While walking across a parking lot Chloe shouted, “Mom! There is an octopus in the road!” We walked back to the car, I gave her my camera and she took a photo of it. I love that she sees things beyond what they appear to be on the surface.
A 60 degree Sunday afternoon at the end of November is a treat here in the Northeast. Old man winter is patiently waiting to come knocking on our door. In the meantime we made the most of our limited daylight hours with a riding excursion to the Fire Island Lighthouse.
We parked our motorcycles in one of the parking fields and walked along the wooden walkway amongst the golden reeds. There are signs of deer, foxes and other small animals everywhere. Sadly we didn’t catch a glimpse of any.
The Fire Island Lighthouse is New York’s tallest lighthouse at over 160 feet above sea level. We found that out in a hurry when we trudged our gear laden behinds up the 156 steps of the narrow spiral staircase. The combination of the post-Thanksgiving food hangover and the motorcycle gear made for an um… labored climb to the observation deck. 
I’ll tell you, it’s always that last ladder at the very top of so many lighthouses that really gives me the willies. I’ve got a bit of the fear of heights. I have imagined myself tumbling ass over teakettle down the spiral stairs with a decidedly ungraceful thud on more than one occasion. What is it about turning around on a ladder to come down backwards that is so scary?
The ride itself to the lighthouse isn’t thrilling. But a nice walk in the sunshine, the rolling waves along the beach, the sea air – they make it worth the trip.
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After dinner on Wednesday evening we put Luna in the car and headed over to Stonybrook Harbor. It was such a beautiful evening, spending it outside seemed like the perfect thing to do. We skipped rocks, Luna barked at scary sticks, we poked old lobsters. The simple things are often best.
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If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Who would buy that?” The chances are pretty good that the answer is me.
Last night after dinner Kenny and I were out for a stroll and happened upon a piece of artwork that had my name all over it. It’s a rooster made of what appears to be recycled oil drums and sheet metal. His comb stands nearly as tall as me, at 5’7″. He’s got rebar feet and washer eyes. Just perfect.
It’s no secret that I can be an impulse buyer. But, I tried to keep myself in check and I didn’t buy the chicken last night. Instead I went home and ruminated on whether or not it was a good idea.
“What if he’s not there tomorrow?” I asked Kenny. He turned to me with a look that needed no words. He said, “who else would buy that?” with his eyes. I wasn’t so sure. I mean, look at it’s greatness!
I just couldn’t let this one slip away. This morning we went back and picked up our chicken. The young man who carried it out for me asked if he could take my picture and said something to the effect of , “Oh, you’re the person that would buy this, huh?” What is with everyone?
So, our giant chicken Roscoe is now grazing in our living room. I think he’s a perfect fit.
This morning we woke up to a snow covered yard under a bright blue sky. The snow closed school for the second day in a row.
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Over the last day and a half we’ve accumulated about 18 inches of snow. Our little world is again covered in a fluffy layer of powdered sugar. Chloe, Luna and I trudged out into the backyard to have a look around. Everything looked beautiful.
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Luna just loves bounding out into the snow. The old girl runs like a pup out there.
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We spotted this sweet 1961 Ford Econoline pickup while out and about on the Island.
Chloe has has a growing collection of vinyl character figurines. Every time that we go into New York City, we have to stop in to Kid Robot to see what’s new. Most of the figures that she likes are sold in blind boxes. That means you have no idea exactly which character is inside the box until you open it. It keeps things exciting, wondering what is inside the box.
Ugly Doll Vinyls
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