Dan Antion

Long Strange Trip – #SoCS

Island View – Winter
They make the best chowder at the bar.

This has been a crazy week, and we are glad to see Saturday front and center on the calendar. It’s time to relax, lick our wounds, sooth our aches and wash away our frustrations with a cold brew. We woke up to heavy wet snow on Thursday, and more is coming tonight. The bar is almost empty, but David and I don’t mind. As we catch up, we will try to manage the Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt provided by Linda G. Hill.

“Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is ‘trip.’ Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!”

If we were having a beer, you’d be curious.

“Dan, I just walked by your car on the way in, and I have a couple questions.”

“I’m sorry, did you say, ‘hello Dan, how are you?’ I’m not sure I heard you.”

“Yes, yes, hello, Dan. Now question number one, why is your car in the upper lot? You never used to park there.”

“David, are you tripping on acid or something?”

“Whoa guys, I’ve got bourbon and beer, but nothing serious.”

“Hi Cheryl. I think it’s my day to buy, a cold Corona will be fine.”

“OK, Dan. What about your friend?”

“His friend is fine, John Howell’s Bourbon, thank you. I just asked a simple question.”

“Simple is a great word for it. I’ve been parking in the upper lot since they reopened in twenty-twenty.”

“Really? Why?”

“Remember, one-way traffic. You had to come in the lower door and go out the upper one. I wanted to go out with my food and get to my car quickly.”

“Oh, you’re right. I forgot that crazy pandemic protocol. Do you supposed that means we’re really getting back to normal?”

“Here’s your bourbon, your snifter of seltzer, your ice, your cherries, and your beer. And, for the record, you guys have never been in the same zip code as normal.”

“Thanks Cheryl. Cheers David.”

“Cheers Dan. Now, as for my second question, are you going on a trip after this?”

“No, why do you ask?”

“I looked in your car. There’s some luggage, a blanket, a pillow, and enough groceries for a road trip.”

“Good thing you locked that car, Dan. You boys want any food today?”

“I’m going to order something to go, Cheryl. But maybe I’ll have some chowder while I’m here.”

“David, anything for you?”

“I’ll have some chowder, too, Cheryl. Maybe I get my answer before the soup comes.”

“I’m cat sitting for Faith’s cat, Preston.”

“For how long?”

“Just a few days. I go over in the afternoon, sleep there, and run home for a while in the morning.”

“It looks like you’re planning to sleep in your car.”

“It’s just some bedding. I tend to sleep on her couch. It’s easier that way.”

“Do you cook your meals there?”

“Does that sound like easy?”

“So, you and Preston, batching it for a few days. Does he like pizza?”

“No, but he likes the occasional piece of bacon.”

“Too bad it’s this weekend. You could have meat-lovers and March Madness next week.”

“I’m retired, I can still have that, but I’m not sure I’m going to have any teams to root for.”

“You can always root for UConn. I mean, you’re a taxpayer.”

“As a taxpayer, I hope they win a few games, but not to the point of rooting for them.”

“I see you’re wearing a Pirates cap.”

“Why not, Major League Baseball ended the lockout – play ball!”

“How far do you think they’re going?”

“Not far. I’m hoping for eighty-two wins.”

“In other words, a winning season.”

“Speaking about winners, two bowls of clam chowder, winner winner.”

“Thanks Chery. Can I get another beer?”

“Absolutely. What about him? Another splash, David?”

“Just top this one off, Cheryl. I’m not sure how long Dan is staying.”

“I’ll be here until our usual time, David. Long enough to pick up the tab.”

“I thought I might be competing with Preston for your time.” “Here’s your beer, Dan, and a splash of bourbon. And trust me, David. If you were competing with a cat, you would lose.”

What we woke up to on Thursday. Unfortunately, I had to take a car in for service.
Taken while I was clearing the driveway
Sunrise through the trees
The snow Wednesday night stuck to everything.
An hour after I took this, the snow had melted off the tree.
The lilac’s new buds did not appreciate this.
Sunrise shining on our dogwood
The park as I drove by on Thursday. I took Maddie later, after the sidewalks were clear.
“Marge, Cindy, look up, a nice young man is taking our picture. Betty, get your butt down in the water and look at the camera.”
The Connecticut River is running high, but the geese don’t seem to mind.
This is the flag at Great River Park, behind ice covered trees.
Hang on guys
I wanted to wait until it got warmer. Maddie wanted to walk.
First signs of life.
“I heard about this from MuMu. She says you get distracted and forget to brush her.”
Hi Preston. Yes, I’m here to take care of you.

87 comments

  1. Preston is a cutie. I miss having cats but I married into a family with allergies. It makes me think of a few good prenuptial questions that should be asked. The snow is great for photos, but it is pushing spring out. We planted early and I am fearful we might lose our plants – the wind is howling out there and the temps are dropping rapidly. Have a good spring forward weekend, Dan.

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  3. The snow covered landscape Thursday provided stunning snapshots. And then they were gone like a mirage!

    Preston is looking mighty handsome. Hope he got a good brushing.

    Old Glory not deterred even in bad weather.

    Raining right now, but snow on the way. Aaaarrgghh! I’m soooo done with winter.
    Ginger

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    • Preston is a handsome little fluff. He’s also hungry, at least that’s what he keeps saying.

      I’m not sure what we’re getting today. I’d be OK if it stayed as rain. Otherwise, I have a complicated cat-sitting-snow-shoveling schedule. Not to worry, there’s time for everything.

