May

Well it's certainly a nice spring around here. The ground is drying up beautifully. It's strange for us to see what a "normal" spring is like after having flooding during the past two!

I love this robin's nest in our yard. The nest is lined with horse hair, recycling at it's best. :)

It is also Trilium season. Usually I get out on some trail rides where the red trilium grow but that hasn't happened this year. Now the Indian Moccassin is out (Pink Ladyslipper) so I fear I've missed the season. In my yard there are lots of Trilium plants. It took me 2 years to realize that they were flowering. They are nodding! So here is a photo of those hidden beauties. The flower buds erect but then nods under the leaves to bloom!

It's not all work and no play around here. John plays golf during the summer for a team from his workplace. He gets out once a week to play. This year he got a treat of some hand-me-down clubs. It inspired him to buy a new bag! Quite dapper. He finds our front yard to be a good place to practice from. There are so many clubs in this set that he doesn't even know them yet. Irons he never had before. Fun!

The teens are back at work on the weekends to their summer jobs and I'm still enjoying as much saddle time as I can. My horse is really pleasing me this year! All of the work of the past two years to help this boy out is now paying off. He looks and feels healthy and strong. Boy, does he like to go! Here's hoping it is sunny where you are today!

~Rachel

Mystic

We took a family vacation! It was the first time ever for these growing boys to stay in a hotel. Okay, the older 2 did that before when they were under the age of 4...so I guess they don't remember that.

We spent 3 nights away from our little farm to enjoy the sights of Mystic Connecticut. The older boys really loved the seaport and they could have spent a week there.

We enjoyed the staff at seaport village as they were some of the most forthcoming and enthusiastic folks we've encountered at a museum of this type. I think John & the older boys spent well over an hour each with a couple of the interpreters. One was in the print shop. The little one and I did lots of wandering around as he didn't find the conversations as stimulating. LOL

The boys all got to help "set sail" on one of the ships and we enjoyed seeing how they restore tall ships today.

We also spent a day at the Aquarium. Here is our little one petting a shark! He really enjoyed the beluga whales and the sea lions. We also got to touch the rays and that was a fun thing too. Slimy. Not rough like the sharks. We enjoyed the cable TV at the hotel and realized why we don't do cable TV here at home (so many commercials!) but it was fun to see what we're missing out on. The pool was a lot of fun too. John enjoyed the hot tub. I even got in there one night. Too many chemicals for me though. Too much sting for my eyes and nose. :)

We have some great memories and it was just the right size for a family vacation for us...people who like our vacations at home!

Hope your spring is a fun time too!

~Rachle