What?!

Did you know there was a game hidden here? If you tap on the dinosaur he moves across the screen and you have to keep tapping every time an obstacle appears, or else he dies. I had NO idea, until my boys showed me today! For some reason I find this hilarious!!

Rusty must be feeling better...

He's been a bit under the weather lately, so I was surprised to see that he had found the energy to catch a red squirrel. He sure was proud of himself!

A Cluster of Blooms

My Clivia plants don't bloom very often, but boy, when they do it sure is impressive!

Walking through Wildflowers

Oops! I never got around to pulling the 'weeds' around the front steps.

Actually, I'm glad. They turned out to be my favorite flowers - Black-eyed Susans - and I LOVE coming home and walking through them to get to the house!

Fun Dog Day

 Our local animal rescue/shelter, Responsible Pet Care, held their annual Fun Dog Day at the Oxford County Fairgrounds today and we brought Amber to participate. It was a day to celebrate all things dog! She loved it!! 

The first event was a 1/2 mile walk around the facilities. I tried to keep her quiet in the back, but she has run in way too many races to tolerate that nonsense! She insisted that we walk faster than all the other doggies. We won with ease, since nobody else was racing. She made all of the other participants laugh at her eagerness to GO!!

Next up was attempting the agility course. Amber is not particularly graceful, so we kinda 'butchered' the course, but she actually did better than I expected, and was willing to try her hardest at each obstacle! She's such a good girl.

It was a super hot day, so we went to find her a drink...she thought she was supposed to lie down in the water! 

The boys discovered that there really was 'something for everyone' at Fun Dog Day! They got to try out the newest VR technology. They're still talking about how cool that was! 

You can see how impressed Amber was, but at least that concrete was nice and cool. 

After lunch we watched a demonstration of pulling dogs. I have never seen this sport and had no idea how much fun it could be. Since Amber is already familiar with wearing a harness and pulling against pressure, they let her try it out. She did awesome and thought it was great because she loved all the attention and praise! The trainer explained that this is the whole point of the activity and that watching the competitions is quite heartwarming because the dogs try so hard for their owners. Since I'm always looking for fun things that we can do together, we might have to check it out someday... 

 After that we entered our very first dog show! It was fun, but since there was no 'Most Beautiful' category, and since Amber didn't really fit into any of the other categories, we didn't win. It was a fun experience with lots of other great dogs! 

This was such a fun day of visiting with friends and other dog lovers! We can't wait until next year!!

Building a Pavilion

Today we helped my nephew work on a pavilion at his church for his Eagle Scout project. He designed it, raised funds for materials, and has built it with the help of friends and fellow Scouts. The boys raised the roof today, although my oldest stayed on the ground until I wanted this group photo. Can you see how nervous he feels about posing up there? Boy, didn't they tease him about that!

Self Help Work Day

We spent the day helping to build this home! It's so gratifying to know that you are helping someone else fulfill their dream of home-ownership.

When?

Mmmm...summer in Maine!

A lobster roll is the ultimate summer treat in Maine! However, they're VERY pricey (for the good ones), so I don't eat very many of them. Therefore, I am always on the lookout for the BEST place to eat one. This year my search led me to Libby's Market in Brunswick. It was tricky to find, but well worth the effort! That was a DELICIOUS lunch!!

The very best part is that they are a dog friendly establishment, so Amber could hang out with us at the picnic table and make some new friends. She loved that part!

Chasing the Sunset

Happy to have her running again!

Thanks to my friends' help, I'm finally mowing my fields!

Happy Father's Day!

He may shake his head at some of my antics, but he raised me to be this independent, so he never judges me and always helps me when I need a hand. Thanks for everything Dad.

Our First Medal

Amber was feeling fresh this morning and dragged me through a very fast 1st mile in the Rancourt's Run 5k. The rest of the race we paced ourselves better, visited with friends, and ended up 3rd for females 40 - 49. Woohoo! 

She made me late for work!

It's not really her fault though. I just couldn't resist stopping to visit with her while she laid her eggs. I did lecture her about the side of the road not being a very safe place for her babies, and to not cross the road herself again, but I'm not sure that she was paying attention. I have seen warnings from the police to slow down on this road because it is a popular spot for the turtles to make their nests, but I'm not sure that drivers are paying attention either. I really hope that she and her family will stay safe!

Poor Amber!

Amber had an upsetting afternoon. Her boys came home early, but they didn't have a key and couldn't get in to love her! They managed to get themselves into the basement, but then couldn't reach high enough through the cat door to unlock this door at the top of the stairs...they were so close, but so far away!! Needless to say, she has very clingy all evening. That was a traumatic experience for such an affectionate dog. And, apparently we do need to hide a key outdoors somewhere for those times when they BOTH leave their key inside the house!

Beauty Growing Wild

School's out for summer!

Less windy in the woods!

The wind this morning was strong enough to keep me off the roads! I decided to skip my scheduled run, and instead took a vigorous hike through the woods at Roberts Farm Preserve. It was a good choice!

YMCA FitFest 5k

This morning I lined up with almost 700 other runners and walkers for the first race in the Greater LA Triple Crown Series. The boys both have wicked bad colds, so they didn't run, but they did agree to take pictures for me! Thanks guys!!

We love the patriotic start to each of the races in this series!

A local elite athlete, Moninda Marube, leads the pack across the bridge on Court Street.

During the race we met Nelly who wins the 'award' for being the shortest runner! (If there was such an award.) She and her master are one of the many reasons that I love running races - you get to meet the nicest people and dogs!

Here I am at the finish line with Britton, a girl we know from Panther Track. She recently suffered a very painful knee injury. This was her first attempt to race, and it wasn't going well when I caught up to her just after the first mile. I saw those crocodile tears and immediately decided to walk with her and keep her company. It's hard for kiddos (and adults too!) to understand that sometimes your body isn't ready, even if your mind tells you that it should be. She was struggling, but we toughed it out together and she completed the course! She insisted on running the final stretch to the finish line even though it hurt - such a strong spirited athlete. I'm proud to know her.

The littlest (and arguably the cutest) spectator!

Peepers are changing fast!

Today was their first day free-ranging around the farm. They immediately started grazing and seemed happy to be out of their pen with the other poultry. I can't believe how quickly they are growing up!

Soul Food

This right here is a lunch break that is guaranteed to lift my spirits - yummy food and a waterfall that is loud enough to drown out the noise of town!

1st Race of 2016 Series

This evening was the first race in the Nomad Trail Race Series that are held throughout the summer and fall at Roberts Farm Preserve in Norway. I can tell you that these are tough competitors because those trails are challenging!

Together We Stand

Viking Award for the Nordic Team

Val's Drive-In

We pulled in on a whim this evening, but it turned out to be a good place to eat! They don't serve anything fancy, but that's what the boys like. We pigged out on fried food and enjoyed it very much!

Tod's Tree

Prom 2016 - 'Men in Black'

Spur of the Moment

A good friend and I enjoyed a yummy drink and deep conversation while basking in this gorgeous sunset over Long Lake in Naples this evening. It was so relaxing...

Another cool school project!

Good morning, Norway!