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Now I know why people sell their homes with these included.

June 14, 2025 Rivergirl 20 Comments

The very last thing we had to move to get ready for new flooring ?

Was the very worst, hands down.

Treadmills are big, and bulky, and heavy, and awkward as Hell to move.

Much thinking and strategizing went into the process.

Yes, the tread itself could be raised.

But it wouldn’t fit out the door… even with the door removed… in its entirety.

Which is when tools were employed and breakdown occurred.

Or tried to occur because try as they might… they couldn’t figure out how.

I spent the next half hour on the phone with Nordic track customer service… who, may I just say?

Suck the big root.

They didn’t help at all, and didn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know.

After a lot of hassle, the two parts were separated.

Kind of.

Annoyingly they were still connected by the electrical wires with no clips or disconnects in sight.

Which means the top half was precariously balanced on the bottom half and squiggled down the hall.

Turning was not fun.

And at one point the husband got stuck. Which, I’m ashamed to admit…

Was a little bit fun.

Placed on a sheet in front of the den couch is where it landed. Completely in the way of everything.

His Lordship?

He gave the treadmill a try.

But exercise isn’t his thing…

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.

June 14, 2025 Rivergirl 11 Comments

Next stop… Sakonnet Winery.

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.

😉

It was a lovely drive and just when we thought we’d never find it…

A very large cat.

This winery is way off the beaten path and after a long dirt driveway…

Another large cat.

And a large bull.

There was a barn.

Some outdoor seating.

And a tasting room.

Where we paid $25 for four very small pours.

None of which we really liked.

But it’s Rhode Island, what do they know about wine?

Continuing on, we went in search of food.

Past some lovely old homes in Tiverton.

Sadly, when we arrived at the much anticipated and highly reviewed Boat House restaurant…

It was packed to capacity and there was a two hour wait.

Which is when we turned back and found an unassuming little place called Fieldstone’s.

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.

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.

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.

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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THIS is why people don’t change their flooring.

June 13, 2025 Rivergirl 16 Comments

With the majority of things emptied out of our office and den, it was time to move the furniture.

Which in our house is a right royal pain the ass due to the tight hallways and 90 degree angles. The arm chair went out smoothly, but the new couch was another story altogether. It’s big and heavy and had to fit through a small hallway which it did not want to do. After many attempts and many instructions to stay out of their way…

I suggested they take the feet off.

Problem solved.

Until the couch had to turn 90 degrees which it also didn’t want to do. Up and over was the only way and my husband’s poor back was screaming.

Tight fits are par for the course.

Watch your fingers.

And no, I wasn’t pleased by the scratched door moulding…

Or the fricking dent they put in the wall.

😡

But Lord Dudley Mountcatten was enjoying the temporary high ground.

There are now two desks in our bedroom…

And I can’t get to my clothes because the larger one is blocking my bureau.

I’m beginning to wonder if new carpet is worth it.

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A mystery topiary, a really big tree and talking with the expert.

June 13, 2025 Rivergirl 24 Comments

Continuing on with our exploration of the Green Animals Topiary Garden in Portsmouth, we left the garden proper and strolled past the house.

Which was lined with impressively trimmed shrubbery.

Sadly the home is not open to tours…

But there’s a big porch with comfortable chairs where you’re invited to sit.

We opted for a bench under the shade of a giant tree.

The lawn slopes down to Narragansett Bay, where we spotted another topiary.

A rather oddly shaped topiary that my husband and I pondered greatly.

I said long legged turtle.

He said hunchbacked manatee.

What say you?

Walking back around the house we saw some ornate wrought iron and walls in much need of scraping and paint.

On the other side of the house… a truly magnificent tree.

A grand old gentleman who no doubt had outlived many of the home’s owners.

Husband, for scale.

We were so impressed by the tree we asked one the attendants how old they thought it was…. which was when he directed us to the resident expert of all things.

This charming young lady of 91 actually worked on the estate as head housekeeper for the last living owner. She had some wonderful stories about the place and informed us the tree in question was over 150 years old.

She lives right up the road and walks down to the gardens every day to help the docents …. as well as socialize. She told us she was quite unhappy with the current crew of topiary trimmers. The policeman was too fat, the giraffe was too short and the goose looked like a duck.

Knowing we were talking to the authority, we asked what the mystery topiary down by the bay was supposed to be.

Not a turtle. Not a manatee.

It was a bear.

Wow.

No wonder she’s unhappy…

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Miscellaneous smiles.

June 12, 2025 Rivergirl 15 Comments

A few random things that have made me laugh this week.

I figure we can all use more laughs.

There’s a banana missing in New Hampshire.

Please help.

That’s one chill pooch.

I love to look at cows… and am that annoying person who yells, “Cow!” on road trips.

Imagine if I had some right in the back yard like these people.

I could just point.

Now there’s a job custom made for me.

New rule – if you sell it?

You have to learn how to spell it.

And yes, they had multiple signs like that.

🥴

Anyone remember these?

Burning children’s fingers with molten plastic since 1964.

