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Baby chucks are showing up regularly at the buffet now.
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And though this little guy had apples and blueberries to choose from…
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He went with the baby carrots.
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Time and time again.
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😊
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Baby carrots for baby woodchucks.
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Outdoor Mer.
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Finished with the indoor tour of Chateau Sur Mer, we headed outside.
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The original estate was 40 acres, but in its current preservation status , 17.
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There are some wonderful old growth trees.
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With low hanging branch seating.
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There aren’t any gardens here,…
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Just expanses of well manicured lawns and trees.
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But there is a moon gate.
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Though the gate is locked and the stairs to the top are cordoned off.
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This is as high as you can climb.
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Giant burl….
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Or hobbit hole?
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Either way it was a lovely place to stroll.
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😊
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She does it on purpose.
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The red bitch is alive and well…
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And driving Lord Dudley Mountcatten crazy.
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She scampers all over the back deck to get his attention…
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Then perches on the back of a chair in front of the window, chattering nonstop to taunt him.
So close, yet unattainable.
It’s a kitty’s worst nightmare.
😉
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Upstairs Mer.
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Continuing up to the second floor of Chateau Sur Mer in Newport ….
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We had to stop and gawk on the way.
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Fabulous woodwork aside, the hand painted crawling vines, lattice and greenery were quite something.
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No one is allowed on the third or fourth floors…
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But there’s plenty to see on the second.
This is the Butternut bedroom, so named for the light walnut bed and furniture.
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As always, the ceiling was so much more than white.
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Various bedroom and private sitting rooms for the family.
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You realize when you tour these mansions, the first floor is for impressing guests…
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The second is for day to day living.
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This mahogany and white tile bathroom is exactly as it was back in the day.
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With hot and cold running water it was pretty high tech.
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Except for the throne, which looks more like an indoor outhouse.
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Here’s the staircase to the third floor which we couldn’t access, though my husband did try.
😉
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Cue the color.
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It’s early June in Maine and that means rhododendrons.
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For a pure burst of color they’re hard to beat.
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And I’m not the only one who loves them.
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Dozens of big beautiful bumblebees happily sip nectar.
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It’s a lovely time of year.
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More Mer.
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As we continued our tour of Chateau Sur Mer, a photo of the original 1852 home and the subsequent 1873 renovation.
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This portrait of the owner and his daughter creeped me out a bit.
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I can’t give you any specific reason, just an overall vibe.
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The dining room was a focal point of the home , with the upper part of the walls covered in Spanish leather that was stamped, silvered and painted.
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It’s all original and in relatively good shape.
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The matching chairs show a lot more wear.
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The fireplace carvings were lavish.
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With French majolica portraying disturbing scenes of a hunt.
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Cavorting Bacchus figures are enjoying some wine…
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With this amply endowed creature pouring.
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This sculpture gazes longingly at an iced tub of champagne and I got the feeling a lot of drinking went on here.
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Chateau Sur Mer is a house of exotic wood. And in order to prevent it from fading, most of the heavy drapes in the house are drawn. This made for some very dark photos and required me to edit them here so you can appreciate the richness.
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The butlers pantry was fully stocked.
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With some absolutely amazing silver.
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Nothing I own is anywhere near this elaborate…
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And I still have a hard time keeping it polished.
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I wouldn’t doubt there was a servant whose sole job was keeping this collection shiny.
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Finished with the downstairs …
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We made our way around the central hall …
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And headed for the staircase, which was a work of art in itself.
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When the kids get on your last nerve.
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Momma woodchuck has four children this year, and they’re keeping her busy.
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Like any overworked mother, there are days when she just needs a break.
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Times when she wants to ditch the kids who hound her and follow her everywhere she goes.
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On those days?
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She just has to climb a tree.
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Didn’t think woodchucks climbed trees?
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Beleaguered mothers do.
😉
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Chateau Sur Mer
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Day four Newport, Rhode Island trip, part two… morning balcony selfie.
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First thing on the agenda that day was Chateau Sur Mer.
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Meaning Castle By The Sea, the home is a landmark of High Victorian architecture, furniture, wallpapers, ceramics and stenciling. It was the most palatial residence in Newport from its completion in 1852 until the appearance of the Vanderbilt houses in the 1890s.
