We love the library

The boys at the library (yesterday and while I was on vacation).

Little Critter

This little snapping turtle made its way into the factory (heat treat area) last week.

Squirt! Squirt!

Well, Jake not wanting to go on a new road didn't last long. We headed out Saturday and that was the firs thing he said. Here is a pic of Jakob playing with some squirt toys at the Looney's house.

Tasty Treats and New Streets

Missy and her gang joined us for pizza tonight and we decided to go for ice cream afterwards . Buttonwoods was PACKED, so we headed over to The Brown Cow Cafe (part of Ekonk Hill Turkey Farm- click the title above for the link to the farm). This was our first time...not many people as it was close to closing. It is the cutest place- they have animals for the kids to check out, home made goodies, local products (chips, soda, jams, etc). We all had home made ice cream, while Todd added an "apple cider slushie". We took home a turkey pie (frozen and like a pot pie) for dinner Saturday night (**it was all gravy and turkey and was it YUMMY!).

With Jake always wanting to take a new road any time he is in the car, I had Todd go down Stone Hill Rd. from Rt. 49 (star on the right side of the picture) on the way home from ice cream. The road goes through Pachaug forest and brings you to Rt. 201. After about 15 minutes and deep into the forest (yeah, it was dark and I told Todd to take the wrong trail...yadda yadda yadda), Jakob was not liking the new road (all dirt and very bumpy!) and was scarred. It was a tad bit spooky, but I wasn't going to let on that I thought so! We were supposed to be on the outskirts of the forest, but I had directed Todd to take a left instead of a right which brought us through the middle of the forest. We had a bat fly right near our car!! Todd not knowing where he was (I have made it through twice, taking different ways on my own) didn't help make Jake feel better. He kept saying things like "I hope the gates aren't locked!". Anyway...we finally made it out (of the main entrance..star on left of picture)..and Jakob says "NO MORE NEW ROADS FOR ME!".

Sunflowers 2007

We made it in time this year to see the beautiful fields of sunflowers at Buttonwood Farm (last year that were wilting). Click the title above for more info on "sunflowers for wishes". The image above was perfect, but I wanted to make it special.

Spent the day at Jacob R.'s birthday and headed down to see the flowers. On the way back, we found a new road, a very old cemetary, a wild turkey and her babies, and a coyote or fox.

Family Day: CT Eastern Railroad Museum

Started the day off with lunch at Cinco de Mayo (not my fav mx establishment) and then ventured over to the RR Museum.

The museum is in an odd location and wasn't what I had expected. It is all outdoors..... and there are a ton of bugs. The museum houses buildings, coaches, cars, a turn table, and a roundhouse.

Columbia Junction Roundhouse
The Columbia Junction Roundhouse was completed in November 1892 and was used for servicing and repairing steam engines. It is believed that the roundhouse was razed during the later 1920’s or early 1930’s and the remaining walls were bulldozed into the six pits inside the roundhouse. In 1991, work began on clearing the roundhouse site of trees, brush and debris. Plans for a new roundhouse were drawn up using the original plans as a guide. The shell of the new roundhouse building was completed in August 2000 on the original foundation. The doors have been installed and a brick paver floor is being laid. For a donation, people can have a paver inscribed and placed in the floor. Windows will be installed in the near future and the roundhouse will be used to store and display equipment.

Jakob "driving" EMD FL9
This dual-mode FL9 was built for the New Haven Railroad in November 1960 at General Motor's Electro-Motive Division (EMD) and assigned road number 2057. It was rebuilt by the Chrome Locomotive Companyin Silvas, IL in 1985 at which time it was renumbered as #2023, and served both Connecticut and New York until retired from service in September 2002. It was donated to the museum by the Connecticut DOT Office of Rail and arrived at the museum on February 7, 2003 with help from the Providence & Worcester and New England Central railroads. The dual-mode FL9 operates normally in diesel-electric mode but converts to electified operation while in motion by lowering a shoe which makes contact with an energized third rail. At that time the diesel engine is shut down and the electric motors take over, a transition that occurs so smoothly that passengers are not even aware that it has taken place. On the New Haven Railroad, the changeover to electric operation occured when approaching New York City in the area of Woodlawn, NY. When leaving the city, the third rail shoes were raised and the diesel engines took over.

Happy Birthday Daddy

Todd's friend Chris and his boys Tommy and Jacob joined us for pizza and ice cream cake to celebrate his 34th birthday.

Fourth of July

We decided to keep it low key today..have been running since Saturday.

Enjoyed some time outside playing with toys and blowing bubbles. Todd cooked dogs and burgers for lunch...Jake even ate a cheeseburger!!

For dinner he grilled yummy chicken and we also had squash, corn on the cob, and pasta salad too! Even though it started raining later, we could here the fire works from the lake.

It wasn't exactly the way Martha's came out, but this was dessert...(the biscuits are shaped like stars).

Pooped!

The boys pages will be updated with more pictures of them from today.