The Month Of May, Mother's Day & Memorial Day

How exciting! May is just 'round the corner (tomorrow!). And hopefully this means consistently warm and gradually, hot, temperatures. Last night was hopefully the last cold night for the next few months. It got down to about 35F, just above freezing. There was a "frost advisory" and so I had to move back all of my house plants which I purposely brought all out since we'd been enjoying 70s and even a day or two in the 80s the past week or more.

It took a lot of work to bring them all back in, and although starting today already the warmer temperature begins, I think I will wait until this weekend to bring all the plants out again, and do some gardening for the first time this season/year.

Actually, I had planned to do some gardening last weekend, but it rained a lot (which I will never complain about again, given last summer's drought). A bush/shrub on the side of our home that has really grown out of control (i.e. I have not pruned since we moved in) fell over (presumably because the roots were so shallow still and it had grown so quickly?? and wind pushed it over?) and I had to do a rescue operation to get the plant upright. Hopefully it will strengthen it's roots and thrive again. So nice. Not sure what type of plant, but it produces TONS of white flowers that are so over fragrant (smells kinda like Jasmine??) .. so much for being a gardening enthusiast when I don't actually know any of the names of the plants I have around the house.

So anyways, May, May ...

Mom is coming to visit on the 10th. Yipee!!! Will celebrate Mother's Day in Blue Ridge. There's a quaint little "Victorian" style lunch place we discovered a couple of weeks ago that we would like to take Ma and Tita Flong (my auntie, mom's sister) for lunch.

And of course Mom will be staying through the Memorial Day long weekend. Kelly is on call that weekend, so we have to plan something local, but at least we can spend time together. Perhaps another excursion on the lake with our canoe? Speaking of which, the lake (Blue Ridge) is soooooooooooo full and looking picturesque. Just this morning it was "glassy", completely smooth surface reflecting all the trees and docks and boats, and because last night was near freezing, there was a mysterious "fog" rising from reflective surface .. I wish I had taken a picture.

A conference for me (18-21st) in Arlington (VA) will mean I will be away while Ma and Kelly and Ethan will be together. I have this CRCP exam to take (stands for Clinical Research Contracts Professional ???). Wish me luck. When was the last time I took an "exam"? This conference is for business professionals in the clinical research/pharmaceutical industry, and since I jumped straight to work without any previous knowledge or training of how to negotatiate budgets and contracts, I figured it would be nice to supplement the experience I have now gained, with some formal understanding of the process. Who knows, I may learn a thing or two on how to increase revenue for our company.

Huh?

OK, so it's not as hot as this picture portrays. Was it not just a few days ago I posted an entry saying just how cold it was? 4F (-16C) ring a bell? Well, Earth no longer remembers, that's for sure. Today it is 70F (21C).

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

'08 has been thus far, freezing.

Too cold! The drive to work this morning: 8F (-14C).

We finally got some snow, though nothing compared to my Canadian friends' and families' standards. See My Picasa.

Perhaps it's the wind? or just not being used to cold weather lately? ... brrrrrrrrrr!

Fog & Frost

[morning view from our deck]

Chilly! This morning's drive was quite cold. With the temperature hovering just above the freezing mark, and a dense blanket of fog covering most of my drive to Ethan's daycare and then to work, it was sllllloooooooowww going. Still, there were points along the drive when the elevation change put us above the fog and you could see how the dense condensation settled over low-lying vallies. Pretty scenic! But this also means that the warm weather is now fully and truly behind us. We outfitted Ethan with a jacket and a hat (the kind that has the floppy coverings for his ears). The boy is seriously cute.

Rain, Yes!

This summer will likely go down as the driest, hottest summer in recent years (if not on record!). There's been much talk on the news of Atlanta running out of water! Period. Not low water, or "please do not put your sprinklers on" type of warnings, but no water at all - drinking, shower, toilet (flushing), nada. Lake levels have been so low their banks have been exposed and bare for months. Atlanta's population "boom" has had a lot to contribute to the general amount of water used, but the lack of the wet stuff ALL SUMMER LONG has not helped. But yay, today, it is *gasp* raining. Wet and gray as can be. And I've never been more welcoming of dreary.

More and more leaves are coming down, and trees are starting to hit their peak fall coloration. Tomorrow should be a great day for photo taking. It is expected to be clear (I think) and should be "fresh" as can be with the rains we are receiving just now. With Sharon and the girls arriving late tonight, I cannot wait until tomorrow when we can go out and enjoy the scenery and take some photos.

