.
I love peony season.
.
.
Brilliant pops of pink brighten my day.
.
.
The scent is heavenly.
.
.
And they make wonderful bouquets.
.
.
Shame the blooms don’t last longer though.
.
.
In other news, the Red B*tch has discovered the new kitchen landing storm door is a perfect place to tease His Lordship.
.
.
Poor Dudley.
.
.
And poor me for missing what was surely a rollicking good time.
🤣
.
.
After a few months of no stinky visitors, they’re back.
.
.
Skunks.
.
.
Including this almost completely white fellow.
.
.
Above him on the feeders?
.
.
The right and wrong way squirrels.
.
.
One guess who’s wrong.
.
.
Skunks show up early in the morning before the sun is high.
.
.
And early evening right after it’s gone down.
Looks like they even christened the unofficial Mayor of Bath.
.
.
Poor Larry.
😰
.
.
The little chuck was back on the kitchen landing yesterday….
.
.
Scampering around, having a grand old time.
.
.
His Lordship on the other hand….
.
.
Was not enjoying it nearly as much.
.
.
Since we replaced the storm door and he can see right outside at cat eye level?
.
.
The critters are driving him mad.
.
.
I swear they do it on purpose.
🤣
.
.
Our new storm door is Lord Dudley Mountcatten’s most favorite thing in the world right now. As soon as we swing back the kitchen door in the morning and allow him viewing access? He’s perched. Watching the world go by at perfect kitty height.
He watches birds. The rain. Squirrels. A leaf blowing by. It doesn’t matter… he’s there. And riveted.
So when I heard him cackling the other day I figured it must be something good.
.
.
And it was.
.
.
A baby woodchuck climbed the stairs to the landing and lay down on the welcome mat.
Right there.
In front of His Lordship.
.
.
It was almost too much for a cat to bear.
.
.
That little chucker got comfy… and stayed.
.
.
No matter how crazy it drove our resident feline.
.
.
🤣
.
.
During a recent pilgrimage to our favorite New Hampshire butcher shop/restaurant/pub, I saw a sign for “The Cow Palace” and made my husband turn around.
A palace of cows?
You know I had to see that.
Turns out it was an ice cream shop, which is fine… I love a good scoop of coffee or mint chocolate chip.
.
.
There was a pond.
.
.
A barn.
A cow themed parking sign.
.
.
And a crowned cow on the wall.
But.
No.
Actual cows.
Boo to false advertising.
😡
And boo to my eagle eyed husband who saw a sign for an estate sale down the road, climbed up to the top of their barn and came down with a broken Amish wooden scythe that he had to purchase and bring home.
.
.
Sigh.
Junk collecting is an addiction, don’t let anyone tell you differently. And if there was an Antiques Anonymous? I’d be signing my guy up for weekly sessions.
Upon returning home we found a pissed off cat…
.
.
Who had to access his viewing window in the laundry basket because his mother forgot to move it before leaving.
.
.
I have a feeling I’ll be paying for this transgression later.
.
.
🥴
.
.
When the weather is perfect?
It’s time for walkies… with a nod to Barbara Woodhouse.
.
.
But when you harness His Lordship? It’s more like sitties.
.
.
And when he spots the red b*tch in a tree?
.
.
It’s a half hour of reclinies.
On another note, WordPress continues with its sometimes pointed congratulations.
.
.
Was that a compliment?
It’s getting hard to tell.
.
.
Since Maine legalized marijuana use? Pot stores are everywhere…on every corner, in every little town. Rural hamlets that don’t even have a gas station will have 3 or 4 weed distributors. It’s bizarre. And with the influx of chronic suppliers I’ve noticed an increase in magic herb related products as well.
Hemp shampoo? I don’t know.
.
.
But Grateful Dead gummies seems a good fit.
.
.
Two baby chucks.
.
.
Squirrel included for size reference.
.
.
In posting about our storm door replacement, I realized I forgot to include the before and afters.
Before. ⬆️
.
.
After.
.
.
Before.
.
.
After.
😊
.
.
This is Sunshine Larry, the unofficial Mayor of Bath, Maine.
.
.
Sunny was a stray cat who lived in a public park and made a lot of friends.
.
.
And even though he has a nice home with a loving family now….
.
.
Sunny still likes to wander.
.
.
And has become a bit of an internet sensation.
.
.
Sadly, I’ve never met Sunny in person.
(In feline?)
.
.
.
But I sure would like to .
.
.
Sunny is a local celebrity.
.
.
But he doesn’t let it go to his head.
.
.
❤️
.
.
Sometimes I can’t help but share funny cat things.
.
.
And while that made me smile, this next one might actually help Mark whose cats have taken a sudden dislike of each other.
.
.
Odd, but I figure it’s worth a try.
The next photo belongs to a friend who has horses. She got a few goats as stablemates and then a few mini trampolines because goats like to jump.
.
.
Seems they also like to lay in the sun on individual bouncy beds.
.
.
I do remember that. And curse myself for getting rid of the almond Montgomery Ward refrigerator that dominated our kitchen when we moved in. There was nothing wrong with that vintage fridge, I just wanted something newer and prettier.
It’s been over twenty years now and we’ve had to buy an expensive new replacement every 5 years.
Somewhere in Maine… that ugly Montgomery Ward is laughing. And probably still running like a fine Swiss watch.
.
.
Another one for Mark because summer is right around the corner.
😈
.
.
I decided to try one of those cheap washable rugs.
.
.
It arrived folded in a square and had instructions to lay it flat with heavy books for a few hours to press out the creases, but after a few cursory stretches and smoothing gestures it was good to go.
.
.
Under the dining table, which is when I realized it was just a tad too small. Am I the only person for whom standard sizes never work?
I’ll replace it eventually, but right now I’m struggling to find the right placemats.
.
.
⬆️ are too autumnal for spring.
⬇️ are too turquoise.
.
.
⬇️ have all the right colors but aren’t quite right.
.
.
Oh well, at least the rug passed the Lord Dudley Mountcatten test.
.
.
It’s very thin, but quite soft.
And feline approved.
😉
.
.
We’ve had rain, rain and more rain. Which makes for a gloomy month, but after one warm day? Green grass as well.
.
.
And happy deer at the backyard buffet.
.
.
Are you a Wordle or Spelling Bee addict?
If so, have you tried this new game….
.
.
It’s quite addicting.
.
.
A few relevant quotes for the world in which we live at the beginning of a book I read recently.
.
.
Lord Dudley Mountcatten likes the new couch in our den. He started sleeping on the back cushion to the right so I laid a towel to catch the cat hair. Then he started sleeping on the back cushion to the left so I laid a towel to catch the cat hair.
.
.
His Lordship has attitude to spare.
🥴
.
River's world..... 