Feels Like Fall

It sure feels like fall lately.  

We are in full school routine mode.  

We will begin our seventh week tomorrow.

I must say the weeks are flying by!

We enjoy our weekends and evenings though.  

The boys went to a Rush game this past Friday, we had a backyard fire the Friday before. 

We went to see Storks on 'stimulus Tuesday', I worked the pumpkin patch to get in some hockey volunteer hours, nd the boys went skeet shooting.  

Busy times before we are winter home bound.

A Last Summer Project

 We managed to squeeze in one more project in the yard.

David took last week off to extend our fence to a six foot privacy fence.

Before

 After

It was totally easy and fast!

And a bargain!  

We had a quote from a company for 5 thousand dollars!

We spent around 900 to DIY!

With such great savings our Hawaii trip is BACK ON!

Enjoying Nice Days

 Sunday after lunch we went out for a hike.

I didn't expect so many colorful leaves!

The dogs had fun.

The humans had fun.

It makes me miss summer already to see the leaves changing!

We don't have any bad weather in the forecast, but I'm going to savor these warm days!

Our Long Weekend

Dave had a four day weekend, so we got some work done on Friday.

Four tons of rock was delivered and now the boat can be parked on the side of the garage!

We did normal weekend stuff.
But Monday we went for a hike.  

One Dave looked up and was listed as "easy"

Well, we spent quite a lot of this "easy" trail on paths like this... Pretty much a crazy rocky hill.  

I almost died.

But when we got to the top, which is called buzzard's lookout, it was worth it!

Then before we started back down we referred to the picture I had taken of the trail map.

 We realized somehow we had taken the hard trail!  

There was a crucial fork where the trail continuing turned from green to black, and the trail that split off to the left was the green trail.  

Well, shit.

We took in the view, started breathing again(me) and then headed down.

But it was worth it.

And we did see a buzzard! 

And we took the green trails all the way back to the truck!

It's Still Summertime

It's the last day of August, and everyone is going on about the end of summer since school has started, but it's not fall yet!!  We still have a month of nice weather and I am happy about that. 

My garden is still providing lots of fun.  I have three little pumpkins now.  

The trays in the fairy garden did really well!!  

I was worried because they are only a few inches deep, but the plants are thriving!

These are a variety of sedum.  

I bought several and love them all.  

I'm thinking of bringing the hens and chicks in the house for the winter, I know they will survive in the ground, but I doubt they would in a tray like this.  

The bright green vines are a shade loving variety of vinca vine.  It seems to be doing great!  It gets little purple flowers on the vine sometimes, and it's very sweet.

June

August

The fairy garden is doing well despite lots of hail beating up on my hostas, and a major drainage issue with the fairy barrel.  

I love these asparagus ferns that I planted near the river house.... I am going to try more next year!  

You can see the bridge was destroyed.... dog or kid I can't be sure.  We have all winter to fashion new fairy garden things. :)  

Third Grade Begins

Monday was our first day of 3rd grade!

It went really well!  

Maybe because this is our fourth year!

We are pros by now.

Dave left a sweet not for Nate. 

It's so great that our substitute/ principle is so supporting.

A Video Tour