They put the romantic in Willimantic!

At my usual stop at the Willimantic Reservoir/Airport path today after work for my jog I saw a pretty cool thing. It made me smile from ear to ear - not at first, but eventually!

There was a couple ahead of me...walking very slowly... the lady looked uncomfortable and was wearing even more uncomfortable looking sandals... They were holding hands.

My initial, impatient reaction was "get out of my way slowpokes".

Like I should talk about being a slowpoke! Although I am fast and efficient at accomplishing most things. jogging is not one of them. I have one speed jogging - s l o w....

I passed them and went along my way, out to the end and back.

Coming back, I passed them again - face to face. This time I was feeling pretty good, with the positive effects of my daily jog kicking in.

I noticed something. The gal was quite pregnant - no wonder she was walking so slowly and looked so uncomfortable when I went by them the first time! They were still holding hands and still going very slowly. She remarked to him how nice it felt to be out for a walk on such a nice day.

Nice indeed.

I am a Putnamaniac because I saw a couple who put the romantic in Willimantic this afternoon!

Oyster Shuck-Off is close at hand - May 6th!

Have you ever tried to shuck anything??

It is not easy.

Of course, coming from RI, growing up near the Narragansett Bay, and having been married to a quahoger for a short time many years ago, I have tried shucking little necks (quahogs). I have also opened scallops. None of it is easy!

Have you ever looked at an oyster?? They look impossible to open with a knife, and it also looks like it might be pretty easy to slice the palm of your own hand in doing so. Who was the first guy (probably an American Indian of some variety) that looked at an oyster and thought "mmmm, I think we should try to eat this".

Yuck - I would have stuck with the dandelions and berries!

However, oysters are a big delicacy for many people, and a good old fashioned oyster shucking contest always brings a crowd.

The fabulous Putnam restaurant, 85 Main, will be hosting another shuck-off on Sunday, May 6th. It draws a big crowd and offers a ton of fun!

Here are their flyers:

Here is a link to the 85 Main Oyster Shuck-Off page, where there is an application, if you would like to try your hand at shucking!

Another great excuse to visit Putnam and have a great time!

I am a Putnamaniac that loves all the fun events so close at hand, like The Oyster Shuck-Off!

Would you be this brave?

Today I met three generations of a Russian family that recently moved to Putnam.

They are depending upon the youngest of the group, a boy of about 12 years old, to do the major amount of communication for them all.

This boy is doing very well with the responsibility given him by the family.

Clearly they are a close knit bunch, and I am sure with this transition, they are closer than ever.

I am so glad they are in Putnam, which I hope they will come to love as I do. 

Would you be so brave to do such a thing as this?

I moved from RI to CT years ago. That was a small move, and a good one for me. However, I did not have as much luck with my "big" move to PA. I met some wonderful people that I miss all the time, but I moved back to CT very quickly. I would not be brave enough to move to a new country all by myself.

What do you think of this?

I am very impressed with these brave people, most of all the young son that is aiding them greatly!

I am a Putnamaniac that is impressed with the bravery of those who leave their country to come to the USA, and hope they love Putnam as much as I do!

First Friday time! From May through December, enjoy the First Friday of every month in Putnamania!

It is almost that time of year in Putnamania again!

First Fridays!!

Plan your visits now, because starting on Friday, May 4th, the First Friday Fun begins!

What exactly are First Fridays?

On the First Friday of every month, from May through December, downtown Putnam is hopping with entertainment, singing, musicians, art shows, dancing, demonstrations, and all sorts of store & restaurant specials.

No two months are ever the same.

It is always a great time. It is family friendly!

What a great way to get to know Putnam.

There is plenty of municipal parking, and all the entertainment and fun is right here.

Your first friday visit to Putnamania will not be your last!

I am a Putnamaniac that loves the family friendly fun on First Fridays!

Was your mother also a scientist, skilled in the field of food portion distribution?

I was at an event recently and saw a mother dividing up a goody amongst her three young children.

Her hands were steady and her eyes were sharp.

These skills were acquired from necessity. With 3 children each looking for their fair share, a mother has no choice but to divide evenly. 

My mom used to have to divide things between 4 of us children.

