Tuesday thoughts

Noodles is here on my desk giving himself an afternoon bath. Why he chooses this spot each time I am on the computer is beyond me but I like the company. Munchie never jumps up on my desk but will lay in the chair that is nearby. They are very different. Noodles is all 'let's get this game going' and Munchie is quiet and reserved. She likes to lay on the sofa beside me in the evening if I happen to be watching tv.

I was very tempted to bring home another cat from the Humane Society today. In fact I had her right in my hands snuggling her into my neck. She is a gray fluffy with with some white on her face. Adorable. I put her back though and decided to check with the other half of my household before I brought another animal into the mix. Not sure if Noodles will be too rough either as he plays very hard with Munchie. To be continued.......

I haven't posted in a while. It just seems like there hasn't been anything exciting around here to write about. I think blogging kind of goes in peaks and valleys. Sometimes there is so much that I could write every other day and sometimes like now it's pretty bleak. I've noticed that lots of people are posting less often then usual. Maybe it's just because it's summer and we are all out in the sunshine or rainshine which ever you have at the moment.

I don't know if this picture was taken in Maine or not but it could have been so I'm going to claim that it did. Can you imagine using a full grown moose to yard wood? This is just amazing! The story says that the moose wandered in one day and stayed. He is not fenced in or anything and comes and goes as he pleases. He leaves for a few days sometimes, probably cruising for chicks, and then comes back. The man has taught him to yard and he does it willingly. Now ain't that something? (No, I don't usually use ain't in my vocabulary but it just seemed to fit in this instance) :o)

One thing that did happen in Maine recently was hilarious if it wasn't so ridiculous. A man had been drinking and wanted some more beer. He didn't want to take the chance of driving his car to the convenience store so he drove his riding lawn mower! He DID get picked up for OUI, you can't drive drunk on a lawnmower either! Only in Maine! Sure wish I had a picture.

Living life in a small town.

I just noticed that I have had 411 posts! How did that happen and I missed it! Guess I'll have to have a give away for a belated celebration. I'll give that some thought and let you know.

I noticed that I had a post all written in the draft section that I never posted so I think I will post it today as I don't have anything exciting going on around here. Well rain, rain and more rain but we are down 3 inches of rain for this year so I guess I'll take it. I wrote this post last year when T had her art show so don't be confused. :o)



Hubby and I went to Miss T's art show/ice cream social tonight. The gymnasium at the junior high was filled with pictures and art work that the Kindergarten kids have been working on for some time. We got there early as we knew it would be mobbed once everyone got out of work and headed over. We got to see everything, take pictures and enjoy the festive atmosphere before it got too crowded which was nice.

We were commenting on the way home how nice it is to live so close to our kids that we can be involved in all of the activities that they are in. It was a warm spring night, everyone was out strolling their little ones, walking their dogs, people were sitting on their porches chatting and the little ice cream shop was having a lively night of customers sitting at the picnic tables enjoying their treats.

I love small town living. I think I have said that before in this blog but I just have to say it again. I like going into the grocery store and knowing the cashiers by name asking them how their kids are doing or is their mother feeling better from a bout of the flu. I like running into people I know and chatting for a few minutes, getting caught up on the latest news in their life. Of course I always run into someone I haven't seen in ages when I dash to the store in my gardening clothes with no make up on and hair standing on end. It never fails.

But you know what, it doesn't matter. People are just glad for a warm greeting and a friendly smile knowing that you sincerely are concerned about them and not asking just to make polite conversation. You know how we quickly say 'how are you doing?" and then just go onto something else like the price of gas or who's cat laid eggs under who's porch? (just where did that old saying come from?!) In small town living people really seem to care and have the time to listen when someone needs a shoulder.

I love how the fire department has put up the flags along the road going into town. I tried to get some pictures on the way home but they just didn't do it justice, guess I need a wide angle lens for that. It makes me feel good every time I come into town and see all of those flags flying in the wind.

I love the sayings on some of the businesses and churches. I go by St. Joseph's each day and their sign says 'Catholics Can Aways Come Home'. I go by the Baptist Church and theirs says 'Our Lord Reigns'. The little motel on the way out of town says 'Sleepy People Wanted. Isn't that cute? I always use that motel as a landmark for delivery people trying to find my street, I'll say, you know that motel that says Sleepy People Wanted and they always know which one I am talking about. Now the sign also says WIFI too. Does that mean Internet service?

Our Hometown Band has concerts every week in the summer. People sit on the grass or bring their lawn chairs and listen to the music. Little kids are running around chasing each other and having a ball. The older folks enjoy the music of the 40's or the patriotic songs and sing along some with their hand over their heart. It's free. Just show up and have a good time, that all they require.

