By request, for Mary.

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As promised, my father’s work that’s currently hanging on our walls. Please pardon the weird angles, I was trying to avoid glare and reflections.

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I thought I had two from Op Sail ‘76 currently hanging, but it’s just this one on rotation now. I believe that’s the Russian ship in the foreground and the Portuguese in the rear.

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View from our house on the Island.

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French chateau.

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View from our house on the island.

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There was originally a pair of these but my father had the other one out of its frame for a short period and the dog peed on it.

😩

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Indian Beach and Division Point on the Island.

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Early pen and ink sketches from 1935.

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Port Clyde, Maine.

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Lobster boat

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A handful of wildflowers my late mother had picked and stuck in a water pitcher one summer. Not a great work, but sentimental for me .

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Hawaii, when my father was at Pearl Harbor during WWII.

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Work around the house is never done.

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Remember when my husband bought an antique wagon two years ago?

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The one he had to build an extension on our shed to house?

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The shed extension I had to paint?

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The extension he built a door on last year but never finished?

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Well yours truly got tired of staring at bare wood and picked the hottest day of the summer to remedy that.

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Painting carefully around the hinges?

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Not fun.

Painting carefully around the handle?

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Less fun.

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But even less fun than that?

Wanting to finish … but discovering we had no white exterior trim paint.

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One lousy board from completion I quit and retired to the shade of the barn porch.

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Where my husband joined me, poured a beer and told me he’s thinking about selling the antique wagon.

The one he simply had to have.

The one that’s only been displayed on the lawn a handful of times because he won’t leave it out in bad weather or overnight and it’s a pain in the *ss to maneuver in and out of the shed extension.

I can’t say I’m surprised.

But I am a little annoyed.

And full to bursting with unvocalized I told you so’s .

🥴

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News you can’t use.

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And some that doesn’t bear thinking about.

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Yeah.

Like that.

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I think I’m doomed.

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Well, damn.

It’s going to be an itchy summer.

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If it means being able to escape the endless political news my husband has on 24 hours a day? That might be worth it.

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Gulliver’s Travels fungus?

Interesting.

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Way to go grandma.

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As one does.

🥴

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Mind numbing maps.

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Because these are highly technically and statistically sound.

😈

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See?

🤣

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Wow, I’m up a good 3 hours before most of these.

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Is it me… or are there two 48’s and no 50?

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We have a Russian community in the next town over… so I’d say chances are good you might find Boris and Natasha here as well.

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I’m wondering about this map.

Best for enforcement of drunk driving laws…. or best states to actually drive drunk and get away with it?

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I’m seeing a lot of birds on this so called animal list.

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Because I knew you’d ask … eventually.

🤣

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Let’s play.

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This may require a bit of thinking, but don’t let that put you off.

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For Lord Dudley Mountcatten?

I have two…

1. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

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When His Lordship is in full attack mode, it’s very dragon like.

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Even when there’s a window between him and his prey.

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I think you can guess this crouch didn’t end well for the tree.

🥴

2. The Big Sleep.

When not actively stalking, His Lordship excels at napping.

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Usually for 18- 20 hours a day.

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And don’t think about interrupting his slumber if you value your skin.

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We call this the do not disturb.

❤️

Now you…

What movie title describes your pet?

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What’s blooming?

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A few back yard photos from our recently blooming Japanese Iris.

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They’re smaller and more densely packed than the giant bearded variety.

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And to be honest a lot easier to deal with.

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A lovely annual burst of purple.

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And then there’s this showy shrub that blooms at the same time.

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The Weigela.

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A deep red beauty.

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A comfortable woodchuck and a frustrated feline.

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Our new storm door is Lord Dudley Mountcatten’s most favorite thing in the world right now. As soon as we swing back the kitchen door in the morning and allow him viewing access? He’s perched. Watching the world go by at perfect kitty height.

He watches birds. The rain. Squirrels. A leaf blowing by. It doesn’t matter… he’s there. And riveted.

So when I heard him cackling the other day I figured it must be something good.

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And it was.

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A baby woodchuck climbed the stairs to the landing and lay down on the welcome mat.

Right there.

In front of His Lordship.

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It was almost too much for a cat to bear.

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That little chucker got comfy… and stayed.

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No matter how crazy it drove our resident feline.

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🤣

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A cow-less cow palace, more useless crap and one mad cat.

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During a recent pilgrimage to our favorite New Hampshire butcher shop/restaurant/pub, I saw a sign for “The Cow Palace” and made my husband turn around.

A palace of cows?

You know I had to see that.

Turns out it was an ice cream shop, which is fine… I love a good scoop of coffee or mint chocolate chip.

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There was a pond.

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A barn.

A cow themed parking sign.

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And a crowned cow on the wall.

But.

No.

Actual cows.

Boo to false advertising.

😡

And boo to my eagle eyed husband who saw a sign for an estate sale down the road, climbed up to the top of their barn and came down with a broken Amish wooden scythe that he had to purchase and bring home.

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Sigh.

Junk collecting is an addiction, don’t let anyone tell you differently. And if there was an Antiques Anonymous? I’d be signing my guy up for weekly sessions.

Upon returning home we found a pissed off cat…

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Who had to access his viewing window in the laundry basket because his mother forgot to move it before leaving.

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I have a feeling I’ll be paying for this transgression later.

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🥴

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News you can’t use.

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Seriously.

No one can.

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Good grief.

Most men don’t know what to do with one.

😈

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I think I’m more concerned with how they get out.

😳

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And they’re just telling me now?

Damn. That would have been tv worth watching.

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Honey badger don’t play.

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You have to appreciate that level of commitment.

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I’m sure it was wonderful… but I’m guessing a tad over priced.

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