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The deer are used to sharing the backyard spread with skunks.
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But lately a trash panda is beating the stinky little critters to the buffet.
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I’m thrilled because while we have nightly raccoons…
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They rarely show up before it’s too dark to get a photo.
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And though I’m tickled with the little masked bandits…
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The deer don’t know what to make of him.
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Especially when raccoon #2 waddles in.
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Proving two raccoons is two too many.
🤣
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My husband has been knee deep into his coin collection of late. Sorting, researching, pricing and organizing.
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Which means Lord Dudley Mountcatten for the assist.
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No matter how many times he’s politely relocated to another room?
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He finds his way back.
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And helps, in true cat fashion.
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It’s the price you pay for being his favorite person.
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❤️
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Newport Rhode Island is a colonial town that was settled in 1639. It sits at the bottom of Aquidneck Island and is famous for its sailing.
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Many original buildings are still standing and give the city a historic feel.
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The downtown area is vibrant.
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Quaint.
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And has a tourist sense of humor.
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With a current population of 25,000 in a little over 11 square miles…
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Space is at a premium in the crowded waterfront area.
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Parking is a serious issue and even in the off season you can spend a lot of time circling the tiny one way streets for an open spot.
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Or you can just park on the sidewalk like these people.
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Yes, the distances are usually walkable.
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But with the constant 40-50 mph winds we experienced in mid March temperatures? Not that enjoyable.
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Did I mention there were Canada geese?
Everywhere.
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Bellevue Avenue and its stately homes are a popular attraction.
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And yes, there’s serious money in this area… as evidenced by the plethora of expensive automobiles we encountered on the road, like this Ferrari.
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And finally there’s the water.
The Atlantic Ocean, Narragansett Bay, the marinas, the ports, the beaches, the lighthouses, the bridges, the sailing.
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In Newport, it’s all about the water.
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On a miserably wet morning two and a half weeks ago …. the husband and I took off on a trip.
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Roughly 4 hours later we crossed a bridge….
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And reached our vacation destination.
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Newport, Rhode Island.
The smallest state.
Home to the Americas Cup and Narragansett beer.
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Newport is old and full of maritime history. Founded in 1639, it was an important trading port for the British colonies. After the Civil War, the Gilded Age rich chose its beautiful coast as a site for their “summer cottages” … by which I mean American castles. Today, tourists flock to its beaches and vibrant waterfront shopping and dining areas.
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Newport is surrounded by water.
And lighthouses.
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And criss crossed with bridges.
It’s also home to the Naval War College where my Marine Corps husband was stationed 50 years ago.
This walk down memory lane trip was part of my birthday gift to him.
Our digs for the week? A Wyndham resort on Long Wharf.
Internet photo.
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My photos.
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Though we had a two bedroom, two bath unit it was smaller than most of our timeshare condos.
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With a seriously ugly color palette.
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But it was clean and quiet.
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With a Narragansett Bay view.
In the background, to the right.
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After unpacking, we left our home base and started exploring.
( to be continued, sequentially and ad nauseam… so be prepared for photo bombs lasting into May )
😉
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Friday dawned sunny and relatively warm so the husband and I jumped in the car for a drive to the mountains.
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Heading west to try a new brewery that had popped up since our last visit.
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And while the hilltops were free of snow, the lakes were still frozen.
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Our destination was Steam Mill Brewing which had a colorful tasting room.
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And a comfortable, laid back western vibe.
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We did a few tastings but weren’t overly impressed with the beer.
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But my Rogue Angel – Titos, elderflower cordial, grapefruit juice, soda water and orange bitters – hit the spot.
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Crab cakes with Cajun remoulade and truffle aoili? OMG. To die for. Some of the best I’ve ever had… and they are always my go to app.
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Husband’s French onion soup? Dark, rich and full of sherry. Yum.
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The vaguely spider like overhead lighting was bizarre.
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But my veal, beef and pork bolognese and his mixed green salad with grilled chicken and warm maple vinaigrette were amazing.
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The town was also running a cocktail competition that, had I lived there, I would have been all over. Bar hop 11 places and taste test their cocktails? Sign me up.
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Naturally I tried Steam Mill’s entry… which, while tasty, was down right deadly.
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On our way out, the rest rooms provided a few laughs.
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Then it was back over the mountains for a scenic drive home.
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A good time was had by all.
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We’ve had a single fox visitor on and off all winter, but the other evening?
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He may have brought his wife.
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Or husband, or brother, or second cousin.
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No matter who the plus one was,…
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He was fit, healthy and beautiful.
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And now there are two.
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Which is twice as much viewing pleasure.
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❤️
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Our herd was back again for their nightly snack.
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This time with the funky antlered buck.
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His horns were oddly shaped all year… and now that’s he losing them, they’re even odder.
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He’s the leader of the group and doesn’t like it when the kids beat him to the food bowl.
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A well placed kick scatters the youngsters.
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And he has the bowl to himself.
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For a little while anyway.
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😊
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After an odd winter disappearing act, the deer are back.
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And they are just the sweetest things.
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We’ve had herds for two decades now…
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But it never gets old.
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Living where we do has some drawbacks.
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But this isn’t one of them.
❤️
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Look who’s back!
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I spotted our first woodchuck yesterday.
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And immediately tossed out some lettuce and broccoli to welcome the little guy back.
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I’m saying little guy but it might be a girl. I only know it doesn’t look like our old momma chuck of years past.
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She’s been around for a long time and sadly, I think it’s time for the next generation to take over.
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A rare photo of Lord Dudley Mountcatten walking in the snow a few weeks ago.
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That winter stroll lasted all of two minutes. His Lordship does not like cold feet. 🥶
If you’re a vinyl collector like me, you’ve flipped through endless stacks of records in flea markets and antique stores looking for an elusive LP. More often than not what you find is Herb Alpert. Specifically, the Whipped Cream album. Seriously, it’s everywhere.
If you can relate to that frustration, this next bit is for you.
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Lord Dudley likes to watch television. And the other night he came running into the living when he heard a bald eagle screech.
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To say he was fascinated is an understatement.
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No. Just… no.
I love my margaritas but refuse to add beets.
Blech!
🤢
Misspellings annoy me. Which is why I joined a funny group on Facebook called the Grammar Police where people share photos of grammatical blunders.
I posted this recently.
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It was immediately removed.
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I thought it was funny.
Apparently, they didn’t.
🥴
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River's world..... 