SFrye732_Blog

Beware of Nasty Spyware!

2012-01-31T19:43:00.018-05:00

So, went to use our home computer the other night only to find it infected with a Spyware product called "System Check". Of course at the time I didn't know that and things didn't look good at all.

There were numerous pop-up messages about file corruption, RAM memory failure, damaged hard drive clusters, etc. This spyware also produced this official looking System Check utility that displayed the "PC Performance & Stability analysis report", which was dire at best.

I couldn't do much of anything - I was unable to launch the Task Manager, open Explorer, the registry editor, etc. When I was finally able to get Explorer opened most of the files and folders were gone or so it appeared. Although, I do a pretty good job of backing up our important data and pictures, I've not done it in a couple months, so we were concerned and upset at what looked like a complete loss!

Like a special ops person my training in this area allowed me to overcome these obstacles and triumphantly rid our computer of this nasty spyware - WINNING!

This nasty program modified the computers registry in numerous places. For example, it flagged all files and folders as hidden (which is why they appeared to be gone), it hide Task Manager and the desktop and added "CyisMyTSAH.exe" to the Run section of the registry. Any and all items listed in the Run section get executed each and every time the computer is rebooted - very sneaky and very nasty.

The premise behind this attack is to get the infected users to purchased the full version of this fake utility, which they claim will "fix" all the problems. BEWARE, this is a scam! All they want is your money!

YUK!!

2012-01-29T09:46:00.017-05:00

These are either cucumbers or zucchini squash or perhaps one of each. I was too disturbed at finding these and having to remove them to really care. I found them in the vegetable drawer of my dads refrigerator. Notice the state they're in now, and he just left on vacation for six weeks. Still not sure if the horrendous odor coming from the fridge was a result of these dudes or the half dozen other items he left in there, which were already spoiled.

I REALLY wish I had it in me to leave these items, as well as the other rotting and expired items, right where I found them. To let my dad return home after six weeks and take care of it himself. However, and perhaps it's my OCD, but I couldn't. It would have bothered me too much. So, I removed it all.

Hmm, I wonder if the folks who have attended his open houses have noticed?! I don't believe anyone has opened the fridge, but you don't have to, the smells hit you as soon as you walk in the door.

Minnie and Lulu - #2 of 2012

2012-01-29T09:41:00.004-05:00

Okay, we stepped it up a tad and banged out the above 550 piece puzzle. This was one of the more difficult puzzles that I've done. And we're now onto puzzle number 3...

Alaska's Puffins - #1 of 2012

2012-01-29T09:26:00.004-05:00

Well, it's that time of year again when daylight is shortened and it's too cold to do much of anything outside, which mean jigsaw puzzle time at the ole homestead.

We started with the above 500 piece puzzle, our first of 2012.

Chocolate Snow!

2012-01-26T14:20:00.000-05:00

Following last weekends snow storm, Emilie had a brainstorm and made herself a cup of chocolate snow. Doesn't look appealing to me but she loved it. I tend to stay away from both yellow and brown snow but that's just me. We'd invite you over to sample some but most of the snow has since melted with the temperature rise and warm rain we had. Maybe next time...

Go PATS GO!!

2012-01-22T11:46:00.004-05:00

BIG game this afternoon! New England is all abuzz about our New England Patriots!

It's a great time to be a New England/Boston sports fan!

GO PATRIOTS!

Round Is A Shape!

2012-01-22T10:47:00.012-05:00

So, JoAnne came home from the market yesterday with oodles of stuff and in the first bag I unpacked, a box of Kellogg's Special K cereal. I'm thinking okay we're gonna do a better job, the two of us, and start watching what we eat and get back in shape.

However, subsequent bags I unpacked produced: Nacho Cheese Doritos, Lay's Potato Chips, Heluva Good! White Cheddar & Bacon sour cream dip and a box of Cheez-It's (new flavor mozzarella - does sound good!).

I'm now convinced that the Special K was inadvertently added to JoAnne's bags, perhaps left behind from the person ahead of her at check out but if you talk to her please don't tell her I said this, shhhh!

My First Haiku...

2012-01-22T10:38:00.004-05:00

So beautiful as it falls
A blanket of white covers all
Shoveling blows

Baby It's Cold Outside, BRR!

2012-01-15T09:52:00.006-05:00

As you can see from the above pic it was only 7.8 degrees outside this morning at 8:23AM, YIKES!

What you also might notice is that the weather girl is sporting her summertime attire. Looks like the batteries might need to be replaced to correct this. However, so long as the temperature is being reported correctly, which it is, then no need to fuss with it...if you know what I mean ;-)

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble...

2012-01-15T09:46:00.006-05:00

The wild turkeys have been visiting more often these days and boy are there a lot of them, as you can see in the above picture - over 20! These dudes were just hanging out in the next door neighbors front yard. It had rained the night before and all that morning, so they were stationed there pruning themselves and trying to dry off. Pretty content they were for the longest time before slowly working there way into the woods.

Better Late Than Never!

2012-01-15T09:31:00.013-05:00

JoAnne picked up the above bulbs packages several months ago. They were marked down and she got them for next to nothing, winning :-)

Getting them planted had been on my "list", and for the longest time the weather had been cooperating too. However, call it forgetfulness or procrastination or whatever, I didn't get them planted. Last weekend that changed - although the ground is now frozen I ran the risk of losing all these bulbs if I didn't do something with them. Some were starting to get soft and punky and some were starting to sprout. So, I went to plan B and simply planted them all together in the compost pile. It too was frozen on top but I was able to dig down deep enough to get them all in and covered nicely for the long winter ahead.

The plan now is to keep my fingers crossed and hope they all survive, best case scenario, and then transplant them come Spring time when they start popping through the soil. Worst case, they become compost...

(2) Battleship Games

2012-01-13T14:51:00.001-05:00

1971 vintage "Battleship" game by Milton Bradley.

1967 vintage "Battleship" game by Milton Bradley.

Barbie Benton (Barbara Lynn Klein)

2012-01-13T14:44:00.000-05:00

I acquired a couple vintage Barbie Benton playboys the other day:

July 1969 and May 1972

For the article of course!

Here Kitty, Kitty, Kitty...

2012-01-13T14:29:00.008-05:00

Gracie, pictured above, has gone missing?

I need to take the bullet on this one. You see, last weekend I came across another, yes another, pile of cat puke in the basement and I saw red, so I chased her outside and she's yet to return.

Honestly, I'm OK with it. However, Emilie is NOT and I full understand and that is what bothers me most.

So, if in your travels you happen to come across this feline, please let me know - NO substitues please.

