What a pretty fall it's been.  The sunrise has been this gorgeous many a morning as John & our son are leaving for work and school.  I wave goodbye to each of them as they drive their cars away in the near-darkness that fall brings with it's shorter days.  The foliage seemed to come and go quickly this year but maybe it was due to being covered in snow at times...

The Halloween storm brought a good foot+ of pretty snow.  The foliage covered leaves held onto it and there were widespread power outages.  Our generator was humming for part of the day on Halloween.  Our kids still went trick or treating that night for "beggar's night" here in the Mills.  The snow did nothing to dampen the spirits around here.  We saw several snow sculptures with jack o lantern heads or other snowballs made into huge jack o lanterns themselves...complete with orange paint!  Our middle boy went as a Christmas caroler as a way of enjoying the strange weather.  

All of the snow melted in about a week but we had another storm just in time for Thanksgiving.  We got to play in that snow too!  

The boys love it when we pull them around for this kind of sledding.  No, it's not warm enough for a tee-shirt really, but on another of these days I did watch a rousing snowball fight which had one child sporting shorts!  Tall boots, gloves and yes, shorts.  No wonder I'm having trouble with the seasonal shift in clothing around here.  Each time I think we can pack something up--rain gear, shorts, light coats---the old season pops up again!  

The bluebirds have been sticking around this fall.  We've watched 2 families all year and I've been quite surprised to still be seeing them around.  I've finally been enjoying time in the yard again.  I must admit it has been a hard fall for me to spend time outside due to the loss of our beloved Border Collie, Tide.  Tide was diagnosed with Lymphoma at the beginning of the summer.  We were prepared by the vet for "2 days to 2 months".  Well, he stayed with us for close to 4 months but it was in a steady decline during that time.  I am learning to live without a constant shadow of a border collie now and it's been a little tricky.  For over 20 years I've owned first CJ and then Tide as my constant companion dogs.  It is just plain weird to live without one but I'm not ready for a new dog just yet.  

This cat in particular is trying to do her best to help.  Jester goes all over the property with us.  If we're taking a walk and she realizes it, then she's along in a hurry.  Cats don't walk with us like dogs.  They sprint ahead and climb up a tree.  Or they hunker down somewhere...far from home even and make me worry.  When I've about given up looking and calling then a streak of color will race by me.  Not so very companionable.  But she's doing her best.  

I've managed to do a lot of horse back riding and a lot of knitting too.  It's been a good fall!  

~Rachel

September

The days are much shorter now.  The leaves are just starting to turn to their autumn colors.  This is how I found the back field last week when I went to fetch King in for the night.  The ground fog was beautiful as it rolled in.  I loved the crisp feeling in the air.  The setting sun was just getting it's show going.  Fall is a funny time of new beginnings around here.  I know so many feel like it's an ending time but for us it is the start of college for our oldest boy.  The start of 11th grade back at Cocheco Arts & Technology Academy for the next boy.  The beginning of a new homeschool year for our youngest one.  Cub Scouts Den Meetings begin again.  Knitting classes get started.  Knitting Club too.  LEGO Battlebots and soccer begin.  The trail riding season (bug free) begins.  Okay....trail riding season never begins or ends for me...but it feels like the time of the year we wait all year for!  The beginning of that wonderful season!  Bug free rides.  :)

We took time last Friday between rainy days to go hiking with friends up at Castle in the Clouds.  You can see the castle on the next hill at the top right of this picture.  This is the spot where we stopped for lunch.  Castle in the Clouds is also home to the tallest horse in the world (or at least that's what they told us) so we had to go and see Zeus.  The pond that had rainbow trout to feed was a highlight as well.  We found the hiking trails to be beautiful and numerous.  I, for one, would like to go back and walk along more of them!

Our silly cats have been up to new antics lately.  Today I pulled on my knee high black muck boots to head out to the barn and there was something wrong with the right one.  I pulled off the boot and tipped it over.  Out popped a dead mouse!  Eeek.  Eewww.  Jester!  I think she is finally living up to that name our oldest son wanted.  He called her Jest for her calico coat.  He thought she looked like a court fool.  Well....now she's getting her revenge.  

