4Town Farm

4Townfarm is located in Seekonk, Massachusetts which takes us about 20 minutes to drive to. My son introduced me to this farm years ago. Their produce is picked daily. Carol and I are big fans of the farm. We started cooking the beet greens just like we cooked the farm fresh spinach. Immediately we liked it as well as the spinach. Often the gal at the register would give us extra beet greens as some customers do not want them and request that the greens be cut off. Carol has done beets boiled and more recently pickled at my request. I will never be able to eat jar pickled beets again. Hers are so good.

Depending on the growing cycle, customers are allowed to pick their own. Today raspberries and flowers were available. This coming Saturday blueberries will be available for picking. Below is a picture of the raspberries and below that a view of the flowers.

We have tried a number of new (to us) vegetables. This was the first place that I ever saw yellow carrots. Added to the coleslaw mix of regular carrots, green and red cabbage, they add a certain sweetness to the coleslaw. It is a pleasant dish as I like coleslaw and I have yet to find a restaurant in the Northeast that does a decent coleslaw. Below is a picture of a Patti Pan squash. I slice the squash into half inch slices, a little olive oil, salt and fresh ground pepper and grill the slices until slightly soft. It has a unique taste and is a welcome change to the zucchini and yellow squash that I do on the grill. I also will grill asparagus that has been briefly marinated in olive oil and crushed garlic in oil.

I am waiting for the yellow watermelon to be ready. Another week or two. I first discovered this a couple of summers ago. It is very different looking from the red watermelon. It is sweet and juicy and very pleasant to eat. Of course we always buy the different varieties of lettuce, rare ripe onions, cucumbers, peppers, radishes and ears of corn for Carol. These fresh vegetables are a pleasant summer addition to our diet.

I believe that the 4 towns are Seekonk and Swansea in Massachusetts and Barrington and East Providence in Rhode Island.

10 things I miss about Panama city Beach, Florida

1. Swimming in the Gulf every morning

2. Publix Markets - So much better than Stop & Shop

3. Indian River Valencia orange juice

4.St. Andrews State Park

5. The Pickle Patch Restaurant

6. Being able to buy beer in the Supermarket

7.Sunsets over the Gulf

8. Thomas's donuts - best ever

9. WHJG TV Their newscasters are so much better than the RI stations

10. Apalachacola raw oysters

Trigger Finger

I have had several trigger fingers. The medical term is digital tenovagintis stenosans. Basically it is caused when the sheath surrounding the tendon of a finger or thumb becomes restricted. The most logical explanation of why it is called trigger finger is that when the bent finger is straighten it makes a "popping" sound. The first time it was the pinkie finger on my right hand. This was several years ago. The doctor first tried injecting the affected area with a corticosteroid that is generally effective in over half of the patients. It did not work and I had the surgery. It is done under local anesthetic and is a relatively quick procedure. The incision is usually made in the crease of the hand. Healing is sometimes slowed by the opening and closing of the hand. Since then both thumbs have been repaired by surgery. In both instances I skipped the injection and went right to surgery. My middle finger on my left hand is now affected. I have been ignoring the pain and aggravation since early spring. My life has been too busy to deal with it. This past week I finally went to see the surgeon. he remembered that the shot did not do well the first time. I told him that unlike previous times when I was mentally prepared for the surgery, that I was having a hard time gearing up for it. I said I would like the injection. He told me to lay down on the table as "it hurts like a bastard". He had the same shot himself. I hope the 30 seconds of agony will give me several months of pain relief. The finger is moving freely and I am relatively pain free. However the palm of my hand where the injection was administered is very tender. I am icing the area as instructed. I hope I can avoid surgery until next summer. Today is day five since the injection. Hoping for the best.

Cape Cod Canal

Construction of the Cape Cod Canal began in June 1909. The idea was discussed by Washington in the late 18Th century. At 480 feet wide and 32 feet deep, it is the widest sea level canal in the world. It is a free waterway. The canal is spanned by a railroad bridge and two highway bridges. The Bourne and the Sagamore. Below is a picture of the Sagamore Bridge in the distance and a view of the canal. My first grandchild was born when my daughter lived on the Cape. I can remember a 20 mile backup one summer Sunday afternoon when I was trying to get off Cape. The Canal was to facilitate commercial and pleasure boats trips towards the Ports in New York and beyond. The Cape juts well out into the Atlantic and there are dangerous shoals off the Cape Cod coast.



