04.25.2021 Spring Snows!

Spring is here and it is beautiful. Trees, shrubs and flowers are blooming. And it snowed! Yes, it snowed once last week covering all of my daffodils and hyacinths in bloom and it snowed once more this week as well!

But Spring snows do not last and before long the sun was bright and warm and a nice walk along the Charles River in Boston was just what the doctor ordered. The flowering trees are gorgeous, clusters of daffodils line the river edge, the ducks are mating, Canada geese are all over the park and even a pair of swans are swimming on the river. The crews are back rowing and even a few kayaks are in the water. Spring, it is a true feeling of renewal and a fresh start at life. I have often thought the new year should begin in Spring and not the dead of winter - but no one asked me!

Back to snow. It is interesting to observe the behavior of my three boys - Fionnegan, Gunnarr and Shorty. While none of them willingly go outside when it rains, they were delighted to be outside when it snowed - even though they were just as wet as if it was raining. Go figure. So we spent a little time enjoying what we all hope to be the very last snowfall of the season.  Not much accumulation in my neck of the woods, but just enough to bury the daffodils and hyacinths. So I picked a bunch of flowers and now the kitchen has a sweet scent of the hyacinths. I love fresh flowers in the house as well as in the gardens.

Can you find the white daffodil?

Rescued from the cold! Now inside where they are truly enjoyed.

The gardens are now taking shape. Snow melted, warm days and cool nights encourage all flowers and weeds to grow. We are now spending all of our available time outside weeding, thinning overgrown areas, pruning shrubs, mulching beds, and preparing our flower pots for planting. The herbs are already potted and I am looking forward to using them in my future cooking adventures.

And, I decided it is time to get out the bicycle.  Yes, after being in the tool shed for almost 20 years, I thought I would like to ride again. Before sailing and the boys taking all of my free time, I biked many nights after work and every Sunday along the Charles River and the Lexington-Bedford Minuteman bike trail in good weather. Then life changes and we adjust. Bike trails for were dog walks. So when I saw this poor old rusted and tire flattened old buddy of mine, I put the bike in the car (with some difficulty) and took it to the repair shop. Just got it back this week and it does sparkle. And it felt great to ride again. Yes - "it is just like riding a bike" - is an appropriate saying for returning to an old adventure. In just one pedal stroke, I was back in form and loving it. So I will balance nice walks with the boys in the forest and then a bike ride along the bike trails and a sail on Sundays. Gardening will continue in the evenings as the days are getting longer. Yes, it is good to be busy especially as we are not getting any younger. And yes, I must also work in work, too!

I do hope you are able to enjoy Spring and that there is a feeling of hope here at home for a return to normalcy as best as we can. Globally there are still many obstacles to meet  before normalcy can return, and we all must work together to help each other everywhere. We are all one global community made up of many local communities. We will get through this with commitment and good will towards each other.

They rarely let me out of their site. While I am working in the gardens outside of their gate, Fionnegan, Gunnarr and Shorty keep watch. My three happy boys.

Please stay well.. Until next time.........

01.20.19 Snow, ice and a deep freeze on the way

It was bound to happen - a sizeable winter storm. We had over six inches here - not too bad for shoveling, but now the precipitation has turned to freezing rain. Went out to shovel the walkway and porches and clear off the car but decided to leave the drive for the plow truck. My hat was soaked by the time I finished. The boys stayed nice and warm inside. I could not let them out in the front with me as the gates are open for the plow trick. However, he has not yet arrived and I could have had the driveway cleared by now. I am hoping he gets here before it turns into thick ice. Perhaps another call might help!

This year only Shorty was interested in running around outside and he seemed happy to come in when I called t hem. Maybe they just don't like being pelleted by freezing ice. And they only wanted out one more time to chase the squirrels. Now they are all curled up and appear quite content. I put sweaters on them as it is cool inside the house as well as cold outside. Maybe Fionnegan and Gunnarr will be more interested in the snow later. But tomorrow the weather is going to turn brutally cold, so they will only be outside to "empty out". We can spend the day doing inside chores, never a shortage of housework to do!

The bird feeders are full and the blue jays, chickadees, juncos and downy woodpeckers are enjoying the sunflower seeds and suet. I sprinkled some seeds on the ground for the juncos and the squirrels - they all need some fuel to keep warm. Have not seen a cardinal for a while, they must have migrated to a warmer climate. The juncos are also sleeping in the little Christmas tree I took outside. They nestled in the branches and fly out when I open the door to let  the dogs outside. Despite three dogs, the birds and squirrels stay close to the house. They all must know they can escape these three yappers.