I always loved Friday night football games when Son was in high school. He was number 58, I can't remember what I did 5 minutes ago but I still remember his football number. Go figure. The air was always nippy so you had to wear plenty of warm clothes and bring a blanket to sit on as the metal bleachers were cold. You could always smell the hot dogs and onions cooking in the concession stand and it made my mouth water. You knew practically everyone there. The leaves on the trees had begun to change color. The high school band was pounding out Louie Louie. The orange and black uniforms with their white pants showed up well under the lights. We didn't always win but we had a great time cheering our team on. Winning is more fun though, I always felt bad for the losing team whether it was ours or the opponents.

Anyhow back to the present. I keep going back and forth like Lost. I still don't know what's up on that show. I think I am going to give up on it. T's Field Day is today and we will be there loaded down with cameras, lawn chairs and bottled water ready to cheer on the cute little ankle-biters as they run their races and all the other competitions of the day. To be able to do that is a real blessing for Hubby and me. We mention it often.

You played golf with WHO?!

The rain has moved in on us. I'm not really complaining as we need it but those days of warm sunshine were just so nice. I got all of my plants in the ground finally, my containers planted with annuals and my small veggie garden put in. The one thing I didn't do this year was to put out six hanging baskets on my front porch. It got so late that I couldn't find much left to pick from that matched so I decided not to get any. I've lived in this house for 16 years and this is the first year I haven't had something hanging there but it is what it is.

Son and Hubby had a fun time yesterday. They flew down to Massachusetts to play golf with the New England Patriot's at their annual fundraiser! They were some excited about that! I sent Hubby loaded with cameras but they weren't allowed to take any pictures or ask for any autographs. :o( They did take a couple of pictures for each of the participants and put them in a nice double frame to bring home. Of course I had to take it apart and scan the pictures so that I could share them with you. Hummmmmmm.....I wonder if the scanner police will be coming after me.......

Can you pick out which one is Hubby? He said he felt awfully short while he was there!

This one has Son second from the right and a few of the others that were there. I guess once again you can tell which ones are the football players.

They had just a great time with the players, it was a day to remember for anyone here in New England that loves football. I wasn't invited......sniff sniff......

Miss T had another riding lesson today. She had been a bit nervous about doing much cantering and I was wondering if she would even do it but she cantered her little heart out and did a great job. I really liked this lesson as there were only three in the class, she was the youngest but the other two weren't that much older. They were chatting away and having a great time. The instructor took a piece of yarn and tied it around one of their pinky fingers and the horses bit. If their hands got up too high the yarn broke so this let them know they had their hands up too high and helped them keep their hands low where they are supposed to be. Miss T's only broke once when she reached up to scratch one of her eyes. It really did help the girls be conscious of where their hands were positioned. I didn't take my camera as it was supposed to rain but I wish I had to show how you how this worked as it was pretty neat.

While out on our date day last weekend Hubby and I stopped at a great place near the coast that has fabulous kitchen items. I had been wanted to stop there for some time as they have lots of things that you can't find anywhere else. I have been online drooling over the different colors that the Kitchen Aid mixers come in now and wouldn't you know they had them there at the store! Yippee! I had to come home with the yellow one to match the walls in my kitchen. Now isn't this just the 'purtiest thang' you've seen in a long time?

Guess that's it for tonight, got to go tuck the boys in and make sure they have enough hay to snack on. Kipper's diet is coming along pretty well, he's getting more exercise and less treats so hopefully he will slim down a bit. He's just so darned cute!

Splish, Splash

The weather here in Maine has just been glorious the last week or so which is such a delight after all the cold we had there for a while. The only good thing about the cold is it keeps the black flies at bay and when you have a hot flash it feels good to be only 37* outside.....ahem..... With that said I still love the nice warm sunny days of summer to be outside and getting a little tan.

Yesterday after a nice date day Hubby and I headed over to the kids house through the woods in the Rhino with bathing suits in hand. The water was crystal clear and felt sooooooo good. D was there with Son and was in that water with us before you could blink and eye. Now this little guy doesn't have much body fat to keep him warm and after about a half hour his little lips were purple and his teeth were chattering but he kept going. With Grammie and Grampie all to himself he was having a blast!

They have a great slide for the kids. It has high sides so is much safer then the old slides and it is a corkscrew which makes it even more fun. D loves his slide as evident in the many times he went down it while we were there.

