From the Guestbook, summer of 1880.
Grand Concert Friday, Sep 20 2013
Uncategorized 20:03
‘La, la, la!’ Thursday, Aug 22 2013
Uncategorized 10:41
I am not listening to the town grader, I am not, I am not.
Anyone want to place bets on the quality of their job on the lane? Taking into account past performances? Taking into account that this is Connecticut, and the concept of grading a dirt road on the side of a hill is a lost art in this state? Taking into account our relationship with the town?
No takers?
Funny that.
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Skunks Saturday, Aug 3 2013
Uncategorized wildlife 10:30
I usually have a fondness for skunks; they do a good job on de-grubbing the lawn. They are sort of cute and quite smart.
However, for years there has been a running battle on whether they should be able to get under the porch (and thence into the foundation). Skunks under the house aren’t exactly the best companions. Still, it was more of a nuisance than anything else (aside from the memorable year in which the hibernating colony all got spooked, woke up, and sprayed…under the main hall). Not this year. This year we have an angry skunk. (or possibly a zombie skunk) Not only is it starting the nightly round of attempting to find an ingress earlier than usual. It also digs in the garden and inadvertently kills fish by knocking over the fountain. All of which might be tolerable….Except. It Reeks. Think of a cross between a skunk and septic tank, the aroma is powerful and constant. Sufficiently so that when we have smelled it coming the last few nights, we have closed the doors and windows. When it sprayed something a week or so ago it, it woke us up.
Not sure exactly what to do with it. Trapping it is, for the obvious reason that I lack a HazMat suit, not an option. My mother was able to banish one once by managing to spray it with soap, but that also requires close quarters. Lead maybe, if I was more confident in my aim, and willing to stake the house out every night.
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Where’s My Carrot? Monday, Jul 22 2013
Uncategorized 13:56
(Not my photo) He was a perfect gentleman the other day with a whole group of little kids who had come specially to give Robbie!!! a carrot. There were five of them, all slightly intimidate by his size; but they enjoyed themselves I think. Mercifully, he has decided that daylilies just don’t taste good.
Too Hot Wednesday, Jul 17 2013
Esperanza and Uncategorized historic houses 10:27
All I have to say on the weather. So instead of gardening, house cleaning!
I finally got the Old Hall cleaned yesterday, and everything in it, aside from the rug which will have to go to the cleaners. The floor in the hallway was covered with linoleum at some point, at least over seventy years ago. It might have been closer to a century plus, if it was redone when the parlor was done at the turn of the century. It has stood up to traffic quite well, there are only a few points of failure: the bottom of the stairs where people turn on it, and the point in the middle where one of the c.1800 floorboards bounces up and down to the tune of an inch and a half.
It has an elegant small mosaic pattern of what might best be described as diamonds and crosses with flourishes. Cream, brown, dark red, a dark blue, and a light blue. It has darkened over time.
Antique linoleum is actually quite cleanable, if one is willing to be careful with the amount of water used. Copious amounts of water do nothing good to it because the jute backing will swell at a different rate than the linoleum if it gets too wet. This causes it to curl, which you really don’t want, though it will uncurl. Obviously, this is not something would have happened originally; but since old linoleum is almost guaranteed to have a million fine cracks, the jute will be exposed to moisture.
The most important thing is to make sure that you have linoleum cleaner. TRUE linoleum cleaner. Most floor cleaners for ‘linoleum’ flooring will dissolve true linoleum. Some of them in a matter of minutes. As will things like bleach. This is bad. Consequently, like so many things for this house, we get our linoleum cleaner from a specialty store. If I can’t get it someday, well straight ivory soap works…
High Speed Low Altitude Tuesday, Jul 16 2013
Uncategorized bats 10:24
I like things that fly, I really do. I also like bats. But I Do Not like to observe bats inside the house. Peacefully reading, when a fast moving object caught my eye. The appropriate response, before further inspection, is to get the big Keeping Room doors shut so it is confined to the library and the keeping room (think living room)*. Then get all the inside lights off, including computer screens, turn on an exterior light, open the door, and wait. You must keep a close watch on the door, however, to ensure you see it fly out as they almost always accelerate. Blink and you risk spending the night holding the door open, wondering. We have done this before…
This particular bat was having great fun navigating at about 18 inches off the floor. Very active, with an incredible turning radius, and utterly silent. Quite a good sized one, with a fairly light belly, so I thought it was a chimney swift at first. They also get in some times; but are easier to get out since a)getting bit isn’t a concern and b) they’ll usually end up clinging to a screen or wall.
Heaven only knows where it got in though. They live in the roof. Or, sadly, it is more accurate to say lived. The colony crashed, probably due to disease. Now seeing two bats a night is unusual. It used to be easily 20-30 plus.
*The terminology of ‘Keeping Room’ is iffy. Some people are adamant that a ‘keeping room’ should be next to the kitchen. This one could not be farther from the kitchen if it tried. On the other hand, some people are adamant that it refers to the room with the main or biggest hearth. In which case…this one definitely qualifies.
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Wildlife Monday, Jul 8 2013
Uncategorized 15:30
Let’s see…
Turkeys: 3 hens, 10 nearly fledged chicks
Deer: one doe with new fawn at heel
Woodchucks
Owls
Bear
Red Tail Hawks
Skunks
Raccoons
etc…(small birds, rodents, etc)
Insects galore.
All seen, or heard, or saw sign thereof, in the last few days. Busy place.
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Goldilocks rants Monday, Jul 1 2013
Uncategorized 17:10
I bet, if I trolled through the archive, I complained a great deal about it being too dry last year. Well, this year I am complaining about it being too wet.
My hay is rotting in the field, the roses are mush, the garden is mush, and every where there are mosquitoes. Oh, and turkeys. They are going to get a date with my friend who hunts turkeys. I am going to learn how. My bean patch is now full of four inch spikes (I knew that pile of apple branches would be handy!). I wouldn’t recommend falling on it. But, I can guarantee that the turkeys won’t be taking any more dust/mud baths in it.
Moon light Sunday, Jun 23 2013
Uncategorized 11:44
Watching the full moon sail behind the big hemlock south of the house the other night. The moon was a gorgeous, pearl-coloured moon last night, and elegant even without the tree. Yet, adding the tree, whose top is quite open, gave something more to the image. The half-hidden or framed object also seems to be more interesting, it leads us to wonder what is beyond even when we know perfectly well what it is.
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Row, Row Your boat Friday, Jun 14 2013
Uncategorized 14:59
merrily, merrily down the stream.
I wouldn’t recommend at least one bridge in town. Now granted it was already closed due to a catastrophic failure* of an abutment, the water up to the railings is entirely expected for that bridge but the suspicious bit of white water in the center where it ought to be smooth…
The lawn is a swamp. People never seem to grasp that wetlands can occur on the top of the hill. They ought to come to New England. The North lawn and big garden is one giant puddle, as is most of the east and south areas. I can’t even get at the main flower garden, as it is surrounded by water on all sides. The place is a bit of a mess.
*if a single granite stone abutment moves downstream by about 4 inches and down by about 8, and said stone is on the order of 7 feet long, a foot tall, and two feet wide…you have a Problem. The consensus in Town Hall was that the bridge deck ought not wobble… Who knows when it will get fixed; the gates closing it look suspiciously permanent.
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Acair Fearann 