First Tomatoes of 2012

Here are our first two tomatoes of the summer, yahoo!

The plants are beautiful and have, once again, taken over the garden.  So much so that it's almost impossible to walk amongst them to water, let alone pick the ripe ones, but we'll git-er-dun!

We're Here to Pump You Up!

So, after running an errand to Patriots Place late Monday morning I decided to stop in and have a quick lunch at Five Guys Burgers and Fries.  I've seen it, I've heard about it, I've walked past it many times.  We even have a new store that opened up in my town but have never been, so I went.

The burger was good and tasty, as were the fries but very greasy.  Certainly not a place I'd eat in too often but not too bad for a change.

Ironically, when I was standing in line waiting to place my order there were two dudes standing behind me talking about the gym.  One proceeded to make this profound statement, "I don't go to the gym.  The gym is my life.  That's all I do is the gym." - deep right.  So, the first thing that comes to mind is, 'if your such a gym rat and into working out, why are you standing in line for food at a Five Guy's joint?  Shouldn't you be at GNC picking up some supplements and bark and stuff?!"

Of course I was curious at what Arnold Schwarzenegger junior was all about and was NOT surprised to some some early twenty year old weenie standing there.  I would NOT have picked him out of a line up of health, gym-rats, nope.  Just your typical everyday weenie...

NILE

1967 vintage Nile-The ancient game of strategy. As old as the pyramids! game by Lowe

We've Updated & Upgraded

Before

After

We pulled the trigger and decided to have our garage doors replaced!  It was time, as they were the original ones installed when the house was built.  They were solid, heavy wooden door but the New England weather had taken it's toll on them.  Many of individual panels were bowing and starting to separate; you could see daylight between some, so it was time.

We went with pretty much the same style but changed it some and had the windows moved to the top.  The new doors are aluminum, so they much lighter, and have much higher rating on their insulation value as compared to the old wooden ones.  It's something like an R-value of 8 with the new versus a 1+ with the wooden.

Hopefully this will keep the garage better insulated, which we're hoping has a positive effect on the family room above where we spend most of our time.

Now, onto the next home improvement project.  Just need to win Megabucks, alas...

First Squash of 2012

Behold, our first Summer and Zucchini squash of the season!

We picked them back on 7/1 and have picked oodles since.

We could use some much needed rain...

Happy Birthday to My Son

Happy 17th Birthday Christopher!

Where has the time gone?!

I love you, Dad

Happy Birthday Lady Gregory

Despite the photo I admire you and love you like a brother!

Happy Birthday!!

Demolition Derby

1977 vintage Demolition Derby Krazy Krash-Up game by Lakeside

My Veggies Keeper

Came across this Common Garter snake the other afternoon while puttering around the yard.  All coiled up and enjoying the summer sun amongst the Kale and Broccoli plants.

Like the name implies they're quite common around these parts.  However, that being said we've not had that many here around the ole homestead since we moved in, which is a little unusual.  Typically, I would see one or two each time I cut my folks lawn and they were always around when I was growing up.

Of course these slithering dudes are more than welcome in my yard!  Would prefer if he stuck to a diet of worms and insect, instead of toads, which there is an abundance of this year.  Toads are insect eating machines, especially slugs. so push comes to shove the toads would win.

You Look'n At Me...

Check out the Fly Catcher checking me out!

She was taking a break of tending to her chicks and wanted to keep a watchful eye on the new guy, me, to make sure I wasn't there to cause any troubles.

Her nest was inside my farmer friends animal trailer.  She picked a perfect location for nesting with all the animals he has in that area flys and insects are plentiful for sure!

Name The Dropping

Okay people, new game - "Name The Droppings"!

What critter produced this mess?!

The Battle Is On!

So, the last couple of three or four days it's been a scorcher here in New England - hazy, hot and humid with temperatures dancing around 100!!  Driving home the other afternoon, around 5ish, my cars outside temperature read 99!

Needless to say the electric company is getting a lot of our business with our fans and AC's continuously running but you gotta do it.

