East or West, Home Is Best

A month after school ushered in the beginning of autumn we’re settling into some of the old familiar rhythms. Local family outings, sporting events, Friday night pizza parties. As adventurous and free as summer seemed, there’s something comfortable about being back.

Saturday morning we joined some friends for our annual pilgrimage to Clyde’s Cider Mill. (Amazing how much younger the kids seemed last year!) It was Chad’s first time watching the mill in action, and he wasn’t disappointed. It’s pretty amazing to see how the apples are dumped out of a big truck, take a shower, are ground up, and then come down a chute into the barn where the pulp is distributed on three pallets. The press then does its work, sending gallons of sweet cider into a pool below. Delicious!

After visiting the showroom with its gorgeous jars of various preserves where we picked up our cider and donuts, we were off to the park for a picnic. The kids had so much fun playing around the pond they almost forgot the donuts!

Then we were off to Gavin’s first soccer game of the season. We can already see that the players are more advanced than last year. The coach has them playing positions and they are generally staying in their respective regions of the field rather than following the ball in a clump. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed being there to cheer Gavin on.

Monday was equally gorgeous, so Arwen and I met some friends at the park where Arwen was quick to demonstrate her climbing prowess. (I showed her this video of the daughter of some friends in hopes of getting her to try the monkey bars on her own, but no dice.)

We’re hoping to hang onto these wonderful autumn days as long as possible!

Saturday afternoon Arwen and I went to a friend’s birthday party, where she and her friends transformed into superheroes. The gang rescued lost little people on the playground, decorated masks, and dashed through the air with capes flowing. As we walked to our parking spot after the party, two passersby stopped to comment on Arwen’s getup and encourage her in her heroic endeavors.


Though I haven’t managed to snap the beginning-of-school photo, Arwen has indeed started preschool. She’s attending three afternoons a week and enjoys being back with her friends after the summer’s absence. It’s been fun to see how excited the teachers are to see her again.




This weekend we enjoyed an impromptu visit from Chad’s parents, who came to be with us as Chad received some new responsibilities at church. Sunday afternoon we strolled around the grounds of the former Harkness Estate, now Harkness Memorial State Park. From sifting through sand, to climbing on rocks, to darting through gorgeous English gardens (and even catching a glimpse of a wedding on the lawn), we had a great time together.

Monday morning Chad’s parents, Arwen, and I attended Chad’s Ecology lecture on Adaptation. It was great seeing him in action! We had a fun lunch together at the café before bidding farewell to Chad’s folks. We sure appreciated their company and support.

All year we’ve been looking forward to the free ride hour at the Ledyard Fair. Chad and Gavin stumbled on the event just after we moved here two years ago, and we sort of look at it as the kids’ big chance since we don’t normally spring for carnival rides.

Saturday morning dawned soggy, but by a quarter to eight it was clearing up and Gavin let out a joyful “Thank you, God!” on our way to the fairgrounds. Then, just as we pulled up the heavens let loose with a torrential downpour that stayed with us through the helicopter rides, the merry-go-round, the fun house, and the cars that go around and around the track really fast (not sure what they call that one). Needless to say, we spent a lot of time on the merry-go-round. Then, as suddenly as it started, the rain let up just as we finished our last free ride. What’s that all about?

After the rides we checked out the animals. I was interested to learn that a single goat gives 28 cups of milk a day and costs around $550 a year to maintain (though you have to raise at least two at a time). The mother of a girl who raises sheep shared a look at her hand felting project – a gorgeous marine scene featuring a humpback whale. We saw cows, sheep, llamas, a camel, and even a zeedonk (cross between a zebra and a donkey).

At the Lions concessions stand we chatted with our neighbor John who whipped us up some fried dough (seems no one’s heard of “elephant ears” around here). At the Ledyard Historical Society display we checked out old photos of our neighborhood. Then we finished up with a tour of children’s hobbies and home-canned goods.

After peeling off our soaked clothes, we sank into the kind of typical Saturday afternoon I was yearning for. Chad worked on the plans for a contraption to get the new piano into the basement, and I roped the kids into cleaning out the garage. Now I have hopes of making music again, and both cars are back inside again. Not a bad Saturday.

Last Thursday we headed back to George Washington campground for a final summer outing with four other families. As usual, the beach was a huge hit. I was impressed by the amount of actual swimming I saw going on. (This swimming area is ideal for kids – so shallow and so calm.) With our sites so close to the beach, if we so much as turned our backs we found all the little ones atop the gigantic rocks. The current condition of Gavin’s swimming suit won’t let us forget just how fun it is to slide down!

That evening as we were roasting marshmallows and visiting around the fire after our communal meal Gavin discovered Kim, Tim, and Sarah snuggled up on the outskirts of our campsite. With an exclamation of “What a great family photo!” he was off for the camera, with which he snapped this. He’s getting to be such a big boy . . .

The next morning Tricia, Kim K, Kim B, and I snagged a few of Kim K’s divine cinnamon rolls on our way out to an eight-mile hike. What fun to be together with just the girls and to maintain a good pace (rivaled only by that of the conver- sation!).

We returned to find more fun at the beach – this time involving the kayaks. As I was lolling on the sand Arwen invited me to join her and Chad on a kayak adventure. As we pulled away from the shore she exclaimed, “A date with Arwen and Mommy and Daddy!” We got far enough to find some wild huckleberries on a not-so-distant bank before the rain started.

The next few hours were fairly calm. We hung around the fire under just a few sprinkles and baked our pizza pita pockets and banana boats (compliments of Allison and Steve) in the coals without much weather interference. But not long after the kids were in bed that second night, the remnants of Hurricane Danny descended upon us. The rain fell all night long and kept coming down all morning. A kind ranger opened the camp lodge to us, where we cooked and ate breakfast. Tricia led the kids in coloring and indoor soccer adventures while the rest of us grownups took down the tents. Then we packed it up and took off - a bit earlier than planned, but we still had a great time.

Could it possibly be camping this summer without rain?