Just a bunch of turkeys

Spring has officially come to Brooktondale.  You can tell because there are far fewer snow storms and more just really cold rain.  None-the-less, the plants, the people, and the other animals are determined to reemerge from whatever dark perdition they've inhabited for these last 14 months or so.  Just kidding.  It's all good.  We had a nice winter.  It's great to have the sun out at 7:30 though and we've enjoyed rediscovering a new line of toys and wardrobe.

The turkeys are doing their normal thing.  Gobbling and strutting and putting on a show that will last right up to May 1, when they all mysteriously disappear and I wind up sitting in the cold rainy woods, looking like a dink with my shotgun slung impotently across my knees.  Amazing animals.

And now for something completely similar.  More pictures of Emmett.  Seriously, what did I used to do with my camera?!  This is from his early spring hipster collection.  Obviously he's too enthusiastic and happy about life to go full hipster.

On the cusp of walking... or at least not falling down as fast. Our little arborist. 

Tree covered in lichen from an early morning hike.

Swingin with mama!  

Goin to the show!  Sarah and Emmett and Zhora came to the Saturday show of Anything Goes.  It was so much fun!  Emmett is becoming quite the patron of the arts.

Mountain bike season!

We've gotten a couple nights of grilling in lately.  Steak one night, hamburgers another.  Last night Zach, Kristin, Nora, and Charlotte came over and we made foil wrapped potatoes, grilled veggies, veggie burgers, and Piggery brats.  We had so much fun.

On Saturday Sarah went to get her hair done and then to a workshop about wills and the like.  Emmett and I spent the day adventuring.  We went to the farmers market and tasted their leaves and bark and wood chips...

Then it was off to the Children's Garden to smell the flowers... maybe not the one with the bee in it.

Doing his best dock worker impression.

We found a deal on craigslist and hooked the Element up with some new bling.  I had the usual supervision as I worked out the details.

On Sunday the family worked together to transplant the blueberry bushes and do some general garden tending.  Emmett was great.  He wasn't sure about the tickley grass under foot at first, but he soon got into it.

I love this picture.  

Just like papa.

Later on Sunday we met the Stickles for drinks and conversation at Argos.  We had a lovely time with great drinks and lots of laughs.  Zhora got "all dolled up" as they say.

Newspaper was a new technology, and a little tricky to figure out. 

Mom and dad come to visit

Mom and Dad came to visit last week, and we couldn't have planned a better way to wrap up our summer. 

Indy has found the bean tipis to her liking.  They offer shade, a spot to supervise, and of course, beans.  I lost many beans, most of my peas, and all of my grapes to this predator.

The visit coincided with the harvest time for the hops and Mom and Dad made chipper volunteers.  We took our hops to Erik and checked out his brewery and hops.  Later in the week we went to Hopshire Farm Brewery's CoHoperation Celebration when the brewing and growing community bring the hops they've grown to Hopshire to make a community IPA.  What that meant to us was some good beer, good friends, and really good pulled pork.

The field next to the house is beautiful, but also producing a dizzying array of allergens.  Poor Sarah and Eva were beside themselves.  Both have since recovered.

Mom and Dad and I hit some antique  malls mid week and saw lots of cool old stuff.

We also checked out the Plantations.  There was a bit of wind and rain throughout the week, but we managed to find plenty of sunshine, too.  The Plantations was amazing with lots of flowers and trees in peak season.

I love how Mom and Dad point things out to each other and always have an idea about where the plants might fit in their gardens.

The Plantations provide quite the home for honey bees.  It was good to see so many of them.

Harvest Time

Fall is our favorite season.

The corn is sweet.

The sky is clear.

Our birthdays inspire thoughtful gifts.

The grapes ripen.

The fog descends.

Sarah makes amazing soups.

Keith cleans his plates.

The fires are warming and meaningful.  They remind us of our genetic ancestry.

The lichen pops.

Can you find the goat?

Their beards are soft/

The goats know who love them.

And sometimes they nibble!

Llamas are curious, but reserved.

The water was cool.

Too many flavours to have just one!

Good friends share.

Good food, good drinks, and good friends.  Fall is such a great season.  Hope you all are enjoying your friends.