A light blanket of snow coats the sandy shore as sun rises
Here’s another shot from yesterday’s sunrise excursion from Namequoit Point, early in the morning. I thought the light dusting of snow blanketing the sand with the sun rising up from the clouds might make a cool looking shot. Morning’s are probably my favorite part of the day, especially early mornings. I used to be a late riser but I’d say over the last 25 years or so I got into the habit of waking up fairly early. Even in the days when I go to rock clubs and listen to the headliners until 2 in the morning, I would still somehow manage to get up by 6 am. Sure I may have been dragging but just staying in bed just wouldn’t do it for me. My body over time just seemed to adapt to it. Even to this day, no matter how late I stay up I can still get up on time early and without the help of any alarm clocks. My body just seems to want to get up early now.
The morning, which is the most memorable season of the day, is the awakening hour. Then there is least somnolence in us; and for an hour, at least, some part of us awakes which slumbers all the rest of the day and night.”
― Henry David Thoreau, Walden
Another reason why I like the early morning is the stillness of it all. It’s quiet and I can just think and prepare myself for the day, and I don’t need to rush things usually, which is good in my case because nowadays when I rush I tend to forget things that I may need. There’s just something about the quiet serenity of the early morning that I just seem to gravitate toward these days, plus it has the added bonus of making the day seem longer (which could be a plus or minus depending on what one’s doing I suppose). They say nowadays that, young people especially, need to just take a time out, sit with their feelings, allow themselves to listen to their thoughts in quiet contemplation. That’s what early mornings do for me. Maybe my brain doesn’t work the same way as others as I’m able to tune things out when I need to, probably from growing up in a house where one could be surrounded with constant noise, a story for another day, but the mornings do soothe me. The only negative part is that it never seems to last too long and before you know it, the hectic necessity of the day has begun.
I finally got an email early this morning that the government issued COVID tests would be arriving in my mailbox by the end of the week. That took long enough, by this point everything seems to be on the downswing anyways. I also ended up watching a 2 hour special about the Station nightclub fire that happened down in Rhode Island. I thought it was really well done. Sad story that.
After travelling down this very narrow private dirt trodden road we had arrived at where we would stay for the weekend at a rather luxurious house on Namequoit Point in South Orleans, Cape Cod. It was all very quiet and rather dark in the cold winter night, although you could see the beauty of the stars above without any light pollution. Once inside I was impressed with the rooms, one with a very large television set, and a cute little day bed to go along with the master.
The house on the Point!
After a relaxing evening with some wonderful clam chowder and a cod dinner from a place we like down here called Max’s and a visit to our old standby the Chocolate Sparrow for some hot chocolates I rested up in order to try to get up before sunrise the next day. As the sun was rising, which you could see out the gorgeous picture window opposite the bed, I got to see various birds visit the feeder that was placed just outside. A good selection of black capped chickadees, song sparrows, tufted titmice, mourning doves, and a red squirrel or two, who seemed to have realized that all they could hope for was droppings from the birds above them. Later in the morning we decided to explore down to the Point, past the boathouse with it’s various canoes and kayaks laying outside awaiting the summer days. Although it was a pretty windy day, the sun was shining brightly on the bay and we took a slew of various photos. We walked in the sand all the way out to the tip of the point and have the photos on our phones to prove it. Among the sea gulls and horseshoe crabs that lay on the beach there was a cool looking petrified tree that we photographed ourselves with. I’m kicking myself because while I was packing for trip I had forgot to big my main camera and only remembered it after we were on the road for forty five minutes so I had to make do with my cell, which thankfully does take pretty good pictures and I usually will use just as an adjunct but I’m still angry with myself for forgetting my main equipment.
