Something Old, Something New Year

It's nice to start the year with something new, which is what we got at Fire Island yesterday: icebergs! Icebergs floating past us as we walked along the beach below the lighthouse. Much smaller than the ones in Juneau, but much closer to home.

Here's a photo of Ken in front of the icebergs. For scale, of course.



The sun was out on the causeway, and so was the welcome wagon:




It was otherwise quiet along the shore, and barren but for some seagull's lunch wrapper:


We did see this fine example of the elusive "Moe Howard" variety of seaweed:



and the eversharp eye of Ken spotted this squee-ishly small starfish. Just look at it next to my monstrously large forefinger:


Anyway, Happy New Year. Hope everyone's year really "goes to eleven." In a good way.

Dig Out Your Snow Boots...

...then proceed to dig out everything else, because that right there is Fort Fiona, and the little kitter inside needs water and food and, after last night's howling winds, probably a lot of reassurance.

I will need boots. And perhaps, a plow.

I don't think there's a newspaper on that driveway, anyway, so let's not even consider shoveling that.

Almost there, honey. It'll just be another, um, half-hour or so.


I asked if she'd be going out today; she couldn't shake her head "no" fast enough. Okay, hon, I'll crack the ice on your water dish and warm up some Fancy Feast...you go on back to sleep...

70

This Dog Won't Hunt

He won't come when you call, either, but isn't he delightful? Sniffin' the breeze.
We were out near the beach today to look at my brother's new place. Leaving, we drove down a particular street to see a house under construction, and wound up going in the wrong direction. Serendipitously, the wrong turn revealed an ice cream place that had just been recommended to us, so we stopped and got a couple of cones and walked around the neighborhoood, where we stumbled upon this handsome guy.

Big Weekend

Weather by Disney: sunny and warm, clear blue skies all weekend. Saturday took us out to Montauk to celebrate the Marks patriarch's 80th birthday: huzzah! Lots of wonderful people, lots of good stories. A few of the grandsons dashed off a tune to mark the occasion. Click and watch!

Sunday morning, the vibe continued with more picture-perfect weather, so I took my bike out to the park. Leaving my house with the bike is quite a production, as I have to prop open the storm door, open the inside door, wrestle the bike down the five steps without it getting away from me, kickstand it, go back and lock the inside door, unprop and close the storm door, adjust my helmet, and get on the dang bike. It's a spectacle, I tell ya. So Sunday morning as I completed this routine, a neighbor walking by with his dog stopped to compliment me on the front yard, which is not-a-lawn. He introduced himself as Doug, and said that someday soon -"not today, and not tomorrow, but someday soon"- he'd like to come by and hear how I put it together. I thought that was very nice. A nice neighbor, and he likes my garden! Although I thought it was strange that he didn't introduce his dog. Or is it strange that I would expect him to introduce his dog?


Later in the day, we gathered at the Newmans' for Mike's 18th birthday. Sweet mother of Abraham Lincoln, where did the time go?


Only the tiki guitar god knows.

Dog Days of Summer Can Be Fun

...if you're hanging at the beach with these guys, that is. I posted this on my Facebook page, but had to add it here as well for my non-FB buds. For more about the group that trained the goggies, check out this article.
(Did you watch the video?? C'mon, you gotta watch the video. Click on the first link. That's it! Good dog!) If the link doesn't work, go to YouTube and search for "Dog Party On The Beach;" it should be the first vid to come up, from Tallahassee Pet Connect.

Graduation Weekend!

Two great nephews, two great futures in the works: Michael (in red) graduated from South on Friday, and Devon (in blue) received his diploma from Oceanside on Sunday. Both earned extra points for remaining very handsome in wilting heat while encased in flowing polyester robes.