Sweet Caroline!!

Emilie and I went to the Boston Red Sox New York Yankee game this past Sunday.

We had outstanding seats on the first base line, about 7 rows up from the field and next too the Red Sox dug out!  The rain held off throughout the game and the Sox game back from 4-0 in the bottom of the 8th to win the game 5-4!

The Red Sox manager Alex Cora, so close we could touch him -

Wally the Green Monster was entertaining all pre-game -

Sox WIN!

After the game we grabbed a pie at Regina Pizza, just around the corner from Fenway Park.  Then topped the afternoon off with ice cream cones from Bubbling Brook!

It was a great day I got to spend with Emilie!

Thank you Putnam for the tickets!

Our Tax Dollars Hard At Work!

Like my earlier posting titled "Find The "Critter"...", this post too is about the questionable work or services being performed by the Grounds Department of our town - our tax dollars at work.

Call it a bitch, call it a gripe, call it whatever you want, in the end the pictures speak for themselves and this just plain rub me the wrong way.  To me it sends the wrong message to the community and to visitors that Franklin does things half assed and just doesn't care.

These are pictures of a couple community ball fields and how the Grounds Department for the town of Franklin has been mowing and maintain the grass this season. This is NOT a one time event, rather it's becoming the norm.

I will say that organized sports are not currently in session, which is a good thing.  However, residents who might want to kick a soccer ball around with their kids or throw the frisbee or football are outta luck. I suppose you still can, however, you risk getting hurt or at the least covered in grass clipping.

C'mon does anyone find this acceptable?  

If you hired a lawn care company to maintain your lawn, would you be okay coming home from work one day to your lawn looking like this?  Would you except excuses that they're short handed or can't hire good help.  Would you pay them?  I'd be pissed!

Not only are there huge clumps of grass all over the fields but it's also on the walkways and driveways and in one case a storm drains is clogged shut too. They also mow over whatever is in the way, clearly too lazy to climb down from the ride mower they're on to pickup, i.e. trash - plastic water bottles, soda bottles, cups, paper, even socks, which all add to the mess that is strewn on these fields.

ALAS :-(

Oh Boy, Snakes!

We had some heavy heavy rains a couple weeks ago, so much so that the local streams and rivers were higher than I'd ever seen them before; incredible amounts of water!

I suspect that all that rain and rushing water was to blame for many a critter being disrupted and displaced, which could account for me running into so many snakes during a morning walk following a rainy night.

Of course I was in my glory, reliving my youth and wanting so bad to catch each and every one.

Here is a good size Northern Water Snake - 

One of the biggest Northern Water Snakes I've seen -

A good size Eastern Garter Snake -

Another good size Eastern Garter Snake - 

I saw others smaller Garter snakes but they didn't stick around for photos, nope they hightailed it outta there each time.

***UPDATE***

I still see the Garter snakes occasionally.

Sadly, heart breaking really, I came upon one of the Northern Water Snake pictured above dead in the street not far from where I took his picture only a couple days earlier.  I moved it out of the road and back into the stream, so not to get hit and squashed repeatedly.

You've Gotta Start Them Young!

Reason number 112 for having chickens...

Our neighbor and his 2-year old son.

Adorable at how he's sitting and enjoying our chickens.

This one pulls on your heart strings!

Insect Fornication

Here are a couple cucumber beetles getting acquainted in a cucumber flower.

They're nasty little pests for sure, somewhat deceiving for how small they are!  They attack cucumber plants, squash plants, pumpkin and melon plants too.  Their larva feed on the roots of the plants, while the adults feed on the leaves, vines and fruit.  They hold another threat too - they carry and spread a disease called bacterial wilt, where infected plants begin to wilt and die.

Some folks spray their plants to help control these pests but since I only have handful of plants I hand pick them.  Although, this is challenging too.  I've found that their initial defense is to simply fall, so if you can get your hand underneath their location before they notice, they'll fall right into your hand.  At that point a quick squeeze between two fingers and done!

The joys of gardening!

Sadly I agree

Do you agree or disagree?!

 

OH Mamma!

On one of my morning walks I came across this female Painted turtle in deep concentration laying her eggs.  Although, close to a small pond, I question her location - why there.  As it turns out that spot gets mowed on a regular basis, so hoping the eggs don't crush under the weight of the mower or any of the youngsters get mowed as they emerge.

In all my years this is a first for me, seeing such a thing.

Commute Hell

I've made the trek into the office a handful of times over the last month.  Although, there's very few folks in the office today, I will admit it's a nice change of pace to go in.  I was quickly reminded just how much I despise the 120 mile round-trip commute, the sheer volume of traffic in general and just how aggressive, rude and mean drivers are today - young and old, male and female, expensive vehicle or POS.