My mom's mom used to have to divide things between 6 children.

It is pretty clear that any mother with more than 1 child must also be a highly skilled scientist.

Was your mom like is?

If you are a mother, did you do the same thing for your kids?

 I am a Putnamaniac because my mom was most certainly a skilled scientist in the field of equal food portion distribution!

Book Sale at St. James this weekend - for book lovers and bargain hunters!

If you love books and if you love a bargain, St. James in Killingly is the place to be this weekend!

They have gazillions of books to choose from and ridiculously low prices...like from 25 cents to a one dollar each in most cases.

And just think, once you have enjoyed these treasures, you can pass them on to a friend, or better yet, re-donate them so they can be resold at next year's book sale!

The details:

When:
Saturday, April 28, from 10 am - 6 pm
Sunday, April 29, from 7 am - noon

Where:
St. James Church Hall, Franklin Street, Danielson, CT

Books of all varieties!

Also Featuring Baker’s Dozen Coffees & Homemade Pastries

Pass it on - reading is fundamental - especially with great prices and proceeds going to a good cause.

I am a Putnamaniac because the St. James Book Sale this weekend is a great place for book lovers and bargain hunters!

Digging for Israel Putnam's Buried Treasure!

The Renegade Garden in my condo's back yard requires lots of digging, mostly through a gazillion rocks.

Secretly I hope to find Revolutionary War hero Israel Putnam's buried treasure.

Doesn't he look like a guy that would have buried some treasure along his trails??

So far I have had no luck in finding buried treasure, however I have uncovered many of these fine geological delights:

One really cool rock has the imprint of a long ago fern embeded into it. I love it! However I am sure that I would love to find a box of love letters that Israel Putnam intended to send to his true love while he traveled about the countrysides, doing heroic acts.

There is a ton of history about Israel Putnam throughout CT, and this website has quite a bit of info and other interesting links. Check it out to read about Israel, who frequented some of the same areas that this Putnamaniac has.

My favorite Israel Putnam story is that he crawled into a wolf den to kill the wolves that were killing many local farmers sheep! I drive past Wolf Den Road every day, on my way to and from work. This keeps the old hero fresh in my mind daily!  Here is a great youtube video showing this infamous wolf den. The narrator is great!

So, I will keep digging for treasures, whether they are old love letters, buried gold pieces, or even just some local history. Imagine life in those days!! Such a difference from today.

I am a Putnamaniac that loves to dig for buried treasures of all sorts in my Renegade Garden!

A good attitude goes a long way - it even travels through phone lines!

One of the vendors/suppliers that I deal with at work is one of those guys that always changes your day for the better.

I am sure he changes everyone's day for the better when they have contact with him.

What does he do that is so special????

He is always positive, pleasant, and good natured. That positivity comes right through the phone lines and gives me a boost of it myself!

Once I teased him about being so good humored.

He told me that he makes a choice to be positive. He finds it makes his life much more enjoyable.

I agree with him. It is far too easy to wander down the angry path and into that evil rabbit hole.

I also choose to focus on staying positive, not only in public, but even within the confines of my own mind. That can sometimes be a bigger challenge, but I can do it, and so can you - if you choose.

I am a Putnamaniac that likes positive people with good attitudes - it is work, but well worth it!

Honesty of kids - even when it is not too glamorous or flattering!

Today I was working away at the Habitat ReStore in Putnamania.

We have very limited space, so it is key to keep moving things around, trying to make the best use of our space, while displaying things in a fashion pleasing to the eye. (That is my forte').

I was restacking a big pile of gorgeous, black, granite thresholds, donated by the Lowe's warehouse in Plainfield, CT. (They donate a LOT of product to the Habitat ReStore in Putnam). As an example of the ReStore's great prices - these thresholds sell for approx $46+ at Lowe's. Our ReStore is selling them for $10. They are brand new, still in the packaging. Premium stuff.

These thresholds are heavy, and bundled in packages of 4, each bundle was about 80 lbs. I was dripping with sweat!

A small boy approached me as I was huffing and puffing, and sweating. He said quite innocently and honestly, "why is so much water on your face?"   Apparently he never saw a person sweat before!