Here is a little chickadee at the feeder. He was just flying back and forth as if it were a beautiful Spring day. I didn't brush the snow from the feeder as he seemed to be dong quite well.

I shook the snow from the hemlocks as they branches were already buried in the snow. I'll go back and do it again so the ice does not form and break the branches. Last year we had a lot of damage to the trees so I am going to try to stay on top of things a little better - especially since it is daytime.

Here is little Fionnegan. As soon as I opened the door he ran inside where it is nice and warm. Perhaps chasing squirrels can wait until warmer weather!

Even Gunnarr, who is mostly attached to me wherever I go, was eager to get inside even though I was going back and forth to the feeders and trees. He generally follows me everywhere. But not today.

Shorty was having a good time, He was running back and forth and burrowing his nose in the snow. But when the door opened to the house, he ran inside with Fionnegan and Gunnarr. So I finished the chores by myself!

They do look cute in their puffer vests and sweaters.

But now they are sound asleep on their beds wearing a nice warm sweater. You would have thought they shoveled the porches for me! Shorty likes the more open locations to nap and is in the doorway. He does not like to be confined. 

This one is Fionn.

And here is Gunnarr.

Maybe they are resting because they know there is a big New England Patriot football game later tonight, so they are resting now because they will be watching the game!

Here is Shorty reaching up to give Fionn a nose bump!

Need to go check on the plough guy, just in case I need to bundle up and get out there and shovel the driveway.

Hope you all are safe and warm and managing the storm if you are in New England.

Until next time, stay well.

01.06/19 Winter so far, so good.

With the exception of one snow fall that left us with six inches to shovel, it has been a very mild winter. We have had a lot of rain, some very cold days but very little snow. This week we had what I consider the perfect snowfall - nice big beautiful snowflakes that fell for about an hour. Then it stopped. No snow to shovel, no roads to clear. No need to cancel office hours. The perfect snow shower!

I do enjoy snow - one per season and for Christmas. After that I am happy with no shoveling tasks, no trees to clear from the car or driveway. Snow in the mountains for the skiers is great and I am always happy to hear the mountains are blessed with a foot or two of fresh powdery snow. And if we could figure out how to keep it from sticking to the highways and sidewalks I guess I wouldn't mind it too much in the lowlands either! Oh, such thoughts!

With the warmer and less snowy weather I am working on a new pathway in the yard. Because of the dogs (in large part) there is no grass from the porch to the edge of the treeline. And when it rains it is all mud. So I have been making a stone stepping pathway. It has changed shapes and configurations as I add a path to the bird feeder and one to the edge of another garden. And it always seems I need just one more big stone to finish the walk. So I go to the local nursery to get a few more stepping stones, add another dimension to the path and then need a couple more! Yes, this is a process. The stones are heavy but I am managing all right. One at a time, carrying them from the car to the yard. At the store I tell them that I will eventually finish but not until it snows! Then I will be finished, at least until the Spring!

Maybe the stone path will remind Shorty of the stone pathways of Yap. We used to walk them every Saturday or Sunday after Church. They meander through the forest and that is where I took a favorite picture of Shorty. We were walking with two of my favorite children Allerick and his sister Eva (forgive me if the spelling is not correct) when Shorty would run with the little girl but turn around to see if I was still coming with them. He has always been a good dog and good companion. I miss Yap and hope to return sometime soon. I wonder if Shorty misses Yap. It is hard to tell. He seems to be happy wherever he is!

Yesterday I hope I bought and placed the last stone for the pathway. I can easily now step from one to the next stone in a comfortable stride and stay out of the mud. And what do the dogs do - yes, you guessed it, they avoid the stepping stones and run through the mud! So we still have muddy paws and that leads to baths. They are not allowed inside the main part of the house with dirty paws. Fionnegan is so sweet. He knows the drill. As soon as he comes inside the atrium he stands on the blue towel to have his paws wiped. Gunnarr and Shorty come back when called but are less likely to stop for a paw cleaning unless called.

