All posts by rivergirl1211

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And now, back to our regularly scheduled program…..

December 7, 2018 rivergirl1211 34 Comments

Vacation posts are over, (for a while anyway) and it’s time to get back to normal, every day nonsensical blogging.

I have lots of odd stuff to catch up on , so let’s get started shall we?

#1… A while back my husband had his truck restored and painted. It cost a fortune, but he loves that old thing. And apparently, so did this robin.

Every morning at 6:00am ( before the snow started to fly) this bird showed up.

He’d hop all over the bed, then the cab… pooping on everything.

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He got very aggressive and fought off other birds if they flew too near.

The little bastard even dive bombed me a few times.

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#2… And speaking of dinosaurs,

We had a visiting Pterodactyl.

(Okay, it was a raven I named Roderick, but damn. He was big.)

*Note to self – buy bigger bird bath.*

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#3… I saw this in a parking lot last month –

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Clearly this man had been waiting for a long time.

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#4… Good news!

I finally found a pair of jeans made for ~~women who eat too many double stuff Oreos~~ real women.

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#5… Remember the mutant brain abomination that was growing on my driveway?

Well, we came home from vacation….

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And found it dead.

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It had turned brown, shriveled up and fallen off it’s stalk. Which was quite a relief.

Until I started thinking that maybe it just….

Hatched.

#6….. You know it’s Christmas time in Maine when you see the holiday trees popping up everywhere.

Of course, in Maine… trees are made from lobster crates, so make of that what you will.

#7…. And speaking of Christmas, here’s a great gift idea from Vermont.

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Because nothing says I love you better than a wheel of cheese, and a cow you don’t have to clean up after.

You’re welcome.

Homeward bound….

December 6, 2018 rivergirl1211 46 Comments

Yes, we’ve reached the end of yet another vacation series.

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We checked out of our Vermont mountain resort and walked by the required giant Adirondack chair….

Which had a non required tiny snowman.

With horns.

As we were leaving I noticed this sign…

And thought, damn.

The only reason I left mine at home was the lack of decent parking.

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My husband had serious barn envy on our drive home…

Which is easy to do in Vermont.

And farther down the road, I saw another interesting sign.

Clearly Hula Hooping is a road hazard in the Northern Kingdom.

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The mountains loomed in the distance….

And made for quite a scenic ride.

Sadly, the Water Wheel…

One of our favorite lunch spots…. was closed, and we had to make do with a local watering hole.

(For Martin, who constantly gripes there aren’t enough food photos.)

A decent clam chowder for me.

A mediocre French onion for the husband.

A really good turkey club for me.

And some nice homemade chicken fingers for the husband.

(Happy now Martin?)

We ate our meal under this watchful eye…

And elected to pass on the specialty cocktail.

I love bacon (and bourbon!) as much as the next girl, but bacon bourbon?

No.

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Yes.

Yes we are.

The Vermont vacation is officially over.

The Dog Chapel.

December 5, 2018 rivergirl1211 32 Comments

If you love animals, grab some Kleenex.

If you don’t… move along, you’re not my people.

The Dog Chapel, on Dog Mountain, built by dog artist Stephen Hunecker.

This is Stephen, and his dogs.

The following is the story of his near death experience…

And a few words about the special space he created.

I’d heard of this place, but wasn’t quite sure what to expect.

A chapel… for dogs. Okay, got it.

But I hadn’t.

The pews are hand carved and supported by dogs.

The stained glass is hand made…

And filled with dogs.

But what takes your breath away as you stand in this unassuming little building….

Is love.

And an outpouring of grief so heartfelt, I wept.

Non stop, for the entire time we were there.

The love surrounds you.

Engulfs you.

From floor to ceiling, every single inch.

People from all over the world come to this obscure little spot on the map to leave pictures and memorials to their beloved 4 footed friends.

If you’ve ever loved a dog, this place will move you.

If you’ve never loved a dog, this place will move you.

It was silent, and haunting….. and beautiful beyond words.

The loss is palpable, and deep.

