Monday, December 30, 2013

December 30, 2013

We have celebrated Christmas here on the Eastern Shore with varied events which included many friends and family. It has been a wonderful week!

Our first anticipated event was for the arrival of the Davies. Samantha Davies would be Kathryn & Jeff's eldest daughter and her husband Zed and their daughter Mia, 10 months old. Sam and Zed are both USAF officers stationed in Columbus, MS. To see them for real and not on Face Time would be a great treat. They arrived late in the afternoon on Sunday the 22'nd of December. To celebrate their arrival we all, Berthiaumes, Palmers & Fiddlers went to the Yacht Club for dinner. It was like old times for Sam. Samantha worked at the yacht club all through high school. Kathryn went up to one couple who knew Sam well to introduce them to Mia. They thought Kathryn was Sam. It was a nice feeling for Kathryn to have 23 years chopped off her age.

L-R, Pappy Jeff, Mia, Aunt Abby, G (Kathryn), Samantha and Zed.



Numerous family meals were consumed at different locations during the week. At no time were calories counted as we all just enjoyed ourselves during this festive time of year.

Christmas eve saw the family head off to church to give thanks and celebrate the birth of Christ. After church it was off to the Fiddler/Berthiaume house in Allen for a festive gathering of friends around a bountiful table of specially prepared foods. The center piece was of meats, that were superbly marinated Lamb Chops and Petite Tenderloins prepared by our world traveler, Chef Jeff. Our friends the Wojciehowski's, formally of Cleveland, Ohio brought their world famous Brussels Sprouts. We had Meat Balls, Salad, Mac & Cheese, too many condiments to name and a desert table that would rival any Jewish Bar Mitzvah you have ever attended.

Abby had the usual United Nations female beauties from high school. Beside friends and neighbors we were constantly being entertained by our great friend from Ireland, Edmond O'Leary. Edmond had just returned from a trip to Kilkenny to visit his " Ma". If ever your worried that your gathering could be dull, invite Edmond to add some spice to the gathering. It was a "you had to be there" moment over and over again .Its a pity his lovely wife and daughter's have to reside under the same roof with the likes of him. Just a foot note, Mary Agnes loves the man like a second son. Due to a family rating of "G" for this edition of the Crow, we shall not delve into the substance of entertainment.

In the background, about 11:00 PM we heard an announcement on the TV that Saint Nick himself had been observed by NORAD in Cuba and was heading north. Not wanting to be away when he arrived, the Mrs. and I departed for home after saying our goodbyes. After a brief respite outside for Maggie we opened our Christmas Socks from Matt, Beth and kids who were in CT. Matt was down a few weeks ago and we waited in anticipation for just this occasion to open our gifts. After experiencing an evening with many conversations going at the same time, it was nice to be alone with our thoughts and in the warmth of our own home. It was not long before we were both asleep.

Around 6:00 AM I heard what I knew was a "kids are awake" text  to be opened. Almost simultaneously a second text buzzed from my phone, both the Berthiaume and Palmer house were up and awaiting the Seniors, "us",  to get up and get going. By prearranged plans we were soon off to Salisbury and the Condo on the River to see, Sarah, Rachael and Tommy open their gifts. I'm sure you'll all be amazed that a celebratory Mimosa would be concocted for those who desired one, prior to the unwrapping of gifts. It was not long before a Drone Helicopter, a gift to Tommy, was flying about the room taking covert pictures from the Dron'es two cameras.


Once the gifts were unwrapped it was back to Allen for the next stop on the gift trail. This time the Mrs. Clause of the Berthiaume homestead in Allen was the Presiding Distributor of gifts. But prior to opening the gifts it was necessary to sample leftovers from the Christmas Eve Feast. Ah, now we can open gifts. How Santa ever got down that chimney with his satchel full of gifts makes one wonder. It was close to noon before the the unwrapping of gifts was complete.

Saturday, at least I think it was Saturday. With Christmas falling on Wednesday this year I,m not sure what day is what. At any rat,e Christmas was once again celebrated on Saturday, this time at my home. The celebration would begin in late afternoon with a Chicken and Dumpling (Slicks) dinner. In true Southern Style the were served over mashed potatoes and peas. The potatoes were Ree Drummond's.
Ree is an interesting wife of an Oklahoma Cattle Rancher and has a great Blog and TV show.