Kids can just be so honest... and when they are that little, they mean no harm, nor are they being malicious - they are just speaking honestly.

It made me think of the time when I was attending a shower of some kind (baby shower or wedding shower). I was on the floor, reading to a little girl on my lap. After I finished the story, she turned to me, placing her tiny & soft hands on my face... and said "What a nice mustache you have"!!  What can you say to that, but "Thank you"!

You must love the innocence and honesty of kids!

I am a Putnamaniac that loves the honestly of kids, even when it is not very flattering to me!

Drive in movies - fun days of the past!

The book I am now reading is The Cider House Rules.

It is great - very sad - make you think - a lot. How will it end???? I can't wait to find out.

(There is a Cider House Rules movie that was made as well, although I have never seen it, since I always prefer books instead).

One awesome passage in the book is when teens Candy & Wally take their new friend Homer Wells to his first drive in movie ever. It is a jaw dropping passage like a lot of passages in this book are. Imagine a 20-something year old, orphan all his life, never having been to a movie, let alone to a drive in movie.

The things we take for granted in life.

I started thinking about drive in movies, and all the memories that I don't want to take for granted.

We had two drive ins near where I grew up in North Kingstown, RI. The Quonset Drive In (located just off Route 1 near the entrance to the Quonset Point Base), as well as the Hilltop Drive In on Route 1 on the NK/EG line. 

As little kids we'd get dressed in our jammies, loaded into the station wagon, and went to the Drive In to see the latest Disney movies like Herbie the Love Bug Movie or Benji. It was awesome...

As a teenager, I remember seeing Rocky there for the first time, with some great friends, two of whom were making out in the back seat! Obviously I always walked to a different drummer and preferred to watch the movie instead of smooching it up... there was no way I was missing out on Rocky for a few smooches!

We also had an inventive and self entertaining neighborhood. The Blaine family had a ton of kids and their parents let us have our own sit in (vs drive in movies)... Since we were too young to drive, they'd let us set up the tv outside and watch the Saturday night movie around the picnic table. I saw the movie M*A*S*H for the first time there.

So, although Putnam does not have a drive in movie theater, it does have a great library, which offers me great books - and even movies to take home so I can have drive in movies in my own home sweet home.

Thank goodness for great books that get you thinking about things - like your drive in movie days!

I am a Putnamaniac that loves to expand my mind with literature and reminisce with it as well - especially about all my old drive in movie days!

I'm off to Urinetown (and, no, I do not have to tinkle)!

I am off to see Urinetown the musical, now playing at the Black Box Theater, just a couple of miles away from this Putnamaniac's condo.

Because I prefer to be dazzled by a show the first time I see it, I have not researched what Urinetown is about... I love to enjoy something the first time I experience it.

The guarantee I can depend on is that this production will be fantastic! Every show I have ever seen at the Black Box Theater is top shelf. That is why I got myself a season's ticket. I do not want to miss out on any show - ever.

If you enjoy a nice night out - dinner and a show, without having to battle traffic, sell one of your children to pay for it, and enjoy a beautiful & scenic area, then I suggest visiting Putnamania!

I will see you around!

I am a Putnamaniac that is off to see Urinetown at The Black Box Theater!

Earth Day Clean Ups - How 'bout Every Day Clean Ups?

With Earth Day being April 22nd this year, there are all sorts of Earth Day Clean Up activities planned throughout the month and the region - and probably all over the Earth Day loving world for that matter.

You can see the details and clean ups scheduled local to Putnamania on The Last Green Valley's link here. 

Putnam itself will be holding a beautification day on Saturday, April 28th.
(Wait - Can Putnamania become even more beautiful???).

I got these details from WINY Radio's website:

PUTNAM BEAUTIFICATION DAY
SPONSORED BY PUTNAM BUSINESS ASSOCIATION, TOWN OF PUTNAM AND THE LAST GREEN VALLEY
SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
PARTICIPANTS SHOULD MEET AT 8 A.M. AT ROTARY PARK
FOLLOWED BY A VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION LUNCH AT 12 NOON IN ROTARY PARK.
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO VOLUNTEER
CALL ANNA ZUBKOVA AT 860-928-3777

I plan on helping out if I am available.

