ALMOST READY FOR MAINE!

We are making the push to leave for Maine for the summer. S/V Latitudes is sitting up there, hopefully recovering from a winter that was colder than she's experienced!  She is "on the hard", covered completely with shrink wrap, the usual protection from rain and snow for boats that are not kept indoors during the winter.  We haven't seen her all bundled up in plastic, but our good boat neighbor sent us these photos of her a few days ago.  The plan is to have the marina remove the wrap before we arrive, so we won't get to actually see her like this. Not a full picture, but here is her bow (the pointie end...)

And the stern (the other end,,,)

It's been a nice spring, what little time we've had at home after our trip out West to visit the family.  I did get into some cooking - a nice prep for Bahamian style cinnamon raisin bread.  The bread was good, just got a "little" too dark on the outside.  Gotta check my oven temperature.....

I had a cardio stress test (these things happen as we age....). This cartoon was on the wall, in view of the evil treadmill.  I have to admit, THIS would have worked on me!!! (makes you shutter, doesn't it!!)

But a better way of relieving stress is visiting my daughter and doing a little backyard target shooting at a friend's, with their ...mmm...rifle....

Snakes can  make that stress come back, though.  Luke discovered this one basking happily at our front door steps.  IT was happy, we were  not.  Now, this big  5+ feet long   black snake is MUCH better than any size copperhead or rattler. Still, we were not pleased when it decided to check out the actual porch and was heading for our front door.  Scared it properly, but I have seen it prowling the back yard.  That is fine - eat the mice, voles, and such, just don't ask to come inside!

The apparent spring ritual at our house includes a crazy cardinal.  He is jealous of the cardinal he sees reflected in our windows and is determined to drive the intruder out.  This damned bird has been flying into our windows for 6 weeks, every day, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.....Smoke and Mr. Cardinal have had a standoff.

One advantage of the Big Black Snake was the absence of the cardinal for a day or so. I hear they are scared of snakes.  Good idea - put some plastic ones out!  yeah....  I bought them...24 of them, straight from China, compliments of Amazon Prime...

This is the angry, hissing, bird eating model

Properly placed on the rhododendron bush outside of our den window, one of them did a fine job for 24 hours.

Then they made a truce.  Sigh.  That was a couple of weeks ago.  Today was the first time the bird hasn't been here all day.  Maybe there is hope.

Smokey is happy at home, enjoying her lazy cat time on the little rug by the front door (she prefers for the door to be open, allowing in beautiful warm sunshine)

When that fails, she takes refuge on my recliner, sleeping under her "heat lamp"

But little does she know that the days are getting warmer (85 in town today) and the green of early summer is here, taking over our front yard. Summer = Latitudes.

,

 The path behind our house leads to a nice,spring green stream.

A small brown toad stood motionless, hiding in full view, camouflaged as a stone. Luke spotted him when the "stone" moved.

Its a good thing that Smokey can't see the garage, where bags and boxes are just beginning to fill up the space between the cars, waiting to be packed for the trip.

A few more days and some cooperation with Mother Nature, and we'll all be sitting in Latitudes again.  Still on the hard, of course, but ready to be prepared and launched for her summer in Maine.