Vasilopita 2011

2012-01-08T08:54:00.006-05:00

Well, another year has come and gone - where does the time go? With it, so does another family tradition, the cutting of the Vasilopita otherwise known as the dime cake. As always the cake was delicious. This years winner of the baked in dime - my dad!

Go To The Head Of The Class Game

2012-01-06T15:18:00.005-05:00

1967 vintage "Go To The Head Of The Class - Series 16" game by Milton Bradley

Crooked Toes, Ouch!

2012-01-06T14:19:00.013-05:00

When visiting my Farmer Friend the other day I got to see several of the chickens that we gave to him when they were just chicks. One of them was the Barred Rock Rooster (see previous post) - what a handsome dude! I adopted him thinking that the person who advertised him had incorrectly identified him - I thought that it was a little pullet (girl), oops.

Anyway, back when he was a chick his toes on both feet were very crooked. This is usually caused when the humidity during incubation is too low. This can sometimes be corrected by splinting the toes if identified early on. That was not the case with this guy, as you can see from the picture above. Although grossly crooked on both feet, he's doing just fine. He's adjusted well and does everything a chicken with normal toes would do and rules his pen with a iron beak. Don't turn your back on him either or he just might give you a what for!

Baby It's Cold Outside...

2012-01-06T13:28:00.014-05:00

This is my Farmer Friends greenhouse. Looks kinda lonely sitting there all by itself. She's still holding up just fine and has made it through the recent hurricane and wind storms without issues. However, that being said, my friend is definitely pushing his luck and keeping his fingers crossed too that she makes it through this winter. You see we covered her back in 2006 (I think) but with only 4-year plastic. The saving grace and what's making the difference is that we double it, so there are two layers. Although it still looks fine there are some holes in the outer layer and it doesn't hold the heat nearly as well as it should be. He's been struggling but has been able to keep the temperature inside above freezing, thus keeping the plants inside alive.

To help accomplish this he purchased a second wood stove, pictured below. So, he now has two wood stoves up and running now; one at each end of the greenhouse. Sounds warm and cozy but in reality it's anything but - the new stove runs about 5-hours before it needs to be filled again, so it needs constant attention. It's difficult to keep a 60' long x 12' wide x 10' tall greenhouse toasty with only wood stoves and without a lot of effort.

I just hope that Mother Nature is kind this winter, so that he makes it to Spring without incident and without taxing him too much. After all, he's no sping chicken...

Nom Nom Nom Nom Yummy!

2012-01-06T11:24:00.009-05:00

"Just a squirrel trying to get a nut"
- C+C Music Factory's song Gonna Make You Sweet (Everybody Dance Now)

Actually, it's a Red Squirrel dining on pumpkin and pumpkin seeds. What a nice way to recycle and compost. Especially, enjoy seeing more of the Red Squirrels versus the annoying Grey ones.

Bounce Bounce No More...

2012-01-04T14:44:00.000-05:00

The high winds we had several weeks ago got a hold of the neighbors trampoline and bounced it around some. It doesn't look too good does it? Surprisingly, it survived the hurricane that passed through last year, so it's odd that the smaller wind storm had it's way with it this time around. However, that being said and from what I could tell, the neighbors didn't do a thing to prevent this from happening. If it was mine I would have dismantled it and stored out of harms way or at the least I would have secured it to something solid.

Happy New Year 2012!

2012-01-01T00:01:00.001-05:00

Wishing you all a Happy, Health and Prosperous 2012!

Cock-A-Doodle-Do

2011-12-30T10:08:00.015-05:00

Here are several roosters that reside at my farmer friends place in Marshfield. They oversee, protect and share custody of twenty hens and all get along relatively well. Although, there are times when they'll square off and fight over a hen or to reaffirm their position in the pecking order but nothing to damaging. I drove down for a visit this past Wednesday and hung out. Boy it's nice to hear the sounds of crowing roosters and cooing hens!

Rhode Island Red cockeral -

Buff Orpington cockeral -

Barred Rock rooster -

Mongrel mix breed rooster-

Halloween Turban Squash

2011-12-28T18:34:00.007-05:00

Emilie's grandmother bought her the above Turban squash, at Emilie's request of course, for a Halloween decoration. At the request of my farmer friend in Marshfield, who saw it during his last visit up, I brought it to him today. His plans - to save the seeds for the 2012 gardening season, and to eat the rest! He claims it's very tasty. I'll just take his word on that but it's certainly unusual looking...

She Passed Baby!

2011-12-27T11:39:00.008-05:00

Woohoo, my 1999 PU passed yet another Commonwealth of Massachusetts vehicle inspection. This yearly DMV requirement has had me very nervous for several years now, but knock on wood, my baby still passes and she didn't disappoint me this year!

Of course there are certain requirements that need to be met and out of your control, i.e. emissions. However, there are other requirements that are left up to the issuing service station, i.e. clouded headlights, or faded license plates. The later are really left up to the discretion of the person performing the inspection. Hence, why I worry come December when it's time to have my PU inspected. Some folks just love to have this type of power; you know the kind where you can pass blame onto someone else yet still hold your ground on enforcement because they get off on it, i.e. "yeah, sorry, your plate's too faded and I'm not going to be able to pass you. State law, Massachusetts license plates must be readable from 60 feet away. Sorry nothing I can do."

Anyway, I have twelve months before I need to start tweaking again...

More Feathered Visitors

2011-12-26T16:43:00.011-05:00

Christmas Day visitors -

- Robin

- Turkeys

- Heron

- Gull

Trixie Elf

2011-12-26T16:36:00.002-05:00

Santa's little helper

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-24T09:59:00.005-05:00

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy 2012 New Year!

Our Recent Featherd Visitors

2011-12-23T13:57:00.008-05:00

Here are some feathered friends that have been visiting the ole homestead recently:

-Blue Bird

- Cardinal

- Waxwing

Note: These pics were taken through the window, which is why they're blurry and fuzzy.

Calorie Logic, Doral Florida

2011-12-23T13:32:00.009-05:00

If you're in the Doral Florida area stop in at Calorie Logic to get your metabolic assessment.

This information is specific to you and provides insight into how your body works, so that you can plan your diet and exercise programs accordingly.

Armed with this information, Calorie Logic will provide custom energy smart diet plans, exercise programs and healthy tips.

They folks at Calorie Logic are fantastic - friendly, helpful and professional.

You can find them on the Internet at Calorie Logic, as well as on Facebook at Calorie Logic, for more information and directions.

I highly recommend them!

