Jay Gaulard Blog

Tons of Roses in the Front

Friday, June 13th, 2008

You have to believe me when I tell you that I am really sorry about all the posts with photos of flowers in them. Really, it’s for the ladies. Sometimes, I feel like such a gentleman. Yesterday, when I was up front doing some trimming, I clipped a rose for Laura. Isn’t that sweet? You don’t have to tell me.

The whole hillside is almost fully in bloom. I had no idea there was such a variety of flowers. It is so exciting to watch what blooms next. Every morning, I wake up and do my thing. Then, I go outside with the camera. Today, I was just standing there on the hillside looking at everything. There was a cricket chirping and a bee going from flower to flower. It was pretty cool. Sometimes it’s nice to just watch things. There are even baby bunnies living under one of the bushes. I almost stepped on one the other day when I was trimming around the Blue Spruce that I planted. It ran and scared the heck out of me.

This is another prize winner from the same garden as my last prize winner.

This is what I am talking about. There are Roses upon Roses. They are all different colors too. There are pink, red and white so far.

Pretty neat, right?

Wild Turkey Running Through the Back Yard

Saturday, June 7th, 2008

You are going to want to kill me for this one. I put such a great title to such a great event, but got such a lousy picture. You just wait.

Yesterday, I was sitting here doing some work when Laura ran in telling me there was a turkey running through the back yard. I got up and grabbed my camera. I thought this would be great to catch on “film.” I stood up and looked out the window, and wouldn’t you know it, there was a turkey walking through the back yard on its way to the woods. It was a big sucker too.

I held the camera to the window and shot. Here is what I got…

I am really sorry about that.

Bird Nest Under the Porch

Sunday, May 25th, 2008

There are actually two different bird nests under the back porch. I look at them almost every time I walk by. The parent birds like to whiz by my head to scare the heck out of me. Actually, I am just writing that for entertainment, I really don’t get scared by birds, even if they are whizzing by my head. Now, Crows on the other hand are scary. When there are hundreds of them all screaming at the same time, it’s a little freaky.

I took a nice picture of the birds living under the porch this morning. Tell me if you like it.

That’s an up-close nature shot. I kept thinking the momma bird was going to dive bomb me from behind, but it never happened. I wouldn’t have been scared if it had.

Just a few weeks ago, these little birds were much smaller. I could hardly even see their heads. One time I saw all of the beaks wide open, sticking straight up in the air. I said to them, “No little birdies, I don’t have any worms for you” and I walked away.

That’s a “Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey” line if I ever saw one.

Taking Down the Basketball Hoop

Wednesday, May 21st, 2008

Ok, before anyone freaks out and asks why the heck I am taking down a nice basketball hoop, let’s just talk about this.

There are a few good reasons. The first is that I don’t see myself shooting hoops outside all too much. I don’t even own a basketball. That’s not to say I’m not in peak physical condition, just not for basketball. The second (and last) good reason is that my brother would like the whole set up for his two young boys to play with. They will get much better use out of it that I will. They will enjoy it and know that Uncle Jay treats them right. Jeff is going to come get it in June and bring it down to Virginia to plant near his driveway. We will handle the hoop with loving care.

I was wondering how easy, or difficult this was going to be. I knew the pole was stuck in some cement, but I had no idea how much. I began picking at it a few days ago with my pick-ax. I had a little luck, but nothing compared to today.

This afternoon, I went after the cement ball in earnest. It took about a half-hour, but I got it loose and down on its side. One thing I did notice while taking it down was a bird that flew out of the top of the pipe.

After the whole thing was down on its side and the cement ball out of the hole, I began taking the net and backboard off. About half way through this, another bird flew out of the top of the pipe, which was now really low to the ground. Again, I didn’t think too much of this. A few minutes later, a little baby bird fell out of the pipe. My heart sank. What have I done? The baby was about the size of a baby hampster. I got a flashlight and looked down the pipe and saw about four more baby birds.

I thought about it for a little while and came up with a solution. I finished taking the backboard and net off and then stood the pole up again, similar to what it was like before.

I was pretty much done bringing my tools back in the garage when I looked back at the pipe. I noticed a bird (that had been on a branch right above me the whole time), fly into the pipe. Then, another one did. They were obviously the parents going back to see how their kids were doing. I felt very good about that. I think we’re back in business.

Jeff is coming down in June to grab the setup. This gives the birds about a month to grow up and fly away. I am hoping they can do it by then. If not, Jeff will have to wait a few more days.

Simon Basking on the Stairs

Tuesday, May 13th, 2008

When we got home this afternoon, we found fat Simon laying out on the stairs, soaking up the sun. The weird thing is that he didn’t move when we tried to get up and down. He only moved when Holly ran by. I think he got a little nervous, because we all know Holly will step on your face if given the chance.

I ran to get my camera, but by the time I got back to Simon, he was already sitting up. Oh well, at least I got this pleasurable pose…

Two Cats in Love

Wednesday, May 7th, 2008

I know there are sooooo many people out there who hate pictures of other people’s animals. I also know that I have said this before. I am probably one of them. Oh well.