Elyse is coming too, and an avid kayaker and general outdoorsy type person, I am sure she will want to make the most of her visit here in Blue Ridge.

I am still trying to download pictures from mom's camera. When I do, I should have plenty to share, dating back to Ethan's birthday party to present.

Have a great weekend... y'all :-D

Crisp Autumn Mornings

With the overwhelming feelings inherent with great life changes (like moving to a mountain town in rural Georgia) now behind us (well, almost), I am starting to take pleasure in the many "small" things that our current situation provides.

Our home is quite open, and with many oversized, glass, sliding doors. And at any time of the day, the view from any one of these doors is a picturesque display of nature (as if we are in a glass cube smack in the middle of trees). With all the hooplah and stress of late, it was hard to even notice and appreciate this scene. And what a scene! Every day. Just look out and you get a sense of tranquility.

Recently, it has been getting colder. The morning air crisp, reminding me of my highschool days when I had cross country practices, running through neighborhoods and trails nearby my school in the early hours before anyone could be found roaming the hallways. Leaves have been falling down aplenty also, depositing a neat pile along the gravel roadside, and the natural "mess" everywhere else.

Pretty soon, all the leaves will have dropped from the trees, and left in their place, empty branches. Our (few) neighbors' homes will be made visible for the first time in months.

I am looking forward to the "wet season" if indeed winters in Blue Ridge are such -- our first winter here, we don't know yet what to expect. I prefer milder/temperate weather (not surprising growing up in British Columbia/Pacific Northwest) and I find the summers of the southeast gets old in a hurry, especially when it becomes unbearably hot and humid as it was this year.

The afternoons are still in the vicinity of high 70s to low 80s F (mid 20s C) so shorts and t-shirts are still the order of wear, at least for another few weeks, when the trees turn a splendour of colour.

PS. I don't know why the moose picture, just thought it looked "crisp" :-D

Ferber, Plants, Cold Temperatures... And Sparky

A mish-mash entry.

We've started to sleep train Ethan again. Going back to the Ferber method. And it is working nicely, at least for his night time/bed time routine. Ethan had lost most (if not all) of his sleeping routine since we had been co-sleeping with him ever since we were getting ready to sell our house and even before. Only the parents fault to blame, though we did have a lot on our plate and maintaining a good pattern for Ethan was tough so we all just cozied up in bed for his sleep time.

Now he is doing quite well and hopefully is day naps will fall into a routine also.

Plants. Most of my patio plants had to be brought in tonight! It was getting so cold (below 50F) that I did not want to take any chances with them and have them die on me. Not that they would actually, but just to be safe. There are so many of them. And so my fig tree is now inside the house too and I may just as well keep them all in now, though we are expected to have warmer temperatures again before fall weather really sets in.

And so comes the last interesting part of this blog entry.. A stray cat has called our deck its home. I call him Sparky. It is a very scraggly-looking, malnourished, boney, black cat with white-ish paws. It is quite cute, and scary at the same time. He is not scared of anyone and is quite aggressive about winning your companionship! Poor kitty. Kelly won't let us adopt him into the house, and it is going to be so cold outside tonight!

Oh, Sparky.

Rain, Rain, Come Again (Please)!

It would seem everywhere in the "deep south" is having some sort of a drought this summer. Nashville, as I mentioned in a previous post, has been setting local records for heat index -- reaching 106F -- a temperature not felt for the past century almost (the all-time record being 107F set in 1890-something). And Atlanta? AKA HOTlanta? The past two weeks it seems have been triple digits, which is no wonder you get this sense, this palpable excitement in everyone when we a brief but torrential downpour occurs, as has been the case the past two days.

Still, we would need this type of precipitation for about a month to make up for all the dry and hot days we've had so far this summer.

Lake Blue Ridge is but a pathetic sight, at least around the bend where Dry Branch Road meets our own (Deer Hunter Road), which we drive daily. Dry Branch Road is SUCH a appropriate name for this road! But if I were to name street names, this particular one would be named Billowing Dust From Gravel Way. It is a gravel road. As is Deer Hunter.

And so it just rained, and already I wish it would rain some more. There is something quite calming about summer storms. I think my sense of peace within myself needed the rain to come as much as did all the living things around us.

Hot & HOT

I am so glad we live in the mountains where the temperature is 96F (36C) instead of 104F (40C, in Durham, NC). Hey, every degree cooler is a huge relief!