Just me sitting on a petrified tree
For breakfast we went to a place we hadn’t been to in a while called Jo Mamas (what a name, right?) that does does a really decent breakfast sandwich. I thoroughly enjoyed mine. After some more bit of relaxing I decided to see if I could get any possible sunset shots from the area whilst LD went off to get a much needed massage. The sky started to look a bit ominous though as perhaps it might rain or even have a possible snow squall. As four in the afternoon came by I looked out the window. It looked like the wind had died down considerably which was blowing quite hard for most of the day, but the clouds in the sky were getting heavier and thicker and more gray with each passing moment. It was beginning to look like there wouldn’t be any really cool pink cotton candy sky colors like there were last night. Instead it would look like various shades of puffy white and gray, which can be interesting in it’s own right. The clock said 4:17 and this time as I looked out the picture window I could see that snow had started falling blowing around in the wind. The flakes looked pretty big as they blew sideways from right to left across my view. Sunset was at 5:18 pm, I had decided that I will wait until five pm and then if it’s rather nasty out that I would give up on this particular quest. There will always be another time, plus I’m just not as young as I used to be so I have to be careful and be smart.
Petrified tree in the snow as the tide approaches
Five o’clock had arrived. it was still lightly snowing out and the sky was gray. I knew I wouldn’t get any colorful sunset shots tonight but I thought it might still be cool to see the Point with the snow falling on the sandy beach so I decided to take a quick trip out the back door and down the hill to the beach. Just as I was putting on my jacket I noticed that somehow a red squirrel had managed to somehow get past the blocker and found himself inside the feeder with the seed. Industrious little fellow! I zipped up my jacket, donned my hat, and headed out the back door. When I approached the feeder the squirrel proactively took off like a rocket even though I had no real intention of shooing him away, I just happened to be passing by. Down the hill back I went, past the boat house and onto the spit of a beach and grabbed a couple of shots real quick and called it a night for my photo adventures for the day. I got back just as the sky was turning dark, although it had looked like it was starting to have a pinkish kind of quality to it but I had already decided to stay put. Also by this time I had noticed that the red squirrel had come back and this time I watched him acrobatically jump from the ground, onto the cone that was supposed to keep them away and from there right into the feeder. To the winner goes the spoils!
For dinner LD was kind enough to pick up some take out on her way back from her massage. I had decided to get a juicy cheeseburger and she got a chicken along with a salad and we shared both!
Then it was just a quiet night of more relaxing and enjoying the moments of each other’s company.
I finally got a chance to watch this PBS show called “Finding Your Roots”. The premise of the show is that they get two celebrities and basically trace down their genealogical tree. On this particular episode they looked at John Leguizamo and Lena Waithe. What struck me as so impressive was far back they were able to trace these people’s roots. In the case of John they were able to go to like the 1400s to the time of the freaking conquistadors and Lena’s went way back too, to early Barbados. It’s also fascinating to see just where their last names originated from.
“You must always know your roots if you are to know how sturdy the tree will grow.”
Zoraida Córdova, A Crash of Fate
It made me wonder a little bit about my own history because basically I only know on my mother’s side up to my great grandparents and of that very little, nothing before them, and on my father’s side I don’t even know his parents having never had any contact with that side, although I’ve heard tales that they may have been lawyers, but nothing about their story or where they came from. So my history is pretty much blank. I guess all those hereditary genes will end with me, a mystery before, an unsolved mystery after. However with my last name there is something about the Lebanon area and of course Bethany, a town near Jerusalem, at the foot of the Mount of Olives, so there’s got to be some middle eastern descent in there somewhere although I am mostly Portuguese on my mother’s side. I would definitely watch this show more moving forward.
Imagine my surprise when I was notified that Boston.com shared my photo on their Instagram feed! Credit where it is due, LD did get me to go out there and take some shots of which this is one, so she deserved some credit as well!
I think most people probably focus on the statue of Washington in the center framed by the two snow covered tree limbs however what no one seems to notice is the couple taking pictures over to the left of the shot which I thought was kind of cool.