It doesn't take much to upset the delicate flow of the commute, from a fender bender to a nasty crash to a vehicle pulled over by the state police.  Accidents aside, the "rubber-neckers" are some of the worse.

Here are a couple screen shots from Waze on my commute home the other evening.  A small car crash caused miles and miles of delays, UGH!

Find The "Critter"...

Here is a play on my "Find The Critter" posts.  

Can you find the fire hydrant in the below pictures?!

Sadly, this is our tax dollars work for us.

I realize it's not ice and snow, which introduces a number of other dangerous concerns but riddle me this, if the fire department cannot see and locate a hydrant and needs to spend any time, especially when time is critical, then isn't this a similar danger?!

Surprisingly, an email to the Town Administrator was answered and many of my questions answered.  However, in the end most were excuses, e.g. unable to find reliable help, covid has them shorthanded, etc.  Now, if I was given a tax break or refund on the service not be performed that would be one thing but since I'm not I expect the town to perform all their duties in a professional and timely manner, especially ones that teeter on dangerous.

Each And Every Day

Mom...

Phloxing Deer, UGH!

Although, I have not actually seen deer in our yard for a long time now, there are clear signs they're there, UGH!

Received a text the other evening from a neighbor telling me to look outside, along our driveway.  Apparently, there was a mother deer and her baby making their way to cross the street.  I didn't see the text in time, so again I've not actually seen a deer in our yard for a long time now.

There are hoof prints in the mud of the flower bed, clear evidence they're there.

Here are some additional example they're around.

My Phlox plants, all but eaten, UGH what the phlox -

A hosta plant with most of it's flower buds eaten off.  The second picture is a similar hosta but safely in the pool area but it shows what that darn deer are doing in terms of damage - 

And of course deer droppings!

So, again and although, I have not actually seen deer in our yard for a long time now, you all now clearly see they're out there too, UGH!!

Boston Office For The Day

I went into the Boston office the week of Memorial Day.  First time in over 18 months.  Although, we're still work-at-home and our offices not officially open till Labor day, it was a nice change of pace. We essentially had the place to ourselves, so we were able to accomplish everything we went in for.

As I used to do I once again took the MBTA commuter rail in, the purple line.  Perhaps because it was a short week and one that kicks off summer vacations, there were not too many commuters.  However, I was thrown for a loop when I pulled into the commuter parking lot and found that I was the only vehicle there!  Granted it was just before 6AM but there's typically a handful of cars there by the time I arrive, at least pre-pandemic.

Here's a view from the 22nd floor looking out at the Charles River -

New building going up next door.  Amazed at the progress, as the last time I was in the office they were just beginning this build.  Look at it now -

Here's another view of the Charles with the gold dome State House off to the right -

This new building of ours is great.  Open floor concept, which allows you to see out all sides from almost anywhere inside.  However, Boston working is too expensive for my liking.  Costs me $24 to park and take the commuter rail, $5 for my morning coffee and muffin and $18 for lunch, and all I had was a chicken Caesar salad, so it adds up quick.

Grill'n Time!

Um yummy!

Grilled myself a nice swordfish steak with peppers and onions and garlic and lemon, OH MY!

So easy and so daggone delicious.

Power Red Donation Baby

Another Power Red donation in the books!

Scored an American Red Cross cap too!

Getting closer and closer to obtaining the 7-gallon donation pin, just a couple pints to go.

It hurts more when they pull the tape off that's holding the tubing in place versus the needle, weird.

Pee-Ew

I noticed the following on my walk today and was curious what you all thought.  I found it rude and hard to comprehend just how lazy or uncaring some people can be.

A trash can at the ball field\park down the street, one that has a dome cover that is smaller in circumference than the trash can itself, which creates a 4" lip around the dome, and lying on the lip of the can was a tied green FULL dog poop bag!  

Now we're NOT talking horseshoes here, nor are we NOT talking handgrenades, so close enough just doesn't cut it here.

I ask you, is a full smelly dog poop bag on the rim of a trash can outside exposed to the elements, a mere inches from falling into where it belongs, good enough or should the irresponsible person who placed it there make the extra effort to give it an extra tap to ensure it goes where it's intended?!

My feelings are the person is a piece of shit (HAHA, see what I did here) and ideally I would love to rub his or her nose in it, then make them depose of it properly!

This laziness and entitlement and lack of caring or considerateness for others, in my opinion, speaks volumes to how things are today - shameful.