Mates

Tina's Rescues

Nature Beckons

It's Coincidence, I Swear!

Just unpacked a little trinket from the Cape winery. Joe and I wanted the lighthouse-shaped, cobalt blue bottle to use for salad dressing, after the wine is gone. As I placed it on my counter, I noticed the Diamond connection; pure coincidence. So, the proverbial two birds are covered in favorites: Truro beaches and Neil. Cool.

This brings me to mention that I have a lot of catching up to do, with the ND TV special I've not yet seen from last Friday night and the "Hot August Night/NYC-Live From Madison Square Garden" DVD to watch. We were at the Garden last year during hot August nights; I am so psyched to think that I have a tangible memory to cherish.

Beach Tomatoes - Rugosa Rose Hips

What an astounding history this intriguing shrub has! It loves the fiercest of maritime weather and produces edible fruit, at one time an important staple in coastal towns. If you'd like to know more, here is the link to an

enjoyable article.

Random Cape Beauty

Please Left Double-Click

Identity Crisis

It's a good thing that Mambo is secure in his macho Black Russian Terrier-ness. He was mistaken for the following breeds: Portuguese Water Dog (on steroids?); Bouvier; Giant Schnauzer; Standard Poodle; English Sheep Dog (?); and Newfoundland. Okay, he is still a rare breed! The most intriguing comment, though, came from a funky young girl who sat herself next to me at an ice cream joint and then proceeded to grill me about the breed. She believed that she had finally found the dog meant to be in her family, as her Dad is Black and Russian! He later came over to introduce himself, affording us a good laugh and the discovery of a New York neighbor. Gotta luv it!

Carpe Diem

Sunsets in our borrowed backyard are something to treasure, each different from the last. Upon descending to the bay beach after the big orange ball disappeared, we were treated to yet another unique light show.

Prolific Seals-Watch & Listen!

Today's brilliance seemed to be appreciated by the seal population at Head Of The Meadow beach. Their numbers are increasing quickly; and the Rangers of the National Seashore spend a lot of time protecting them from gawkers and their pets. Yes; Mambo accompanies us to the Cape because of the pet-friendly beaches here.

Please be sure to listen to the video at the end of this entry. The seals are noisy, emanating a mournful sound, such as that of a foghorn or mourning dove. It's a tad eerie; but they are immensely intriguing and very peaceful creatures. We'll miss them till next year.

We Love Our Dunes

Backyard-By-The-Bay Morning

Shades Of Blue

Sweet Dreams, Provincetown

Sweet Inspirations At The Lobster Pot

Salute!

The Cape In Bloom

It's A Share

Y'all have heard of swimming with the fishes. Well, we share our Cape space with the seals. This is especially true at the remote beaches we manage to find. The signs tell us not to stare, but we've discovered that the seals are the ones to find us intriguing! They sometimes hang out by our spot in the sand for entire days and evenings. Just gotta luv ole Cape Cod.

Mid-August..Private Cape Cod Beach

Just Move Me When The Tide Comes In

It Feels Like Home

Just Smell That Salt Air!

Travelin' Man

A trip with Mambo is...well...it's a trip! He makes new friends wherever he goes; and, he receives complimentary ice cream sundaes! Gotta love the adventure.

Happy Birthday, Bri!

YOU, your day and your unique Son-shine.... blessings in our lives for which we are eternally grateful. Though we celebrated in multiples, a virtual hug just doesn't cut it on the actual day, but will have to suffice. Let's hope the Sun graces your sibling picnic today.... wish we could be in two places at one time. Thought you'd love a reminder of how early you seemed to know what one of your successful paths in life would be. We love you so much!!

Una Pausa

Jonathan.. The Cape '08

Picture This

This dinner deserved a photo, but it's too late now, 'cause as my Dad used to say, "It's really out of this world!" Nonetheless, it's worth a try and takes only a half hour to the table:

Thinly spread or roll out some of that (link) pizza dough you have in the freezer. :-) Spray with EVOO and season, as desired. Pop into a hot oven and check often, as it will bake fast.