      The snow on Thursday was stuck to absolutely everything. It was beautiful. I got our car in for service and it was almost gone by the time I got back.

      Have a great weekend, Ginger – stay dry.

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  4. quote It’s time to relax, lick our wounds, sooth our aches and wash away our frustrations with a cold brew.. guess that says it all.. hope you got to relax…smiles.. without the small annoyances.. you would not have had the need for a relaxing brew. but you said it well.. have a banner rest of the week-end. xxo

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  5. Good luck to your Pirates, but I’m hoping my Red Sox make the trip to the World Series this year!
    That snow sure does look beautiful. I can almost feel that crisp air, it used to always make me smile!

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    • It was exhilarating, GP. The Pirates are still in a 35-year rebuild. Actually, they’re stuck with a cheap owner who’s now having to defend his misuse of the small-market-money he received from MLB. He tried to get the arbitration set aside in this contract, but MLB is letting it proceed. Great management – sued by his players.

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  6. Beautiful photos, Dan. They capture the magic and silence of freshly fallen snow. We’re heading into Spring in our area, and I’m looking forward to working in our garden. Nice to meet Preston. 😊

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    • Thanks Cheryl. Preston is really a fluff. He wants attention, but he’s not nearly as lout as MuMu. I support my teams. The Pirates can’t really disappoint, expectations are very low.

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  9. Preston is adorable! He looks like a sweet boy and I’m sure you’ll take good care of him while Faith is away.

    As for the weather, Dan, I see that there is a big storm heading your way. I hope that doesn’t hamper your cat sitting responsibility. Other than a couple inches of snow earlier this week, we have not had much of the white stuff this winter. It’s been cold rather than snowy, but that’s supposed to change tomorrow with highs in the 40’s and 50’s this coming week. I’ll send the warmth your way and I hope you have a lovely week.

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    • Thanks Mary/ It doen’t look like we’re going to get much snow,, maybe an inch or two. I can work around that. We are supposed to get warm during the week. Spring is welcome at any point.

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  16. Love the song. Sorry about the snow on the lilacs. I remember living in Detroit and had snow in late spring. The lilacs survived. Great photos Dan. Have a super what’s left of the weekend. Was looking forward to a chowder photo but will live.

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  18. It was a real pleasure to visit in the bar today — truly a world apart. I do admire the sarcasm. The photos are breathtakingly beautiful but would be so much more so were it Christmas Eve. Our windchill this morning was a toasty 2, though no white stuff, and I’m thinking I’d rather be warm.

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  20. I am admiring from afar, but those snow photos are so pretty, Dan. The caption for the photo of Marge and the girls is a riot–such a good one! We had some crazy gusty winds last night that have lasted into today–like right now. House next door is being remodeled so some of their trash blew into my yard. They have installed a ‘Professional Style Range.’ Wanna see the box top as proof? 😆Hello, handsome Preston. I’m afraid to ask, but didn’t Faith have two cats? The other was Monclon…something like that. Enjoy the rest of the weekend!

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    • Thanks Lois. There is only Preston now 🙁 Those geese were intent on showing me their backsides. Very windy here right now. Electricity is out 🙁 We’ll be OK. An adventure.

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  21. It is snowing here in Northern Virginia. It’s only an inch or two, but that is a lot for us at this time of the year. Spring is on the way and I am ready for it. In the meantime, chowder sounds like a great idea. Mine will be out of a can, but I think it will still be good. :)

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  24. We had that same snow, and I was visiting at the hospital and had to come out at night and clear the car off before I could head home. Not fun, but it was beautiful. Preston does not know how lucky he is to have an experienced sitter who not only takes care of him but keeps him company.

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    • One of the things I was looking forward to in retirement was never having to drive in the snow (if I didn’t want to). It hasn’t worked out that way. This winter, I’ve had somewhere to go during or right after most storms. Preston and I enjoy our “guy time.”

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    • We do our best to keep these guys out of kennels. A friend of the family, and absolute cat lover, who lives near Faith, watches Preston when Faith and I are both traveling. The snow is pretty, but I think I have enough photos for this season.

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  26. “…never been in the same zip code as normal.” has to be added to my repertoire.
    Your pictures are amazing. The trees remind me of the wonderful Ansel Adams photography.

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  27. You got some great pics of the snow this week. The kids at school had one last day of sledding, although winter is never over in March. Dan, please never stop writing your Saturday bar posts.

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  28. That’s so nice of you to overnight cat sit for Faith. I’m sure it means a lot. The snow is beautiful. I guess the sparkle sort of makes up for the cold. After weeks of spring like weather, we are having a sudden drop into the 20s tonight. It might as well snow, but not likely.

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  29. Hi Dan – love the chit-chat re Preston and MuMum … while those photos are beautiful. Great you’re able to look after Preston obo Faith … just frustrating with the snow coming along at the same time. Enjoy the rest of March – cheers Hilary

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  31. Loved the gallery, Dan, and I see you did get the snow like us. Hopefully this is the end of that snow and we can all relax and get into the busy groove of Spring. Now just how does relax and busy go together? LOL

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  33. We had the same heavy snowstorm yesterday and by the afternoon it was already melting. Other than possible power outages and accidents because people don’t remember how slippery heavy wet snow is, snow like that is so pretty and welcome – it leaves as fast as it arrives this time of year. You captured great photos of it! Aw, Preston is very charming. Cheers to you and yours!

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