I used to hate Valentines Day or least be ambivalent towards it. I was never one of the “beautiful people”. I was somewhat of a nerd growing up. Some might say that I am still (being nerdy is in now of course, I missed that window by about 20 years). I was like Charlie Brown in that I would never get a valentine from anyone unless it was that thing you used to do as a kid in elementary school, but that wasn’t real. It took a while, but somewhere along the way, after much time, a couple of failed relationships, and a lot of just learning to love myself and maturing, that Valentines Day became something I could enjoy. It was all about finally finding that right person, and it took a long time, but like the say, the wait really is worth it. When you find someone that “just fits” it’s pretty incredible. Is it always perfection and sunshine? Of course not. But when it’s right, you learn to work with it, compromise at times, and maybe better yourself and your partner in your thoughts , views and feelings. Someone who thinks more or less the same way that you do, but in a healthy, conductive and sharable way. At least that’s what I believed happened in my particular case. Your flaws are perfect for the heart that’s meant to love you. So whether you like this holiday or not, whether you’re in a healthy relationship or single, just remember your own worth and know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We all want to be loved, we all want that connection. It is out there but like the cliché says, it only reveals itself when you aren’t really looking. The truth is, it’s been inside yourself all along. And once you can find it within yourself, then the person looking for the same will find you. I’m living proof.
General Washington in the snow, Boston Public Garden
Oh what a joy waking up to snow falling this morning. Not. At least it looks to be not more than a light coating to maybe an inch. I’ve noticed that the metatarsal in my right foot appears to be hurting me when I put weight on it when I first walk around for a bit. I think I pulled a ligament around there the other day. Joys of aging. It seems to only be most pronounced in the morning when I first get up, after walking around for a bit it’s ok, until I accidently pull the muscle there again and reaggravate it. But enough of my little ailments, not as bad as learning that my sister seems to have some kind of heart racing and high blood pressure issue which is finally starting to get treated. All things considered, this year hasn’t started off too great with various issues around friends and family but I suppose things could be a lot worse and hopefully as spring nears things will improve. and speaking of spring, the other day I saw my first robin of year which I always take as a sign that the warmer weather is just around the corner and I see as a first sign of spring. Yeah, I know that some of these robins stay through the whole year but don’t burst my bubble! When I see that first robin, I take it as spring is getting close.
Later in the day LD had to get some stuff in Beantown so I went along with. Afterwards she cajoled me in to maybe trying to get some pictures while we were in the area, and of course she is always right. So here’s one from today. I took a couple from the Common and the Public Garden which I may add later on as the days go by. Boston is pretty in this kind of light snow blanketing the trees and such. After eating lunch at a local Panera to go, and putting away some groceries, we settled in to watch the Puppy Bowl (neither one of us cares about football).
It being unseasonably warm today and almost hitting 60 degrees we decided to hit the beach today for a walk. It was a beautiful day, you wouldn’t know that it’s supposed to snow tomorrow! And just for the record, we did have a pizza last night (roasted eggplant!)
I’ve just received word that one of my photos has been selected as winner for the Duxbury Beach Reservation! In addition to being featured in their 2023 calendar I’ll be getting some prizes. (although now that I think about it, 2023 is a year away, so it’s going to be a while!) Still, this is fantastic news and I’m pleased that the vision I had for this particular photo resonated with the judges!
Thank you for everyone who has supported me in this endeavor!
Why was I not notified that today of all days was National Pizza Day? How could I let something like that slip by me? It may come as no surprise that Pizza is actually my favorite food and always has been. I can’t remember the first time I ever ate pizza but I guess my earliest pizza memories were probably going to a place called Speedy Pizza in Davis Square back in the day with my grandparents. (It’s no longer there but another pizza place currently sits in it’s space). If I can remember properly, which I usually cannot, I think it was like a Friday night thing, sort of weekly though not always. Later on I remember going out to pizza with them on Fridays down at the old Assembly Square Mall back when it existed and they had a Papa Gino’s in there. I do remember it was usually after a Friday night trip to K-Mart. For some reason this became kind of a treat for me, to go with them, and I mean hey, pizza! As a matter of fact in elementary school, and I suppose even all the way up through high school, when I went the lunch I had was always pizza. Maybe it wasn’t, but that’s all I remember eating. Back then, children’s nutrition wasn’t a big a thing as it is nowadays. Plus that pizza was like the Ellio’s – not that good but provided the required sustenance. Well tonight I plan on making salmon with broccoli and some Delecata Squash Gratin but maybe come this Friday, I’ll go order up a nice large cheesy pie and raise a couple of slices to my grandparents in heaven and Remember When.