There is a magnificent walking / bicycle path on either side of the canal. I wanted to show Carol the Cape Cod Canal and on the way we picked up my daughter Jill and her daughters, Lil the oldest and Sylvie the youngest. I am happy to report that Jill moved off Cape several years ago.
As you can imagine there was a nice breeze which help to ease the muggy heat.

The Canal is used by pleasure boats and commercial traffic. We saw many sailboats and several ocean going yachts. The boat below was flying an Australian Flag.

The barge was being pushed by a tug. They were preceded and followed by Pilot boats. The barge lay well into the water and it was pushing water. The picture does not do justice to the amount of water that was being displaced.

We walked along the canal for some distance and then retraced our steps back to where the van was parked. They all sat on a bench overlooking the canal. I asked them if they would all look at me and give me their best smile. So much for that! However this is probably a more accurate picture of everyone doing their own thing.

We stopped and had a nice lunch somewhere near Buzzards Bay and then went back to Jill's home. Carol had expressed interest in Jill's spinning of lamb's wool. Jill showed us how her spinning wheel worked and then showed Carol how to do the spinning using a hand spinner.

It was a very nice way to spent a summer day and to show my Florida gal more of New England.

Sunsets - Panama City Beach, Florida

No words - just sunsets from the balcony last winter.

Keene, New Hampshire

It was a beautiful morning and I asked Carol if she wanted to go out for lunch. She did and asked where. I told her it would be a nice ride and we would have lunch in a quaint village in New Hampshire named Keene. It is about a two hour drive from our home in Rhode Island. Once past Worchester, Massachusetts we traverse beautiful countryside.


Main Street in Keene is a wide tree lined road with wonderful interesting shops on each side of the street. There was a little park with a gazebo where we talked to two Keene State college students. Carol and I ambled along both sides stopping in several shops before we decided to have lunch in Lindy's Dinner. We sat at the counter. A local farmer sat next to me and he ordered a cup of New England clam chowder and a large bowl of grits. I asked him if he was from the South. "Nope, I'm an old Yankee living in the same house I was born in. I just like grits."

After lunch we walked back to the car and headed back. Along the way I saw a pull off and we decided to walk Tiny, our dog. I could hear the sound of water rushing over rocks. Tiny wanted no part of the woods so he eagerly went back into the car. Carol and I walked a little ways towards the sound and we found the brook.

Farther down the road we came upon a clearing and pulled into a cemetery to take pictures of Mount Monadnock. We stayed for a few minuted taking pictures of the Mountain and looking at the very manicured grounds of the cemetery.

We were route 140 in Massachusetts and I decided to take a side trip up to Wachusett Mountain ski area. There were a few couples walking dogs. We roamed around the grounds.

Above is the main building and two of the several ski trails available. This is a popular destination in the winter. Wachusett has snow making equipment to supplement Mother Nature offerings.

Land Line

When I was ready to leave Florida for the Northern home, I called ahead to Cox Communications to "wake up" my service. My desire was also to control the cost of cable, Internet and phone service. I told the phone representative that I did not want long distance service but did want to be able to call within Rhode Island with no added cost. He assured me that would be the case. You can imagine my ire when I found out how much I was being charged for long distance in the smallest state. To call my mom, son at home or work I was being charged. As I thought about it, I came to the conclusion that I would just cancel the home phone. I had that number since 1965 when I first married. It followed me from the first apartment to the home I built in 1968. The Cox representative did his best to talk me out of doing it. Both Carol and I have cell phones. I have only gone over my monthly minutes once in 8 years and then I used roll over minutes. It has been about a month and I do not miss that land line. In fact, the physical phones were given to my Massachusetts daughter for her use. There will be no going back. It has become very peaceful. No charities or scams calling. I am careful about who gets the number. Family, Navy pals and necessary services only.

Ocracoke Lighthouse

Ocracoke Lighthouse is the second oldest lighthouse on the Outer Banks. There are no bridges to this Island. Access is best via a short ferry ride from Cape Hatteras or a longer ferry from Cedar Island or from Swan quarter. In the early 16Th century this island became a favorite hangout for the notorious pirate Blackbeard.