Since you have probably visited this blog before, you know that sometimes I just can’t help myself when it comes to this kind of stuff.

I found this picture on my camera the other day…

I guess Laura was taking pictures while I wasn’t looking. C’mon, can you blame me for putting this up?

We Bought the House

Monday, April 21st, 2008

Wow, what a long day. Driving over to the new house takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes. It seems longer than it is.

Today was the big day…not only for us, but also for the sellers. It must feel great to sell a house. I mean, your mind is most likely on your new one and all you want to do is to get the process over with. Congrats.

We are thrilled. I think it is a very good move. From what we gather, people tend to move around in the same town a lot, meaning, they like the town. That’s a good thing.

We met the realtor over at the house at 2PM for the final walk through. The house was nice and clean and everything was just as we expected. We dabbled for a bit and talked for a while and then we went to the closing at 3:30PM. Everything went very smoothly and yes, the sellers are just like us. You can almost tell by the way they kept the place…clean, tight and when something broke, they fixed it. As a buyer, I definitely appreciate that. They were actually very personable people.

Ok, enough of that, now for the pictures. I mean, who cares about the writing anyway? It’s not like anyone reads it anyway.

Here is the front of the house. I think it has a nice “Connecticuty” look.

This is the rather large kitchen. There is room for a table in there and it also has a nice island. The door that is open goes out to the garage. Also, there are doors that go out to the back deck.

This is the fireplace. I am very happy there is a fireplace. I plan on getting a pellet stove insert for this and using it as a main heating source. Since the house heat and hot water are run off the oil burner, I am going to get an electric hot water heater and solar panels. I just have to figure out a way to make the look good and fit into the neighborhood.

These are pictures of the main entryway. Do you know how hard it is to get good photos of two floors up close? Not easy.

This is the blue room, AKA, the dining room. We have no plans for this room right now beyond walking through it. We don’t have much furniture.

This is one of the upstairs bathrooms. It’s pretty big and has one of those tubs that bubbles.

If you want to come over to visit, you can stay in the guest bedroom. It has a large walk-in closet and a full bathroom.

Here’s that bathroom I was talking about. So that’s two full baths on the top floor and one half bath on the main floor.

This is going to be Laura’s office. She gets the purple room. It’s pretty soothing. The girl that this room belonged to has a nice little setup. Perfect for a young girl.

I also got a picture of the room that’s going to be my office, but it came out blurry. It’s pretty much like this room, but different colors.

Here are some photos of the master bedroom. It’s a large room with a dormer facing West. There are two closets and a cable hookup. I am starting to sound like a realtor myself.

This is the one of the finished downstairs rooms. It is really comfortable and cool. It’s going to make a perfect…something.

This is the other downstairs room. This used to have an exercise machine in it. Laura wants to use it as a Pilates room. I have to buy her one of those exercise balls.

Can you say, “garage?” It’s about time. Yes, I am going to like the garage very much. I know that almost all homes now come with them, but I have yet to have one. I am quite excited about the electric garage door openers too.

Ok, last one. This is the little patio in the back that comes out of Laura’s exercise room.

You want to hear a funny story? You know how much I have grown to hate barking dogs, right? I never used to hate dogs, it’s just been lately, since so many people don’t seem to take care of them. Actually, I love dogs, especially my old dog, Mickles. I really really love Golden Retrievers.

I had a hunch that the only close neighbor had a dog. I wasn’t sure, but I did notice a fence around the back yard. They have an in-ground pool, so it may have been for that. I didn’t think so. I kept on telling Laura that there was a dog next door. I was really hoping it wasn’t a yappy little white dog.

Today, after the closing, we went back to the house to drop off a few boxes we brought with us. We were trying to loosen the load for moving day on Thursday. I parked the car and started walking in the back yard. I noticed something moving inside the neighbor’s fence. I quickly turned around and told Laura, “THEY HAVE A DOG!!!” I turned back around to see what kind it was. My stomach almost dropped through the floor. Upon closer examination, I noticed that it was a reddish dog. I then realized is was a Golden Retriever. I am not sure how it happened, but I found myself over there petting the dog. The neighbor called me over all excited, “Are you my new neighbors?” I say yes and both Laura and I walked over to talk to her. Then, out of nowhere, three more Goldens came trotting over…all offering tennis balls. I was in heaven. I was on my knees, petting them and shaking their fur all over the place. I was really excited. They are fairly quiet with the ever so often bark while looking at the ball. In Golden talk, that means, “Hey stupid, throw the ball.” I threw the ball a few times and what a riot it was watching the four of them jump all over themselves trying to get to it.

I am really happy that both Laura and I met the neighbor so soon and got to know the dogs. Now, we can go over and play with them without actually having to own another one. That’s fine with me.

So, now we have two houses. Anyone want to buy an 1,150 square foot cape on 1.25 acres? Just remodeled…You let me know.