Ended up being a rather productive Saturday as we did a little reorganizing of the home office here and cleaned up a bit. To relax we ended up watching the story of The Tinder Swindler on Netflix. In between all that I happened to notice Carson just hanging around on his cat tree and was lucky enough to grab this picture. Such a handsome, sweet and cute boy. He really saved us during this pandemic.
Making Kindness the Norm. LD found out about this thing where you color this image and then submit it and you get a sticker and maybe some other things if you’re lucky. Seemed like a good thing to do on a crappy weather day. My particular entry is on the left here using colored pencils. You still have time to get your own in if you’re interested and let’s face it, kindness should be the norm in this world of ours. Last night we also binged watched just about every episode of “Unbelievable” on Netflix. It’s really good, definitely recommend.
Think I’m going to attempt to make an Irish Beef Stew tonight. Perhaps I’ll update this entry as to how it all turns out.
On a day like today, really nasty, icy sleety freeing rain what’s a better thing to do than come up with another website redesign for the ol’ Hatchetation? We’ll see how long I stay with this one. If you have any particular thoughts on this deign please feel free to share them with me. I would be interested in your input. I also went ahead and purchased my resident parking sticker online. Unbelievable that they charge 40 bucks for that nowadays. I can remember when it was a dollar, then it went to 5 (it was at that cost for a while), then 10, then 20, and now 40. I can also remember when you could get them over at a building in Powderhouse Park, but those days are long gone now. I’ve also been starting to get all my tax documents together little by little. Planning to go over that probably by the end of the month. I don’t like to wait too long on things like that, just one part of a somewhat rigid personality trait that I possess. I was feeling pretty accomplished last night as I made this amazing chicken and gnocchi parmesan which actually came out really stellar. It even looked amazing but sadly I neglected to photograph it. Just the way the mozzarella cheese was bubbling was browned ever so slightly on top. Mmmhmmm.
A shot from earlier in the afternoon (about halfway through the storm duration)
Quite the day. Over 2 feet of snow. Did a little shoveling out the driveway tonight so we could move our cars, for the plow guy to give us a huge help tonight. However today we did do a lot of cooking and baking, A whole chicken in the Instant Pot and then Chicken Soup, a bunch of baked goods like banana bread and peanut butter oats. Big cooking day here. I spent a good part of the day preparing all the ingredients and LD did most of the actual baking. 🙂
The Stone House (this shot is available in my store)
“Certain houses are so exceptional, so unique, and they affect the lives of so many people, that they are no longer merely houses—places where people live and eat and sleep—but something else altogether. They have become icons. On the idyllic Ocean Avenue that winds out of Kennebunkport’s Dock Square, there stands just such a house.
Built on a tiny neck of land jutting into the ocean, and constructed to appear as though it is growing out of the rocky shore, the summer cottage—known to many as the Stone House—has inspired hyperbole of impressive proportions over the years. Residents and tourists alike have created and perpetuated myths about the house, which many see as the archetype of a coastal Maine residence. Many make the unverifiable claim that the house is the single most photographed and painted house in the state. One popular legend would have us believe the house is the same that appears in silhouette during the opening credits of the late-1960s vampire television soap opera Dark Shadows. And, perhaps stemming from that gothic association, the home is also rumored to be haunted.
But beneath the fog of folklore and hearsay, the Stone House—or Bayberry Cove Cottage as its architect actually named it—is a real home with a real history. And it is inhabited by a real family that has owned and revered it for three generations.” – Maine Home and Design
And to think you can actually rent out this 6 bedroom stone mansion on the Atlantic Ocean in Maine for a measly 17,000 a week! I bet it would be pretty amazing though. Fun Fact: LD has a colleague who grew up in KBP and knows the family and actually has been inside. Uhmmm, can we get some access one of these days!?!?
