More Spring Flowers

The neighbors Wisteria, both purple and white, have BIG beautiful flowers all over!

Even my Honeysuckle is flowering away.  This is very pleasing, as I thought it had died but thankfully one single strand survived and is looking good -

Very Perdy!

The Iris's are doing fantastic this season, with BIG beautiful blooms!

Here are some of what's flowering now at the olde homestead - 

Like A Glove

I help out an elderly old family friend with miscellaneous things around her house.  Primarily, I clean her gutters in the fall and then again in the spring, but also rake her yard and prune back the overgrowth in her yard.  

Her house is nestled among a canopy of oak and pine trees, which cover her house in shadows and dampness most of the time.  They also make a BIG mess with ALOT of clean up to do...

Her porch storm door was damaged and needed to be replaced. Reluctantly, I agreed to take this project on back in the fall. Being there was no rush and that I really didn't want to do it, I procrastinated some (Duh, I'm a Frye, so of course I did...).

Logistically, this was a challenge, as I had no way of picking up a new replacement storm door and getting it to her house.  In the end I had to call in a favor from my neighbor who has a truck.  He went with me to purchase the door, then to drop the door off and in the end, he also helped me get the door installed.  I would have been able to eventually get the door installed alone but having a second set of hands was super helpful!  

The porch is really in terrible condition, being in the shade and dampness all the time, but the new door looks great and fits in quite nicely -

 

Old porch door -

Replacement Andersen door, outside view - 

Replacement inside view - 

Bark Bark! Get It? Dogwood...

Our dogwood tree looked terrific this spring!  Full of beautiful pink blossoms!  I love this time of the year.

Slow Down!

FPD doesn't do speed control enforcement on our street nearly enough, so when I see them out and have someone pulled over it's great!  I got a front row seat for this show.

The speeds are too fast and easily, in my estimation, 10-15mphs over the posted limited.  That coupled with the aggressive drivers and distracted drivers, it's always welcome to see when the FPD is holding people accountable.

Um, Yum!

A Mocha chip ice cream sugar cone with chocolate Jimmies, SO scrumptious and SO worth it!

And Off It All Went!

Our town had their annual spring yard waste pick up day a couple weeks ago.  Their fall yard waste pick up was cancelled.  Apparently, the company picking up the waste was short staffed due to covid, alas.

Since there was no fall pickup I was forced to dump stuff in my backyard.  Since it was unsightly, I bagged it all up, (15) bags in all, and put out for spring pick up.

Sadly, my Redbud tree died. It was in tough condition last summer and had quite a bit of dead branches all through it, so I'm really not too surprised, rather bummed out.  It was nice looking tree with awesome flowers in the spring. 

Anyway, I took advantage of yard waste pick up day, and cut most of it up to fit in the green landscape barrel seen in the above pic and off it went!

I transplanted the flowers planted at the base of the tree, dug out around the base so I was below ground and cut the rest of the tree trunk down.  Looks odd with it gone, alas.

Pinus Rigida

Pitch Pine.

I thought these were cool looking, so snapped a couple photos and I'm now sharing them with you.

Honestly, not sure if these things eventually turn into pine cones but this tree was loaded with cones this past fall, so could be.

Into The City I Go

I went to our Boston office a couple weeks ago and spent the day on the 24th floor.

Here are a couple pics looing at the Charles River and State house.

I'm not sure if this is where the "Elf on the Shelf" spends his off season time but what's troubling is that he's sitting on a shelf in the men's room on the 24th floor in Boston!  I can't explain it.  I'm as puzzled and confused as you...

Clean As a Whistle

Trixie has her spa appointment the other afternoon, finally!  Perfect timing too, as we had a couple really hot and humid days, and now that she's older, they had an effect on her.

She looks like a different dog all clean and with her hair cut.  She smells nice too!

Before -

After - 

VERY Proud Dad!

It's official, Emilie has completed her sophomore year at URI!

She's all moved out of her dorm and waiting to receive her final exam grades, as well as her overall semester grades!

Next stop, summer job at the local Y!

Tolerating

I'm NOT Feeling It...

Honestly, I'm NOT looking forward to opening the pool.

It's a lot of work to open AND then to maintain all summer.

Not to mention that the cost of chemicals has skyrocketed, UGH!

I Hope This Works!

Trying something new here, a raised, slow feeder bowl for cats

Getting SO SO tired of cleaning up cat vomit all the time!

Did some research and seems cats often eat their food too fast, which introduces too much air into their stomachs and sometime they can also ingesting hair.  This combination makes the cats queasy thus causing them to puke.  It always surprises me at just how much unchewed food comes back up supporting the theory of them eating too fast.

Anyway, this new bowl is supposed to address these issues.  It's raised which puts the cat's mouth at a better position in relation to its stomach and helps the cat swallow more easily, it also reduces neck burden and with the raised "fins" at the bottom of the bowl, the cat needs to navigate to get the food, which slows them down and the quick eating.

It will be a worthwhile investment if it works, fingers crossed!!

An Omen?!