Last week she brought in a live chipmunk to entertain herself, Charlie and our old dog.  I knew something was wrong when I heard the sound of clicking toenails, click-click-click, excitedly across the wood floor in our bedroom.  He is in the final stages of lymphoma and spends most of his time sleeping.  I wondered what the clamor was.  In the room I see both Charlie & Tide chasing a frightened chipmunk back and forth under the bed.  Jester was atop the bed watching the action.  My youngest son and I worked with the dog to corner the chipmunk and I popped it into a trash can with a towel over the top to carry it back outside.  The next evening while I was out teaching knitting Jester brought a garter snake into the kitchen for my husband.  Our 17 year old was able to catch it and return it to the long grass outdoors.  Then on Thursday morning with the rain making the day dreary Jester comes through the cat flap again with her own entertainment.  I was baking and noticed a new dark leaf on the floor.  Then it hopped!  A frog.  Poor thing.  Thank goodness for little boys who are just as fast as year-old kittens.  He grabbed it up and cradled it in his hands to take back outside into the wet world...where a frog belongs.  Not hopping about on the tile below cookie making women!

Charlie in contrast to his sister, has been spending many a morning finding himself new places to sleep.  This has become one of his favorites so far.  He's the only cat to ever explore up there and he likes it.  6 and a half feet above the floor is a peaceful place for him to take his nap.

There are endings in September too.  The pool is put away.  The garden is mostly done (except carrot and potatoes.)  John's golf league is done.  Gone are the beach days and farmer's markets for one of the boys to earn money playing guitar at.  Gone are the long teenage Dungeons and Dragons gatherings.  For now.

~Rachel

Trebuchet

Cub scouts, cub scouts everywhere.  For the past 2 den meetings we have had some fun here at our little farm. John has resurrected our back yard trebuchet.  The boys also made their own table top models in our workshop.   Great fun.  The big one is tossing milk jugs of water 75 yards.  Splash!!
This weekend our little guy is off with the pack at their fall overnight camping trip.  We said bye to him on Friday afternoon and he should come back home today (Sunday)  Friday night was certainly rainy around here.  I hope he stayed dry!!  Our little scout is growing up too fast.  :)

~Rachel

Where did the summer go?

June is for outdoor living

June has been just a grand time for outdoor living! The ticks are terrible and the colorado potato beetles too. But we're enjoying the little ripe wild strawberries and the field of blue flag iris to draw us outside and enjoy. The weather has been up and down. Rainy and cold then crisp and autumn like, and in between times, hazy hot and humid! Gotta love New England weather. I've been out riding a lot lately. I finally broke down and got shoes on King's back feet too. I'd worn his feet off to stubbs again. I'd been trying to make some new hoof boots work, but the learning curve is too steep for us and my patience too little. Shoes all around and we're off and running again. This weekend I managed a ride each day even with the "liquid sunshine" that was all around. At least the soggy cold weather kept the nastiest of flies at bay. I managed a ride yesterday, and the day before. Each for a couple of hours. Ahh. Tuesday found us with homeschoolers aboard the replica ships of the Nina & Pinta. Hard to imagine men living and exploring on those little ships. Next we let the kids run around at Fort McClary in Kittery.

Around the yard it's been egg laying season for the turtles. Snappers mostly but some little painted ones too. We took a whole morning to watch several of them laying eggs and meandering back to the pond via our stream, then we came in to nature journal about them and web search the answers to all of the questions I was asked. "Are they Herbavores?" "How many eggs do they lay?" "How do you know if it's a boy or a girl?" Ahh, one I can answer...it's a girl because it's laying the eggs... "I know that, but how do you know a boy from a girl?" Hmmm. We'll wiki that one too. I think we answered about 15 of his 20 or more questions. Science can be so much fun to do.