Woke up depressed, but later in the afternoon decided to take a walk on the beach and saw this scene, this particular rock just sitting there as is. Figured it make make a good picture. Ups and downs in life. By the afternoon I was feeling much better. It’s not always sun and roses these days but I try to make the best of it and move on. We had a nice late lunch at Sung Harbor before heading back as the sun was beginning to set. Memories to cherish for sure.
And yes, now we have jumped on the Wordle bandwagon. I think the fact that I’ve done thousands of crossword puzzles makes me pretty good at this game.
I got my replacement sprout for the hydroponic garden to replace the one that didn’t take. All the other 5 varieties are growing super fast now, I’m going to have to prune them soon, maybe even eat some!
“Where words are restrained, the eyes often talk a great deal.”
– Samuel Richardson.
Here’s a pretty good Mahjongg type game I’ve been playing lately. I especially like the various board layouts you can try out. My current fav is the Snake layout but it’s all good. Shanghai
Things are starting to get back to normal around here which is really good and provides me with a sigh of relief. LD is finally back and doing well. I did take a tumble down the stairs this morning but thankfully it was my left buttcheek that took the brunt. Thankfully not on my tailbone because that would have been really problematic. I’m alright, maybe just a teeny bit sore in the affected area. The stupid railing finally gave, I had a feeling it would sooner or later and I guess today was the day. Going to have to get new brackets and reinstall since that’s the part that snapped, they’ve been there since forever. None the worse for wear though so no worries. I’m a pretty tough cookie.
On a positive note, the hydroponic garden we’ve started is performing nicely. Real soon I’ll be able to remove the little domes on the sprouts and they can grow freely. I also checked on the pine tree out back that showed signs of distress this summer but I’m pleased to see that it has mostly recovered on it’s own. It even has two pinecones on it now.
I disabled comments on posts that are greater than two weeks old moving forward. Seems spammers just would add stupid comments. It’s really a waste of their time since every comment has to be registered and approved which theirs never would be but I got sick of seeing the notifications about it, so that ought to curb that.
Things I do to pass the time lately these days, playing around with various filters to entertain myself. I thought this one was kinda cool. Let me put a spell on you with my magic hands. Actually I don’t need a filter for that, but speaking of doing things with hands…
I went down to an antique dealer this afternoon and picked up a couple of drawer craft cabinets to store craft supplies for LD that she had ordered. These will go with another hand crafter cabinet that a carpenter must have built for someone a couple of weeks ago using solid wood, not any of that particle board crap. That one is so cute looking, plus you can’t beat the price and I think there is just something about some hand crafted woodworking. Carpentry was one of the things that I was interested in as a child but I never pursued it. I think having to sand down a project we had to do in shop class for what seemed like 5 billion times in high school burnt me out on it. However, my sister is actually really good at carpentry believe it or not. She can build or repair just about anything. Also, I saw you rolling your eyes regarding my hands comment.
Not looking forward to being outside at all tomorrow, but those are the breaks!
Woke up to the first snow storm of the year. We got about 13″ in this area but at least it was mostly fluffy. I’ve been going back in forth to the hospital that last couple of days and probably for next few days to visit LD (thankfully it’s not Covid related, but still the sooner she can leave the better – caring thoughts appreciated, things are looking good but I still worry!)
The plow guy came after I was pretty much done so I didn’t need his services this time (my own masculinity remains intact if my back is a little sore – lol). I’ll be on the heating pad tonight! I’m only half kidding – it really isn’t that bad. Just want to get LD home as healthy and as soon as possible.
You may notice that I’ve moved this site over to a https URL instead of the less secure http that I’ve been using. So you may need to update your bookmarks but probably not. I’m not collecting any information from visitors, not doing e-commerce or anything like that, it’s just a prudent thing to do.
I just heard my New Years Eve skating photo from a few days ago was featured on NECN. Pretty cool. For some reason they don’t seem to be notifying anymore, just showing on tv. I wouldn’t have known about it but a woman I used to work with back in my AutoCAD drafting days saw it and commented the news to me.
