Tune of the month

So here it is .....the start of a new feature on our blog...."Tune of the month".

Let us explain. We don't often watch TV; instead listening to music is a big part of our daily lives. So the radio and IPOD accompany us wherever we go, and our CD collection is ever expanding.

Our blog shares the 'script' of our lives, but now you can also hear part of the soundtrack too (sorry - very corny). That is, once in a while we'll be sharing what's currently playing on our CD player.

This month's featured artist is Langhorne Slim (pictured above), who we have recently adopted in honor of Sheri's birthday (when CDs are an obligatory part of the gift giving). We hope you like him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5yuJu2IpkE&feature=related

http://www.myspace.com/langhorneslim

And on the flip side we're getting nostalgic with the ever popular John Prine. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsyHo8iUsjE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=206XaNxQ5LQ

Garlic scapes

The "Face of Produce" makes a welcome return this month! Our harvest today was 'garlic scapes', which were subsequently made into a fabulous stir-fried dinner. That's along with peas, spinach and strawberries (for dessert). The Hangman Hill gardens are now operating at full tilt due to the recent plentiful rain showers and warm weather.

See http://blog.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/2006/06/my_friend_the_garlic_scape_1.html for more details.

Quick trip to England

Last week Bruno had a quick trip to the UK for business. Just a few days in duration, but long enough to drop in to see his parents for lunch and to view the impressive poppies at the Union Road abode. They appear to thrive in the West Midlands climate!

Bear in the neighbourhood

From the Westerly Sun (our local newspaper) last week. Not a very commmon occurance in our "neck of the woods"!

What to do during a heat wave

Temperatures soared to the high 90's this week in the northeast. With little chance to acclimatize after cool and rainy the last few weeks in May we ventured to Watch Hill to stroll on the beach and chase sticks. The temperatures only 15 minutes from home were a comfortable 75°F with a light ocean breeze.

Patience, a gardener's best virtue

Kathy and Gene brought us this rhododendron when we first moved to Hangman Hill. Every year it looked a little worse, despite feeding, watering and plenty of mulch. Many many times we threatened to move it. Eight years later it is finally coming into it's own. A good lesson in patience.

Asparagus and Strawberries

It's early June, the last of the asparagus spears are still pushing through and today the first ripe strawberry was smiling above a bed of green and white. The weather has been perfect for strawberries, cool and not too wet. It is shaping up to be a good year for berries. Beware, if you stop by Hangman Hill you may be asked to pick, hull or partake in shortcake.

Provincetown, MA

We had the opportunity to visit Provincetown, MA for an extended Memorial Day weekend thanks to a generous invitation from friends Mark and Jen. The weather was spectacular with brilliant blue skies greeting us each day. The wisteria wanders everyone in P-town and was in full bloom on seemingly every corner. Note a hint of envy here. The lilacs were also in full bloom and seem to be in their element in this seaside town. The only disappointment was that Mark and Jen weren't able to come in the end!

A highlight of the trip was a long bike ride on Memorial Day from P-town through the towns of Truro and Wellfleet. We enjoyed sweeping ocean views, the charm of quaint New England seaside village centers and plenty of fresh air.