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A few weeks ago I bought a lovely dragon wing begonia for the Barn Mahal/man cave porch.
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Thankfully the woodchucks don’t care for begonias and have left it unscathed.
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Until yesterday when I sat down to read and noticed the evidence.
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Muddy footprints.
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All over the table.
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They don’t like begonias and didn’t nibble, but clearly it wasn’t for lack of trying….
🥴
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If there’s anyone who puts on a better show in a garden than a peony, I haven’t yet met them.
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For a pure burst of color they’re hard to beat.
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I have a few small plants in the front of the house, but it’s this old backyard beauty that was here when we moved in 20 years ago that makes the biggest statement.
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Peonies can be fussy and hard to establish.
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But if you manage it, they’re carefree beauty that will be enjoyed for decades.
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Now that the driveway renewal project is complete it’s time to turn our attention to other areas of Casa River that need help…. starting with our back deck.
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Granted it doesn’t look bad from far away.
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And the husband did replace the old wooden railings with these snazzy new metal ones 3 years ago…
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But on closer inspection you can see it’s time for a change.
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This viewing hole was not planned… just the result of dry rotted wood.
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And seeing that it was a direct result of staining this old deck that blew my knee out in 2020? I’m done with old wood.
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If you look closely you can tell this deck is actually composed of two different sized boards. On the left, the original wide planking. On the right, the already weathered, thinner cedar deck boards my husband hauled home from a yard sale because – wait for it – they were free.
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The size difference has driven me crazy for years, but since we’re if it ain’t broke don’t fix it New Englanders … it’s only now that our feet are in danger of breaking through that the whole deck will be replaced.
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With oh crap this stuff is expensive TimberTech composite boards. At $96 per I’m not looking forward to the bill, but if I don’t want to break the leg of my already damaged knee… it has to be done.
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I’m fascinated by insects.
My father used to swear he found a new one in the garden every year and I wouldn’t be surprised if that were true. They’re prolific little beasts.
Or in this case, not so little.
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I have yet to see one of these jewels, but rest assured I’ll be looking.
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This is one seriously impressive bug.
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What’s not to love?
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Okay, so I may have to hold my nose. It’s a small price to pay…
😉
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The baby chucks are growing and feeling their oats.
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Feeding time at the backyard buffet sees it’s fair share of squabbles these days.
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Carrots and apples are clearly worth fighting for.
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The little devils may wreak havoc in my flower beds… but I have to admit they’re fun to watch.
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Case in point…. the husband keeps his old garden cart in our woodshed.
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And the other day when I was out back weeding, I heard noises coming from that direction.
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Chucks.
They’re everywhere.
P. S. … did you notice my fabulous astilbe, aka false goat’s beard?
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It doesn’t look like a goat, but it sure loved all those dark rainy days.
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We spent a nice evening with some friends recently. Drinks and appetizers were shared outside in the garden.
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Which is where we met Dave.
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Dave lives on the property and hides his peanuts in dead trees.
Can you see him?
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Dave is an extremely spoiled chipmunk and quite well fed.
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He’s so well fed he came out of hibernation almost a month later than the other chippies because his larder was well stocked.
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Dave had no problem begging in front of company.
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Shy he’s not.
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And he does love his peanuts.
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🙂
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Far be it for me to blog about something useful. I wouldn’t want to break my trend…
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Finally! An acceptable use for artificial intelligence.
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You go girl.
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This will be me. Seriously, I take photos of videos of everything else… why not death?
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Times are tough, even in Hollywood.
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$248,000 a month for three teenage kids? That sounds about right.
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Well color me surprised.
Not.
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When it’s a wet and rainy afternoon you’re apt to find us in the man cave/Barn Mahal.
Sometimes alcohol is present.
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I’m blaming the Jack Abbeys blood orange wheat for that Scrabble tile arrangement.
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Red Sox game? Check.
Pizza? Check.
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Sweet Thai chili wings and more beer?
Double check.
Life is good.
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Looking out the window back at the garage, we saw a baby chuck perched on the woodshed’s extra room doorstep.
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They’ve completely taken over this little storage area and have dug such a big tunnel the door neither opens nor shuts. Good thing there’s nothing in there we need to retrieve…
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As we were leaving the A1 diner the other day we noticed a large group of people gathered on the bridge spanning the river next door.
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It only took a moment of looking down to realize what they were all there to watch.
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The sturgeon were spawning.
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If you’ve never seen a sturgeon take my word for it, they’re a big strong fish.
As I was taking this video some young men were on the far bank fishing. Since the sturgeon are a protected species this is highly illegal and a woman on the bridge starts screaming at them to leave at the end of this clip. Keep an eye on the water, one of the sturgeon jumped near the end.
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It was an interesting way to end the afternoon.
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Just a few glimpses into our backyard.
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Baby chucks are nibbling at an extremely rapid rate. But I’ve discovered they like broccoli stalks so I’m hoping I can keep their teeth busy for a while.
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We had a cool and wet June so the Baltimore Orioles who usually take off for colder, more northern parts when it starts to heat up are still here.
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And they’re devouring the oranges and grape jelly faster than I can replace them.
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The young males fight and squabble over the best position… but they sure are pretty.
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Cow!
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I love that I can say this every time I step outside instead of having to wait for a road trip.
My husband informs me that my nomenclature is incorrect as this is technically a young bull. But squealing bull! doesn’t have the same resonance… so I am compromising with Mister Cow!
This earns an eye roll and a head shake which somehow makes it even more perfect.
😈
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Here’s a giant field of lupine situated in an odd place.
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Next to the local dump. Trash never looked so good…
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