birthday girl

Sorry. Due to my social schedule, there is a two-day lag on my posts. Anyway, the diva sometimes known as Suffering Elaine and a flotilla of friends of all colors, creeds and sexual preferences (but mostly journalists she met at Time magazine or WNYC or else ex-boyfriends) celebrated her birthday on June 28 in the fashionable West Village. There was no suffering involved. Except possibly the next day.

still proud, still single

We stood in front of the Stonewall Inn and heard the roar of the crowd, half a million strong,  as the governor led the Gay Pride parade. There were men in wedding dresses, couples crying and people partying like it was—well, 2011 and gay marriage had been approved by New York State.
Nonetheless, there are people like me whose attitude about marriage is either been there/done that or people like K who never believed in the institution, so the answer is:
No. We won't be queuing up at City Hall. Sorry to get your knickers in a twist.

checkered hedge

This is the hedge at the Goose, the one where I transplanted some privet (for privacy) and then realized about half of it was spirea. Sigh. Maybe you can understand why I wanted to block out the former beer store building, now a quilter's center. Too bad I wasn't looking closely at the plants.
    Looks like Bear has recently mowed, however. Last night I had a dream that he came to visit the big city, and I picked him up at the Newark airport and showed him the tall buildings in the distance while waiting interminably (in terminal) to be served breakfast at a diner. He and the waitress were making fun of me for being a Vassar girl. Bear staked the sorry tomatoes also. I mean in real life.
      Frank snapped this photo of the lawn for me. He said, "As a chessboard, it looks like the king, a few pawns, and castles at either end. You're about checkmated."

the last bagel

Alas, H & H closed yesterday. Saw them taking the fixtures out last night.

rainbow gathering

New York, NY
Kathleen goes out to play the subway on gay pride weekend the morning after NY legislators voted in gay marriage.
We've set the date for next month.

still in transit

Sailed away

Left Block Island in a downpour with an open truckful of junk. The race week folks had passed the harbor, so the ferry didn't need to thread through the spinnakers. Beat to shit. Nighty!



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i never promised. . .

. . . you a rose garden. But here is one anyway. Went to visit Edie's roses yesterday, and she gave us a solstice sample. She said that whatever direction the wind was coming from at 1:17, the hour of the solstice, would be the prevailing wind of the summer. She was hoping for west. It was west.



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solstice

Well, I should have posted yesterday's picture today. My bad.

hannah's porch

The finishing touches are going on Hannah's, prepping for the Milks who always kick off the season. We had to chase out the baby birds who have learned to fly from their nest on the porch into the house.
They're getting out just in time.

the second best shower in the world?

If you Google "The Best Shower in the World" you will find the shower at Claudia's Surf City. There is now a contender at Hannah's Hideaway, though, since Chris put in a new showerhead and shaving mirror and I weeded the iris and added beach stones. The view of the salt pond from Claudia's is superior, but the roominess at Hannah's is fab.
You probably need to try both before you can vote.

spring house

Certain people got rather tipsy on their Tanqueray martini. . .
But, hey,  it was vacation.

dune management

Supposed to look like

In process

They have put dumptruckloads of dirt on top of those big rocks, but dunno whether they are planning to plant as well.

changing shores

Unbelievable quantities of seaweed right in front of the house.
Also boulders. yes, folks, we won't be building the Gasner Corn Neck Toll Bridge, because they are shoring up the road with massive rocks that will effectively keep our little piece of paradise from truly being beachfront property.

the sea this morning

They call it off season for a reason . . .
It's freezin'.

shoulder season

Debby and Sam and Hannah and Chris and Camilla split. Now Toby is here, and I'm down to the last few preseason tasks. Windows, screens, small cleaning tasks and repairs, yard work and, as always, a few licks of paint. Where is Erin when I need her? Oh, right, she's totally sick of painting.

bird life

 There are birds in other places than Block Island: a heron in Frank's pond in Missouri and a baby hawk on my air conditioner in New York City.

who had quinoa for supper?

 Me!

a quick tour of Claudia's

on the beach

Wanna go skating?

contest

OK, so let's play!
Can you recognize this man?
Can you recognize that car?
Can you recognize the place?

bear's iris

 

Bear dug up these iris from his yard and I carried them back in the truck and planted them in Block Island. This year, they bloomed. They have an amazingly sweet scent, the likes of which I have never heard of an iris having. Some old-fashioned variety.

haul out the suntan lotion

Summer's almost here! Especially for those with very fair skin.

spooky weather

The sky turned a funny color in the backwash of the twisters that have followed us across the land from Alabama to Mississippi to Tennessee to Arkansas to Missouri and home to Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Block Island, however, was spared.

the daily rock

The daily walk up to the rock. With the baby and the dog. And the stroller and the dog treats and the water bottles and the other people with their dogs and strollers.