The ferry boats depart Cape Hatteras and Ocracoke on the hour every hour. The ferry on the left is heading to Cape Hatteras and Carol and I are heading towards Ocracoke. As you can see it was an overcast day and also quite windy. The ferries run more often during the heavy summer tourist season. Delivery trucks have first priority. We were fortunate in that we made the ferry each time we got in line. The scenery along the ferry route is interesting. There is a sand bar teeming with shore birds and the waves crashing on the sand bar were impressive.




It was a cool day but we elected to move around the ferry during the trip and experience the sights and smell the salt sea air. Carol was like a small child in a candy shop loving every minute of this new experience.

Once on Ocracoke we drove towards along route 12 until we got to the turn off for the lighthouse. After much picture taking we headed back towards the ferry landing. We stopped at a very quaint restaurant for lunch. We arrived just in time to catch the ferry back to Cape Hatteras. There we parked and walked out to the beach. The tip of Cape Hatteras on a dark stormy day could be liken to the tip of the end of the world where sand, sky and water seem to merge together.

Kitty Hawk - Outer Banks North Carolina

Carol and I visited the Outer Banks in April. Besides visiting four Outer Banks Lighthouses, we spent the better part of a morning in the Wrights Brothers National Park Museum. In 2003, a wealthy donor commissioned a bronze replica of the historic plane forthe hundredth anniversary celebration. On the day we visited, the wind was blowing hard, fixing in our minds why the Wright brothers picked this location to attempt the first flight.



Orville is depicted at the controls as he prepared for what would become the first powered flight.

While the first flight only lasted 12 seconds and covered 120 feet, it began the era of flight. It was shortly there after that Wilbur flew the unheard of distance of 852 feet and was airborne for 59 seconds.

There is much more to see and do here. The main building houses an exact replica of the first plane with the canvas and wood frame. They have a cutaway of the engine with a description of the wright brothers design. A movie is shown periodically through out the day and they have portraits of persons who have accomplished milestones in aviation on the outer walls of this room.

On the grounds there are replicas of their living quarters and the hangar for the plane. There is a memorial tower high on a hill commemorating that historic accomplishment. I have been here several times and the exhibit is always expanding.

The gift shop is always worth a visit.

Coffee Milk

Coffee milk is the "official" drink of Rhode Island. Once out of the Rhode Island area the idea of coffee milk becomes an illusive product. When I was first out of the Navy boot camp and stationed in Memphis, TN for my Jet Mechanic school I asked for a glass of coffee milk at a local restaurant. The waitress in her Southern drawl asked "Honey do you want a glass half full of coffee and the rest milk?" I soon realized that it would be awhile before I would get coffee milk.

Coffee milk is white milk with a portion of coffee syrup added to the milk. The syrup is made by extracting liquid from coffee beans. The syrup is widely available in the Rhode Island area and is also available for shipping where ever displaced Rhode Islanders may be. I know this as a few years ago I had a case shipped to the condo I was renting in Panama City Beach, FL. Coffee syrup is akin to the chocolate syrup that is more universally available. Premixed coffee milk is available in the supermarkets here in Rhode Island along side chocolate and strawberry flavored milk

Pictured is a bottle of the preferred syrup that I use to make my evening glass of coffee milk. I prefer to mix my own rather than buying the coffee milk in the market. I like a stronger mixture. I have tried to spread the word and the enjoyment of this Rhode Island icon beyond our Northern borders. Carol's daughters in Tallahassee, FL and Elsie, MI seem to like it. My old Navy shipmate in Georgia did not take to it.

Coffee milk is truly a Rhode Island drink and should you travel here, order a glass in a restaurant. You just might like it.