The Hardy Boys Game

2011-12-23T13:25:00.003-05:00

1969 vintage The Hardy Boys game by Milton Bradley

Find The Critter

2011-12-23T13:19:00.002-05:00

Can you find the critter in the above photo?

Our 1st Anniversary!

2011-12-20T18:47:00.006-05:00

Today is our one year anniversary!

Happy Anniversary Dear!

Thumbs Down

2011-12-12T15:10:00.004-05:00

Thought I'd be wild and crazy this morning and mix things up some, so I popped in a Green Mountain Coffee Gingerbread flavored K-Cup into our Keurig.

It wasn't good, nope. Falls in line with the McGriddle, from my perspective anyway.

I would rate it as: K-Yucky!

Plant of The Apes Game

2011-12-12T14:44:00.002-05:00

1974 vintage Plant of The Apes game by Milton Bradley

Cheez-It Anyone?!

2011-12-12T14:20:00.007-05:00

Trixie is DEFINITELY fitting in just fine!

Just like daughter.
Just like father.
Just like grandfather.

A Cheez-It junky...

Gillette Stadium Blood Donation Day!

2011-12-11T12:53:00.032-05:00

This past Saturday (12/10) the American Red Cross, Bob's Discount Furniture store and the 10 & 3 New England Patriots held their annual blood drive at Gillette Stadium. What a great take! The donation and all activities were held in the new "Putnam Club" luxury suite, which overlooks the playing field!!

I made my appointment for first thing in the morning, 8AM, to get there early before the crowd. While I was donating and hooked up to the double-red machine, JoAnne and Emilie were tooling around and taking in the other offerings, i.e. face painting, puppet show, getting autographs and taking pictures with some of the Patriot cheerleaders and retired New England Patriot players - Joe Andruzzi and John Smith.There were all kinds of snacks, hourly raffles to win furniture and autographed Pats items and a great view of the stadium and field.

Here is a picture of Joe Andruzzi's left hand, which is adorned with one of his Superbowl rings, WOW! The three of us each posed for a picture with him and each time he took off his ring and let us put it on, incredible! JoAnne was gonna make a run for it but thought better of it. Wouldn't want him running you down... He was a super nice guy, very personable, and extra special with Emilie when it was her turn for a picture - a class act!

It was an excellent take and all for a good cause too! Can't wait to do it again next year.

McYucky For Sure!

2011-12-11T12:46:00.002-05:00

I tried a McDonald's McGriddle breakfast sandwich this morning and it McSucked!

Don't know what I was thinking but never again!

New Outside Light Fixtures

2011-12-06T20:03:00.010-05:00

It's that time of year again when Lowe's extends an additional 10% discount to their employees (for one week). This, along with the regular employee discount, brings it to 20%! So, we took advantage and make some purchases. One of which was to buy (3) replacement outside light fixtures for the back of the house.

The weekend was beautiful and warm, so getting them installed wasn't too bad at all. They look so much better than the old ones, plus these throw off more light.

New light fixture -

The old fixtures could use some cleaning like polishing the brass but otherwise they still work just fine, however, they're going to be recycled.

Old light fixtures -

The Hardy Boys Game

2011-12-04T09:10:00.002-05:00

1969 vintage The Hardy Boys game by Milton Bradley

Shower Finally Fixed, HOORAY!

2011-12-02T15:15:00.023-05:00

Yup, we finally made the call and the plumber arrived today and fixed the master bedroom shower drain! The PVC drain rim or lip, whatever the piece is that sits just below the shower drain screen, cracked sometime ago. As a result, the water wouldn't all go down the drain like it's supposed to. Instead, it would run outside the drain pipe and into the floor. Well, eventually the water softened the plaster ceiling in the kitchen below causing a hole to appear and water drip to the floor below and puddle.

The shower has been out of commission for about 6+ months now. As a result JoAnne and Emilie have been using my shower. Now that their shower drain has been repaired I get my shower back to myself again, yippee!

Before -

After -

Note: I will spare you the pictures from above, as they're kinda skive.

My Blond Moments

2011-12-01T15:29:00.017-05:00

Maybe it's just me but it seems like I've been having what I refer to as "blond moments" more and more these days. In and of itself these are more comical and embarrassing than anything else, for now anyway.

As a matter of fact I had one just yesterday afternoon. Let me explain -

We have a baby snapping turtle that we're wintering over in the house due to my poor timing on setting him free with enough time to fatten up and find himself a good place to hibernate before the cold weather set in. He's in a semi hibernated state I would guess. Not too much activity at all and no eating. Yesterday, after cleaning his bowl I set him in the sun, which stirred him up and got him moving. So, I thought it would be a good opportunity to give him something to eat. Off I went to the garden with shovel in hand and dog in tow to dig some worms. Walla, three bigg'ns with the first shovel full.

So far so good. Everything is proceeding as you'd expect. Here is where my blond moment kicked in...

Of course, the worms we're all covered with dirt, right! After all they live in the dirt, underground. Well, before I plop these dudes into the turtle bowl they needed to be cleaned or rather rinsed off, so under the kitchen faucet they went. Does anyone know what happens to worms when they're wet, hmm? Anyone? I'll tell you what happens to worms when they're wet, they become slippery, very slippery and difficult to hold. OOPS, worm down! Worm down! And when I say down, I mean down the drain they went!! Gone! Well, not all of them, two of the three. See what I mean..

Note: No offense intended to any blonds out there, bleached or otherwise!

Bird Feeding Time!

2011-11-30T14:24:00.011-05:00

Pulled out, dusted off, filled up and hung out the bird feeders. I don't like to keep them out year around. I'm afraid the birds will get too lazy and complacent, not to mention the expense. I want them to catch and eat the bad insects from our gardens instead and to earn their keep and in return, come winter time, out come the feeders. That's a fair deal I think!

It's amazing just how fast these feathered creatures discover the feeders. Perhaps, there's something in the bird world, i.e. a feathered gossip line, similar to the "twilight bark" that Pongo and Perdia used to ask for help in locating their stolen puppies (101 Dalmatians).

Anyway, this fall we've been having a boat load of Morning Doves visiting our feeders, pictured above. More than I've ever seen in one place before. They've been coming by the dozens! I counted 28 just the other day, WOW! Just hope they stick around.

The Six Million Dollar Man

2011-11-30T14:22:00.001-05:00

1975 The Six Million Dollar Man game by Parker Brothers

Last Veggie Harvest of 2011...

2011-11-30T13:58:00.007-05:00

Well, it might be November 30th but it's been unseasonably warm here in the Northeast, which is more than welcome. I just hope we don't pay for it later...