These clean up days are great, however, I think we should keep stuff clean all year round. If no one dumped junk or threw things out their car windows, we'd have a lot less cleaning up to do.  Our world is beautiful, so let us keep it that way!

I am a Putnamaniac because I think we should keep Putnamania and everywhere beautiful and clean every day!

So many fun things coming up - Your calendar can be this busy!!!

Putnamania is hopping!!!

There is so much to do, that I can't even start to list them all - but some of these fun things are:

River Fires, Saturdays July 14, August 11, September 8

Fireworks, Sunday July 1, downtown Putnam

Parade, Monday May 28, downtown Putnam

Oyster Fest, Sunday May 6 in Rotary Park

Bradley Theather shows - coming up: The Sunshine Boys, The Sound of Music, Witness for the Prosecution, Scrooge & Marley A Christmas Carol

Black Box Theater shows- coming up: Spring Awakening, Ave Q, Time Stands Still, Rocky, KOB, Rent

Car cruise - with a gazillion classic cars to see, plus burn outs and motorcycles, too. Sunday August 12, downtown Putnam


....the list goes on and on and on.....and I guess you must get the picture that there is a lot of fun stuff to do in the Quiet Corner. There is something for everyone!

You will certainly work up an appetite when you visit, so don't forget to feast at one of the many great  distributors of deliciousness - such as: The Courthouse Bar & Grille, 85 Main, Someplace Special, Bella's Bistro... many of these have relaxing patios, so you can relax and refortify inside or outside.

A great source of the activities is the calendar on WINY Radio's website. Use the calendar, or scroll down to see all the events that you just must attend! Plan your Putnamania visit!

What will you choose to visit Putnamania for???? I'll see you then! I hope your calendar if filled with Putnamania fun since there is so much available!

I am a Putnamaniac because there is endless fun, happening right now as well as something always coming up to look forward to!

Are you a solo - or crowd - or both - type of person?

How do you operate best?

Do you enjoy being surrounded by others always, or do you enjoy time just by yourself?

Since I was a kid, I've been more of a "solo" person.

Although I had some great friends as a kid and in school, I went through my teen years without being attached to anyone at the hip. I wasn't on the phone constantly, I didn't need to always have someone with me...

I grew into the same sort of grown up. I enjoy family and friends, but don't need to spend every second with them or talking to them.

These thoughts came to me the other morning when I was out jogging - by myself.  Reflecting back I realized I only ever jogged with one other person in my life! We'd go for a run at the tree farm where we worked together, after working all day out in the hot sun. We somehow talked ourselves into the idea that we were having fun jogging up the hills - and so we had fun! (By the way - she is training for her 1st marathon now, coming up in May. She is amazing)! 

When I was young, I used to feel bad about being a solo-er like this, like maybe something was really wrong with my social development. But as you age, you figure yourself out. You stop trying to be what someone else is, and you quit trying to do what others do.

If you are lucky, you use how you are to your advantage and have a good life!

Hopefully you have figured yourself out, make it work, and enjoy a pretty good life!

This is good advice: "It is better to be happy alone, than unhappy with someone", and I don't know if Marilyn Monroe really believed that or not - I hope she did.

I am a Putnamaniac that loves people, but also loves solo time by herself!

I just love people!

I just love people. They are so amazing just being their happy selves sometimes.

Today after work, on my jog at the reservoir/airport, there was a group of elderly special needs folks out for a walk with their care takers/companions. One very old grey headed fellow, with a very drippy nose, walked along looking so happy to be out on this fine day, holding hands with his care taker (a man of about 40-ish). Oh my goodness...that just made me so happy to see that sight.

As I entered Putnam, the River Walk was loaded!

A few things that stood out to me:
A busy family taking some time together - the mom holding hands with the little toddler of a daughter, and the dad had the dog on the leash.
Two elderly men, sitting in their chairs (one chair was actually a walker that converted into a seat when he needed a rest), watching the traffic (both  vehicles on Kennedy Drive & walkers on the River Trail going by.  One pal clearly brought his buddy out to enjoy the great day! How nice!

There were smiles everywhere. Happy people everywhere. Sights like that just reach right down deep into my core and make me so happy I could cry. 

