Merry Christmas!

 Attending the Night before Christmas has always held some magic for me.  This year we met the folks coming into the lobby with our caroling and even asked if they wanted to join us.
The candle-lighting is so warm and friendly while we sang Silent Night, but prior to this, the message from our Pastor Kathi Busch clarified our relationship with GOD.

The Worship Team singing "Joy to the World"

To You and Yours!

 

How the cover photo was created.  The last image we took of Daisy in September needed some artwork to maintain her looking at the camera.  This time was no different.  Daisy needed to be prompted to look at the camera, therefore I snapped the image of she and Sue together (first one).  Unlike the September image seen earlier in this blog, we did several images of all of us together, knowing that Daisy wouldn't have the "look" that we wanted (see below).  Instead of dropping another image of Don or Sue and layer masking it to fit, we just moved another head of Daisy into the image to add that special look.  The border I used was from a beautifully lit tree from Longwood Gardens, also below.

Daisy watching me (used her head)

Daisy not looking (used us)

Decorated Tree from Longwood Gardens





Down to the Wire...

As we all go about our shopping, wrapping and preparing for this years' Christmas, perhaps we should reflect on some of the outstanding times of our life that occurred this year and how we can thank the LORD for each.  We are thankful for our health; the church in which we worship (RiverCross) pictured here; the time with spend with our family & friends; and most importantly, each other!

Feeding the hungry in New Castle has been my desire for the last year.  I have began a team of caring individuals who have similar feelings. Our RiverCross Food Closet has fed over 100 families in the last year and I thank the team members and our church congregation for bringing the food for all to enjoy. 



Milk & Cookies for all the kids....even some big kids!

Each year we celebrate the birth of Jesus so we can give each other a gift symbolizing the gifts given to Jesus as he "laid in the manger."  Perhaps this year we could make this gift of caring for others in our community, our gift

throughout the entire new year.



2015 Christmas Reality

On the way to becoming a solar user, we needed to remove a maple tree that was in our south-east sector and greatly affected the sunlight that fell on the top of our roof.  The tree was 75' tall and had three trunks, and many exposed roots that our John Deere tractor didn't enjoy running over.  The stump is showing in the second image, but what isn't available is the size or a person to lay across the trunk to show its full size.  This trunk will be cut up on another day by the same folks who took the tree out.

When the tree was completely cut down, all the limbs (wood) were place in an access area for our neighbors' son to load into his pickup truck.  He made 2 loads on Tuesday and 2 more loads last night.  I heard he has split all the wood and estimates a total of 4 cords.

Also the roof is being renewed in the areas where the solar panels will be placed. Two hearty souls are climbing the ladders and taking off the old roof and replacing with new 50 yr shingles as I write this.

I suppose this is a Christmas present to us.  We use electricity to heat our home along with gas heaters in the basement and camera room that I installed years ago.  Some of our neighbors are seeing as much as 80% off of their electric bill in the summer time, and not quite as much in the winter when the sun is behind the clouds .  We hope to judge the performance of the few panels (14) we are installing before we add more in the spring.
This past summer we visited a nearby home that had 28 panels installed.  We noticed that the electric meter on the side of the house was running backwards.  The owner smiled, and said he hasn't paid an electric bill for two months. We also noticed that he had a swimming pool and hot tub.  
This is the feeling we would like to have... watching the electric meter run backwards!


working side by side for the first hour

November ReCap!

Pulling the raw water pump to rebuild

As the weather is beginning to close in on us, we are trying to complete most of the boat projects as possible.  It doesn't look like we will even start the insulation of the refrigerator at this point; mostly because Don doesn't have the weather or inclination to begin it. The full cover is on, but let's not use this as an excuse.
The insulation is the one item that is necessary for us to go cruising again and not worry about low battery amp-hours. We'll just have to begin early in the spring to finish this project.  

Sue & Daisy enjoying the sunshine

 

Don on his birthday waiting for Daisy to blow out the candles

Our RiverCross Life Group working together on their service project to feed 130 persons for lunch

Sailors get together at the Sloan's new home


As November comes to a close, we have celebrated Don's birthday, (undisclosed #) our anniversary  (37yrs).  

For the first time in many years, we celebrated Thanksgiving away from home. We joined daughter Karen and her husband Carlos and our two granddaughters Miranda and Savannah at the Kalahari Water Resort Park in Pocono Manor.

