Happy Turkey Day!

 

Wishing Family and Friends a Happy Thanksgiving

And remembering and missing the loved ones who are no longer with us.

To be physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.

I was puttering in the garage and basement this afternoon.  Still have quite a bit of "stuff" that I relocated here from my folks house.  Trying to make sense of it all and some decisions on what to do with it.  After reminiscing, this item went in the recycling bin.

Came across my old Boy Scout handbook from back in 1975.

Also, appears that I wasn't too fond of being a Boy Scout.

Hmm, who knew...

Additional Coop Winterizing/Insulation

Added some leaf bag insulation to both ends of the chicken pen.

This will certainly help keep the wind from peppering the plastic.

I filled them will Maple leaves. I'll slowly use as bedding for the coop floor throughout the winter.  The chickens will enjoy scratching in it to find snacks.  The rabbits also enjoy a handful here and there snack on too.

Shoo Pest, Go Away...

Now this is how you deter woodpeckers from poking holes in the side of a house!

And prep for Mardi Gras...

Fall Gutter Cleaning Fun

A tad nippy this morning, registering in the mid-forties but what an absolute beautiful day today!

A perfect day to be up on a roof and cleaning gutters.

When I arrived there was no doubt the gutters needed cleaning.

The gutters packed and over flowing with Oak leaves !

Ah, but they're no match for my leaf blower and I.

TA DA!  Clean as a whistle.

Pesky Bothersome Critters

So, as I do each Fall, and have been doing for as long as I can remember, I plant Winter Rye in my vegetable gardens. Helps hold the dirt, when tilled in come Spring it enriches the soil and I can pick some throughout the Winter and feed as treats for the chickens and rabbits.

However, as you can see from the picture below the deer have already found it leaving their hoof marks behind as evidence.  Although, still growing and coming in, they didn't waste any time in eating most of it to the ground.

They'll be sorry when the real cold weather is upon us, wishing they had saved some.

Of course come early Spring, with the days longer and warming the rye will take off and thicken up quite nicely.

Just need to figure out a way of deterring the deer from coming so close to the house and fussing with all our plants.

Mellow Yellow

A stubborn Aspen tree refusing to comply and drop it's leaves.

Doesn't seem to care that all the other trees in our backyard have shed their leaves.

Still proudly displaying their magnificent yellow colors.

Nom Nom Nom (the sound of chewing)

I don't know what all the fuss was about this past Thursday afternoon but there was a flurry of critter activity taking place!

There were oodles of American Robins darting back and forth between the ornamental pears trees and the Bittersweet vines.  I suspect they were dinning on the plentiful berries still hanging on.

This grey squirrel was in the Kousa Dogwood tree eating the now discolored and withered berries that had covered the tree earlier in the Fall.  Nothing goes to waste.

Here is a Downy Woodpecker bee-bopping from one tree limb to another looking for something.

The best of the bunch is this female Cardinal taking a short break and posing.

With all this food around there is no need to fill the bird feeders yet.  I'll wait till the deep freeze and snow before offering assistance.

On Fire!

Very impressive sunset off our back deck this past Sunday night!

Ameraucana Eggs Have Arrived!

Oh my gosh my golly!

Our first two blue chicken eggs - November 11, 2015!

We bought our Ameraucana chicks back on April 22, 2015.

Typically chickens begin laying around the time their six months.  However, depending on the breed and time of year this can fluctuate by a month or so in either direction (earlier or later).

Our chickens took a bit longer, approx 3-weeks longer.  I'm sure the shorter days and colder temperatures played a role in the delay.

No worries now that they've begun,  They're delicious, so well worth the wait!

Do You Remember When?!

 Who remembers when Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots...

Was originally and briefly named CMGI Field after the trouble Internet firm CMGI?

Back in 2002.

*Note: The top photo I pulled from the Internet today.  The CMGI photo I took back on August 7, 2002.

Title Town Bling!

Not one, not two, not three but FOUR Lombardi trophies for our New England Patriots!

They made an appearance at the office last month.

I realize I'm repeating myself from above but...

Not one, not two, not three but FOUR Superbowl rings for our New England Patriots!

Here's the Boston Celtics 2008 NBA Championship trophy!

Also known as the Larry O'Brien Championship trophy.

Which also made an appearance at the office last month.

Hoping for partnerships soon with the Boston Bruins, Boston Red Sox's and New England Revolution.

OMG, What Was That Noise?!

DID YOU JUST HEAR THAT?!?!?!

WTF!

Paintball Contusion!!

Google defines "initiation" as follows -

noun

/iˌniSHēˈāSH(ə)n/

"The action of admitting someone into a secret or obscure society or group, typically with a ritual."

Well, this past Sunday I was initiated into the world of paintball, ayup!

My initiator was our neighbor Shane, aka "Junior Lollipops"

My initiation was taking a single paintball shot center mass

For months I've been able to postpone the inevitable but the pressure was mounting.  I found myself constantly looking over my shoulder, especially when working in the yard, for fear of being ambushed.  The yard work was suffering and I was a nervous wreck.  I was even fearful of going to the mailbox some days. I was living in fear; trapped in my house. A prisoner,

This Sunday it all came to a head. I was given an offer I could not refuse - take a single shot that afternoon or multiple shots at some other unknown time. I was tired of running.  The only thing left to do was give in and finally let Junior Lollipops take the shot he was so obsessed with.

So, I did...

OUCH!

#Man-Up, #ThankYouSirMayIHaveAnother, #NoMoreFear, #TeamValhalla,

Renny The Wren

Pleased to see "Renny" still hanging around the ole homestead!

She's seems darker than usual, perhaps her Fall/Winter color.

She didn't stay too long, just long enough to make her presence known, drop a poop on the deck banister and off she flew.

Everything Tastes Better With Bacon

Baked a pound of bacon the other morning, YUM!

Almost burned the house down in the process too, YIKES!

But, I had bacon...

Vroom Vroom

Riding season has come to a close here in New England.

Already looking forward to next year!

Our garden gnome is still cruise'n though!