Fall Frolics

What a beautiful start to the long weekend. I took this picture Saturday morning. These maples were at their peak and the leaves were saved in the windstorm last week.
Another sign of fall is the closing of Sixberry. It was cold there on Sunday when we turned the water off and pulled the dock.

Dan and Gary hauled the dock out. It went much easier after Gary remembered he hadn't pulled the anchor off the end.

Gary and Al pulled the raft in for one last time. Then we helped Al and Jean pull their dock.


Well the intent was to pull their dock. Only the wind caught it and took it down the lake. Which proved to be an interesting adventure.
Good thing Al's son, Tony, came along to join in the fun. It was a joint effort with the motor and oars.

Once they managed to get the dock back to shore we attempted to drag it on the beach. We hooked my Envoy to it but there wasn't enough power in towing it. Dan took over with his truck. He managed to pull it up further and we anchored it down with the boat. It provided some good times and laughter.


In other news of the weekend.... I visited the Fabric Mill and chose a print for curtains in the kitchen. Maybe now I can chose a color for paint. I'll share the print later once I have more information on how long it will take before they are ready.


While I was selecting a fabric, Gary and the girls were delivering round hay bales. They started out with the first load and didn't quite make it to the farm. The wagon had a flat tire. For the girls, they thought it was a great adventure. For Gary it meant changing a tire with a load of hay on along side the road. I should have sent the camera with him.

Happy Birthday Gary (Alex too)

Happy Belated Birthday to Gary! His actual birthday was Monday and we celebrated this past Sunday with a dinner for him and our nephew Alex. Alex turned 13 today. Hello teen years! Gary is a few away from those years.

Gary dreams of having a bulldozer. Except the only dozer I see is the one he had for a birthday cake. Another creation by his mom, amazing and yummy.

Eric, Gary's brother, pretending he knows how to drive the tractor. I like the camera around the neck.

Amanda, our sister-in-law gone country.
Happiness is hay bales. See more of the fun from Amanda's blog. http://thehaydenhouse.blogspot.com/2009/10/party-in-country.html
Saturday night, Noelle came for a visit. We spent some time shopping and catching up. It was so nice to see Noelle and now that she is back in New York, we hope to see each other more.
Last week was just an all around busy week. I managed to snap one picture of the girls during Kelly's Open House at school. Gary was away for a conference in Jersey City and we were down a refrigerator. It was a treat for the girls to eat out.

Day Trip to Tug Hill

This past weekend was spent between both Sixberry and Brandy Brook. Saturday Laura and I headed north to check on Sixberry and have dinner with Grandpa. We had a nice treat on our way to Sixberry. Grandpa called us and said the guys were chopping corn near the road. Our first stop took us to the farm and there we watched the trucks back into the bunk and unload the corn. After the trucks dumped, two John Deere pack tractors came right in and started piling it higher. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera at home on Saturday. There would have been some great pictures. It was a perfect day for chopping. We followed Grandpa back to the field after he unloaded. Lucky for Laura, we parked at the road to watch and the farm had a pet donkey. Laura liked watching it and making fun of it's noises.

Sunday took us to Tug Hill. Last weekend Gary was there for work weekend where they repaired the roof. Only the weather wasn't so cooperative on Sunday of last week. A few of the guys were able to head up there this weekend and finish up the job.


Labor Day weekend some of the other members stacked the wood for winter. The shed is full with some extra stacked outside. Won't take long to tackle the pile. We had a small fire when we first arrived to take the chill off inside. I caught this sunny pic of the girls heading down to the pond... Don't they look like they have been caught?
The girls walking on the bridge.
We have a similar picture of the girls next to the chimney in the winter time. It was different to have one without the snow. They each had a lollipop that the cook gave them from the Grist Mill where we had breakfast in the morning.
Kelly doing some wood detail. Hauling wood in her bucket from the shed.
A couple of the guys taking care of some yard work. This chunk was to much for them. So....
Gary hooked onto it and dragged it away with his wheeler. (Greg maybe you could try this with your new wheeler).
Another project, was the railing on the back side of camp. After ripping off the old, a new one was made. Yes with the chain saw. When a hand saw is not available, it is important to improvise. It turned out nice and fit in with the rest of camp.
A nice tailgate lunch of peanut butter and sisters who love each other. At least for the moment.
So much to do at camp and still time to sneak in a nap. Works every time!

Golden Harvest Festival

This past weekend was the Golden Harvest Festival at Beaver Lake Nature Center. The girls have been to Beaver Lake before to enjoy the trails and wildlife. However this time they had some added treats. First stop when we got there was to visit the goats. It was perfect timing because this one was brought out for milking. The girls were able to get up close and pet her.
After a little walking around, we found the famous donut and cider booth. Perfect time to take a break.
Grandma was able to join us for the afternoon.
And we all took a wagon ride through the woods by Prince and Don. Kelly was fascinated by these horses. I think it was the size of them.
We found some games to enjoy.

After an afternoon of playing, Rich had a good idea to make pizza. Grandma showed the girls how to stretch the dough.
Kelly made a cheese pizza and Laura made a white garlic pizza. Both were very yummy.

Second Grade Star

Our Laura is ready and heading off for second grade. She was bubbling with excitement and couldn't wait to get to the end of the driveway to meet the bus. This year she will be getting on the bus at home and off at daycare. It's a big deal. Ready to take that trip up the driveway...
We had some time to spare at the end of the driveway so we got some extra pictures. I figure we should enjoy it while we can. Some day she won't want her picture taken. At least that is what I am told from others whose children are older.
Still okay to stand with mom and dad. Well, when no one else is looking.
A nice picture of Gary and Laura in front of the pines.
And she's off! 23 students in her class was the report tonight.

Labor Day Laughs

Labor Day Weekend came and went with more fun for the girls. We started on Saturday with the idea of doing some 4-wheeling. When we told the girls of the idea they couldn't wait. Our trip took us to some other Indian River lakes in the area around Sixberry. The first stop was at Lake of the Woods and the second stop was at Grass Lake. Here is a picture of the girls on the road. This is at the county line of Jefferson and St. Lawrence Counties. Gary and the girls taking a little rest.
Gary took this picture of us. Hmmm, are we for sale?
Sunday was another cookout for family. It was a great weather day. My brother brought his jet ski for the day. Everyone enjoyed it. Even Dad who took it for a spin. But not before he broke out his rubber boots to ride!
My niece, Angelina, building her sand castle.
Our great white frog hunter.... This kept her occupied for hours.
I realized this whole summer I hadn't taken a picture of camp. Here's our quiet place tucked away. Very peaceful.
Another chance for the girls to practice their driving.
Laura liked going in circles. However, Gary told her if she kept going in circles it would create a toilet bowl and Sixberry would be flushed away. It didn't help that the neighbors went along with that theory.
Back at the dock, enjoying the nice weather and making sure the bumpers are just right.
What would camp be without a good hearty breakfast? I love this griddle at camp. Perfect size for a camp breakfast. You can smell breakfast cooking along the lake in the morning when the air is still.
Fire? Yes, fire. It is starting to cool off and we needed to warm up Labor Day morning. It didn't take long and it felt good.

Pre Kindergarten Orientation

Today was Kelly's first day at Pre-K. Well it wasn't a full day for her but an orientation to the classroom. Mornings are usually slow going for Kelly. Not today. She was ready to go by 8 am, no prodding needed. I caught these pics as she was getting ready to head to town with Daddy. I met up with them a little bit later for the event. All went well!
Sporting that "Stanton Stance"...
Four years old and ready to take on the world. If only I could capture half of her energy.