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One of the first grand “cottages” on Bellevue Avenue, its lavish and extravagant parties ushered in the Gilded Age of Newport.
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From the outside it felt almost gothic.
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And beside the front door?
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One of those marvelous ancient weeping birches I keep admiring.
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This one had a canopy that delivered you into another world when you ducked under it.
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It was fabulous.
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During a conversation with a docent on our previous trip, we asked him which of the mansions was his favorite.
Being a woodworker, he said Chateau Sur Mer.
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Just a few steps inside revealed why.
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A three story 45 foot ceiling with broad balconies draws your eyes up.
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The Italianate library was designed and built in Italy, disassembled and rebuilt here for the owner, William Shepard Wetmore, whose portrait is in the foreground.
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The owl was shocked.
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The home is one of only a few year round residences and I cringe to think what it cost to heat.
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The marble hall served as an exhibition space and gallery for art and sculpture.
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The ballroom was also known as the Gold Salon.
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As the walls and moulding are highlighted with gold leaf.
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Elaborate entertaining was done here.
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With some guest lists exceeding 2,500 people.
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Now I know why people sell their homes with these included.
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The very last thing we had to move to get ready for new flooring ?
Was the very worst, hands down.
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Treadmills are big, and bulky, and heavy, and awkward as Hell to move.
Much thinking and strategizing went into the process.
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Yes, the tread itself could be raised.
But it wouldn’t fit out the door… even with the door removed… in its entirety.
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Which is when tools were employed and breakdown occurred.
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Or tried to occur because try as they might… they couldn’t figure out how.
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I spent the next half hour on the phone with Nordic track customer service… who, may I just say?
Suck the big root.
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They didn’t help at all, and didn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know.
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After a lot of hassle, the two parts were separated.
Kind of.
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Annoyingly they were still connected by the electrical wires with no clips or disconnects in sight.
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Which means the top half was precariously balanced on the bottom half and squiggled down the hall.
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Turning was not fun.
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And at one point the husband got stuck. Which, I’m ashamed to admit…
Was a little bit fun.
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Placed on a sheet in front of the den couch is where it landed. Completely in the way of everything.
His Lordship?
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He gave the treadmill a try.
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But exercise isn’t his thing…
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So he found a towel free cushion on which to shed more fur.
🥴
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A rustic winery and a first rate second choice meal.
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Next stop… Sakonnet Winery.
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We’re not big wine drinkers but it’s the gift of choice for our cat sitting neighbor… and we have to keep her, and therefore His Royal Highness, happy.
😉
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It was a lovely drive and just when we thought we’d never find it…
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A very large cat.
This winery is way off the beaten path and after a long dirt driveway…
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Another large cat.
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And a large bull.
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There was a barn.
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Some outdoor seating.
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And a tasting room.
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Where we paid $25 for four very small pours.
None of which we really liked.
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But it’s Rhode Island, what do they know about wine?
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Continuing on, we went in search of food.
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Past some lovely old homes in Tiverton.
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Sadly, when we arrived at the much anticipated and highly reviewed Boat House restaurant…
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It was packed to capacity and there was a two hour wait.
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Which is when we turned back and found an unassuming little place called Fieldstone’s.
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It was crowded as well but we snagged a seat at the bar where I ordered a spring Cosmo.
Ketel One vodka, watermelon pucker, fresh strawberry, fresh lime, and a splash of cranberry juice.
Tasty, and potent.
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My shrimp scampi bruschetta appetizer was amazing.
Sautéed shrimp, capers and grape tomatoes in a lemon garlic butter sauce and served over garlic Parmesan toast.
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Husband went with shepherds pie, which was swimming in a rich brown gravy unlike his mother’s bland recipe. I considered that a win, but boys like their momma’s cooking so he was unimpressed.
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On the other hand, my sherried chicken? Ooh la la!
I’d drive four hours from Maine just to have it again.
Sautéed chicken breast with chopped bacon, caramelized onions and crumbled bleu cheese in a creamy sherry sauce, served with mashed potato and broccoli.
Yum!
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River's world..... 