Bob and I spent a cool breezy fall afternoon at Thicut. We walked up the road - fallen leaves litter the tumbling rocks on the road. It smells like autumn!

 I decided to reunite the vases that were split up when Nanny died. A note in Mom's handwriting says they were a wedding gift to John and Barbara Kruger. (Nanny's parents). Here they are on the mantle in the 'parlor'.
We also found the mudroom storm door swinging in the breeze. A little investigation showed that the spring was no longer attached to the wall. Bob was able to secure the door closed for the winter, but it will have to be fixed next summer.

 We found a snake skin at the bottom of the basement stairs in the ceiling, near the same place I found one a couple of years ago. It must be a good place to shed skin!

 As we were leaving the house, we noticed that the curtain between the kitchen and dining room was blowing into the dining room! We re-checked the mud room door, that was still secure. I then remembered that there are holes in the kitchen ceiling/'back attic' floor, so up we went to check that window. And the lower sash had fallen out of the frame, leaning on the box fan nearby! Luckily the screen was intact. Air was blowing in! After some finagling, Bob got the storm down and left the broken window leaning against the window.

 We decided to check all the windows because it is supposed to get down below freezing tonight. We carefully pushed up the sashes and lowered the storms. Those are some sticky old windows!

Other notes:
The house alarm code says "Com. Failure" and there is a "Lowbat 37 sun room 5th". I think the first means the alarm system isn't talking to ADT.
The stove clock was blinking; the power must have gone out at some point.
The fridge is on with food in it. If you'd like me to do something about it, let me know.

The brook was high, especially for October! We took a few moments to stand on the bridge watching it flow by before heading home.

Another follow up visit after wonderful family events. It is so wonderful to see and catch up with relatives and friends and a wedding or two is a great reason to do so! But it's nice to have a quieter time to catch up - thanks for visiting for dinner Aunt Sandy and Cynthia.
Laura and I drove down to Thicut to retrieve Daniel's car. We took a detour to Haddam Neck and the Rock Landing Cemetery. She had never been to this part of Connecticut. 'Quintessential New England' we called it.

We brought home the fresh produce (thank you!) and some things from the fridge that might spoil until the next visitors. I turned off the water as well. Until next time!

Summer is here and with it wonderful family gatherings and visits.  Carlie and family were here early summer, David Whiteside stopped by late June.
[Happy Birthday, Paul, and Aunt Sandy on the 14th!]
The stove gas tanks are gone but coming back due to moves by Aunt Sandy and mail delivery issues, now resolved hopefully!
Bob and I mowed last night to help the next arrival of Masters' clan summer gathering and another wedding!
All is fine at the house - there are vegetable plants Carlie planted in her field garden. There's been enough rain to keep them going with no human help and they look remarkably un-critter-touched. The fridge has been on since Carlie and family left - just so you know what the uptick in electricity is on the bill.
The brook is VERY low, but all around the vegetation is supremely green and lush.

Spring has sprung!

It is about 60 degrees and sunny - Finally! 

The Lenten Rose is in full bloom.

The grass is greening up, but there aren't many daffodils blooming. You can see that the trees are still bare, but there are buds on everything!

 Bob and I picked up lots of dead branches on the back lawn. The old swing tree had a veritable carpet of debris under it. Several dead spruce trees fell behind the rhododendrons. The heavy snow and bittersweet vines have done a number on the shrubs this year.

And in the pond? a billion frog eggs! The black specks are hatched and they're swimming around on top of the eggs. 

Unfortunately, I found a tick on me later when I got around to taking a shower. Even though the winter has seemed interminable, the cold didn't get to the tick population, I guess. But we enjoy ALL the beauty of nature including the creepy crawlies!

Memories

 It is a warm-ish February day. The sky is gray. Everything is brown or black or gray. But still it is quiet and beautiful in the woods.

 This is the paddock behind the barn, looking across at the 'hill' where we had the funeral for Hobart M. Cable, the piano. The lyre and a few strings were still there the last time I looked.

This is another shot of the field. The stone walls are miraculously intact after all these years.

And the Knoll. The dead cedar tree is still holding its own. Do you remember making fairy houses in the base of the old trees and next to that 'sharp' rock outcrop at the top? It was such a big hill when we were 6.

Was this here when we were growing up? It looks like a fallen hitching post and it is at the corner of the path to Lady Brook.

Here is Lady brook where it crosses the road the first time. I'm standing on the road above the culvert. There is a lot of water! The sound is of water burbling over rocks. Water from the road flows into Lady Brook here.

I walked up to the top of the hill. The road now has an established brook down the center, almost all the way to the top of the property. It comes from a spring most of the way up on the right side as you go up. It will be interesting to see how it flows with spring time rain. Both culverts under the road are still intact. Lots of water is going through them today. I played with the leaves and fallen branches in the road, making dams and sluice ways. I Didn't Get Wet! Not too much, anyway.

 I parked at the Grassy Lane and walked up the road to the house.

 Looking down the brook from the bridge.

 Looking up the brook from the bridge.

 All's well in the house. There's 3/8 tank of oil, the heat is working. As Carlie said: 'it's a winter wonderland!'

 Rene plowed yesterday. Still snow covered and slippery! But it's 40 today and 50's tomorrow with rain, so this should clear up?

I'm looking up the road from the bridge.

Happy New Year!

We had a great visit from Carlie, Rick, Kate, and Tom! They stopped by Glastonbury for cookies and conversation while they were here to deliver furniture and visit University of Vermont (oh, and ski in below frigid temps). Everyone keeps growing up! Wow.

Bob and I took Jen, Matt, Matt's brother in law and nephew Steven and Morgan, and friend Kevin for a walk in the woods on Wednesday. They explored the yard but didn't venture too far. It was COLD! Bob and I walked around Dad's property, even crossing Lady Brook and the other brook that forms one of the boundaries with the Forest Legacy land (does it have a name?). And we didn't fall in!

On Thursday morning, Bob and I got a call from ADT telling us that there was a 'cold temperature alarm'. (I asked ADT - Angie and Connie are called before me - this probably should be changed, neither one picked up). It turns out that when the Williams left for Vermont, they turned the furnace OFF by mistake. It was teens outside and 39 inside the house. Now we know it takes about 24 hours to get that cold inside! The furnace came right on and started warming things up, so no harm done.

Hope the New Year is a happy and (we know it will be) eventful year with weddings, big decisions, and family harmony!