3 Inches

Three inches...that is what we are struggling to keep the water levels below in our basement.  Thanks to hurricane Irene, Lee and Katia we have the makings of an indoor swimming pool.

Today we woke up to more rain, checked to see if our sump pump was running and then left for work.  Well about 30 minutes into our work commute, my Dad called to say he stopped in to check on us and found the sump pump was on and "humming" but not pumping.  So back home we went to hook up our second pump.  Justin and Dave, my pseudo-father-in-law, took the other one apart and got it working again. Currently we have one pump draining into the built in drain in the basement, the other is pumping out through a hose out the basement window and into our driveway.

My neighbor says that our basement never took water, but I have a hard time believing that.  All I can say is that although I am frustrated in my own flooding situation, I am totally heartbroken for those in Schoharie, Schenectady, Middleburgh and the surrounding townships who were attempting recovery but are yet again under water.  If you have not yet donated and are unable to assist physically with the relief efforts, please visit the Red Cross online, stop by your local Price Chopper, or call your local fire department to inquire as to making a donation.

Furry Friday: Vocabulary

Earlier this year there was an article published in the Huffington Post about a border collie named Chaser breaking the world record for demonstrated comprehension of a 1000 words.  This of course is amazing to me.  Heck, it's amazing to me what few words my little fur-child seems to have a grasp of.  Just last night he was chewing on his cow loofa and I said "Riley, you want to play?"  His head perked right up and he brought his toy over.  Just to see what word it was he perked up to, I said "play" a few more times which caused the same head-jerk reaction and subsequent tail wag.  Apparently he understands play, which got me thinking about all the other words I believe he understands:

• Bed
• Work (when I say I have to go to work, he goes in his crate)
• Red Guy (another toy of his)
• Cow
• Dachshund (another toy of his)
• Eat
• Bone
• Snack
• Dinner
• Breakfast
• Cheese
• Girls (referring to my sisters)
• Grandma
• Grandpa
• Mommy
• Daddy
• Sit
• Stay
• Easy (if he's playing too rough)
• No
• Up
• Hugs
• Kisses
• Out
• Come
• Now
• Let's go in
• Asparagus (he learned that when I said this, we were going to the patch to pick it)
• Truck
• Water
• Wait (we tell him to wait while we're picking up his #2, otherwise he runs and rips your arm out of your socket while you're doing so)
• Cuddle

I'm sure there are more but these 32 are just the typical words I use with him every day that he seems to understand just perfectly.  What a little smarty pants.  He makes his momma proud. 

What do your pets do that amaze you?

Vino

What do 16 pounds of pears, 3 gallons of water, and 10 pounds of sugar have in common?  In combination with some yeast, pectin, and a few other powdery substances: they can all be used to make wine!  This year's crazy weather has resulted in a very full pear tree, as opposed to last year when we maybe harvested six.  So what's a girl to do with an over abundance of these little green guys?  That's right.  Make wine.

Last year I bought a wine making kit to use with the peaches we harvested. My first attempt ever at processing wine came out pretty good. A little drier than expected, similar to a riesling, but pretty good none-the-less. This go around I am aiming for a sweet pinot grigio.  The key to this process is successful racking: filtering stages that reduce the fruit sediment and yeast yielding the clear liquid known as wine, aka Vino.  Plus, I have read that with pear wine you typically add in about six cups of honey midprocess.   I am no expert, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express once.  So, that's the game plan.

About three months from now we shall have a finished product.  I am a firm believer in planning ahead so I'd like to solicit ideas for names starting now.  Get your creative juices flowing and leave a comment.