4 answers

This is a questionnaire that I saw on another blog some time in the past. Here goes:

4 jobs I had

Jet mechanic U S Navy
Fueling aircraft - local airport
Programmer
Manager Information Systems Services US & Europe

4 Movies I love to watch

The Cowboys - John Wayne
All the Bourne movies
Rob Roy
Up Periscope

4 Places I've lived

Greenville, Rhode Island
NAS Cecil Field, Jacksonville, FL
North providence, Rhode Island
Panama City beach, FL

4 TV shows I enjoy

Bones
NCIS
Saving Grace
Law and Order Criminal Intent

4 Places I've been

Climbed the leaning Tower of Pisa
French Riviera in August
The Badlands South Dakota
Custer's last Stand Battlefield

4 Websites I visit daily

Boatnerd.com about the freighter traffic on the Great Lakes
The camera at the Soo Locks
My bank in Rhode Island
Amy's blog

4 Favorite foods

Cheeseburgers
Pasta and meatballs
Rare steak
Baked sweet potato

4 Places I'd rather be

London
Cannes, France in August
Out at sea aboard an aircraft carrier on the flight deck
Whitefish Point on the UP

4 Places I'd like to visit

Australia
Columbia River Gorge
All the National Parks in Utah
I like to see the Redwood trees

4 People I would have liked to meet

Ben Franklin
Abraham Lincoln
General George Patton
Yogi Berra

Opposites Attract ??

Carol and I met over 18 months ago. She was a self-employed seamstress and I was a retired upper level manager. Both of us had been extended caretakers in our previous marriages. Both of us were use to being completely in charge. We both did the marketing, the menu planning, the cooking. We both handled all the cleaning of the home, laundry and whatever. In so many ways we were alike but not in all ways.

OK, Carol had a guy that cut her grass, and I had a lady that came every two weeks and did certain areas of house cleaning. There are times when we bang heads especially in the kitchen. We are getting better at coordinating our movements and how we spice foods. I have adapted to her "magic" bottle of spices. She does not like my oil and vinegar salad dressing that I prepare nightly. I do like a strong vinegar mixture that she finds harsh. I am now 99% eating healthy breads, muffins and frozen waffles with only an occasional white roll. I am eating a greater variety of fresh vegetables and less red meat (heavy sigh). We have adapted well to one another in our diets. She must start her day with hot coffee, I have a cold diet coke. I use vinegar on french fries, Carol tried it and has reverted back to ketchup.

I now install the toilet paper her way and she folds the bath towels my way. She was exasperated when she saw that I would just drop my under shirts into the drawer unfolded. She now folds my underwear and t-shirts. We hang our shirts and jackets facing in opposite directions. Mind always face to the right and hers to the left. Sometimes I have to hang hers a second time because I automatically do it the way I always do, then I see it does not match the rest of her clothes. I like my bath towels dried outside on the clothes line and hers must be in the dryer. She refers to my towels as sand paper. An opinion shared with the next door neighbor. She handles the heat better than I and I handle the cold better. However we both agree that we will avoid Rhode Island winters from now on.

I have always had itchy feet and like to be on the go. Carol has been an eager partner in our road trips. Carol is like a kid in a candy store drinking in the scenery where ever we are. I am always planning the next two trips.

We love each other and we love our combined family. Admittedly I received more "new" family than Carol received from me. However she did say my mom was the best Mother-in-law she ever had.

So as we forge ahead in our life together we seem to be on the same page more often than not. But Viva la difference where we are not.

Aiden Michael

Last fall when Carol and I found out that there would be an addition to our combined family I promised her that she would hold the baby before he / she would be 30 days old. Based on the best information of due dates, we planned on leaving Rhode Island for Michigan on May 31st. It was iffy there for a while if the new grandson ( we now knew it would be a boy) would arrive in time by June 1st. Aiden Michael arrived on May 26Th in all his glory. The above picture was taken on June 1st in his beaming Grandma's arms.

On this road trip we would eventually drive 5,150 miles through 18 states. We decided to drive the U. S. route rather than entering Canada in Niagara Falls to Port Huron, MI. It would have been the shortest route, but we had already done that the year before. So we headed out the Mass. Pike through upstate New York and our first night was spent in Erie, Pennsylvania.

While here we took the opportunity to visit two lights. Pictured here is the Erie Pierhead Light.

From the same location we were able to view the Erie Land Light. Both lights are easily viewed from a small park and playground. We were the only ones there and it was a very peaceful location.

