Ryan's Birthday!!

September 25 is Ryan's birthday! He turned 6 yesterday, and we are slow getting an entry done for his birthday. He is such a special boy. His smiles and hugs bring joy to everyone around him. His curiosity and attention for details are amazing. He has been able to manipulate the photo library on his grandparent's computer for a couple of years now. We know of no person his age able to understand the strategy and play dominoes, beating the adults who play with him. We have gathered a few photo memories of Ryan from babyhood to the present. What a special person he is and we are so happy to be his grandparents. We know his next year will be as exciting as the last one was!

Green Tomato Pickles

We aren't sure where this recipe came from, but it is very old. We suspect it came from Arline Thompson as she shared so many recipes with us many years ago. You begin by slicing six quarts of green tomatoes, and six onions. The veggies soak over night in a solution of salt and water. In the morning you drain the tomatoes and onions, put them in a kettle, and add 1 1/2 cups of vinegar, 2 1/2 cups of sugar (1/2 brown sugar) and 3 tbsp. of pickling spice tied in a bag. The pickles simmer for a half hour, then they are put into jars and into the canner for five minutes. Voila! Pickles!

The New Walk

Gary has worked really hard this summer on the front of the house. The latest project is the new brick walk which is nearly done. It looks so much nicer than the old cement blocks. He has also raised up and reset all of the shrubs (except the large ones) in front of the house. Things are looking good there. In fact, as we were taking these pictures, a real estate dealer stopped and asked of we were planning to sell it.

We did it!

After a week of looking at cars and riding around in them, we made a decision today and bought one. It is a 2008 Toyota and we brought it home. The Bonneville is gone - off to an auction. I guess after 10 years that is better than off to the scrap heap as most of the old cars went in the Cash for Clunker deals.

This vehicle was purchased primarily for the Florida trip we plan to take this winter. It has lots of cargo space and will be easier on gas than the truck was.

The only other exciting thing in our mundane lives this past week or so is Steve has had a hair cut. The hot spell in August caused his fur to get matted, so he is now a very short haired cat. The weather has been beautiful this week - nothing but sun and nice breezes. We have had a frost, but we covered the veggies that are still growing and the flowers are still in blossom. Gary is creating a brick walk at the front of the house. We will have pictures of that next time.

A touch of fall

The weather has decidedly cooled the past two days. We have been busy at home this week. Gary has started a new bed of perennials and has been busy doing yard and garden work. Louise is back to knitting again. Today we spent a great day with Meghan and Ryan, starting with a breakfast by Chef Gary of blueberry pancakes, and scrambled eggs for Ryan. We watched a movie this morning, The Greatest Show on Earth. The kids seemed to enjoy this old circus story. This afternoon we went to Portage where they played near the water, but did not venture in to swim as the air temperatures was a bit cool. Last night we covered the tomatoes, cucumbers, and some of the flowers as frost was predicted. It is hard to believe that we have gone from sweltering to frost danger in one week! Lastly we share a picture of Steve McQueen protecting Louise's sneakers.

Weekend Again

This has been a busy week, and here it is the weekend again. Bob is driving north and will be here tonight. The heat is still with us with humidity at incredible levels. We have spent the week at Portage Lake, but came home today to take care of things here. The powdery mildew is killing the squash patch, and has started in the cucumbers. Fungicide doesn't seem to have helped, and spraying milk on it from internet advice didn't help either. Today we harvested, as you can see. The tomatoes in the raised bed are ripening and they are loaded in nice tomatoes. The cucumbers are just beginning to produce, as the zucchini and yellow squash are probably near an end. We even thinned a few carrots that are very tasty!

Busy Weekend

This weekend was special because of the August Festival and the reunion of all of the Cole boys and their families at the lake. The weekend was hot, sunny, and full of fun. It began with a trip to Woodland to see Meghan playing soccer. We all met at the house, visited, ate, and planned further activities. Next came the parade. here you can see Gary riding in Uncle Ralph's truck, and the jet engine that Matt displayed for the Loring Heritage Center. Saturday afternoon the Coles and their friends took over Portage Lake. As you can see from the pictures, fun in the water for young and old was the theme of the day.