Isabel's 8th Birthday Party: The Reincarnation of the Pirate Fortress in Syracuse

Valarie, Olivia and Sophia helped me decorate at the last minute.

Dave finished rebuilding the pirate fortress late Thursday night and early Friday morning.

I made the cake with 8 candles and the pie with one to grow on for Isabel. She insisted on blueberry pie as we had just picked two gallons the weekend before, and spaghetti and meatballs. Our new Polish-speaking neighbors connected with the parents of one of Isabel's new friends, who had been in the Peace Corps some years back. As the kids have gotten older, both Dave and I found t hat we actually had a little time to talk to the adults at the party, mostly our still newish neighbors, but also Matt and Becca who go many years back.

In the end we caught Isabel and Lucas in the Hennessy Hammock and wondered what long-term alliance this might foretell --

We went up to the Adirondacks this weekend. Isabel's friend Sophia May came along. They had a great time. They danced merily in Pleasant Lake where we stopped to get Sophia some fresh air. She was feeling a little carsick from reading the latest Harry Potter on the way up. Then we went blueberry picking in the Ski Bowl in North Creek. They managed to find some sand duned to jump off of when they got sick of picking. Then we went back to the Cabin for dinner, a marshmallow roast, beaver watching in a mosquito tent, a dessert of chocolate.













The next day included exploring The view from Adam's Rover top tent and the limestone Cave at the Base of the mountain. It was a nother beautiful weekend in the Adirondacks and we hope some of you will join us the weekend of the 4th/5th if you are up for it.

We are just back from a short trip to Vermont where we stayed at the old Rowley Camp at Colchester point on a rainy fourth of July. Calvin and Isabel got to know their second counsin Amanda as they romped in the cold waters of Lake Champlain and painted rocks and shells they gathered on the shore. We enjoyed getting away from the many projects at. We have beenrenovating the attic for most of a year so that Sarah and the kids have a space to quilt and paint. Starting in the late spring we also addeed rebuilding the pirate fortress we moved from Albany for the kids. The top railing in now done so that no one can swan dive into the driveway.

We have also been recreating the garden we loved so much in Albany. Unfortuntately we've been invated by a pair of cute little woodchucks. The little devils ate our spinach and strawberries. Fortunately Calvin and Isabel picked some of it first. And we are excited that the college kids two doors down are going after them with a bibigun. Sarah offered a bounty of $25 for each woodchuck they presented to her. We hope they don't start showing up with pelts by the dozen or we won't be able to afford much other than what the absense of woodchucks brings from our garden.

Just two weeks ago Calvin and Isabel climbed Crane Mountain. All the way to the top! This was Calvin's first trip on his own two feet and Isabel's first trip up and down on her own two feet. They really liked the ladders near the top.