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Hi there! I'm so sorry that I have been absent for a couple of months!! If you follow me on Facebook (Susan Zarzycki) you will know already that my Dad had a bad fall the first of December, a day before his 89th birthday, and ended up in the hospital and is now in the Island Nursing Home. You will also know from reading past posts of this blog that I post more about my time on an Island in Maine where I grew up than I do about my home town of Bethlehem, PA. We do live in a pretty spot here in the mountains but it just can't compare to the scenery on the Island. A shame I didn't appreciate "my" Island when I lived there for 21 years altogether. I married a Canadian and we lived in Quebec for several years, in Ontario for several years but in the end we moved kit and cabootle to the Island and then in 1980 moved to Pennsylvania. A lot has happened in all those years both good and bad, but by far my greatest accomplishment would be my two children and the legacy carried on through my four wonderful grandchildren. So, enough of history. 

 When I got the message about Dad's fall I immediately thought of my mother who is frail and not able to stay by herself.  Add to that the upheaval in her life of no longer having her husband of 69 years with her at home anymore and you will be able to understand my concern. So, I have been staying with her on the Island but I do come home monthly to have an eye injection for my Macular Degeneration. I try to find someone to check in and cook for her, etc so I can stay at home at least 10 days. Right now I am at home here at Deer Run but will be heading back to the Island on Sunday. I do miss my hubby, children, grands, and pets. Speaking of pets these are the 2 that I miss the most. Dolly Sue and Lucy Belle. 
What loveys they are!! They were thrilled to have me home and haven't left my side or my lap since. I have made a point to stay at home as much as possible before I have to leave them again. While I was gone hubby had to contend with lots of shoveling, plowing and deicing when they had the 30 inches of snow in what is being billed as the worst storm in many years. A picture is worth a 1000 words so will show you what he had to deal with...
This was a couple of weeks ago now. In the meantime, lots of mild temps and rain has obliterated all the snow. In fact, I was out walking the dogs a couple of days ago and what did I spy all over the place?  The prettiest sight in an otherwise bleak and dismal landscape-

LIFE ON THE ISLAND




December and January set records as being the mildest that anyone in the area could remember. Especially when the years before was the coldest and snowiest. I was able to get out for walks around the cove  and snapped pics left and right. 

It has been many years since I have been on the island in Winter. I think about 30 at least. In the Summer the area is over run with summer visitors and transplants that Summer there every year while going south for the Winter. Consequently, the freedom to walk around without worry about whose land you might be trespassing on brought back memories of my growing up years when all the land belonged to everyone no matter who owned it. We could come and go as we pleased and no one would get their nose out of joint. So, I snapped pictures of houses and views and art work that I would not normally have access to in the Spring, Summer, and Fall. 

Then we got really COLD weather with 2 significant snowfalls. The wind howled around the house and the windows shook... I kid you not! 


My "Nest" that I stay in in the summer. I thanked God I was in a nice warm house looking out at it!

It wasn't long before we saw blue skies again.  

Before long the fishermen were out and about and I was packing to go home. "Home", where exactly IS home??


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