Had a furry visitor out back this morning - a fraidy cat.  I tried getting closer to get a better pic but he\she was having none of it and hightailed it outta there.

Happy to see this dude out there and hoping it's earning it's keep by catching rodents, like mice, chipmunks, rabbits, etc.

Leaning Poplar Tree Of Ye Olde Homestead - Update

I posted back on Nov 27, 2021 about the neighbors Poplar tree leaning and looking like it was going to fall.  Here we are on the last day of April 2022 and it's still standing, although leaning considerably more. I was hoping a heavy wet snow storm and strong winds would take it down at some point over the winter but nope!

Technically, it would be down had it not got hung up in the neighboring Boxelder tree.  That is all that is keeping it up, UGH.  It concerns me that it could fall at any time really.  I'm always out in that area mowing, weed-whacking, etc. and not too happy about playing Russian roulette on when the tree decides to fall.  Suppose I need to talk to the neighbor and ask him what his plans are?!

It Sure Does...

 

Picture Postcard Perfect

Missing the Florida sunsets!

Missing the Florida Frye's more...

I Nailed This Dish!

Had a hanker'n for some seafood, so I planned accordingly and picked up some goodies from the market and made myself a shrimp and scallop scampi dinner with angel hair pasta. Complete with some garlic bread and a couple glasses of merlot.

It was SUPER delicious and hit the spot!

The Faces of Trixie

Emilie was home over Easter weekend and Trixie got to spend plenty of time with her.

Trixie loves her Emilie and always gets excited when she comes home.

Although, she may have had her doubts after Emilie walked her to the park and back.

She even got to go for a quick car ride following her walk -

Here she is sporting her jacket, as she had just been given a bath and was cold, but she smelled good (much better) and looked good -

Christos Anesti

The Easter bunny stopped by and left a basket of goodies for Emilie!

A Bloom

These are several pussy willow bud that have opened.

I thought they looked unique so here it is for you all to decide - 

Find The Critter

Can you find the critter in the above photo -

Enjoying The Rays

And some call them dumb animals.

Trixie and Oliver, my work-at-home companions, taking advantage of the nice sunny day and relaxing in the warmth of the rays pouring into the livingroom.  It funny how quickly they notice it and stretch out in it.

A Lonely Lady Visiting

I don't seem them too often but there are clear signs that they're around.

This lady was all alone and peacefully nibbling on the new spring growth popping up.  Here she is eating one of my hosta plants, UGH. I was just barely starting to come through the soil too.

I do enjoy watching them when I get the opportunity.  I could watch them for hours on end it seems.

Ah Spring!

I took these pics the beginning of April, so they're twice as big today.

The first is a Rhubarb.  This came from one of my dad's plants, which have been around seemingly as long as I can remember.  I have a couple others but this particular one has always done fantastic and gets super BIG!

The second is a Poppy.  This came from one of my mom's plants, again that have been around for as long as I can remember.  This plants has always done well and is usually covered in flowers.

Some of the plants at my place hold special meaning and I will always cherish them and the memory that stir.

All Gave Some, Some Gave All!

The Everglades Holiday Park had this wooden box on the counter of their little store\shop, which I think is a fantastic idea.  Seems folks are too "busy" these days to take the time to recognize simple things and such a unique idea just might be enough to get them to pause and think.

Thank you for your service!

Spoiled Brats!

Took this picture the other afternoon.  It's a picture of the ballfield at the elementary school just down the street.  As you can see in the pic the area is littered with trash, which sadly is more common than you'd think or like to see.

I don't know what the problem is and why people are so bloody lazy these days.  I'm not sure if the kids are to blame, there parents or both but it is a shame anyway you slice it.

 You can see off to the far right in the pic there is a trash can.  Perhaps, too far away for these spoiled brats?  Where are the parents and why are they not teaching these kids about respect and common curtsey?  I can visualize it, where a parent pulls up in their SUV, the kids jump out for their lesson\game and all the while the parent is sitting in their running vehicle and scrolling through social media total consumed with it and themselves and oblivious to their kids.

I've seen coolers, folding chairs, backpacks, duffle bags, balls, bats, gloves, hats, sweatshirts, water bottles and on and on and on all left behind.  All left behind for someone or others to pick up and clean up.

At the end of the day, PEOPLE SUCK!

Any Vacancies?!

The Bluebirds have been around really all winter long but they did come and go.  Lately, they seem to be staying and hanging out longer.  Even back to constantly checking out they're old home.

We've had them nesting in the pictured bird house for three years in a row now and I'm excited to see they're back for hopefully a fourth year.

They're a beautiful bird, one of my favorites.

7-Gallon Club

Another Power Red donation in the books!

Found a donation site in Millis last Friday afternoon and booked myself an appointment.

According to the Red Cross Blood Donor app on my phone I'm up to 57 pints donated to date, which puts me in the 7-gallon club!

Fly Pelican Fly

I watched two pair of wild turkey's cross the street in front of my house and amble their way out back.  At one point both females took off flying and landed on the garage roof of the house behind me. The two toms slowly made their way on foot and down the driveway, which is when both female flew down.  For a big bird, they're very good flier, short distance anyway.