Last Swim and Closing the Pool

The day was bright and very fallish and seemed the perfect time to close up the pool before it got too cold. Each year brings these repeating cycles of chores that have to be done according to the seasons.

We have had so much fun in the pool this summer. Our unusually hot,dry summer made for many wonderful days of keeping cool in the pool. I believe we used it more this year than any other year. One of the things that might have helped was we cut down a large tree that used to shade the pool a good portion of the day. This year with the day long sunshine and plenty of sunny days, the pool maintained a very pleasant temperature over 80 most days.

With the warm day it was easy for the kids to take the annual last plunge. Everyone went in and instead of just a quick dip, they actually enjoyed a nice swim.

Bess, Gabe and Dan had no trouble jumping right in.

Rachel and Hannah took a bit longer. I love Rachel's face in this picture. It was still pretty cold for her. She did stay in and enjoy, but that first dip was a shocker.

Hannah finally did get in.

Of course, Gracie had to join in the fun.

Canonball!

I liked this picture of Gabe doing a canonball as the splash made a nice circle.


Gabe as always, was the last one out. It was a perfect day for a last swim.

To the Reservoir and Back

I wasn't sure how it would be with just Gabe and I home this school year. We miss having Bess with us. We have gotten used to Rachel, Hannah and Dan being gone all day, although I know Gabe misses having someone to play with. It has been good, just the two of us. We are getting our work done, taking long walks, having endless conversations about every under the sun. Gabe is a wonder at chatting. He can produce a seemingly endless stream of thought for very long periods of time. It isn't the nervous chattering type of conversation, just the natural flow between two good friends.


Today we headed out on our walk and both of us were feeling adventurous and ready to explore a bit further. We walked down to the reservoir.

The fall colors are not very bright this year. Probably a result of the very dry late summer we have had. I am still hoping that a bit of rain might help. There are some nice colors and we saw our share of lovely leaves.

It seems so many things were out and about today. We saw this snake basking on a rock in the riverbed.

There were lots of butterflies around and grasshoppers galore.

When we got to the reservoir, we decided to venture out a bit. The reservoir has restricted usage and you aren't suppose to go down to the water unless you are fishing, but being just a bit of a rebel, I figured Gabe, Gracie and I would cause no more disturbance than the fishermen. Because the water is so low right now, we could get out onto the rocks and walk along the edge rather than in the woods. It was very pleasant. There wasn't anyone else around today, except the creatures that call it home.

We came upon this Great Blue Heron, who seemed very unconcerned with our presence. We watched him for a bit and then Gracie started thrashing in the water and startled him.

The clouds started to roll in and we still had about 2 miles to go to get back home, so we turned back.

It started to rain when we were 1/2 mile from the house, but Gabe had one more task he wanted to accomplish. For several days he had seen an old scooter down under the bridge. Today he decided to retrieve it. He climbed down over the bank and hauled it out. The front axle was bent, so he had to carry it. We hoofed up the last big hill and made it home before the rain got too heavy.

What a beautiful day to take a nice long walk with a pair of very special friends.

Orthodontics Anyone?

Gabe went for his initial orthodontic visit. I knew he was going to have some of the same issues as Bess, namely a very small mouth and crowding. He also has a significant overbite and asymmetry. So, we are in for more orthodontic work.

Bess has completed her treatment except for follow-ups and her teeth look terrific. Hannah's work will take several more years to complete. The doctor says Gabe's treatment will take about 2.5 years, which will have him all done by age 14.

I wasn't sure how Gabe would take it all, but he seemed fine with the idea. He wasn't nervous at all and tolerated all the pictures and x-rays well. He thinks it is pretty cool that his expansion device will have little hydraulics on it.


We really like our orthodontist. He and his staff are friendly and kind. I have complete confidence in what he recommends. I also love their offices, which are on the 6th floor of the building. There are wonderful big windows with a gorgeous view of the Hudson River.

I'm really hoping that Rachel and Dan will not need any work.

And Soccer Begins

Soccer season began with a kick off day. All the teams played at least one game. It was a beautiful day. Dan had two short games and Rachel had one regulation game.

Dan is playing in the 8 and under division. The field is bigger and so are the nets compared to last year. He did pretty well, although in typical Dan manner, he gets very easily distracted.

Rachel is playing in the 13 and under division. They play on the big field and the competition and level of play is much higher. She was so thrilled that her team, the only one with a woman coach, got the very cool tie-dyed jerseys.

Pretty much every week night and some Saturdays, we will be at the field, until tournament day on October 16th. Sometimes I must admit to growing weary of so many games, but I enjoy watching the kids play and they have a great time. So, let the games begin!

An Afternoon Stroll

Gabe and I are slowly settling into our fall school schedule. I still have some material to order and we are setting up a more permanent school area. For us, getting into a new routine is the toughest part. Both he and I tend to live life as it comes, going with the flow as it were. That doesn't always work so well for getting a lot accomplished. We are trying to find a balance; getting things done and still enjoying the days as they unfold.

We both enjoy walking and this week we are getting back into our daily (most days) walk. This is a great time to get out, exercise for us and the dog, talk, enjoy nature and take a break from the books.

There is always so much to see along the way. We pick different routes, all are pretty, most end up on dirt roads, with plenty of fields and woods to enjoy.

