End of Summer

Summer seemed short last year, looking back on it now. All too soon it was time to get back into schoolwork -- a change of pace and curriculum for Roks, and back into Sonlight, a literature-based course, for Miss Rose and Joman.

The deer are still hanging around, as plentiful as ever. These two cuties grew up more-or-less on our property over this past year.

Roks, our third poor, deprived homeschooler, got to start his weekly farm-school program. He had a rough start, being a teeny-bit perfectionistic and angsty about doing new things; and also very young for the program, but nevertheless, he had a great year overall.

Here Roks is, on his first day of "school".


And here are Joman and Gater to see him off.

Shut your Trap

I am not supposed to be blogging about why this car was here the other day.

Or why this (former) groundhog hole is booby-trapped and loaded with oatmeal cream pies.

We were expecting five black and white, furry, cute, extremely smelly and terrifying little invaders.

But all we got was one of these, so I guess it wasn't worth mentioning anyway.

Before N After

I am sorry this post is not too exciting or anything. I just thought you might like to see how things are changing in the garden over time, around here.


last year

this year

It is not that there isn't anything exciting going on around here, it's just that the exciting things aren't that picturesque.


last year


this year

this year

this year

this year

They also don't smell good.

spring

And we are terrified of them, frankly.

summer

And the exciting things are getting very expensive.
More later.
(It's not that serious, so don't worry. )

Flowers in the Garden, Children in the Home

Name this butterfly. We couldn't, for certain.

Rose shares memories that Gater doesn't own.

The castle with windows for the robots

Someone thought this was a delicate little flower

but that was poppycock -- I mean, hollyhock

The 18th of June was a good day.

Summertime Photos Part 2

Miss Rose and I joined a group that makes "6-hour Quilts" for charity. There is a specific method to making this kind of quilt, but it's quite simple, and we have enjoyed learning how.

Later in July, we held our first annual family birthday party. With seven (soon to be eight) people celebrating birthdays each year, we thought it might be a lot more fun to celebrate with the small family on the date (most of us with winter birthdays,) and have one big party for everyone in the summer, when it's nice outside.

Activites for everyone: marshmallow shooters (and wars,) painted flower baskets, painted wooden snakes and lizards, and games like cornhole and soccer.

We ate a lot of food, then had a fabulous magic show, then ate a lot more food.

For some reason, Grandpa always, always gets picked as a volunteer. He's had worse assignments than this one, I promise you.

Hee. Cute babies.

Summertime Photos Part 1

It's almost the end of summer. Can you believe it? We actually had quite a busy summer, although I didn't post much on the blog. Just thought I'd share a few pictures with you, of things you probably haven't seen yet.

Roks turned five years old. Around the same time, he changed his name to Flower Rocket Star, but that was too long to put on his requested "colorful soccer ball" cake.

Aunty Hannah and Uncle Steve sent this Butterfly Garden kit, and oh, my...did he ever love it. Roks' favorite thing in the entire universe is "callerpilters." He is a man obsessed. We ordered the painted lady caterpillars, and he raised them all successfully to beautiful butterflies. Now he talks incessantly of chrysalises and butterfly life cycles. Thanks Aunty Hannah and Uncle Steve!

In July, we made another trip up to Amish Country. I had intended to do a post entirely about this trip, but I guess I won't ever get around to it. So here are the photos with some brief descriptions.

Best food in the county. Guggisberg.

Pie, of course. Very important.

While we were eating, a big storm blew up, with clouds barely clearing the ground. There was a tornado warning, and a howling wind. But in just a few minutes, it was over. When we went outside half-an-hour later, the temperature had dropped about 20 degrees and it was just lovely outside.

Cutie. :-)

Guggisberg Cheese Factory.

These folk sit across the street from the cheese factory and sell their wares. The elderly man is Old Order Amish, and the girl selling baskets with her little brother is from one of the strictest sects of Amish, the Swartzentrubers.

I don't know what this is. But it was friendly.

Granny's quilts. Love this place. Got that pattern I was after, too.

$500.00, and this Amish buggy is yours.

We ate with this Amish family, the Masts. They host dinners in their home.

Here are the buggies of their grown children and grandbabies, who came to help serve, eat, and clean up dinner.

We spent some time relaxing by the pond at Guggisberg Swiss Chalet.

This is one of the many one-room Amish schoolhouses. We were able to see many Amish teens playing sports on the weekend too, and very many families gathered together to cook out and picnic in the front yards. I don't think we saw a front porch without someone young or old sitting, a-rocking on it.

These are buzzards, and they were eating raccoon road-kill before we pulled up.

The end.