I just picked up and finished reading Fauci: Expect the Unexpected. Easy read. That’s my first book on 2022. Hopefully I’ll be able to do more reading this year. I was horrified to learn that according to my Goodreads I had only read 5 books in 2021. Is that right? My average is around 25-30 books a year.
Spent a part of yesterday getting things set up. For one, I finally got the AeroGarden up and running. Pretty cool how it uses hydroponics on a desktop type scale. What we didn’t realize is that the super bright light it uses to imitate sunlight will be on for 15 hours a day. I woke up early today to try to sync the lighting time with our daily schedule. We also set up LD’s professional website, the URL is up and we’re still working on the design and content style but all the admin stuff is installed and ready to go.
Spent a little bit of yesterday checking out the New Year Festivities down in the local town. I think this shot captured the night pretty well. LD helped me direct this shot btw! Ended the night with Starbucks’ hot chocolate, looking at some lights on people’s houses, watching television, eating shrimp cocktail, and just laying low. Strangely yesterday didn’t really feel like any particular special day to me, just seemed like a regular day in the end. Fell asleep on the couch but did wake up in time to see the ball drop in NYC, then right to bed. Been that kind of a year I guess, I think 2022 is going to be the year that we’re going to be back to normal going into the spring. High hopes!
A picture’s worth a thousand words they say, so here are some of the highlights from the past year. 2021 wasn’t totally terrible, and there were some really high points, but 2022 looks to be really special and hopefully will also be better in so many ways. We can hope!
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
You can click any pic for a larger view
Photo Descriptions:
Started off the year with the annual tradition of going to the beach on New Years Day. This was taken in Marshfield.
Same as 1 above.
Took a trip into Boston for something and had some eats from Luke’s Lobsters. On the way I snapped this pic.
“Auggie”, a different looking wild rabbit that appeared only that one time during Inauguration time. Wonder what it’ story was. Didn’t seem like the regular kind of wild rabbits we have here.
A pic along York, Maine
Another pic of the Nubble from a different angle. I liked getting the perspective of the bench in this one, thought it made it stand out a bit differently.
A shot of the Powderhouse in winter
Another edited version of number 6.
A shot of the Powderhouse area rotary and it’s cool sign back in winter.
Nauset Light down at the Cape. This is the first time that I saw that a cottage next door was available for rent which we would later take advantage of, unbeknownst to me at the time.
Another Nauset shot from this time period (possibly March)
Another bunny decided to have it’s children in the pot on the deck, second year in a row – hope we can go for three!
Someone was inspired to paint Nauset based on my photo in number 11. First time that I know of that my art inspired someone else to take it and create something else out of it.
Shiloh the shy bunny. One of the children of Gracie, the bunny depicted in shot 12.
Staying and the Viewpoint Inn in Maine which had these incredible views of the Nubble from it’s back yard area. Want to stay here again.
Me in the car?
Rango, LD’s soul goat, sadly passed away.
An evening stroll one night at Jamaica Pond got us this shot.
That’s me up in Salisbury under the docks after getting my second Covid shot. At that time, we thought that might be all there was to it.
Boardwalk walks up on Plum Island.
Another Salisbury Beach scene.
Staying next door to the Nauset Light in a a cottage was quite a thrill and allowed me to get this wonderful photo as the sun started rising.
My love of Pemaquid payed off when the moderator of a lighthouse group made this the cover photo for the month.
Another hike on the Cape allowed us to capture this little walkway over a marsh.
Skaket Beach
Skaket Beach
Visiting LD’s old boss and her husband in RI got us this picture shortly after.
See 15 above for the story.
Two juvenile hawks that we born around the house and kept screaming for weeks.
The house next door to Earth-1 being torn down for more condo development, Sad.
Hanging with baby goats and snuggles in RI.
Staying at a farmhouse with an attached Alpaca farm was quite a different treat. I learned a lot about alpaca husbandry on this trip and the place was actually pretty cool.
Looking at various lotus flowers at a place were we obtained special strains of hostas for planting. Looking forward to see how they produce this coming year.
