Summer Solstice ☼ A 50-SPF Day

Yippee!! It's officially summer. 

What better way to break in my all-time favorite season than to have Aubs and Gav test the water and try out a new raft?! Gramps chose well, as many a new game was spawned.

We're Trying With Our BabyGrands ♡

WITH Photo, taken last night... love Chevy's slogan!

WITH - We're Committed

It's Our Turn - Clematis

What Are The Chances? Sixty or Fewer...

Photo-Nikon's Small World Competition

We recently waited till the last possible moment to leave the beach, for Neil. Joe noticed a 60-something couple sharing space with us; the Mr. was wearing a Massapequa sweatshirt. Ah, my old home town, where I grew up on Unqua Lake, experiencing a very happy childhood. 

After a few introductory words, we began chatting it up, big-time. Turns out he graduated Massapequa High with my brother, whom he knew.... and.... he is still close friends with our then-neighbor, who resided at 60 Block Boulevard, also a childhood friend of Ronnie's. We lived at 44 Block.

How few degrees of separation in this small world we share... what're the chances, in a crowd of 10,000 plus?

WITH 1 - Walk In The Hood

Joe and I took a Walk In The Hood, tonight. Long days and bright nights are so inspiring. We brought along Nik(on), and I was an exceptionally happy camper. It's amazing how a camera's presence can give new life to everyday sights... right here in our own neighborhood. Won't you please come along WITH us?

A pond of runoff rainwater is full of plant and animal life. This evening, it captured Old Sol's first appearance of the day. How pretty-ful the reflections amongst the lily pads.

A tad further down Bridgeville Road, a local chainsaw artist is taking advantage of trunks left behind after NYSEG's tree-thinning project. His current work in progress is a life-size German Shepherd. If you're local, he'll craft anything your little heart desires... bears, eagles, totem poles, etc. Bring a photo or a suggestion. He's quite talented.

Tricolor G-F Quinoa Salad

Everything turned out so delicious, for our Dad's Day celebration. My amusing less-is-more garden is producing herbs like crazy, and they are enhancing many a recipe. I made a wicked penne-pasta salad with a healthy fistful of chopped chives, basil and parsley that I left in the strainer, after rinsing. The greens were blanched when I drained the hot pasta over them. Afterwards, I added veggies and dressed the whole shebang with a delicious mustard vinaigrette... even Chloe loved that one. I digress... back to quinoa...

I rinsed 2 cups of this fab Trader's product and sautéed in my rice cooker in 1/4 cup EVOO, till it smelled nutty. Then, I added 2 cups water/2 cups chicken broth and a short hit of salt, covered and simmered till liquid was absorbed. While hot, I stirred in my chopped herbs, as above, along with white balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, freshly ground pepper and frozen Trader's peas. More oil is unnecessary, as it has already flavored the quinoa, while cooking. That's it!

WOW! It was great warm... even better chilled... and the next day??? It was simply outrageous.

Photo promised, this coming weekend, when I'll be making this gluten-free goodie once again, for a little par-tay at Lake Minne... 

And here we go, with an update on June 22nd. I made a huge batch for tomorrow, this time spreading on a cookie sheet to cool, thus avoiding overcooking that would turn the dish to mush. 

Also added roasted red peppers...

Did you know that quinoa is not a grain but actually a seed that can be sprouted? I noticed little sprouts, last weekend, a fact that led me to research this ancient food. Check out my photo... what do you see? Please left double-click to enlarge, if you need a closer look.

Buon Appetito...Dine Al Fresco

Ribs - A Recipe

Succulent ribs, pre-cooked and ready for a quick finish...

On Saturday, I made spareribs for the guys. Here's my method:

Split a rack of ribs (we prefer the unseasoned cryovac product) into two halves, to be cut into singles before last stage of cooking. For the grill, place on foil and cook on low for at least two hours, turning a couple of times. For the oven, it's the same treatment, but on a pan.

