Best Life

 Date night at Bandidos.  A late dinner after a very productive day was perfect.  (Thank you Scott, we are still using my gift certificate!) As we helped with yard work at Megan and TJs we had a "supervisor".  As I walked around the yard putting things away and preparing for mowing and weed wacking, Tallulah followed every step of the way watching. With everyone pitching in we managed to complete a great deal.  Thank you Dan and Al for the tent and the help setting up.  Thank you Alan for arranging everything.  The timing of the tent arrival was perfect with plenty of hands to assemble and secure.   Getting the pool vacuum functioning - amazing.  I never had the patience that TJ displayed in making the pool pristine. Meanwhile Scott and Paul recemented and secured the post that was threatening to fall down. Now we just need the rain to hold off for a little bit! July 31, 2025:                ...

 Happy Birthday Michael!  Here you are rockin' the cowboy swagger!  (Your granddaughter has swagger as well when she walks on her tippy toes!) After a slow morning doing boring tasks around the house, we headed out into the gray day.  Our final destination - Capron Park in Attleboro, Massachusetts.  We chose to walk the grounds of the park and explore despite the threat of more rain. This 30 acre park was given to the city by the Capron (of course!) family in 1901.  Spacious with lots to varying trees, monuments and walkways, this was a perfect place for us to maunder.  The zoo here was first established after school kids did a penny drive in 1922.  Though now under threat of closure, the zoo seemed busy for a mostly rainy, chilly random Thursday in July.  (We skipped the zoo having arrived only shortly before closing.) July 30, 2003:                             M...

 Early morning entertainment by Brianna.  Though asleep when I first arrived, she was quick to rise and begin her antics.  She "ordered" her breakfast of banana muffins cut in four with margarine on every piece after toasting.  While I cut and toasted, she was responsible for finding the muffins and margarine.  For her second helping she now wanted to prepare them herself.  She deemed herself "old enough" to use the knives and toaster.  Now I know she is capable and can fulfill her own "order"! While I was wrangling TK out of the rain and back to the barn, Nri went to check on the chickens.  "Sweetheart", the oddball chicken, was "missing".  Bri named her after feeling sympathy for how the others are treating her.  We found her huddling in the nesting box.   The ride to gymnastics camp is only a few minutes.  Bri used the time to read the Valley Breeze and catch up on local news.  She consistently reads the paper whil...

 National Waterpark Day.  One of my favorite memories is Blizzard Beach in Disney World.  In 2006 we made the trip during April vacation and it was hot!  I was much braver back then and actually dropped down Summit Plummet.  One and done!  Too scary for a repeat trip!                                                            Kevin, Me, Megan and Scott Between errands today Maddie kept bringing me "gifts".  Dirty socks and boxes being her favorites.  She is a definite antidote to the frustration of shopping and traffic. We spent the morning at Megan and TJs helping with a bit of cleaning, sweeping and raking.  There are new chickens!  A hodge podge assortment of types.  (Megan, you always seem to adopt the unintended strays.)         ...

 The photos I came across this morning - 1989-1992.  All the photos from the construction of the house, addition of the front porch and the snowmobile shed. This is our first truck.  A 1973 Chevy C20.  Found on a front lawn in East Providence, the guy was asking $300.  I talked him down to $250 and Paul had to change the water pump before we drove away with it.  It hauled a lot of stuff to Maine.  Eventually the floor rotted and I tired of putting my diaper bag over the hole to prevent my feet getting wet!  We definitely got our money's worth! We had a fairly pleasant ride home to RI.  No traffic until Massachusetts and under 5 1/2 hours. And we were greeted by this gorgeous, unplanned, never planted sunflower just outside the porch door.  It has 13 (yes 13!) heads!  It will be stunning when all bloom.  And dinner by Isis.  Thank you!  It is so nice coming back to a yummy supper, hot and ready.  (Sorry the grill ...

 National Dog Photography Day.  Fenway is very photogenic (It might be his best feature and redeeming quality!).  He spends most of his time rearranging the pillows and blankets to his liking.   World Mangrove Day.  We've seen a lot of mangroves in our travels.   Everglades Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale January 14, 2022:                                                       Karen, Alan and Marc Paul spent the day making more holes.  This time he put holes in the side of the garage in preparation for the ledger board.  Using a line of string insured a straight line. Meanwhile I began the process of storing the canvas covers, skis, and assorted pieces of the boat and storing them.  Laundry.  Reading.  And I emptied a couple boxes.  Packed back in 2023, each box...