 



mother & daughter

The Dipres Family

 



 

October/November (winterizing & projects)

 






besides using a preventer, Sue likes to see where we've been

Jubilee came north on October 29th to spend the winter on her cradle at Delaware City.  There was lots of excitement while making this trip.  It was the first for our newly adopted Daisy Girl and we had fog and wind at our backs to make everything interesting. 

We had so much fun watching as Daisy decided where she wanted to hangout on the boat.  Her #1 spot was in the salon next to a few cushions and #2 next to mommie anywhere she was.


best in Mommies' arms

waiting for a car carrier to pass

It was an above average day with temps in the seventies & nice winds from the southwest that sped us on our northern journey up the Chesapeake, into the C& D Canal and into Delaware City.  As we approached the Summit Bridge, I noticed that the train bridge was down...apparently waiting for a train to pass so we used this time to drop the mainsail and flake it into the stackpac.  I went down below to pickup the binoculars and Sue hollered out that the train was passing.  We pulled into the Delaware City Canal in time to lower the main onto the deck and place it into its' bag to store until Spring arrives in 2016.  I rowed against the current to the boat ramp and we loaded the dinghy onto the trailer to bring home for the winter.  Many non-boaters don't realize the lengths we go to prepare for the winter and if our situation were different this fall, we may have gone South. 


We found that Daisy loves to perch on the bow to watch passer-bys

we have our own night light at the marina

flaking the mainsail on the deck

Domestic water is finished and ready for freezing temps

winterized Jubilee with Sue's help



the boom is down & protected

This winter we will be replacing the insulation in our refrigerator so we will use less amps to cool our food during the summer months.

Daisy is taking part in RiverCross "trunk or treat"



 









Navigating October

Hasn't the weather been exceptional this month!  With highs in the mid-seventies and some cooler mornings, we have been given time to work on our homes and boat.  Don had his arthroscopic knee surgery on September 22nd and has been going to PT most of this month to stretch out his hamstrings and quadriceps.  That is until last Sunday when he picked up the Flu bug somewhere and he has been sidelined most of this past week.  Tamiflu is wonderful, but expensive.  Perhaps a flu shot would have been more effective and less expensive.

Daisy has been a wonderful addition to the family, except in times when she becomes stressed and she shows her ugly past.  We resort to using the crate/cage that we bought before bringing her home.  We probably will never know anymore about her past, but we know she is slowly forgetting those terrible thoughts of biting our hands.

We'll be bringing Jubilee up to its' winter storage next week and then the projects begin and continue through the winter.

 

Welcome Daisy!

Since after losing Pixie, sleep was so hard for me and many tears before falling asleep. I finally asked Sue if we could adopt another dog, but not to take Pixie's place in our life - just begin with her own life.  Daisy came to us on September 15th.

 

On September 14th I felt an urge (God driven) to look for another companion in our life.  I was moving around the different SPCA sites in and around Delaware/PA/NJ.  We had our hearts set on another Cockapoo, with the same coloring as Pixie.  I made many calls that morning and many times I was told that "this dog is not available."   I saw an image of a light colored small dog listed in the Camden-Wyoming Delaware SPCA.  I called an asked...I was told she WAS available, and that she was a poodle mix. I was so excited and we left home as soon as we heard this news.  The left image is one of the first taken of Daisy when we visited with her.  After arriving at the SPCA, we met and walked a time with Daisy...a handler was involved and explained that there was needed paperwork to be filed.  Sue and I filled out all the paperwork necessary and went to the car to talk about adopting Daisy.  Time passed and we shared many of our moments with Pixie when we first met her.  We sat in the car for 1 1/2 hrs and when we decided to adopt we were told it was too late in the day to take her.  We were so let down and on the ride home we thought of all kinds of reasons to pass on her.

When we awoke on Tuesday, 15 September, I said today is the day we bring another girl into our lives!!  Both Sue and I were excited...I called the groomer across the street (Hair of the Dog) from the SPCA and asked if they would have the time for a short session of just taking her overgrown coat down to an inch or so. Becca answered the phone and wasn't the groomer, but she said it would be Ok.  She said she would ask Melody who was the owner.  Driving to Dover on Route 1 took so long... I stopped at the groomer's salon to again ask if it was alright to bring Daisy over for a trim.  Melody said she had quite a few large dogs today, but explained that she would fit her into the schedule.  Wonderful -- Great!!
The time at the desk with the folks at the Dorothy M. Gooden SPCA Building didn't take as long as we expected, however, when we arrived, I asked if I could go to Daisy's cage to see her..."oh sure" they said and I hot-footed it over to her cage.  She was up on the plastic step that is supported by a PVC piping looking kind of upset.  Her hair was damp with urine and she seemed hurtful since we left the day before.  I told her we had come back for her and asked if she was ready to come home with us. I reached just passed the metal cyclone fencing material and she tried to bite my fingers.  I withdrew in time, but still wanted to give her a chance to let us love her.