Anyway, most folks around these part have been long since done with their gardening but not us. No sir, we're still picking veggies, yes we are! Mostly it's kale for the rabbits, however, today I picked our remaining carrots and a handful of parsley!

Both delicious and it's that time of year when stews and soups are perfect meals and these two ingredients are welcome, hm hm good!

Happy Turkey Day Folks!

2011-11-24T00:01:00.000-05:00

Wishing you all a Safe and Happy 2011 Thanksgiving

Vintage Kojak

2011-11-23T15:53:00.003-05:00

1975 Vintage Kojak "The Stake Out Detective Game" by Milton Bradley.

Fancy New Dryer Vent Installed

2011-11-23T15:34:00.006-05:00

I took advantage of last weekends 60+ degree weather and installed a brandy new dryer vent replacing the old, unsightly, incorrectly installed existing one. This one is designed better to keep the outside elements and critters out, while letting the hot dryer air out.

I cut the clap boards so the vent would sit flush against the house, chalked it good behind and then around all sides and edges once I fastened it securely to the house with four screws.

Inside, I installed new flex tubing from the dryer to the newly installed vent and fastened it so there are no holes or leaks. I then took the front panel off the dryer itself and shop vac'd the inside of the machine. It's now clean as a whistle and safe from the potential of catching fire. I'll paint it the vent come spring time to match the house.

In the end it all works like a charm and looks better to boot.

Ouchy Boo Boo

2011-11-23T15:02:00.010-05:00

No, not Yogi Bear's Boo Boo (pictured) but rather Emilie boo boo!

Yup, received that call that all parents dread from Emilie's after school provider, "Hello Mr. Frye, this is so&so at so&so, Emilie had a little accident..."

The kids were outside playing on the playground and Emilie whacked her head on one of the pieces of equipment. It was bleeding pretty bad but the folks got it all under control, stopped the bleeding and had an ice pack applied when I arrived.

So, just as I did SO many a time growing up, off we went to the hospital to have it evaluated. I was thinking 3 to 4 stitches, however, and much to our surprise and relief, the ER doctor was able to use glue to, well, glue her wound shut! No stitches, hooray!

Now when I was a kid, they'd clean the wound with a rough SOS type pad, jab like an 8" needle in the cut to numb it, then sew it closed with a rusty fishing pin. Ah, but not today, these kids have it made. It's a completely different experience visiting the ER these days.

In the end Emilie was a trooper and did a great job under the circumstances. She is a brave little girl and I'm VERY proud of her but let's hope this was the first and last time we need to visit the ER because in the end I can't handle it...

Garage Parking...For One At Least

2011-11-22T12:35:00.007-05:00

I've been making progress in getting the animals and yard put to bed for the winter. Actually, we're 99% complete with just a few more smaller odds and ends to tidy up.

One of the biggest accomplishments, and the one with the most dire consequences for me if I failed, was "reorganizing" the garage to allow JoAnne to park her vehicle inside. Unfortunately, and as you can see, I will not be parking my vehicle inside this winter, nope! I basically relocated everything to my side of the garage. I'm hoping I won't be needing anything from the back corner. If so, I'm SOL! Too much "stuff" - I need a shed. Also, gonna need a good ice scraper and snow brush, alas...

Le Coop Hath Been Winterized

2011-11-22T11:18:00.004-05:00

The chicken and rabbit coop has been winterized. The critters are tucked in and comfortable for the long, cold winter ahead. The good news is that the Oprington pullets are beginning to lay; (3) eggs today. The older hens are in various stages of molt and not laying but no worries they're all snugged up.

Open House

2011-11-20T09:03:00.004-05:00

The woodpeckers did the initial damage a couple summers ago and created access inside. The yucky, dirty common sparrows took advantage and nested in there this past summer. Here are two curious Blue Birds checking things out. Perhaps, they're visiting open houses for potential cribs come Spring 2012, which would be nice. Either way the two-legged homeowners appear to be completely oblivious to the ongoing damage - no surprise there.

Vintage Flash Cards

2011-11-20T08:57:00.002-05:00

Late 50's early 60's vintage Flash Cards by Milton Bradley

2011 Lawn Mowing Totals

2011-11-20T08:39:00.005-05:00

My 2011 grass cutting totals are in:

- Dad's Lawn = 16 Cuttings
- KMichelson Lawn = 15 Cuttings
- BCox Lawn = 13 Cuttings
- FPreisler Lawn = 1 Cutting
- My Lawn = 26 Cutting

SO very happy the season has come to an end! Shoveling snow will actually be a nice change of pace.

Happy Halloween (Make-up Night)!

2011-11-04T19:02:00.005-04:00

It's our towns make-up Halloween night tonight thanks to the lovely Nor'easter we had one week ago, BOO!

Catnip Fix

2011-11-03T09:05:00.000-04:00

Here's Gracie cat (closest feline) and Lila cat enjoying the awesome day and some of our fresh picked garden catnip. And boy do they LUV it! They eat it and roll all over it and become happy cats. I tried some too but it didn't have the same effect on me, alas...

The Rare "Hornet Cleome" Flower

2011-11-03T08:53:00.000-04:00

I snapped this picture a couple weeks ago, before the frost and early Nor'easter hit. The Cleome is now dead, victim of the frost, and the hornet, well I can only guess he's a goner too.

This weekends weather, although a tad nippy, looks to be sunny and beautiful. The plans is to finish getting the yard and animals winterized, the spring/summer items stored and, at least, one garage bay cleaned so we can park a vehicle inside. A tall chore for sure...

Link Numbers

2011-10-29T08:06:00.002-04:00

1958 Link Numbers by Milton Bradley

Jack 2.0

2011-10-28T16:57:00.013-04:00

Things just were not the same out in the old animal pen since our beloved rabbit Jack passed away last month. Although, Jack will always be the king of our homestead, we adopted a new male bunny this afternoon. He's was advertised as a Holland Lop but I have my doubts, as they're supposed to be tiny and this guy isn't so much. No worries he's a handsome little man none-the-less.

His birthday is July 17, 2011, so he's still a young'n. He has BIG rabbits feet to fill but no pressure. The lady rabbits seem to approve and he's already settled into his new cage just fine. Several names have been tossed around, i.e. Gordon, Mark, Louis and even Tim Thomas (the Boston Bruins goaltender for those of you who are clueless, which is unacceptable by the way!). Until he is officially named I will be referring to him as "Jack 2.0".

Oh, he was also introduced to Trixie. Not so sure "Jack 2.0" enjoyed his initial meeting but I understand completely, after all how much fun can it be having your ear bitten, chewed and pulled by a dog that's smaller than you?! This bullying thing is getting out of hand...

