A Drive Down Memory Lane

We had our usual guests over the holiday weekend and were blessed with very nice weather the entire time. The water seemed a little warmer than the air which made for very satisfying swims. The wind wasn't too high to kayak and different ones of us took advantage of that. Joe brought his new camera so we got up at 6 am to catch a sunrise and see what the morning had to offer. The food we all prepared together was excellent. We ate every meal outside on the deck under the canopy and enjoyed playing games there and lawn bocce out back.

Saturday Tony and I drove to Peconic to see a car show. There may have been a hundred entries to judge. Each car was polished down to the nuts and bolts on the engines with incredible attention to detail. Now I've never been what you'd consider a car nut by any means but when I saw this old Buick I felt weak in the knees. Our 1951 Buick Special four door sedan was very similar to this car. It played a large part in Evan's, Paul's and my youth and Bruce and Frank very likely remember it well. I believe the three oldest of us took our driving tests in it parallel parking without power steering. I remember sleeping on the ledge behind the back seat when I was small enough to fit. I hope Mom will print out one or two of these photos to show Dad. I think he'd enjoy seeing them. Perhaps they'll evoke some good memories, maybe some funny ones too like the winter when (Evan, I think) drove toward the college with a pan of fudge on the front fender placed there to cool. It made it all the way to the big curve on route 15 where it was later found in the snow half way into the Beer's front yard if my memory serves me. Nice driving Evan!

Remember the tissue dispenser?

Visitors From the Great Northwest

Saturday, the 29th, Amy and I went to Laguardia to pick up Vivian and Stephen, then headed straight out to Cutchogue. This was Stephen's first visit so it was a lot of fun showing them around. Among other things we drove to Orient Point and did the circuit hike from the ferry to the point's end along the Bay then back walking along the edge of the Sound. On the way back to the house we picked up vegetables, a Catapano goat cheese, locally made chorizo and fresh seafood, ingredients (not the cheese) for Stephen's first ever paella. We all helped washing and chopping as Stephen browned the meats, added wine, stock, rice, herbs, saffron, mussels, shrimp, clams, I can't remember what all, topped by a nice piece of cod. After a stint in the oven it was ready and we sat down to a very savory paella with salad and some of Amy's garlic bread followed by a fresh peach cobbler. Yum!

Vivian, Stephen and I played two games of Super Deluxe Scrabble over the weekend and I got put in my place losing both by around 150 points. These two are professional Scrabble Sharks, beware! One game Vivian led off with a seven letter word getting the 50 point bonus on her first move, then Stephen showed his prowess laying three seven letter words in the other game. On Monday we went to see Coney Island, sample the foods, see the sights and walk the boardwalk (for Coney Island photos click here). It was all an amazingly good time. We enjoyed their visit so very much!

New Raised Vegetable Beds in Vancouver

Evan constructed three raised beds for vegetables in our back yard from lumber languishing in the basement plus some purchased boards. The two smaller boxes are 4x6 feet, and the larger one is 4x10. The beds were built over the former vegetable plot, so all is still in transition. That is why you see varying soil levels and a zucchini and basil growing in what will eventually be the path. Winter vegetables have been transplanted and seeded, and kale (Evan's bane) is sprouting everywhere due to a recent rain.

Although not in such great focus, here is a close-up photo of the tomatillo jungle.

Amy's Stuffed Striped Bass

For the recipe click here, August 9th.

Nick and Chico

Last Saturday Amy and I drove to the large Borders bookstore in Riverhead to have the pleasure of watching Nick play with jazz great Chico Hamilton and band. To see some of Chico's achievements click here... he truly is a jazz giant. One of Chico's greatest achievements is being able to play well and entertain with a sense of humor at age 88! The melodies flowed smoothly as each musician took solo turns. Nick, with ease, confidence and no wasted motion played difficult progressions without breaking a sweat on his beautiful 1968 hollow body Gibson, one sweet guitar. An appreciative audience eagerly applauded at songs ends and after solos. The hour and more that they played seemed short when it was over. We really enjoyed ourselves at the gig remarking that Kara would have enjoyed it too but she was busy celebrating Alyssa and Bill's wedding at Paul and Kay's home with 60 or so people in attendance.

