Loving rock at Roaring DamPhoto: Garry Armstrong – The MenuBlue flowers by the damPhoto: Garry Armstrong – Grill at Imperial MotorsSummer blooming – CatalpaPhoto: Garry ArmstrongPetunias at the grocery
As a reporter for Channel 7 in Boston for 31 years, I was witness to most of the major events affecting the region. I met a lot of people ... politicians, actors, moguls, criminals and many regular folks caught up in extraordinary situations. Sometimes, I write about the people I've met and places I've been. Sometimes, I write about life, my family, my dogs and me. Or what might otherwise be called Life.
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13 thoughts on “ODD BALLS – FLOWERS, DINNER, AND A ROCK – GARRY & MARILYN ARMSTRONG”
Always interesting to see your local buildings. Yhey seem to be mainly out of wood.
Mostly wood for private homes, though many of our homes are sided in vinyl because painting the house ever three years is expensive. Ours is clad in vinyl. Public buildings are frequently brick, especially town buildings like our library and town hall — both built in the 1880s. If you get all the way up into Canada, you start to see more stone houses. I always wanted a field-stone house, but they are hard to find and usually expensive. Even brick costs a lot more — because they are much lower maintenance (usually) than wood.
When I moved to Israel, it took me a long time to get used to everything made of stone. EVERYTHING. The exterior of almost ever building is Jerusalem marble — it’s got a pink tone. Our floors were all tile. There was tile on all the kitchens and bathrooms, too. But Israel is a land build on stone, while the U.S. is built in an area that was heavily wooded and still is in many places — hence all the fires burning all over the west this summer. When I came BACK from Israel, America looked strange with wood everywhere. It was strange to have linoleum counters and not marble.
It’s brick and stone here. The only wood you get are the swiss chalet type houses, but it is very thick wood, more log type. There are always a few dotted around. Generally our houses have a cellar as well. In our appartment block everyone has their own cellar as well as a laundry room. Some of us, as we do, also have an extra room in the cellar which you can use as you wish. We have it for Mr. Swiss drum set and some bookcases as well as a large wardrobe to accomodate our Winter clothes in Summer and some other stuff.
We don’t have deep cellars here because we sit close to a lot of undergraound water. Other, less watery areas actually have full basements. Our basements are sort of partly tucked in to the hill, but not really deep. We do have attics. Wood is relatively cheap in the U.S. and good wood — red and golden oak — are very popular for floors. Even walls are often covered with wood. I guess it depends on what’s available. The stone was a lot easier to maintain. It usually didn’t rot and houses lasted pretty much forever.
Not so much here, No matter how beautiful a wooden house is — even when it’s covered in cedar shakes (tiles), it will need repair. I’m amazed at how many of our wooden homes are still around after a couple of hundred years. That’s a lot of maintenance 😉
That is a very expensive place to eat. The food is really good, but the prices are nuts. IF we are going to eat hamburgers, that are good places at half the price. I think that’s why he took the picture. That’s where we DON’T go to eat!
7 bucks for a hamburger chips and soda? Expensive? Try living in Aus! Here fast food joints are just about up to $10 for a ‘meal deal’ – a cheap burger on it’s own would be around $7, but if you want something not off the production line and hand made you are looking at closer to $10-12. $6 might get you ONE hotdog – a bun with a frank in it and probably sauce or mustard.
This is not usually an expensive place to live. Restaurants are not priced like Boston. Usually. But there are exceptions, and this is one. The Japanese restaurant we love is another. The problem is, when they raise prices enough, they end up out of business. The diner and grill have excellent food and a lot of people eat there because they are having their cars serviced next door. But I don’t think anyone goes there as a first choice because a good burger is one of the few things most places in the valley can cook.
Too bad. The diner is far better than average, but so are the prices. I understand high prices in the city, but out here?
I guess if you are getting what you pay for ( in terms of better quality product) then it’s ok but if they offer the same as anyone else and just jack up the price to take advantage of the ‘forced’ local custom from the service place then it’s out of order. The overheads on the diner don’t look all that high from your photo? 🙂
Well, the place is closed most of the time because no one will pay the price, so I’m not the only one. You can’t price yourself out of the local market. If people won’t pay that much, you can charge whatever you want, but it won’t keep the place open.
