June - so far

It's been a busy time around here as usual. We're having loads of fun. The garden is mostly in but I have not taken photos yet. Each child's school year is almost done and my mind is already wrapped around summer.

The little guy and my mom and I made it to York Beach one day. He spent a long time in the water! Too cold for me, but not too cold for him I guess. He's the one in the black shirt. He made a fast friend at the ocean and rode the waves for a long time.

We have a "long story" about a couple of cochins, house-sitters, vacations and it all ends with a couple of hatched chicks. Here they are on their first outing. They are now fully integrated with the flock and doing well. The moms were enjoying a dust bath after sitting so long.

I've been trail riding every chance I can get! It's been a wonderful spring for riding as we didn't get floods. Here I paused on an overlook with friends who were willing to take a quick photo. On a good day we can see Mt. Washington from that spot. This is a hill that's just an hour's ride from my dooryard. Very pretty.

We enjoyed a visit with John's sibling, Judy and husband Nate one evening. Their cute little dog was timid of our slippery floors so our oldest boy made a "Biscuit Bridge". We really enjoyed the visit as they were passing through the state!

Oh, and I do still knit. This spring I've made some hats, socks, a sweater, several lace things, fingerless gloves, a gift bag....hmmm. I think that's it but I'm not sure. Anyhow here are a couple of little triangular lace shawls that I managed to remember to take a photo of!

I hope your spring is going as well as ours.

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

Happy Spring

This was today. I got out for a 2 hour ride with friends. The horse was a muddy legged beast at the end so a good hosing, some tick removing and a little scrubbing later found us relaxing in the sun with the dog. We happily soaked up the moments out there until he was dry enough to return to the paddock. (which would most certainly inspire him to go rolling in the dirtiest spot.)

The teens were off with friends, John went out golfing with friends, I went out riding with friends and then took the littlest one off bowling with a friend. It was a great day! Happy Spring Indeed!

~Rachel

Where do you want it?


John decided to move a bridge. It started out as a "yard feature" up in the back field. It was on the property when we bought it in '05. This year it found a new home over the stream.





A Happy Birthday party was had in January. It was a sledding party complete with sugar on snow. What a wonderful day we had.







No spring seems complete without a trip to VT. John and the boys got to help the family with a little bit of tapping. Great fun for them. I was home dealing with a storm which took out the power. It was a nice and quiet time sitting by the fire, knitting. :)

~Rachel

Horses

My riding year has been a fantastic one. We've had lots of fun out there on the trails. I've counted 31 rides plus 9 lessons. I've hosted a trail ride at my house and volunteered for other's rides too. I've invited a bunch of folks to the local Pub for monthly gatherings and we've enjoyed the fellowship of one another in our equine community. What a great year!

Lois C & Inde

Seneca

Paula G and Kodiak

My "got trails" truck.

The S.M.A.R.T. ride here

Mickey & Sandy's boys

Me & Lois C on Kita

Kent & Nancy with 2 of their 7, Zuza and Cupie

Sue S., Nancy M & Me (thanks Barbara)
Cochise, Keeper & King

What great fun. I also had rides with Sue D., Rose L., Tracey W., Andrea B. (can we call that a ride :) ) lessons with Terry McClare and Jenn too.

November

Caching in Conway was one of the family things we did in November. The month was unseasonably warm and simply beautiful. We spent one afternoon in the north country enjoying the Weather Discovery Center and several area geocaches. (Yes Lyn, I forgot to log those in!)

The kids are so much fun to be with. They have me rolling laughing most of the time. Teenagers are a hoot. They are witty and fun and just loving every minute of their lives.

Of course that is sort of how my husband is too as you can see by his big grin. My how his boys have grown!

I'll end November with the frost that is sticking to our electric fence...a sure sign of the weather to come.

~Rachel