Independence Day weekend has to include a burger day, today is ours; black bean burgers that is. Mike, Tracy and Willa are here for a quiet, relaxing afternoon that includes some lake time and a fantastic dinner built around some amazing Tracy-made black bean burgers that Kent expertly grills. They are fantastic. I tried my hand at old-school ambrosia, veganized or course. It is delicious and pretty close to what I remember from MANY years ago. There is homemade potato salad too of course, some watermelon and dessert bars (key lime and blueberry). It is a perfect picnic. The kids head home for some uninterrupted work time and Willa is going to hang out here with Grandpa and Nana for a couple days. No specific plans just together time.
Oh yeah, we caught part of a neighborhood fireworks display right from camp last night so I got my Holiday fix. Nice.
A wooded, creekside trail in the early morning hours; my favorite kind of east coast hike. The morning fog has cleared but left a blanket of droplets in the fine hemlock boughs. The slightest disturbance from wind or canopy wildlife sends a fine shower cascading from high above our heads sparkling in brilliant shafts of sunlight that have penetrated into the quiet shade. The air is filled with the trill of thrushes and chip, chirp and chatter of forest birds rising from the understory along with the rat-a-tat of woodpecker drumming reverberating among the towering trees. A creek babbles and splashes as it tumbles across rock and forest debris. The sweet scent of wildflowers accents the damp cool smell of the lush forest floor and grey-brown stone outcroppings stand out in contrast to the green-brown growth. It is peaceful and beautiful!
celebrate the guys. Willa presented her card “Dad Rocks”. True as always, I love watching Mike and Willa together. It is beautiful. Lots of thanks and kudos to Dads Kent and James too for their roles in raising some amazing kids.
favorites, right next to fresh biscuits. Of course, we have to fry some up right then. It does not disappoint and makes for a pretty tasty lunch with a side of fresh fruit. It is a great quiet get together. Willa is with the Youngs and while we miss her it is kind of nice to be all about us and the kids for a bit.
It is very cool with lots of storage pockets and a sun shade. It is light too. That is certainly a plus. We decide it is best to try a trail we are a little familiar with so head back to Pawling Preserve for a quick test run. Willa is up for the adventure and starts out on her own two feet. Fantastic. I was a little afraid that she would just want to ride since that is so much easier but we end up with a pretty good mix of walking and riding plus a brief nap (Willa of course) the last 15 minutes or so. We cover a total of just under 3 miles. The carrier is absolutely great. It is comfortable and balances the load nicely on the hips. Willa seems to be comfortable too. Still, no way that the extra 30 pounds or so doesn’t cause noticeable extra work. So worth it though, to be able to have Willa enjoy being out with us. We even got to see a deer.
catch a glimpse of a red fox shortly after we leave the trailhead. Along the way an out-cropping, Cat Rocks, provides a nice view of the valley and the rugged, rocky, and treed shoreline reflects beautifully in the 
still waters of Nuclear Lake. Rain is closing in and we are pretty tired so we save a walk around the lake for another day. Round trip totaled 6.5 miles. We are tired but content
She loves it. Grandpa is ecstatic. Then we hang out, just Grandpa, Nana, Grammy, Pop-pop, Mom, Dad and Willa until Zoom time when another 20+ well wishers appear on the screen. There is some entertainment by the Sunny Songsters,
a candle to blow out, and lots of smiles. We wind down with a glass of wine. Pack up the leftover cake (there is a lot), and head home. It was a fun day for everyone. Happy Second Birthday to our wonderful Willa.
A big slab of cake becomes a rock for the octopus to rest on. A dome and layer create the body. Oreos, lots of Oreos, are the stuff that tentacles are made of. Kent carves me halves and 2/3 cookies and we even use a few minis.
Bring in the glue, a lot of royal icing, and here it is, the framework of the great octopus cake. All that is left is what seems like a ton of purple buttercream icing. Add some googly sugar eyes and fruit loop tentacle suckers and ta-dah, one octopus. I love it.