Lightning Strike

Apparently, lightning struck a tree in Fern Valley (our home in Blue Ridge) and the jolt managed to travel down to the ground and damaged water pipes running from the neighborhood well (shared by three households) to the meters. As of yet, we don't know if any damage was incurred on the water pipes running from the meter to our house. Thank God for home insurance. And though the news of this made me feel terribly down as if nothing could get any worse, things are slowly looking up with our Durham house for sale.

A host of emails and phone calls have flooded my computer and cell phone on interest in our Durham home, with two possible offers being made as early as tomorrow. I pray tomorrow will be a successful day.

This afternoon, we had two showings - originally just one, though the reator rescheduled a second showing just an hour after the first for his clients wanted to see our house again. The second visit/showing lasting twice as long as the first (nearly half an hour), the agent later told me his clients wish to put in an offer some time tomorrow. And with my realtor also showing our home to some other clients for another "second showing", they too apparently are hopeful in putting in an offer by 3pm tomorrow.

What a turn of events!

I am thrilled but cautious - "guardedly optimistic" as Kelly mentioned this past weekend.

We've been doing the house selling thing for a while now to know nothing is set until a contract is signed by all parties.

God-willing, tomorrow will be a great day.

Sarah P. Duke Gardens

Here are some pictures we took this morning from the Sarah P. Duke Gardens. The blue skies were in full force, and so were the gardeners enthusiasts who were all out it seemed for a plant sale that was going on at the SPDG. There were so many different plant varieties. I wanted to buy so many different plants. But it would not be wise to do so since we are moving very soon. Lots of planters and pots and decorative garden stuff -- I guess you just have to know what I mean -- with local craft artists and horticulturalists and botanists doing their thing. It was especially neat to see the "bog plants" and carnivorous varieties like the Venus Fly Trap (not sure the official name).

The Snow Azaleas were really pretty and we took some photos by them. Ethan kept reaching out to touch them, sporting his new wide-brim summer hat.

Vollmer Farm

Today was a scorcher with temps in the mid 80s. Thankfully, however, there was a good breeze blowing all day which made picking strawberries tolerable. I had Ethan wearing a hat (when he kept it on that is) and used sunscreen for the first time this year. Seems we've jumped straight into summer-like weather after an up and down start to spring.

I almost convinced myself that it was too much trouble to get ready for an outing today. I am glad I persisted though. It is tough being a dad and having to feed an infant outdoors. Having everything Ethan needs for proper diaper changes is one thing, but that's pretty easy and second nature now. But feeding times always require my utmost attention, and to do this outside the comforts of our home?? Well, like I said, almost gave up on this picking strawberries business today.





I had to pack a thermos with boiling hot water and another receptacle to immerse a cold bottle of milk in the hot water to "heat". I use sarcastic quotes since this process is more accurately the cold bottle exerting its effects in cooling the hot water than vice versa. Or at least it seems this way since it takes oh so long to heat a bottle of milk this way and Ethan is ready for his milk as of 20 minutes prior. So not easy, but if you want noomz to experience new things, with mom at work (which is most days), you've got to bear down and just get stuff together.

But it was well worth it. Our play group had a blast, though not all could make it today. The weather was just gorgeous and the cute noomieses darling.











Well enough of my made-up words, here are some pictures!

Happy Earth Day!

Today is Earth Day, and we could not have asked for a better weekend weather-wise :-) (how's that for alliteration) Blue skies are in the forecast for the next four days with temps starting in the mid 70s and increasing to mid 80s by Monday and Tuesday. I actually prefer high 60s to mid 70s best -- 80s being a tad on the toasty side.

Our Monday play group is going on a trip to Vollmer Farm to pick strawberries. I believe this place is about an hour's drive away, and so we'll need to pack our gear for a couple feeds at least. It would be easier if Kelly could be with us, but mama's working hard as always.

Today, several Farms are open for "tours" to celebrate Earth Day. I know this because my neighbor is planning to go to one near Carborro -- maybe Ethan and I will tag along.

Happy Earth Day everyone!

