December 2012: End of the Year

A freezing day to take my parents on the Newport cliff walk.  Dad had a cold and I probably made it worse dragging them out there.  It is, however, beautiful and worth a quick walk in any season. And nice to meet up with Rosie and Craig back in town.

I love this one.  Especially the way my dad is smiling.

December 30th. Last snow storm for the year.

A shoveled path for Spicy & Coach.

Fluffy chicken butts...a nice image for the year's end.

Late December 2012: My parents visit

At Red Stripe, being cutie pies.

Prepping for the classic Christmas photo.

And...

And then..

This one wins, but we'll take one more.

There.

and one more that came later.

Cat.

Winter 2012-2013

December 29, 2012.

December 29, 2012.

November 11, 2012. Chris outside of his office.

December 2012: Cards & Ornaments

Salt dough ornaments - stamped and baked. 

Somewhere along the way, I saw these stamped salt dough ornaments.  E & I tried them for ourselves.  They were cute but somehow not great at the end.  Probably worth another try.

handmade holiday cards.

I never make enough to cover our entire list, but reach about 1/2 each year.

Early December 2012: Chris' parents visit

Chris' parents downtown Providence market.

Westminster Street, downtown Providence.

Providence Hotel.

Santa pub-crawl in downtown Providence.

November 2012: Molting

 Spicy and Coach in their November molt.  

November 2012: Roshi

Beautiful Roshi, our friends' feline.

November 2012: Picking out the Tree

Our annual trip to Henry's Christmas Tree Farm. A little early this year, to accomodate our schedules.

November 2012: Willow Love

A little more Willow-love for today.  All from November 2012. 

October 2012: Willow

Never lacking personality.

Sept-October 2012: Garden Wrap-up

Spicy in September

The garden in Fall (9/21/12).

Tomatillo plant took off in the fall - small fruits, but it gave us a few roasted salsa verdes for late nights on the deck.

Small crop of sweet red onions - all about 1/3 of the size I was hoping for. I've never figured out how to grow onions.  Maybe next year.

A volunteer tomato plant that appeared out of nowhere, surely started from the small tomatoes that we tossed to the chickens early in spring or the previous year. I just had no idea that our most prolific tomato plant would have been accidental, and not planted by hand.  These surprises keep me coming back for more.

10/28/12 - Late season unripe, green tomatoes.  We used these for pickling. (There are lots of ways to pickle veggies, from green tomatoes, to cukes, to zucchini pickles).

Coach, September.

Spicy munching on clover in the recycling bin (repurposed into a planter).

Morning glory seed pods - a saved about 50 for next year.

Butternut squash, grown up a net on the garage.

Late October garden, almost ready for bed.

Prep for Hurricane Sandy, Oct. 28, 2012, to make sure the chicken coop didn't blow away.  No damage for us, and only a very short time without power.