20130930 Katie's Phinished Phrame

20130930 we have passed steady state walnuts

Today marks what could be the peak or beginning of the peak. We now have limited time-to-back-out but still have walnuts falling. Today, more dropped than ever before. On the plus side, I wasn't hit while performing the ritual end of day walnut-ectomy from the yard. But there are so many more to go...












Oh, and why at the end of warm weather do the Hydrangeas go nutsoid?

20130929 Making a Story

A short story: A long time ago a man built a cradle out of cherry for his first granddaughter, and he was nice enough to let his son in law help.

And it was beautiful.

And it was used by the first granddaughter, and then the second, then then by their two cousins in turn.

When the grandfather sadly passed away the son in law took wood he found in the man's workshop, and has made many lovely things over the years.

 

But the time came recently to make a frame. A very special frame. The granddaughter now had a college diploma that needed to be proudly displayed.

Out of leftovers from the very same pile of cherry that was used over 20 years ago to make the cradle. I also used some maple.

The end.

No princes.

No frogs.

20130804 At Lupa Zoo with William

Alpaca

20130727 Haz Blackberries

Just finished picking scads of berries.

It's gotta be at least 15-1/2 gallons.

[Ed note: Mr Stiefel spent 2 hours in the hot sun and his powers of volumetric approximation have been severely impaired by the heat, the perspiration, and the blood loss from climbing amongst the briars]

2013 June Alaska Cruise. Post #1

6/19/2013 Celebrity Century approaches Hubbard Glacier within 0.8 nautical miles, breaking the close approach record. As we traverse the ice floes, picking our way toward the 6.5 mile wide glacier. The glacier is flowing directly toward us, and is about 250 feet tall at its face.

The path we take looked like this. Again, the glacier shelf is 6.5 miles across, in the center of the image.

And we got closer…

And the weather cleared a bit and the reflection of the surrounding mountains in the water was something else: 

(taken with the iTouch)

And did you see the trawler? For scale? Over to the right

Look closer

It’s going around the corner to the right, look closer…

Ya. That's a full sized fishing trawler. At the base of the glacier. This thing is huge.

20130608 Monica Grad Party

We held a joint grad party with neighbor, with whom Monica went to school since kindergarten

Proud Mommy

Large volleyball

Many much foodsen. Thanks Dan for the help!

The less energetic trampoline use...

Cuz.

20130607 Monica Graduation

Prior to graduation, the obligatory pictures

Those Fergusons are so funny

Awwww, Sisters

Ethan, having fun. Really.

She played in the band

The principal busted a move

...and made funny faces

She played in the band some more.

And finally

Got her diploma

At Symphony Hall

20130605 Monica before the Prom

20130505 Graduation!