Cicada

it's rained for days here - it must be so lovely to emerge with a fresh new body - a new beginning, a new look - into a world dripping with rainwater, dappled in morning sunlight

Weekend trips/visits

It's been a long while - too long. Busy long weekends have made little downtown to post.

We went Athens the weekend before last - a three day weekend spent there. Joe was a groomsman in a wedding & we had some cleaning up to do around our Athens house, since the renters moved out. Also, my old Subaru needed to be towed off - I sold it to the local scrap yard.

This was the first car I ever bought myself - while in Athens when I got my first 'real' job. It was a great car - we drove it everywhere - it's made the trip to Wyoming several times. It bit it at 230,000 miles - which was actually quite disappointing for a Subi. A crack in the engine block & the tranny went...

Athens - the corner of Milledge & White Hall

Only a little stress & insanity while there...

all dressed up @ the wedding on Saturday

This last weekend, my parents & grandfather came for a 3-day weekend here. Joe took Grandaddy & my Dad out fishing on the coast.

a volunteer sunflower in the backyard

we took Levi over to the hatchery here in Richmond Hill to one of the stock ponds, especially designed for children - he & Joe caught fish after fish

I'm packing again today - we're leaving for a 4-day weekend away for the long 4th of July weekend - we're headed to Jenning, Fl to visit Joe's folk's & then over to Cairo, Ga to celebrate Papa Bill's birthday.

June 17th

My little sister turns 27 today! Happy Birthday Beth!

China or bust! Beth has received a contract to teach in China - school begins 15Sep & so she'll be flying over in late August.

My Mom & youngest sister, Sarah, have spent the last 10 days in Italy - they fly back into Atlanta tomorrow evening - I'm excited to see how the trip went - they've been 'incommunicado' the entire time - I'm missing my daily phone call to my Mom - I hope they have stuffed themselves with luscious foods & wine

After 2+ years working part-time on a graduate entomology project, tonight I completed my last sample! Now I'm wondering what's next....

Summertime...

Summertime,

And the livin' is easy

Fish are jumpin'

And the cotton is high

We couldn't resist getting out on the Ogeechee yesterday. It was Levi's longest canoe trip thus far - over an hour & a half on the water - made possible by toys & snacks. We dropped the Mazda off downstream - so it was a lovely paddle/float with no back tracking upstream.

putting our gear in

the put-in had really been washed out - quite a drop down - along the edges of the water you can see how tannic the water is - beautiful

an old river soul

the Ogeechee River - we spotted 3 gators along the way - many, many birds - and got right on top of a riverside doe before she startled away

the crew

keeping busy in the middle

my sexy river guide - after working three years as a guide, I'm always amazed by Joe's ability to securely tie down any craft with the meerest bits of rope - our trusty Toyota, enjoying the easy days of its retirement as our river/hunt vehicle

June Visit

My dear friend, Angie, and her family came this last week to visit... several beach trips, lots of walks, a great seafood dinner out, crazy chaotic kid time, and the zen after all the kiddos were down for the count.

Angelina

Jack, 4

the view from the deck at the Sunbury Crab Company - dinner out...

the crew out shopping - Levi's first ride in the 'car buggy'

playing pigs - similar to dice

handmade yarn & mug

Levi & Jack

Nesta, 1

Angie, Nesta in his pram, Levi

John, Nesta, Jack, Levi

Automatic

Our new ride! It was about time we got a new 'family vehicle' - as we're always making long weekend roadtrips. It's the first automatic we've had in 9 years - it took me several days to keep my left foot still & stop going for the clutch. I love it though! It's a 2006 Mazada Tribute.

Wow!

Check out this amazing local cypress tree - It measured in at a whopping 43 feet 3 inches!! - Joe and a colleague took a 'base-line' survey of this property a couple months back - since then another group went in & found this beauty

Preposterous

I saw this at Lowe's in Savannah & couldn't resist snapping a shot. This is akin to selling bags of sand at the beach.