Sounds in the Night

Last weekend, while together with LM, we found ourselves unable to sleep. It was just the kind of night we love, cool enough for the down comforter, yet nice enough to have the windows open.  Everything seemed conducive to a good night's restful sleep, yet we lay there wide awake, quietly musing, thinking the other asleep.  I heard the hoots and wondered, "do I ask if he heard them, too?"  We do love hearing nature's symphony, and pondering what creature is bringing us the music.  The next set of soft hoots brought "Are you hearing that"....oh yes, and soon we were guessing who could this be bringing us this lovely distraction? We gathered our covers, and found our perfectly comfy spot, as close as we could be, and listened intently, the meditational focus, bringing us into a deep and beautiful sleep.


After a lovely breakfast the next morning, out came the bird book, and the mystery was solved...meet the savior of our night:

The short-eared owl.....not the first time the answer has come to us from nature. Not the last I am sure. Hope our friend returns again.....he has a lovely soft hoot!!

Up and Down Lunch

 DOWN......the natural light is perfect for sewing.....sewing down the binding. My favorite part of making a quilt (well, I do love the color/fabric selection, too), as it seals the quilt with the work of my hands.

 

UP.....a beautiful view and a warm breeze.  Life is beautiful.



Moonshine

After a delightful dinner with girlfriends last night, I began driving to the moon....all the way home the huge just-about-full orb was lighting my path. It was a perfect evening, just warm enough to have the car windows open a bit to let in a breeze. When I got home, the glow was still there above my house and in my bedroom.  Very quickly by 9 pm I was drifting to sleep as the evening's fun conversation still sung a bit in my ears. With a start, I woke at 1:20 am, wide awake to the moon. In the past I'd have been stressed to wake in the night, unable to return to sleep right away, but this morning, it was an opportunity to enjoy more of the moon while reading, and then after an hour or so, gently back in to sleep.
My day starts at 5 am and by 5:30 I am in my sitting room, having my kale, spinach and fruit smoothie, while catching up with news and blogs. This morning the room was flooded with moonlight and as I looked out into the lovely blue morning light, there was that glorious moon, following me still.  Little moments in my time....so precious.

Have a lovely day......tonight will bring more of the same beauty to be appreciated anew.

Two-Crow Lunch

Crows hold a lot of fascination for me and almost everyday I am joined by a few at lunch.  No matter the weather, I have to open the window to hear them talking to each other, and often they are close enough that I hear their flight. The beach was empty on this day as rain was imminent, and these two were having such a good time, finding bits and bites in the sand, not long-vacated by beachgoers.

I love these dark days in my special places and the drama in the sky is always a show. I'll find my breath, enjoy the little bite in the air, and the scent that wafts  just before the rain. The passenger seat in my car holds several things I can do during lunch - a quilt with a half-sewn binding, my Kindle filled with good things to read or games to be played, the latest Vanity Fair is always there, too, but day after day,  they lay untouched as I just breathe and behold nature's show. Sometime there are conversations by other attendees to be overheard. Just yesterday, I got some great fishing tips to pass on to my dearest LM. I do think he might be out buying some squid for bait right now. On the other side yesterday, was a French couple speaking their wonderful language, and loving the view. We have so many foreign visitors here in the early Fall, when the Cape seems to be at its best. 

Back to the two-crow lunch production, suddenly a third appeared, and an armada of 4 ducks approached. There was quite a loud discussion among the players.  To my surprise, with a lot of quacking and positioning, the crows were soon flying off and the beach was taken over by the four quacking strutters. I had to leave before the final act but there will be many repeats. 

Everyone in my world is doing very well right now.....I spent part of last Saturday with Teddy and we took a nice walk to the local playground while he told me many interesting stories about some well-defined imaginary friends.  We picked a great bouquet of wild flowers for his mum and dad and just had such fun catching up.  I love that he asks me lots of questions and is so observant of his surroundings. 

Sara and Samantha are settling in to their nice new apartment, fairly nearby, and Samantha is already in 1st grade and loving each day. 

This weekend we will have a visit from my brother, Ev, and 4-footed friend, Tiger. They will be very much looking forward to long walks at Lighthouse Beach. We have some fun meals and trip to the farmer's market planned, too. 

