Did I Say How Beautiful You Are?

I think that maybe there might be something like 200 million self-help books out there. Books about how to find a mate, how to keep a mate happy, how to marry a mate. You have books about finding yourself, and books about losing yourself.

You get advice about everything, should I wear boxers or briefs, should I take a shower more than once a week, what should I say on a first date, what shampoo should I use to drive my mate wild, never chew tobacco on a first date, never ever cheat, even if you have been married 100 years, find time to go on dates. And no matter how comfortable you are with someone, never clip your toe nails or floss at the dinner table.

The range of advice is endless, and most likely written by someone whose life is a total mess.

So I decided to add a bit of advice I hereby give any self help guru permission to use.

If you want to stay out of the doghouse with your wonderful, kind, understanding, supportive, beautiful, loving women, who you would walk thru fire for, NEVER EVER under any circumstances, let her come home from a hard day at the office, climb the stairs to the front porch and come face to face with the baby pot bellied pig you brought home.
Always, Always, tell your mate before you bring home a pet pig.


This little 6 month old Pig was giving to me by Melissa from Sterling CT. With her permission, we will more then likely come up with a new name for him. I just can't bring myself to call him Bacon. I personally like the name Norman, and if Jeanne is still speaking to me when she comes home from work, we will either name him as a family, or i will be sleeping in the basement with Norman.

Fox Being A Fox

Maybe he has not mastered the art of stealth. But our daily visits from Mr Fox has become some what entertaining.

The fact is, he is here to eat our chickens, and as long as he stays clear of our Turkeys, and Wilbur the Goose, I will allow the chase knowing that all I need to do is make my presence known and he will break off the chase.

I have no desire to take his life, and I might be able to look the other way when it comes to a few of our irritating roosters, but I do not want him killing any of our hens. But I do enjoy his daily visits, and I am a little worried about his injured leg.

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The Next Home Improvement Star

Bob Villa, Norm Abrams, Holmes on Holmes, and "Tim The Tool Man Taylor", all got there start somewhere.

Splitting a gnarly, stubborn piece of cheery can at times become a ruthless challenge that can put the whole idea of cutting and splitting your own firewood in question.

I recently faced that battle with some extremely tough cheery that did not want to split. Every time I raised the maul up above my head and brought it down on some of that cherry, the maul would barely make a indentation. Each time I would hear in the back ground, "come on you can do it' "FOCUS" "FOCUS" "FOCUS". By now the muscles in my arms burned and he stopped me and started to explain what i was doing wrong and I should "FOCUS". So I focused, and with all the might I could muster up, I slammed that maul down on the exact spot he laid out for me, and it split.

I believe this went to his head and while I caught my breath, he went on to explain that I need to "FOCUS" on the spot I want to hit.

I decided to grab the camera, more because it would give me a reason to sit down, and told him to teach me about chainsaw/firewood safety.

Just to be clear, when the saw is running, he is many yards away. He maybe takes a little creative liberties with his training video, but I will say after the wood was split by me, he loaded all of it and drove it up to the house.


Ladies and Gentleman, Chainsaw Safety with the Boy.

Chainsaw Safety

The Perfect Tree

Sometimes a property, a place, or a road is defined by a tree.
There are many,Tall Oak Farms, Cedar Swamp Roads, Maple Streets, and Sycamore Lanes. Places like Aspen Acres, Twin Oak Cafe, Maple Leaf Farms and Connecticut's own, The Charter Oak all take their names from a tree.

I don't think that our majestic old Chestnut tree defined our place, but she was nearly as perfect as a tree can be. She had a flawless crown, fantastic branches for climbing, and the shade she provided in the summer was refreshing. She also lent out her sturdy branches for the kid's tire swing and rope swing.

Storm Alfred hit the state and hit it hard. I don't think I have any right to complain, because we did not lose power for a second, and with 800,000 folks with out power I felt a certain amount of guilt for staying warm and comfortable. We did reach out to everyone we knew without power and offered them a warm place to stay. Maybe if someone took us up on our offer, I would not feel like the guy hoarding chocolate bars while stranded in the wilderness with 5 other starving people.

Our old Chestnut took a hit during the night of Alfred. With a loud disturbing "SNAP", some of her stately branches were ripped off and fell to the ground completely surrounding her.

Gone is her perfect shape and crown. Gone is the kids tire swing. Gone is some of her refreshing summer shade.
But she should survive!