Our rain gauge only holds 5 inches. It filled up in about 45 minutes. "Big Bird" stopped by to dump it out for us. The storm was about over and we only got another 1/4 of an inch or so.
We have a low spot in the back yard! But thanks to the sandy soil it was all gone in less than 10 hours.
It is always hard to say so long for now to the warm sand, surf, and sunsets.
We drove to Pooler, GA on our first day and met Elvira (Allan's oldest sister) and her friend Sal for dinner. It is always fun to catch up with family.
The next day we made it to Fredericksburg, VA just south of DC.
We ventured into DC the next morning. We followed the advice of the motel clerk and didn't leave until 9:00. Traffic was not a problem as it moved right along.
We spent the day with Bekah. She had a "Daddy Do" list. Let's just say there were a few things dangling that weren't suppose to be dangling in her apartment. After a trip to the hardware store he had spice racks to mount and she and I had more herbs to pot. Her basement apartment is a nice size with a separate bedroom and a compact kitchen. There is a deck in the back with a grill that she has access to as well.
I was delighted to hear that she had taken her motorcycle in for service and that she has new brakes and two new tires. We took a ride out to the location where she had it serviced and shopped for saddlebags. We didn't find anything that would fit. Her bike is older and just isn't set up for saddlebags. She decided that for the price of them she would hold off. She shared, "Who knows maybe in a few years I'll have a newer bike..." Maybe we can trade. I really like her smaller bike.
Bekah was able to get 4 tickets for a National's baseball game for us to attend that evening. Thanks to CNN for sharing their box with us. Before the game Bekah's friends Grace and Christine joined us for a drink. Congratulations to them. They are getting married this fall. Seems like this life event will prevent them from coming down for a long weekend visit with us in Venice next fall. They have come down with Bekah and another of their friends for the past two years. Guess there is always another year.
Bekah's grammar school friend Amy lives and works in DC too. She was able to come to the game and be our fourth. It was fun catching up with her and hearing about her family. Amy has a dog. He looks to be labrador size. She has this crazy app on her cell phone and is able to spy on her dog when it is in the living room. She kept checking in on the dog. With the push of a button on the app some gizmo at home shoots out a treat for the dog. We were in stitches watching the live video of the dog retrieving the shooting dog treats.
The stadium is huge and the seats were great. It was a quick metro ride from her apartment. A few years ago we were visiting in D.C. and got tickets for the Orioles. It took a long time to get to Camden Yards. Much longer than we thought it would take. I think it was the 3rd inning by the time we got there...
The next morning we were off to Connecticut to visit with my brother and his extended family. Our route took us by NYC and across the George Washington Bridge.
We had a delightful afternoon and evening with the Connecticut family. I am quite remiss. I must have gotten caught up in the gab fest and didn't think to get the camera out and get some pictures.
It is always very exciting when you see this sign in New Hampshire! Coming up 75 and 95 the trip is about 1650 miles.
We arrived in time for the blooms of spring!
And many house and garden projects were waiting for us. Allan with assistance and advice from Bill got started in on a deck between the house and garage and around the back of the garage.
I've learned that you can never use the level too many times...
While all this deck work has been going on I got started in the shade flower garden in front of the house. It is 36 feet long and about 4 1/2 feet wide. The former owners had a garden there but it hadn't been tended for years and was very overgrown. Last fall we cleaned it out as best as we could and made it a bit wider. This spring it was all chunky and root filled. I borrowed my neighbors small roto tiller and spent an afternoon going through it.
I saved Phlox and Jack in the Pulpit from the previous garden and made a few purchases. Andy gave me a columbine and Brian and Susan gave me an evergreen tree last fall. I'm sure as time goes on I'll continue to move things about, add and subtract from it once I see what grows. The soil is really heavy and I probably could have worked some sand into it and improved the drainage.
There is also a much smaller sun garden. I had moved daffodils and some tulips over there that had come out of the big front garden last fall. However, they came and went before I got here so I cleaned them out and have replanted that garden. I have Camassia bulbs from Molly and some Purple Lavender from Andy along with some contributions from Lowe's. I am trying to grow Purple Coneflower from seed. I'm wondering how that will go.
I also planted some in our raised vegetable gardens. We are going on a 2 1/2 week trip this summer to Labrador and Newfoundland. I am trying to plant my vegetables so that they will come on just when we get back. There are so many growing variables I wonder just how that will go. I have yet to plant my cukes and beans.
This is a long narrow raised bed flower garden on the east end of the garage and new deck. It gets a lot of sun. I have yet to throughly clean it out. It is getting built over and will be filled with fresh soil at some point in the future. It may not get planted this summer.
We have lots of magnificent random plants growing around the edges of our lot. This land owned by the power company. Our neighbors assure us that it will never be sold or developed. The story goes that the power company bought it as a right of way for some power lines but ended up running them along a nearby road instead.
We have lots of magnificent random plants growing around the edges of our lot. This land owned by the power company. Our neighbors assure us that it will never be sold or developed. The story goes that the power company bought it as a right of way for some power lines but ended up running them along a nearby road instead.
Lupine Honeysuckle
Columbine Mountain Bluet
We have gotten to spend some time at the Winterport Metzler's. While Jake and Allan mowed the lawn I played with Maggie and Abby.
Abby loves to swing high! 
Maggie loves to do handstands and play wiffleball.
We have a nice knoll out back and a 30+ year old slip 'n' slide that probably hasn't been used for 25+ years. Hard to believe but it is one of the things Allan saved and it made it to Hampden. Our "Grand Gals" had fun over Memorial weekend slip sliding away on the 85 degree day. Now that is some warm for Maine in May!
Mags full speed ahead!
Maggie was very understanding of her much younger sister's need to take her time getting used to the slip 'n' slide concept. She was a wonderfully patient big sister.
