Tag: Welcome To The Zoo

Are we there yet?

..are we almost there? How much longer? …. I have to go to the bathroom!

 Moving into This Old House is starting to feel like one of those road trips, know what I mean?  We’re still living in two houses, hopefully sleeping in the other by Tuesday.

  Mike and crew had an awesome time putting together our new Paula Deen bed.  MUCH assembly was required, but I do like it very much.

The dogs have been going back and forth with me, I’m trying to get them used to their new “yard”.  Bailey loves a good car ride with a  face full of wind.  I love this picture…simple pleasures, pure joy.  She is still receiving treatments for Lymphoma, so far holding her own.  
Happy, Safe 4th of July to all…

The hardest part of pet ownership

 She was twelve years old. By rottweiler standards that’s a long life. We were wondering how she’d take the move to This Old House.  Last night we had to make the decision to end her struggle with a tumor in her spleen which kept rupturing and rendering her weaker with each episode.  Our vet explained  her deteriorating condition and gave us time with her.   She passed peacefully in my arms ….but how I hate those moments.  How I hate having to make those choices.

Rest in peace, Tara girl.

Floored

  Stained and Tung oiled, two coats left to go…and then… WE’RE IN!!! 

 The adirondacks got a new coat of paint in a light green hue…
Now that the brickwork is finished, the old patio furniture was dragged out of the shed, scrubbed and moved to This Old House….
Although the garden was thrown together in haste, everything seems to be pretty happy except the cucumbers and lettuce…..they might whimp out.
The barn/garage is nearly complete…
Look at how fast these baby robins are growing…
My kayaks sit outside while Mike devises a rack for them in the garage.  I’m really looking forward to getting back out on the water.  It’s Summer!

Happiness Is…

… discovering that our “new” old house has already been approved by several bird families and they have taken up residence even as the crew continues their noisy work nearby.  There are many bluebird houses in the fields and a few near the garden. All are inhabited.  But this really surprised me.

   I saw this little shell yesterday under one of the big cedar shrubs we planted at the back of the house, thinking it had been blown under there by the wind…
but we soon discovered upon closer inspection….
……a nest of baby robins. 

It’s the little things, you know…..

Ben at the Beach

  We live in such a great area for walking, hiking, and biking. Today I took Ben down to the beach to meet up with my sister and her friend for a walk along the bike trail.  The beachroses were in full bloom and the scent was heavenly. 

Ben notices the Bishon being worn as a scarf around his owner’s neck… thinks maybe I should give him a lift back to the car also….  I told him I’de sooner throw a saddle on his back…
I love when a park provides for the canine crowd. Dog owners seem to be very respectful here too.
Wild morning glory, didn’t know there was such a thing until today…

Blazing Saddles

  Baby, it’s hot outside.  Well it was yesterday.. .last night’s thunder and lightning storm dropped the temps about 20 degrees.  
  My daughter and I horsed around for a while and the ring felt like a dessert.  When we were done, Opie got a bath… as did we.  You can’t bathe a horse without wearing the water, soap and grime that accompanies it. 
Ben stayed indoors with his Teddy Bear most of the day. He’s still mad at me for taking away his manlyhood.  So are my husband and son… (not theirs, his!)   Men sure are sensitive about that particular subject.
 Lots happening at the old house, more later…

Learning to be still….

  The first year there was a lone goose.  He or she stood out there in the front field day after day in the spring rain and sunshine…waiting?  Longing?  Confused maybe.  Alone for sure.  The next year the goose returned, still alone. 

   This year… not only did he or she arrive with a mate… they moved down to the pond behind the house and started a family.  My son came bounding in the house this afternoon… “Mom, bring your zoom lens!”…
  and we saw this….
 One of the very first things we did as a family when we moved to our current farm was hop on the lawn mower and tractor and go down to the pond to mow.   The grass had grown tall and the phragmites had taken over a large section of the pond and we were anxious to clear it out so that we could lounge around out there and enjoy the peaceful setting.   It occurs to me now that we didn’t do enough of that. We got tangled in the every day race.   We haven’t quite learned yet how to be still.
 Perhaps in This Old House……

Things I will miss…

 Packing today… throwing out, putting aside for goodwill, procrastinating, prioritizing and generally making a bigger mess.  Also, noticing the little things that I will miss about THIS not so old house…

 The birds love this place. Each spring there are atleast two or three nests in various spots..the front door wreath, the flood lights, under the overhangs… even the bluebirds seek shelter there in the bitter cold months. I hear that’s rare. 

I’ll miss the old azalea in link pinks and whites….
 The other things planted years ago that come back each spring and multiply….
This copper beach sits right outside my office window….
These guys are sitting on a wall waiting to hop on the truck come moving day…
And I’ll miss the sound of Ben chewing on the trim outside while  I enjoy my morning coffee….Why will I be missing  it?…. because at This Old House Mike has made damn sure when Ben goes out  the fencing will not allow him to get that close to the trim…like… ever again.  So yeah.. it’ll be missing.  *sigh*

For Lynn

 Ben turned  One Year Old  yesterday!  Because I  stupidly, rashly,  deleted my original blog,  you don’t have the old archives and Ben’s year-long ginormous growth history.  So I’ll recap here…  and let me tell you, Great Danes are an awesome family dog, love love love this guy.  Easiest dog I ever had to housetrain.   You just have to wrap your mind around the idea of having a small horse in the house.  Mike’s mind is not completely  warped wrapped yet.  He hasn’t made peace with the idea of the folding chairs as toss-around dog toys either.   We’re working on it, right Ben?