And The Rockets Red Glare.....

Oh No, That Was The Lobsters

It happens once a year, which is both good- because it's lots of work, and bad- because it's lots of fun.

The fourth was super muggy and hot. This is how it goes.

Gar gets up in the 6am hour and goes to meet Ralph on the rocks in Rye to cut seaweed for the bake. Why the 6am hour? That would be low tide this year. It usually is at an early hour. Go figure.

Then one of us picks up the lobsters and clams at Defiant Lobster and the keg at Joe's Meat Market. This year it worked out that Gar swung by both places on his way back with seaweed. While he's gone I'm prepping my appies and starting to haul stuff like paper plates, utensils, grilling supplies and more out to the backyard, putting table cloths on tables, setting chairs up, etc.  This year I even had a chance to hop in the pool for some brief downtime. Then it was back to the kitchen to make Watermelon George, who makes everyone pleased as punch.

Then people start rolling in, dropping their lobsters off early so they know they make it on the bake. We bag and tag 'em in big old onion bags with clothespins, so everyone gets their own lobsters and clams back.  After Tom puts the 800 pound plate over the fire pit, the guys get the fire going good and hot.  Then the lobster/clam bags, corn and potatoes are all put into the baskets (square wood frames with screening on the bottom) that are loaded with seaweed. 

Then the bake goes on the plate, and it's wet down to bring up the steam.
Then we mingle and schmooze; enjoy a cocktail, Watermelon George or a red solo cup of draught beer; swim in the pool, nibble on some appies; eat stuff from the grill; melt the butter and then finally, we dig into the lobster and clams!

Good times and a great way to celebrate America's indepedence. Our furthest travellers this year were Aunt Joan and Uncle Bobby who came up from Yonkers, NY.  Yay!  Thought Aunt Joan was going to run all the way home when Uncle Bobby did his best redneck impersonation with my cowboy hat on.

It sounded like you all celebrated in perfectly wonderful ways. So happy to hear it!  I think it's a holiday worth celebrating. It makes me think of the hard fought battles to win this country's independence. It also makes me think of all the servicemen and women that aren't home to celebrate and it's a good way to honor them I think, in true American style.

Hope you enjoyed the weekend too. We pretty much hung low, other than a ride on Sunday morning.  The sunsets cooperated, as usual, giving us quite a show.

Sunset Meadows

What a day yesterday was. Beautiful summer day. Couldn't have been anymore perfect. It ended perfectly too.

So beautiful.

So blessed to have this view.

After a few days of vacation, this week the to-do list is long, but it's all good including ad design, bookkeeping (ok, maybe not all good...blech!), marketing, tomorrow's post on 4th of July chowder making and more. What do you plan on accomplishing this week?

Have a great day,

Take a Walk With Me

Around the Yard

I was right. Yesterday, the farmer was back loading up several of his transport trucks with the hay bales.  It's almost like a dance. First the tractor goes to get a bale. The farmer inserts the rods on front of tractor into the pale and lifts it off the ground. The tractor makes it way across the field.

The farmer gets to the truck and has to lift the bale even higher in order to place it on the truck. Then it all starts over again. The bales are all gone now. It's a long day of work, as always, for the farmer.

It's been hot so watering the flowers in the morning is a must.

Ah, the bee balm. About to pop wide open for the 4th. I think of them as flower fireworks.

Beyond being pretty, the hummingbirds, butterflies and hummingbird moths love them. So they're always a show.

Tiger lilies or ditch lilies as some of you call them.

Can you find the bugs in these next two?

There will be lots of action in the yard today and tomorrow. Last year's apre July 4th post gives a good play by play of what our day will be like.  It's a lot of work, but it's worth it. It's always a great day and luckily we get lots of help.

It cooled off a bit last night. This meant we slept with the windows open for first time in quite a few days. Lovely air. The only thing that wasn't lovely was the damn robins (who I usually think are lovely birds) beginning their routine at 4:15 am. Oh, they started singing the song of the day. Me, not so much? I gave up going back to sleep and just got up at about 4:35. I may need a nap later with what's on the plate today and tomorrow. However, since I was up so early, I got to see this pretty sunrise.



Have a wonderful day.

Ciao for now,

Lobster Bake- Take 2

Busy weekend here. The Bates of Clontarf (part of our Dublin family- Gar's brother Fran, our ssister in law Fiona, nephew Conor, and niece Rachel), who are in NJ for the summer due to work, swung up on Friday for a quick visit. We just chilled- ate yummy cheese, swam in the pool, and talked. Perfect laid back family time.  Saturday before they headed off to visit Fiona's sister in Boston, we had lunch at the 401 Tavern.  We got to eat in the 'wine loft'. Wish the picture was better, but I love the way our friend Desi decorated this part of the 401- about 1,000 wine bottles across the ceiling and now creeping onto the wall. Very pretty.

Too bad Gar couldn't eek out a smile for the picture.

Yesterday afternoon, we were off to our friend's lobster bake. Since Ralph helps Gar out with ours on the 4th, Gar does the same for him.

Filling the baskets with seaweed, clams and lobsters.

Loading the baskets onto the bake.

Hot stuff coming off the bake.

Come and get 'em!

So, so good.

Hope you are having a good weekend too. Enjoy your Sunday.