Anyway, welcome to the ole homestead Jack 2.0!

First Snow Fall of the Season :-(

2011-10-28T16:38:00.008-04:00

We had our first snow fall of the season last night, ugh! 32 degrees on the nose this morning according to our thermometer, brr! Too soon, way to soon for sure - it's still only October. Just hope it's not a sign of things to come. Here are some of our Halloween decorations with their snow hats on, kinda cool...

Our Orpington Flock of Ladies

2011-10-23T10:01:00.006-04:00

Check out the little ladies! Are these not a good looking flock of Buff Orpintgon pullets? They have a wonderful disposition and very friendly too. They're closing in on six months old and should begin laying soon, which we'll welcome as the older hens have all but stopped ever since the cold weather has begun to move in - if we're lucky we get one egg every couple of days.

New But No New...

2011-10-23T09:38:00.008-04:00

I replaced our chickens homemade milk crate nest boxes yesterday with real nest boxes. The homemade nests worked out just fine for many years. The real nest boxes had been hanging in the old, empty chicken pen at my dads house and I finally got around to moving them here.

I built some new roosts for the ladies to fly up on and hung it. Will be heading to the feed store this morning to pick up a bail of hay, which I need to the rabbits with winter approaching and will also use some to line the new nest boxes.

The pictures below are not the prettiest but then again I'm talking about a chicken coop, so it's to be expected.

Before -

After -

For anyone interested, I have two used milk crate nest boxes available...

Surprise Surprise!

2011-10-23T09:09:00.006-04:00

Our Bell Pepper 2011 harvest

Well, as it turns out our 12 pepper plants weren't as dead-beat as I thought. While getting all our flower beds ready for winter yesterday, by cutting and pulls this past summers growth, I came across these three tiny peppers. I had given up on them a while ago and with them hidden behind the begonias, that did fantastic growing in the same bed as the peppers, I'd forgotten about them. Much to my surprise these littlen's were waiting for me when I pulled the plants, so our 2011 peppers were not a total bust.

Our October 2011 Visitors

2011-10-20T14:29:00.009-04:00

We're always having wildlife stopping in or passing by throughout the year for a visit with this October being one of the busier months. Not pictured was a beautiful Red Fox that crossed the road and ran through the yard. I was simply too slow to get a pic, alas.

Here is a VERY handsome Tom! Notice his "brush"?! -

A mother and (2) baby White-Tailed deer. They were enjoying the Wild Garlic plants that are taking over and stayed around for quite some time -

Here are (6) absolutely stunning Blue Birds, WOW! There were many more and all just hanging out, perhaps taking a break from wherever they're heading to but always welcome -

Tri-Ominos

2011-10-20T14:19:00.003-04:00

1968 vintage Pressman Tri-Ominos

Probably Need My Head Examined, Yes!?!?

2011-10-18T13:26:00.009-04:00

Please put your hands together for a BIG round of applause and warm welcome for the newest member of our Lincoln Street menagerie, Trixie*!!

Trixie is an 9-week old Blue Merle Chihuahua, which is a dog for those of you unsure.

Certainly not what you'd expect to find running around at my place but a father's love for his daughter far out weighs his selfishness to fight for a manly-mans dog.

The look on Emilie's face when JoAnne revealed the puppy was priceless! Definitely brought a tear to my eyes. Needless to say Emilie is in her glory and on top of the world. We just need to make sure Emilie grandma doesn't try to take Trixie home with her when she comes up for a visit. She is a Chihuahua fan, ugh, go figure...

*Her name is still yet to be decided but the majority are leaning towards Trixie...

Icelandic Lamb Has Arrived, YUMMY!

2011-10-18T13:14:00.003-04:00

Iceland and Whole Foods Market bring you, exclusively, Icelandic Lamb, which is only available from September through early December, and not in all Whole Foods Market. The good news is that our Whole Foods Market DOES indeed carry it, OH LA LA! I would also be remiss if I didn't give kudos to my co-worker Vladimir B., who turned us on to this delicacy!!

Here's an explanation I came across -

‘Much of Iceland's lamb production is simply based on harvesting the bounties of nature. The use of hormones as growth promoters is strictly prohibited and antibiotics are banned as a feed additive. The Icelandic climate, unpolluted air and abundant supply of clean mountain water makes the use of pesticides and herbicides unnecessary. Iceland's’ climate protects the land against plant diseases, insects and other pests which plague agriculture in warmer latitudes.

Thanks to its geographical isolation and stringent agricultural regulations that control the import of live animals, many common animal diseases are unknown in Iceland.

Choice lambs born in the spring spend the summer grazing freely in the fresh air of Iceland's’ highland pastures. Icelandic lamb is reared entirely outdoors and its natural pasture diet includes sedge, willow, thrift. moss campion and berries. This unique blend makes Icelandic lamb instantly recognizable for its delicious and distinctive taste.

No Antibiotics
No Hormone Implants as growth promoters
No Parasiticides
No Pesticides
No Herbicides

JoAnne picked up some chops and loins, which are chill'n in the freezer. We're thinking about stopping in, at least once more, to pick up more. Can't wait to sink my teeth into some tasty Icelandic lamb, baaaaaaaaaa!

I Think I Can, I Think I Can, I Think I Can...

2011-10-17T13:17:00.001-04:00

I took advantage of the fabulous fall weekend we just had and got quite a bit taken care of in our yard, as well as in my dads yard.

Saturday was spent in Westwood cutting grass as usual but also cleaning gardens, yippee - removed the metal tomato stakes and put in storage, pulled all the dead, dried vegetable plants and weeds, cut and removed all over grown weeds, i.e. Goldenrod, and small trees growing on the rock garden. Also weed-whacked all gardens and yard. Plus put a couple trash barrels curbside with "stuff" inside to be removed - let's hope they take it all. Oh, and let's hope the house sells soon too! This taking care of multiple properties is for the birds!

Upon my return home Saturday afternoon I had just enough umph to cut my own lawn and then put down a 15k bag of Winterizer fertilizer with weed killer of course. Got everything done and put away just after dark.

Sunday afternoon was spent in our gardens pulling dead tomato and squash plants, removing and cleaning tomato cages and turning the soil, ugh. Finished off by planting 3lbs of Winter Rye in the various gardens. Got everything done, put away and showered in time to watch the Patriots beat the Cowboys, hooray, and then relax with the family.

The Great Flood of October 1, 2011

2011-10-12T14:49:00.016-04:00

So, we've had some excitement, water excitement actually, back on October 1! Our washing machine decided to go-on-the-fritz, and by this I mean that the machine never stopped filling with water, OH NO! Naturally, the machine only holds so much water, so the rest came out and came out and came out and came out...

