West what?, Massachusetts

People often want to know where we are living these days. I tell them, "Westport, Massachusetts." This is typically followed by a short blank look, eyebrow raise and head nod. "Oh, Westport. Sure. Yeah." Yeah right! It's okay; we won't judge you for not knowing our tiny town filled with farmers. Truth be told, I had no idea where it was until Marty brought me down here on a date. And now that I know where Westport is, I am learning all sorts of new things while living here.

Lesson #1: This is a rhubarb plant, and fresh rhubarb makes a delicious crisp (especially when combined with fresh strawberries or apples).
Lesson #2: Asparagus grows in single shoots from the ground. However, if you do not cut it early enough, it starts to look like a little Christmas tree.

Lesson #3:Farm fresh eggs are the way to go.
I've officially become collector of the eggs. Everyday I tromp out to the chicken house, say hello to the laying ladies, and let them know what a great job they are doing while I scoop up about 7 or 8 fresh eggs.
Lesson #4: Wool sweaters are hugely unappreciated. Sheering sheep is a dirty job, and poor Marty had to do it this year.
But I think that he enjoyed it...somewhat.
Lesson #5: People take their horses for walks in the country...

...and ride them around the middle school fields.
Lesson #6: When you are short and nervous around full grown horses, all you need is a pony.
Lesson #7: I'm too short to even get on the pony by myself.

As you can tell, we are keeping busy down here in Westport. We love being on the farm, and I am especially loving learning all about this way of life. Speaking of which, I need to go cut some more asparagus. We don't need any more Christmas trees in May.

Almost a month!

Well, our life of wedded bliss is coming up on the one month mark, and we have enjoyed every minute of it! The wedding was beautiful--simple and short--just the way we wanted it.

Thanks to our lovely friends and relatives, we got to spend the first few hours of our honeymoon at the carwash trying to get the whipped buttercream frosting off the windows and out of the wheels of our Jeep. Two carwashes and about $30 later, we could see out of our windows and our car didn't smell quite so much like rotting dairy. Mmmmmm. But hey, what better excuse to spend an hour playing with a pressure sprayer? Notice how I am having to brace myself against the wall. That thing is powerful!

But Newport was sunny and warm. The perfect place to get away for a few days without having to travel far.

Typical Marty Pose.

Taking in the views on the cliffwalk.

We thought we should also introduce everyone to the rest of our little family. This is Perry, one of our two leopard geckos. He is a beast--and not the brightest crayon in the box, let me tell you.

And this is Winkle. Don't let the deformed body fool you. Winkle is a better hunter than Perry and really seems to enjoy life. We learn a lot from this little guy.

And here is the newest addition to our family: Sparticus the conquerer! We got Sparticus, a baby green iguana, about two weeks ago. He is very sweet, but wakes us up in the middle of the night if we let him go to bed too early. This is good practice for when a human little one comes along.

Life certainly is sweet right now. We love being in Massachusetts close to Marty's family, and we are looking forward to the summer in North Carolina with my parents. What could be better?