We had a nice chat after, then I asked Nick what they were up to for the evening. He said they were returning to NYC but first had to stop off at Target to return the jacket the percussionist bought for the gig.

I hope you all get a chance to see Nick play one day.

(handsome, no?)

Chico at rest.

Moving a sidewalk in Hoquiam

Over the July 4th weekend, Janice, Stephen, Vivian and I went to Hoquiam to work on landscaping. I had assumed that this would be somewhat idyllic work, perhaps preparing the odd bed for fall planting under Janice's direction. But Stephen had other ideas.

What's wrong with this picture?

The new porch was designed so that there is now a slight offset between the front door and porch stairs. Consequently, the sidewalk no longer met the stairs. So, rather than install a new sidewalk at considerable time and expense, we decided to move the existing old sidewalk sideways about two feet. Of course, nobody really knew what they were doing, and Janice typically kept her thoughts to herself.
The next morning, we started by removing the sod and soil from where we wanted to shove the walk. The sod was remarkably tough because the area had not had rain for weeks.

Then, laboriously, we freed the walk, slab by slab, and occasionally broken bit by broken bit. Steve used an enormous iron bar to lever the slab sideways, half inch by half inch, while Vivian and I kept our shovels under the slab's front corners to form a kind of sled so that the first corners to bump into the new location did not dig in, but moved relatively smoothly. Just moving the first slab at all was a victory and called for a break.
We soon learned how to position the slab, getting it settled on gravel and sand. Rather than viewing the broken slabs (broken for decades, likely) as disasters, we thought of them as puzzles to reassemble.
The end of the old walk (out by the street) was too broken to be reused, so we broke it up and removed it, leveled the soil, and found enough old bricks to fill the gap.

We used some bags of sand to fill the walk's cracks, old and new, and then let the sand settle.
Steve, Vivian and Janice got a pickup-truck load of top soil to spread around the 'new' walk and get some grass started. While we had been working on the sidewalk, Janice had been preparing a new bed at the front for shrubs which will be planted this fall when the damp weather encourages transplanting. Finishing this bed was a real victory because she had first uprooted all sorts of difficult weeds, then turned the sod over, leveled the bed and dressed it with top soil. Steve laid some gravel and paving stones for easy access to the outside faucet.

While the others were shopping for various things, I decided to see whether Janice's suspicion was correct. When she had been working at the back of the house, she wondered whether she had discovered bits of a sidewalk parallel to the back of the house. Curious, I started digging, pulling heavy sod away, and yes, there was indeed an old cement sidewalk which was totally covered by grass, weeds, stones, broken glass, etc. for years. The walkway was in remarkably good shape, and best of all, it did not need to be moved or leveled.

Visiting Paul and Kay, June, 2009

We visited Paul and Kay June 4-6, 2009. The weather was gently warm, and the long evenings were wonderful for eating leisurely on the back deck. I enjoyed walking through their home throughout the days and evenings, casually shooting as the light changed. This was an utterly peaceful visit, a good chance to visit before the busy wedding that lay ahead.



Throughout the day, we are invariably drawn to the kitchen, not only for watching Paul and Kay prepare meals (or Paul bake bread), but to talk over Paul's exquisite coffee.



The back has been nicely developed for the years. In addition to the extensive lawn (which I'm glad I don't have to mow), there is Kay's garden and the wooded area with paths and a special place where Paul likes to read under the trees, in solitude. Unlike me, he is an avid and disciplined reader.

The grandcat:

I never have to wonder what time it is. Kay's father and grandfather were excellent wood workers and left them a number of clocks. I forgot to shoot the largest, the grandfather clock.

The Pitching of the Shoe... Starring Aaron & Evan