Another interesting happening around here is our new automatic mowing lawn! Okay, it's actually my dad, his dog Reba-Nellie, and HIS new mower! Dad has always loved to mow lawns. His 5 acres is mostly woods with a little patch of lawn. Our 11 + acres is mostly fields with a little woods. I've spent hours each week in the summers (John too) mowing the lawn parts and brush hogging the field parts. HOURS. So much so that I've really been looking into taking a good patch of lawn out and turning it into a riding ring--sand. No mowing sand! I'd like a 100 X 200 ring down front. However, my dear groom sees that as his golf green. He likes the lawn. Apparently my dad does too. I'm outvoted when dad buys a shiny new Cub Cadet and then shows up to mow for us too! You may have noticed the little brown doggie on the mower. Dad's dog can't live without him. If he puts her in the house or car while he mows she runs, pants, barks, claws at the windows...in general she goes nuts. But she happily rides along while he mows! Even for HOURS. Thanks Dad! Thanks Reba!

~Rachel

Spring - part 2

Graduation! We threw a big party to celebrate the High School Graduation of our oldest. We've home educated him from 5th grade on. Over the years he has accessed in public schools and taken college classes as well. Sometimes it's finding what works for the student. He will be off to college in the fall to study Mechanical Engineering. This morning he is off to work at a local farm...his full time summer job where he "picks things up and puts them down" as he says. He makes me laugh every day! They all do.

We found our way to VT a few times this spring. Usually we travel in bits of our family as some one is home working, performing or otherwise busy. We enjoyed an afternoon with the folks and siblings as John says. :)

We also enjoyed seeing "the siblings" who were able to travel here to the graduation. It means so much to us to see them! Some of them traveled a very long way! Thanks!

~Rachel

Spring - part 1

Spring found us very busy indeed.

First off, I have to mention Cancer -- Melanoma. I'd like to blame that for my lack of blogging...but it's probably more to do with having happenings each and every weekend, planning a graduation for our oldest and working through the college entrance process, chasing our little scout around to overnight camping events and rocket launches and more and I will admit to going riding each and every available minute!

A word about cancer.... I had a "mole" on my left shoulder which got renamed a "lesion" as is darkened and then began to raise during the winter and after it's removal it was called a "tumor" when the pathology found Superficial Spreading Melanoma cells in it. Another surgery and we were all able to relax as the cancer had not moved on so the good doctors declared I'm cancer free. Just a little skin off my back (and a lymph node out of my underarm...) but I'm all good now. Please, please if you have any "moles" watch them. The cancer I had is a killer but we caught it at stage 2. :)

Onto the fun stuff! The little guy seen racing around in the top photo was at a 2 night overnight called the "Fish N Run" which is a multi-pack gathering. They tented out and the overnight temperatures dipped to freezing! Brrr. During the days they had skits, challenges, campfires, fishing and all the neat things you can do with well over a hundred little boys. :)

The middle boy is in the middle photo playing his guitar with his "Advanced Guitar Ensemble" at an Arts Soiree in Dover. This class has traveled to schools, coffee shops and events to perform this spring. I lost count of the number of times but it was a lot and they knocked our socks off at this event.

The last photo is of Milton's pack 155 aboard the USS Salem down in Quincey, MA. They were there for an overnight and had a great time learning about the ship and it's WWII history as well has having a harbor cruise. Sleeping arrangements were bunk style cots. This pack is very active and our little one has really enjoyed scouting this year.

More to come...

~Rachel

April Fools

March 31st.

April 1st.

Drawing

Here is a picture drawn by our middle boy.

February

February has been rolling right along and is now nearly gone. We have spent plenty of time playing in the snow and shoveling the snow, and plowing the snow, and roof raking....

Here we are taking in the sights at the Higgins Armory Museum. Not our first trip and certainly not our last. The boys have been making lots of (chain) maille lately between that and their interests in Dungeons and Dragons roleplaying brought us back to the museum again. These kids "study" even when they are hanging out and relaxing!

My artist son spent some of his visit sketching rapiers into his books. I've got to find a way to upload some of his drawings, and music too. His advanced guitar ensemble class is going to be doing a bunch of gigs this semester. We're looking forward to watching them play.

Here is another shot taken at the museum.