Shorty is learning a new trick - catching kisses. Sometimes I blow him a kiss and he now lifts his head up as to catch it. It is cute and entertains us both. Who knows what he thinks he is supposed to be catching in the air. And Shorty has also developed a new trick on Gunnarr. At night Fionn sits on my lap and Gunnarr is plastered to my side as we read or watch television. Shorty then sits on the other end of the couch. But lately, if Gunnarr leaves his spot to bark at a dog on TV, Shorty will take his place next to me and cuddle up by my side. The look of disappointment on Gunnarr's face the first time this happened was precious. But he has managed by now jumping up on the other side of me, a good feat for a dog somewhat less than athletic. He has to jump over Fionn and the armrest and does it most of the time with just one try. Both Fionn and Gunnarr seem to be a little shy of jumping on me in front of Shorty, maybe instinct tells then he will growl at them. Or maybe they are afraid he will snap at them. He is a snapper sometimes so I am always watchful of his behavior. His origins have determined his disposition - survival. Gentle nature or not, he has a strong survival instinct.

There is an interesting display of dog behavior here and I try to observe and not influence their interactions. They have done so well together and their relationships continue to evolve in a very positive way. They now interact much more often in a gentle physical nature with nose bumps and gentle nudges. Of course, they still wrestle a lot! And they are always together. Brothers to the end.

Here are a couple of pictures of my boys at the end of a day of play and running and helping me with the yard work. Sound asleep. Good boys. Let sleeping dogs lie!







Hope you are enjoying the mild weather of the new year if you live in New England as we prepare for winter storms in the near future. May you also be enjoying a new and peaceful new year.

01/01/2018 A frigid start to the New Year

Plans to go to Boston's First Night went out the door with the frigid Arctic freeze that has enveloped our area for over a week. I enjoy seeing the ice sculptures and especially the fireworks at midnight, so I was disappointed not to have bundled up for the evening. Not this year, I cuddled up in the couch and kept warm! I will admit that I whimped out when I saw the temperature at my house was -2F. It dropped to -6F this morning when we awoke. I am clearly not a polar bear!  While the furnace ran all night, at least it did not go out as it did two nights ago.

Today was a relaxing day. I cleared many ice dams from the gutters while Fionnegan, Gunnarr and Shorty ran and chased each other around the yard. Despite the bitter cold, Shorty does not seem to mind. He often indicates he wants to go out and is pretty good at allowing me to put a sweater on him. I think he wants to be just like Fionn and Gunnarr so he puts on the sweater after just a brief chase today. The holidays have also been a time for me to cook - something I am not very good at doing nor do I have enough time to cook nice meals. So we all probably gained a few months these past couple of weeks. I have enjoyed the holidays with the change of pace.

Photo from Boston Globe: First night fireworks.







Couch potatoes! All three were out cold watching the Patriots football game. We are now awaiting the playoffs and hoping that our New England Patriots do well. By that we mean win. The Super Bowl. Again. But we will not jinx them. We are happy to take it one game at a time. Just win. All of them.

He is having a blast! Runs and rolls and sniffs the snow. There is no keeping him inside the house!









Ice encrusted all of my trees and shrubs and most are still bent and attached to the ground. Must let them lift on their own or else the branches will break. The sun today gently warmed even though it only reached 12F. A heat wave during the afternoon!

This is Fionn in red. Sharing jackets is key to staying warm.

Shorty is one handsome dog. Hard to believe he was born in the tropics.

Hope you are having a very good start to 2018!

07/28/19 Sailboat racing

Wednesday night races are invigorating and fun. While the larger boats are in a class of their own, the lovely Rhodes19 race against each other. The weather was perfect with decent wind and tide and we came in first on Mike's Red Dawg.

Here are a few photographs of a J80 - beautiful yacht, the Boston skyline and us after the race was completed.

Winthrop, MA. CPYC boats are in the foreground. These are the boats for teaching the kids to sail. And they are great - a lot of confidence and camaraderie in those little ones. I especially like watching the little girls take control of their boat and develop self confidence.

Boston skyline is in the background, the J80 off to the right.

Red dawg spinnaker, a Rhodes19.

Spinnaker for downwind sailing.

OK, lots of photographs of this boat. It is a beauty.

The best view when racing - all of the boats behind you!

Mike, owner of Red Dawg. One Great Guy.  He helps me on my Rhodes19 when I have questions or problems. She will be in the regatta at the beginning of August.

Danny and I crewed for the race, here I am at the helm on the way home. Did not get lost!

Boston skyline at night, taken from CPYC, Winthrop, MA. Logan airport is in the foreground. The famous clock tower is to the right of the photograph.