The Coastest with the Mostest

We visited Katie, Tim, Liam, and Reid in Orono, Maine. We picked blueberries, swam in the Penebscott River, and cooked many delicious meals.

We harvested greens from their garden.

And made blueberry pie with freshly picked Maine blueberries. Tim made a killer crust.

Avery's first water gun fight. He squealed the whole time.

Then we visited the Millers in Antrim, New Hampshire.

They set up a horse swing for Avery in their den.

We enjoyed a day in their beautiful garden.

And first corn shucking with Elvie.

Jane read him an Italian pop-up book about forests. Three times.

Then on to Nantucket, where Mom and Dad looked a bit different. 

(1960s party!)

When they returned from the party, we played Twister.

Rachel and Jeff visited us for a few days.

The lovely Jules Gray, their 3 month old.

Beach picnic at Red Barn Beach

Lauren and Chris serenade us.

The County Fair and Elvie's Here!

We went to the Alameda County Fair for a little summer fun. It seemed that Avery spent a lot of time wondering, 'Where am I?'

We were shocked that the minimum age for pony rides was 9 months. Sign us up!

He got a real photo taken with cowboy hat. 

Father and son with corn dog.

We have been cooking together. Avery is learning how to cut veggies and fruits. And he has his own cheese grater that he can sort of use.

Elvie visits! 

Elvie is a dear friend from Oberlin who now lives in County Clare, Ireland. She and Avery fell in love over the two days she was with us. Here they are counting oranges.

Gardening

And playing music! Avery's first encounter with an accordion. 

Farewell, Sweet Luna

Today we said goodbye to our dear dog, Luna. She was 13 years old and having trouble breathing due to lung cancer. 

We spent the day walking and lounging in the garden together. We had a vet come to the house and put her to sleep while we all sat in the backyard. She went very peacefully. Chris dug a really deep hole in the garden near the apricot tree. We covered her with wildflowers and buried her.

She loved going to the mountains several times a year. 

Luna has been around for a long time. Back when Chris was young, Luna accompanied him on every adventure.

Here she is as a young pup learning some agility tricks.

Exploring California together.

Look how small she was!

We will miss you, Luna. You will always be our loyal, energetic, and loving girl.

Duck Palace

 Hey Sailor, it's summer! Time to get naked and build a duck coop...

Dipping in Lake Tahoe (ice cold!)

 Eating plums with Mama

Frigid Truckee River dip

The ducks have gotten bigger and need a place to live - a palace would be perfect.

 A young cayuga

The house

 

 The roof

The run

 

The royal grounds (notice the chickens live right next door)

The roof opens for easy egg access

The Alameda Flea Market treated us well; we found a metal arch for the garden for a touch of whimsy.