At the age of five I had already lived in Los Angeles, London and Manhattan. Sounds like I was on my way to an interesting life, right? Well, for reasons inexplicable even to my parents, we then decamped to Staten Island (odd that I should grow up in the "Forgotten Borough" and now reside in the "Other Maine.") At any rate, being that we were moving to NYC's quasi-suburb, my father decided we needed a car. I can still remember standing on our Manhattan balcony looking down at the 1966 Dodge Dart parked below. The car came to be known as the "Blue Bomb" and I don't think I've ever seen my father more excited and happy then on the day it was stolen. He came into the house exclaiming, "they stole the blue bomb, they stole the blue bomb!" Alas, it was only teenagers taking it out for a joy ride. It must not have been too joyful because they left it only a block from the house, the keys still in the ignition. But that car did give us some memories. On one trip to Florida, my brother Max bought a smoke bomb at a roadside stand. He lit it in the car and chucked it out the window, but unfortunately the wind blew it back in--that was not my father's happiest moment.

But it was also on that trip (prior to the smoke bomb incident) that we stopped at a diner and Max ate 15 slices of French Toast. It was quite impressive and one of the few times in our childhood where I was jealous of the big oaf. Let's face it: 15 slices: that's prowess.

Wondering what all this has to do with the picture above? Well the French Toast in the picture is a testament to the local food movement. The eggs I used are from Marshfield chickens, Cara made the bread, and you know where the syrup came from--my backyard!!! It was so good I ate 27 slices. No, not really. But if Max was here I would have done it just to settle an old score.

Enjoyed a little stroll in the beautiful woods after my quota of wood-tossing.

This is the work of the woodpecker that continues to elude me. I could hear it today along with the hoots of an owl, but never got close enough for a photo. It'll happen though because I'm on the prowl.