To finish, place directly onto a medium grill and baste several times with Balsamic Vinegar, till well glazed and flavored, turning once... this for about half an hour.

That's it! I promise... they are delicious and minus the salts, sugars and other nasty ingredients that many barbecue sauces contained. Joe and Christian loved them and ordered up a double-batch for our rendezvous at Minne, this coming weekend. Food-photo to come.

To Note:  Fresh ribs can be pre-cooked, cooled and frozen, readying them for event-day completion. Don't want to grill them? Toss them in sauce, with no worries... fat has been cooked out and results shall be succulent. 

Dine al fresco... it's summertime!

A Special Recipe - Fruit Salad ♥

Always In My Heart

Birds

Wish I could take credit for this shot!

We took a rowboat ride over to the island, yesterday. It was amazing to witness the abundance of bird-life that exists there. As soon as we landed, a flurry of activity and noise began. I opted to pass on the hike through thick foliage. This proved to be an excellent decision... 


Lots of unusual notes brought my attention to the treetops, where I saw a pair of Baltimore Orioles either frolicking about or protesting my presence. I'd left my camera behind, so as to avoid risk of water damage. 'Tis a pity, 'cause in our four decades of birdwatching, this is only the second pair of gorgeous orange birds I've ever spotted in the wild. What a treat!

Mouths Of Babes ♥

It was a gorgeous day at the lake. Just look at the smiles that enhanced blue skies, brilliant sunshine and mid-seventies temps. "Big Nanny" was clearly enjoying time spent!

What a great way to kick off summer activities, at the same time celebrating a couple of fantastic, appreciated and well-loved Dads, this Father's Day weekend. 

"I Love You" was the mantra of the day, expressed repeatedly. And when it came time to give hugs and kisses to last till the next visit, Hunter said to me, 


"I love you, G'ma. You're so cute."

Imagine my afterglow... giving thanks.

♥

Penny For Your Thoughts

Canoodlin' in the Coping

Nothing empties out a swimming pool faster than snakes. Trust me! And nothing seems to enjoy the well that is created where coping meets patio more than slithery ones. Trust me! But before sunning themselves, they first snooze in the thickest of foliage, where pachysandra meets rose and potentilla. Used to be that I'd step barefoot into my gardens, for weeding and thinning purposes. Now? Forget it! I poke and prod to startle the critters away before they possess the shock factor.

Try as I might to make friends with innocent, helpful garter snakes, still they give me the heebie-jeebies. Capturing their canoodling is a step towards peace. Ya think?

To Note: As soon as this photo was taken, earlier this morning, Joe tossed the Mr. and Mrs. into the woods, in the hope that they'd consider taking up residence elsewhere. This, my Friends, would be true peace. Shudder.

 In addition, this is the ONLY species I can tolerate. I claim ignorance, when it comes to identifying what is or is not poisonous and dangerous. BabyGrand safety first...

Today

Give Old Glory some extra lovin'... it's Flag Day.

Time Travel

It seems to me that we blink and voilà - another month has gone by. Or, in this case, make that two months. Grand Jury duty has been completed. Eight weeks vanished in a heartbeat. But then...

There are speed bumps to slow us down. Consider Long Island traffic on a Friday afternoon. It is brutal, and we complain about a half-hour delay. But hey, New York is a happening place. When the Direct TV blimp is floating amongst the clouds, events abound: the Yankees might be playing the Mets; the Belmont Stakes might be scheduled; and/or an old rock star might be playing at the beach. Ahem. And then...

There are the slowly turning wheels of justice. If you are afforded the opportunity to serve on the unique jury that weighs evidence, do take advantage and willingly report for duty; it's a crime to ignore the summons. It's enlightening and brings a better understanding of a painstaking process that strives towards justice for all. It's interesting - I learned. It's frightening - crime is rampant.

What's that? It's the middle of June? Oh my, the Friday of Summer is halfway past. Time. It's precious, eh?

To Note: All captures in this entry were taken through the windshield that Joe so kindly cleaned, prior to our trip to Jones Beach, last weekend. Hey, can't waste the precious commodity known as "time"... have to take advantage, each and every time that a photo op presents itself! 

