Gardening in Style

Mom and Pop made this nifty garden basket for me! I love it!!!

I'm using it for tomatoes for now, but can't you just picture lovely leafy vegetables in it as well?

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Take Us out to the Ballgame

My work's company event this year was an Oakland A's ballgame. I think this is the third time that Ava has gone to it, and she loves it more and more each year. She was probably five when she attended the first event, and her favorite part was eating roasted peanuts and throwing the shells on the stadium floor. Fast forward to this year, when we ask ourselves whether it was good manners to throw the shells on the floor, even if it is supposed to be a tradition. Extensive research (two minutes of googling) indicated that it is acceptable.

For those interested, the A's played the Phillies and won 3-1.

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Grandparents' Day

Grandparents' Day is a tradition at Ava's school. The grandparents are invited to the school to watch a special musical performance and have lunch with the kids. We have been fortunate to have Ava's paternal grandparents join her all these years, and I'm a little sad that this is the last time (the middle school doesn't have this event).

Thanks, Mom & Pop, for being there for Ava. We love you.

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Camping Weekend

It's been a long time since we've camped. The reasons were many - responsibilities around the ranch, camper/truck logistics, poultry care, etc. However, this year I'm glad that we were able to overlook those excuses and head up to Russian River with our dear friends for a weekend in the semi-wilderness.

So many fun activities:

Ender is tired from all the excitement.

We can't wait 'til next time!

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Introducing Ethel

Meet Ethel, she's one of my favorite chickens. She is a double frizzle. Frizzles are chickens with feathers that curl outward instead of inward. Typically, frizzles only have one copy of the gene - having two copies is usually fatal. Chickens who survive the double dose will have health issues as well as a unique appearance. Fortunately, we haven't noticed any health problems with Ethel. Except maybe a little sunburn when she's out in the sun too much.

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