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I walked outside this morning to fill the bird feeders and found this.
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A pile of feathers.
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Having a hawk who uses our backyard as his personal hunting ground, this isn’t unusual… but seeing this around noon was.
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A young starling made numerous trips to the pile and gathered all the feathers in his (her?) beak.
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I’m sure they make wonderfully soft nest liners…
And are the perfect example of Mother Nature’s ability to recycle.
❤️
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We visited my husband’s uncle in the hospice last week. He was in good spirits…. laughing and joking with the nurses.
When we visited yesterday? We were met by a nurse who said we weren’t allowed in his room and then ushered into the chapel.
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We were told to wait here for someone to come talk to us.
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We waited and a woman we hardly knew, someone my husband’s uncle called ‘niece’ but wasn’t actually related, came in to inform us the uncle had taken a turn for the worse a few days before and was totally unresponsive. The end being near, his son was flying in that day from Florida and left instructions no visitors were to be allowed.
Needless to say we were beyond shocked.
Barred from seeing him. Barred from saying goodbye.
It was all I could do to stop my husband from storming the beachhead.
Since the son is legally next of kin and has power of attorney, the facility listens to him. There was nothing we could do.
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Except cry.
I did a good bit of that.
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The husband and I stopped in for a late lunch in between nursing home and hospice visits the other day.
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It’s been an emotional roller coaster lately so we happily filled them up and drank them down.
But it went straight downhill for me when my husband ordered his appetizer.
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For a woman who loves lobster but came up allergic to it 10 years ago?
This was pure Hell.
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😩
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I love to read.
I love Lord Dudley Mountcatten.
Sometimes… these two loves collide.
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Why my little guy finds it necessary to mark certain books is beyond my ken, but he certainly seems to enjoy it.
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It’s fiddlehead season and Mainers go absolutely nuts for this peculiar green.
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Basically they’re just new, unfurled fern fronds but people guard their harvest locations closely and take the secret to their grave.
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Lord Dudley Mountcatten is still demanding his morning coffee.
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Cats. They’re creatures of habits too.
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The sides of Maine’s highways are turning out to be perfect places for solar farms. Panels are popping up everywhere.
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In case you were wondering just how big the giant roof lobster on top of the restaurant that sells the giant lobster roll actually is.
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You can’t use it, but I’m still putting it out there.
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Geese are territorial little buggers, and while I’ve never been personally attacked, I do tend to give them a wide berth.
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Good call Al. Neither do I….
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Maine’s state bird is the Chickadee… and you will pry him from our cold dead hands.
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Damn. My complaints about the red squirrel seem somewhat trivial now.
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Yes, after owning his current BMW sedan for barely 2 years my husband has decided he wants a new vehicle.
And by new… I mean my husband’s version of new which is usually 20 years old. He’s rough on vehicles and puts a lot of miles on them quickly so while I buy new, he doesn’t. Which is why he always wants a different one every few years. He plum wears them out.
His current car is a 2006 and since he’s on a BMW kick, the next one has to be as well. Tired of him constantly buying and selling I persuaded him to go a little newer this time. Ya know… preferably in the last decade. It was a struggle but I convinced him to draw the line at 2014. Nothing older.
I also leaned heavily on the idea of an SUV. River’s bad knee has had enough of climbing out of low slung rides.
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We found this blue one..
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And took her for a spin.
But the porridge was too hot.
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We found this brown one and took her for a spin.
But the porridge was too cold.
We drove for 7 hours that day randomly hitting car dealers and private sellers. The result? Those two.
Apparently the BMW X3’s are a rare breed in our part of the world.
The search continues…
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Twenty one years ago… when we moved back to Maine and bought our house in the country, I gazed across the road at the giant empty field and dreamt of cows.
Yes, I’m that person. The one you take on road trips who points out the window and yells cow! every time she spots one.
I’m not sure why. I certainly didn’t grow up with bovines in New Jersey, but I’ve always found something immensely soothing about watching cows graze quietly in a meadow.
As you know, the property across the road was sold to an organic vegetable farmer… and while over the years he’s had goats and chickens and ducks, nary a cow has been spotted.
I’d given up my dream of wandering across the street and making hooved friends.
But last weekend?
I spotted something wonderful next door.
Something I never thought I’d see….
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Woot!
Cow!!
Well, a two week old calf to be precise… happily munching our neighbors front lawn. One ecstatic phone call later I learned he’s actually a class project for a grand daughter. Feed and raise a cow? That was never part of my school curriculum, but yay!
Our neighbor told me she has a feeling the adorable (cow!) project will more than likely be a permanent resident when all is said and done.
And I am beyond thrilled.
Cow!!!!
💕
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We’d spent the afternoon with my SIL at the nursing home. It was her birthday and we brought flowers, a gift and a balloon. Her daughter, sister and other brother were also there.
We had cake.
We tried, but she was having none of it. She didn’t want us there, didn’t talk to us, didn’t enjoy any of it. And while her attitude was sad, a part of me felt it was also selfish. There are people in that home who have no one. No hot and cold running visitors bringing them everything they ask for. No devoted daughter taking care of their bills and legal issues. No flowers, no balloons, no celebration. Yes, her situation is sad… but stewing in self pity and being blind to those trying to help is no way to live.
Anyway… after that?
I required an adult beverage.
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Passion fruit lemon drop to the rescue.
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With a large rooster keeping us company.
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Appetizer for the husband was baked cheesy meatballs.
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Creamy corn chowder and a grilled pineapple margarita pour moi.
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We were dining at the Tuscan Bistro which rarely disappoints.
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Shrimp scampi with fresh fettuccini for the husband.
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Shrimp risotto with tomato jam, corn, roasted red peppers and a strawberry Sangria for me.
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Both were fabulous and filling…. but not filling enough to pass up the Tiramisu.
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Perfect!
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After a year of hemming and hawing.
A year of deciding and then changing his mind.
A year of yes he will and then no he won’t.
He finally did it.
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One final rub down …
And then.
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He put her on the front lawn for sale.
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It’s been a long time coming. We really don’t ride much anymore and throwing $1,000 into her every year to counteract the inactivity wasn’t doing her… or us…. any good.
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So the husband finally agreed to let one of his babies go.
We put her out on the lawn at 2:00 in the afternoon. At 2:30 I listed her on FB marketplace and Craig’s List. At 3:00 we got a call from a man with cash.
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The next morning at 10:00am she was gone.
I think my husband is still in shock.
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River's world..... 