E - Vida

"Look at the 'Too-key' (Turkey) Mom," Baby exclaims! There are at least two big families that live close by to the farm and visit regularly.  That's a good thirty something birds at any given visit. While many humans may be making their Thanksgiving hunting and eating plans, some of us are only admiring them. Turkeys are fiercely protected here in Vermont with laws ranging from when, where and how to hunt them to who and how many you may reserve per season! A's only just starting to talk to and about the animals and earlier this week we had the entire herd of cows come up close to greet us (or suss us out).  Unfortunately, sometimes those picture perfect moments escape us. Insert awesome pic of cows here... Last Sunday we visited Lake Pinneo after church. At last, we descended upon the playground from our last epic Summer visit. While it looked much the same as before, we had one more person to introduce to the lake and the park - and she loved it... Almo...

I was about to say that we had a 'quieter' week past, but then I scrolled through the photo album and realised that it was actually quite significant! On Sunday afternoon we visited the Cornish Fair to support Farmer Dale at his tractor pull. We made is up to the Fair the last time we visited too and this time, we felt a little more in tune - Magic Poodle Show, Cow Grading, Sheep Sheering, Blooming Onions ...and of course, the Tractor Pull! We even won a peak cap for being the visitors from the furthest place. Poor guy from Wyoming didn't stand a chance! Big Bloomin' Onions - grown in California! Watching the tractor pull ... Greek Mythology studies at the Fair  What we didn't realise was that all the fair festivities meant a long time in the late Summer sun...and Monday was a little rough with headaches, sunburn and general blegh-ness. School has been a bit iffy (blush). Baby seems to be going through a little cold spell as well... Feeling cool ...

On Saturday morning, J and her Dad left for Maryland. The 9 to 10 hour drive would take them out of Vermont, through New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey! They touched on New York so lightly, that the best photo I got was captioned "There's the Empire State Building in the back!" Four days away from the rest of us was interesting... E helped me man the house - one of our biggest challenges being keeping everyone well fed, since the Chef was away. Meanwhile, the road-trippers were checking out the local sites and tasting the local fare. We were only too happy to welcome them back on Tuesday at lunch time - which the Chef prepared, of course! Exploring Lost Pond River "Look Ma, Empire State Building!" We enjoyed a visit to the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) on Monday afternoon. We arrived just in time for the Predators of the Sky show, then walked through a Dinosaur Exhibit and almost literally flew past s...

A super highlight of the past week would have to be that we finally got to swim/soak/submerge in cool water, the first time of this USA Summer! Of course, we had to climb down to the bottom of the Gorge first - and in the heat, donning sloffies . Oh but it was all worth it! Starting off, we found little rock pool puddles to splash in. We sat toe deep in the water and dreamed of greater things... Then curiosity and constant exposure to direct sunlight prompted us to venture around the corner and there we found DEEP waters and slightly more shaded sitting place. Ahhhh! Eventually, we had to pack up and make our way to the car. But first, the hike back! (I should probably note that I still have some calf stiffness.) To say that we were silly-happy-tired by the time we walked in at home would be an understatement of note. Loads of smiles...   This week has seen some more extremely hot weather days - the neighbouring town has opened their public pool for free to local residents ...

Every so often I suspect that there will be a bonus post. Because...well... things happen that can't wait for the weekly publication. Such as: My Mom and Grandfather's birthday today and My Dad's birthday tomorrow. That's a lot of missed cake and celebratory craziness. It's the first family birthdays that we're missing in South Africa and although the greater 'we' get teased about finding any old reason to throw a party, it is a big part of what we do and we enjoy it too. Being six hours behind SA, the kids prepared their birthday song video before bedtime last night and it was waiting for the birthday girl when she woke up (or before, if her phone was close by her head and not on silent!!). We tried to send a WhatsApp message to the local radio station that reads them out on air - and almost always mispronounces our names - but that didn't work out as planned. How lucky are we that we can try again tomorrow - and just do a bundle birthday messag...

Fun 'n games The thing I've learnt about being outdoorsy in Summer, is that we are more prone to insect bites. Bleh. In the past, E has taken the brunt of it, like a human shield combined with a insect pin cushion. And shame, he'd blister, swell, itch, welt and bleed with his battle wounds. This Summer, we're changing things up a bit... and I'm on the Hitlist too! A two minute walk across the road with Baby on Sunday earned me 3 bites on the arm, 2 behind my knee and 1 puncture mark on my baby toe. Aaaaargh! I mean, Baby was right there - how was she spared?? Of course, I am happy that she (and the other two) are not falling prey to these pesky stingers. I'll take one for the team.  Spot the insect bite, win a prize! A surprisingly familiar drive out to Bridgewater earned us a baseball bat, a pair of wedges for the budding tweenager and a George Pig toy - all for a bargain. The drive out is therapy in itself - albeit in Vermont's version of ...