As a matter of fact with the AC in our bedroom running, it was so cold that the heat on the second floor kicked in!  The thermostat is in the master bedroom, so it was that cold.  Anyway, since money is no object, and to cover all bases we had the AC and furnous running...#FAIL

Kenner's New Rotodraw

1970 New Rotodraw by Kenner's

Beauty's In The Eye of the Beholder

Check out this monster I came upon when visiting my mom at the cemetery!

This is a Northern Water Snake - quite common around here.

This dude was stretched out in the roadway, perhaps soaking in it's warmth, as it was early morning.

He made it perfectly clear that he didn't want to be bothered with - but who am I to listen.  As I approached he coiled up, as like hey dude stay away, and as I got closer he began lunging and striking. Clearly, he didn't realize who he was dealing with.  Actually, had I not driven by it's very possible that someone else would have simply driven right over him never realizing it was something live, so I saved his grumpy, slithering butt.

In the end his tactics didn't work and it was over quickly.  He was captured and bucketed in short order.  The only props you might give him is that, as snakes typically do, he pooped as soon as I got a hold of him and some hit it's mark, which smelled horrendous, YUK!

The 10-years old girls seemed to enjoy him safely locked in the bucket.  You can see his cool underside colors in the top photo.  In the end, I returned him to the little pond at the cemetery where I caught him and hopefully out of harms way and the safety of cars.

Weego - A+ For Effort!!

Same breed.

A+ for effort!

But needs more work and focus on Miller Lite.

Rapper 50 Cent might approve however.

For those of you unfamiliar with "Weego", check out this Youtube Bud Light Super Bowl Ad - Rescue Dog - Weego commercial

Apparently, Rules Are For Some, Not All!

The driver of this BMW SUV clearly has NO regard for the handicapped!

I checked and there was no handicap tag on the inside of the front windshield either.  Rather a blond woman sitting in the passenger seat thumbing through a magazine with a snotty look on her face.  You know, the look that aholes sport because they think they're better than everyone else - that one.

Apparently, the need for breakfast took precedence over doing the proper thing.  Heaven forbid the douche bag had to walk a little bit farther.

Really, is there any need for this, ever?!  Has society become this fat and lazy?  One can only hope that there is such a thing as karma and that what goes around comes around!  That and I hope they each spilled hot coffee in their laps.

All Aboard!

Took the commuter rail train into Boston this morning, as my presence was requested in our PO Square office.

I do NOT care for the train experience in general.  The whole hurry up and wait and herding aspect, BLAH!

Also, I don't need to be that close to people I don't know and quite frankly don't give a flip about.  People are just plain weird and I'd prefer they stay away from me, far, far away...

Of course the petite woman doesn't sit next to me, rather the larger (and I'm being nice here) dude with a backpack and laptop case has to sit next to me.  The seats are built for two; two normal sized folk.  Besides the fact that they're worn, super uncomfortable and all slant downward and towards the center.  Point being is that two complete strangers don't need to be so close.

Ah, can't wait to see what my evening commute has to offer, oh joy!

Cootie House Game

1966 Cootie House Game by Schaper Manufacturing

Barb Wire Dinner

JoAnne was leaving work the other afternoon and spotted this hawk dinning on some poor critter atop the prison wall.  It's hard to tell for certain but I'm guessing it's a Red Tailed Hawk.

So, if it's hard to be certain what kind of hawk this is, it's even more difficult to make out what being eaten.  However, and it might be hard to see unless you click the picture to enlarge it, I circled in red what looks to be the foot of a bird. That much I'm pretty certain.

Execution day perhaps...

I Could Prolly Use A Manicure...

Please pardon my grimy, dirty hand but I'd been working in the garden!

Emilie found this interesting beetle the other day.  Kinda cool wouldn't you say?!

Turns out this is a "Milkweed Leaf Beetle".

We have an area on the side lawn that has milkweed growing, which has been spreading over the last couple of years.  Being the Monarch caterpillars only source of food, we've let them be and take over the area and in return hoping to attract them to our yard.

Seems like we're always finding some new or unusual critter out in the yard.