11 PM… Sitting outside under a full moon waiting for the dogs to come in. Long fun day. I’m too sleepy to be able to put in the hundreds of pictures I’ve taken over the last three days. I promise I’ll do it tomorrow.

Big event today was The annual floatapalloza. It’s an annual event when three or 400 barely dressed people jump on anything that floats and go down the winooski river from our house to Richmond. The float takes about four hours and involves lots of fun partying.

As in the last two years our yard is the staging ground where people inflate their various unicorns, rubber ducky’s, camels, inner tubes etc. It’s fun and chaotic.

Will post some great pictures tomorrow.

Later this evening we went to our dear friend Mason’s 30th birthday. It was the first time we got to see the house that he’s basically built from scratch. It was a great gathering. Got pictures of that too

Right now I cannot keep my eyes open.

Night all -night Sam
– me

3:30Am and we’re just done with cleanup. We had a really good party . Too late to share pics and stories tonight. I’ll get to David that tomorrow

Nite all, nite Sam
-me

I woke around 6:30 AM on Saturday after going to bed at 3:30 AM. Once again we were partial hosts of the FLoataplooza .. t’s a charity event where 300 (maybe more) people donate for the pleasure  of floating 4 hours down the Winooski from  basically our front yard. 

People started showing up around 8 to set up.. real crowds started around 10. 

 

 

meanwhile our doggies were sleepy inside from the last two busy days

 

we were able to pass out the rest of our leftover cake to the hungry floaters

 

 

aroudn 12 Mike the fearless leader pulled peole together and they marched off ot the winooski 

 

in we went  . Matt, Franchesca and TOby where on the bridge to wave us on 

 

 

it took 4 hours to float down.. it was mostly warm.. but a cool wind broke out near the end.. it actually blew us a little way up river before diane pulled us around the bend. 

 

about an hour in we all got out at ‘Big D’s” feeld for a hot dog fest and band..   no veggie dogs so I ate a bun with ketchup and mustard.. yum !

 

hey there’s colin !

 

then back in the water for several more hours of lazy floating.. so nice and relaxing !

 

 

 

 

at one point we stopped to let a few of our folsk jump off a fallen tree.. here’s Ian showing great form  

 

eventually we ended up in Richmond.. here’s the bressors house.. there were soem floaters making some wierd chouces.. liek walkign through poison ivy .. and jumping the shallow sie of the bridge (We always ju,mp the other sidfe) 

 

on  the other side.. gabe, ian, matt and soem of their friends did soem nice jumps of the ‘right’ side of the bridge.. 

 

 

then back to the hosue for a 20 min ute nap..

 

then off to Masons 30th birhtday in the house he’s building.. .. 

SUch a great man.. very proud to know mason. 

 

 

ok.. it’s 1:30AM.. and thats all my pics. time for bed

 

nite all, nite sam

-me

Our wonderful house turned 150  years old this year..according to the oldest deed we can find it was built in 1868. . We arent sure how much of the current building dates from them.. but thats when a school was built on this spot. 

we had a really fun party to celibrate the birthday.. (and all  the other stuff changing in our world .. max moving to Santa Fe, Gabe mpoving to Portland for grad school , me changing jobs, pur massive cleaning spree in the house.., enmid summer etc, etc, etc.. busy times !)

Here are soem pics from the party.. THansk to everyoen who showed up.. it was such a great time  !

 

we’d spent days gettign ready for the party.. there was so much to do clean get tents, bet beer, lien up bands, get portapotties (shared with floatapalooza) .. get food, order cakes. so much work !.. stressful but  worth it in the end.. 

we didn’t keep track byt we had well over 200 folks.. probably more. byt the end of the day. the party started at 6.. and some peorple were still ehre at 2AM.. though things really quieted down after 11. 

 

we saw so many good freinds from every corner of our lives.  

 

first abd was the Fog . with our good friends gary and paul.. 

 

 

 

after they played we tried to get soem pics of folks in front of the house.. it was gettign dark by then. so the pictures arent great.. but very nice to  have. we’ll put soem of these in the time capsule (see yesterdays post ) 

o just 

 

then we went in and cut the cool cakes diane had made.. 4 different cakes with  4 different pictures of the house !

 

 

 

 

It was great having max and gabe here.. we were sure thinkign of Sam.. max wore his sam  button all night 

max gave me a surprise.. it’s a trouphy soemone brang to oe of his smashtruck events.. at smash truck people bring things sp they can smash them with  sledgehammers  and crowbars..   Max saved this from the wrecker because he thought I deserved it (Bessed dressed dad.. LOL !) 

all through the night folks were gopign up to the tower to see the time capsule (aka the ‘ghost room’ .. see yesterdays post on that 

outside band number 2 ‘Paps Porch’ great blue grass was playing.. Our friend Jane sat in on fiddle.. and Ozzie.. who used to go to school in the house played harmonica.. they were excellent !

 

bass p;layer had blisters by the end !

things began to wind down aroudn 11.. but many folks stayed till about  1.. We did some fire play .. max did rope daert.. we did flame througher and I cranked up the rubens tube 

 

I stayed up till 3:30 cleaning.. then got up at 6:30 to get ready for Flotapalooza.. lots of work these parites.

 

happy birthday dear house. ! You look pretty good for 150 !

I think people had fun which makes it very worth it !

nite all, nite sam

-me