After dinner we opened Socks and gifts once again, drew names for next year's gifts and said good night to all. Granny and I settled down to the TV, a Hallmark movie of course and put our feet up and relaxed. It had been a busy week for all.

While at the house Mia got to meet the chickens, The boys got their picture taken in similar hats. And Dee Lataille took a snapshot of all of us together. Yes. Dee is on her way back to NC after spending a week with her family in CT. Love ya Dee!



Jeff sent me an email today which I'll share. Jeff of course was at work in DC, obviously on his lunch break when he sent this. He thought it was cute and told me I should share it with the readership. So, here goes.

Researchers for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority found over 200 dead crows near greater Boston recently, and there was concern that they may have died from Avian Flu.  A Bird Pathologist examined the remains of all the crows, and, to everyone's relief, confirmed the problem was definitely NOT Avian Flu. The cause of death appeared to be vehicular impacts.

However, during the detailed analysis it was noted that varying colors of paints appeared on the bird's beaks and claws. By analyzing these paint residues it was determined that 98% of the crows had been killed by impact with trucks, while only 2% were killed by an impact with a car.

MTA then hired an Ornithological Behaviorist to determine if there was a cause for the disproportionate percentages of truck kills versus car kills.

The Ornithological Behaviorist very quickly concluded the cause:   When crows eat road kill, they always have a look-out crow in a nearby tree to warn of impending danger.
They discovered that while all the lookout crows could shout "Cah!" Not a single one could shout "Truck!"



So, here it is Monday, one more day left to 2013 and we start a New Year. Today I spent 44 minutes speaking with an old friend, Dan McGarigle.

My phone just happens to time phone calls.  Dan and I go back a long ways, 19 fifty and 9 I believe is when we first crossed paths. A long time ago back in Willingboro, NJ we went to school together. Dan went into the Navy after High School, I in the USMC, The Few, The Proud. Mary Agnes went to Nursing School with Dan's girlfriend at the time and in 19 sixty and five the four of us went off to Fall River, MA and got married. Dan had two children, eventually separated and divorced and Dan moved around the country working in modern day Computer Technology. Fifty four years later we still keep up a dialog. Happy New year out there in California Dan. Now there's a state where they march to a beat of a different drummer. The Left Coast, yep, that's what they call it!

So, to all of the readership, a very Happy New Year. 









 




Tuesday, December 24, 2013

This is the season to be thankful

To my many friends from the best department in the U.S. of A. thanks for always having each other's back.


To all our friends and family that we left back in CT 25 years ago, thank you for your Love and Support over many years in raising our family.



To my Son in-law El Jefe for a wonderful journey to Bavaria last February.
To the State of Maine for it's beautiful coast and many great vacations for our family over the years.

To MCAS  Iwakuni, Japan for providing my home for the first Christmas away from Mary Agnes and Kathy many years ago.
To Uncle Bobby and Aunt Barbara for providing many beautiful places we never would have visited.SedonaAZ being one place and it's Rt.89 to Flagstaff that I'll never forget.
Thanks South Dakota for Fog and Snow in May, so we never got see Rushmore or Crazy Horse.





To West Point, Annapolis and Colorado Springs for providing so many great leaders, yesterday, today and Tomorrow.

To Arlington National Cemetery's Occupants for the sacrifice they have made for us and our freedoms.
To Germany for all the Nut Crackers you provide for this festive season.

To Key West just for being there.

To Alaska and it's beauty, the last frontier.

To MCRD  Parris Island, SC, for it's part in molding the person I am today.

Boaters Row, Philadelphia, thanks Granny Wittman for all the years we saw it while I was a wee tike.
NYC, thanks for what you offer, especially at Christmas
Thanks to Maggie for being such a loyal companion.


To the Village of Allen, MD and all our friends, for accepting the invaders from the North 25 years ago. We have always felt at home and now have sand, firmly between our toes.
To Ireland and the Genes that are carried from my wife to our children. Did I mention Guinness?
One of the most beautiful places at Christmas.



And finally, Thank You to my wife of 48 years for a wonderful life with three fantastic children, nine grand children, one great grandchild, one son in-law,  one daughter in-law and one Cowboy.

Peace on Earth and Good Will to all Mankind.

Merry Christmas !

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Chicken Tid Bits & Other Things

Why Does a Rooster Crow



Cock-a-doodle-do! It's what most people think of as the crow of the cocky rooster just before daybreak. Cartoon roosters always crow at dawn. But most real roosters sound off at sunrise and beyond. And a threatening nearby train noise might spark his crowing as much as the sight of an advancing predator.

