Raccoon bathing beauties

It's summer! Yea! It's July 26th and it is finally summer! I spent the afternoon in the pool with my kiddos and had such a lovely time. The flowers all around the pool are in bloom now and just a blaze of color. I'm thinking I might have to have a few slips off some of them come next spring.........

I have been cleaning out the basement and came across a little wading pool that I had for the kids when they were smaller. I washed it all out and brought it up on the deck for the raccoon babies to play in. They more then obliged and I caught a few pictures tonight. They aren't real sharp as I took them through the window but you'll get the idea. This is our entertainment around here in the summer time.

This is Mom testing the water.

Hey look, I'm in the pool!


Last one in is a rotten egg!

Hey! This Cool Whip container looks like a fun pool toy!

Let's see if I can get my hands on to it!!

Yea! I've got it and it's all mine!


Oh rats! I dropped it in the pool!

They are so cute and mind their mom so well. She puts up with just so much and then they get a little swat and a growl!

Was just over to my friend Pea's at Pea's Corner and she told about a great give away over at Bellamerecottage.blogspot.com. Spencer is giving away an abundant of cute things so go on over and throw your hat in the ring! I have tried and tried to put the button on here but Blogger is being a stinker and won't let me. I'll try again tomorrow when Blogger may be in a better mood!

Story Land 2009

It's been a while since I posted anything. The nice weather that we have had scattered here and there has kept me outside enjoying the sun. We are back into a rainy pattern now, it's just amazing how much rain we have had this summer. It has really hurt the tourist industry and probably will for some time to come. Who wants to come to Maine if it's going to rain practically every day? This is unusual though so hopefully it won't scare everyone off for too long.

Hubby and I decided to take the grands on a little day trip last week. They have been wanting to go to Story Land in New Hampshire so we took off about 7 AM Friday morning. It's about a four hour drive with a few pits stops on the way. We were armed with umbrellas in case it rained but it was sunny and hot, just perfect!

We walked around looking at all of the sights and going on the rides. Well, except the ones that get you soaked! I can do without walking around the rest of the day in wet underwear!

See the fake horses?!! Back in the day they had the real thing.

We rode inside the pumpkin.
I remember this spider from years ago. You set on the stump and the spider comes down. Actually you set on the 'tuffett' as it's about Little Miss Muffett!

Poor Grampie got elected to go in the twirling turtles! I would have barfed!


One thing they had fun learning was how to milk a cow. You had to pull just right to get the water to come out and they got pretty good at it, good enough to squirt each other in the face!

Guess that's enough about Story Land for now. It's a great place to take younger kids, very clean, safe and lots to do. When we were taking Son at that age we always stayed overnight at a motel nearby but seeings as Son and DIL were leaving the next day to go to Boston we wanted to get the grands home the same day. We got back about 7 PM. Everyone was tired but it was well worth it. Oh and BTW whoever invented the dvd players for cars should be paid a mint! They sure come in handy on long trips! :o)

Fishing Fun

Another glorious day today. Mom and I went out and checked out all of the flower beds to see what has survived all of the rain. The veg garden is the pits, I will be lucky to get anything at all out of it this year. :o( I went out to feed the boys at 4 as Funsize and I were going to ride tonight after dinner but now it is raining to beat the band so guess that is out.

Hubby and I rode for about an hour and a half yesterday. Well I rode and he drove Kipper in the cart. We are doing really well with the diet and exercise routine for them and Lil' Bud is showing some improvement. I had to take the girth up a notch on the far side as his belly has gone down some! Yey!

Saturday we went to the lake for the first time all summer except for putting in the dock. It was very windy but sunny and warm and we enjoyed every minute of it. We took D out fishing for sunfish and he had a blast! He caught quite a few and we put them back in the lake for future fishing expeditions.

This is what camp is all about!



My two favorite ankle biters!

He got chilly so put on one of Grampies camp shirts.

They didn't catch anything off the dock.

We've been having some nightly visitors that are as cute as a button. I knew it was about time for the raccoon moms to start bringing their babies and sure enough they have been coming each night. There are six in all, don't know where the other one is.

Doesn't take long for the boys to come in when I ring the dinner bell.

Happy Monday!

Summer Has Arrived!

The last two days have been just glorious! The rain and the fog has left us with a beautiful sun that we hadn't seen in quite some time. I have been mowing up a storm enjoying the warmth of the sun on the back of my neck. I do have a farmer tan, I guess it's better then no tan at all which looked like what was going to be the case this summer!

The horses have been laying in the sand in the riding arena soaking up the sun and snoozing. The first time I looked out and saw three of them laying there it startled me! Lil' Bud doesn't seem to like to lay out in the sun like the ponies, I have yet to see him stretched out in the sand.