Look around at people you see, and you won't be able to resist. You will love people, too!

 

I am a Putnamaniac because I just love the people here in Northeast CT!

I don't like Spiders and Snakes!

This silly song was popular when I was a kid - I don't like spiders and snakes - by Jim Stafford. 

And so we took a stroll
Wound up down by the swimmin' hole
And she said, "Do what you want to do"
I got silly and I found a frog
In the water by a hollow log
And I shook it at her
And I said "This frog's for you"

She said, "I don't like spiders and snakes"...

Did you ever hear this song? Click here to see Jim Stafford perform it on an old Smothers Brothers show. 

I'm thinking about this song and Spiders and Snakes because it is the season!

 

I saw my first snake of the season today - lucky for me and unlucky for the snake, it was dead in the road. 

Living with woods and the river for my backyard, I get all sorts of spiders. We have an ongoing battle! They weave delightful webs on my windows, and I tear them down.

The coolest snakes I ever saw were at the tree farm a few years back. I was carrying my bucket of fertilizer, going from tree to tree, up and down each row, from field to field - you get the idea. In two different fields I saw snakes wrapped around the trunk of 5-6' tall trees, near the top, sunning themselves. At first I thought that the farm boys must have put a fake snake in a tree to scare me (since they knew I am petrified). Bravely I went in for a close look, the snake stuck his forked tongue out at me, I dropped my bucket, and ran screaming and running from the field. After I recovered (my wits and my bucket), I continued on, looking all the while for more snakes in that position. Don't you know I did come across another one perched in that same fashion. It makes me wonder how many snakes I had passed over the years in the same place, but since I was looking down, I just never saw them!

Another odd snake story I heard was of a gal that opened her dishwasher and had a family of snake babies in there! YIKES!

Spiders and snakes have made many great appearances in movies. My favorite great snake movie scene is in Pee Wee Herman's Big Adventure - watch it here - Hilarious!

So, as we enter Spider and Snake season, what good stories do you have to tell of your adventures with them?

I am a Putnamaniac who does not like spiders nor snakes, although they do serve nature's purpose!

 

Dirtiness is next to the best thing EVER!

 

This saying, cleanliness is next to godliness, is pretty common. 

I have no problem with cleanliness - in my home, my files, my garage, my pretty much everything. Everything is always spotless - I like things that way, so I keep them that way. 

However, I LOVE to get myself filthy and dirty! The hotter and dirtier I am, the happier I am. 

Since I'm now a condo live-er, and I don't go to the tree farm on weekends, I do not get nearly filthy and dirty enough. I miss it!!!!

But today I got the chance, and I got filthy!!! Yahooooo! Yippeeeeee! 

I landscaped my boss's yard today (which in Marcy talk translates to getting dirty and sweaty)! What a blast. I came home filthy, bugs in my hair, dirt all over me. LOVED IT!

What is your take on getting dirty and filthy? Do you love it? It is not for everyone, so if you don't enjoy digging in the dirt like me, you just won't get why it makes me so happy. 

What is it that makes you tick, if it is not digging and getting filthy dirty?

I am an otherwise clean Putnamaniac that loves to get filthy dirty!

 

Egggggcellent fun!

I saw this cute little idea for making deviled eggs for Easter on facebook.

The creations look like little chicks hatching!

What fun!!

I made them to bring to my family Easter dinner!

Although I am over half a century old, I still like to do fun and silly things like this...all by myself.

As they say, you are only as old as you feel.

As I say, long live fun and immaturity!

I am a Putnamaniac because I love to have eggggcellent fun, all by myself!

Mockingbird Meadows alive with sounds - all kinds of sounds!

Mockingbirds are such fun and torturous birds that live with us in New England!

Just when you think you have heard a particular bird call, and search the skies wildly looking for its owner, you spot the Mockingbird.

Mockingbirds are the mimics of the bird world, like Rich Little and Frank Caliendo are in the human world.

My mom even named our family "farm" in RI "Mockingbird Meadows" since we had tons of Mockingbirds flying around and teasing us there.

There was even a famous Mockingbird song written, and this is my favorite use of the song in the classically foolish movie, Dumb and Dumber!

