Thanksgiving 2011

Quiet Thanksgiving spent with Patricia.... of course the meal was great

Waiting for lunch

Group photo

Let's have a drink

Popovers

Apple Pie

We made the news...

We decided even before moving into the house that we were going to try and add it to the National Registry of Historical Homes.  The Howard County historian spent about 6 full days during the summer of 2010 taking pictures and documenting the features of the house.  Last October, the Governor's Historical Committee officially nominated the house, and we should hear sometimes before the end of the year if we made the Registry.  Meanwhile, last Sunday this nice article was published in the Baltimore Sun - Howard County Edition

Beautiful October Day

Today was the perfect autumn day..  and we got to enjoy it a little bit.. 
The several animals that live on the property got to enjoy it too...

The pond had beautiful colors this afternoon

the Canadian geese had fun relaxing

Jones check that we were doing a good job!

Irene went by

We were on the edge of the hurricane path.  It started raining sometimes Saturday morning around 11, and the rain increased in intensity during the day.  By 8 pm it was a nice storm with winds.  The winds got more intense after midnight.  Bernie and I heard a tree come down. My mom has slept through all of it.  Nicoletta heard the wind and the rain.  The horses kept eating grass!  Between 5 and 6 AM we lost the power and with it also the water..  Bringing buckets of water from the barn to the house lost his appeal right away.  We did not get power till midday Tuesday.  Eight trees come down, or at least that is the known count.  A small piece of the fence was damaged by one of the tree.  We got wood for at least a couple of winters.  

More than enough for August!

Simply put:

• 2 deers dead by the pond probably by a lightning
• Major thunderstorm that shook the house
• Messy got sick - but she is ok now
• Shadow twisted her back leg - she will be ok eventually
• Major earthquake, felt all the way up to Maine and down to Giorgia
• and finally but not last Brooke is in the hospital and we are all hoping she will make it!
  
  7 days and 5 hours and 25 minutes to September...

P.S.: We moved in the house a little bit more than a year ago, and this is the second earthquake we got..... Bernie was away both times!

Our flowers

we are finally seeing the results of our labor:

Lucas visit

For the 4th of July week-end, Lucas and Laura come to visit. We really enjoyed their visit and Lucas had a nice time 'riding the cruck' and checking all the cars. He also enjoyed very much tasting the soil of Howard Lodge: not to bad, full of nutrients!

Luara and Lucas

I am driving the cruck!

I really did not like breakfast!

I am so cool!

I like your 'cruck' uncle Bernie!

One year at Howard Lodge

The week-end of the fourth of July, we celebrated one year at Howard Lodge.  Definitely our lives have changed quite a bit:  there is never a dull moment, and there is always something that needs to be repaired!

But we love the house and we love to live in it!  And even if getting up at 6:00 everyday is painful, having the horses here and enjoying riding them - well not that much, but it will change - and watch them grazing it is a nice reward.

Hope to have many, many years at Howard Lodge!

New table, great dinner!

Nicoletta's table has finally arrived on Monday, and it is as beautiful as we all expected.  To celebrate the event, Nicoletta cooked a full dinner for Bernie and I, and invited us to have it in her new kitchen.  Cheers!





toasting

Just Jones is here!

We finally got a barn cat! Brooke brought us Just Jones - Jones really - two weeks ago.  He spent about 10 days in a cage and he is now free to roam around the farm.  Unlike Cash, once we freed him, he decided to stick around.  He waits for us in the morning for breakfast and at night for dinner.  He is a little scared of the horses, but he is slowly building the courage to move around them.  He is very friendly and loves our attention.  We are really happy to have him.

Renovations is done.

We finished the renovation and we are very pleased with the results.

The new shower

The new Kitchen

The backslah

The passage from the Kitchen to the living room

The living room fireplace

The doors to the in-law suite

The new laundry room!

The garden is in!

It is not the fanciest.... but we put a lot of work and love into this one!  Some herbs and zucchine are already in.  Next are going to be sunflowers and tomatoes!

The entrance to the garden... real fancy!

The herbs are in!

New life at Howard Lodge!

We have a Canadian geese that has a nest by the pond and another one with new ducklings going around...  I could not capture the one with the ducklings: she took them for a walk this morning and did not come back, but here is the one on the nest.

Mama geese

 We also have all kind of new grass or weeds in some cases... There is one we cannot figure out what it is: the one below

Plenty of this!

.... and some nice butter cups:

butter cups

Easter Sunday at Howard Lodge

First Easter for us at Howard Lodge.  We took it easy and we are now in a food coma!  We started this morning with giving the Horses their Easter treats - thank you Mom Helen!  We then proceeded in preparing our
nice fish meal... 

Checking the people outside!

I got treats... and they are good!

Bernie... just give me the box ;-)

... what about me???

These treats are pretty nice...

All right... I will eat it!

Do you have more???

Grass is so green.... and the sun is out!

Happy Easter Everyone!