Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Chapter 30 - Pets of 2018 and 2019

Every year-end we publish a "Pets of..." summary of all the animals we cared for over the year. It's a nice way for us to see all our little furry friends in one place and reflect on our visits. This last 18 months has been extra special for us because not only did we care for several dogs and cats, but we added chickens, bunnies, turkeys and steers to our resume! So with that in mind, say hello to our pets (and livestock) from 2018 and 2019.

Maisy
Piper
Pancho
Gigi
Rufus

Sullivan
Rambo
Riley
Honey
Penny and Paco
Oakland Chickens
Oakland Bunnies
Barney and Zoe

Dresden
Jack
Petey and Bucky
Galileo
Tequila
Dupree
Rosie
Forest
Scout
Daisy
Eddie
Penny
Columbia Chickens
Columbia Turkeys
Columbia Steers

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Chapter 27 - Summer in New England 2019

Charli and I love the New England area and have spent quite a bit of time there over the last 5 years. And even though we've visited a lot of sights in the past, we focused on seeing new places this summer. So at the risk of being *that* relative who forces everyone to sit down and watch their vacation slide show, we would like to feature a few of our favorite moments from our amazing summer in Boston, Providence and Cape Cod.

Boston

There's nothing quite like celebrating the birthday of our country's independence in the birthplace of the American Revolution! Here are some highlights from July 4, 2019.

Ready to go in Boston Harbor

Middlesex County Marching Band

In Boston you ARE the parade!

Concert at Hatch Memorial Shell - featuring the Boston Pops, Arlo Guthrie and Queen Latifah!

Sunset over the Charles River - settled in for fireworks!

Fireworks over the Charles
Emerald Necklace 

If you're looking for a really cool way to get to know Boston, consider walking the Emerald Necklace. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted (the same person who designed Central Park) this "trail" takes you on a 32 mile journey through the city via 7 different parks. And... you can download this walking map that gives you 46 historical points to stop at along the way.

Click the picture to download the map
We split the walk over 2 weekends and did 16 miles each half, but it was worth every step. Here are a few things you will find along the walk.

The 99 Steps / Ellicott Arch

Scarboro Pond


George Washington himself

Sneak peak of Boston from the James P. Kelleher Rose Garden

Home of the Sox

Of course nothing ends a long day of hiking like a cold brewski at Cheers!
Oddly enough, nobody knew our name
Sitting in none other than Norm's spot!

In addition to exploring Boston proper, we also took a few amazing day trips to various seaside towns, including Rockport, Gloucester, and Halibut Point State Park

Rockpoint Harbor
Rockpoint Harbor

Gloucester Lighthouse

Halibut Point State Park
Halibut Point State Park
Halibut Point State Park

Providence, RI

This was a very special summer for me and Charli in that it was our 30th anniversary in August. I  don't actually remember taking the vow to promise to "sell everything I own and live out of a Prius," but I'm glad it worked out that way.

The Oldly-weds

Anyway, after doing some research on where we should spend our special night, we landed on Providence, RI, and here's why:

Providence is a beautiful city and has a spectacular event every summer called WaterFire. This is where they light nearly 100 wood-filled "lanterns" mounted in the city's canals. It's unlike anything we've seen before and stimulates all your senses in an exquisite artistic display. Here's a panorama shot taken from their website of the main gathering area. The caldrons are also lit all the way down the canals for about a mile. It's quite spectacular.


Crowds gathering for the big event, lanterns waiting for nightfall!

Staking our claim on the canal

Eeek! So excited!

Providence also has this interesting art display they refer to as "Textured Gear."


It's very cool, but they're not fooling anyone. I'm pretty sure this is really another stargate portal in disguise. After all, is it just a coincidence that this is sitting alongside the water in Vancouver? I think not!


Cape Cod/Martha's Vineyard

And finally, Cape Cod. I know, the kids are starting to get restless, but hang in there for a few more slides.

You simply can't go to the Boston area without taking time to stop at the Cape. We've been there several times now and it's always a beautiful and fun place to be. Well, except for the deadly GREAT WHITE sharks that is. There are signs everywhere that literally say, "People have been seriously injured or killed by white sharks along this coastline." It's a good thing sharks can't read.


But other than that it is really quite charming. Take these lighthouses for example...

Provincetown

Chatham

And with just a short ferry ride you can zip over to Martha's Vineyard and see their adorable gingerbread houses.


OR... you can enjoy the sunset from one of the many restaurants located along the water.

As seen from our table... not too shabby

And there you have it... how we spent our summer. We have to stop now because the bulb in the projector just burned out, but I hope you enjoyed the show. Please come back next time when we look at how we spent our fall. Plus, we'll have cookies!