Spring

Danny and I went out for a walk and next to the garage door was a large box with an "I'm thirsty" sign.

Peeking inside I saw a fresh batch of tulips!

The flowers are so beautiful, I am tempted to try and grow some. However, I know that the deer or woodchuck would destroy them.

With tulips in the kitchen and dining room, it seems as if Spring arrived early.

A note about the bird feeder: Jeff came home the other night and said "I saw a raccoon climbing on the feeder." Why am I not surprised!

Grumpy

I am wondering if my long vacation is beginning to effect Danny. With me being home, he does not get to sleep all day and I think he is getting a little cranky.

When we went out the other morning, Danny saw the deer in the back yard. Immediately he began to bark and charged after them. Usually Danny ignores the deer or gives a single woof. The herd split in 2 directions and Danny got remarkably close before the last straggler leapt the stone wall.

We went out later and there were crows near the bird feeder. Danny ran straight for the crows barking as loud as he could.

Jeff thinks Danny is tired - maybe we both could use an afternoon nap!

Tulips Too

The tulips from last week have opened and they are gorgeous!

Squirrels vs Feeder - Part 2

Last year, the squirrels attacked my Droll Yankee feeder and chewed through the plastic base. Once the base was destroyed, the squirrel proof cage fell off and it was easy picking for the animals.

To be fair, I can't just blame the squirrels. A opossum the size of a large cat has been spotted perched on the top of the feeder.

Jeff replaced the plastic base with a large block of wood. The feeder was rehung and the war was back on. Day by day the critters would chew at the wood, determined to remove the metal cage.

Spring came, the feeder was taken down and the base once again needed repair. I was determined to save this feeder, so it was packed up and given to a very handy family member.

On Christmas day, I was given the best gift - my feeder now has a heavy aluminum base. We'll see what happens next.....

Merry Christmas

It is hard to believe that Christmas is almost over. All the weeks of planning, shopping, wrapping and cooking and in the blink of an eye the day has passed.

Danny spent most of Christmas Eve curled up in front of the fireplace (an unusual spot for him). I wonder if he was hoping to spot Santa coming down the chimney with his wished for new bed?

We have a wonderful neighbor who is kind enough to host a Christmas Eve party each year. It is a great chance to catch up with others on the block. Since this neighbor is a caterer, you can be assured that the food is fantastic.

Evening mass at St. Luke's in Westport was beautiful. I especially loved the choir and all the carols. There is something magical about leaving church at midnight, just as Christmas begins.

We awoke to find that Santa had visited us. The biggest package was for Danny - a monogrammed LL Bean bed!

We loaded up our silver sleigh and off to Long Island we went.

We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas filled with family, friends and special memories!

Bamboo Shades

When we originally painted the office, we just put up valances.

However, when you try and work at the computer on a sunny day, the glare on the screen can make it difficult to see.

So, we went down to our favorite curtain shop (Country Curtains in Westport) and bought these roman shades.

I like that they filter, but do not block the light and even when the shade is down, you can still see the trees outside.

Tulips

Nothing can chase away the cold of winter like a delivery of fresh flowers.

These beautiful tulips bear the colors of the Christmas season and the promise of spring.

To W&J thanks for remembering my Dad and bringing a smile to a sad day.

Missing balls

You would think that it would be easy to spot a green tennis ball in a yard full of white snow. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

The last few evenings that Danny and I played fetch, he has lost the ball. The next morning when the sun comes up, we go out and search, but still no ball! Perhaps the opossums or raccoons are taking up tennis ??

Just as Danny's ball supply was beginning to dwindle, two Westport elves stopped by with pocket's stuffed with tennis balls.

Danny couldn't be happier!

Street Lights

The new street lights have been installed at Wilton Center and they look great! It is nice to be able to walk along a well lighted path, especially in this icy weather. Our street is dark and slick, so we take Danny to Wilton Center in the evening.

While we were walking at Wilton Center, we passed a well dressed woman in a beautiful long black coat. I purposely pulled Danny in close, so that he would not brush against her on the path.

Surprisingly, the woman stopped and said what a beautiful dog and bent down to pet him. I thought about warning her that her coat would be red with hair, but she seemed to enjoy petting him so much, I didn't want to ruin it.

We passed again at the end of our walk and she said, "He really is GORGEOUS".

I swear that Danny's walk changed to a swagger. As we say, say everyone loves Danny the dog.

Christmas in NYC

I love NYC at Christmas and we try to visit there every year.

We were extremely lucky that this Saturday the weather was fairly warm - 43 degrees and partly sunny. There have been other years when it is so cold and blustery that you wonder if you are crazy for spending hours wandering 5th Avenue.

While in NYC, we did all the tourist activities. It started with a visit to St. Patrick's. Whenever we go to St. Patrick's I am always amazed at the architecture and the beautiful stained glass. There was a hand carved wooden Nativity that was amazing.

Shelton, CT's most famous tree - currently on display in Rockefeller Center was gorgeous.

We visited all the store windows - Saks, Lord and Taylor, Macy's. Our favorite theme was the the snow people at Saks.

No visit would be complete with a stop in the Diamond District and a chance to see all the beautiful ice on display in the shop windows.

Mr. December

Danny has been chosen as Mr. December for the 2008 Sunshine Golden Retriever Rescue calendar!

You can view the Ray of Sunshine calendar by going to: www.cafepress.com/sgrr2

If you are looking for a stocking stuffer this calendar would make a great gift and help a wonderful organization.

Christmas Card

Danny's photo adorns our Christmas card this year.

Trying to take a picture of a dog may sound easy. However, add in a Santa hat and a poinsettia background and things get more complex.

Here are some photos that did not get chosen. My favorite one is the top photo of Danny "The Grinch".

Watch Dog

It takes a lot to get Danny to bark and even then it is usually a single "Woof".

However, the other evening I let Danny out and he barked and barked and barked. This was not a "let's play ball" sound. It was a deep, menacing, hair standing up on the neck, full teeth gleaming bark.

I could not see what it was that Danny sensed lurking near the pond. Danny neither chased nor retreated. He just stood firm and barked.

At first I thought perhaps it was a deer. However, Danny usually ignores the deer or gives a single bark to chase them off. I then wondered if it was the coyote.

Whatever creature was at the pond, Danny made it clear that this visitor was not welcome.

This month's masthead

The picture for this month's masthead comes from our trip to Asheville, North Carolina. The Biltmore Gardens had a greenhouse full of poinsettias that they deploy through the house during the holiday season.

In between finding the perfect gift and getting sloshed at the company holiday party, take time to remember what this holiday season means to you.

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.