Very cool.

🤣

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Stroll with us…

June 12, 2025 Rivergirl 14 Comments

The Green Animals Topiary Garden was an amazing place.

Everywhere you looked?

Whimsical…

And wonderful.

The tulips were fading on the day we visited.

But the peonies were quite something.

Look at the size of these blooms!

Even the trees were marvelous.

Can you imagine having all of that in your back yard?

❤️

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Yes, more maps.

June 11, 2025 Rivergirl 34 Comments

Because everyone loves maps.

I have never, not once in my entire life, bought a lottery ticket.

Those are sad numbers.

Wow.

Texas likes their prisons.

Trade.

It’s important.

Mainers.

They love to hunt.

I’ve always wanted to take an IQ test, but never have.

For this map you’re supposed to type “Why is your state so..” and see what pops up.

I didn’t get white.

Not sure what we’re taking so long to do, but I think I’m okay with it.

😉

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Balconies and topiaries.

June 11, 2025 Rivergirl 14 Comments

Day three of our second trip to Newport, Rhode Island dawned bright and sunny so I snapped another selfie on the balcony while the hubs was off having breakfast.

My spouse is not a picture taker… and on the rare occasion he does snap one of me? I’m usually headless or walking away…so if I want a photographic memory to take home? I have to take it myself.

And speaking of balconies…

Not too shabby.

First on the agenda that day was the Green Animals Topiary Gardens in Portsmouth.

A seven acre estate on Narragansett Bay, it’s the northern most topiary garden in the United States and a pretty spectacular place.

I’ll quote the history…

This small country estate was purchased in 1872 by Thomas E. Brayton (1843-1939), Treasurer of the Union Cotton Manufacturing Company in Fall River, Massachusetts. It consisted of seven acres of land, with a white clapboard summer residence, farm outbuildings, a pasture and a vegetable garden. Gardener Joseph Carreiro, superintendent of the property from 1905 to 1945, and his son-in-law, George Mendonca, superintendent until 1985, were responsible for creating the topiaries.

Carreiro was recruited to design and maintain ornamental and edible gardens as part of a self-sufficient estate. Besides planting fruit trees, perennial beds and vegetable gardens, he experimented with trimming some fast-growing shrubs into unique forms. The first topiaries were started in the estate’s greenhouse in 1912 and later moved.

Mr. Brayton’s daughter, Alice, gave the estate its name because of the profusion of “green animals.” She made it her permanent residence in 1939. Miss Brayton was an avid gardener and loved to entertain. She hosted a party for Jacqueline Bouvier (Kennedy) in her debut season and for years entertained young Caroline and John Kennedy Jr. at parties to celebrate the harvest.

She also regularly allowed the public to enjoy the grounds. Upon her death in 1972, at the age of 94, Miss Brayton left Green Animals to The Preservation Society of Newport County. Today, Green Animals remains as a rare example of a self-sufficient estate combining formal topiaries, vegetable and herb gardens, orchards and a Victorian house overlooking Narragansett Bay.

The amount of work that goes into maintaining this garden must be staggering.

The teddy bears hadn’t quite filled in when we visited but they were still sweet.

We can barely keep the shrubs around our neatly pruned…

So color me impressed.

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A Newport stroll, a bizarre meet and greet with genuflecting … and a harbor sunset.

June 10, 2025 Rivergirl 20 Comments

After a day of exploring, we returned to the resort to refresh… and then headed out for an early evening stroll on Thames Street. ( locally pronounced th-aims which drove me crazy)

Ducking down a waterfront side street brought us to a dock that let us view our condo from afar.

Top arrow is our condo.

Bottom arrow is our hungry seagull. Clearly waiting for us to return with a snack.

There are some beautiful old buildings in Newport.

And if there’s empty ground in front of them? There’s a bar.

You might remember this shop from my last trip when we drove by and laughed.

This time we went inside and laughed.

And bought a souvenir t shirt.

For me.

This store was inexplicably outfitted in fake lemons.

This 1700’’s home was a tad more discreet.

There was an oyster festival in progress on one of the wharfs… and as we were walking by an interesting fellow started a conversation with my spouse.

As you know, my guy loves to talk. So when someone says thank you for your service, we’re off.

Of course this conversation was a bit different as the guy who initiated it was… shall we say… under the influence of more than one substance. He kept telling my husband he’d seen things, he’d lived, he knew. It was hard to follow his train of thought because he was all over the place. Religion, politics, otherworldly adventures… it was a tad bizarre. But just when I was ready to write him off as a total kook? He said something that made perfect sense.

He turned to me, said I was a queen who must be revered and told my husband to acquiesce to me in all things. Then he genuflected in front of me, got down on both knees, bowed… and squeezed my shoes.

So, yeah.

He was totally sane.

People.

Ya gotta love ‘em.

Moving on, the husband was hungry and I wasn’t so we ducked into an unassuming mom and pop pizza place across from our resort so he could nosh. The restaurant didn’t look like much, but the spaghetti with meatballs was some of the best he’d ever had.