elliemoon

ROAD TRIP

we've been away!! we spent the weekend and the last couple of days road tripping and hanging out with big b's side of the family, who are decidedly more adventurous than mine. six adults and seven kids! yes, some mild chaos, yes, some carsickness, and yes, i left my bag (with all of my necessities, plus toothbrushes and little lu's diapers) at home! but so much fun and so awesome to have all the cousins together::

it seems as though last years trip may become an annual event. sounds good to me! on the way home we stopped in at our place and spent a little time splashing around in the brook::

and check it out; i can almost hear the toilet flushing....although, we have yet to purchase the actual toilet....but you know what i mean::

big b is headed back up north shortly to see how much further he can get. so exciting just to have the lighting run and switches on the "walls". its getting there! 

 

TAKE A LOOK AROUND

the perennial flower garden is exploding::

and the crocosmia is never lonely:

look at him tucked in there! i love it. this is without a doubt the best hummingbird lure around. and a beautifully unique flower to boot. 

LIFE'S A BEACH

over the long weekend, we had planned to have at least one full beach day. so sunday morning i was up and busy at 6am, packing fresh fruit, drinks, snacks, towels, shovels, etc, etc. we were on our way by 8am and sitting by the dunes at 8:10am. the only thing i didn't check? the weather. we had about twenty minutes of sun before the clouds moved in and the wind picked up. but the kids didn't notice::

and after owen discovered a spot where the dunes were blocking the wind, neither did i. mission accomplished. we rolled home with little lu dozing and sand, sand everywhere!

TO THE FISH HATCHERY!

o had a field trip to the sandwich fish hatchery a month or so ago and was adamant about making another trip. so we gathered our quarters for the fish pellet dispensers (many a piggy bank being pillaged in the process) and headed out::

"the hawk", who is a regular at this spot, didn't make an appearance. but o was thrilled regardless and acted as our tour guide the entire time::

meanwhile, little lu made several attempts to jump in (see group shot). luckily all were thwarted. 

 

A VERY FULL FATHERS DAY

yesterday felt like two days in one. we packed in quite a bit. breakfast was an event in and of itself. then we made a special trip to the beach, passing old friends along the way::

after a nice leisurely visit with those guys, the four beans surprised us by jumping right into the water, even though it was a blustery and cool morning::

we came home, rinsed the sand off in the lake and started prepping for the fathers day feast::

yes, more sushi. big b's favorite meal. and that piece of cake that bella stuck her fingers into, then didn't eat, is the requested milk chocolate version of the previous boston cream pie. it was a hit with everyone but bella. and i quote "this stuff is disgusting! you guys like this?" priceless. hope your fathers day weekend was equally entertaining! 

OVER TOO SOON

such a great weekend. hope all of you had a relaxing couple of days as well::

blue skies and warm sun and flowers all around. summer is most definitely on its way. and the kids are feeling it. bella discovered this little guy in our driveway::

and o took immediate action; supplying some water, and some shade, all the while holding his nose. this was the stinkiest little snapper around. o and bella took him back down to the lake with big b. it was reported that he "did nothing at first" but then "swam away really fast". rescue mission successful!

 

I SPY

right outside my kitchen window, a very good reason to get the early morning dishes squared away::

those first few hours of the day, the sun is nice and low, and on its way up it hits the nest for just a moment. the remainder of the day she's safely tucked away in the shadows. big b's binoculars are stationed to the right of the dish soap.

happy june!

SHUTTERBUG

kai has naturally become my right-hand man around here. as the oldest, i guess thats just the way it goes. but through it all, and undeniably, he is happiest when a request for help involves using my camera. big b and i gifted him a real deal digital camera for christmas this year based on his enthusiasm. definitely the right idea. although, i question the influence my blogging has on him when i peruse his memory card and find multiple shots of his favorite toys and drawings placed in various locations and lighting. i envision future girlfriends questioning why all of his photos of her are extreme close ups of her hands stirring cream into coffee or her feet while she's putting her shoes on, or worse, just the plate of food she was about to eat. at any rate, he went on a class field trip to plimoth plantation yesterday and came home with these::

seriously, the best 100 bucks we EVER spent! i am so impressed with his eye. he had no idea what i was so excited about. we got to discussing the photographs and he went through a bit of his mentality concerning when and where and why he took certain shots and skipped others. it was amazing to me. i am amazed by him. end of story!

A SURE-FIRE SOLUTION

here's how you get two boys motivated to do some yard work:: take advantage of open burning season and start a bonfire. you will never find them more attentive. add a pair of old loppers to the mix and you'll be amazed how much gets accomplished::

bella, in her fancy shoes and dress, which based on her determination, may even end up being beach attire this summer, helped round up some pine cones to use in the smoker this season. 

we will be getting a new shipment of bees on april 30th. yes, we lost our entire hive. i didn't have the heart to devote an entire post to it. towards the end of february we had two mild days and the girls were buzzing in and out and very active. we celebrated and i was so relieved they had made it after a horrible summer and a bitter winter. during the next warm spell in march i went in to feed them and found the hive had perished. so sad. a little less than half of my winter feeding was still in there! my bee mentor lost more than a couple hives this way. no explanation, the hives had honey stores and seemed to be doing well. immediately after those mild days in february we had a string of 10 degree days. maybe they broke cluster too early? maybe something happened to the queen? regardless, we are moving on and hoping for a more bee-friendly summer this year!

on a lighter note, some of our old friends have returned....and they brought this guy::

that tuft of hair on his chest is called a beard (thank you wikipedia) but that thing above his beak? i'm not sure what that is but i've never seen one quite so elaborate. it has a full head of hair. its more than a bit unnerving. adds character though, thats for sure!

 

GETTING WARMER, LITERALLY.....

the biting cold has lifted for the time being. it appears there may actually be an end in sight. who would have thought?! the brush pile was established yesterday and if next weekend is a little less blustery we'll start burning::

out with the brown, in with the green::

circling, circling::

i'm going to jump the gun and say "spring has sprung". and yes, if it snows again next week you can blame it on me.