Country America

I'll start with the winter. Winters are mild with us, but wild. When it comes to the storm - for a night can namesti very much, and sometimes the door will not open.



Two years ago, we finally decided to get a dog. Dumb, you know. Do we have the dog was not, and indeed, such a beast. It was terrible, the children are small. But decided, and we have a Toby.
Izvinte, tobiko introduced too far. Well, soon show closer.



Continuing the winter. That's when the snow falls - sometimes very nice turns.



In the winter we have opened hunting for geese. So I, as a regular villager winter almost every day I go on this hunt. Frankly, after two years of attempts, the score 2: 0 in favor of geese :)



But very pleasant evening to warm the feet of the dog. That's the way Toby in our fireplace.



And then - spring! Yay? A fig. Spring - the unloved season. Near the ocean is cold. In Russia - continental climate (well, of course, where I lived in Moscow). Said spring - means spring! Warm, beautiful girls wearing skirts.
Here - spring - oakery. Wind from the ocean - brrr, very cold.
But tobiko - expanse, no bathers.



I will write about the ocean. It's different, but not much. Basically - and it was a revelation for me - it is quiet. I thought - damn, ocean, angry, storm the storm! Huge waves! And, it was not. It is mostly gentle. And he most of all I like to ebb. Very beautiful. And it is pleasant to walk around barefoot Seabed.



This is an easy storm. Here, near the shore, small waves. In a couple of tens of kilometers - waves up to 20 meters, the fishermen had gone in advance to the ports ...



Okay, get out to the ocean, it's time to deal with the economy!
Toby and mustard crop is in May this year already.



This part of the house, morning. We leave her son at school bus escort. A koshak stays at home, so she was always at the window watching us. Cat on the street can not - too much for her here any dangers. Coyotes and owls constantly local population Kotofeev reduced. So they decided to issue a new pussy hard - no street at all. Lost too much, especially the last was a pity pussy, the best of all.



Here is our house "front side»



But behind.
Here tree that we decorate for New Year (although it was on the top of the lights did not throw a rose), field battles for football, badminton, and, again, playing with the dog !!!
I do not know, guys. For me, this dog has become something very special at all. I am not a dog lover a fig, do not know much, and there is little I can. But this dog - well, he was so cool. So, perhaps, will soon turn into a kennel. Although pussy-Varvarka also love.



Another rear view.



But working tool! It is the best grill I like.



That's our street. Behind the fence - the neighbors.



Oh, by the way. I wanted to show. There are evil plant, poison ivy, or in English - poison ivy. Contagion is the more. If this ivy prikosnёshsya, then you are provided with severe boils, scabies ... Brrr ... Horrid thing terrible. (Posledsviya burns can google, anyone interested)
In the forest of the stuff - well, just to fig ... Pine braided this shnyaga.



Here it is. And it is full of forests. And it would seem, yes, the usual grass.



Dinner in the summer usually on the street.



Any marine residents who already boiled, who still live.



Will show you the process of making the most longed-for American kids goodies.
To begin with - requires fire.



Then - the ingredients.
This - biscuits, chocolate (for some reason the standard - Hershey's, the American tradition) and paste (it is a little different here, "air" a little when compared to Soviet pastes.



Then paste put on a skewer or stick, and roasted over a flame. There is a catch - if a little perederzhish - Pasta lights and a second burn to embers. So that all the children compete in the ability to accurately prepare the case.



So the end result, almost.
Take the pastry on it - this goryachennaya and usually charred marshmallow, chocolate on top - and on top of more cookies (there is no upper cookies to show the meaning, it is the children themselves fotkali)
And then - eaten. This product is called - Smores, from the English «Some more»



Today it was very hot, 35. With local humidity - all tin. Pull up on the beach during the day. In the evening, after dinner, went to bathe a dog on a tidal river. Well, not a river in the usual sense of the word, and the river with salt water - when the tide - it is from the ocean somewhere there flows. And when the tide - that back. Wife with tobiko on the background of a beautiful sunset. (In real life even steeper)



Generally Cape Cod is very different. But there are places that just makes the brain, the feeling - you're on another planet. One of such places - Long Nook
The most funny that I'm talking about this place is not known, even after 12 years on Cape Cod. It to me last year showed a Canadian who went there a little with my parents on vacation.
To get to the beach you need to go down the high and steep sand dune, so people usually leaves his Sandals above, that was not difficult to climb back into the shoe.



Beach bottom looks like. I like it very much.