 This morning I heard Cornelius, the name given by Mary Agnes to Rooster shortly prior to 5:00 AM. He's quite a sight to observe during the day. When the kids, as we call them are out of their pen Cornelius will alert them to bugs he observes and stand over the object until a hen appears. He has 14 hens he's responsible for, and he does a great job. They are not out of their pen every day. They are only let out sometime after 3:00 PM. The reason for this, chickens love to dig holes and the back yard would look like the surface of the moon if they were out all day. Their pen is quite spacious, measuring 25 x 60 ft. When they have the entire back yard to roam in, it's almost an acre in size. Their coop is a manufactured one, built by the Amish in the Lancaster, PA area. The coop is heated in the winter by use of a red heating bulb hung above their water which will not freeze.

Over the years we have had numerous Roosters. There were some that an international tribunal would have brought up on charges. One in particular was Saddam Hussein, he was brought up on charges for stalking and attacking from behind. He was just downright nasty and was sentenced to death by neck wringing. A quick propeller like motion while flinging the nasty bird over ones head. May God rest his miserable sole. The Nasty Rooster! Chicken soup is very good this time of year.



Below is a picture of their coop and Cornelius.



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The lifted lid to the left of the coop covers six laying box's. This morning at 8:15 AM I collected a dozen eggs.

Once again the chickens came out a little wary as the ground was covered in a good frost. When it snows I have to shovel paths for them to get to their outside feed trough. The outside trough is their AM treat. this mornings treat was some Gouda cheese mixed with their Layer Crumbles and Scratch Grain. Inside the Coop is a Large trough with more food. I have Cornelius and the girls accustomed to my Bumpety Bump Bump knock each morning when I unlock their door. You can hear the scurrying down from their perch as I unlock their door. They exit each day in great anticipation and scurry off to the trough for their AM treat.

And for them their day begins.


December 21, 2013


Today our weather turned warm, the last I checked it was 57 deg., not bad for December 20'th.  Late afternoon brought the Hallmark channel back to the TV. Yes Mary Agnes is home and the wonderful climatic romance adorns the screen meant for Sports, News and Weather. Sam Face Timed last night to chit chat with Granny. The kids from Columbus, MS have but a good night's sleep prior to heading off to Maryland. In rout they will stop in Wilmington, NC to visit Aunt Della and family. That would be the Baird family which also consits of Mitch, Austin and Eli. Della is one of Kathy's closest friend from her school days in Vernon, CT.


Another Quilt by Mary Agnes





This was Rachael's Birthday Gift from Granny and I.  I paid for the material and Granny did all the work.   This was given to Rachel a bit early on Thanksgiving. With it being a Christmas themed quilt we wanted Rachael to have for the entire Holiday season. She was quite surprised and appreciated the early gift.


December 22, 2013


Today was muck day for the Chicken Coop. After emptying all the manure, Chicken Shit for those that really understand, half a bale of pine shavings are spread about the floor. Muck day comes a little more frequently in the winter than summer. They bed down earlier, on their own I might add due to lack of sunlight. They go in to roost around 5:00 PM in the winter and 8:00 PM in the summer. I tend to let them out earlier in the summer also. We lock their door each night to keep predators out, should they get over the fence.

I took some eggs and a card over to the Culp/Kolb household this AM. Seems they have an influx of family this time of the year, some from as far away as Japan. I was met on the porch by a hug from Miss Agatha and that is always a grand start to the day. The chickens will be happy to note that their grunting and groaning has gone to a good cause.
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Tonight we go out for dinner to our daughter Sarah's for dinner. Dee Lataille will be in as she treks up to CT for the holidays , coincidently also from Wilmington, NC. Dee was also a neighbor and class mate of Sarah's from Vernon, CT.  The Weather Gods predicted a high today of 70 deg., it's now peak sun time and it's only 65 deg.  I thinks that,s all we're getting from the sun today, but it's still nice.


Where in the World is Jeff Berthiaume?


Yep, That where he be. He is home from Barbados and he and Kathy got out of the house to do a little shopping. Seems the cleaning lady was coming in to tidy things up for the kids from Mississippi.

Thats all Folks. I'll try and get back to you before the fat little guy gets down the Chimney.

Semper Fi