Fitz & Floyd

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....when the Fitz and Floyd Santas appear around the house.

I bought my first piece of F&F as a gift about 10 years ago, when we were living in NC. I could not resist the beautiful Xmas display at Belk's. Although I gave the first F&F figurine away, I was hooked (some might say addicted).

Trying to find F&F in CT was much tougher than NC. Thankfully Fitz and Floyd now sells most of their Santa figurines on the Internet.

What I love most about F&F is the attention to detail. No matter what angle you view the Santa from, there is always something of interest to see.

There are F&F collections for every season, but that is a story for another day...

Danny's Centerfold

We received an email from Sunshine Golden Retriever Rescue, asking if Danny would like to be a "Retriever of the Month" in their 2008 calendar.

Since we think Danny is the best looking Golden in Wilton (and possibly Westport), we jumped at the chance to participate.

Danny's photo has been sent to SGRR. If he "has the look", Danny will be included in the calendar.

Perhaps Danny's Maine Mom Linda can help sway the SGRR decision in Danny's favor ;)

Danny's Back

Danny is back home!

Our niece did a great job of taking care of Danny. I think Danny may have lost a little weight due to all the walks, which would make his vet happy.

Chimney Rock Park

While in NC we went hiking in Chimney Rock Park.

I thought that by mid-November all the leaves would have fallen, but there was still some good color on the trees.

Asheville, NC

We just returned from a wonderful vacation in Asheville, NC. I have always enjoyed Christmas at Biltmore Estates and I decided that late fall would be a great time to visit.

Asheville has changed a lot since our last visit 10 years ago. There are many restaurants and art galleries in the downtown. The real estate prices have also sky rocketed.

We went to Biltmore twice - first in the evening for the Candlelight Christmas. To me, there is something magical about Biltmore at night. Each room in the house has a uniquely decorated Xmas tree, the fireplaces are crackling, and there are flowers and poinsettias everywhere. There is also live music - a children's choir, a harpist and an organist in different rooms all playing songs of the season.

As you tour the house full of priceless antiques, you can imagine the grand parties that must have been hosted here.

The next day we went back to Biltmore and enjoyed the gardens, winery and farm.

Danny's LI Vacation

Danny is enjoying a 2 week vacation on Long Island.

Our family was nice enough to drive to Wilton to pick Danny up. I wondered if Danny would hesitate to leave his home, but I shouldn't have worried. When the door to the cab of the truck opened, Danny immediately hopped in and never looked back.

I hear that Danny is having a great time on LI. Danny has kids to play with and is getting lots of walks, hugs and kisses.

Danny has learned that the pears which are falling from the trees are not odd shaped tennis balls and they are not used for a game of fetch.

First Fire

We have been in our home for 18 months and never had a fire. This is especially odd when you realize that immediately after moving into the house, we had the chimney cleaned.

Finally, we had our first fire! It took a few hours for the bricks to get warm, but once they did the room was nice and toasty.

Snow in NYC

We spent the day in NY City, catching up with old friends from NC. While there, we saw Cirque du Soleil's Wintuk. The show was great and the snow that we carried home in our pockets made us wish that real snow would soon arrive in CT.

We had dinner at Keen's Steakhouse. If you like beef, this is the place to go. Warning - go hungry, especially if you order the porterhouse for two! I have to say that this was the best steak I have ever had.

It always amazes me that when you meet old friends time and distance melt away and it seems as if you were just together a day earlier.

Home Improvement Tips

Home Improvement Tip #1
If you find yourself applying caulk overhead, wear a hat.

Home Improvement Tip #2
If you forget tip #1, water alone doesn't get caulk out of your hair. You'll have to use liberal amounts of ivory soap and scrub really hard.


Don't ask how I know these things.

Happy Halloween

Danny is anxiously awaiting the trick-or-treaters. Danny usually does not spend much time in the foyer, but today that is his favorite spot.

Could the big bowl of Halloween M&Ms be the reason why ?

First Frost

The leaves have turned the sky ablaze with rich reds, yellows and orange. We think Summer has breathed his last breath and old man Winter is in cahoots with Mother Harvest dropping a light frost over Wilton last night.

We had to switch Danny to his new bright yellow tennis balls for outside games instead of his red & blue balls. I throw the ball and if it goes in the lawn, the leaves cover it up. Danny chases after the ball and upon not finding it, he starts a zig-zag pattern with his nose to the ground. Sometimes he gets it, sometimes he's a mile off. After a while, he gives up and looks at me to go find his ball. At least with the yellow balls, we have a chance of finding them.

Thanksgiving Dinner

While replacing the door, Jeff suddenly said "Look at the turkeys!"

I looked up and there were 4 turkeys strolling along the back yard. The large Tom reminded me of the pictures in history books of the first Thanksgiving dinner.

I then thought, these turkeys are lucky they live in Wilton. If their home was in upstate NY, I know a Hunter who would be extremely happy to have his fresh Thanksgiving bird.