Sometimes it's the wind from the dunes. Then, usually, all wrapped in a towel, sit on the beach but there is no pleasure in those days we just turn around and leave the lake.
Incidentally, there is one more thing, why on the beach all can sit dressed. I do not know why it prosihodit and what it depends on, but some days on the ocean beaches suddenly, for no apparent reason, there is a huge amount of biting flies. You know, as in Russia, "lighters" we called them in childhood. Not horseflies, namely biting flies.
In those days, not on the beach to sit, attack with terrible force. And though this is rare - but very aptly. Have to "make feet».
About tidal rivers - here's an example. This is - almost full tide. Behind it is seen that the boat out of the water at all. At high tide the boat will float on the surface. Just like the captain Vrungel where they're stuck in the fjords, like.



Like today show a trip to the freshwater beach.
Generally in the area has many lakes. They attracted in the first place because the water is warming much faster than in the ocean, so swimming in them - a pleasure.
And, of course, on the lakes mainly people walking with young children to wave knocked or over, God forbid, not killed.
There are city-owned lakes in which they reside. Get on a lake can residents of the city - this requires at City Hall to buy stickers on the car. With this sticker, you can free ride on all city beaches (both ocean and lakes in the city). Sticker for residents worth $ 35 a year for the first car and $ 15 for other vehicles in the family.
If you come as a tourist - that on some beaches you can not get there at all (for local), and the vast majority have to pay for each visit to a certain amount (10 to 25 dollars a day, in different places in different ways) .
Stickers for the locals look like this:



And there are private lakes. What does that mean - they belong to local residents who live near the lake. E. When buying a property in a particular area - in housing costs also include the cost of the particles of the lake.
We have just such a private lake, next to the house. Contained (kept clean) residents of about 200 houses in the district.
Organized so - firstly, if you do, in principle, this lake nafig not surrendered - you can do nothing. But then you swim or fish catch will not be allowed (well, relatively. Auntie sits at the entrance hours from 9 am to 06.07 hours in the evening. When aunty no - though obkupaysya).
But I think most of the lake go constantly.
So, to use - is required annually to pay 150 dollars a local NGO (all volunteer, well, neighborly. There is a local committee on local government so that it can be called. He is elected by all the surrounding residents. And this committee to collect money and aunt at the entrance pays the salaries of some minimum, and the remaining money - say, can pad detstkuyu zababahat or repair, bring to the beach several. trucks of sand, etc.).
In addition, for the same money provides a general house right on the lake, the so-called club house, or just a local club.
Club used by locals to celebrate that (same committee organizes various activities, for example, the celebration of July 4 and New Year).
In addition, you can use the club for their own purposes - for example, to hold a birthday or wedding.
For this clubhouse can be rented for any minimal money ($ 20 on a weekday, $ 50 on weekends) - and then throwing a party for yourself, only then for an uber.
Is convenient because the club is fully prepared for the holidays. There is a large comfortable kitchen, a huge dance floor with light-music, a room with a large TV and sofas. Overall - a great place for celebrations.
Here is the club. It is located right on the lake, so that more and you can swim.
The photo was taken on the way to the lake.



And then - just pictures of the lake made at lunchtime.
Ladder (by the way, to the stairs that I put a hand too. We did it for a couple with a neighbor about two years ago - and it was awkward to walk on the grass, slippery)



Track - made in order to be able to bring the boat on the trailer (comrade on a yellow pickup truck just makes it - brought some pot)



That lake



Children all know each other - t. To. Only neighbors here, so immediately unite in small groups with the same interests. Who dig the pit, who play ball, who is that.
Splashing out.



Or jump to the docks (docks are removed for the winter, this year they have just set, so there - sold out)



Well, until the pile is already on the way home. On the lake, many hold the boat not to carry every time. Our not visible, it is blocked by another, climb back pictures of lazy, sorry.



Back on dry land :)
Berries - do not go. Of wild berries - especially a lot of cranberry. They say that somewhere is growing and wild grapes (sweet), but I have never seen in the woods not apparently need special. place to know. My parents go for cranberries, and we somehow it to anything. Is that the juice to cook, but how much it is necessary to juice, it is easier to buy in the store.
But mushrooms - yes, go for mushrooms when they appear. But what about the ivy? You ask. (In general, this ivy is not dangerous if it is to know and to dress appropriately - not shlёpkah in the forest, and in running shoes, and so on. D.)
Mushrooms grow here in the forest, but most of them happen in the dunes. Sometimes, and it is very strange to see the mushrooms grow in the sand. That's how:



And sometimes grow like this:



I must say that in the dunes can be found only aspen. I do not know why other fungi do not grow there (I mean edible).
So that the usual collection looks like this:



Well, a little more about mushrooms. Americans do not collect mushrooms (well, maybe there is one) are not accepted for some reason. And the mushrooms they do not know at all.
So, if somewhere you see people with bags, collecting mushrooms - a 80% chance in front of you - compatriots. The remaining 20% ​​- Poles.
For mushrooms come from Boston (about 100 km). We lived in Boston, so I'm familiar with the story from both sides.
So, when you live in Boston - first appears "rumors" about mushrooms (usually - among pensioners). Supposedly someone who once said that Cape Cod was found Boletus. And then begins a nuclear reaction. The rumor is spreading. And be sure to do it in secret (I just told you that you do not tell anyone else!)
And start building "secret" plans for next weekend.
In general - if someone said to someone - be sure about it will know everything, but from each other while lurking :)
As a result - on Saturday in the early morning a huge number of Russian people are going to tear Cape Cod.
Therefore, we go looking for mushrooms only in the week. Over the weekend, there is no sense - everything will be collected.
That's the story.
This is the place. Cape Cod - long and narrow. Therefore, all along the Cape Cod goes lines. And so this looks LEP 200 meters behind our house.
Any hungry assholes dollars manage to steer clear of this transmission line, and here to dump your unwanted junk. Tremors, boards, hell knows what!
You guys have no idea how it infuriates.
We walk here with the dog every day. We are launching fireworks sometimes. But in general, we believe these forests neighbors and this site LEP his - we live here.
In short, this part of the forest we clean ourselves - and Th do well not to live shit, really? Once chipped in with its neighbors, for 500 bucks taken in a tiny rental excavator for 8 hours, dug a hole, threw off there all shit, buried.
But fools do not let up, now again dirty, someone threw an old plumber again. So it's a process, hike, infinite. I think that's camera to buy hunting, to see who it pleases us here periodically.
So that asshole in the US as there are more. Catch would teach.



Let us introduce you to have our goods :)
In short, you come to the store (well, a supermarket), at a general skaniruesh scanner card buyer (on this card discounts are all automatic). Bell is heard - BAMMM - and the common stand lights up one of these devices:
Further, with this scanner walk through the store, skaniruesh products are packed in bags.
Scanner smart - type passes through a number of juice - he begins to tinkle - Dear customer, you do not forget to buy cranberry juice? He is now 50 cents cheaper - sale.
In general, pretty funny. The device is trying to sell to you different products.
But sometimes it is useful - if the sale had not noticed.



Pork



Thus you walk through the store, skaniruesh products, and stuff them in bags in a wheelchair.
Then you come to the box office, there's just "shoot" the same scanner and all your purchases crawl on the screen.
Pay and care (can be card, you can cash it is possible to even trifle stuff).
E. You're doing all the work, the cashier not at all. Saving for the store.
Advance to the question - is it possible to cheat - answer, most likely, it is possible. But why?
Come up with a really good system, for our convenience, so why do uncomfortable again? And so cool, no queues, went and took what you want, pay a quick and left. Conveniently fact!
In general, as around the ocean, then the ports loochnye we also have a lot of products out of the ocean, let's talk! :)
Port of our city. You can "park" the boat for the summer firstly fishermen. The remaining seats are allocated is not known how between the residents of our city.
Common sense - people are waiting for many years to finally be able to throw a boat on the water all summer. The alternative - to carry on the trailer when you want somewhere to swim. In order to control the water on the same day.



There is also a fish shop. Right on the beach. Visiting fishermen pass extraction in the store, and they sell for. (Smoothly back to the topic of products)



Here in these bathrooms lobsters are sold.



In this store we stopped periodically. It is sold in all marine huge amount of stuff, even Slyunkov flow mmm ...



Here on the left in the foreground - crab stuffed (they pull crab meat, cook it in a mixture with onions and breadcrumbs, and lay back in the crab. I do not really like it, t. To. For spices taste it bounces Crab).
Rear left - the famous striped bass (Photo fisherman unfamiliar with this fish, also show)
Right Rear - scallops.
Well, the Left Front has some fishcakes.



Here is a fisherman with a trophy, as promised :)



Let's go back to the store. There are different shells - mussels, oysters, and then I do not know how in Russian they are called. In English - clams and steamers.



Lobsters in this store are $ 18 per kilogram (in the supermarket are $ 10 per kg). Expensive, so we do not often buy them. Several times during the summer, when guests arrive, usually.
But there is a trick how to eat lobster for little money, which we use when children ask.
Note that the first picture of the store, in the background - sold meat lobster tail and claw for 29.95 per pound. So, the fact that the store is cooked lobster claws tear them and tails, pull out the meat and sell.
And with the body of the cancer not steamed, packed in bags and sold for a penny. Here is the package costs $ 2 (here 10 lobster tails and claws without)



I must say that before I did not know that inside the cancer eat as much meat. And it there - to the fig, just need to know how to clean.
For example, to remove the meat from the legs - I use a rolling pin, and the meat is "rolling out»
Well, in there too much flesh. Now, that's what I got yesterday from two lobsters:



You can just eat and can be washed down local dish lobster roll, spices did yesterday for my daughter - she begged.