Bright and Cold

Posted on January 11, 2015January 11, 2015 by Dusty Roads

It was clear and sunny and bright but the cold of the last few days continued to linger. At least the overcast and snow was over. There was still a little snow on the ground but it is January in the northeast so what else can I expect.

I’m heading off to join the Audubon Society on a Snowy Owl Prowl at Duxbury Beach. The 8 am excursion was booked but they decided to have a 2nd trip at 12 and I managed to get a spot on that one.

It was time to break out the winter camo. Time to see if it was as warm as the sales pitch said. I skipped the pants because I’d be in and out of a warm van and I figured it might be too much. Instead I pulled on a pair of “leggings” and then the size too big jeans that I bought to keep the waistband from irritating my shingles rash. No one would ever know I was wearing 2 pairs of pants and I figured the extra layer would be enough to break the wind for the little time we would be out of the van.

I packed up my sunglasses, a snack to prevent low blood sugar, a water bottle and the big camera lens in case I had a chance to use it. Then, looking like an extra from Wild West Alaska I headed out.

Arriving at Duxbury Beach I could see that the sea ice had frozen. Since it’s sea water with a lot of salt it isn’t really solid but it looks like regular ice from the shore. While I waited for the Audubon crew I hoped out to snap a picture of the Powder Point Bridge.

Immediately the wind hit me. But after a second I realized that the cold wind was only hitting my face. The rest of me was comfortably warm. That was all it took for me to fully accept my “camo” winter parka. (This is my “concentrating” look as I try to take a “Selfie”)

Shortly after that the Audubon Vans arrived . There were 2 of them and probably 9 of us so we were very comfortable, not crowded at all. I got the front seat with our driver and guide, Dave.

Sally drove the 2nd van and checked us in. Once she was sure we were all present and accounted for we were off.

Thank You To All Who Serve

Posted on November 11, 2014November 11, 2014 by Dusty Roads

It’s Veteran’s day and no matter which war or what time, life as we know it would not exist without our Veterans. Thank you to all who served, sacrificed and continue to serve.

It’s going to be a Busy few Months

Posted on November 9, 2014November 9, 2014 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

Hello again everyone. Work is beginning to slow down for the agents. It hasn’t for me yet because we still have a lot of closings in the pipeline. Once those are done my lull will begin.

In the meantime I had the representative from Home Depot out to look at my kitchen and give me options. I’d considered several local firms but they were really expensive. Then I saw a home that had been done by Home Depot. I couldn’t believe it. It was beautiful. I think of Home Depot as DIY but they have a whole crew for remodels and like my company, they are paid on customer satisfaction.

At first I was going to do a remodel and knock down a wall, pull out all the cabinets and so on but there was a hitch. The electrical panel in my unit wasn’t up to code. To do a remodel would mean redoing the electric in the unit. Very expensive on top of the remodel cost plus we’d have to pull permits for all the work.Work that requires permits can be tricky if you want to sell. I’ve run across that more than once when getting the documents together for a closing.

So option 2. Leave the wall, and do a “Reface”. It’s not much less than a remodel but it doesn’t require permits. I liked that idea better than adding an extra $10 K to the project so I picked out new doors, hardware, back splash, tile, counters and wrote a very big check. Still I can see what it will look like in my minds eye. It will be so different and I’ll be able to open the drawers without them cracking and breaking in my hands!

About a week after the salesman was out I got a call from the estimator. The salesman had measured but this guy was out to confirm the measurements and my choices of color, tile etc. Good thing because the wrong tile was on the order. We caught that and made the correction. This guy was very meticulous.

I’ve got one more appointment before they can start. The counter top people have to come out and make templates. They will be here on Friday. I requested that day off so I can get everything off the counters and round up the cats while they work and measure.

Once the work starts it is expected to take 1 week. They start on Monday and finish on Friday. I can’t wait!

Dino Land or Into the Fog!

Posted on October 16, 2014October 16, 2014 by Dusty Roads

Dusk was fast approaching. The twilight time when shadows lengthen and imagination runs wild.

We watched the “Great Pumpkin” wow the crowd and explored the exhibits tucked in the entry square and then it was time to take that first step.

Once you start down that path there’s no turning back. You enter the world of the dinosaur. Sounds wash over you like a wave. Birds calling, strange growls and grunts, some distant thunder.

Fog, misty, creepy fog clings to the trail and plants. Pumpkin displays and jack-o-lanterns line the path but you know there is more.

You can hear them, even sense them and there looming out of the gloom is your first dinosaur.

Jurassic Park in the northeast. A pterodactyl takes flight and a baby raptor bounces in the bushes waving his tiny hands.

They are all here. Allosaurus, stegosaurus, and triceratops. The Famous Tyrannosaurus Rex. More fog drifts past as the atmosphere deepens. More thunder and now there’s lightning.

You hear the rumbling almost before you see it. The great brontosaurus, traveling in a herd, stomachs growling like a bad case of indigestion. Thunder lizards!

Let you imagination soar. Go at dusk, not during the day. Experience the atmosphere. Imagine it. You’ve entered the land of the lost.

It was a Five Star Night

Posted on October 13, 2014October 13, 2014 by Dusty Roads

Or a two thumbs up or any other sign approval you can think of. It was just plain fun!

Edaville Railroad used to be a little engine that traveled around the cranberry bogs. The big deal was at Christmas when the bog was filled with holiday lights and a few rides led up to the train ride. Then a couple of years ago the owner announced he was selling out. Speculation was that a condo development was going in and the land that was home to the little railroad was needed for parking. Everyone was sad but then the real estate market crashed and now building a bunch of condos didn’t seem to be such a good idea. Suddenly an amusement park wasn’t so bad after all.

Almost immediately Edaville began to expand. It wasn’t the little Edaville Railroad any more. It was Edaville USA and one of the things that came to pass was Dinoland. Everybody loves dinosaurs so now there were dinos roaming the bog.

This year I noticed they had a big pumpkin spectacular called Pumpkins Aglow! I was hoping to get some nice pumpkin pictures so I planned to cough up the admission because I could use my tripod, something not allowed at Roger Williams Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular.

I was going to go alone but after a stop at Nancy’s house we decided to take the kids along. Oh my , what a great idea! Alex and Dawn had a fantastic time!

I expected it to be kind of tacky but it was not. It was very well done.

The kids wore costumes and the ride operators had costumes too and were handing out candy when you road their ride. Trick or Treat!

The rides are included in the admission price so although it seems expensive at first, it more than makes up for the initial investment. The kids can ride all night for free. Bumper cars, Ferris wheel, tilt a whirl, carousels, and of course the train.

But we had to see the dinos and that’s where Pumpkins Aglow was spread out. In the end I didn’t use a tripod. We went through twice , once at dusk and once at full dark. The dusk was better. You’ll see why in my next post!