Sauté a pound of lean ground sirloin in some EVOO; splash with Balsamic vinegar. When lightly browned and not too well done, add about 1/2 cup white wine and 1/2 box Far East plain couscous; season with whatever you like; turn off heat; cover pan. After about ten minutes, add one box chopped Pomì's, fresh chives or parsley, ground pepper, and salt (optional). Simmer for about five minutes. Break and serve crust like a board bread to accompany meat mixture, with a big salad (Seinfeld's Elaine!) on the side; perfect!

A Day For Emotional Gratitude

(Link) Today'sNY-TIMES

Do You WOOT?

ONE DAY...ONE DEAL

Link above for an interesting concept in online buying.

Dipladenia

New to me this year, this gorgeous vine produces wonderful pink flowers and can winter indoors. Enhancing it in my pots is yet another variety of the Ornamental Sweet Potato Vine, a perennial that also makes a great ground cover.

Relatives

Yet more trivia: This particular Ornamental Sweet Potato Vine, with its little pink flowers and heart-shaped leaves, is related to the Morning Glory. Yes; I see the resemblance!

The Accomplished News Today

Cousin Khrista accompanied her friend, (link) Elaine, as she swam the English Channel yesterday. It was nerve-wracking to know that Coz was floating about on the P40; it was mind-blowing to think of her friend in the water for what ended up being an amazing accomplishment at just under 14 hours.

Hearty Congratulations, Elaine; your news is spreading fast!

Next Up

The reliable Rose of Sharon, a deciduous shrub, grows like a weed in Long Island's sandy soil, reseeding itself in lawns and distant beds. However, in the hardpan soil of upstate NY, it is not quite as abundant, and it borders on the exotic! Here are two gorgeous varieties, both blooming in our garden today. When the buds begin to open, no calendar is necessary to say, "It must be August!"

"Look, Mom, my human found my eyes!"

Mambo further says, "So much the better for finding red bark mulch in which to rub my beard! Woof."

Al Fresco

In keeping with the tent we set up (albeit indoors) for the g'kids, we decided to complete our retro-style Friday Night Date Night with a drive-in movie. Did I say drive-in movie?

Last time Joe and I did such a date night with our own kids, it cost five bucks per carload and the speaker came into the car, delivering scratchy, barely-audible sound. Well, not to be repetitious, but again, the times they are a-changin' (Man, was that Dylan before his time!).

Seven bucks is the going price-per, even for a four-year-old. So, we coughed up our $28 and found our way down the extremely muddy path to "G-Force", yet another Disney flick with rats; okay, they were guinea pigs. It took us about ten minutes to find the FM station that has replaced the speaker; twenty minutes to de-fog the car windows; thirty minutes to get the kids arranged, with food and drink, sleeping bags, etc. Then it began; that is, the Guinness-worthy pout delivered by our six-year-old g'daughter, accompanied by more "I wanna go home" comments than we can possibly count. The little guy was happy, but only because he was munching away on animal crackers. The minute, and I mean minute, they were gone, he chimed in with his sis. At that point, we had been there for a total of an hour! Well, we tortured them to the end of Disney. That was the best 28-dollar laugh we've had in a long time!

The tent, on the other hand, was a huge success. They actually "camped" all night long, till 7:30 a.m. the next morning. It was sweet to witness; and they've requested it as a staple for sleepovers. Okay, we were one-for-two; Part Three to follow.

We were all four rewarded by a brilliant and sunny Saturday. The pool felt good; the kids had a blast. When Little Missy began speaking about the movie, I was astounded to discover that she actually knew what had transpired, commenting, "You mean you were actually watching the movie, through all that whining and pouting?" She laughed and responded, "Yes, G'ma; I liked the movie, just not the drive-in!" Ah, remember Art Linkletter? KIDS SAY THE DARNDEST THINGS! Yes! They truly do.

Today, it's raining again; but that's okay. If nothing else, Monsoon Season has taught us to really enjoy every minute of Sunshine in a literal sense. Figuratively speaking, though, the Sunshine in and of our lives abounds.