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It’s finally starting to look like winter around here, albeit a few months late.
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Sunrise over freshly fallen sparkling snow never gets old.
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But along with overnight snow, we’re getting sunny warm days and that means icicles.
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Pretty, as long as you’re not standing underneath one when it falls.
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I love a snowy landscape…
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There’s just something about it that makes me slow down and say, ahhh…..
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I am an extremely happy camper and the reason is beer.
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We’ve found a delightful new brewery that doesn’t overload their brew with hops, hence the title.
The latest trend in Maine microbrews is IPA’s. Hoppy, bitter, double and triple IPA’s… which is fine, unless you’re me and don’t like them. I can’t tell you how many tasting rooms we’ve visited where every single beer on tap is hop forward.
Enter Olive Pit Brewing… a small, dog friendly, woman owned operation whose main goal is offering creative options.
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I should have flipped that over and photographed the other side… but I was too busy sampling. Please note there was a margarita inspired beer. Be still my heart.
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Yes, both those flights were mine. Don’t judge… variety is the spice of life.
And if you noticed the flight boards are dog bones?
There’s a reason.
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Meet Olive, the inspiration. A rescue dog the owners adopted from down south, Olive became seriously ill shortly after moving to Maine… but $25,000 later ( no, I’m not exaggerating ) she’s a well loved and happy pup.
So the brewery welcomes dogs, inside and out. Dogs and beer. What’s not to love?
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Did I mention there are beer cocktails?
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You know I had to try that!
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Weird, but quite tasty. And perfect for our one friend who doesn’t like beer but agreed to come because she’s a good sport.
We had a great time and definitely plan on going back.
Swag? Of course I had to buy some.
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Forest green t shirt…
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With appropriate tagline on the back.
They don’t bite because they’re not hoppy.
They don’t bite because the dogs are friendly.
And after tasting every single brew they offered? I can attest to the fact their product most definitely doesn’t bite taste wise either.
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A few glasses for the Barn Mahal bar.
👍
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One of our visiting bucks has been looking a little lopsided lately.
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And while losing antlers is a normal annual occurrence for these big guys…
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This fellow has lost one side completely…
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And all but one small branch on the other.
Weird.
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We haven’t had a nice base of snow in so long I find myself walking around the property simply to enjoy the glorious whiteness.
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A path was cut to the man cave/Barn Mahal because, well…
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The beer and alcohol live there.
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I need to take his Lordship back outside now that we have some accumulation.
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I love when the snowfall gently envelops the trees. It’s clean… and peaceful.
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When I fail to shovel off the deck after the first storm? I regret it. Because now it’s probably going to stay that way till spring.
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The birds like our deck railing and land in certain spots to eat their seeds even when the railings are covered in snow.
It’s not hard to see which places.
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Yesterday? A 20 hour snow storm .
Today? We dig out.
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The first path is to rehang the bird feeders so our fine feathered friends can have a nosh.
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Then a bit of shoveling in front of the garage so the husband can access the snow blower.
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A quick 11 inch measurement…
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And then it’s time to blow.
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Two neighbors offered to plow our driveway but the husband is persnickety when it comes to clearing and prefers to do it himself.
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If you’ve ever lived in northern climates you know the end of the driveway after the plow goes by is always the worst.
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This was a pretty snowfall. Light enough to move easily but damp enough to coat the trees.
I love winter!
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But there are perils to the arithmetic when you have three vehicles and a two bay garage.
There’s a car under there…. somewhere.
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Since we’ve been having a warm winter and so little snow, Lord Dudley Mountcatten has been enjoying stretching his legs outside. And after a particularly warm spell where I took him for walkies everyday, he’s been antsy for exercise.
Even when it starts to snow.
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Crying and scratching at the door, he talked the husband into harnessing him up and heading out.
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But then? He had second thoughts.
Snow is cold, and more importantly… wet.
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Which is why he hightailed it to the shelter of the woodshed and left the husband out in the storm. Cats are a lot of things, but stupid isn’t one of them.
When the husband had enough and tugged him back out into uncovered territory?
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His Royal Highness beat feet for the back door.
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And assumed the position for a warm rub down and toweling off.
🤣
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I’ve been known to spend a fortune on unappreciated cat toys to amuse our four footed furry family members.
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Some they like, some are banished to the drawer never to be batted again.
And then…
I bought a fish.
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Which Lord Dudley Mountcatten has given his Royal stamp of approval.
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He flings his fish all over the living room and happily chases it down.
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And while he usually rejects toys that move, shake, spin or make any type of noise, he’s made an exception for this motion activated catnip fish that flaps.
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You’ll have to trust me when I say he was going crazy for it, because in true cat fashion he stopped playing as soon as I started filming.
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Buy your cat a fish.
Tell them Lord Dudley sent you…
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Sometimes the perfect wildlife shot presents itself and all you have to do is snap.
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Our backyard deer really like their snow paths.
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Sometimes you order a blueberry vodka lemonade and it’s literally blue.
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Sometimes your husband drags things up from the crap cave cellar, and while they’re technically not crap? You still stub your toe on one of them when you round the corner because you didn’t know they were there and yell at him to move them forthwith.
😠
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Sometimes you want a little heat, but not anal angst level heat.
Ouch!
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A warm day in mid February meant His Royal Highness finally got to go outside again.
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Being a fair weather feline who dislikes getting his feet wet…
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Lord Dudley works hard to avoid the snow.
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Bare earth is something to be savored.
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And rolled in.
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Homage was paid to his favorite rock.
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I swear I don’t know what his obsession is with that stone, but he rubs and rolls all over it every single time.
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I woke up last week and found this on our kitchen porch.
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And when there are red squirrel tracks?
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There’s a red squirrel in the vicinity.
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Sigh.
Here we go again….
😖
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River's world..... 