Summer

This summer just flew by.  I can't even recall now most of what went on.  At least I have a few photos to help me remember.  Blueberry picking up at Joy's State forest.

Then we turned those blueberries into both a pie and a cake for someone's Birthday.

After one trail ride we went back on foot to a tricky spot to find my missing hoof boot.  And here it is!  Good job boys in finding that!

And of course having a lot of fun while we were in that tricky spot.  It was much more difficult on horse than these boys found it to be.  We spent a good amount of time playing in the woods that day.

The potato patch doing well in the early summer.  We've had so many good meals from this patch this summer and into the fall still.

Another day in the woods found us hugging the big oak.  What a huge tree!

And then climbing some rocks.

And enjoying the view from the top of the cliff.

And sometimes enjoying the view under our feet.  So much to explore.

Olde Sturbridge Village

We spent 2 days at Olde Sturbridge Village and had a ball.

We've been to a lot of museums over the years and this one felt special as I had the feeling it might be the last time we go as this group.  The boys are now 20, 18 & 12.  We were so very, very lucky to find 2 solid days where we could all free up our schedules to have time together.  That in itself was amazing.  So off we went on a trip planned only a couple of days in advance.  We were lucky to find neighbors to watch the house and animals and with packing food to keep the costs low we made it happen!  The boys looking over the sheep paddock.

Discovering a trundle bed in a house set up to touch things.

We played graces as a family as well as other games they've set out.  Here the boys run around with hoops.  The "hoopy" jokes kept us laughing for a while.  I love how the boys interact and play with language.  I love how they engage in all of it and join in.  They joined tug of war when it was offered, they tried on shoes...

Here one enjoys the freeman farm.

Taking a break on a bridge in the hot afternoon sun.

We toured the mill pond and river by boat.

Petted the animals when we could.

Took photos...

And relaxed back at the hotel.  Here John shows us his handstand.  Still a kid that one.

The older boys were happier to play dice games poolside while their brother swam for the 2nd time of the visit.

What made this museum special--apart from other museums, was the interpreters.  What wonderful people at Sturbridge.  From the tinsmith to the 

teamsters to the

shoe maker or 

a farmer who had to join the militia.  It was a great experience to talk with the people there.  

Maybe it won't be the last time but if it was...I enjoyed every minute with my "little boys" while we were there.

Graduation and June happenings

Graduation!  We were so happy to all go and see this middle boy graduate from CATA.  His four years at the Cocheco Arts and Technology Academy have been a wonderful experience.  Lots and lots of performing has happened over the years and that night was no exception.  Here he is playing with the guitar ensemble before the ceremony.  Unfortunately the rain moved their show inside the school instead of outside at the clamshell where they had planned to hold graduation.  It was a tight fit to get everyone inside.  

He did walk up and receive his diploma but neither John nor I could get a very good shot of that.  Here are our 2 attempts.  

Back at home a week later (after another week of performances by jazz & rock band as well as guitar ensemble) we had our own little celebration.  His graduation present of choice was a Bouzouki.  We managed to find a used one that he fell in love with and here he is playing it on his first day with that instrument.  It's an "irish mandolin" and sounds beautiful for the celtic songs that he loves to play so much.  He is a finger style guitarist and although he can and will play jazz, rock, classical and other songs put in front of him...his passion is for historical music and celtic music.  I often wonder what his future will hold...but with his incredible enthusiasm for life and happy attitude...the sky is the limit with him.  He's taking a "gap" year and he's begun blogging about it here 

We love living in our little community.  When we had jobs that required a tractor we need to look no further than a neighbor up the street.  We brush hog for neighbors when they need it.  It's just what you do in a rural community we think.  Items travel around amongst the neighbors as needed.  This year we even bought into the CSA (community supported agriculture) at the NH Farm Museum which is just 4 miles away from us.  These photos are from the first 2 weeks of our share.  Love it!  

June also had me traveling away again for a trail ride.  This is my home away from home.  This was more than a trail ride though, it was an Endurance race and 70 horses were camping at this fairgrounds for the night.  We had wonderful weather!  I was able to sleep in my tent on the truck bed without the fly so I could look out and see stars or peek on my horse as he was laying down for a little rest himself before the big day.  Love this experience.

Do you recognize the tractor?  Yup, it's pulling a "boat float" in the 4th of July parade.  I love our little town.  

May

May has been a good month around here.  We've been busy in the yard with lots of changes due to the kids growing up.  No more sandbox.  No more pool.  No more chickens.  More and more lawn and chairs.  Lots of archery, golf, and bocce ball.  I've been riding like a fiend this year and loving it.  This is a photo from Wanda Clowater who was the ride photographer at the Crooked River Ride in Maine on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend.  It was a 30 mile ECTRA ride and this photo was taken right toward the end of the ride.  He's still going strong at 30 miles.  :)  The day was horribly wet and cold and windy.  Challenging weather for sure.

Here is Charlie out with me on one of my walks around the yard.  He was enjoying the carpet of violets and the warm sun that day.  This year is a poison ivy year again.  It's back in areas where I thought we'd been rid of it before.  The yard is taking some attention this year.  Lots of mowing and weeding and cutting back of overgrown areas.  Clearing downed branches from trails.  Fun to have a kitty along for so many of those chores.

I'm still knitting.  This little shawlette was called Holden by the designer.  I knitted it up on some sock wool that was nice and drapey.  It became a mother's day gift to my mom.  

Speaking of moms....lots of them are around lately.  Here are the Canada Goose families moving from the little beaver pond where they hatched out to the bigger brook and eventually down to the river.  A nice sight to see on a Memorial Day Monday.

We were walking up to the game camera and our middle son noticed a doe bounding away and caught sight of this little one crouching on the ground.  It blended in so well that even pointing him out to our other children from 30 feet away they couldn't see him a all.  Neither could I.  It was a smart little fawn and stayed perfectly still and waited for a very long time until it's mom came back to collect it later on.

So nice to see them walking away on the game camera.  Many snapping turtles are out laying their eggs, the bluebirds are already out of the box and the swallows are getting really close to flying now.  The pheobe with a nest on top of the light in King's stall is still sitting on eggs.  Fun to watch the wildlife in the spring.  I'm finding it difficult to do the in the house chores now.  :)

Spring

Could it be thawing?  Is it more dirt than ice?  Hard to tell but it must be thawing.  Careful there King.  Lots of ice still.

A week later it is decidedly thawing.  The road is even getting some ruts from the tires.  Mud is on it's way

A week later even we see the shoulder of a road. see...some dirt at the edge...Spring is on it's way.  It must be....

Very muddy truck & trailer and even the horse's belly and legs got the mud spray.  It is coming.  I'm sure of it!

Later still the snow is releasing it's grip on the yard.  Turkeys are grouping up.  These hens came with this Tom each day for a couple of weeks until they all went their own ways to nest.

That little boy is now far too big for his little ATV.  The 80 is just too small.  So he's enjoy permission to use our 450.  We hope to sell the little one and get a dirtbike instead.  

Okay, the end of  April and sprig is really here!  Spring peepers were singing in the woods and it's ice out on the big lakes.  In another week or so this will all begin to look quite green....Spring at last!!