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People think I’m crazy for the daily and nightly buffet I lay out for our wild visitors…. but ya know what?
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I’ve totally been phoning it in.
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If you can access the Dodo from your phone, check out the video. It’s a riot.
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Hooray!
We are now officially a two keg family.
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Yes, I finally chose a beer to tap. Naturally it was the most expensive one out there at literally twice the price of my husband’s.
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But look how much more fabulous my tap handle is.
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Duchesse de Bourgogne…. a richly textured sour red Flemish ale with a chocolate top note and wild cherry undertone. Brewed in Belgium and aged in oak barrels for 18 months, it’s pure heaven!
And the husband hates it so it’s mine. All mine.
*cue the evil laugh*
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Look at this handle. I mean really, it doesn’t get much better than that.
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Except for the fact mine towers over the husband’s. That’s pretty sweet as well.
👍
And in case you’re wondering…
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We had a little excitement here at Casa River the last time I took Dudley for a stroll. While rounding the corner of the garage his Lordship pounced… and came up with a mouse.
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I hadn’t seen or heard it…. but His Royal Highness was on it like white on rice.
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And yes, it was a violent attack.
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Problem is, once the instinct to chase and catch faded…..
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He had absolutely no idea what to do next… looking to me for guidance.
And while I normally save all captured creatures… we’ve been having a slight mouse issue. Winter’s coming and I’m sorry, but I don’t want the little devils nesting in my warm car or house…. so I instructed Lord Dudley Mountcatten to finish it.
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The poor thing was mortally wounded and dragging his little back feet anyway.
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In typical I will enjoy torturing you by tossing you into the air cat fashion, Mickey was flying to and fro.
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But finally, the deed was done.
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Live mice? Fun toys.
Dead, non moving no matter how much you bat at them, mice?
Kinda boring.
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My husband doesn’t like it when I say I told you so. And oddly enough he doesn’t like it when I roll my eyes at him either. So from now on I shall be channeling Sheldon Cooper and saying “I informed you thusly.”
I uttered this phrase repeatedly yesterday when I walked out to the barn after a rain storm and saw this:
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In case you aren’t aware, apple trees limbs are not supposed to be lying on the ground.
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When we moved to this house 20 years ago, there were two gorgeous mature apple trees in the backyard.
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I put furniture under them, kept trimming the lower branches and spent long lazy summer afternoons reading in the shade. Then, out of nowhere… the husband decided I was hurting the trees and refused to let me prune them. I fought against this ruling for a few years and then gave up. This was the result:
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Every year the trees were so laden with fruit they hung to the ground. It drove me crazy but the husband wouldn’t let me near them with shears. I kept telling him he would regret it, but he wouldn’t listen.
So naturally, this happened:
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A major branch, basically half the Granny Smith tree… cracked and split off.
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I contacted a licensed arborist and he’ll be here in a few days to give us an estimate for structural pruning to save the trees from further destruction.
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And after we’ve paid a small fortune to someone we didn’t really have to?
I shall inform him thusly one more time.
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A girlfriend and I hit Goodwill the other day and if nothing else, it’s a great place to pick up cheap books.
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16 books for $21? A little slice of heaven right there.
Of course, even thrift store shopping isn’t immune to politics these days…
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And while I didn’t buy that tee shirt, I did buy this one. Because, honestly…. I had to.
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I shall wear it and point at myself the next time my husband disagrees with me. That should go over well.
My girlfriend was in the mood for Cracker Barrel so that’s where we headed for lunch. The restaurant was almost empty but the hostess told us there would still be a 20-25 minute wait to be seated due to short staffing. (I’m seriously tired of waiting for meals… have all the pre Covid waiters and waitresses been abducted by aliens and given the anal probe? If not… please go back to work. River be hungry. )
Since it was raining we chose to wander the store instead of sitting outside on the rocking chairs, and that’s where I saw this:
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For which I have no logical explanation.
But perhaps the biggest surprise of the day?
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Alcohol… at Cracker Barrel!
When did that happen? Granted it’s not a favorite restaurant of mine and I probably haven’t stepped foot in one since my mother passed but it seems like I would have noticed such a momentous event.
Since their beer was dishwater I opted for a mimosa, which was close to dishwater only fizzy… but yes, it was alcohol!
At Cracker Barrel!
The world really has gone mad.
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I can’t say this with any certainly, but I’m guessing the demise of our cedar tree was woodchuck related.
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It stood in that corner for almost 20years with no issue and then, wham! It was dead. Upon removal we found this…
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A hole, next to the trunk. And on further examination…
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A hump of dirt with a strategically placed pile of poo. On the other side of the hump?
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Another hole, which meant woodchuck tunnel. I figured they must have destroyed the roots of the tree with their digging, but in actuality the tunnel goes under these other bushes that weren’t affected at all.
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So it’s a mystery, but either way? I’m left with an empty space and a stump.
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Because while my husband loves to cut things down with his chainsaw? He could care less about the mess he leaves behind.
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I had to chuckle at this grey squirrel visitor the other day.
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It had just stopped raining and he decided to make use of the patio furniture.
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I hope he wasn’t waiting for me to serve him dinner.
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Our buffet is strictly self serve.
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You never know what’s going to turn up on my little town’s Facebook page. It could be relevant community news….
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Or not.
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Our UPS guy totally rocks. He leaves dog biscuits for all the canine residents whether they’re barking at him or not.
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See? You can’t even give that stuff away.
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If there are synchronized dancing peppers wearing sombreros? I’m totally going next week.
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Lord Dudley Mountcatten sleeps in some odd positions.
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I look, and think he must be uncomfortable… but the wee beast sleeps like that 19 hours a day so I must be mistaken.
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Have you ever tried a recipe and had your hopes for decadent dessert deliciousness dashed?
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That’s what happened when I found a recipe for caramel banana upside down cake. I painstakingly followed the directions… and while it looked and smelled wonderful?
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It was a banana topped brick. I swear I could have used it as a doorstop… or to bash in someone’s head. The husband and I took one bite a piece and heaved it in the trash.
Tres disappointing.
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But I passed this woodpile later in the day…
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And had to smile.
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Be sure to ask for an extra stabby grabby the next time you go out to eat…. and think of me.
😉
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Consisting of 450 oceanfront acres , there are ample opportunities for strolling.
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The resort itself spreads out in various areas with various types of buildings… and gives you a feeling of stepping back in time.
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Individual cottages straight out the 1950’s are across the road from modern condos.
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And everywhere you look there’s something photo worthy.
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The rugged Maine coast is on full display. No wide sandy beaches in this neck of the woods.
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The resort has their own cruise boat and offers scenic tours of the area.
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And naturally my husband had to strike up an hour long conversation with the boat’s captain.
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Ever spent the night in a lighthouse inspired suite? You can here.
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And it’s right across from a moonlit dancing lobster. What more could you want?
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Low tide.
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Another cottage.
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The cove.
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Ahhh…. Maine.
It never fails to lower my blood pressure.
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River's world..... 