Fall is most definitely visible in the plants along the way, Asters, Sumac, grasses and sedges.

Gabe and I have always had a very special relationship. I suppose most parents have one child that they just "click" with. He and I have a lot of similar interests. Our relationship is easy and comfortable. He loves to chat as we walk and I don't mind. Today we talked, among other things, about each of our expectations for the coming year. We are both of similar mind in how we would like this year to go.

It was an extremely pleasant walk today, great company and great conversation.

Thanks, Gabe! :-)

First Day of School

Today was the first day of school for Rachel, Hannah and Dan. They were all excited after meeting their new (and old) teachers on Tuesday night. They put on their "first day clothes", we loaded backpacks with new supplies, made lunches and we all waited for the bus.

All smiles and excitement for the new school year.

Rachel, lovely as always. She has such a sweet, tender personality.

Hannah, ready to embrace it all. She is so full of life and excitement.

And Dan, just look at his hair and wrinkled shirt (and no it was not wrinkled when I laid it out lastnight). That about sums up our wild and adventurous boy.



I snapped this last shot when the walked out to the road. I think it is so cute how they always line up youngest to oldest.

They came home happy and excited by all the new things. They seem to love their new teachers and were not too nervous about all the new things to learn and schedules to figure out.

I still have mixed feelings about them going to public school, but if they have to go, we are pretty happy with our local school. They work hard to give our children all the special help they need and they do it in a warm and friendly way.

Labor Day

We had a quiet Labor Day at home. Perhaps we could call it a puttering day, not so much labor. A little of this, a bit of that and overall a pleasant day.

Bess has been redecorating her room. We brought up a desk for her so she didn't have to do all her schoolwork on her bed. Brian built her a shelf and put that up and a few rows of pegs. Bess did some fun stenciling on her walls. She is quite happy with how it is all coming together.

Brian spent time on and off working on his big boat. He and Gabe worked on the wiring and got all systems up and running. Dan blows the horn. :-)

Maybe next summer she will be ready to bring out on the river. This is a cabin cruiser and in theory we could sleep on it. Time will tell whether this will happen or not. I have to admit to being a bit nervous of the idea.

The younger guys enjoyed playing in the new sandbox. It is quite a bit bigger than our old one and has fresh new sand.

It was a bit cool for swimming, so we ended the day with a campfire. Nothing is more soothing or peaceful than a fire.

Labor Day, for our family, marks the end of summer. We will have nice days and still do some summer like activities, but the fall schedule will be begin this week and our leisurely summer days will end. I am a bit sad. Hopefully we will have a nice long fall.

Late Summer Blooms

There are still quite a few things blooming in the gardens. The weather has been hot and humid with little rain the last month, so many of the usual plants are looking rather parched. We don't water our gardens much preferring for the plants to develop good deep roots, which generally hold them well enough through these dry spells.

The Sedum is pretty close to it's full bloom.

This miniature rose is doing well and has been blooming most of the summer.

The variegated Butterfly Bush is in full bloom right now. At one point today, I saw three Monarch butterflies enjoying the flowers.

Another miniature rose. I love how this blossom hasn't completely opened yet.

We will still have a few weeks before the first frost and the perennial garden will continue to provide color well into the fall.

Cool Down

It was quite hot and very humid at the fair. When we got home, we took a wonderfully refreshing swim in the pool. Nothing beats the total cool down that is provided by the pool.

I usually just grab a noodle and float around, but Bri and the kids have a rousing time of splashing and play. Brian and I played "toss the children" for a bit. A couple of them are almost getting too big. Not sure whether we will be able to toss them quite so far next summer.

Look at that red hot, steamy sky. The end to another wonderful summer day.

A Day at the Fair

In our family, Labor Day Weekend means the local county fair. If Brian is home and not on a trip, he takes the Friday before the weekend off and this is our fair day.

It was very hot and humid, but thankfully a few clouds rolled in and made it a bit more tolerable.

We like to watch the tractor pulls to start off our day. The children aren't huge pull fans, so we only catch part of it, enough to satisfy all, but not cause too many "can we go do something else" remarks.

I never tire of watching these huge, powerful machines do their best against the pull machine...this year named "The Humiliator".

They are very loud, so we make sure and bring ear protection for everyone.

The poultry barn is a favorite. There are so many strange and interesting types of poultry. Dan wanted to know, "Where are his eyes?". Under there somewhere, Dan.

Dan looks a bit concerned about this whether this big turnkey wants his balloon.

We all enjoyed the fried dough. The local high school booster club has the best booth and their fried dough takes up two plates...yummy!

Dan and Hannah await the woodworker who is making them each a "magic wand". It is amazing to watch this men work on the lathes.

I love the baby goats. This little Nubian was so cute.

Dan wanted me to take his picture through the tractor wheel. The poor guy has a nasty cold and was sort of droopy all day. He did pretty good and did not complain too much.

Even though we do not do the midway portion of the fair, I love to walk around and see all the pretty lights and hear the booth tenders hawking for their games. It must be quite the life living traveling from small town to small town.

Check out these huge engines. I can't imagine the amount of time, effort and money it takes to keep these big tractors working.

A great day at the fair.