Click here to learn more about Mockingbirds and hear their song, too. It will drive you crazy!

I am a Putnamaniac that loves to listen to the Mockingbird calls!

Fighting for the front seat and other car misadventures....

After work tonight I stopped at the grocery store for a few things.

I witnessed a hilarious scene.

It was hilarious to me since I have not been involved in such a scene for probably at least two score and some years!

A brother and sister were causing a ruckus about just exactly who was going to sit in the front seat, and who was going to be stuck in the back seat.  The mother at the time was diplomatically stepping aside, loading the groceries, and letting the kids try to solve this very vital family situation on their own. Hilarious!

Did you used to squabble with a sibling about such a thing? Certainly us kids in Dawleyville did!

Of course, I was a kid back in the carefree days of no seat belts, and when you could sit in the way back of the station wagon - with a window that opened up and out (and occasionally slammed down on someone's knuckles).

Those carefree car days led to other mishaps once in a while...

Once rounding a corner, a car door flew open, and my brother tumbled out into the street! Luckily, there was no speed nor other vehicles involved, so my brother was scooped up and sat right back down. Think about that! This story is still the source of many a family "child abuse" stories we tease and talk about at get togethers.

On long trips of about 6 hours minimum from RI to Maine to visit our grandparents each summer, the simple torture of having to be in a car with 2 parents, 4 kids, and all our "stuff" - with NO bathroom breaks alone was bound to be fraught with mishaps - and noise!

So, I probably should feel guilty about chuckling to myself as I watched those 2 kids fighting over the front seat of the car for the ride home from the Price Chopper tonight, but it just made me laugh all the more as I recalled all my childhood days in the old Dawley family trucksters.

Do you just remember silly stuff like that sometimes and laugh? And then do you remember how important it felt at the time to be the one who got to ride in the front seat? Silly!

I am a Putnamaniac because I remember really, really, really wanting to sit in the front seat of the car driving home from the grocery store with my family!

Future Duck Grandparents are we!

Last year a duck family decided to nest under the small bush under my front window....

We noticed the egg shells, and no one was ever quite sure if the eggs hatched or if something ate them.

This year, it appears they have come back to set up life at the condos. Who knew ducks also would choose a condo over alternative living arrangements.

How do I know that they came back???

As I was walking over to my sweet neighbor's condo, two ducks flew right past me, low and down the middle of our little road, just like it was their own personal runway!  One landed and scooted under that little bush. The other kept flying around the corner of my condo and onto the woods, probably for a night out with the guys!

This is where Momma Duck is tucked under, with our future grandducks:

So, we expectant grandparents here at Sabin Landing, will await the little quack, quack, quacks of our future grandducks!

I am a Putnamaniac because I am part of a big group of expectant grandparents to some ducks who seem to know a great place to live when they find it!

Putnam Little League cleans up their fields in prep of a new season!

As I jogged past the little league field on Recreation Park Road this weekend, I saw all sorts of players and parents readying the field for another year of fun!

Rakes, bags, dirt, shovels, work gloves - all the tools of the field preparation trade.
These will soon be traded for hats, baseball gloves, bats, uniforms - all the tools of the little leaguers.

This is what the Putnam little league website has to say:

Putnam Little league is committed to providing quality baseball and softball instruction to the children of our town. Our goal is to have competitive programs for children from age 4 through age 16. It is our hope to foster a love for the game and provide an athletic activity to help promote healthy habits and healthy kids.

How nice is that?

It is every bit as nice as it was to see the teamwork and excitement in the families that were cleaning the field up getting ready for another fun season!

I hope you enjoyed something so great when you were a kid, and still relive those good times!

I am a Putnamaniac because I love the teamwork that Putnam Little League builds!

I am neighbors with the Easter Bunnies- also Renegade loving neighbors!

I love my next door neighbors! They are so kind, generous, caring... and since we are together in one building (they are in their condo on one side of the building, and I am in my condo on the other side of the building) it is a good thing we get along so nicely!

They delivered this beautiful plant to me for Easter! Yes - I have my own Easter Bunnies!!!

Spectacular color! Spectacular blooms! A spectacular surprise!

These next door neighbors also have a view of my Renegade Garden....and I think they enjoy viewing it as much as I do!

