The Office Puzzle

Completed!

Started Christmas eve day and finished it this morning!

1000 piece puzzle, piece of cake!

Onto the next one...

Wok You Look'n At?!

Weird but I'm on a stir fry kick as of late and I can't explain it. I whipped up this delicious teriyaki meal last night, and cleaned my plate right down to the very last grain of rice!

You Sly Foxes You, Hubba Hubba!

Morning walks are the best, so quiet, calm and peaceful.  The calm before the storm of man awaking and ruining it with their hustle and bustle.  Often times I'm treated to seeing things most miss.  Take for example my walk on Tuesday morning - 

As I made my way up the driveway of the school, a mile down the road, I noticed an animal on the soccer field.  At first glance I assumed it was a dog but didn't see any owners milling about.  As I got closer I realized it was a fox, however, she was just standing there looking at me; never turned and ran, which was unusual. I suspect most people at that point would have assumed it was a rabid fox because foxes aren't out in the day and they would have immediately posted to Facebook about their find with a reminder to keep a close eye on your cats and dogs, UGH...oh the misinformed dipsticks!

Turns out it wasn't one fox but TWO foxes!  The reason they didn't turn and run is because they were "stuck" together, OUCH!  They tried to scurry away but their 8 legs had them going in different direction.

What I was witnessing was a pair of foxes mating!  Here is what the Google machine has to say - 

"During mating, a bulb-like mass of tissue surrounding the baculum tip (called the bulbus glandis) swells as it engorges with blood and the pair may become locked (or tied) together – this is known as a copulatory tie or copulatory lock, and is present in most canids."

Seemed like a rather odd place, out in the open, for these two to consummate their affection for one another but interesting just the same.

Perhaps, like most folks these days I recorded a 30 second clip of this pair trying to make there way to the woods -

💔

 😭

Try Losing One

It's hard to get a number

It's hard to get that dance

It's hard to talk a girl

Into ditching all her friends

It's hard to get that first kiss

It's hard to make one fall

It's hard to get the courage

Up to give her dad a call

And if all that ain't hard enough

Try losing one

Try walking through the door of an empty house

Try staring at the wall pouring whiskey out

Try living with knowing that you let her down

Try trying like hell not to think about

That hurt in her eyes as she turned around

If you think finding a girl you can't live without

Is the hardest thing you've ever done

Try losing one

It's hard to come home early

Them last call home come so late

Pride is hard to swallow

And sorry is hard to say

And taking her for granted

Is an easy thing to do

And if you wanna see the kind of hell

A girl can put you through

Try losing one

Try walking through the door of an empty house

Try staring at the wall pouring whiskey out

Try living with knowing that you let her down

Try trying like hell not to think about

That hurt in her eyes as she turned around

If you think finding a girl you can't live without

Is the hardest thing you've ever done

Try losing one

Try losing one

Try missing her every night holding on

Barely getting by a love like they

It might be hard to find

But try losing one

Try walking through the door of an empty house

Try staring at the wall pouring whiskey out

Try living with knowing that you let her down

Try trying like hell not to think about

That hurt in her eyes as she turned around

If you think finding a girl you can't live without

Is the hardest thing you've ever done

Try losing one

Try losing one

Grief

Merry Trixie Christmas

Trixie dog had a Merry Christmas!

Here are some UP and close candid pics of her in her Christmas PJs!

Santa got her (2) new squeaky toys, which I call her "chickens", and she loves them - 

We'll add them to her bed of squeaky toys.  Spoiled much...

Merry Christmas To You All!

Emilie and I put our Christmas tree up!

It looks great, if I do say so myself!

Here is the rest of the inside decorating, not as fancy as years past but festive.

A difficult holiday season would be an understatement.  However, I was on top of the world yesterday, as I got to spend Christmas Eve with both of my daughters.  I had them ALL TO MYSELF and all my worries went away, if just for that short time.

Two beautiful souls that I love so so much!  I couldn't be prouder of them both.

Wishing you all a VERY Merry Christmas!

CMGI Field, What?!

How many of you all recall when, what is now known as Gillette Stadium, the home to our New England Patriots, was originally supposed to be called CMGI Field?! Based on the date stamp on the pictures, this was back in 2002.

The stadium, parking lot signs had all be named CMGI Field.  I don't recall why, and honestly can't be bothered this morning to research, but the sponsorship fell through.

For some reason I made my way to the stadium and took some pictures before all signage was changed to Gillette Stadium.

White Christmas, Perhaps?!

I took this picture during my 7AM walk yesterday morning.  You can't tell in the pic but it was still snowing lightly.  Most surfaces had a coating of fresh fallen snow.  It was so calm and peaceful.  

There's still a coating out there is morning too, so this is as close as we'll get to a white Christmas this year.

To Survive...

First Snow Of The Season

We had out first snow fall of the season; a dusting really.  It always looks so nice when it first falls.

One of the things I like about fresh snow, is you get a glimpse at what creatures are lurking about outside - 

These are deer tracks - two of them.  Coming from the backyard and making their way to the front and ultimately across the street -

Outside Christmas Decorations - Done

I spent some time in the yard a couple weeks ago to finish raking, getting the driveway markers in place and to do a little decorating for Christmas.  I put out my Christmas flag, hung a couple red bows on the lampposts and put out the Christmas spotlight, which casts images against the house.

Not over the top by any imagination, just simple and basic.

Concrete Chickens

Sadly, not the real thing but thought I would kill two birds (get it) with one stone here.

I moved the yard figurine mother chicken and her three chicks into the vacant chicken coop.  Gives the impression that there are still chickens occupying the coop, and it gets the figurines out of the direct elements and protects them some.  They've been outside for so long and it shows but hopefully this will extend their life some.

Stalker

I was being watched the other evening, as I made my way out to pickup the mail.

I love birds of prey, one of my favorites!

Recycle, Reuse, Repurpose

Here is the pile of recyclable metal I'd been saving for several months.  Everything from bent nails, rusty screws to old rabbit cages.  Once I had a large enough load, I reached out to a local Facebook guy who picks this stuff up for free.  He came out within a couple days of me calling him and wha-la, all gone.  Well, all but the orange wheelbarrow.

 

Halloween Dinner

This is a picture I took around Halloween, hence the Sam Adams Pumpkin Ale beer. Grilled myself a delicious burger and using my home grown Yukon Gold potatoes made myself some fresh fries.  Mmmm, so so good!