Actually an author recommendation: Raynor Winn.
Her first book, a memoir, is The Salt Path. It's followed by The Wild Silence and the newest one is Landlines. [Not published yet in US but someone local purchased it in UK earlier this year and donated it to our library.]
I've read them all and find them incredibly engrossing, touching, and prescient.
Tuesday morning the first blooms of the day lilies opened.
I managed to get to weed and deadhead in a window when the sun was out on Tuesday morning. As I write this I'm still dripping from the humidity and the sky is darkening to bring more rain.
We have had lots of rain.
Here's the rain gauge this Tuesday morning showing 2.5 inches for Monday.
It's raining more this morning as I write this.
Haven't had to water those pots of annuals very much that I planted two weeks ago.
The very last one is my favorite.
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On landing, the stewardess said, 'Please be sure to take all of your belongings.. If you're going to leave anything, please make sure it's something we'd like to have. '
************ ********* ********* *******'There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this airplane'
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An airline pilot wrote that on this particular flight he had hammered his ship into the runway really hard. The airline had a policy which required the first officer to stand at the door while the passengers exited, smile, and give them a 'Thanks for flying our airline.' He said that, in light of his bad landing, he had a hard time looking the passengers in the eye, thinking that someone would have a smart comment. Finally, everyone had gotten off except for a little old lady walking with a cane.
She said, 'Sir, do you mind if I ask you a question?'
'Why, no, Ma'am,' said the pilot. 'What is it?'
The little old lady said, 'Did we land, or were we shot down?'
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As the plane landed and was coming to a stop at Ronald Reagan, a lone voice came over the loudspeaker: 'Whoa, big fella, WHOA!'
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After a particularly rough landing during thunderstorms in Memphis, a flight attendant on a Northwest flight announced, 'Please take care when opening the overhead compartments because sure as hell everything has shifted after a landing like that.'
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Another flight attendant's comment on a less than perfect landing: 'We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal.'
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Overheard on an American Airlines flight into Amarillo, Texas on a particularly windy and bumpy day: During the final approach, the Captain was really having to fight it. After an extremely hard landing, the Flight Attendant said, 'Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Amarillo .... Please remain in your seats with your seat belts fastened while the Captain taxis what's left of our airplane to the gate!'
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'Your seat cushions can be used for flotation; and, in the event of an emergency water landing, please paddle to shore and take them with our compliments.'
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'As you exit the plane, make sure to gather all of your belongings. Anything left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight attendants. Please do not leave children or spouses... except for that gentleman over there.'
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Heard on Southwest Airlines just after a very hard landing in Salt Lake City.
The flight attendant came on the intercom and said, 'That was quite a bump, and I know what y'all are thinking. I'm here to tell you it wasn't the airline's fault, it wasn't the pilot's fault, it wasn't the flight attendant's fault, it was the asphalt.'
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After a real crusher of a landing in Phoenix, the attendant came on with, 'Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain in your seats until Capt. Crash and the Crew have brought the aircraft to a screeching halt against the gate. And, once the tire smoke has cleared and the warning bells are silenced, we'll open the door and you can pick your way through the wreckage to the terminal.'
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Part of a flight attendant's arrival announcement: 'We'd like to thank you folks for flying with us today. And, the next time you get the insane urge to go blasting through the skies in a pressurized metal tube, we hope you'll think of US Airways..'
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Heard on a Southwest Airline flight - 'Ladies and gentlemen, if you wish to smoke, the smoking section on this airplane is on the wing and if you can light 'em, you can smoke 'em.'
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A plane was taking off from Kennedy Airport. After it reached a comfortable cruising altitude, the captain made an announcement over the intercom; 'Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Welcome to Flight Number 293, nonstop from New York to Los Angeles. The weather ahead is good and, therefore, we should have a smooth and uneventful flight. Now sit back and relax... OH, MY GOD!'Silence followed, and after a few minutes, the captain came back on the intercom and said, 'Ladies and Gentlemen, I am so sorry if I scared you earlier. While I was talking to you, the flight attendant accidentally spilled a cup of hot coffee in my lap. You should see the front of my pants!'A passenger in coach yelled, 'That's nothing. You should see the back of mine!'************ ********* ********* ********* *
In preparation for my sister's visit last Wednesday and the plan for her to help me pot up annuals, I emptied all the pots of soil stored in the barn's garden room. I mixed in vermiculite, slow acting fertilizer, the remains of one bag of potting soil and a new bag of soil. All of this went into my wheel barrow.
We went to Exeter, NH in early June because we were having the basement weatherized with spray insulation. The instruction was to vacate while it was being installed and for 24 hours afterward. We stayed away for two nights.
This is what it looks like now.
Don't the walls look like what you'd expect to see inside an igloo?
What's left to be done is another blower test to see where cold air can still leak in and installation of an exhaust fan in the downstairs bathroom. Our electric company is subsidizing the work at 50% so it was a good deal. Plus, anything to improve energy efficiency is a win win.
If you want to see what the stone walls in the basement looked like before head to this post HERE.
This month the cookbook club is reading this cookbook.
Lots of good sounding recipes in here but so far I've only made one.
Cookbook photo above and my version below.
I think it's a keeper. It was delicious. We finished it for a late morning brunch on Sunday.
While in Exeter we went to visit the Great Bay on the east side. This was once part of an Air Force base but major portions have been turned over the the Fish and Wildlife Service.
Never did take any pictures of the bay itself. It was not visible where we walked only in the car later.
We hadn't planned to take another mini vacation so soon after Halifax but when we were told we needed to be out of the house for 24 hours because of fumes after the basement walls were insulated with a foam spray and then painted, we decided to look for a part of NH where we hadn't spent any time. We pulled out the map and selected the coastal area and once I started searching for accommodations, Exeter was chosen. We opted for an AirBnB instead of hotel or inn or bed and breakfast. It was a good decision, cheaper and with more space. It was the best AirBnB we have experienced too. Check it out here.
Exeter dates to 1638.
Exeter is known for its prestigious private school Phillips Exeter Academy. Don't know for sure but I imagine it's the major employer in the town.
Here's a smattering of the houses we saw most with plaques indicating when they were built and by whom.