Plant people just like plants, there is no way around it.

Are you a plant person?? I hope so! What is the name of your garden paradise?? I hope your neighbors can enjoy it with you!

I am a Putnamaniac because I have Renegade Garden loving, sweet, thoughtful neighbors!

Enjoying nature and soaring with the eagles at Fort Hill Farms!

Have you ever been to Fort Hill Farms, in Thompson, CT - it borders and you can see RI and MA from the gorgeous property that is ready for another growing season.

I love the place and feel a sense of peace every time I round the corner and it comes into view.  It is worth the trip, even if you do not live just minutes away from it as I do.

This morning I went to visit the land nearby and stopped to see Fort Hill Farms owner/farmer, Kristin. She is a bundle of energy and so sincere, knowledgeable and fun, that you always go away feeling on top of the world.

I also felt that I was on top of a tree today, since I literally was! I was out to glimpse the eagles that live somewhere in the area, and in my travels I came across this tree stand.

I was petrified!!! I am afraid of heights (mainly the falling part is what scares me!!), but up I went in the wind that felt like it was blowing 100000 miles an hour!

Yikes!!! But I wanted the best chance to see an eagle or two!

There were so many happy crows enjoying the plowed fields....and finally I saw very far off in the distance what I believe were two eagles. It was tough to capture them together, since they were so far away, but I managed to get a picture of this one. (It is blurry because I tried to blow it up so much).

Now, as I sit in my beautiful condo, wondering why in the name of Pete I bought it instead of a house with some property to wander on, I can only thank my lucky stars that there is so much land around me that I can visit!

You can learn more about CT eagles by clicking here. 

I leave you with these words:
I climbed cathedral hilltops, I saw silver clouds below,
saw everything as far as I can see.
Now I walk in quiet solitude, the forest and the stream,
seeking grace in every step I take...
I would be a poorer girl, if I never saw an eagle fly..... CT Fort Hilltop high!

Watch and listen to John Denver's Rocky Mountain High by clicking here.

I am a Putnamaniac because I love to be outside, and Fort Hill Farms is one of my favorite places!

Del-eyet-ful S-eye-ts!!! (or Delightful Sights)!

For part of my ride home from work tonight, I took the scenic route. And in honor of Easter weekend, I hopped off of Route 6 in Brooklyn, and onto Route 169....winding through Pomfret towards Route 44 and back to Putnamania.

This is hands down one of the loveliest stretches of Northeast CT that you can not only imagine, but take a drive and see it.

This gorgeous spring evening was Mother Nature at her finest.

Daffodils bursting forth from the grounds like fireworks!

Forsythia as yellow as a brand new crayola crayon!

Flowering cherry trees as dainty and lacy as the doilies my grandmother used to tat!

Magnolias so big and lush looking, you might think they were not even real!

Flowering pear trees looking like a mini-snowstorm engulfed the branches!

Wow - I can't believe the beauty! How deleyetful (delightful) to see the seyets (sights) on my drive home! 

Come for a tour - I will take you anytime, any season - you will not be disappointed!

I am a Putnamaniac because eye (I) live in such a beautiful area here in Northeast CT! 

Rural Road Signs - I would have it no other way!

I love the road signs I see around Northeast CT....

Many signs are not only warnings of might cross in front of me, but what actually does cross in front of me.

This one is certainly not uncommon... but there is one I see that has not only a deer on it, but also snowflakes on it, too! It is a spot where many deer are spotted, and the snow does blow across the road, too.

This one is great, and I occasionally do have to stop for a cow or two...

And don't forget the tractors... while getting stuck behind one for too long is a pain in the neck, the beauty of Northeast CT is that without tons of traffic, you can certainly pass by the old Farmall or John Deere pretty easily.

I know rural type living is not for everyone, but I love it, along with the road signs that come with it!

I am a Putnamaniac because I love the road signs I see every day!

Swans !

When I was a lot younger, and less wise.... I was married, for a few years.

That whole thing didn't work out so well for me, for a lot of reasons, and although I sometimes feel I have missed out on a lot in the realm of family life by being single for almost forever, I am very happy with the life I have provided to and for myself.