The kids have done a beautiful job finishing up the pool area. Last summer they put the pool in and built the tiki hut and this year they did the landscaping and walkways. I think it came out really well and they will have many years of fun in the sun right in their back yard.

Miss T was busy with Mom having a yard sale. Each summer the whole neighborhood gets together and they all have their yard sale on the same day. I think there were 16 families all having a sale and the streets were mobbed! This year Miss T decided to have a booth to sell iced tea, popcorn and homemade chocolate chip cookies courtesy of Grammies kitchen. :o) I made a big double batch and she sold every one of them. When she cashed up at the end of the sale she had made over $50.00! Her Dad told her that next year she should franchise out to some of the other kids in the neighborhood. My little entrepreneur. :o)

A Happy Ending and Please VOTE!

Computer time has been a bit scarce these days. Summertime around here is a lot busier then winter. Lots and lots of grass to mow and right now with all the rain we have had it's growing like the proverbial weed.

Still haven't put my annuals in as there is still a threat of frost. I think this is a record for me being this late getting things planted. I did get some white and yellow daisys planted along the front of the house but they are in big pots and are hardier then the little seedlings. I don't think a bit of frost would bother them.

My vegetable seedlings are still on the sun porch waiting to be put into the ground. Maybe tomorrow. I keep reading about how so many of you have these wonderful veggies already and am rather jealous! :o)

A couple posts back I mentioned that I had a happy ending story. Well here it is. My yard man was working over at my husbands office building putting down new mulch for the summer. As he was working he noticed a female mallard wandering around the parking lot with one wing hanging down rather pitifully. He tried to catch her but she just stayed out of his reach, all the time with this dangling wing.

He called me to see what could be done so I called the animal control office which turned out to be closed on a Saturday so I called the Police Dept. to see if they could help. Well it seems they don't handle ducks and gave me the number of the wildlife department. I called and talk with a very pleasant warden who was quite a distance away and couldn't come to the office immediately so he said he would call a wildlife rehabilitator who would contact me.

He called and he and his wife said they would meet me at the office after she finished bottle feeding a baby raccoon and a baby squirrel. T and I went over to keep an eye on the duck as the yard man had to leave. Well wouldn't you know when we got there we couldn't find her! We hunted all over the grounds and around the building and parking lot and no sign of Mrs. Duck. Rats! I had this couple driving here from quite a distance and now couldn't find the duck.......

They drove in shortly after that and I explained the situation so they got out and we all started looking some more as we knew a duck with a broken wing wouldn't stand a chance against predators or dogs. Finally he asked me if we had checked in the shrubs around the building which we hadn't so that's where we all headed next.

The nice man hollered that he had found her under one of the shrubs and reached in to grab her with his cage nearby to put her in. Well, wouldn't you know shew FLEW about 20 feet away and then stood there looking at us. He looked under the shrub again and there was a nest with 12 eggs in it! She wasn't injured at all she was just trying to lure the yard man away from her nest as he had been putting mulch within a foot of her nest!

Of course I just happened to have my camera with me in case of a good photo opp so here are the eggs. You can't see them all but trust me there are 12 in there!

The rehab man said they looked like they were hear hatching and to not tell any of the 60 people in the building where the nest was so that it wouldn't drive her away.

A few days later I called one of the managers there and asked her to just peek under the shrub and sure enough they were all hatched out except one and the whole family had moved on! Yea for Mrs. Duck!!

I took Miss T to her riding lesson yesterday and she was happy to be back on little pony Divit. I tried to catch a picture of the two so you could see the difference in size. This is T on Divit on the right hand side and Duffy the horse she rode last week on the outside left! Quite a difference!

Sweet little Divit is almost 30 years old. I didn't know that until yesterday! I thought she was in her teens!

How do you like the new hoodie that I found in one of the many horse catalogs that I get? She thought it was a hoot! What you can't see is that the sleeves on her arms are rolled back, if you want to keep your hands warm they roll down with a hole for your thumb and the ends of your fingers. I wish they'd had them in my size!

Hubby and I are planning a date day on Friday. Of course we will be going to the coast as it's our favorite place. I hope the sun is out this time so that I can get some pictures. Last time it was rather foggy on the water.

I got an e-mail from Jo-Lynne my niece at Musings of a Housewife today and she has fallen behind a bit in the Best Philly Blogger contest and needs our votes!! It only takes a few seconds and you can vote every day till the end of June. Let's give her a boost as she is very active in the blogging world and this would be a major win for her!! Thanks so much I appreciate your help!!!!!! xoxo

http://gocitykids.parentsconnect.com/parents-picks/philadelphia-pa-usa/best-philadelphia-local-blog