Emily & Nakoa come for a visit

Our friends Emily and Nakoa came up for a visit the first weekend of February.  Emily's been up a few times, and this was Nakoa's first trip.  They rented a little cabin out in Treman Park, which was nice.  We could hang as long as we wanted, but then they could retire to a place that didn't sound like Bedlam all night.

One evening we went to Atlas for some food and to roll.  We all had a good time.  Emmett loved watching the bowling balls roll back up the line.

As you can see, we had chilly beautiful weather.  The sun was out and blinding off the snow.  It was perfect for bird watching, so we headed to the Ornithology Lab for a little bit.  These chairs always give me a hankering for mint juleps.

Brrrr.... "Maybe we should have headed south with the rest of the gang!"

This is the cabin that E and N rented.  I would totally live in it.  There were tracks from some kind of a wild cat in the side yard!  Probably a bobcat.  The inside is very cabiny with lots of knotty pine and a loft bed.  It's small, but totally functional for a couple or even a couple with a kid.

One really cool thing about the cabin is that you can walk right out the door and into Treman park!  Which we did.  The waterfalls were all icey and impressive.

We're getting more and more use out of the pack.  Despite the look on his face here, most of the time is spent babbling and cooing and oohing at the trees.  He has started to pat me on the back of the head, which may develop into an annoyance, but for now is pretty cute and lets me know that he is still breathing.

Spontaneous shot

Posed shot.

Family shot.

Lucifer Falls.

We worked up a hunger from all the hiking and retired to the cabin where Nakoa prepared a pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon and roasted local Brussels sprouts and carrots.  We ate and had a little bourbon and chatted into the evening.  It was a very good time and we look forward to seeing them again soon.

Sarah and I both got some new kicks.  Sarah got some hiking shoes and I finally gave in and bought new hiking boots.  I like them alright for modern materials, but there is still something I love about the heavy, leaky, creaky, leather boots.  I appreciated the new ones, though, when my foot went through the ice and my foot stayed warm and dry.

Then, we said goodbye to our friends, the week got under way, and Emmett went back to school.  Dude did a little Yoga.... I guess.

Epic Fall Post

As usual, there's a lot going on here, but we just call it life, so until I look back at the pictures, I can't figure out why I'm so tired at bedtime.  It's been awhile since we posted at all and even longer since I've written anything, so I'll try to add some stories to this one.  Some of this might have to be made up as I honestly can't remember it.

These were the first two carrots we pulled up this harvest.  I thought it was really cool that they had intertwined and assumed it was because of the love that Sarah and I shared and sowed in the garden.  Of course, that doesn't explain the  bubonic plague that swept away our tomatoes, or the pestilence that befell our brussell sprouts, but still, it was cute.

School started back up on September 8.  This year I am an administrator at the High School.  Here is a picture of me dressed up as best I can as an adult.  It feels really really weird to be the Dean of Students... I seriously don't feel old enough to be a teacher, let alone a Dean... Whatever...

There was a weekend that we were supposed to go to PA to see Boo, but my end of it got screwed up by my new gig.  Luckily, Sarah got to go still.  And I received photos of them having fun while I was at work, which is always cool.

They really did have a great time, and I'm always so happy to see Sarah relaxed and smiling.  Next summer, beach!

This is from a fire at Jenn's house.  I don't remember what we were there for, maybe just a visit.  At any rate, raising the flaming christmas tree over my head seemed like a great idea at the time... and it was.  I felt like a viking god.

Mom and Dad came up for a visit what seems a lifetime ago already.  We made our own version of the haj to Ithaca Beer Company and had a great meal outside.  The weather was really pleasant as I remember, and I know the conversation and company was fantastic.

Once out of the big city, dad could unload his big bore Red Ryder.  The world is still safe from the can-zombie apocalypse.

Struggling to put this stuff together, I just asked Sarah, "Wait, I remember these green beans... Were my parents up for my birthday?"  She looked at me the way I remember looking at Eva when she once again ran out into the cacti fields.  Sympathetic, but also a little annoyed.  So, anyway, now I remember that we had a really nice campfire that weekend, too.   The guest list included Livia and Darren, Yao, Zach and Kristen, Erik and Margaret, Bob and Jenn, Mom and Dad, and an incredible assortment of small people, too.  Sarah did a great job pulling things together and making everyone feel welcome and at home.  We didn't set up any obstacles this time, but the kids seemed to have a good time anyway.  Memorably, Yao roasted a marshmallow on the end of a hot dog.

 That weekend was also Homecoming and Sarah had to "work".  Fortunately, her partner that day was Minnie and it rained and she got to come home early... so, all in all, not the worst work day ever, in spite of being on a Saturday.

After she dried off, we headed back into the rain for an evening release party for the Nat Geo Wild premier of Vet School, a reality show about surviving vet school that was shot at Cornell last year.  Sarah was a part of making the show run smoothly by scheduling and organizing and communicating with interested parties, so we were all eager to see the outcome.  If you haven't caught it yet, and can, it's worth a viewing.  We were impressed with what the students have to do, and it was definitely cool to see it in an audience of veterinarians and people who knew the clients and back stories.

At some point, this happened.

And then it was October 3 again!  Franktoberfest!  Erik and his dad (grumpy looking guy up front) and I set up the tent and put up railings along the hill and lots of other things to get ready.

Sarah was a cooking machine!  Knödl and spaetzle and an AMAZING beef and pork goulash.

Frank loves Sarah.  He does miss her red hair, though and never misses an opportunity to ask about it.  Here they may be exchanging recipes.  Sarah's secret was she used 50/50 beef and pork.  Frank's secret ingredient was the fresh squirrel.

So, I've made a couple fires in my life that I'm pretty proud of.  This is one of them.

We're plumb in the middle of my favorite season, now.  Nothing beats working in the yard during the day with a fire going to keep warm by.

Love this girl.

A couple weeks ago Veneta came up.  We thought that was a great reason to check out a new place we heard of called Atlas.  It's a bar and a restaurant and, oh yeah, a bowling alley.  Very cool little set up.  Only has about four or five lanes.  The bar is made of an old bowling lane, too.

 Strikes and gutters.

"Mark it zero."  Zhora and I had a good time trying to figure out how to add up the points.  It seems like maybe Sarah was the winner, but neither of would stake our savings on that.

Umm... this happened one morning.  That was fun.

Oh man!  I forgot about this.  Beth, who Sarah works with, brought us a couple beautiful salmon fillets that her husband caught.  Actually, he caught the fish, the fillets he cut for us.  Sarah found a recipe for a marinade and a side called sauteed corn and edamame.  We grilled the fillets... man was it a good dinner.  We have a lot of memorable dinners.

Seems like every year we do at least some of our farming in the snow.    I love that farm girl!

Saturday we went out to Pat's and checked in on the horses and went for a walk with Little Bit and Rocky.  Not sure where Rocky is in this pic.

Later that day we cooked up some of our carrots with honey and curry and honey to take to a dinner party at a friend's house.

I won't lie, this new cutting board is amazing.  Thanks Adam and Leanna.

Well friends, that's it.  That's all I've got for now.  Some of those stories coulda been longer, for sure, but I hope keepin 'em a little brief made it easier to get through and maybe it gives us something to talk about over christmas break.