End of August...

Wow, so the first of September is looming! I checked e-mail this morning and at least half of them had some mention to how fast the summer has flown by - one even mentioned Christmas?!

We are off to Vermont for the rest of the week, which is very exciting! Gary's going to do some work around his folks' house, and I'm going to work from the gorgeous Northshire Bookstore. It's going to be so nice to not commute for the rest of the week, and to squeeze in a bunch of running, hiking, and biking! Yes, in the rain.... but whatever!

We had the Pashby's with us all weekend this past weekend. Always a lot of laughter and fun, and three dogs screeching around every corner of course! I think we're all a bit exhausted, but it's just a few more days until we show up at their house for the weekend. Happy 30th Sarah!!

Hope everyone is doing well out there - our friends and family, or perfect strangers! Till next time!

SDH

CONGRATS!

Every once in a while you recognize two people that are just absolutely perfect for each other... and Gary and I could not be happier to have shared the engagement of our friends Paul and Kristin this past weekend!! We've spent a ton of time with them all summer, and can't wait for more seasons to come. CONGRATULATIONS Paul & Kristin!

In other majorly exciting news, we found out last week that we're due to be an aunt and uncle again! (I hope our nieces can't read blogs yet at their age... they don't know yet!) We are very happy for Eric & Jill as their beautiful family grows!

Now something must have been in the water around May... Carrie, Chrissy, Tracy, Karlyn, Danielle, and Heather Pratt are all due between January and March! Wooo hoooo! We love you guys!

So what else is going on... we are home for the next couple of weekends! We are excited for the wedding of our friends Amy & Mike this Saturday, and all the girls will be in town for the fun. Then we are really looking forward to having a couple of great friends and dogs down the weekend after for a little Cape Cod sun and fishin'! The last week and weekend of August will be spent lounging in Vermont - well, me lounging, and Gary doing a bit of handyman stuff, but we're so happy to be able to get up there for an extended timeframe.

Hope everyone's enjoying the crispy autumn weather right now!
XO

Fall '06 Camping Trip!

September 15th and 16th for camping, hiking, and fishing near North Conway, NH! JOIN US!

The Beach Camping Area

Probably - Mount Kearsarge North
Location: The trail begins at a small parking area located 1.5 miles east of Rte. 16/302 on the north side of Hurricane Mountain Road in Kearsarge. Length of Trail to the Summit (one way): 3.1 milesEstimated Time (one way): 2 hours and 50 minutesElevation Gain: 2700 feet Summit Elevation Above Sea Level: 3268 feetDifficulty: Moderate (a bit steep in parts)
The trail starts at a relatively easy grade on an old road. It becomes rougher and progressively steeper at 1.1 miles where the trail passes several boulders. An area of rocky ledges appears next, providing nice views of the Saco River Valley and southern and western peaks. At 2.4 miles, the trail swings to the crest of the ridge connecting Kearsarge North to Bartlett Mountain. The trail bears to the right and travels up the north side of the ridge. At 2.9 miles, the trail makes a sharp turn at a steep section and continues around the west side of the summit ledges up to the mountain summit and fire tower. Mount Kearsarge North was originally called Mount Pequawket. This mountain became a popular peak starting in 1845 when three men cut a bridle path and built a two story wooden inn on the summit. The inn blew off the mountain when it came loose from its iron mooring rods and chains one autumn. It was rebuilt only to blow apart twenty-five years later.
The New Hampshire Forestry Commission built the first fire tower on Mount Kearsarge North in 1909. Through cooperative efforts, the Forest Service helped staff the tower from 1911 to the 1960s. Mount Kearsarge North supports the last remaining fire tower in the White Mountain National Forest. It was dedicated September 29, 1991 into the National Historic Lookout Registry. Planes now monitor forest lands for fires.

Deerfield River

What a gawgeous weekend on the Deerfield River! We joined a group of about 19 total - all great people! - for camping in Charlemont, MA on Friday night. Had a good chip at the keg and talking all night, and awoke to a wonderful breakfast from Chef Paul. The rafting day with Moxie Outdoor Adventures was great.... a little hurry-up-and-wait ish, but we had a great time being together and outdoors. Kept almost everyone in the boat too!

Little flip-cup and chatter again Saturday night, and then tubing for a couple of hours on Sunday - what a blast! That was more fun and more economical than the whole rafting thing, so maybe we'll just have to keep the trend going...

We have the Hedmans all in town for the week next week! Carl & Sandra, as well as cousin Kate, all arrive on Saturday I think. Eric, Jill, and the girls are renting a house in Brewster for the week and we'll look forward to biking on the Rail Trail and spending QT with them all!

Connecticut Weekend

Well we've returned and recovered a bit from our Tour de Connecticut!

Thanks so much to Mike & Peg for hosting us and Bromley all weekend - Bromley almost didn't want to come home from his new pals Dakota and Summit! We were excited to spend more time with the Houles, much awaited catching up with the Troilos, and to gather with great friends for a big dinner at Delaney's Tap Room in New Haven! (wine wonderfully supplied by Kat & Peter and Peter Troilo! Thanks guys!)

Did some fishing, did some shopping, did some drinking, and did some nature-walking....

Spent Sunday with Eric, Jill, McKenna, Emily, and the ice cream truck man! So fun!

Pictures coming but not working right now....

Whitewater rafting this weekend!

Summer's Over...

Yikes. It happens that way every year... We're off to Nantucket, Connecticut, rafting in Western-MA, and then July is over. One weekend on the Cape again, and then off to Boston for a blast of a weekend up there. Then back to the Cape sorta, but planning a week in Vermont...

I can't tell you how lucky we feel, though, to have such incredible weekends and incredible friends around us every time! Our life is definitely full of adventure and laughter!

CONGRATS to Carrie & Steve! Surprise CONGRATS to Tracy & Mike! More excitement for Lou & Sarah! Can't wait to celebrate with Amy & Mike! Hope your redneck gets better, Dan... Gourdon, get back to me on your schhedule and whether I'll need a pullover.

Turning 30

Well now, how about that.... suddenly I'm staring down the barrell of the big 3-0. It's not that bad, really. I'm happy - VERY happy - in life. I can imagine worse things.... like 31. Then you're "in" your 30s! I'm having a good time this week doing things because I'm "in my 20s".

We're spending a weekend full of my favorite things! Drinks at Baxter's, boat rides to Sampson's, bike riding the Rail Trail, dinner at Sam Diego's, more drinks at the Beachcomber... Does it get much better than the gorgeous weather too?! Lucky me.

Gary has been fully trained - he's treating me special all week, so my incessant reminders that it's an entire week of goodness has finally worn off on him!

By the way, have you guys seen this? http://www.hughchou.org/calc/coffee.cgi

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

The art of blogging...

I've taken on a lot of blog research at my company, hosted a two-hour session on the art of blogging, evaluated policies for corporate blogging….. and yet didn't really take the step myself. I'm going to give it a shot! I would like a place that my friends and family can visit when they want to know what's up. I'm not going to analyze politics, the environment, world hunger…. just a silly journal of life.