LM is busy working almost everyday and his trips for car dealers are taking him far and wide. He just loves being on the road and I'd love to be along for the ride but work keeps me home.

We have both, but mostly LM, been adjusting the the rather final change of Kristi moving to RI to live with her long-lost half-brother. She sounds like she is happy and they are doing a lot of things to make her life full.  I know LM feels the loss of her closeness after 44 years of daily contact and caring.  The house is very quiet and we have settled back in to our routine of togetherness there every weekend, cooking together, reading, going to the beach to walk,  and watching movies. 

We won't be traveling any more until next Spring when we go to Eleuthera, so we are planning a few day events to attend in the meanwhile. 

Ms G has been defending her fortress. Several night's sleep have been interrupted lately by her howls and banging as she throws herself against the back door when the neighboring tabby appears.  Otherwise she does a very efficient job of holding LM down on the couch or chair for a good part of each evening. In other Ms G news, she's been very helpful in assisting with quilting. While I have the quilt in my lap to handsew, she goes to great trouble to dig and manoeuvre until she has a nest/hive for herself. Of course this results in a delay in completion of said project. All for a good cause....nothing more important than a kitty nap.

Wishing you all peace, beautiful Fall days and love.

Reclaiming my Spot

Summer brings so many people here to enjoy everything the Cape has to offer, that it is nearly impossible to park at "my" favorite spot - the parking lot at the overlook in front of the Chatham Coast Guard Station Lighthouse.  How thrilled I was on Sunday to find an open spot at sunset. Early Autumn brought a lovely sky and relative quiet.  I thought about reclaiming on many levels as I enjoyed the view out over the water, and noticed how much more the beach has re-built itself this year.  In what seems like a short time ago, this view was only of ocean, and a small bar of sand jutting down from the north, now it is a vast area of sand again, taking its place anew.
The struggle for a static existence is heard and seen all around me, yet this changing scene reminds me to go with change, savor it, and my ability to adapt as these sands -dramatically in severe storms, and over beautiful calm summers.  Me, too, and, and my life is just what it should be at this very time.......

Fields of Gold - Vermont

Trust me when I say, that Vermont was truly a place with fields of gold.  You have to trust me, as I never got a photo of the miles and miles of goldenrod-filled fields.  So with that thought in your head....hear are a few photos from our visit to Brattleboro and surrounding areas!

Off we went in my new car, on another adventure. My LM and I love to be on the road and this trip took us to Brattleboro, Vermont to meet my youngest  sister, Eleanor and her family as they had traveled from Poulsbo, Washington, to bring their oldest son, Ian to begin college in Putney, VT. We all stayed at a very nice Holiday Inn Express in Brattleboro. The plan was to meet grandson, Teddy and his wonderful Mom, Alison at the Inn,  and we arrived right on time. They drove up to meet us to spend the afternoon visiting. Teddy had a great time meeting his cousin, John, and we had a really fun lunch at a lovely restaurant with seating right over the Connecticut River. 

Teddy sweetly greeted everyone with a warm hug and he set right to work teaching cousin, Ian about his mini-computer-book.

Teddy catching sister, El, up on his news....he had just been  further north in VT visiting with cousins and relatives on his Mom's side of the family, and they had attended a great country fair in Essex..

These two cronies, love to snuggle

El and Alison catch-up after a long time of not seeing each other. Alison's father has a summer house in southern NH so they were able to make a fairly short drive to come and have lunch with us.  Teddy was full of news about driving his Pepere's golf cart at the cottage.

As LM and I drove in to Brattleboro, we crossed this very narrow bridge over the Connecticut River, bringing us from NH to VT. We spotted Whetstone Station with lovely high decks overlooking the River and thought it might make a great spot for lunch. Off we went!

Lunch view

and, another

Teddy was very excited about sitting next to Jon...those two had great fun.

Moi, El and LM...it was a beastly hot day but there was a bit of coolness off the river.

Our wonderful server, Kristi, took Teddy to the edge of the deck to look down at ducks and boats in the river. She was just the loveliest young woman, and we came to learn she grew up on Cape Cod!

All the food was delicious and beautifully served. Notice there are no entree photos - it was devoured too quickly, but this peanut butter creation was the perfect ending.