Encore!

Aubrey looked gorgeous, as she took the stage for her Spring Concert, held this evening at MHS. The combined effort of fourth (Aubs) and fifth graders was terrific! 

'Twas deja vu when forever-young Mr. Rovitz picked up his sax to play with the fifth-grade band. He taught Brian ('88) and Christian ('91), as well. It was pointed out to the children and their guests that music is timeless and a great equalizer. Whether one has played an instrument for thirty years or a mere three, he or she can jam with the finest, at any time and any place.

Thanks for a great evening, Sugar. You too, Gav!

♥♥

FIFTY SHADES of Do I Stand Alone?

It qualifies as Water Cooler Easy-Speak. People claim to be bleary-eyed from reading it and its two sequels in as many days... on their iPhones, no less. Can you imagine? Well, I didn't find it quite so compelling. It took me a few weeks of pick-up reading to get through Book 1. Nonetheless, I did and shall probably catch the rest of the series... but not for some time. Why? The author is lightyears away from being a word-crafter, with a nasty habit of repeating meaningless descriptions, ad nauseam - painful consumption. Okay, already... we get the visuals. And there's another problem...

Ana and her perverted lover do not interest this observer. I don't care about the outcome of their story - total detachment. On the other hand...

Without spoiler warnings, many online reviewers have chosen to opine in a way that reveals The End. I'll spare y'all the details, but it might include a role reversal - salvation. All this aside...

Along with many, I find the educational aspect of the book to be boundless. Yep, I must say that I've been sheltered from the deep, disheartening knowledge of porn tactics designed to demean. Dom/Sub. Master/Slave. Oops, I'm repeating myself; the tendency must be contagious - boredom? But hey...

There'll always be something to chat about with over ten million others - success?

Neil Diamond - Still

Ah, the endless influx of childhood memories began the moment we hit the Meadowbrook Parkway. At the sight of the tower, I was already spellbound. The Feel Of Neil had begun. With plenty of time till the show, we grabbed our greasy boardwalk food and headed for the sand. This quickly became my favorite venue. 
BLISS. 

If nothing else, I've mastered the ability to score the best-of-the-best seats to see Neil in concert. Joe is still talking about my last-minute purchase for the Nikon Theater at Jones Beach. 
PERFECTION.

Soolaimon! The Band hit the stage and thundering sounds of a welcoming message began. Neil appeared and worldly issues were dismissed for a soothing couple of hours. 
PEACE.

Friday, June 8th, Nikon Theater at Jones Beach... Phone-Photo by Joe

Neil will know when it's time to stop delivering the goods. It's not time. He tweaked his two-hour show of non-stop hits to perfection. He delivered Girl without the girl. A still-rousing-but-age-appropriate version of Brother Love brought us to church. Glory Road, still being paved to Beautiful Noise, was sung and received as though for the first time. He thought It's Gonna Rain Today, but it didn't. 
IMPECCABLE. 

Morningside and Holy Holy. Wow! Is it possible that the voice is richer? Or is it the emotion that builds in seventy-one years that enhances the old, thoughtful lyrics? 
HIGHLIGHTS.

An awesome evening was followed by a great night and day at Hotel Kimberly, where we did some much needed catching up. So you think that's The End, right? No, 'cause just this morning, my Neil Diamond Iris was in full bloom, here at the Old Homestead. And tonight, Kim will be sharing space with Mr. D. 
ROCK ON.

Yeah, yeah, Joe and I've Been This Way Before, with the constant of a shared enjoyment of music that has defined our 45-year marriage. We love it... 
STILL.


Giving thanks.

Neil At The Beach

For now, suffice it to say that last night's show was IMPECCABLE. I'm still on an indescribable high. I'll be back with a few pictures and an expression of so very many sentiments to share; I promise. 

