Back-to-school again.

The kids are back to school and I have the house to myself for a few hours every day again. Yay!

I am gearing up for some major projects this fall. I have a dream--that our library table (passed down from the Ewerts) will be stripped and stained a lovely, dark, walnut color. I'm also hoping to get some new landscaping done in the back yard. Then there is other furniture to be refinished...and so it goes. We'll see how that progresses...

August is taking band this year and will be playing the bells (like a giant xylophone). I'm not sure who's more excited, but it's probably me!

Katie is continuing piano and starting to get excited about other instruments. She is begging almost daily to get a cat for her 8th birthday. She is often heard asking "Is my room clean enough to get a cat?" "Did I do a good enough job to get a cat, Mom?" My favorite is the weekly trip to the library where she does research on how to care for cats and different breeds of cats. She shows me pictures of hairless cats and Siamese cats and asks which I like better. I have to answer carefully. :-)

More than you ever wanted to know about chickens...

We now have teenager chickens. They're mostly grown and eating more everyday! Since they seem to spend all their waking moments eating and then sleep the rest of the time, it seems appropriate to think of them as teenagers.

Here are some pictures of the chickens (and Katie--whose favorite pastime is picking them up and kissing them). The coop below is outfitted with roosts and nest boxes, water and food. It is insulated (R11 for the geeks), sided with vinyl siding and roofed with discarded roofing materials. It uses passive solar heating, as well as a thermostatically controlled heat lamp! (Bret added his two cents to the coop info--can you tell?) The attached pen allows them outside during the day (they all go into the coop at dusk to settle in for the night). They also enjoy hiding under the coop (which I enclosed with chicken wire). August refused to pose for a close up picture. I tried!

Katie seems to ask several times a day to go play with the chickens. She has told me she's their mom--but I insist that I must wait for cuter and more well-behaved grandchildren! :-)

Rediscovering northern Wisconsin!

Even in the beauty of northern Wisconsin, August found time to pause and read a good book while we hiked in Mark's (Bret's brother) 40 acres. It was a lovely hike and there were some beautiful flowers and tree formations.

August and Bret attempted to use a magnifying glass to start a fire. They were successful in creating smoke and sparks, but lacked sufficient tinder for fire.

Here is Mark's garden, surrounded by a deer fence (very tall).

Two brothers, just hanging around. It was a great visit. We realized that we hadn't been to Mark's for about 6 years, and our visit was long overdue. I really enjoyed living in Wisconsin and have always enjoyed driving through on the drive from Chicago to Winnipeg and back. It's really beautiful in fall too!

Pictures from up north, eh...

At the zoo in Winnipeg Katie and I walk with my brother Stephen and nephew Benjamin--soon to be a big brother! We had a great time with our family!

The zoo had pony rides and there was no way we were going to miss that opportunity. Even Benjamin got a ride! Katie's eyes shone in particular. And, later when we got home and began our back to school shopping, Katie shocked me by saying, "Mom, I'm kind of a jeans girl now...not so much for dresses. You know, I'm a cowgirl."

Benjamin at the playground. He seems intent on something, but we'll probably never know what caused his studious look.

We have lots of Canada geese back home, but still, it was neat to see them in Canada!

Swimming at the pool in Winnipeg. Benjamin and Stephen above and Oma with Katie and Ben below.