Horse and Buggy

I put Ethan on my shoulders so he wouldn't step in the big puddles or the horse droppings. I was concerned that he might not be used to the concept of how to properly ride on "shoulders".

I had nothing to be concerned about. He would reach up and yank down hard on my right ear when I should go to the right. He would rock back and then body slam me when he wanted to go faster. And when he wanted me to stop he would call me Grammy.

I didn't know that he wrote the book on shoulder riding skills.

Ye Olde Watering Hole

With all of the rain, it really is a watering hole. Had to do a lot of walking in the rain to get to the colonial fife and drum competition, but I did save the $1 admission.

Hole in One

It was raining very hard at the Colonial Fife and Drum event. So we ducked under a tent. There was a hole in the top of the tent that had a stream of water pouring through it. What do you think was the object of Ethan's attention? He couldn't stop talking about the hole in the tent and was constantly saying "Grampy look at the rain".

Fife and Drum

This is the Lexington Fife and Drum Corp. They are participating in a colonial fife and drum competition at the Wayside Inn.

Ethan was very impressed with the magnificent sounds from the drums and the neat sounds of the fife.

The Cucumber Man

Ethan loves cucumbers. But before they can be eaten, they must be played with. Today he poked his finger through them. Then he would hold them up to his eye and peer at me through the hole in his cucumber.

Then there are olives and the unspeakable joy of sticking them on the ends of your fingers, waving your hand, and then eating them one at a time off of your fingers.

What happened to us growing up that when we became adults that we now eat salads in a bowl? We are missing out on so much fun!!

More Bars

More bars in more places. This is a colonial cemetary in Harvard Square. The headstones are lined up like bars on a cell phone.

I have heard of dead zones for cell phones but this is the first time I have actually seen one.

Fishing Hole

Ethan is fishing with the other kids. The other kids are trying to catch the fish and they aren't very successful. Ethan is always successful! He places the fish on his hook and then he puts it in the water. They all look at him because he always has a fish on his line. The little girls are especially watching him. Call it the end justifies the means or thinking outside of the box, but he gets the attention of the young ladies.

Wheel of Fortune

When you climb a tractor tire you eventually climb so far up that you start coming down the other side. What do you do? If you go forward, then you are going face first down the tire.

Ethan wisely studied the problem, put it in reverse and went back down.

Sometimes adults don't have enough sense to turn around.

Tractor Pull

Ethan is all smiles as he rides the tractor. He attached the wagon and filled it with vegies. When he made a 90 degree turn, the wagon would seperate from the tractor. At first, he would get off of the tractor and attach the wagon. It happened so often that he was tired of getting off the tractor. He discovered that he could reach down, pick it up and slap it down! It was funny watching him reach behind and fix the wagon. But he did it!

Painters

I understand why pain-ting begins with pain. Everything has to be moved or covered. Bending over to pick things up. Stretching up to take things down. We are painting the exterior, replacing boards, taking down trees and then painting the interior. The painters only except euros..I'm hoping that the Feds will bail me out!

Second Place for Darcy

Darcy got second place in the cake decorating contest. She made everything that you see on the cake. She had the New England states exhibit halls as the base of the cake. Then a layer for the 4H events. A layer for the arts and a layer for the amusements. It was technically difficult while also being very creative.

Congratulations Darcy!! Awesome!!

Infant Stroller

Grammy held up while holding up Janelle. We walked and we walked and we walked. Would you believe that if you run out of diapers that there are none for sale at the Big E? I am tempted to rent a kiosk and sell diapers, formula, and infant hats. It would be a success!

Green Fried Tomatoes

Why would anyone mess with perfection? Why take a perfect Oreo and deep fry it? The Big E fair pumps in $225 million to the local economy.

The economic impact may be greater if they consider the revenue generated from removing all of fat that has been pumped into our bodies.

Fountain of Youth

Eric is showing Grampy the fountain of youth.  It doesn't exist in some far away land.  All you have to do is look around you.  It is in the faces of the young people and in their excitement and joy.  All you have to do is immerse yourself in these waters and you will be forever young.