As we were encouraged, we lingered, chatting and loving being together. Meanwhile, Kristi had taken Teddy under her wing and put him to work "bussing" the table. He carried all the glasses to the kitchen and a few other things, and THEN, she paid him $1. for his services. His first pay ever!! Here he is helping. We left Kristi a nice tip!

Soon it was time to say good-bye to Alison and Teddy, and as we headed out the door of Whetstone Station, there was a very long freight train passing so we had to wait by the cars for the road to be clear.  Interesting graffiti on many of the cars.

Next we decided to pick up Ian at the hotel and take him with us for a tour of his new home, Landmark College in Putney, VT  Landmark sits in the most quaint town with lovely rolling hills.

Davis Hall will be Ian's dorm

The other side of Davis

Looking down at some of the main buildings and the connecting covered walkways.

After the little tour we went back for a little rest before going out for a late dinner right on the CT River again, at the Marina Restaurant. Also very nice,

The next morning we all met for breakfast.  Eleanor's husband, Steve had arrived well after midnight from their home in WA.  A delicious breakfast was enjoyed at the Putney Inn.  El and Steve were on a mission that day to find Ian a car to use while he is at school.  So, while they were car hunting,

LM and I set out on a tour around the surrounding hills and dales.....we just love to explore new territory so we headed north, then west and south again....driving north from Brattleboro

The first of many working covered bridges we came across.

I believe the sign said this is the longest functioning covered bridge left in VT.

Really getting in to rural places....

A lovely lake at Mt Snow ski area...virtually a ghost town at this time of year.

Condos and ski lifts at the base of Mt. Snow.  It was amazing how cool the air was here, while down in Brattleboro it was hot and very humid.

W came across a tiny farmstand selling sunflowers and maple syrup. The best maple syrup I have ever had....

Coming down out of the Mt Snow area, we really got on to some beautiful country dirt roads and the tree canopy was so lovely, I just kept snapping away as we drove and drove and drove.

There were a few very old farm houses scattered along the way.

Never wanted this ride to end. I made LM stop the car so I could listen to the woods, breathe in the air and savor nature!!

Alas, we had to get back on a main road headed east back toward Brattleboro...skies very hazy due to the heat.  This was taken at the Hogback Mountain Overlook.  There is a lovely Museum of Natural History overlooking this view, as well.  Before we got back to our hotel, we found ourselves in a major thunder storm and rain so heavy that we had to pull over for about 15 minutes.

We arrived back at our hotel to find this lovely car, already signed, sealed and delivered for Ian.  His favorite color and a great deal from the Subaru dealer right next to our hotel. It is the Outback Eddie Bauer package and for a nearly 5 year old car, it looks brand new.

The view from where we waited to meet everyone each morning in the hotel lobby!

Last morning came too soon. We all went to the Royal Chelsea Diner in W. Brattleboro for an amazing breakfast - John, El, and LM.  I am so sorry to say that I never managed to get a photo of Ian!

Mr Fish and Moi

As we headed east again, LM was kind enough to stop so I could photograph this beautiful Gothic-style house in West Brattleboro. Architecture is my thing....

The gables on each end were so beautiful and I love the detail above the windows, and at the peaks.

One more cruise through a covered Bridge...The Ashuelot Bridge....really pretty.

My very obliging chauffeur stopped so I could get this photo from the bridge, and then we began to meander our way back toward home, complete with more drives on glorious country roads (especially through Royalston, MA) and a stop at Bolton Orchards to buy peaches and apples. 

So there it is, and it will have to keep us for awhile as there will not be any big trips until we venture to Eleuthera in the Bahamas next March. There we will stay with daughter, Anne and her husband at their beautiful second home.  I cannot wait to introduce LM to the beauty of the island, the potcakes, the Rainbow Inn, the chickens, the island kitties, Coco diMama Beach, and the beautiful sound of the ocean on the rocks.....there will be fishing involved in the trip, of course...that was my lure to convince him he must brave the flights to get to paradise. 

We are healthy, happy, and loving weather with a touch of Fall right now and I wish you all the same.

PS. Kristi has decided to live permanently with her half-brother in RI. She seems very happy and to be thriving. We miss her but are very happy she is surrounded by younger people and having new experiences.

PPS.  Ms G is happy to have cooler weather and stays very busy in her position of chief herder of her keeper, LM.