Early October in My Garden

Today I sweet-talked Fernando into helping me dig up the green bean plants in my garden.  He's such a great worker!  Thomas had dug out a tomato plant or two recently, and it looks like this year's winter garden prep will be done one phase at a time.

In the photo below, you can see some red Early Girl tomatoes on the left.  They're still ripening in the warmth we continue to experience, so I'm letting them remain on the vine as long as possible.  I hope to have tomatoes through the end of the month, and if I'm really blessed, into November as I have in some years in the past.

Below is the overview from our pool deck.  I love taking my garden overview pictures from up there, but I know that it may come to an end after the 2013 "pool destruction" winter and the past year of having to let it sit there while we struggle just to make ends meet in our home.  A season for everything...

Later, we had fun inside.  I took a phone picture of Thomas working diligently on a drawing of something car- and/or mechanic-related.  I don't have a clue.  He has a really big brain!

We also shared a rousing game of Settlers of Catan, Allie included!  It's nice to have another girl in my home.  *happy dance*

A hard day's work definitely earned us a fun night of play!


Back to life,
Christine

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Scrabble, a Walk, and a Sunset

Thursday, August 7.

Another day, and what to do...  Relax, of course!  This is the Lake, after all.  One must always find time to do not much of anything.  Scrabble is always fun, especially with Mom.  It started out pretty bad, but we ended up with a few seven-tiles-used words, and the points eventually racked up.  I can't remember the final score, but we topped 800!!  Sweet!

Topping 800 points is pretty awesome

when you haven't even used three of the triple word score spaces!

In the afternoon, I decided to take a walk by myself up the road with my camera.  I started with one of my favorite shots of the line-up of mailboxes on Hermitage Road.  Come walk with me...

I wandered back home and out to the dock, where I sat and soaked in the afternoon rays.

After dinner, we walked on up to Janet's place for a spa and beauty products party.  Hand scrubs and facials, and lots of products to check out and try.  The ladies let me sneak out to the deck, then the lower dock, to catch the sunset, which was pretty amazing.

I zoomed in a few times to try to capture the amazing-ness. It was much more spectacular in person, though.

Ahhh, the peaceful end of a beautiful day at the Lake.


Back to life,
Christine

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Thomas' Day

May 26.

This was Thomas' 18th birthday.  I can hardly believe my baby is grown now.  Such a happy, get-into-everything, busy little boy who said--and continues to say--the funniest things.  He didn't mind having friends over for the afternoon, so that's what happened.

Friend Dan.

They played corn toss in the front yard.

Some of the guys played chess at the counter.

After a guy-type meal provided by the guy friends (hotdogs, chips, more chips, salsa, etc.), they made root beer floats.

I think Thomas had a nice birthday, made even nicer by the gift of a great meal from friends, and who wouldn't like a root beer float?  (Well, except me, but it was for the guys...!)

Happy birthday, son.  You are an amazing treasure and I thank God for you every day!


Back to life,
Christine

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Walks and Water, Games and Goofy

Or, how we concluded our family vacation.

At least once on vacation, I love to walk down the lane to see what I can see.

Peeking between cottages

We peeked through another open spot:

Hey, that was my Dad down there, at the dock in his boat!  My mom, Danny, and I knocked on the W. family's door, went through to their deck, visited a while, then hopped in the boat with Dad and took off.

We came across the guys (Fernando, Jacob, and cousin Alaric) fishing:

This is what one's hair looks like after one goes on a boat ride:

This is the treehouse where I played throughout my growing-up years:

At the house, we played lots of multi-player solitaire:

And that particular evening, we enjoyed another fantastic concert--the Atkinson family bluegrass band:

My dad enjoyed chatting with a schoolmate from long ago:

The next morning, we finished up the huckleberries in some breakfast muffins:

Since it was raining that day, Mom and I fit a game of Scrabble in:

And, on our final full day at the lake...

We enjoyed a last boat ride:

We fully enjoyed our last sunset of vacation:

A little later on

On our last morning, I always take a goodbye picture of my beloved lake:

This year, we thought we'd try to take a family picture, one worthy of a Christmas card.  Alas, the facial expressions didn't quite work out so well, so we went with a goofy shot.

No, no, no.  The above is not the goofy shot.  That is what I saw in my viewfinder as I was getting the camera set up.  :)

Here is our goofy shot:

And that concludes our Lake Bonaparte vacation.


Back to life,
Christine

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