Power Out

With gloriously blue and clear skies, so have come the howling winds. Just last night, and all through the day yesterday, were heavy rains. But I would take that any day over hugely windy conditions. Road signs were being blown down, trees uprooted, "for sale" signs or other yard signage removed from their original spot, recycling and garbage bins thrown around, and of course pine straw, mulch and all elements of the woods littered the roads. Still, nothing kept us from being down and out -- that is until the power went out. Poor Ethan, I had to feed him cold milk which he is not used to drinking, and so he was not very happy. Thankfully, Kelly did not have to work too long today, and so she was home reasonably early and fed Ethan immediately. He did manage to have one solid feeding (peas and rice cereal) as well as one milk (warm) feeding before we lost electricity. We had to find alternate storage for all the frozen breastmilk that Kelly's expressed over the past few months. We are grateful to Krishelle for allowing us to store the milk in her freezer, though I am sure once Krishelle sees just how much milk this is (we took up a whole shelf/half of total freezer space) she will be... shocked. Krishelle was still at work when Kelly and I made quick work to transfer the frozen milk before they started to thaw. Not surprisingly, and in fact I even mentioned to Kelly.. "I bet the power will come back soon as we return home" .. And of course this is just what happened. Argh. Will have to get all the milk back now. And more windy conditions forecasted for tomorrow.

Of Equality And Stuff

Today has been pretty mellow. Ethan started us off bright and early at around 7am, though the weather was anything but sunny. Heavy rains started last night around midnight, and continued throughout the day today. We went to the Baha'i Center for the Sunday program, and today's topic was "Beyond Legal Reforms: Culture and Capacity in the Eradication of Violence Against Women and Girls". The turnout was pretty good, and the topic is something we can all relate, man or woman. The take home message was essentially, that we all have a role to play to ensure violence against the female gender stops. We can, in our daily lives, empower the women in our lives, give them encouragement, speak out against crimes or violence we hear of, teach others of the equality of women and men and the nobility of humankind, etc.. A very appropriate topic for study and reflection I thought for this day in age. Then, we went back home for lunch, and Krishelle and Jessica came over to hang out. The rains picked up, and as I write this sentence it is absolutely monsooning. Reflection has been a common theme for today. Right, time to watch "The Devil Wears Prada" (which Krishelle brought over with her along with some other DVDs).

Wintery Blast

Last night was cold. Downright frigid. Kelly and I were lying in bed, having just put our heads on our pillows, when I voiced my concern for our plants and the forthcoming wintery blast of cold air we were expecting. I was not sure if Kelly was listening, if she had fallen asleep quickly, or if she could even be bothered to get up from the very spot she'd been warming in bed all cozy dozy. Just then, Kelly got up, walked over to the closet, started putting on her leg warmers and socks and said, "OK, let's do it. Let's protect the plants (already) as best we can with blankets and plastic bags." Those were my suggestions, as I had read them earlier in the evening on some BBC website on how to protect plants that are not frost resistent. And so we were off, flashlight in hand, garbage bags galore, and all of our not-so-good to our finest linens, all to preserve some plants for one evening weather's harsh treatment. (I wish I took a photo of how our garden looked all wrapped in bags and then covered over in blankets!) The air was so cold (below 24F) last night, that this morning, just before we were expecting an agent to show our home to some clients, I went outside to remove all the bags and blankets covering our garden beds, only to find some completely exposed (wind blew off coverings), and others covered, though the blankets were frozen to the shape of it being draped over some plant. Needless to say, it was a nightmare getting the linens to thaw, even in the sunlight, in order to then fold them, before folks came to see our house! And the effect on the plants, you ask? After all, after going through all this trouble, one would hope at least the plants got the benefit of some less cold air trapped under all the coverings. The truth is, some did ok, while others still "burned" in the frost and chill of the night. Quite literally to, as leaves turned brown and black, as evident in the new growth on this holly (?) bush which all turned black. :-( And tonight is more of the same, though supposedly not as cold, but still below freezing (29F). At least the folks who came to see the house liked what they saw, though who knows really whether they will return with an purchase offer. I'm just impressed (and anyone who knows Kelly would say so as well) at how Kelly full-heartedly (or begrudgingly?) supported my plan (and eased my weary mind) to do our best to protect our plants.

Unfortunate Weather

It's weird seeing blankets on flower beds and yards, no? Well, this is precisely what some of my neighbors are resorting to in order to preserve or trap some warmer air to save their plants. Over the past couple of months, we've had unseasonably warm temperatures, only to be disrupted by unseasonably cold ones. One week, the record high temps 50-years plus standing are on the verge of being broken. Following days, near record lows are expected. It is quite remarkable anything is growing in our garden at all.

I have not taken the same action some of my neighbors have, though I probably should. It just seems unsightly and wrong to blanket your plants! Unfortunately, I don't think this year's garden is going to be as lush and beautiful as last year's. Already, our cannas and elephant ears have come out of the ground, only to be frozen and killed off by a cold snap. And this has already happend twice this spring.

