Oooh Sooo Pretttty!

Although we only have a single Poppy plant it rewards us with what seems like endless flowers. Sadly, they don't last very long before the peddles start to fall.  Seems more so this year, as the flowers began to open about the same time as the heavy rains and winds arrived.  Still purdy!

Bumper Shot Game

1973 Bumper Shot Game by Ideal

Ouch, That Had To Hurt!

One of our chickens laid a very odd shaped, extra large egg, which was more square than it was oval.  We were thinking that maybe it was gonna be a double-yolker but alas no such luck.  However, it yummy just the same!

I Spy With My Little Eye

Friday night, when looking out the back windows, and much to my surprise, I caught a glimpse of my nemesis - a woodchuck!  This lady had made her way from the neighbors yard where they've been living (under their shed) and was sneaking around the backside of the chicken pen and along the wooded overgrowth.  She didn't stay long and nervously scooted back to where she came.

There was only one thing for me to do and that was to go on the offense.  After all I didn't want to sit and wait for her get up the courage to visit our gardens and eat it to the ground.  So, I pulled the trap out of storage and set it using a hunk of lettuce that I tied to the paddle that triggers the trap doors.  Well, VERY much to my surprise I awoke to this lady snared in the trap on Saturday morning!

Stephan = 1 and woodchuck = 0

Cuff and Link

Stopped and saved a snapping turtle last week that was attempting to cross a busy street, Rt.109.  In terms of the sizes these that turtles can get, this one was small.  About the size of a softball.  He joins our other tiny snapper that we've had close to a year now and wintered over inside our house.  Broke out the kiddie pool, so these dudes have plenty of water and space to move around.

The pollen has been terrible these last couple of weeks, which is what's covering the new turtles head and shell, it's everywhere!

Trixie dog was curious what these two creatures were and wasted not time in introducing herself.  I tried to explain to her that she's sniffing the wrong end and is really gonna be sorely sorry...

Vintage Newpaper Photos

Here are a couple pictures I took from a 1962 Boston Evening Globe newspaper - one from December and one from April:

Looks Like Liz Taylor was back in the news

The richest fight in history took place in May - Sugar vs Basilio Bout Pulls in $1,900,000

Ailing Churchill Postpones April Visit to Ike

and

Ike's Camp Opposes Tax Cut

Also, check out the Star Market Company advertised sale prices - a half-gallon ice cream for .79, Lobster Meat 12oz for $1.79 and oven-ready turkeys for .39 a pound - unbelievable!

Mark "three" Game

1972 vintage Mark "three" game by Ideal

Veggie Gardening Almost Complete!

So I finally made it down to Marshfiled to visit my farmer friend, which was long over due.  There really isn't an easy way to get to Marshfield from Franklin.  Actually, let me rephrase that, there really isn't a straight forward and quick way to get to Marshfield from Franklin.  It's mostly highway but like four of them.  Anyway, I wished we lived closer so I could visit and spend more time there.

As usual for this time of year I never head home empty handed and this time was no different.  I was sent home with oodles and oodles of veggie and annual flower plants, which all required immediate attention once I got home.

As tired as I was I was looking down the barrel of a good couple of hours work ahead of me. I am happy to report that I got it all done, yippee!

I planted (20) tomato plants 3 different varieties: Early Girl, Better Boy & Celebrity, (8) Bell Pepper, (4) Kale, also another mound of Silver Queen corn (20 seeds).  On the annual flower side: Petunias, Inpatients, two different kinds of Coleus, Zinnias, Marigolds and Begonias, PHEW!

Now it water water water time!!

More Proof!

Also visiting early Friday morning the above fox!!

You might remember that I posted a short time ago about an early morning visit from a fox who was showing WAY TOO much interest in our chickens.

Well, I'm pretty sure this is a different fox and from the looks of him I'd say he's in the process of shedding.  What a beautiful animal for sure.  Once he spotted me watching him he changed directions and off he went.  He was a good sport though, before he left, to strike this pose for me.  Really hope they stick around and cull down these darn chipmunks that have already begun stealing our green strawberries, alas...

Proof Is In The Pool (Pudding) In This Case!

Now, I know that you all know that I wouldn't tell a lie, you know!  That being said and for those skeptics out there here's a Friday AM picture of Donald and Daffy duck lounging pool side.  They stayed for maybe twenty minutes, then off they went.

Friday afternoon the male arrived again but this time alone.  He stayed in the water all the while "quack-ing" for his lady who never came or responded.  He flew off in short order.  However, this morning I was awoken to the noisy sound of "QUACK QUACK QUACK QUACK...".  The misses had arrived and was nervously calling for her mate who must have been returning the favor and ignoring her as she did to him the previous day.

When I raised the window screen to ask her to keep it down, she proceeded to fly up out of the water towards me and then veered off and landed on the chimney.  She stayed up for the close to 10 minutes QUACK QUACK QUACKing away.  She didn't seem bothered that I had made my way onto the deck and to take pictures of her.  She eventually flew off in search of her mate.  I can only imagine that he's gonna be in a world of trouble for not answering her.  I bet he had to sleep on the equivalent of the ducky couch last night...

Humming"Bird on a Wire"

Snapped this photo of one of our many visiting Hummingbirds.  This is something that I've rarely seen is one at rest, and one at rest long enough to grab the camera and get a shot.  Typically they're going at a break-neck pace; a mile a minute but this dude was chilling and taking a rest.  These bird absolutely love our Honeysuckle, which is in the foreground of the picture.  They come and go all day long - zip in and zip out, zip in and zip out.  They're fun to watch for sure

The Junk Yard Game

1975 vintage The Junk Yard Game by Ideal

Duck Visit To Our Cement Pond

We took our pool cover off this past Sunday.  As you can see more work needs to be done before we can announce it's swimable.  I've added several gallons of liquid shock, which has done a remarkable job clearing the water even though it doesn't look it in the picture below.  I will fire up the pump and filter this weekend, fingers crossed they work, which is the next step in process.  It won't be long now before it's ready for swimmers - dog excluded, oops!

