September 14, 2009  

    The guest house in the west paddock is nearly completed.  The plumbing, electrical, floor, and walls are in, and we're starting to put in furniture.  Here's a page of pictures.  Come spend a night or two.  The ceiling will be insulated, and the house will have propane heat so it can be used year-round.
    The pond is also nearly completed.  We've added koi, water lilies, a filter to keep the water clear, a bench, and some plantings.  Here's a page of pictures.  
    We didn't have to stock the pond with frogs; they just came!  It started with some bullfrogs (can you see the mosquito?), and soon there were eggs that hatched into baby tadpoles that grew and started swimming tentatively.  They got legs and finally lost their tails.  Soon they were hopping all over the lawn.
    When we visited Sarah & Steve's on July 17th we got some pictures of Sarah and Alex getting Bugatti (5 wks. old) to feel comfortable with them.
     Before the septic cleaner came July 23rd I had to dig down to expose the tank cover.  In the process I ran into a spongy white ball a little bigger than a ping-pong ball.  As I squeezed it, it suddenly popped, getting turtle-egg yolk all over me.  So I started looking and found more turtle eggs—about 30.  I buried them again about two inches down in sandy soil in hopes they will eventually hatch.  No sign of baby turtles yet.
    July 27th we went to Matt & Crystal's for the day.  Here's a family portrait—Ozzy is six months old here.  River played on her new swing set with her parents.  Dan got in the playhouse with River, and Lynn played footsie with her in the pool.  Here's Ozzy riding the cat.  On the way back home we saw some dramatically illuminated clouds.
    July 30th our quartet performed on the Milford commons at noon (pictures 1 and 2).  During the hour-long show we sang 17 songs, including "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," which I introduced on the harmonica (picture, sound).
    I arranged two autumn songs for the quartet—"Autumn Leaves" and Charlie Brown's "Great Pumpkin Waltz."
    The last week in August we went to the Newfound-Owatonna family camp in Maine.  Highly recommended to any of our C.S. friends!  Here's a page of pictures.
    We went to the Francestown Labor Day celebration the next town over for the first time.  It has not only a parade but also concerts, games, a flea market, and artisan booths.  Here's a page of pictures.
    Every year we pull up purple loosestrife down by the brook.  They have really impressive roots!  I think we're going to lose this battle eventually.
    We had a sunset that looked somewhat like a forest fire.  Here's a spider web in the grape arbor.  On September 2nd the full moon and Jupiter appeared close in the sky.  A stand of Indian pipe sprang up in a bed of pine needles.

Feature: The Butterfly Nebula

Quotes: “I had rather take my chance that some traitors will escape detection than spread abroad a spirit of general suspicion and distrust, which accepts rumor and gossip in place of undismayed and unintimidated inquiry.” - Learned Hand, jurist

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