Cape summer trip. What I feel one of my better shots from the summer trip. Gray’s Boardwalk.
Birthday trip!
Plum Island again
Lots of trips to Marshfield and got many a lobster roll at a place across the street from where this shot was taken.
Lavellete NJ trip. It became my second favorite place in NJ behind Cape May!
Me and my well endowed pencil. No pencil envy here!
Another beach shot.
Duxbury Beach boardwalk, another favorite beach location for walks and hangs this year.
Staying at an Airbnb in Arundel, Maine.
Under the lights at the Boathouse in Kennebunkport, ME.
On a boat in KBP.
Carson and Peng for the holidays.
More in-depth notes on above:
There were so many beach walks and hangs this year I can’t remember them all. Most of them were either to Duxbury or Marshfield, usually on a weekend day. Just to hang and walk mostly. A couple of times we used our chairs to sit out in the summer or even actually went into the water but many of the trips were just to walk.
The main lighthouses that we hug around this year were at Nubble Light in Maine (always a classic – staying right across from it away from the tourists was also a treat) and Nauset Light in Eastham down on the Cape. It was really cool this year to stay in a cottage right next door to the light and the beach was literally across the street. It also helped that it’s on a private dirt road so there weren’t many people around in that particular area. 10-10 would do again. Plus the place was so cute!
Getting our shots was big this year, for me it was a couple of trips up to Amesbury because that’s where I could get an appointment at that time, so we made the best of it by exploring the neighboring sights afterwards like Salisbury Reservation and Plum Island.
It was cool that baby wildlife decided to grace us with their presence, baby bunnies born in a pot for the second year in a row and didn’t mind Carson watching them. I think he was more their protector than an adversary if you can believe that. Baby hawks too, very majestic, but hopefully never found Shiloh and company. Shiloh, the last baby bunny that was scared to leave after all his siblings did. LD was kind enough to put out some water and a lettuce plant for him. The next day, two nibbles off the plant, two little poops, and he was gone to live his adventures. I do admit to having empty nest syndrome every time they leave us.
Staying on an Alpaca farm was pretty cool, in rural Connecticut with family. Learned a lot, also a bit of fly swatting which can be annoying. And got to hang with baby goats which is always a pleasure.
Celebrated my birthday on the Cape. Special times there and stayed in a pretty cool Airbnb called the Osprey Nest because it feels like its up in the trees. Although the place was a little small, it literally had everything you could possibly need. Plus they had this cool booth that I would use in the kitchen area. 10-10 would stay again. I feel I get some of the best pictures I ever take down on the Cape for whatever reason. It’s a beautiful area but there’s something more that I can’t place why.
Our one outing to New Jersey this year was at another BnB (BnB’s were big this year for us – expanding choices) in Lavalette, a cute little beach town. It was a bit downcast and windy while we were there but it was still pretty cool. I enjoyed the area so much that it’s my #2 of my fav places in that state. It just seemed to have it all to me, easy access to whatever you need, a beautiful beach and boardwalk, not really busy at all (and if you want that you could drive to the next down over – Seaside Heights). That particular trip didn’t exactly work out as planned but I enjoyed it.
The last BnB and most recent was in Arundel, Maine. Stayed there because the town of Kennebunkport was doing it’s annual Christmas Prelude. HGTV featured the annual Kennebunkport celebration as the “#2 Christmas Town in America.” Plus we got to meet up with one of LD’s former colleagues and met the dogs Pippa and Boomer, and Boomer left quite an impression! Sailing up and down the Kennebunk River in a lobster boat while sipping coffee brandy on a sunny day was also rather enjoyable.
But as much as we enjoyed the few times away (choose to keep it rather low key due to the virus circulating, and were neurotic about being careful) staying at home was just as much so, whether with firepit outing with friends or just ourselves. Carson was also a really big help in that department as our mutual love him and for eachother kept us all sane.
I know I’m probably forgetting a bunch of stuff but these are the moments that I think were some of the high points, at least for me personally. I’d like to give all my love and thanks to LD for making it all happen and making me feel like the luckiest man alive every year.