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Always interesting to see your local buildings. Yhey seem to be mainly out of wood.
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Mostly wood for private homes, though many of our homes are sided in vinyl because painting the house ever three years is expensive. Ours is clad in vinyl. Public buildings are frequently brick, especially town buildings like our library and town hall — both built in the 1880s. If you get all the way up into Canada, you start to see more stone houses. I always wanted a field-stone house, but they are hard to find and usually expensive. Even brick costs a lot more — because they are much lower maintenance (usually) than wood.
When I moved to Israel, it took me a long time to get used to everything made of stone. EVERYTHING. The exterior of almost ever building is Jerusalem marble — it’s got a pink tone. Our floors were all tile. There was tile on all the kitchens and bathrooms, too. But Israel is a land build on stone, while the U.S. is built in an area that was heavily wooded and still is in many places — hence all the fires burning all over the west this summer. When I came BACK from Israel, America looked strange with wood everywhere. It was strange to have linoleum counters and not marble.
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It’s brick and stone here. The only wood you get are the swiss chalet type houses, but it is very thick wood, more log type. There are always a few dotted around. Generally our houses have a cellar as well. In our appartment block everyone has their own cellar as well as a laundry room. Some of us, as we do, also have an extra room in the cellar which you can use as you wish. We have it for Mr. Swiss drum set and some bookcases as well as a large wardrobe to accomodate our Winter clothes in Summer and some other stuff.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We don’t have deep cellars here because we sit close to a lot of undergraound water. Other, less watery areas actually have full basements. Our basements are sort of partly tucked in to the hill, but not really deep. We do have attics. Wood is relatively cheap in the U.S. and good wood — red and golden oak — are very popular for floors. Even walls are often covered with wood. I guess it depends on what’s available. The stone was a lot easier to maintain. It usually didn’t rot and houses lasted pretty much forever.
Not so much here, No matter how beautiful a wooden house is — even when it’s covered in cedar shakes (tiles), it will need repair. I’m amazed at how many of our wooden homes are still around after a couple of hundred years. That’s a lot of maintenance 😉
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Neat photos. I’m blown away by the menu. $6.99 for a burger, $7.99 for a cheeseburger and they say there isn’t any inflation.
Leslie
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That is a very expensive place to eat. The food is really good, but the prices are nuts. IF we are going to eat hamburgers, that are good places at half the price. I think that’s why he took the picture. That’s where we DON’T go to eat!
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Phew! I thought I was going to have to say good bye to burgers.
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Terrific photos for this week. Looks so summery. 😀
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Yes, summer has finally come. Flowers and a lot of rain 😀
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Dinner – Diner? Mehhh. 😉
Love your work either way.
7 bucks for a hamburger chips and soda? Expensive? Try living in Aus! Here fast food joints are just about up to $10 for a ‘meal deal’ – a cheap burger on it’s own would be around $7, but if you want something not off the production line and hand made you are looking at closer to $10-12. $6 might get you ONE hotdog – a bun with a frank in it and probably sauce or mustard.
‘S’why i don’t eat out much!
love
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This is not usually an expensive place to live. Restaurants are not priced like Boston. Usually. But there are exceptions, and this is one. The Japanese restaurant we love is another. The problem is, when they raise prices enough, they end up out of business. The diner and grill have excellent food and a lot of people eat there because they are having their cars serviced next door. But I don’t think anyone goes there as a first choice because a good burger is one of the few things most places in the valley can cook.
Too bad. The diner is far better than average, but so are the prices. I understand high prices in the city, but out here?
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I guess if you are getting what you pay for ( in terms of better quality product) then it’s ok but if they offer the same as anyone else and just jack up the price to take advantage of the ‘forced’ local custom from the service place then it’s out of order. The overheads on the diner don’t look all that high from your photo? 🙂
love.
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Well, the place is closed most of the time because no one will pay the price, so I’m not the only one. You can’t price yourself out of the local market. If people won’t pay that much, you can charge whatever you want, but it won’t keep the place open.
LikeLiked by 1 person