Our second day took us through Ohio. They are very serious about enforcing the speed limits. No, I did not get a ticket in Ohio or anyplace else. I did not take the bypass around Cleveland. I wanted Carol to see the "Jake" which is the nick name of Jacobs Field where the Cleveland Indians play baseball. The stadium looms over the highway. We arrived in Birch Run, Michigan mid afternoon in the 1st. We were in a pet friendly hotel. The pet friendly designated rooms were OK. Small but clean. We were staying in a different area this trip. I wanted to go to Darlene's to make sure we could be on time in the morning. We were going to take Darlene and Aiden to his first appointment with the pediatrician.

Naturally, we both wanted to see Aiden and the rest of the family as soon as possibe. So even though we had been in the car a good part of the day we went. Elsie, Michigan brings a whole new meaning to the middle of no-where. Don't get me wrong, this is a beautiful spot in America. Beautifully groomed farms with the new crops beginning another cycle. It's just way out there.

The next morning we were on time. I had a bad night and did not sleep well. While they went into the examing room, I had good intentions of taking a walk. Apprently, I fell asleep. I must have slept for about 40 minutes and when I opened my eyes and looked around, I asked the nurse if the Doctor was there. She assured me she was and that Grandpa could go back to sleep. I am glad that no one else was in the waiting room.

While we were Birch Run, Carol and I visited Frankenmuth and Bonner's. Bonner's may be the largest Christmas store in the world. More some other time. We walked around Frankenmuth one morning. One evening we drove up to Midland and visited Carol's grandaughter and great grandaughter.

It was here that we had the worse meal of the trip in Tony's Restaurant in Birch Run. Apparently it is a very popular place. The quanity was overwhelming, but the quality was definitely lacking.

We did have the opportunity to have dinner with my cousin from Utica. He drove up and met us at the hotel. I must admit that the Local Applebee's impressed me.

We were originally going to drop down through Ohio into Kentucky. Darlene suggested going down into Indiana. It was a good choice. We stayed in a Drury Inn, a pet friendly hotel that does not charge extra for the dog. This Drury Inn was located in Bowling Green, Kentucky

We arrived the next day at our Florida home in Panama City Beach. It was 88 degrees. From then on the highs were in the 90's everyday. We were originally going to stay for about a week, leaving after another grandaughters birthday. The weather in Rhode Island was cool (cold to Carol) and rainy. Todd agreed to cut my grass and we stayed for another week.

On our journey North we stayed two night with one of my oldest and dearest friend and his wife in Pembroke, Georgia. We were Navy buddies working the night shift on the flight deck of the U S S Saratoga. We stopped one more night on the road and were back in Rhode Island.

During that trip we saw three of Carol's children, 10 grandchildren, and three great grandchildren. We were gone 25 days.

Tiny

Tiny is a five pound Chihuahua loaded with attitude. He is somewhere between 15 and 16 years of age. He was a rescue. My wife is a soft touch for Chihuahuas and has had many over the years. Tiny has been her "little guy" for about 14 years.

This morning Tiny knew that (in his mind) bad something was going to occur. You see, I took all his bedding out of his bed (crate) to be washed along with his favorite blanket. He likes to burrow into the blanket until it is like a cocoon with him buried inside it. Tiny has a fairly good vocabulary and when the B word (bath) was said he went and hid under the desk.

As you can see, Tiny is definitely not happy. He hates to be wet. He hates the rain. He has this down trodden look the whole time. He seems to know when he has the most lather, as that is the moment he chooses to shake soap suds all over us.

Ha! gotcha with the soap. No, he is not being choked. If his head stays still, he can't shake

If looks could kill, Carol and I would be dead. Even in his towel he is still irritated. He knows that the hair dryer is next followed by his ear drops and lastly another favorite, his breath spray.

The little prince is on his pillow. His coat looks shiny and healthy. It should, we use a medicated shampoo that comes from the vet's office. He is worth it. He provides Carol with unconditional love and he can be very amusing.

Panama City Beach

My wife and I bought a house in Panama City Beach three months ago. We had appointments in Rhoda Island and left early April. Carol's daughter in Elsie, Michigan had a baby boy May 26Th. On May 31st we set out for Elsie, well we stayed in Birch Run, Michigan 35 miles away. It was the closest pet friendly and acceptable motel for us. I decided we should go to our Florida home for a week or so. RI was having a cool rainy spring. We arrived here to mid 80 degree weather. Little did I know that would be one of the cooler days. Mostly it has been high 80's low 90's since then. Fortunately, our house is about 1/2 mile from the Gulf as the crow flies and about a mile via the two streets to park at the beach. So the breeze off the Gulf may not be real cool, it is refreshing and a brief respite from the heat.