Who Let the Goat Out

Who let the goat out?  Ethan is creating employment opportunities for teenagers.  By letting the goat out, he is creating employement opportunities for young people to run after the goat, catch it, and place it back in the pen. If there were no loose goats, there would be fewer jobs for teenagers.  This is also  referred to as the rural economic stimulus plan.

When I Itch, I Scratch

When I itch, I scratch!  Or, if you are very lucky, somebody else will scratch your back for you!  Now that's living!

Lawnmower Man

Eric is really fascinated by the lawnmower!  There is something about a lawnmower that boys are attacted to.  My first opportunity to earn money came from cutting grass and then from a newspaper route.  Lawnmowers remind us of our youth and our summer experiences of earning money.  They also remind us of the grass in the yard that we forgot to cut.

Rusty Cars

This is what winters in New England can do to a car. There is so much salt on the roads that the body of the car will just rust away. Leaving just the wheels and the steering wheel!

Scales

We live in a digital age. Everything has it's own digital display. So I was surprised that Ethan was familiar with the concept of a scale. This scale was old and had no monitor attached to it. It had no digital display. But as he placed each veggie in the scale, he would look up for the weight display. He may not be familiar with weights and measurements but he certainly gets the idea.

The Market

There is the Stock Market, and then there is the market that you go to stock up on food. Ethan really enjoyed shopping. He pushed his cart all around and filled it up with vegetables. It is fun watching him act out his imagination.

Feed Me

Ethan is cranking the wheel to send food up to Mr Goat. There were other goats, but this one made sure that he could intercept the food and get it first.

Ethan learned that if you have food in your hands then you have lots of friends that are goats. But no food, then no goat friends. It is tough in the goat kingdom.

Hayride

Ethan is giving me a tour of the farm. His conversational skills are growing at an astounding rate. He is no longer the little boy who won't take a step unless he is by your side and holding your hand. He runs ahead and turns around and yells "Come on Grampy".

One door closes and another door opens.

Emerald City

Do you know the way to the Emerald City? The scarecrow just points the way. Ethan couldn't quite understand why the scarecrow wouldn't talk to him.

Farmer Ethan

Different farm, different abandoned tractor, same Ethan slapping the gears and turning the wheel.

There were no abandoned tractors when I was a lad, they were still using mules.

Car Wash

The restaurant had a table sign describing their specialties. They did not know that Ethan's specialty is sign removal. He removed the sign. Then he wraped a napkin around the bars and turned it into a car wash.

I guess if you have to wash your hands before you eat then you should also wash your car.

Art As A Deterrent

There are those who think that public executions will serve as a deterrent to future crimes.

This is the subway station at Porter Square in Cambridge. If you loose your gloves, they will bronze them and weld them to the escalator siding.

This is a strong warning to future glove users to hold on tightly to their mittens. Or they could suffer the same shame.

Rules of the Road

Cars travel in the right lane and pass in the left lane. You walk on the right and pass on the left. The rules of the road are ingrained in our DNA. These basic rules are elevated to a higher standard in the underground world. There they are laws of nature, and of survival. The wise traveler will take care to never violate them. Never get on the left side and plant your body there like a tree. The morning commuters will prune you and cut you down.

Commuters are ugly in the morning and little or no mercy will be extended to offenders.

Bulkhead Slide

This is what happens if you don't have a slide in your backyard. Everything can become a play object. I have never seen anyone use a bulkhead as a slide, but Ethan comes up with new and creative ideas!

Tupperware

A long, long time ago. In a galaxy far, far away. When our boys were little and we lived in Framingham. Faith sold Tupperware. She picked up a set of cups, plates and bowls that were made for kids. Our boys liked to play with them and when they got bored, they would throw them at each other.

These were a great hit at the labor day cookout. Ethan and Eric had fun playing with them just like their fathers did almost thirty years ago.