white light

The painting of Claudia's continued (with a contretemps here and there) until we returned to New York, N.Y.
There are still two weeks open in late August, which I have advertised on Craig's List.

new body of water

Sorry. Agent Chang was here, and I have been distracted by a very social morning dealing with world affairs and other matters of earth-shattering importance. I will get back with the program (i.e. thinking) by Monday.

crow magnum opus

OK, guys, y'all did real good yesterday. Really, too funny and too great to choose between (kudos to "the mountain comes to Mohegan" for the specialized Block Island knowledge required).
Now, it has been suggested that animal pix are the most popular posts. Herewith, something else for you to crow about.

blocking

The tourist season opened early on Block Island this year—loaded boats last weekend for the one nice day, people wandering around looking for open restaurants, bikers and walkers and mopedders visiting the sites.
OK, so my readers (except Neruda) don't like scenery as much as the tourists. We'll get back to pets or something presently.
Meanwhile, how about a caption?

spring growth

As we left Block Island, the shad was blooming in the rain. A lot of the island was underwater, too, due to neo lakes and extra high tides. It's rainy in New York as well, but full, green and flowered spring. And lawsikins, the pile of mail on the table seems to have flourished also!

later

Meandering back to New York. Anon.

somewhere

Is that my truck at the end of the rainbow?
No, wait, that's the dog's pot o' gold.

On a similar note, the man who won the $258 million pot in the Missouri lottery comes from the town nearest Thomasville. That's our boy!

talk about a host

The daffodils at the Maze are in full flower. Fortunately, though amazed, we managed not to get lost. Even the Dog Who Sits in My Chair.

she works hard for her money

Ruca and I brainstorm a subhead for a story now undergoing the editing process.

i couldn't decide

So which one do you like better?

block island green

The sun finally busted through yesterday. I say finally because it is so cold. The firewood is gone, and I don't even want to think about what propane and electricity have cost during this past week. The upside of all the spring rain is that the grass is incredibly verdant, and when the sun does come out it glows. Da mowed the other day, too. And after the manicuring, everything just seems so much more—cultivated.

one down

With one house cleaned up and occupied, things seem more manageable. The septic system guy worked all day but, right up to the wire, got his wiring rerouted as he wished. He even put the sod back nicely. I had a circuit breaker issue or two, a problem with the gas for the stove, but in the end all systems were go. At five o'clock I laid a fire for the guests and made sure it was well started before they got here. And I enjoyed it myself for an hour.

egrets, we have a few

Ok, smart guy, caption this!

where we are

It's supposed to rain all weekend, when the first renters arrive. But fortunately, besides repairs needed on both septic systems, the one at Hannah's (where the renters are arriving), after a scare yesterday, is functioning. The guy who is fixing it says he bought his first surfboard from me at Klawdia's Surf Shack when Hannah was like four.
And anyway, it's beautiful today—and look where we are.

please don't call

Note to the fans: Please don't call me this morning. I am trying to finish a story about these pictures. Thank you.
If you want to know more about this particular picture, check out this site at the Nebraska historical society. You can click on parts of the picture to see if that cow really is on the roof.
And speaking of famous pictures, the ashes of Philip Jones Griffiths are being sprinkled in Southeast Asia this week. On the BBC, his brother talks about his work.

the traveling underpants 4

What the hay?
The Traveling Underpants have shown up in a new location.
Or, as the current owners have renamed them (it?), the Traveling U-Trou.
I know they're still the same old underwear, though. You can't foal me!
Aren't they divine on an equine? Who and where is this baby anyway? Where will they show up next?
Be very afraid. It might be at your house. Or barn.

first pass

It was really more like dusting with a brush than painting —sorry spiders— and it takes a long time to get in those little crannies and around the rows of shingle nails. Yes, the windows need doing, but I have to let the rotten northerly sashes dry out (given recent weather, good luck!) before doing them. And I can't even think about the ceiling. For consistency, the walls now have to get done before season. Worth it?

at least it's nice outside

After the rain and fog yesterday, the north wind started blowing the clouds away this morning. Pretty cold, though. Meanwhile, in the interior of Claudia's Surf City, home repair continues more as home despair. It took me just days to create a complete shambles.

easy recipe for peeps

What to do with leftover peeps.
Make puffed peeps!
Put in micro- wave.
Cook for less than 30 seconds.
Or else.

Oops. . .

sexing the rose

On the way to the mainland for a sonogram. . .
As Chris got back on the road to take his carload of females (girl wife, girl baby, girl dog) back home, I went out on the dock to wait for the boat back to the island and sat between Hopefull and Dragon Lady. I thought a little tearily that Hannah was lucky to have her own darling daughterflower—I have certainly been fortunate in mine.
Still, I hope theirs wants to play Barbies and wear pink tutus.

it's a. . .

Yeah, you guessed it.

more on this subject later

family photo

Father, daughter and grand?
To be determined.
Tomorrow.

problem solved

Right in front of the house. The level of activity on the island can be judged by the fact that three phone trucks are working full time—this one on Saturday, too—to hook you up. Don't recollect people coming out so early in the spring in years past. I guess the BI Bunny could give us a figure. Still don't know how the Bunny knows which house we're staying in. . .

on the bunny trail

Yes, dearly beloveds, there really is a Pagan Fertility Day Bunny, and the proof is on my doorstep at this foggy morning moment. For the history of the Block Island bunny, check out my historical note "There really is an Easter Bunny" here. For those not easily offended (ie, if you are the least bit religious, you might want to skip this), check out what I really think about this holiday at "Our crown of thorns" on Why I Can't Stop Smoking."

My Brain is on Vacation

Live here from sunny Block Island, this is guest poster Hannah, updating via iPhone. All systems are running but for the precious interweb. Hopefully by Monday your trusty blogger will be back online. Until then, anon.

like a block

Everything is swell on Block Island. This is how it looked when I got here—day before yesterday. Today is brilliant. Still no phone or DSL, however, so I'm posting from the truck parked in front of John's. He said I should come up for coffee, but I gotta get back home and get ready for Erin and the girls and Hannah and the family, arriving soon.