Last Saturday

My goodness, when am I going to tell you about last Saturday? More than the flowers, that is. It was such a good day, and I have to share! I spent the day in Rhode Island with my three friends, of Maine and Florida and many other adventures.

Before we hit the road, let me share a headline from the Globe that morning.

You can imagine how I wanted to call the paper and ask how, precisely, I can avoid mosquitoes. I'd love to! (Though I want to get one of these and try it next time, to see if it really helps the sting. Seems too good to be true, but worth a try.)

Moving on! We brought together a lovely potluck lunch: chicken salad, green salad, fruit salad, and cukes and tomatoes fresh from the garden.

Not just any cukes, either. I had to get a picture of this one.

Delicious and a decent weapon! She said it grew that big in a week. I imagine if you stood quietly by the plant, you would hear it creaking.

After lunch, we hit the road. Our first-time destination was a small town called Wickford, which apparently is the town that The Witches of Eastwick is modeled on. Not having read the book, and unable to remember if I saw the movie, this was not personally stunning news, but the town is beyond charming. Cool funky little stores, including a bookstore and a yarn store, a place that makes its own ice cream, and just generally quaint and charming in a wish-I-lived-here way.

A number of the houses have signs like these. Guess my favorite?

Particularly if you know that Increase was an actual name, way back when, as in Increase Mather.

We also saw this plate, by the way, and though I don't know what it means, it was certainly deemed blog-worthy.

Back to historical charm in architecture. So many lovely details.

Yes, please, I'll take it. Screen it in, but that is one lovely porch.

And one determined plant. Going up!

Why no windows on the second floor? Who has a theory?

Yes, yarn store. The Mermaid's Purl!

Funky eclectic shop, but perhaps the building used to be a bank? That door has a vault look, don't you think?

Outside the "old" library. Someone stole that poor boy's book! Who steals a book from a statue?

This car really was red, not orange. Pumpkin?

We finally pulled ourselves away from Wickford, and drove around Jamestown admiring the scenery. Found a place to park and rocks to sit on, admiring more closely.

There was clear evidence that when we weren't there, the birds used our location as a dining hall. Messy eaters!

But even on an imperfect weather day, quite lovely.

Back at base, we reprised lunch for dinner, followed by this special event. Can you Groupon for a bakery? Can you say "chocolate cake with caramel mousse frosting and Oreo crumb sides"? I can!

 Not the best photos, but it was too good to take the time!

Anything with caramel like this is excused from anything but being enjoyed.