My former husband was quite an outdoors-man. Not the growing and digging in the dirt sort like me, but more of the hunting, fishing, and trapping sort of guy.

One very valuable thing the did teach me was how to spot wildlife very well. With my sub-par eyes (even with my glasses), I can usually spot animals, birds - anything out there moving around in nature - very quickly. The simple trick is not to actually look for animals, but look for movement. It is amazing what you can see when you are just looking for movement!

My skills at spotting wildlife were much better in many cases than being able to identify the actual beast!  Once I thought I spotted a big black bear - that turned out to be a big black cow.... On another occasion, I thought I saw a big bunny hopping over the side of the road - that was a deer! So, maybe I get a little too excited when I see that movement!!!

One beautiful sight that I have not had to struggle to see at all recently is the swans swimming at the Willimantic Reservoir when I am doing my slow jog after work each day.

These beauties are so big and white in the water, that everyone can see them with no effort! What grace!

Did you know that swans are a part of the goose & duck family.
Did you know that swans generally mate for life (Unlike me apparently).
Did you know that little swans are known as swanlings? (How cute)!
Did you know that male swans are known as cobs? (I recently had this word as a crossword puzzle clue)!

So although I have not seen "my" swans in this classic pose, I still love it!

Keep your eyes open, and look for the movement of nature! You will be amazed at how much more you see

I am a Putnamaniac because I love to see all of nature around me, especially the swan couple at the reservoir!

Hemorrhoid Rock!

Hemorrhoid Rock!

Believe it or not, I had to look up how to spell "Hemorrhoid".  I was not very close with my own first spelling attempt....

So............. you may ask, what on earth is Hemorrhoid Rock?  Where on earth is Hemorrhoid Rock?

Here it is:

Located in Quidnessett Cemetery in North Kingstown, RI, and named by my grandfather, Ernest "Si" Moone, during his time as head groundskeeper, Hemorrhoid Rock sits overlooking the pond.

Why the name??  When I asked Poppa why he always called this "Hemorrhoid Rock" - he simply and honestly told me it was because...you guessed it - if you sat upon it, you would get a pain in the arse. Those of you who knew my grandfather know that sounds exactly like something he would say!

As a kid, I loved to ride my bike down the road and into the cemetery, just so I could visit with my Poppa Moone. It was such a beautiful place, and as a kid, I did not have any association of sadness yet with a cemetery. 

Over the years, this cemetery, right near this pond, has become a final resting place for not only Poppa Moone, but Nana Moone as well, along with Poppa & Nana Dawley, Dad, and Skee. Many friends have also come to rest in this particular cemetery.

As I sat on Hemorrhoid Rock, I looked across the pond to where some Moones and Dawleys headstone stand vigil.

It is still a place of life for me, as the memories of all will remain with me forever - especially while sitting on the infamous Hemorrhoid Rock.

I am a Putnamaniac because although cemeteries are associated with sad occasions, I still enjoy visiting and remembering the lives I have shared in.

Sunny Sunday Slog Around Town!

What a day!

Sunny, crisp, a very slight breeze in the air delivering the sounds and smells of early spring in New England!

If for no other reason in the world, I love to go out slogging to see, hear, and appreciate my surroundings. Being cooped up in an office all week takes its toll...

(Note that slogging is defined as a slooooowwwww jog - this phrase "slogging" I openly & proudly have stolen from my friend's husband).

This bright morning, I slogged past Putnam Elementary, Middle, and High Schools...
...waved at some friends pulling out of Cumberland Farms for their Sunday morning coffee...
...went past the newly opened Verrilli's Bakery....(and resisted the urge to stop in for some treats)!...
...sang some Juke Box Gold in my head as I went by WINY Radio...
...past Cargill Falls...
...trotted down the River Trail to the Riverview Marketplace, which soon will be filled with the local farmers market!
...saw many folks coming and/or going to celebrate Palm Sunday at some of the churches I passed...

All this within just a 5 mile loop! And I didn't even hit the "downtown" area...

Ahhhhh.... 'tis no wonder I love my Putnamania! It is a great town! Visitors always welcome!

I am a Putnamaniac that took a Sunday Slog around town in my sunshine sneakers!