What alerted us to this catastrophe was the basement smoke detector started going off. When JoAnne went down to investigate (I wasn't going down there) she was greeted with water pouring from dozens upon dozens of ceiling nooks and crannies. The water was running through and out of the smoke detector, which thankful set it off and alerted us to the problem.

We, along with help from our neighbor, eventually cleaned everything up that night. Now, when I called our insurance company to open a claim another type of flood began. They immediately dispatched a cleaning and restoration company called ServiceMASTER.

and boy oh boy did they arrive -

In the basement they removed ALL the ceiling insulation in half the basement; the half under the kitchen and bathroom. The also remove the top half of the sheetrock on the outside back wall and the insulation behind it. Three locations had already begun growing mold, which they sprayed and treated. Then came in the industrial equipment: (4) blowers and (2) dehumidifiers. These ran full time from Friday afternoon till Sunday morning, see below -

The kitchen and bathroom had the baseboard trim removed and 1" holes drilled into the walls to allow air flow. The refrigerator was pulled out and the same was done behind it. Then (5) industrial fans and (1) hugh dehumidifier was installed, and again ran from Friday afternoon until Sunday morning. The noise was deafening. You literally couldn't hear yourself think, see below -

The good news is that we're 100% dry, so there's not worry about mold. The bad news is that the basement ceiling and walls need new insulation installed and the sheetrock re-hung. The weather is changing fast and getting colder as each day passes, so the timing isn't the best.

We're in a holding pattern until we hear back from our insurance assessor but all in all things moved pretty fast.

Greggie Got's a BooBoo...

2011-10-12T13:43:00.007-04:00

I came across this 1974 relic while going through the boxes of "stuff", that have been relocated to my house, from my folks attic. 40+ years of accumulated "stuff", yippie!

Apparently, back in July of 1974 by brother had a need for five stitches over his left eye. Hmm, poor kid. Since I can't remember last week there is NO way I recall what happened back on 7/22/74. I can only assume that I had nothing to do with it...

By the way were only three stitches in the jar when I opened it. You can see two stuck to the lid.

My mother wrote the following note on a tissue that reads, "Greg Tues July 22, 74 (5) over left eye"

Boy will he be surprised when this jar arrives in the mail - SURPRISE!

Spirograph Set

2011-10-11T15:16:00.000-04:00

1967 original Spirograph set by Kenner

Oh Yeah! Whole Grain Cheez-IT's!

2011-10-11T15:05:00.010-04:00

Look what I happened across at a Target in Fairfield Connecticut - WHOLE GRAIN Cheez-IT's!! Please forgive me for including a picture of my finger but I was just too excited and salivating dah!

So, perhaps these delicious snack treats aren't that bad after all!

I'm thinking some of these bad boys washed down with a frosty, cold beer on football Sundays - Go PATS!

Now, just need to see if theses tasty vittles are carried around these parts...

Dutch Bulbs by van Bourgodien

2011-10-11T10:26:00.005-04:00

Bought and planted me some Daffodil and Tulip bulbs - 36 bulbs (18) of each kind. Only time will tell how well they do but we'll know for sure come Spring one way or another.

Double-mixed Tulips -

Apple Blossom-mixed Tulips -

Mork & Mindy Jeep

2011-09-29T09:15:00.003-04:00

1979 Mork & Mindy 4-Wheel Drive Jeep

It's over Johnny. It's over!

2011-09-28T10:58:00.018-04:00

2011 Tomato and Pickle (Cucumber) canning is over!

Here are our 2011 canning totals:

Tomatoes - (34) quarts & (31) pints
Pickles Dill -(4) quarts & (18) pints
Pickles Bread & Butter - (1) quart & (20) pints

R.I.P. Jack

2011-09-28T09:16:00.000-04:00

Jack, our lovable male rabbit passed away yesterday.

He'd been slowly getting worse these last couple of weeks, so it wasn't a complete surprise. However, and of course, Emilie was devastated when we told her. He was a fantastic little man with a wonderful, friendly disposition. He leaves behind many, many, many, many sons and daughters, so his presence will last for quite a while. As a matter of fact our two remaining rabbits are his daughters.

Emilie named him "Jack" after her day-care friend, at the time, Jack Kelly - it was that long ago! Best we can remember we got him somewhere between 8 to 10 years ago. Whenever any of us would go out to the animals, Jack would come up to the front of his cage and be there to greet us.

We buried him out back after diner last night, in a box that Emilie decorated. Already, it's just not the same out there without him bouncing around.

Danger, Danger, Danger Will Robinson!

2011-09-26T14:02:00.015-04:00

PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has found bird-biting mosquitoes infected with Eastern Equine Encephalitis in the Broad Street area of Medway. Triple-E is a serious virus with a very high mortality rate. Although no EEE has been found in Franklin yet this season, residents in North Franklin along the Medway border should take all steps necessary to avoid mosquito bites. If you have questions regarding this alert, please contact the Franklin Health Department.

So, we need to be careful when out in our yard, as the infected area/town isn't too far from us. As you can see, I am already doing my part to help eradicate the potential carriers.

As Arnold Schwarzenegger's character, from the movie Terminator 2: Judgement Day, said -

"Hasta la vista, baby!"

Keep on Keeping On...

2011-09-26T12:48:00.008-04:00

So, the Summer is officially over and Autumn has begun here in New England. However, and although, looking somewhat pathetic and beat up from a long hot summer, our Clematis is still producing some flowers. Five, smaller than usual from this old timer, purple flowers doing the best they can. Of course at this time of year any and all flowers are welcome by us, as well as the butterflies and bees.

Archie Bunker's Card Game

2011-09-25T09:58:00.006-04:00

I thought I'd start a new series of posting, which I will refer to as, "Attic Toys". These attic toys are the games and toys that my brother and I grew up playing with back when we were kids. They've been stored in my folks house since we were knee high to a grasshopper. With my dad looking to sell the house, my brother and I cleaned out the attic and as luck would have, the games and toys ended up in my garage and basement.

I've begun sorting and inventorying them all and will post various pictures from time to time. Some are quite interesting and a sign of how things were back then. Many just would NOT be acceptable in today's world, as political correctness is out of control (in my opinion)!

Here's the first one -

1972 "All In The Family" Archie Bunker's card game by Milton Bradley

Awesomely Stunning, Yes!

2011-09-25T09:07:00.020-04:00

Back in early August our Hibiscus bloomed for the first time in 2011. The blooms were stunning and BIG, as we've come accustomed to (this plant has us spoiled) the last couple of three or four years now.