The same day that mom squirrel came into the sun room we had another visitor. See the peanut in her mouth.

A blue jay had flown in looking for peanuts and then couldn't get out.

He perched up on the air conditioner for a while.

Finally he came down on the window sill and I caught him in my hand. He was biting my finger but it didn't hurt at all. I took him outside and opened my hand and off he flew into the trees! I can just hear him telling his fellow blue jays of his close call with the giant that lives in the house.

I know they have a bad reputation but I think blue jays are so pretty. The blue with the contrasting black is stunning. I won't be leaving the door open any more to watch the back deck antics but had some antics in my kitchen a couple days ago........

We have a kitty door so that Noodles and Munchkin can come and go as they please during the day. I close the garage up at night so they can't get outside but those doors are open during the daytime. I was out mowing and came into the kitchen and low and behold there was mom raccoon eating dry cat food out of the cats dish!!! She had come in through the kitty door!!!!! She looked at me like what are you doing here and kept on eating. I wanted to scoot her out but wanted to show Mom and Dad first so went over to get them. She was still eating away just as calm as could be! I shooed her out and closed the garage doors so hopefully she won't get in again. I wish I had taken a picture but I was more concerned in getting her out of my house! :o) Never know what's going to go on around here.

I love the way the buttercups and daisies grow along the pasture fence. This picture really doesn't do it justice, it's just a mass of yellow.

Also get a lot of daisies which are so pretty. The horses don't eat them and I don't mow them as I love how they look. Notice how wet and muddy the poor pasture is!

Nick had his eye on something.

Lil' Bud having a snack. He's lost some weight since this picture but still has a ways to go.


Cute little Skippy. :o)

Don't know what we would do without our tractor! Does that mean I'm a redneck because I love my tractor???

Time to make an apple pie before dinner so I guess I'd better get at it. Hope you all are enjoying some of this sun and have a wonderful weekend!

Soggy Wednesday

Can you believe I just turned the heat on in the house? It's July people, this just doesn't seem right does it?! It's raining again today, it has rained almost steadily for over a month with just a 'sprinkling' of sunny days thrown in! I couldn't resist using 'sprinkling'! Rock Star Pony down at Mrs. Mom's is going to send Kipper up his water wings to use, thank you RSP!!

My pastures are taking a beating with deep hoof prints all over the place. Will have to roll the little front pasture as it's a mess with mud up over the horses hooves. Can't use that one right now, it's going to have to dry out a lot before I can. The vet says there is a lot of rain rot going on and laminitis. The new grass has so much water and sugar in it and is hard on the horses. I'm limiting the pasture time for my guys. Funsize puts them out about six in the morning, I put them in for the afternoon and then they go out for an hour or so after supper while we do night barn chores. They are used to being out for 12 hours a day but not now. I've had enough founder to deal with and don't want any more.

Things sure are quiet out in Bloggsville! I tried to play Pay It Forward and only got one dear soul to play, thank you Needled Mom!! Comments are few and far between and I miss them. Thank you to those that do leave them. I know blogging isn't all about comments but they are a fun part of it aren't they? It makes me feel connected to my friends all over the US, Canada and UK. Linds over at Rocking Chair Reflections wrote a really nice post about summer and the quietness of blogging, she has a really nice way with words that I could only wish for.

Yesterday on our way home from Miss T's riding lesson we were stopped at a stop sign and Miss T said "Grammie look there's a deer and two babies"! I hadn't even noticed, neither had Mimi, Miss T's other Grammie! We watched them for a few minutes but by the time I got the camera out the twins were hidden in the high grass but you could still see mommy deer right by the corner of that building.

We also have nightly visitors. Two moms come to clean out the bird feeders and feast on marshmallows and peanuts each night after dinner. One mom is now bringing her babies with her and they are so cute. This one is sitting right on his little be-hind! They will clean up every seed with only the peanut shells left to be swept off in the morning. Hummmmm........this reminds me, Hubby asked me a month ago to get the porch painted.........oops!

As I said yesterday was Miss T's lesson. The rain had stopped long enough to get the hour in thankfully. It was cold though, my feet in sandals were freezing by the time the lesson was over. Is this July or October?

A nice easy canter.

Going through the keyhole, make that pony canter!

There's a new pony at the barn. He is so cute and what a sturdy pony! He was used for eventing before he came to be a lesson pony so he is rather headstrong at this point. He will be schooled by the stable owner and gals like this one that are more advanced riders.

Well Miss T and Cousin K just got up so I guess I'd better get some breakfast going. They spent the night after we celebrated DIL's birthday. I cooked steaks OUT IN THE RAIN but they tasted good and I guess I didn't melt. Happy Birthday to the best DIL in the world!! We struck gold with this one!