Planes, trains, and automobiles - the vacation of a thousand means of transport

Rather than post chronologically, I thought maybe we'd take a look at the 2018 Harrington family combined European Vacation thematically.  For the first installment, I submit to you the many ways we got from one place to another.  The Bassington family portion of the trip started with a 3+ hour car ride from Ithaca to NYC, then a 7 hour flight, followed by a taxi ride to Paddington Station to catch a train to St. Ives.

Sarah and I did very little sleeping on the plane.  Emmett, on the other hand, got a full 8 hours in, it seemed like.

Like everyone else, Emmett was curious about the airplane food.

Watching the sunrise over Ireland.

On the train to St. Ives!  Whole family in tow.

This was probably everyone's favorite single day of travel.  Under a bluebird sky, we rode the upper deck of a double deck bus from St; Ives to Lands End.  The streets were so impossibly narrow... 

Counting cows

Another bus, another activity from the bag.

While we didn't technically get a ride in this cherry, it was a favorite of many of us and so it gets to make an appearance here, plus, I missed one or two transports.  This can be a stand in for a few buses, a couple trains, and a taxi, at least.

At Oma and Opa's house this tractor was a favorite.  If you couldn't find Emmett right away, the sandbox was always a safe bet.

On the autobahn, doing like a thousand miles an hour.

Not technically a vehicle, but we all did a ton of walking.  Emmett's stair skill markedly improved over the course of the trip.

My beautiful babies.

Cool architecture in the train station in... hard to say... maybe to or from Tubingen... did we take a train?

Old pro.

We even crammed in a boat ride in Hamburg.

Hamburg is an active port city, so there is lots to see.

Have another theme suggestion for the next post?

Late Spring/Early Summer 2018

Going back through the photos, I'm just amazed at how much we get done. Not all of it is particularly productive, as our house can attest, but it is good fun.  And we spend so much time outside.  And now, with the snow on the ground, the warm summer days seem so far away, but I know they will be back again in a flash.  The seasons are truly marvelous.

Nakie-birding in the field

Safety first!

Learning with Papa

Helping Papa.  This is between POS cars when Veneta was kind enough to loan us her F150.  We still haven't sorted what to do with the Subaru...  or the Frontier for that matter.  What a life.

These were a gift from a friend at school.  They belonged to his daughter.  They got kind of a slow start, but are now in the daily rotation.

Countdown til the trip to Europe!

Some recent activity

We've been real weekend warriors lately.  We try to relax as hard as we work.

It's campfire season again.  Sorry this picture is blurry, but I love Emmett's posture and that he and Sarah are both wearing plaid.

Emmett played the firewood like it was a xylophone.  He is still not allowed to use an axe (maybe for his 2nd birthday), so he uses the ball peen hammer to "chop" wood.

Helping papa put a ferrule on the brake cable housing.

We went to the plant sale at the high school last weekend... or was it the weekend before.  Emmett saw the digger across the street and we had to go check it out.  The plant sale was great, as usual, with the added fun of having the moms staying with us.  They were like little girls in a candy shop.  I think Mom H made it just about half way around in two hours or so.  I guess they'll have to come back up next year to try to finish.

Emmett got spoiled rotten by the grammies.  Here they are singing and interpretive dancing the Itsy Bitsy Spider.  We had such a nice weekend.  It was too short as usual, but we got most of our favorite activities in.

We've has some new car issues and Veneta was kind enough to loan us the truck for a bit.  She has gotten some real truck days in, like when we picked up lumber for a project (see below), and when I went mountain biking, and when we picket up compost, and when we went on a canoe trip. 

We had Livia and Darren at the house this past weekend and road bikes and grilled and had campfires and built a picnic table and hung out with Zhora and went canoeing.  

I Frankensteined a couple plans together to make this 8' table with detached 6' benches.  I'm really pleased with it, and now we just need to pick a color and paint or stain it.  So.... the table is now joins the company of the cabinets, ceiling, and our bedroom.  I see a trip to Sherwin Williams in the future.

Darren helped me finish the benches, then we grilled, then we broke in the table.  Sunday evening was one of the best evenings I can remember in some time.  Emmett and Zhora and Abe ran and played and laughed (well, not Abe on the last one) for hours.  Bob and Darren and I grilled and Bob built a fire.  We all chatted and sat at the new table... it was just really pleasant.  We hope for more evenings like this now that we have seating for more than four people.

On Saturday we went to Erik's to play and grill and drink beer.  The kids ate ice cream.  They were so cute playing together and riding in Sebastians electric powered jeep.  

The hiking trail is a little overgrown.

On Sunday we went canoeing/kayaking.  Emmett was great... even after he tripped over the thwart and fell on the yoke... quite a shiner.

There she is.  All loaded up.

Pooped and ready for night night.

Pictures from a warm winter/cold spring day.

Some images from a day at the Children's Garden.  We were checking out the outdoor preschool and Emmett was trying out his new rain suit.  The apple is part of a Hungry Hungry Caterpillar presentation.  I personally don't get all the hype about Eric Carle, but the kids do seem to love him.