Today in Pictures

It was a beautiful autumn day, and fortunately it was my day off so that I could get outside to enjoy it!

I was out picking tomatoes....


I filled the bird feeders and birdbath. The birds, squirrels, and chipmunk came. Two bluebirds were even out checking out the nest box.



I decided I had better get a picture of the tree in its color, as one good windy day could take it all away until next year. It's especially nice that the warm red color glows through the living room window in the afternoon sun....


and out on the picnic table sits our compost heap surprise....our green and orange pumpkin.

It turned out to be pretty good sized after imagining we had a little squash growing a few months ago.

A Last Summer's Drive

It's that time of year again. We headed to Naples for a trip to the produce market, and the most fragrant New York grapes around....our yearly tradition.

We always come home with a tri-color basket full, and this year we also came home with some acorn squash, garlic, freshly made grape juice, and a loaf of olive bread.

On to Seneca Falls, we stopped for a visit with Dad and Jake.
Jake, who is very frisky and curious, kept us all entertained.

We came home down the east side of Cayuga Lake, a beautiful Sunday afternoon for the drive.

As we came around a curve in the village of Lansing, the yard was dotted with deer. They stayed to nibble the grass as we sat in the car just a few feet away.


and so our summer travels ended for another year....

Birthday Wishes Today

To George.....

Today I am off to work, so we celebrated over the weekend. I chose a trip to New York City for my birthday a few weeks ago, and his choice was a trip to the fairground in Harford, PA for an antique truck show.

It was a little breezy and cool, but a nice day to be out in the fresh air and sunshine. I could not appreciate the trucks in the same manner that he did, but it was fun to see his enthusiasm and appreciation for all the different makes and models that pulled in.


We were both given tickets at the entry gate to fill out with our choice of best truck in the show.

This was George's pick, and I'm sure there are many interesting reasons why.

This was my pick, simply because I liked the orange color, and the nostalgia factor.


However, the one thing we both agreed on was the Airstream trailer.....

Now that would be a fun way to travel!

So, happy birthday to my husband of 38 years.....who first taught me to identify trucks on our trips up Route 66 when we lived in Oklahoma back in the '70s. Enjoy your day!

Predatory Hill

I woke up Saturday to the sound of many birds in the backyard, but by the time I got to the kitchen and opened the back door to see, it was eerily quiet.

This was why....


George went out later and found that the hawk had taken down a mourning dove, which we've seen happen once before out back.

This morning, in about the same spot, was a yellow tiger cat. George was mowing nearby, but the cat's attention was focused on the brush pile.

Either the many birds that hide in there, or the resident chipmunk, had caught his eye.

Summer Weekend in New York

We arrived in Astoria last Thursday afternoon.

Morgan and Albert live in a quiet little neighborhood, with a front porch overlooking the sidewalk. It's a nice place to play cards in the evening.....


It was my birthday, the day we arrived.....

We went for dinner at a Greek restaurant nearby, eating out on the back patio under the stars...


Friday morning, George, Morgan, and I headed to the Natural History Museum. We were there most of the afternoon, and only saw a fraction of the exhibits....

Then a subway ride on down to Houston Street for lunch at Katz's deli....



a little shoe shopping for my aching feet, then uptown to meet Albert in the park at the end of his workday....


Yesterday morning we all slept in, then made the trek into the city by bus and subway to the South Street Seaport area and a 90-minute sail around the tip of Manhattan....

to the Statue of Liberty....


and where, looking back, the city seems very small..


Back on dry land, we joined the throngs walking across the Brooklyn Bridge....


and found our way to Front Street for pizza.....

in an area called DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass)

We finished our evening watching the city light up the night from the Brooklyn Bridge Park, before heading back to the apartment....


and today, exhausted, we headed home!

Deck Entertainment

I've been having my breakfasts out on the deck this week and there has been no lack of entertainment just a few feet away.

Tip-toeing in.....


saying hello....

hearing a friend's call.....

asking my permission.....

to have a friend over for breakfast....


This morning there was Chippy. He thought I wouldn't notice if he held perfectly still.

I blinked long before he did.

The Celtic Potato Festival

We headed out with our umbrellas, a little unsure that we wanted to brave the rain. The crowd was small to start, but the rain let up, and eventually the sun came out. It turned out to be a fun day.
Good music.....

Lots of men in kilts....




and an entertaining leprechaun....