On this cold winter's day ... paging femmocrat

[In_The_Wind]

I know how much you love butterflies.













Come join me at the bonfire.

[femmocrat]

1. I would love to, In_The_Wind! Beautiful pictures!

Maybe it would keep us warm! Thank you!

On a sad note though... it isn't looking too good for our beloved Monarchs. Their numbers in migration were way down this year. They need milkweed to survive and it is getting harder for them to find due to stupid humans. I didn't see one monarch this year, although we do have milkweed growing along the fence. I am going to look into converting my perennial bed to a butterfly garden this year. Hey DU, the butterflies need us!


http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/24/sunday-review/the-year-the-monarch-didnt-appear.html?_r=0

[In_The_Wind]

7. That's very sad news. We saw very few Monarchs here in New Paltz.

I'll add Milkweed to my garden in the spring. There's plenty at my old house but I'll start anew here. For something that we once thought of as weeds they're pricey at Lowe's by the gallon size pot. I remember how fragrant they were. It'll be worth the investment.

[antiquie]

8. The California 2013 Thanksgiving Monarch Counts ends today.

Pardon the interruption, my husband lived in New Paltz 1970-1972 and he wanted to know if Smittys near Clove Valley was still there...that's all I've got and a cup of hot tea.

[femmocrat]

10. Pull up a seat, antiquie!

In_The_Wind has made a huge bonfire!

[antiquie]

11. Thank you.

I have tea, still-warn oatmeal cranberry bars and my medication:

This morning it was 35 and topped at 58, I am a very spoiled California girl.

[In_The_Wind]

19. It's gone but not forgotten ...

New Paltz, New York
Posted by Word Doctor on 2009-01-30 04:55:04
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Smitty's Bar played a fundamental role in my adolescence, I guess I can only return there in memories or on Google Earth. Many a summer spent with a pitched tent... started by hitch hiking up the Thruway starting in Riverdale, then getting to New Paltz, stopping at the diner for a burger (or the Jack in the Box for junky Tacos... Yum), working up the road to Albany Post Road (incredible canopy of trees made the last stretch nearly embryonic journey) then to Smitty's, slough off the back pack, buy a Rolling Rock, knock it down, buy a half dozen more and out the back to the nature park Smitty let folk "camp on"... a few hundred yards, sloughing off clothes until reaching the icy stream buck nekkid, clothes in the pack, find a spot, pitch a tent, roll a joint and wait for the others to smell it and join me. "Naturalist"? Uh uh. "Nudist"? Nope. Just an incredible bunch of incredibly nekkid people, from all over, all walks of life, some gettin' high, some shooting dope, some doing acid, some playing music, most just hanging and digging it all. Rotating bunch of gypsy hippies, lots of familiar faces, some new ones each time, nobody knew how to get there but to just go. High as a kite, going down the natural rock slide that skinned the butt but felt sooooo goood to land in the pool at the end. Rain storms taught me better to be naked in the rain than damp in clothes. Occasionally Smitty on horseback comes by, otherwise, nobody here but us chickens. Was it real? Was it all hallucination? Don't know, don't know anyone else to validate the memories. Maybe better that way ... but making love in the great outdoors is too sharp a memory for it to be all imagined. Anyone else to validate? To share? Post it here. Halcyon days, end of the Vietnam War, draft numbers... Pink Floyd in the Ummagumma stage, not the slicked up Dark Side stuff. Gone With The Wind, I guess.

http://www.hippy.com/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=76




Let's hope the Monarchs don't share the same fate!!!

[antiquie]

20. Wow, that is just what hubby described.

Thank you so very much.


Still too soon for our 2013 counts.
http://www.monarchprogram.org/monarchs-estimated-at-overwintering-sites-since-1997/

[Aristus]

2. Enough room around the bonfire for one more?

[In_The_Wind]

3. Always room for good company?

Did you bring a bottle of wine or perhaps some brandy?

[Aristus]

4. Both!

What would you like?

[In_The_Wind]

5. Brandy ... please

[Aristus]

6. I'll just put the snifter over the candle for a few minutes...

It'll be warm soon enough...

Femmocrat? For you?

[femmocrat]

9. A warm blanket and good friends here with me is all I need, Aristus!

Great to see you at the bonfire!

[Aristus]

13. Glad to be here...

Look at us! A bunch of liberals around a campfire.

All we need now is a chorus of 'Kum-Bah-Yah'...

[sheshe2]

12. Brandy and Fire?

I'm in~

[Aristus]

14. Cool!

Great to see you, sheshe2!

[sheshe2]

15. Now that will surely chase away the cold~

I thank you Aristus, it is just what the doctor ordered!

Cheers.

[Aristus]

16. Or the Physician Assistant...

[In_The_Wind]

21. We'll be keeping warm here all winter, please drop by anytime ~ sheshe2

[sheshe2]

22. Why, thank you, In_The_Wind~

I'll bring my guitar~

[Locut0s]

17. Room for one more?

I'll bring some hot dogs to roast.

[In_The_Wind]

18. There's always room for you.

We'll start a search for sticks to whittle for those hot dogs.