Holly Waaay Too Comfortable

Sunday, April 20th, 2008

It seems that lately, when we come home from some time out galavanting, we open the door to find Holly spread out across the couch. It’s not the worst thing in the world, but we have to remember that she is the hairiest dog alive, so it’s really no good to have the hair on the couch. We constantly tell her not to jump up on the couch, but she only speaks “dog,” so she doesn’t understand.

We caught her today before she woke up. Oh yeah, she’s a great guard dog. When we walked through the door this afternoon, we stood there for about a minute listening to her snore. She woke up only after she heard us turn on the camera. She is scared of cameras.

I remember back in the day when I used to sleep with my dog, Mickles. We would lay there arm in arm. When I would wake up in the morning, he would be next to me just looking at me. He would actually have his head on a pillow, just like a big red-headed human. When it was time to get up, I would have to push him out of the bed. He abused me.

Flipper Human Sunnin’ His Buns

Saturday, April 19th, 2008

I looked over to my right today and noticed Flipper Human over in the shelf sunnin’ his buns.

Really, he was trying to get comfortable, but he did stay in this position for an extended period of time, which leads me to believe the buns theory. Either way, his buns are now nice and golden.

Today Certainly is Another Day

Friday, February 29th, 2008

Today was another busy day. I spent a good majority of the day organizing things online. I would tell you what they are, but I have this thing about telling people my secrets. Oh well. I will say that I find it simply amazing that I am able to wake up every morning of my life and work on the computer for at least eight hours straight. Mind you, those are the days I have nothing to do. Oh, I just love looking at the clock as it reads 3PM and realizing that I have been sitting here since 7AM.

As I get older, I find myself focusing on my “physical” self more than I used to. I always try to sit up straight in my chair, so I don’t get a bad posture, like I have been warned about when I was a kid. I also recognize that I need exercise these days. When I say need, I mean “need.” I mean, I am in good shape, but as anyone gets older, I think they become more aware of these things. I also feel my eyes going to hell. When I was a kid, I used to pride myself on not wearing glasses. Well, the years of staring at this monitor has taken its toll, I’m afraid. Last year, I bought computer glasses to help take the strain off my eyes. These days, I find myself having to focus a heck of a lot more. I can actually feel my eyes getting tired. People say that you should get up every so often to give your eyes a break. They say that you should look out the window every once in a while so your eyes can focus on something else, other than your computer screen. I do that, but I am just hoping that one day I will make enough money to pay someone to do my work for me as I sit in a chair behind them, telling them what to do.

So, what’s new in life…I guess it’s just day to day stuff. As I work, the cats take their turns using my lap as their bed. I am not working on adding any more websites to my portfolio…well, I had to pop a new one in there, I just couldn’t help myself. This is the year of marketing. I haven’t focused on that portion of the business all that much in the past few years, so it might be something I should do to boost the $$$. I believe I can do a very good job with that in the next ten months.

I also have been making beer, if you haven’t noticed. I think it’s a pretty rewarding thing to do. Paul came over to pick up ten bottles for a party he is having tomorrow. He is going to get back to me with the consensus. I hope he likes them.

Since I have been in college, I have been looking for the perfect place to live. Where we are living now isn’t perfect, by any meaning of the word. As my mother would say, we have decided to hate it. It’s painful to realize that, but it’s true. I have learned that it’s pretty useless looking on the internet for that perfect town. All it takes is one lousy picture of a town to ruin everything. On to the next perfect town with that one lousy picture, and so on. I think the only way I am going to make it is to get an “anchor” house somewhere up north, with another smaller home in the heat for weekends in the Winter. I have also learned that the perfect town may not even exist anymore. Back in the day, there was a quiet little main street somewhere in Indiana that you could walk up and down for the rest of your life. Now, you have to worry about tornadoes and the Wal-Mart they are putting up at the end of the block. You might think I’m kidding, but look around. The most pristine places are very unaffordable. So the quest goes on.

On Monday, Laura and I are making a trip to Washington, CT. We are going to have lunch at the Mayflower Inn. A few years ago, my mother got us a gift certificate for the Inn that we used for a perfect Valentine’s Day dinner. It was one of the nicest places on earth. We were thrilled with the little antique town, but it was kind of dark on our way in. We really want to see it during the day. You would be surprised what the Connecticut hills have to offer, for a price. I’ll let you know how it goes. YouTube certainly needs a video or two of Washington, CT.

It just started snowing. Laura proposed another walk in the snow. Who am I to say no? I have a feeling I will be putting my boots on at midnight again. I do want to say that I am getting a little tired of the snow. Every time I think the driveway will be clear for a few days, it snows. I admit that it keeps things exciting, but enough already. It’s been a snowy Winter. The next week looks warmer with the temperatures above freezing. Also, the sunset is much later now, so that January depression has lifted. Now, the sun is going down close to 6PM. In March, we set the clocks ahead, so that should be fun. I am going to try to really soak up the seasons this Spring, Summer and Fall. I think they are worth it.

Wow, what a post. This might actually be what blogs are for. I guess I have to write some real stuff when I am not busy buying things and writing about them. Hey look…it’s another cat on my lap. I think they are doing laps now. This one is Sexy Boo.