Goat on the Goat House

While the days seem to be warming up in Princeton (Ptown) , this spring in Ptuck (as Irv likes to call the Hippie House location) is still a bit cool and damp.  We have been up in Ptuck the last two weekends trying to get the 2 guest bedrooms and bathroom finished before Memorial Day.  I think it is fair to say they are 'guest ready' for the most part with the exception of the bathtub plumbing (which is currently operating on plumber time which is not like our time but more like 'whenever').

The yard is now cleaned up and seeded thanks to Jim, George and Dave referred by my Dad.

Now the detail work (weeding, edging and planting) is up to me and will be my summer and fall project ( along with some clean up of 'the doll house' and 'the goat house'.)  Irv surprised me with a permanent 'goat on things' (see 'goatonthings.tumblr.com) gift - a goat weathervane so a goat will always be on the roof

The dogs, however, have not been as energetic about pressing to get things done.  Their days consist of trying to get up on the furniture, scaring the neighborhood horses, barking at other dogs and sleeping

Caught in the act.

The horses ignoring me after Norman scared them.  

Irv's friend Linda from Nova Scotia stayed for an evening visit with her lovely dog .  Irv enjoyed catching up and I finally got to meet someone I have heard so much about.  She didn't even blink when we talked while running around trying to kill the giant flying ants that started to emerge in the library.  Nice!  And I had been just thinking how this house was (or so I thought) bug free versus Ptown ( ants and moths are hatching).  Reminder #1 of what I do like about Winter: no ants, snakes, moths, dead baby rabbits ( thx Norman), skunks or dead birds (again thx Norman).  

This week, we start to prepare for Irv's birthday trip to the English coast and savory pie making class!

Beautiful Spring Weekend

Eight months at the Hippie House and we are still painting - it seems to never end!  It is Monday morning and this is a first.  Irv is staying in CT for the week - with both dogs- and I am taking an early morning train from Westerly RI so I can get to work in New Brunswick by noon.  It has been a quiet ride up to New Haven where the train filled up quickly.  A beautiful morning chugging against the coastline.  I was able to get a glimpse of the Coast Guard Academy's tall ship Eagle which is docked next to the New London train station.

Lots of nesting Osprey on telephone polls along the tracks.  Irv is spending the week painting (what else?) trying to get the bathroom to near completion.  And today we have a landscaper coming to do some general clean up and later in the week our new friends Dave and his father Jim will start the heavy duty cleanup of the debris and fix the stone fences.  There was a point over the weekend where I felt a bit overwhelmed with it all but we decided we needed to set some priorities, break down projects into small pieces, remember to relax and enjoy the area, house and family nearby, and remind ourselves how fortunate we are to be both here and in Princeton.  

Our weekend relax moment was to visit one of my father's favorite places -the Westerly Packing Company-which is basically an Italian market near the Pawcatuck River that specializes in meats especially the local sausage called 'soupy'.  

 They also sell wine and beer making  supplies.

Irv was looking for a ham for Easter and they did not disappoint.  The owner just happened to be finishing up cooking a few of their own - yeah, one ham down.  We then decided to check out the local Saturday farmer's market in Stonington where our neighbor sells bird houses.  The winter location is in a former Velvet Mill that has a brewery and art studios.  

Drink beer and buy art.  Artists and bars go together like ham and cheese.  The market is not big but we were able to get some local eggs from the Davis Farm (which is close to us) and some bread.  People love their chickens here as the local garden stores all had chicks and ducks for sale (they just passed an ordinance limiting the number of chickens based on property size). 

I will be in the Princeton house without man or dogs - the first time in say 10 years!  I am looking forward to getting some birdhouses and furniture finished and visiting the Studio to see if the Ox has arrived.  Today is supposed to be the day!

Buddha, Boy Scouts and a Bathtub

Spring is finally here and we spent the weekend at the hippie house  ( I hadn't visited for a month) assessing the state of the yard and ( of course) painting.  We managed to get in touch with a few landscapers so April we will see some serious yard and garden clean up - yea!  

We are making some progress on the two upstairs bedrooms and bathroom.  It seems the trim painting is endless but 'Abby's' room as we call it is nearly done.

The room has a loft.  Irv installed a ladder so I was able to get up there and clean and paint.  I love the spot.  Great 'girl cave' for reading and napping.  I just have two doors to paint ( must wait for warmer weather so I can do those outside) and some curtains to buy or sew and done!  

In the tiny front bedroom we finished the wallpaper.  Irv needs to finish installing trim and also put a shelf in the closet.  I need to figure out shades (I am seriously window treatment challenged, for sure).  We just have to figure out how to get a full size mattress up the narrow staircase.

Most exciting was getting the claw foot tub re glazed over the weekend.  This is our version of excitement.

BEFORE, and........

AFTER!  Irv will paint the outside of the tub this coming weekend then sand and paint the floor.  It seems endless.  And we need to hire a plumber to put in the tub hardware.  So many little details, but we love this stuff.  At least you get a sense of accomplishment.

This weekend we noticed that a group of Boy Scouts were camping almost in our backyard.  There is a camping site cleared on the Scout property behind our house- in the summer you can't see it but Irv and I have walked up there.  It's a nice spot with a campfire and log seats.  They set up tents and sat around the campfire ( I know because I could see them with the binoculars!). They had a soggy night but were out and about hiking the next morning banging on pots and pans and singing as they hiked (here is a pix of the merry scouts).

I ran into them as I walked up the road to the trail behind the house.  I have been going up there at times to pick up the garbage (as you can imagine, mostly beer and soda cans, cigarette wrappers and condom wrappers.  As the young man who is doing our landscaping said 'I used to go up there to party'!  And I said that now I pick up your garbage and spy on you with my binoculars.' ).  Someone at the trail head left a Buddha statue - sad but our first thought was that we hope no one steals it. But I love the fact that some one did this.

Finally Sunday was such a beautiful day that Irv and I managed to get a walk in on the trail.  Lots of nesting Osprey and bluebirds.  

Irv in the trail with a curious Norman.

 One of the many Osprey nests on the trail.

I almost forgot.  I met another neighbor - Tim.  He is a carpenter who likes to build picnic tables and bird houses and sell them at the Stonington Farmer's market on Saturday mornings.  We bonded over bird houses and within one hour of talking he left me a newly made unfinished pine birdhouse on our front step.  I ended up buying a few from him.  It seems there is a thriving cash economy in the area with lots of folks doing odd jobs or making things to bring some money in.  We feel right at home.