Tadpoles and Tykes

One of the things Gabriel and I often do is to come to our little pond and observe. Then he tries to draw what he observes in his nature journal. Having had three boys, I'll fess up here and say that he loves to observe, and jump on the trampoline, and do an archeological dig in a dirt mound nearby, and poke the tadpole eggs, and whack things with sticks. Writing what he sees and does in the nature journal is part of that educational process and something that doesn't come naturall - say as naturally as playing knight with a nearby stick. So here you see a little of what we were observing that day and a little, very little, of the time it took him to draw it and write about it.  
 
 
 

Party Shots

Porch Party: Jake captured the moment as we celebrated Franklin and Bill's birthdays.
 
Lily Clarke grins for The Jake. 
And so does Brother Walker. He always did like the show Walker Texas Ranger.
 
Jake and Kara (best friend Austin's sister) ham it up. Kara's brother Austin is in New Zealand for another month on an outdoor adventure.
 

Various and Sundry Photos

Jake took these photos with his new camera. This shot is inside the coldframe where the lettuce is growing like crazy.
 
The boys' 'new' car. My friend Rebecca (Gabe's mom) and her husband, gave the boys their old Volvo leather seats and all. The boys love it but are still seeking the best insurance deal.
 
These little apple juice bottles are a tradition from Grandmother (chadwick). She has always bought them for the boys and they look forward to their treat everytime they see her.
 
Bloodroot. I gathered this wild several years ago and transplanted it to our severely shaded are of the front lawn where it's done very well. One of the first wild flowers in spring, it's a beauty.
 

Dog Days in April

After years of neglect, Jake decided it was time to give Ace & Emy a bath. He recruited a reluctant Walker for help while Grandma Chadwick and I looked on, provided running commentary and took photos. Note that Walker's hair and Ace's hair are almost indestinguishable. Both dogs hated the ordeal but loved the results.  
 
Ace is mortified that they used a "kitty" shampoo on him. UGH!  

Fifty-one & Fifty - two

Franklin and Bill Shattuck share a birthday, April 3rd, and this year, we celebrated at our house with ribs. Walker helped raise the pigs, Cameron made the rub and B-B-Q sauces, Franklin did the grilling, Nancy and Franklin made the slaw and I made the 8-layer cake. Oh, and Jake took the photos.  
 
 
There are three candles because Jake's birthday is this coming Wednesday - April 8th. He can't see the fifties from where he is. He'll be turning nineteen.
 

Susan's Latest GreenPrints Art

Here's my latests art for GreenPrints. The story was about a woman who called herself an Alfalfa Tea Goddess. It was a humorous piece about a woman who made a tea from alfalfa pellets with which to water her plants (to add nitrogen). She used a Hello Kitty bucket from her grandaughter and a broken tool handle to stir it, hence the photo. It didn't scan as criply as I'd have liked but you'll get the drift. I have three pictures due in a week and a half for the next issue.  

The House is Clean

for a moment, anyway, and Jake is trying out the exposure on his new camera.