Less Is More - Saucy Garden

It's true, we started out with a huge veggie garden, here at The Old Homestead. Ever-growing, shade-producing trees forced many a move. However, after planting inside the pool gate one year, we did have a banner crop of tomatoes well into November. Then came a vacationing summer, during which we lost everything edible. One just can't rely on hired help to water! Oooh-kay, so a couple seasons were reserved for blossoms only. Then...

Watch Me Grow To Abundance!!

Christian and Dawn gifted us a patio wood burner. Very pretty. But honestly, if it's cold enough to need a fire, we move indoors. Just had to put it to use...

Joe complied with my request to drill holes in its bottom, after which I planted a mini sauce-garden of patio tomatoes, parsley and basil, with a few ornamental plants for further aesthetics. So, you're laughing, are ya? Well...

We had an awesome first-sauce on Sunday night, made with a fistful of parsley, basil and chives (from another bed)... all blended in my Cuisinart with olive oil and pepper, and then mixed with a box of tomatoes. Pure pesto would have been good with pine nuts, but I need to gently introduce Joe into all that green! I heated the sauce quickly - it's imperative to leave the herbs nearly raw, so you don't want it to cook, per se. We had it over linguine... squisito!

When the tomatoes are ready, I plan on lots of cold sauce, marinated all day with garlic... or salads of the same ingredients... all from our less-is-more garden.

Still laughin'? Buon Appetito! Remember to dine al fresco.

Whose Wings Are These?

It's breakfast-time at the Ranch. The birds are a-chirphin', the cats are a-stalkin' and the flowers are awaitin' Hummingbird's arrival. 

Out in the wildness of our property's peninsula, I noticed a lot of commotion. Two Pileated Woodies were going at each other, in attempt to devour even more of a tree that is obviously near extinction. What a life.

Long-distance shots from inside afforded me this photo

 and my first ever Woody-wingspan capture.

Meanwhile, our neighborhood's Jelly stalked the stone wall, where Munk loves to cavort with great frequency; and...

I've spotted both the male and female Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds at our kitchen-window Impatiens, each too quick for my lens. The Mrs. dominates in size; but the Mr. wins the beauty contest, with his red patch and coloring.  Soon, I'll make a proper capture. For now, it's time for egg-whites. Catch y'all later.

I Caved

Yeah, yeah, I was gonna skip this tour. It was all talk. First leg... first reviews... PARADE... the power of suggestion in a diamond gem of a jubilee in the UK... I caved. See ya, Neil Diamond, from our orchestra seats at the beach. Diamonds are for-ev-ah... and...

I love a parade...


But, be careful, Dude! That quote about your demanding ways is sounding a tad FIFTY SHADES...

Troubadour

Another favorite Mr. D. was in good company this past week, when he received the highest of civilian honors... The Presidential Medal Of Freedom. Well deserved, I'd say. Just listen, when you have a week or so, to enjoy his catalogue of deep and meaningful poetry. Congratulations, Bob Dylan. You rock... still.

Screen Capture From Video

Extended Birthday Lovin' For G'pa ♥

We had a great time!! Thanks, Guys 'n' Gals... we love you all.

Photo by Bri

Kissing Cousins??

Y'all might recall hard-working Hunter's (link) visit, a few weeks ago. There's yet another story to tell...

When he and Gramps went into the shed to access lawn gear, there was a chattering woodchuck with glaring eyes perched on a shelf. We knew he resided in this luxury condo; but Joe forgot to pound on the door, prior to opening. Our Little Man is still inquiring about Woody.

Well, it seems that fatso moved on - but not before he ate a few pool floats and spread seed and dirt in his abode. Several times this week, I saw Woody, Jr., crossing the road near my neighbor's. I've no photo proof; but...

Golden Memories of Little Black Sambo and The Tiger (link below)

A (link) junior tiger lurking in our garden beds has been far more accommodating. He does not yet know to fear me and afforded quite the interesting little photo shoot, this morning. For now, he's cute. Let's see what Woody's little cousin has the ability to devour...

"How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?"

Are you smiling, Daddy? ♥