We drove across the street and walked into Melody's Salon.  I held Daisy up for Melody to take her and I could smell her uncleanness.  Since Daisy just had been spaded five days prior, a bath wasn't a good idea since dogs aren't stitched anymore, but glued.  She could be infected or worst if the skin separated if she got it wet. Melody did a super job on Daisy and used a dry shampoo on parts of her that needed cleaning.  We were so grateful!  Melody would not accept payment because of her closeness with the kennels across the street.  She felt each dog should find a home and doesn't charge for those that she cleans up.  We set an appointment with her in the time necessary for Daisy's glued area to heal. 

Here she is sitting on my lap just like how Pixie did when she was young

One Month and Counting...

So many thanks for your cards, letters and Facebook postings to help us through this time after Pixie's death. 

We treasure these caring notes you have sent!  As you can see, we had Pixie's ashes placed in this memorial box to be kept in our hearts and placed in our living space as long as forever turns out to be.  I have asked to have her ashes mixed with mine when I pass.

 

 

One Week Afterwards...

Yes we have completed just one week after Pixie died.

Many of our friends have sent us cards and letters and we've received some flowers too.  We have tried to stay alive, but as evening rolls around we are reminded that our little girl isn't to be found.  We miss her terribly!  Sue has removed most of the beds, covers and toys that Pixie once played with.  Our fond memories are hidden away.  I am on the verge of tears constantly as it is hard to remove her from our life in such a short time.  We hold hands in bed and cry together to sleep.  Pixie will be a hard memory to forget.

From Harry & Joan

Pixie Died Last Night

 

On National Dog Day, August 26, Pixie passed away with both Sue and I at her side at the Red Lion Veterinary Hospital. Just 15 years ago, Puppy Pixie at 6 weeks old was examined by Dr. Wm. Southard Jones the founder of RLV.  Now both he and Pixie have been laid to rest. Pix is perhaps the smartest dog I've ever known; we will miss her happy eyes and joyful expressions!  Pixie mannerisms ran abundantly here in her home.  We loved caring for her and will miss those times when she needed to be carried upstairs (she never liked the wood steps) or at the 10 PM hour when she wanted treats before bedtime. Oh yes bedtime...we both placed our hands on her and when on the boat we snuggled constantly.
Early in her life she was bitten by a territorial black lab; she barely lived through this with a total of 17 stitches inside and 17 outside to close the wound. 
Healthy most of her life until melanoma was discovered on August 15, 2014.  The many visits with oncologist Dr. Ann Jeglum in West Chester, Dr. William Riddle's hyperbaric oxygen chamber visits with his wife LuAnne in Port Deposit, MD, and close care of surgeon Dr. Dina Schofield of Stoneback Veterinary Associates in Oxford, PA were the professional folks who cared for her.

She was so loved and of course she went along with everything because WE were with her. It was a horrible 6 months since March, 2015 when her weakened radiated skin on her right cheek broke and exposed her jawbone and more. Since her skin was not healthy, it could not cover her face. We did realize a whole year more with her after the cancer was detected, but she wasn't herself during this past year and her quality of life suffered terribly. We owed Pixie this deadly needle to stop her suffering, but it is a far better way to go than to continue to see her hurting.   Pixie adored us as much as we placed her in the center of our lives!  I know the crying will stop sometime, but we'll never forget her and the good times we had before cancer came into her body. Pixie's loving attitude was focused on both of us all of the time. 
 

She is in GOD's hands and we have been praying that we'll see her again!
Bless you Pixie Girl, we love you so!

Last day of radiation treatment 10/2014



Our beautiful baby girl - Aug/2000

Frequent visits to the boat

Love the Pixie Kisses

With Miranda 2006



Crystal loved to groom Pixie when we had a special occasion



Pixie's babysitter Geri will miss her dearly



Park image of the Pix after a family session

Watching the Westminster Dog show

Studio portrait with squirrel toy that Kathy Wright gave Pixie for 2005 Christmas

Will miss her terribly






beachcombing in the Exumas with Pixie

Renewing our visa in the Bahamas





At Big Majors Spot Exumas

I love spaghetti too...and she did!

haircut time aboard Jubilee






She loves ice cream

In the studio

With Grandson Jimmy - Sept 2014












On Jubilee - 2010 - the good years