As I looked out the upstairs windows this morning around 5:30 AM I was very surprised to see, for the first time in the 12 years we've been in the house, a pair of Mallard ducks sitting pool side.  Clearly they had been IN the pool, as you can see where they were perched by their wet marks on the deck.  Unfortunately, we didn't get to the camera in time to snap a pic of them, so this photo will have to do and you all will just have to believe me that there really were Mallards out there this AM - I have two witnesses.

Note to my brother - these are the type of ducks you need, not them thar domestic ones! You know the kind that come and go on their own.  No feeding required. No tending to needs required. No cleaning required (although this piece isn't entirely true because if you look close enough, the female ((left wet spot)) left a little something something behind but still a better alternative.  Plus, Trixie will have that something something cleaned up in short order, YUCK...

Watson Come Quick

Who knew that the revolutionary war soldiers were equipped with cell phones?!

I certainly didn't until I saw this picture.

Perhaps, the whole Paul Revere ride for alerting the Colonial militia of the approaching British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord never actually took place at all.  Instead maybe it was a cell phone call to warn his fell American patriots of the planned attack!?

You think?

Conspiracy theory...

Of Course This Means War!

So, as I indicated in an earlier post, we planted a handful of veggies plants this past Sunday.  Well, wouldn't you know that when I looked out the windows on Tuesday morning I was burning mad to see that all four of my lettuce plants were eaten to the ground.  The parsley fared better but all four plants were nibbled on and to top it all off three of the five dill plants were also eaten to the ground, UGH!

I'm 100% certain this was the work of a wild rabbit.  Interestingly, I didn't see any wild rabbits in our yard all Spring. I understand that just because I don't see them doesn't mean that there not out there but I don't find it funny that they appear at the same time my veggies are planted and then think they can help themselves to my young, tender plants, NOPE!

Needless to say to this means war!  As a matter of fact I went old school on one adult rabbit tonight! The way it was done in the olden days, the real olden days just to make it a fair fight.  Score = Farmer 1, Wild Rabbit 0

Let's  rock and roll!!

We're On A Roll...

Emilie and I took a Sunday morning drive to my favorite local nursery (The Pumpkin Seed in Bellingham, MA) and picked up some veggies plants.

We bought: Lettuce, Sweet Chinese Giant Red Peppers, Red Onion, Fine Curly Leaf Parsley, Cucumber, Zucchini and Summer Squash.  Also, picked up two different varieties of Marigold.

As you can from the pictures above I was able to get some of these dudes planted.

Also, the seeds Emilie and I planted last Sunday are beginning to make an appearance, well the radishes are (to the left of the carrots above).  Still waiting on the carrots, corn and sunflowers.

Planning on taking a ride to visit my farmer friend in Marshfield, a trip that is long overdue.  When I spoke to him last he told me NOT to buy any tomato plants, as he had oodles he started in his greenhouse.  I typically leave there with hours of work to do in getting all the plants planted.

Good Take - Rev's Game

Scored (4) free tickets, along with free parking, to the New England Revolution soccer game back on Saturday night May 12.  The game was played at Gillette Stadium, home to the New England Patriots.  It was a beautiful night, not a cloud in the sky, and the Revs won the game 4 - 1.

It was a nice take to be able to visit the stadium with a small crowd in attendance versus a Pats game. No long lines to get in or at the concession stands, no crazy, screaming fans; easy in and easy out.

And We're Off...

Emilie and I found some time this past weekend to get some veggie seeds planted!  We planted a row of radishes, a row of carrots, a row of mammoth sunflowers (~24) and a mound of Silver Queen corn (~16).  It rained over night and this morning, so everyone got a good drink.  Time will tell what will grow but we have our fingers crossed and thinking positive.

Eric LeGrand Quote

Rutgers' Eric LeGrand, the paralyzed former Rutgers football player, had this to say when interviewed recently about being signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL football team -

"In life you can't control what card you're dealt. You've just got to deal with that card you're dealt."

I Caved In...

I broke down and decided to start some seeds indoors.  Typically I'm against this practice because I simply do NOT have the setup or space to do it properly.  In the past this exercise proved to be too cumbersome, messy and a royal pain in the arse.  I find it SO much easier to take a ride to my favorite local nursery and purchase plants that have already been started, hardened-off and ready to be planted.

However, when I ordered my garlic last fall, the company also sent along a half dozen packages of seeds as a bonus.  Mostly veggies but a couple flowers too.  This is what I've started indoors - Sunflower, Butternut Squash and Eggplant.  Also started was White Campion, otherwise known as Lychnis coronaria (White Lambs Ear).  We have oodles of Rose Campion (Pink Lambs Ear) but no White.  It just so happens that on her way to work one morning last summer JoAnne noticed a yard that had a single, lonely White Campion plant so we patiently waited until the fall when the plant turned to seed, then stopped and "borrowed" a small clipping containing our sought after, precious seeds.

Walla!

I'm happy to report that since this picture was taken (4/26/2012) some of the plants are making an appearance and poking through the soil, with the White Campion being one, yippee!

Note:  White & Pink Lambs Ear is what we were told their names are and what we've come to know these plants as.  We do have a couple true Lambs Ear plants - Stachys byzantina, that again, we "borrowed" from a rest area in New York a couple years ago.