Blueberries!

How many pictures can one have of a baby (yes, he's still the baby)  picking blueberries?  I only posted a few.

It is hard to catch Ethan before he makes some funny face these days.

Best friends.  Sequoia has cushings disease, caused by a tumor on her pituitary.  The disease causes a number of symptoms that can be life threatening or lower quality of life.  It is fairly common in old dogs and is tough to treat.  Given the nature of the treatment and her age we have decided not to treat her.  We're trying homeopathic drops and are hoping to keep her around for a while longer.  We may get lucky and it may progress slowly.  We really can't imagine life without her.  We'll keep everyone posted.

Camping Trip in the Adirondacks

 Ethan is great at finding toads, frogs and salamanders

 At the top of Panther Peak near Saranac Lake, NY

Ethan swimming in Tupper Lake, NY

Ethan and Leif cleaning the cooler after the trip

Baby birds that hatched from a nest in our hanging garden

Ethan on the Ferry, on our way to NY

snuggling in the tent

Photos are not in order.  We recently spent a weekend in the "lake" section of the Adirondacks.  The peaks are not as high, but lots of lakes.  Next time we'll try an area with more jagged peaks.  We're thinking of everyone at home.  It seems to be a very hot and dry summer at home. 

 Street performer on Church Street

 The historic Round Church, near our new house

 Fun at Shelburne Farm

Walks in the woods

We've had the most amazing spring at the farmhouse.  Some big rains, bird watching on our back covered porch, and listening to the green frogs, bull frogs and peepers.  Playing at the pond and spotting newts, frogs and crayfish has been very fun too.  However, our days there are over.  We have moved into a new house in a new community.  Making another short-term move was almost enough to make me cry, but this house will work better for us.  We're in a smaller and more efficient house now with no yard.  It's in the woods.  But, I kind of like that.  And lucky for us, it's all fun and exciting for Ethan and Leif.  Pictures to come. 

 Lots of frogs and newts in the pond outside our back door.

 Ethan is playing t-ball with some of his school friends.  It is a very sweet group.  They have games, but don't keep score and only run one base at a time, and no one is ever out.

 We went to the Waldorf School's Mayfest celebration.  Leif preferred to walk inside the circle of the maypole dance.

 Ethan got to see his friend Arianne again.  They spent a lot of time at the pond.

Arianne's family invited us to their friend's farm where Ethan got to ride in a horse-pulled wagon ride.  He and his new friend Maddy then got to pretend being the horse pulling the little wagon.

Spring in Vermont

Spring has come to Northern Vermont.   Ethan had a school field trip yesterday that was all about finding spring.  The kids found forest salamanders under logs (fun, because we've never seen one before) and they got to catch salamanders, tadpoles and other aquatic invertebrates with nets at the Audobon Center ponds, and then let them go of course.  Leif found a deer tick, or rather it found him.  I was changing his diaper at the truck after the field trip and there it was, on his leg.  I couldn't easily pull it off, so it was off to the nearest friends house for tweezers and help.  I needed help holding him down as it is important to grab the tick by the head to make sure it doesn't detach.  My friend Eliza helped and that gross little bugger was gone.  An attached tick is a disgusting sight.  Anyway, now that it's gone we are to monitor Leif for a bull-eye rash or fever for 30 days to make sure no Lyme disease was transmitted.  There is very little chance of it though.  It generally takes 24-48 hours for the disease to be transmitted and there is no way it was attached for more than a couple of hours.  Still gross though.  Anyway, we are really enjoying spring and will remember to to daily tick checks now.