Last night's low temp hovered around freezing (0 C, 32 F) and tonight's low is projected at 29F, Saturday 24F and Sunday 28F. Three straight days of below freezing conditions will surely destroy this year's garden, and any presentation we hoped to have to sell our house.

Trail Blazers

Phew, it took some time to get out of the house, but once we did, it was nice and warm and sunny - perfect for a walk along the American Tobacco Trail near our house. But leading up to our walk was kinda like this: (1) put Ethan in stroller, (2) Ethan crying - don't know why?, (3) take Ethan out of stroller, (4) Ethan still fussy - why?, (5) see stain of poop through Ethan's clothes - aha, know why, (6) change Ethan's diaper, (7) hand wash Ethan's clothes so no poopie stains develop, (8) find new clothes for Ethan, (9) realize all clothes are getting kinda small for Ethan, (10) take out new "6M" clothes not worn yet, (11) dress Ethan, (12) find carrier to use instead of stroller and put Ethan in it, (13) Ethan fussing - what now?, (14) feed Ethan - did the trick!, (15) resume with carrier and strap on to dad, (16) Ethan spit up on carrier, (17) dad says, "ah, who cares, let's go for this walk already!"


So off we went. Ethan was so quiet and observant of everything - nature, trees, trail, other people on the trail, other babies, dogs ...

It had been some time since we had gone out of the house! It has been so cold lately, but starting to warm up nicely now.

Going to do this more often, hopefully in the future the preparation is less eventful :-D

Oh, Carolina!

Bring on winter. Please! It is now December 1st, and we are still enjoying mid-70 temps! In fact, yesterday, we got as high as 78F (26C) and the overnight low was a balmy 68F (20C). Overnight LOW! December!

But cool-down is supposed to happen today. Just now, in fact, it is raining and quite windy, and the wintery blast that hit the northwest early this week (and is still kinda lingering on now) is making its way eastward. But I can bet the central Carolinas will not see the white stuff :-(

I would really like a good frost this winter. My garden depends on this for a full bloom in spring. And since we are putting the house on the market in a few months, I need the garden to look its best.

With all the warm weather we've been having this late in the year, my bulbs are totally confused and some have come up already (broken through the layer of mulch). An overnight frost now would be bad actually, but the overall good of the garden would be preserved, and only some bulbs may be lost.

Still, I am not holding my breath for a winter wonderland in Durham.

Maple View Farm

Just back from Maple View Farm for ice cream. It is quite hot today - near 80F. A summer day in November, that's for sure.



I ordered my usual - double chocolate ice cream with strawberry sorbet in a waffle cone. Kelly usually gets the same, but this time ventured for the chocolate orange. Mom went with Chocolate Almond.

We went for a walk around the countryside, and then realized we may be walking on someone's property. Then minutes later, a truck drives up the gravel road we were on, and once the truck was near, I asked the driver if we were walking on private property. The lady smiled at me and said "yes". I asked if it was ok that we were on her property, and she replied, "yes" (again smiling). What a warm and lovely person.



Actually, it seemed the lady was just driving her truck back home to change vehicles, because moments later she came back out on the gravel road to her house, this time in a car. She stopped by beside us again and we chatted again, all clearly enjoying the surprisingly baking hot autumn day.



The drive up to Maple View Farm was very scenic with tree-lined streets in full fall colour, and the road lightly covered in leaves, with rays of sunlight breaking through gaps between the trees and casting intermittent beams of light - as if driving through a tunnel. Unfortunately there was no sufficient shoulder on the road for me to stop the car and take a quick pic. (you know how trigger happy I am).



We got back home after three hours outdoors in time for Ethan's next feed. Mom cooked Sweet and Sour Pork with mixed vegetables for lunch, while Kelly and I bathed Ethan, and then Kelly breastfed the little guy. Before Noomie's sleepy eyes re-opened (he usually gets all sleepy after a full stomach), he found himself again in the car seat, as we were all out (twice in one day, woo hoo!) this time to A Southern Season in Chapel Hill. Mom bought a quite posh tin box of gourment chocolate cookies for a gift for when she returns back home (Singapore? Israel?).



Before we retreated home, we stopped by Whole Foods to pick up bread and tea, and Mom bought a Tiramisu cake - probably to celebrate the birth of Baha'u'llah tomorrow!

My night is still not over, as I have to pick up Dad from the airport at 10:35pm. They are doing a lot of work on I-40 and traffic is reduced to one lane (actually less than one lane - using the shoulder only!) and I expect at least 40 minutes delay, which means I have to leave in ten minutes.