We planted it and have left it alone and do not bring indoors come the fall. It's planted against the back of the house and I'm guessing the foundation keeps it protected enough from our harsh New England winters, as it happily reappears each summer.

And each year, along with the awesome flowers, the damaging Hibiscus Sawfly arrives too. You can see the damage that the larva inflict if left alone and uncontrolled, they'll decimate the foliage in short order.

Here is what the Hibiscus Sawfly larva looks like. With the exception of fertilizing our lawn, we do NOT use chemicals to control the bad insects that arrive each year and attack our vegetables and flowers. Instead, I hand pick or squash the offenders. Perhaps, it's not the most effective but it's certainly much safer. The chickens also win as they often times get to reap what I collect.

But alas with Fall upon us this beauty is shutting down and will soon be closing shop until next Spring, sleep tight.

P.S. Did you all notice the lovely bracelet in the first picture above, HMM?!?! If interested and you'd would like to see others, please let me know! We have many, many more available. They make excellent gifts!

A Floor for A Door

2011-09-23T16:00:00.008-04:00

I got a little creative with our old deck's floor boards. Our front pool deck gate was in terrible disrepair. So much so that it was very difficult to open and we decided to lock it shut and not use it. Of course this just wasn't convenient, especially being summer time and needing ready access to the pool.

So, I removed the old one and built a brandy new one; well sort of in that it's a new gate, just used old wood to construct it. It's not the prettiest, and perhaps not the best workmanship but it does work and we can use it once again whenever we want/need so there!

Front view from the driveway -

Rear view from inside the pool area -

After all what was I gonna do with all this old decking? Our weekly curbside trash pickup does not take this type of material! However, the town my dad lives in will take this stuff, BUT I didn't want to take it there for fear he'd pull it out and keep it. This in itself is a long story...

A Local Great Blue Heron, Impressive!

2011-09-23T14:16:00.006-04:00

Here is a Great Blue Heron that spotted when we were releasing our bullfrog. Actually, we see them quite often around these parts the last couple of four years or so. They're easy to identify when flying too, odd looking yet impressive to see such a larger bird flying with such ease.

Check out the size of this dudes foot, as well as his gullet - HUGH right! I can't see him getting stuck in the mud with those paws. He's no pelican but I bet he can fit some fairly large critters in that oesophagus!

Also, present in this pond was this beaver house. Looks like it might be an older one, with the grass growing on top but impressive just the same.

We need to take our canoe to this pond, so we can check it out more. Perhaps, this fall.

Froggy Went a Courtin...

2011-09-23T13:51:00.006-04:00

Earlier this month Emilie and I took a drive to a local ponds and released our bullfrog. I caught this boy is early August, so we had him for about a month and enjoyed having him around. However, with winter approaching we wanted to let him go with plenty of time to fatten up and locate a good hibernating spot.

Off we go, Shaquille O'Neal and I, through the woods and down the path to the pond -

And here's Mr. Froggy. He had something going on with his mouth area when I caught him that didn't really get much better under our watch. Perhaps, getting back into a pond and wallowing in mud will help it heal.

Just hope he's smart enough to steer clear of the Great Blue Heron we saw when we arrived.

I'm Changing Things Up Garlic Wise

2011-09-18T21:08:00.019-04:00

I decided to change things up regarding this fall's garlic planting since our summer harvest was less then good. For several years now I've been planting California Softneck garlic, which I would buy from our local Agway store. All in all we've been pleased and have had success but...

This year I ordered via the Internet from Seven Acre Seeds and went with their German White garlic. I paid a bit more, especially when you add in shipping but I wanted to try something different.

One pound ended up being (5) beautiful bulbs, see below.

So, from the five bulbs I was able to plant (3) rows each with 10 cloves this past Saturday! They're in, now it's a waiting game and I have my fingers crossed for a bountiful harvest come nest summer.

The other change I made was location! I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone, and decided to swap the location I've always planted our garlic in with the location I've always planted our Kale and Broccoli in. The main thought behind this decision was to relocate the Kale and Broccoli closer to the house and much farther away from the temptation and reach of the woodchucks. I just hope that don't like garlic.

Pickle Canning?! Who Knew...

2011-09-14T13:18:00.014-04:00

JoAnne has raised her game this year when it comes to canning! She banged out another batch of tomatoes - (16) quarts and (13) pints, bringing out 2011 tomato canning totals to a whopping- (28) quarts and (31) pints, OH BABY BABY!

She also did some cucumber (pickle) canning too! We had HUGH success with our cucumbers this year! They just kept growing and producing more and more. As you can see in the photo above her first attempt at pickle canning was a success. She did a batch of Dill that yielded (4) quarts and (11) pints and a batch of Bread & Butter that yielded (14) pints, BOOYAH!

There are still more tomatoes to be picked that begs the question, does JoAnne have it in her to can another batch?!?! Stay tuned...

Say Hello To My Little Friend

2011-09-12T13:38:00.009-04:00

Patients and persistence have paid off!

Finally trapped one of my archenemy's yesterday! Weirdest thing too, it was in the middle of the afternoon with me working in the yard. I guess this is the price to pay for getting too cocky.

It's ironic that this gardening season began with a woodchuck eating this years first head of broccoli out of our garden and the dude above was lured into this trap with a piece of broccoli.

This dude is a young'n, I'm guessing a baby from this season. Too bad we weren't fishing so I could throw this one back in the hope of catching a bigger one, like the momma, but NO need to do that. I will catch the momma eventually too.

Find The Critter

2011-09-12T13:34:00.005-04:00

Can you find the critter in the above picture?

It's the first (adult) one we've seen all year and we're tickled to know they're still around!

As Good As New, Yes?!

2011-09-12T13:13:00.006-04:00

We just had our driveway tended to in preparation for this coming winter and to help us extend it's life, hopefully for years to come. They filled all the cracks, of which there were MANY, and then sealed. They, or rather, he did an excellent job. It really needs to be replaced and I'd like to be 6" taller too, it's just not in our budget today or the foreseeable future...

A Few Nectar-Feeding Insects

2011-09-09T16:08:00.005-04:00

Although, we've not see too many Monarch butterflies this summer, some did eventually arrive for a visit and something to nibble on. We did have many other butterflies and moths visiting all summer long and still do today. Here are just a few:

Here is a picture of a Yellow Sulfur perched atop a Joe-Pye weed flower -

Here is a beautiful Great Spangled Fritilary butterfly atop a butterfly bush flower -

Here is another stunning beauty, a female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail atop our Harlequin Glory Bower bush -

Huff, Puff and Blow Down

2011-09-09T14:32:00.009-04:00

Hurricane-turned-tropical-storm Irene did some tree damage in my dad's yard. The top of and a large branch from this maple (pictured below) came crashing down on top of the shed roof. Surprisingly, there was NO damage to the shed or the roof.

