Morning Hay...

The field these days glistens in the morning sun...

Racoon Visit...

We found out who has been occasionally emptying the hanging bird feeder we keep in the woods.

Misty Morning Barn...

This shot of a local barn one misty morning came out more like a painting...

Rugosa Roses in the Morning Mist...

Pasta and Water...

This time of year brings many mornings when the early sun catches the night's dew - or in this case drizzle - still on the hosta leaves...

Daisies...

We picked up some daisies to augment the back garden yesterday. They are competing with the rugosa roses and the bee balm both of which have settled in beautifully this year.

The Heat..

As Glenn Frey sang on the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack: "The heat is on..."

We're going through the first of a few hot spells that we experience every summer here in Vermont. As I get up this morning the temperature outside has dipped to 70°F but is *very* humid. The temperature inside the house is stuck at about 80°F and I'm trying to cool it down with fans before the temperature starts back up.

For various reasons we are trying to get through this summer without installing the air conditioners. As a result, we are directly experiencing the weather in a way we typically don't. It changes ones behavior pretty dramatically, just as the onset of a stretch of -20°F does. It's a bit easier to sit around on the back deck if the bugs aren't too bad and feel any cool zephyrs that might come by. It's easier to sit and watch an old Cary Grant movie until late at night when the air finally starts to cool.

Sleep is affected for sure. I'm finding I'm sleeping a bit more but also differently. It's harder to sleep when I go to bed but the "morning sleep" is deep and longer lasting. I wake up groggy and slow and even more in need of hot coffee.

Today purports to be the last day of this hot spell with humid temps in the mid-nineties and a chance for violent thunderstorms. I can believe it as the sun is up and strong at 7AM already. Delightfully I see a low of 47°F for tomorrow night...

Canada Geese

The other day I was walking in the field here at the house and heard the unmistakable sounds of Canada Geese approaching. I pulled out my camera and took this snapshot of them flying directly overhead. It was a scuddy day and they appeared very determined to get where they were going...

Bearded Iris

Sunset Season

Deva and Buddha...

Daffies redux...

I can't quite stay away from the daffodils. Today was another gorgeous Spring day in Vermont. The late afternoon sun gave me another chance at the photo I took yesterday morning...

Fresh New Day...

The first Daffodils...

Welcome to Lyme, NH...

Our first flowering Crocus!

The Early Bird...

Spring Frog

Meg shot this very groggy spring frog a couple days ago. He seemed to be having trouble waking up after a long winter...

Portrait of Deva.

I finally got Deva to sit for a portrait the other day...

Good Friends

I had dinner tonight with my good friend Mark down in Concord at our traditional haunt, Hermanos. I realized as I was headed there this evening that we never even discussed where we were meeting; it was common knowledge. It's great to have habits and friends like that.

Little Gray...

We found this fellow enjoying some seeds this morning. He's the junior member of our contingent of gray squirrels...

Foggy Morning...

I don't know why, but I'm sucker for these foggy mornings and the effect it has on our still bare trees reaching for nourishment from the sun.

Bat Cat...

I caught Nina poking her head through the banister rungs yesterday. She seemed surprised to see me...

Brrrr...

I snapped this shot of a couple Canada geese in the Connecticut River this morning. It was cold - about 10 degrees - and the air was filled with the slow grinding sound of ice sheets rubbing against each other.

Pileated Woodpecker

We had a visit from a Pileated Woodpecker today. It settled into our favorite old maple and went to work...

It worked hard enough to put a *big* hole in our favorite old tree. Let me just go ahead and stick my entire torso in here...













Like *this* big.
















And I couldn't imagine more wood chips on the ground had a chain saw gone to work on our tree. Absolutely amazing!

Mud Season...

Snapped this at the end of the driveway this morning. Some way to start Spring...

Happy Birthday Patrick.

Blue Sky!

We were overdue for this today...

More Snow?

Meg snapped this shot of our front path, burrowing through the snow to our front door...

Smackdown!

Strolling through downtown Lebanon today at lunch - a beautiful Winter day - I found this flyer for a Rumble in White River Junction coming up soon...

Nina and the Deer

Nina has come to enjoy watching the deer visit the "bird" feeder in the late afternoon...

Blue Sky...

After quite a bit of grey, we had an absolutely beautiful blue sky this morning...

The Logical Conclusion...

Gravity is a bitch...

Tired...

The Jack O Lanterns continue to evolve...

Jack Frost?

After a couple weeks, our Jack O Lanterns have become much older and more grim!

Jack! You Home?

We carved some Jack O Lanterns this year and have made them last. Here they are with a little age on them...

Colorado and Nebraska

In mid-October, my brother Rod and I accompanied my Dad out to Colorado and Nebraska to tour some of the areas he grew up in. To do so, we rented a Chrysler 300M special gangster edition.


The hay bales in Nebraska are bigger than I'm used to...

A lonely fellow we saw on the way to Chadron NE.


The town of Riverdale, NE where many of my Dad's family are buried.

Paris!

Meg and I were able to spend a few days in Paris. What a beautiful city! We took this shot of the Eiffel Tower from near the Pont Alexandre.


This is at the Place de la Concorde and includes the Oblisk and the fountain. The Eiffel Tower is in the background between the two.This is from the top of the Arc de Triomphe looking towards La Place de la Concorde and the Louvre.

We stumbled on Nuit Blanche or White Night. The walk from the Louvre up towards La Place de la Concorde was all aflame. It was amazing!

Gent Belgium

Here are some night shots from my trip to Gent in early October. It's a beautiful city, especially at night...

I Really Can't Stand Roger Clemens.

Through five innings, Roger is no-hitting the Red Sox. By contrast, our young buck Josh Beckett is struggling and has given up three runs so far. I can't believe that I have to put up with Roger freakin' Clemens no-hitting us through five. How hard can it be to hit that tomato?

Here's hoping for some chin music from Beckett to keep them off the plate and to some more patience from the Red Sox hitters.

Beckett is gaining some control and some focus. I smell some good stuff in the later innings...

Deva the Cat.

Deva, who is the bookish cat you never see, recently caught up with our new giclee that we found in New Harbor on our vacation. We've never noticed this artistic side of her before...

Speaking of strange connections, in researching giclee, we discover that this form of high quality ink jet reproduction was pioneered by Graham Nash of Crosby, Stills and Nash.

Summer Balloons

After an unsettled day, the late afternoon yesterday was gorgeous with lots of slanting orange sunlight. The ballooners must have sensed that as they were up and enjoying the evening.