But the love?

The love is overwhelming and chokes me up even now.

So I left a memorial of my own, for a very special beagle we had when I was growing up. Hiram… my father’s steadfast companion. Who happily romped the fields and gardens with him in the good times, and lay devotedly at his side through the bad. The dog that was inconsolable when my father was hospitalized with heart attack after heart attack… as if he knew.

Hiram.

His death was the only time I ever saw my father cry.

Oh, yes…

Yes they do.

The Stephen Huneck Gallery

December 4, 2018 rivergirl1211 12 Comments

The Dog Chapel has long been on my list of places to visit in Vermont, and while I would have preferred to go in warmer weather and walk the lovely nature trails… we happened to pass the sign so I screamed, “Let’s go!”

Up a steep hill, and over a narrow and rutted dirt road you’ll find a 150 acre farm.

The Chapel…

And a frozen, peed upon pumpkin.

(I’m guessing dog, but wouldn’t put it past my husband.)

There’s also a gallery/shop that houses the owner’s folk art, which as you might guess….

Is clearly dog-centric.

There are dog chairs…

Dog benches..

Dog lamps…

Dog borders…

Dog railings…

And dog mounted trophies….

Don’t laugh…

It beats the trophy mounted vegetarian on this butcher shop wall.

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Even the bathroom was dogged.

It’s pretty clear the artist loved dogs.

And why wouldn’t he?

They’re marvelously talented creatures….

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Bugs and dinner.

December 3, 2018 rivergirl1211 19 Comments

Please note I did not say bugs for dinner. That would just be weird.

Although, admittedly…. a 3 piece cockroach musical ensemble would have been stellar.

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No… I’m talking about the last (and best!) part of the Fairbanks Museum.

Bug art!

I turned the final corner, and came face to ~~mandible~~ face with this beauty.

Isn’t it wonderful? I would totally display this on my front lawn, and perhaps pet it as I walked by.

As you can see, it’s a little large for the living room.

So while the husband was examining some ancient knives and swords, ( He glanced at the bugs and kept on walking. Go figure. ) I delved deep into art made from bugs.

Apparently it’s pretty rare, as evidenced by the fact there were only 8 pieces.

And if you’re not a fan of the creepy crawly…

You might want to scroll down to dinner… which thankfully, was bug free.

But if you’ve always wanted to see a beetle and moth likeness of Abraham Lincoln?

And George Washington?

I’m your girl.

Yes, those really are all bugs.

And bug art really is a thing.

Ain’t it grand?

General Pershing thinks so.

And so do I.

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Now for the (boring in comparison) food part of the blog.

Dinner was at a highly recommended little place called The Creamery….

Which, to be honest, felt like someone’s basement.

The bar was full of locals who gave us the stink eye as we walked in…

But the margaritas were large and tasty….

And while the menu was small, everything we had was perfect.

From the crispy green bean appetizer….

To the goat cheese and maple vinaigrette salad…

My fresh, succulent baked scallops with stir fried vegetable medley…

And the husband’s perfectly prepared shrimp scampi.

I would have loved to try their dessert but…

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I hate when that happens.

Stay Spot. Stay….

December 2, 2018 rivergirl1211 17 Comments

The Fairbanks museum has something for everyone.

Samurai helmets?

And swords?

Check.

And for those who are as fascinated as I am with the rich history of Japan…

There were dinosaur fossils…

And mastodon obedience training manuals….

Somehow I doubt that turned out well.

There were more dead fine feathered friends..

And a display about sheep back in 1840…

Which begs for the old saying –

Vermont! Where men were men.

And the sheep were afraid.

Although from the look of the numbers, maybe the men should have been afraid.

The rotating exhibit was a collection of photography from rural Vermont.

They were quite good, but I won’t bore with you with photos of photos…

Except for this one.

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That was my reaction too.

I was beginning to rethink my “Isn’t Vermont a quaint place to live?” attitude. I mean, really? Who cuts off their wife’s hands, nails them to the barn door and then photographs them?

Who?