Fall Mornings

I'm listening to the rain on the roof. Loving it. I think perhaps because I am a bit of a "glass is half-empty" kind of person I have an affinity for the rain. Perhaps it mirrors my mood. Or maybe it just feels good to be warm and dry inside a cozy house listening to the rain happening outside.

Regardless, it's raining here and we need it. I think it's been a couple of weeks.

We experienced our first frost this past week and pulled out all the sheets, towels and extra blankets to cover the tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, basil, eggplants, etc. Things did pretty well. The tops of the basil and some of the pepper plants turned brown, but otherwise they look okay. I'm hoping to can some more tomatoes and some salsa.

Canning this fall has been a family affair. The kids were incredibly helpful and seemed to enjoy the process.. for a bit.

I love those guys!

Their reward for all of that hard work was a chance to throw bombs off the chicken coop roof.

Not really.

They did throw mondo-zucchini off the coop roof, but it wasn't really a reward. I just said that.

It sounded good at the time and segued into the next photo.... don't you think?

This blog writing isn't always as easy as it looks;-)

We hosted our Second Annual Locavore Dinner on Dead Rat Hill this past Saturday evening. The weather cooperated beautifully and we had a most wonderful assortment of foods.

 

...and the sun sets on another perfect day.

We had severe thunderstorms, rain, mud, multiple bee stings, mud, a toothache, mud, a marathon hike (uphill both ways:-) disagreeing dogs and more mud.

But we had a fabulous time camping last weekend at Wyalusing State Park.

Because we also had:

wonderful, dear friends

fantastic food

and drink

Protective umbrellas

(I think I might have mentioned this) MUD!!

Darn-good Dancing

Crackling fire

Cozy Cuddliness

Sunshine

...and did I mention?
Truly amazing friends.

Thanks for a memorable weekend, everyone!

Sunny Day!

This time of year I begin to crave structure and schedule. My kids don't even go to public school and I still can't wait for the school year to begin because I know it will mean some semblance of order will again descend upon our humble home.

The illnesses of the past weeks have been un-fun. Poor Erica recovered long enough from her week-long fever/sore throat engagement to celebrate her birthday belatedly with friends. But then succumbed to a different virus and found herself horizontal on the couch again two days later (for three more days). The doctor called it "bad luck". I call it a (excuse me while I say a naughty word) crappy (yes, I said crappy) way to spend the summer for a 12 year old.

So, not only will the beginning of school mean order and structure, it will mean healthy, vibrant children. I am soooo looking forward to that.

[Because we are DONE being sick.  Yes, I said, done.]

Incidentally, while Erica became ill for the second time, Aidan bounced back from the fever/sore throat crap (I'm on a roll) and proceeded to attend his five-day Camp Invention. Here is a link to their website. Camp Invention The camp engages children in hand's-on, critical thinking, and teamwork to  problem solve. Though they probably have an even better description on their website--click on the link!

If you are fortunate enough to have a local school host this day camp next summer, I highly recommend enrolling your child. Aidan had a blast and loved every minute of it. He's already talking about going next summer.

And just to show how healthy he's feeling, Aidan completed the week by participating in the Silver Lake Aquathon for kids (1/4 mile swim and 1/2 mile run) fund-raising event.

You go, bud!!

Cooling Off

We went to the local pool to cool off on Monday in the intense heat and humidity. It was our last big hurrah this week. The kids are fighting off a virus of some type, so we've been laying low these past few days. Symptoms include stomach aches, headaches, body aches, sore throats and fatigue. General yuck. They are quite miserable.

In the meantime, HE needed to do some hard work on our lawn faucet which had sprung a leak. This included a 4 1/2 foot deep hole, lots of mud and trips to the hardware store.

So we're hanging in there--hoping for a healthier and problem-free weekend.

It had better be, anyway!

Erica will be celebrating her birthday!

The Color of the Sky

Normal-looking sky

Freaky storm sky: