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And the pickles keep on comin’.
There seems to be no end to revolting alternate uses for pickles. Read on, but be warned … you may lose your appetite.
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I would not.
I will not.
And you can’t make me.
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That’s simply not kosher.
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Mother of God… why?
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It’s Texas.
Enough said.
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Oh… the horror!
🤢
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We woke up to the remains of an overnight downpour.
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When having your driveway repaired, excess water is not welcome.
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There were two extremely large puddles wreaking havoc with all that new oh so damned expensive dirt.
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And while the birds and the visiting ducks liked their new muddy bath…
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I was less than thrilled.
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Naturally His Royal Highness wanted to investigate.
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He’s such a timid little guy I thought the big equipment would frighten him, but he’s more afraid of the workers than the machines.
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Growing bored with the earth movers he ran up the choke cherry tree before I had a chance to stop him.
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The desire is there, but the skills are still lacking.
😉
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Mother Nature is putting on her own fireworks show at Casa River.
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And while it’s not the true red, white and blue of the Fourth…
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Pink and purple are close enough for me.
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The Japanese irises are still in bloom and the peonies are starting to pop.
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They’re truly gorgeous blooms and smell divine with a rich heady fragrance.
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Happy holidays from my garden to yours!
❤️
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Because I doubt I’ll ever run out of ridiculous headlines.
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I’ve never been so glad to not be a doctor.
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Methinks Dr. Willis enjoyed his job a little too much.
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I’m totally signing up for that bus tour!
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For me?
It’s been roughly 59 years and counting…
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Good grief Florida, what next? You and Texas are neck and neck for weird happenings this year.
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Being quarantined and sprayed with chemicals isn’t my idea of a good time, but whatever. .
And if you’re wondering how toxic that chemical is?
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If it’s illegal… why and how is the Florida government using it!
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There’s a whole lot of dirt moving going on at Casa River.
Dirt is dug up.
Dirt is hauled off.
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New and apparently better dirt is brought in.
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And for the price they’re charging, it better be truly spectacular dirt.
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Fabric is laid under the new dirt. Apparently it doesn’t like the old dirt and must have a barrier to prevent cootie contamination.
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The new dirt is spread and tamped down.
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And the new culverts await their new home.
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Rocks are mixed with the dirt.
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And at 5:00pm we had a not so lovely line of tortured lawn and a driveway filled with heavy machinery to keep us company overnight.
🥴
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There are numerous reasons I love my state… the natural beauty, the lobsters, the rocky coast, the ferocious change of seasons, the plethora of craft beer… but this time of year?
Lupine is at the top of my list.
Fields upon fields of gorgeous purple blooms on spikes.
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What’s not to love?
If the damn woodchucks didn’t love them as much as I do, our field could be full of glorious purple too.
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Next up?
The mobile boot.
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Maine is famous for L.L. Bean, and L.L. Bean is famous for it’s waterproof boot. So naturally the boot has to take to the road. It’s currently on a summer tour. Keep your eyes peeled…. it could be coming to your town soon.
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My town seems to be having an issue with runaway chickens lately. They can’t all be curious about crossing the road.
And last but certainly not least?
An infamous Maine landmark. Seriously, tourists drive for miles to have their picture taken under this sign.
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The funny part is, there’s really nothing there. Just the sign, an old farm… and well, yes.
Cow shit.
🤣
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After all the old pavement was hauled away….
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We were down to dirt and apparently a good bit of sand…
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Which, as it turns out…. is not good at all.
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At the same time our driveway was being destroyed and rebuilt the neighbor was having theirs worked on as well.
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Which means Lord Dudley Mountcatten has a hard time finding a quiet place to sleep.
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An inconvenienced cat is a horrible thing.
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Sand is bad for drainage and after scraping off the tar and a layer of topsoil, sand and clay is what they found.
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Which meant digging down a solid foot and hauling it away.
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Of course work could progress much more quickly if my husband wouldn’t go out and chat up the crew every hour on the hour.
🤣
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Why is it every time I clean the windows?
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A drive by birding. It’s like they wait for the Windex…
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Yes. That is actually the McDonalds in Freeport, Maine.
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Another reason I love my state.
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Do not try to remove His Lordship’s catnip. There will be consequences… and most likely, blood.
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Rain. The husband’s car. And a woodchuck staying dry.
Enough said.
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Rain means rainbows.
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And we’ve certainly had our share lately.
❤️
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Bright and early in the morning it started… and I’m sure the neighbors were thrilled. Good thing they’re far away because nothing about this project is going to be quiet.
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I was still in my pj’s at 7:00am so I watched the crew tear up our driveway from the windows.
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It’s quite a process, driveway replacement. And though I never paid much attention to it being done elsewhere…
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When it’s literally right on your kitchen doorstep? It’s a bit more interesting.
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First step? Heavy equipment to rip up the old tar.
Think Tonka trucks for adults.
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The backhoe made short work of our old cracked and rutted pavement.
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And while the machine operators were busy, there was a lot of down time for the laborers.
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Every section that was ripped up had to be loaded into trucks and hauled away.
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There was a crew of 5.
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And by 9:00 am they had most of it torn up.
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Of course the truck has to drive half an hour to the pit to dump it, and then half an hour back…. so again, lots of down time.
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To be continued….
In minute and excruciating detail. You know the drill.
😉
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Because I want you to, that’s why.
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I know the easy joke would be my husband! but while his years are steadily advancing… he’s not nearly as old as this fascinating carved crystal oddity passed down from my father.
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It’s a bit of a weirdo and though we’ve tried repeatedly over the years, we’ve never been able to positively identify it.
Heck, we even took it to Sotheby’s in NYC a decade ago and if their experts were stumped? It may just have to remain a mystery.
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My paternal grandfather was a world traveler in the late 1800’s and brought this back from Egypt. It hung in my grandparent’s house, my parent’s house and now it hangs in mine. The family lore said it was ancient Egyptian but Sothebys said no, the skull was not used iconographically back then. They did think it could be early Coptic, and as they are the direct descendants… I suppose that’s close enough.
( Historical context. Copts believe themselves to be the descendants of Egypt’s ancient Pharaonic people. They were first converted to Christianity with the arrival of St Mark in Egypt in 62 CE. Egypt became part of the Byzantine Empire in 395 CE, and the Egyptian Church was separated from the Christian community in 451. )
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The famous auction house said the metal work was added later and in its present form could have been used as a talisman for pirates.
How cool is that?
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We never even bothered to ask what it was worth… which in hindsight was rather stupid. But no matter, it’s part of my father’s history and would never be for sale.
So how about you….
What’s the oldest thing in your house?
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