Lately our daily routine has been up early and over to the beach by 8 AM. I swim for about 30 minutes I drip dry in the already hot sun while I watch the progress on the rebuild of the county pier. The prior one was destroyed by hurricanes. It is fascinating to watch the two cranes pass big buckets filled with concrete out to the outer part of the pier to be poured in the forms. On the way back to the house I drop Carol off at the complex pool. Even though she gets wet in the Gulf, She does not swim. She does not like getting her face splashed by the waves. I go much farther out than she does. She likes early at the pool . . . no children that early. Both of us were bothered in the Gulf this morning by little fish nipping at our bodies. They don't hurt, but are a bother.

The rest of our days are spent doing errands, trying to plan our evening meal. Evening meals are a real challenge. I am basically a meat and potato guy. Carol has decided to pretty much eliminate meat from her diet. She might have a small taste of chicken or fish.

Carol has a borrowed bike and tries to ride in the evening depending on the heat index. Last night she rode for about 30 minutes and upon arrival back announced when I buy a bike in September it is going to have a better seat. My butt is sore. I sat in a lawn chair and enjoyed what little breeze there was while she was riding. I am not doing as well as she with the heat.

We spend time on our respective laptops and have watched a number of movies on DVD as we do not have cable here yet. That will be another topic. For now, there were some good ones and a couple of real dogs. There is no end in sight for the 90's here. The locals refer to these temperatures as August weather.

Scenes from Palm Cove

Carol and I purchased a home in Palm Cove this past March. Palm Cove is a gated community, although I have never seen the gate lowered. I'm told that it is closed late evening. We are not a senior community. So there is a mixture of young and retired families and every thing in between.

Above is the entrance leading towards the gate. It is very pleasant and pleasing entrance to the community. In the distance is the gate house. There is a security guard at night. I have never seen him. Below is a better view of the gate house. At night it is lighted and the chandelier is very attractive.

The grounds are tastefully decorated and well manicured. Watering is done via three community wells and does not affect our already high water / sewer bill. Water is very dear here in Florida than it is in Rhode Island. The cost of electricity however, is lower so it may be a wash.

This is representative of the Palm trees located throughout the complex. This Palm is located on the corner of our street.

This Oleander shrub is across the street from our house.

I have no idea what this fern like thing that is just outside our front door. It is pretty and I hope to learn what it is.

This is our street here in Panama City Beach, Florida. As you can surmise, this last picture was taken on trash day. Trash is picked up twice a week.

Based on the short time that we have lived in the house, it is a very quiet neighborhood. Those neighbors that I have met seem friendly and nice. There are several transient young men and women on our street that are here on work visas. Based on their language I believe they are from former Soviet Bloc countries. They are quiet and shy. I have not been able to engage them in conversation. The most I can get is a soft "good morning" or a hello.

Finally the view as you leave.

214 Steps

Currituck Light

There are 214 steps to reach the walkway around the top of Currituck Lighthouse located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. This light is the only unpainted brick light on the Outer Banks. The day that we arrived to view this light it was open for climbing. I had been here several times and this was the first time climbing was allowed. We were the last couple allowed to climb as the winds were gusting well over 40 knots. Surprisingly, the climb went very well. There are landings about every 12 feet. These allow climbers to pass those coming down. The stairwells are not very wide.

Once we arrived at the top, we were rewarded with an amazing view. The wind was awesome and a little bit un-nerving. When the gusts hit me, I needed to hold onto the railing to steady myself. Carol chose to stand in the doorway rather than step out into the wind. In one direction we could see the Atlantic Ocean slapping the beach with wind driven waves, another view was along the road towards Duck with all the homes. The view I liked best was of Currituck Sound and the Private club in the distance.

I have climbed several Lighthouse towers but Currituck Light is the highest one that I have climbed. We spent several days on the Outer Banks as we traveled North from our home in Florida to Rhode Island. We visited Bodie Island Light, Cape Hatteras Light and Oracoke Light. Those were not open for climbing.