Let There Be Light

This was our old basement door. We knew it needed to be replaced when the last bout of heavy rains pushed water under the door. Closer inspection showed that the sill under the door had rotted.

The basement is dark and I wanted a door with a window. I thought we would get a 9 light door, but when we saw this 12 light we decided that it would look nicer.

We bought the door and researched installations on the Internet. 5 hours is the estimated duration. However, anyone who has done home improvements knows to expect the unexpected.

It took little time to get the old door out. Great - we were on our way! Unfortunately, not only was the sill rotted, but also the framing on both sides. Off to Home Depot to get some 2x6s and we were underway again.

The door was put in and then came installation of the new locks. We wanted to reuse our old locks but this presented an issue - how to remove the locks from the old door?? The lock installation was by far the biggest challenge with a lot of "I don't knows". Eventually the locks were removed and reinstalled. Time for a break.

Next came the foam insulation.

The door still needs to be painted and the molding installed, but at least it is a functioning door again.

Time to reframe and install the door: 8 hours

Seventy Seven

Danny's new nickname is "Seventy Seven". He's down three pounds since he's been on Science Diet R/D. He's got about 3/4 of the 30 pound bag left, so we'll see where that gets him.

Autumn Fetch

The only problem with playing fetch in the fall, is that sometimes you end up with a mouth full of leaves.

A rescue dog

When strangers meet Danny, they often comment on what a good dog he is. Some of the most common descriptions are sweet, friendly, nice, and beautiful.

When we mention that Danny was abandoned and Sunshine Golden Retriever Rescue saved him, people are surprised. Most people just don't understand why anyone would give up such a great dog.

Sometimes people ask "What's wrong with him ?" As if it is Danny's fault that he was abandoned. I want to respond "What's wrong with you!"

There is NOTHING wrong with Danny or the thousands of dogs currently in shelters.If you are thinking of getting a dog, please consider adopting one.

Soccer game

Last weekend, Danny got to attend his first soccer game. The weather was just perfect - warm and sunny, feeling more like an early Sept day, not mid-Oct.

Danny arrived at the soccer field and was instantly surrounded by the young soccer stars. They all wanted to pet him and hug him. Danny LOVES people and could not get enough attention.

Once the game started, the parents came over to visit. Danny was in heaven.

Halfway thru the game, a guest for the opposing team arrived with a young yellow lab. The lab started barking at Danny. Danny gave her a quick glance and then refocused on watching the game.

At the end of the game Danny got one more round of love from the players. I was so proud of how well he behaved.

Danny's Gift

At our house we do not celebrate a birthday; we celebrate a birthWEEK. In honor of Danny's birthday, this week's entries will all be about Wilton's favorite dog, Danny.

Danny has been us with one year and our best guess is that he is about 3 years old. I gave a lot of thought about what Danny's birthday gift should be.

A new toy ? Danny already has plenty of toys. When guests visit the house, they cannot miss the big pile of dog toys in the family room. This does not include the toys in the bedroom and basement.

Rawhide ? Danny is a chewer and for the sake of shoes and furniture, we always have a supply of rawhide on hand.

A trip to the groomer ? I loved the idea, but decided that gift would be more for me, not Danny.

I finally came up with the perfect gift! Sunshine Golden Retriever Rescue (sunshinegoldenrescue.com) is the wonderful organization that brought Danny into our lives. Why not give back to the people who saved our beautiful dog and gave him a second chance for a happy life! Danny's wagging tail confirmed that he liked the idea of helping other Goldens.

Happy Birthday Danny!

Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to me! It is hard to believe that I moved to CT one year ago. At that time I thought no one would ever love me again. In a span of a few short weeks, I was abandoned, lived in a shelter and then was shipped from Alabama to Maine.

I had a great foster Mom, Linda, and was starting to hope again, when two strangers knocked on the door. The next thing I knew, I was on the road again.

When we arrived at my new home in Wilton, I was nervous. One look at their newly finished hardwood floors and figurines and I thought this will never work. I'm a big guy who loves to run around and wag his tail - how would I ever fit in ?

It turns out that Mom and Dad are pretty cool. The scratches in the hardwoods are called "character" and the breakables have been moved higher up.

I had a lot to learn; sharing the bed is ok, the couch is not, eating from the candy jar is a MAJOR offense. After a year, I have Mom well trained, a sigh or a sad look will get me extra hugs or playtime or a snack.

Each season has brought new visitors to our yard. Ducks in the spring, woodchucks in the summer, deer in the fall. Add in the foxes, turkeys and coyote and I never know what I may find.

These Golden days have passed quickly with a lot of laughter and some tears (being diagnosed with epilepsy). Through the ups and downs Mom and Dad have stood by me. Mom says we're a pack and a pack always sticks together.

Always - I like that word.

Bed Warmer

Who needs an electric blanket when you have a big furry Golden ?

On these cool nights and mornings, Danny acts as a bed warmer. I am amazed at how much heat he radiates and love that my feet are never cold.