Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls is amazing. It is beautiful and impressive! The amount of water flowing over and falling straight down is hard to comprehend, but when you are hit with a cloud of mist after it is also hard to ignore!

The sad news is that my little camera was not working during this trip. Our video camera's battery was dead and we had no old-fashioned devices either. What a shame...

I really enjoyed this trip in the beginning, but by the third day we were tired enough to drive the 8 hours back home. We started off at a KOA camp on the New York side of the falls. I described it as funky and cool until the funkiness took over. It was not very natural and we had a roller coaster behind our cabin. The cabin was the good news. We were protected from the elements, had beds and electricity. The first night we had a nice BBQ dinner and a camp fire. The second night we were cold and went to Buffalo in search for TGIFridays. And by Sunday morning (mother's day) we were frigid and had head colds and packed the car immediately. We will probably not head north again unless it is the warmest summer months. From now on it is southern vacations.

The next 2 days we were supposed to come back through Pennsylvania and camp two more nights. But, with the agreement that Fred would still take those days off we headed home. We enjoyed the warmth of New Jersey (ha ha) and our cozy beds and house. It was a learning experience and an adventure!

I definitely recommend seeing the falls.

Foxes

I am sad to report that one baby did not make it and died right on top of the wood pile. Secondly, NJ Animal control just set a trap by the pile to rescue another baby. This one is limping, has infected eyes and mange. Hopefully, the rescue center can help it. I just checked on it as it was on a leaf pile trying to get comfortable for a nap. Poor little things. I do not know about the rest of the litter or the parent foxes. I just hope they are doing okay.

new critters

We now have new critters to add to our exciting back yard. It seems that a mother fox and her five babies are trying to find a shelter. When we first moved in we had a huge patch of bamboo back there and behind it was an old pony shed. Both were ugly, so Fred ripped out the bamboo and a contractor helped clean that up as well as knock down the old shed. We have not had a chance to remove the debris, so it is still a pile in the back. Its only saving grace is that it is now housing cute foxes!

As I tried to take blurry pictures I think two babies were nursing briefly as the mom was trying to hide from today's rain. The five little babies play and bounce around the shelter. Mom is more down to business and probably searching for food!

We are not worried about the foxes as our cat, Phoebe, stays indoors. Also, we don't send the kids out to play when there is any wildlife: deer, turkeys etc. I shoo them away before we head out. For now we sit in our sun room and enjoy the show. It is really cool!

Five Happy Years

Fred and I just celebrated five years of marriage on April17th. We are both in very happy places together and in our own lives. We love our new house and town. He really enjoys his work and I love the friends I have made and the activities I share with the kids. This happiness made our five year anniversary really special. At this point we can reflect on the journey that got us here and also get excited about the future ahead. We are especially excited about welcoming our third baby!

In the evening he gave me red roses and chocolates. We had our neighbor babysit and went to a delicious and beautiful restaurant called Rat's. We started at the bar with some Prosecco (I had a sip to celebrate). Also, the food was really amazing. I enjoyed the best scallops I have ever had. Some people have asked about the name and here is a quote from the web site:

The Name

Why the name Rat`s? In Kenneth Grahame's classic, The Wind In The Willows, one of J. Seward Johnson, Jr.'s favorite books, the character Ratty represented everything a host should be. As founder of Rat's and Grounds For Sculpture, Johnson likens himself to Ratty who threw the best parties with the best wine. Likewise, the two share delightful imaginations and far-reaching dreams.

A wonderful dinner and date with my best friend. I look forward to many more years together.

Spring is sweet

It is Spring in New Jersey...finally! The longer Winter has definitely made this Spring more special to us. Each day there are new buds and flowers. We even saw the groundhog waddling around our yard this morning. Hooray! Check out our pictures!

Boston

We owe my friend, Jenny, a big thank you for showing us around Boston. She and I went to high school and UC Davis together. She has been living in Boston for 3 years and returns to California in May. We saw her just in time!

We drove up despite terrible, rainy weather. Our five hour trip turned into eight, but it was neat to travel through several states and see new landscape (when we could see out our windows!). In Fishkill, NY we found a diner to have lunch at and we got to Boston just in time for dinner. Jenny picked Picco, a pizza place near her house, that had delicious wood-grilled pizzas. It was great to catch up with her busy life!

Our hotel was outside the city which worked out well for us. We love the "suites" where the girls share a sofa bed and we have our own room. The kitchenette also works well with little ones. We slept okay and started the next adventure of walking around town.

Jenny took us from her place in the South End through the Commons over to the tourist area for lunch. We ate at Ye Olde Union Oyster House for lunch. Fred got his clam chowder and we enjoyed a great lunch in the oldest running restaurant in the country. John Kerry even has a seat there!

We quickly headed back through town (another couple of miles walking) to get kids to the car and out of the cold wind. It was nap time. We returned to the South End for a quick, but good Venezuelan dinner right near Jenny's apartment.

The next day we drove to Plymouth and again avoided the cold wind by staying in the car! We also drove through Providence, Rhode Island searching for lunch. Even with our GPS we were not successful. So, we headed home back through CT, NY and finally home...NJ! It was really wonderful to come back home. It is Spring in New Jersey, unlike up North where the trees, flowers and grass have not quite caught up.

We wish Jenny a smooth move back to California! She is expecting a baby boy in June and her husband starts his residency at the same time. They have big things ahead! We hope to see them again on the West Coast.

Appetizer Party

Last night we had friends and colleagues over for an appetizer party. I asked each guest to bring an appetizer or dessert. We had lots of food ranging from chicken satay to fancy cheese to salmon rolls to veggies and dips. It was delicious! There was no need for a real dinner with all of that food! The desserts were also endless and amazing.

The house was busy and full with chatting adults and buzzing kids. I was really happy to fill up my home and entertain again. It will be even better when we can all go out back and let the party spill outside.

We were so busy last night that it almost felt like a wedding. The bride and groom have so many people to talk to that the night feels short and busy. I also completely forgot to take pictures. But, as I write this note this morning I am so happy that we had fun!

Next, we have neighborhood parties and I would like to host a BBQ with the warmer weather. Fred is helping landscape an area for our future picnic table, chairs and barbecue. It will be wonderful!

Thanks to everyone for the delicious food and lively conversations! cheers!