the Equestrian Center. Though the mounted volunteers came close to roping her a few times, including once when she was spotted with a bear, she was never caught.

Sightings slowed, however, and the cow has not been spotted for a few months. Those following the story have not given up hope that she will return home.

“They can live open range for a long time,” Battipaglia said on Monday.

—from the West Milford Messenger; story by Rebecca Scanlon, Staff Writer

Overnight and this morning we’ve had over 3 inches of rain! Not sure how much longer the trees will be hanging onto their leaves. This was taken mid-week. More color to show you in the next few days!