Very peaceful day … it’s been warm and overcast all day.. looking like rain.. only really started raining this evening. Diane and I managed to get out for a longish hike around 9:30 this morning. We went from Bolton Notch road back through the Long Trail to home.. about 2.5 hours at a very fast pace.   It’s one of our favorite hikes.. .. Today it looked completely different.. the trail was covered with leaves… We saw things we didn’t see during our hikes in the summer or on snowshoes in the winter.   Here’s a cool bridge over a stream made by the roots of this tree.. (notice the SamStone on the root) .

We saw fresh beaver activity everywhere.

We stopped for a short rest and snack on the cliffs…

Wetook a hort stop at Duck Brook shelter, too

Found our last log entry from Aug 16th…

Then wrote another for the day

We found a couple of puff balls … those are always fun !

We got home and wored around the house for a bit.. then went up and picked up our car on Bolton Notch. I thien went into twon to pick up gabe. On thewy I dropped by firend John’s to pick up two robotic arms he’s donating to me.. They are extrememly cool !

Diane was ona  root vegetable kick today.. she put away a ton of beets and carrots.. Every year we find a ‘boy’ carrot like this one .

Around 3 Diane made us all tea and scones.. it was so nice !

I then spent an hour or so putting up pictures in the house..  Here’s a collage of the boys that Max made for diane once… (I love that picture !)

And here’s the ownderful painting that Coco did of Sam as Wonderboy.

Gabe wanted a print of that same picture in his room .

Around 6:30Dinae and I went to Underhill to my freind Peter’s 50th birthday party.

 The entertainment was by Peter’s band. Peter plays the Oud.. an armenian instrument.. the band also had tow drums, a keyboard a string bass and a clarinet… they were playing turkish/armenian folk music.  Peter’s wife Dana is Armenian.  it was so awesome !!!!!!!!!!

Check out this music !!!!!

Man.. I’m tired.. time for bed.. More in the morning ! Nite folks.. Night Sam !
-me

Peaceful Friday night at home..  nothing on my mind.. pure bliss! . I’ve had quite a few people write me this week wondering if I was OK.. I guess I’ve been sounding pretty low here I have been low.. but not  deep dark low.. Like not a depression.. let’s just call it a recession..   I do appreciate hearing from folks.. even in morse code! The fact that people are out there and are thinking us this time of year is wonderfully sustaining to us. I’m doing pretty well all things considered.  I’ve promised myself to spend sometime this month  trying to get back in touch with what I want to do with my life and where I am going to spend my time and energy. I’m actually looking forward to doing that.

I have a few pictures from the last few days that I hadn’t put up here.. yesterday I was lucky enough to catch a lectutre at work from Art Cohn, the directoro of the Champlain Maritime Museum. Art is a lawyer, diver, socialogist and historian.. and a heck of a good speaker. I’d never met him.. but because of our last names being the same.. I’m always getting folks who think were related. He’s an awesome guy.. He showed some amazing things in his talk.. ncluding soem of the more than 7 ships he’s found in the cold waters of Lake Champlain.

Last night I had a nice night hanging out with Gabe while dianbe went over and visited Elizabeth. i went to pick here up an see Elizabeth’s new place.. Elizabeth has a theme word.. andit’s ‘Simplify’. it’s on her license plate.. and on signs throughout her house.. it’s a goodword.. but I’m not sure what it means.. 🙂 /

Got home tonight pretty pooped from work. Ihad exactly 15 minutes free today at work…   Home never looked so good. I walked in and noticed this cool light up thig that my mother in law Marcia had sent (Thanks Marcia !)..   It’s kind of a smaller version of the big light up branch that we always had in that corner.

I was just lisetenign to the radio tonight.. and hearing more abotu the bad economy.. I’ve really been pretty insulated from the news with no TV.  I’ve only expereinced it through work.. and through our budget.  I guess it’s pretty bad !   I was tickeld by the followign comic that I found in new freind Douglas’s blog.. Made me think of the cool new recesion:

Best thing that happened to me today .. at least during the day.. was getting a flu shot. What’s that say about my day ? Work is really getting pretty bad.

At least the flu shot was fun !

I  am totally swamped by work now.. but I did manage to escape around 6L30 to go to dinner with Dinaeand Gabe at the Lavoie’s…. It’s part of the send of we’re giving Deb and family..

Jen’s house is full of cool stuff.. like these two poetic signs in the bathroom

Their dog Tinkerbell even sang a duet with jen

It was a great night at the Lavois.. They’re wonderful folks

On the way home, I stopped at the Townsends for one last look around their house. They head to hindouras tomorrow.. thenback for a few weeks.. then down to south america.  We have so many memories from that house. I will never orget goign there the night we came back from Florida after Sam died…. Every kids I knoew.. and many I didn’t were in there waiting for us.. and crying.. I walked around there tonight..remembering.. It tok my breath away to remember.

Matt had soem good photos out to look at…

This is whenwe all ‘fell’ off the bridge at Sam’s birthdaym memorial party.

Me pulling gabe on a skimboard at cape cod

the legit crew

OK.. gotta get back to work.. Nite friends.. Nite Sam !
-me