So, last Saturday following the mowing of (3) lawns I got to spend an additional hour + cutting and hauling (with dad's help) these damaged limbs, branches, etc. into the woods. Good times...

New Oak Roost For The Ladies

2011-09-06T19:29:00.009-04:00

Now that we have (10) chickens rooming together I installed a second roost in the coop. This roost was delivered onto us by hurricane-turned-tropical-storm Irene, so why not use a perfectly good piece of oak! This will give the newbies another place too flee to when being chased by the older hens as they set the pecking order, as well as another option for the ladies to spread out for their evening night nights.

The photo above shows the first user of said roost. A perdy four+ month old Buff Orpington pullet. Can't wait till they start laying!

My Archenemy

2011-09-06T19:21:00.006-04:00

Emilie spotted my adversary, Mr. Woodchuck, in the neighbors front yard the other afternoon. He was cautiously making his way around eating grass and weeds. So long as he stays over there things will be fine. However, I located a new woodchuck hole in the woods behind our old woodpile. Sadly, that just means there are more of these invaders in our immediate area than I thought. I've taken a vow to not let theses bandits do any more destruction to our plants and veggies, so bring it on you saboteur!

Back To School Fall 2011, Child #2

2011-09-06T08:18:00.011-04:00

After a weeks delay due to Hurricane turned tropical storm Irene, Emilie starts 4th grade today!

She surprised me this morning and came downstairs half asleep to see me off to work and give me a hug. She was SO adorable. She has NO idea how that hug alone made my whole day. I am a VERY luck dad!

Again I ask you where has the time gone?! It wasn't too long ago that she was just learning how to crawl. Can she really be 9 (going on 16!) already?!

Have a good first day of school Em!

Hurricane Breakfast

2011-09-05T08:54:00.003-04:00

JoAnne whipped up this delicious breakfast while hurricane Irene was visiting. Once done she named it, "Hurricane Irene", appropriate named if I do say so myself. An item to note, the potatoes and eggs are from the ole homestead, yummmmy!

Stop in anytime and join me in a hurricane breakfast!

What's That Noise?

2011-09-04T08:17:00.009-04:00

A common little insect around here these days is the Red-headed Bush Cricket, also called the Handsome Trig and a few other names. In Latin it's PHYLLOPALPUS PULCHELLUS.

At first, with its rusty head and thorax, and golden legs, I didn't even recognize this handsome little critter as a cricket because it is so unlike the much larger, totally black field crickets with which I'm more familiar.

This dude above was walking down our kitchen wall. Must have come inside on the plants we brought in prior to Irene's arrival. He's been singing too, which I enjoy but others not so much.

Summer 2011 Deck Repair

2011-09-01T14:36:00.014-04:00

Dear Diary -

Timothy "Tim the Tool Man" Taylor I am not but I'm holding my own and tackling some homestead deck upgrades. Frye Brother's Construction started the project back in June, but soon thereafter one of the dynamic duo's hopped a plane back down south - go figure. A few minor set backs slowed progress, however, with those behind me now things are looking up and have been progressing nicely these last couple of weeks.

The rail spindles need to be cut and installed. Once done, the deck top will be completed. All that will remain, and I use the word "all" loosely, is the stairs.

One of the set backs was that the (3) 12' 4x4 supporting posts needed to be replaced. After consulting with neighbors and friends I opted to go with the suggestion my Uncle gave and that was to replace them with 6x6 posts. Now that they're in place I am SO pleased. They look fantastic, however, 14' 6x6 posts are a tad heavy. The extra post heights use remains to be determined, although, we do have a couple ideas. After lugging those bad boys around you can now consider me a polyorchidsm man.

View of the deck top looking West -

Hello Up There! Hello Down There!

2011-09-01T10:48:00.018-04:00

Last week we headed North again, this time to Westford, Massachusetts to visit Kimball Farm. Kimball Farm in Westford offers a variety of fun activities. The farmhouse from 1939 still sits in the same place.

Here Emilie (#12) and I (#14) battle it out on the high seas in the bumper boat pond What a blast! Emilie did VERY well and held her own. Gave me a run for my money.

And here's another one of Emilie's ideas, an AreoBallon adventure ride, yikes! This dude is tethered to the ground (thank goodness) and soars up 300 feet high. Since it was an absolutely beautiful day we could see forever. The city of Boston in one direction to Wachusett mountain in another.

Looking Up -

Petrified and looking down -

It was quite the experience but I prefer my feet on solid ground and was glad when we touched down. After all, no one wants to see a grown man wet himself...

Nope, It's Not Barney...

2011-08-31T16:35:00.007-04:00

Walked right into my picture, UGH.

You know how the saying goes - "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all".

So, I will leave you with that piece of wisdom...

Crazy Northshore Gulls

2011-08-31T16:21:00.004-04:00

Of course you can't swing a stick without hitting a seagull when visiting the coast. Gloucester and Rockport are no different.

Here are some of the more interesting pictures we took. Personally, I view seagulls as I do squirrels and not too impressed, which surprises me why I'm even dedicating a post to them. However, the pics are kinda cool, so enjoy -

Gloucester & Rockport Road Trip

2011-08-31T14:26:00.013-04:00

With the end of summer coming to a close and Emilie's summer camp ending a couple weeks before school starts, JoAnne and I took some vacation time mid August.

One of the first things we did was to take a road trip to Gloucester and Rockport, Massachusetts. It was a Thursday, so we waited for the morning commute to die down and then took off. We arrived in Gloucester a little before lunch time, so the priority was finding a place to eat; a fish restaurant for me.

After lunch we stated driving North along the cost. We took our time and stopped numerous times along the way to sight see, take pictures and to let Emilie swim in the ocean. Once we arrived in Rockport, we found a parking spot and started hoofing it. What a beautiful little ocean town with tons of shops and stores to browse it.

We had a great time, some good food and some excellent scenery

Here are just a couple of the many pictures we took -

"What I Call, Livin' "

2011-08-30T12:20:00.000-04:00

Emilie, JoAnne and I did a little fishin' the other day.

Emilie caught and released about a dozen bluegill.

Here's a picture of her "holdin' that pink rod and reel"...

"And she think we're just fishin' on the riverside"...

Trace Adkins - Just Fishin'