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Half the new soffit is up and a support pole was placed.
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Because I don’t want to be forced to paint them every few years, PVC column wraps were purchased, for a ridiculous $200 per.
Were they easy to wrap?
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They were not.
Especially when the sun was mercilessly beating down.
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Trying to escape the heat…
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Cutting was done in the garage.
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One pole wrapped but moulding not yet added, husband moved on to taping off the windows.
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Progress is slow, but it’s progress.
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Because you never know, it might be fun.
I’m stealing a prompt from our local library this week.
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I’ll start.
Neo – The Early Years.
(That’s a Keanu Reeves-Matrix reference for those of you who are confused)
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Mom Said Don’t Eat The Brown Ones.
Always good advice.
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One Pill Makes You Larger, And One Pill Makes You Small.
Not that I would know anything about that.
😈
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Your turn.
Give me an incorrect title.
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Lord Dudley Mountcatten heard something in the woodchuck burrow .
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Lord Dudley Mountcatten investigated.
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On the other end of the woodchuck burrow?
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A woodchuck.
Lord Dudley Mountcatten switched sides and waited on that end.
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Which meant a woodchuck popped up on the first side.
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So His Lordship switched sides again and waited.
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And finally, after Lord Dudley’s servant was tired of standing in the heat and about to drag him back in the house….
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Interspecies communication.
Disclaimer – no woodchucks (or cats!) were harmed in the making of this blog.
😊
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I love my town.
We’re small, rural and delightfully quirky. It’s all about community and neighbors helping neighbors.
Our food bank serves home cooked meals on pick up day and has coffee and pastries for patrons .
Our recycling barn has a “gift shop” where everything is free.
The farmer’s market is a great place to support local businesses, buy organic produce, bring home handmade goodies…. and now?
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Apparently you can partner with a cabbage or eggplant and cut the proverbial rug.
😉
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If you remember, I’ve been fruitlessly shopping for coffee and end tables. Ever since we got the new living room furniture I’ve been looking but not finding. Just when I was about to give up and resign myself to living with the old beaten up pieces…Amazon to the rescue.
I never thought about looking there for decent furniture. Figured it would all be pressboard and veneered crap. But when you’re desperate? You take a chance.
I started with the smallest end table.
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And it wasn’t half bad.
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Simple to assemble and made from surprisingly solid wood. Since I had good luck with that, I ordered the second slightly larger end table.
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Mission style, which blends nicely with the new dining room.
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With a drawer and shelf in surprisingly nice hard solid wood.
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I’m so tickled with the quality and remarkably low price, I’m going to order the third and largest piece for in front of the couch.
I’m thrilled.
My husband? Not so much…
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Since he’s the one who has to put them all together.
😉
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Meet my new car.
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A 2025 fully loaded Subaru Forester touring.
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Crystal pearl white…
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With the swanky two tone leather interior and suede inserts.
And if that’s not sweet enough? She comes with Easter eggs…
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How fun is that!
No, I’m not in actual possession of her yet. She had to be special ordered from the factory and will arrive in 6-8 weeks.
I’ve never owned a white vehicle before. And before you say, “Oh, it will show all the dirt!”, I’ve been driving black and dark charcoal grey for 22 years… trust me, they show all the dirt as well.
This purchase required intense negations, at which… let’s be honest, I suck. Thank God for my husband who hates the new car purchase game but loves to haggle.
We went into the office where our salesman gave us a final price… and my husband balked.
The assistant manager came over, lowered the price by $1,500… and my husband scowled.
The sales manager appeared, lowered the price by $2,500… and my husband started to walk out.
The top financial guy got into the mix and lowered the price by $3,500… and my husband did walk out.
We went to lunch, during which time the manager called and lowered the price by $4,000, saying that was the absolute best he could do. When we went back to the showroom… my husband said lower the price by another $500 or we’re out.
Mind you this particular car is flying off the lots. We couldn’t find a single one in the entire state. I also added a few extra options.. splash guards, moon roof air deflector etc. but when my husband has a number stuck in his head, you’re not going to change it.
The top guy was summoned. He hemmed and hawed, fiddling with the numbers trying to come up with a way to discount the price further. Turns out Subaru is running a charity drive for local schoolchildren until the end of this month. You purchase 10 school supplies for donation and they take $500 off the price.
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We went to Target and purchased 15 fun school supplies.. and bam! My husband got his $4,500 off a brand new car.
Is it any wonder I love this man?
💕
My current Forester is Ethel. Named by my late mother. My new beauty will need a name as well… any suggestions?
You have 6-8 weeks to dazzle me with ideas.
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When the thermometer is reading temperatures this high?
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You ditch yard work and take a road trip west.
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To the lakes region, over the Naples causeway.
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Through Bridgton…
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Past ski slopes that look a little strange in the summer.
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To a premier pub in Lovell, Maine.
Any similarities between my husband and the pub sign mascot are purely coincidental.
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Ebenezer’s is famous for its extensive beer menu and hand blown glass taps.
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It also has a buzzard on the bar.
It’s hard to top that.
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They’ve won multiple awards and though they’re small and off the beaten path… those in the know, know.
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Belgians.
A white for the husband, a geuze boon for moi.
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I love their vintage signs.
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And their coconut shrimp with sweet Thai chili sauce.
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Some signs are prophetic.
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Good beer, beautiful lakes.
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A perfect summer day.
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You either love them or hate them. There’s rarely any in between.
I happen to love them, even if I don’t always understand them.
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This mural is in the old downtown area of our state capitol, Augusta. It’s undergoing a rejuvenation and this certainly brightens things up.
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The Kennebec River flows through the city and the Kennebec is full of giant sturgeon, so I understand the fish.
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The prehistoric cyborg dinosaurs?
Not so much…
🤣
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Now that the decking has been laid, it was time to strip the vinyl siding.
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This isn’t as easy as it sounds when the people who put it on decades ago used nails as long as your arm.
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Sometimes finesse is required…
Sometimes brute force.
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After the siding was removed?
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The soffit had to come down.
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That was easier, but still awkward.
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It’s amazing how much dirt gets up under there, especially when you live across the street from a farmer who’s always plowing his fields on windy days .
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White on one side, brown on the other.
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Soffit.
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No soffit.
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I have no idea what this is all about.
It’s not mold, just black spray paint.
🥴
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It’s probably all useless these days, but mine is extra ridiculous.
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Ever had a dog hump your leg?
Imagine if it was an eight foot, 275 pound ostrich. Not so cute anymore.
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I’d buy that.
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Note to self – do not update to iOS 18.
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I’ve been touting hydrogen fuel for years.
I also announce “cow!” whenever we pass one on a road trip.
It’s a perfect combination.
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Is it me… or does AI seem a little too interested in sex lately?
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🤣
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River's world..... 