Chickens, The Beach, & Dinner

 What do I do with a weekend when I am not graced with Madeline's company? Well I don't sit around doing nothing that is for sure. I find all sorts of things to get into and adventures to have. This weekend started slow with me dragging my feet and missing Madeline, but soon kicked in and became a great deal of fun.
  Saturday as I said I was dragging my feet and moping around like some love struck teenager. It was the first day of summer the longest day of the year and absolutely beautiful. I had no plans and nothing to do. Yes the garden always has something for me to do, however what I really wanted was to be near water AKA the ocean. While I was standing around doing nothing on the back porch I saw Maria our egg lady go driving to the back, this brought a big smile to my face because I suddenly remembered something. I grab my camera and head out back to where we now have a chicken coop. Still Maria's chickens but for a little while housing here. I am so glad I went back and even happier that I grabbed the camera. Maria let the chickens out of the coop for a little exercise and freedom and I got some very good quality pictures of the birds chilling and relaxing. Those won't be the pictures you will be seeing, no the ones you will be seeing are of a much lesser quality, but tell a much funnier story.

  Maria tells me the birds go back easy into the coop.
    Well she never let them out in my yard before and they have been fed heavier then normal as Maria works out the best schedule for the birds and her. So her normal way of getting the ladies back into the coop isn't working. Shaking the feed can isn't interesting this group of lady birds in the least. My ground is soft, cool, and full of bugs making for some happy hens. After a bit of shaking and gentle prodding Maria gets the girls attention and they start to follow her to the coop.

 Follow her that is until one of the ladies peeks around the coop and decides she would like to see whats up in that direction.

 The other lady birds just have to follow her and that is when the fun begins. I helped not at all because I was to busy taking pictures and laughing. One by one Maria and her boyfriend Drew got them all in the coop.

Well they thought they did any way until one smart dog pointed out the ring leader, the lady that started this merry chase was under the coop not in it.

 She ran both Maria and Drew in circles even into the bushes but in the end Maria won, the run away bird was caught and put to bed

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 Judging from the look on the ole girls face she was hoping for a little more free time. 
  Sunday I woke with the same urge to hear waves crashing, feel an ocean breeze and get a sun burn.

 After a few chores and an inner battle with myself I loaded my car and headed for the shore. I didn't want to lay in the sun doing nothing I wanted to walk and take pictures. That for me meant Wildwood but not the board walk and famous beach everyone hears about.

  No I went to the left and walked away from the board walk following a path along the dunes that would some ten blocks later bring me to what I call the wall.

 The wall is a cement path set upon rocks that winds around the ocean and beach giving you a good view of all the beauty around you with out the hassle of walking in the sand.

 I eventually walked in the sand and even the water, you can't go to the ocean and not put your feet in the sand and water.

 I just love walking on the wall there is so much to see, feel, even smell. I am if you can't tell an ocean lover. All seasons are perfect near the ocean but hands down summer time at the sea side is the best. Sunday was perfect beach weather and the beach was busy.

 I have to say New Jersians know how to use every last inch of a beach, even if the beach is all rock and little sand. 

 All kinds of fun was being had, fishing, surfing, jet skis, swimming and even a kite or two were flying.

I even saw what I hope will be me some day soon, a photographer.

 At the end of the day I drove home tired and content. I walked, I took pictures, had lunch with the sea gulls and read a book on the beach. For me that is a perfect day.
  " What Was Dinner" Well I am always telling you how we are pretty much in grilling chilling season and this weekend was no different.

 We enjoyed yummy steaks seasoned lightly and cooked to perfection with some really pretty grill marks. I wrapped some more onion rings in bacon dipped brown sugar.

 Just because I was curious I tried wrapping green tomatoes in bacon dipped in brown sugar. The results were very very good. In the veggie pan we had mushrooms and onions in the center to hold up the stuffed peppers I put together using hot peppers from our garden, and mini sweet bell peppers that come in a bag.

 I stuffed each pepper with a small chunk of cheddar at the bottom of the pepper then a chunk of Johnsonville brats and on top of that a 1/3 of a wedge of Laughing Cow low fat Swiss cheese. The stuffed peppers are a favorite in the house and get made very often.

The end of dinner found us all licking our fingers smacking our lips and rubbing our tummies in total satisfaction.
 Have a cheery Monday! Thank you for stopping by.