We got another foot of snow between the storm on Friday and Sunday. The fence is about to disappear under the snow and our chicken run is quite under the snowbanks too. Tomorrow we may get some rain on top of sleet & ice. I do believe the melting will begin soon. The horse is shedding like crazy and the daylight is feeling so much warmer now. Spring is around the corner! We may have over 3 feet of white stuff on the ground, but it won't last forever. I think I'll go skiing again this afternoon. :)

In the evening, watching TV we find that we are the furniture for our cats. We have been enjoying a little more TV now with our netflix streaming movies right over the internet. We have been watching old TV series; lately "Monarch of the Glen". We've still been reading aloud to the kids in the evening. Lately it's been Harry Potter to our youngest. The older boys still laugh at the funny bits even though they haven't read the books in years. We love to read aloud even though all of the boys (of course) could read these stories on their own. There's just something special about reading aloud. Hope your homes are cozy and warm too.

~Rachel

Winter Chores and Sledding

What is going on in this picture? Winter chores. Our manure pile and hay storage are over the bridge and out in the back field. It makes for an awful lot of plowing...but sometimes it creates a bit of fun too. We could use the truck to move things around, but an ATV is so much more fun on a warm day. This day was 20 degrees with sun and no wind. That's an outdoor day in my book! Out back with the manure, back up with the empty bucket and hay. Repeat. And again. But what do you do with the workforce while schlepping? Why, you drag them along on a toboggan! Of course. And you take one fun run up and down the driveway per trip.

This silliness didn't last long. The teens fell off and had to run. :) Sometimes they were standing up as they went by. Other times I'd see a pig pile of boys. Sometimes 3 of them all sitting....

I enjoyed doing the mucking up at the barn and "supervising" as the men did the rest of the work. The kittens were exploring the new hay in the barn and my dog was hanging out with me, patiently waiting for his turn to chase the ATV. As soon as I drive it he is in high gear. I have to be careful not to run him over as he herds the ATV and I need to go very fast to keep ahead of him. Even at his ripe old age of 10 he stills runs at about 25-28 MPH. I have to do 30 to get away from him. !!

Here is my first attempt at a video on the blog. Our new camera seems to have a smoother uploading process. This is the sledding hill behind our house. The boys have made some interesting trails this winter. Enjoy!

~Rachel

Some days we wake up to a winter wonderland. The ice is so pretty.

Other days it's a winter wonderland in another way! We enjoyed a snow day on Wednesday. The last few predicted storms amounted to nothing here and we were wondering if we'd ever get sledding or skiing again in our yard. The white concrete on the ground is not fun.

The sledding hill has been very active with the new snow and John & I enjoyed breaking trail yesterday with our skis. We'll go around again today and it will be easier.

Yesterday was the pinewood derby for our Cub Scout. What fun!

I've been busy knitting and teaching the kids and keeping up with the plowing. John gets to snowblow! I don't do that. It's been pleasant keeping the fires burning and watching the world from our toasty warm home.

Hope your winter is going as well as ours.

~Rachel

New Year

First Night Wolfeboro was a lot of fun! We saw a play, a planetarium show, this artist making an ice sculpture, musical acts, a traveling zoo, and of course fireworks! Okay we didn't all stick together so that's what we took in collectively!

What gorgeous weather we had. Well, the ice sculpture works better if it stays below 32 and it was above that for a long time so his ice was dripping.

We spent time at home resting and relaxing during our vacation week. I managed to truck the horse to an indoor to ride 3 times! Great fun for me. John took his daughter and our oldest boy to Vermont to visit family there. Those two were not part of the November trip as they each had work keeping them in New Hampshire. They had a nice trip (except for the driving up in a blizzard part.) The "kids" saw their grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins.

Our family Christmas present to us was a wildlife camera this year. Here is the first "wildlife" photo we captured. The other photos have been of us trekking manure to the pile out in the back field. Us cross-country skiing. The dog and I (and kittens following us) on our daily walks. So I was pleasantly surprised to see this photo on the disk! Also surprised because I brought it in to see who it was that left tracks in the snow. (Fox) Somehow the fox managed to outsmart the camera. I'll have to reset the camera and attempt to outfox our little grey fox next time! We have had a dusting of snow fall several days in a row so I've been watching for the best wildlife "roads" to monitor. I still think our stone bridge is the most active spot. The coyote in this photo is looking right toward the house and or chicken coop. Hmmm. It looks smaller than many of the ones we were seeing this fall. But she does look healthy and young. I bet she was mousing out around our hay tent or manure pile.

Happy New Year to you!

~Rachel