Off to the Races!

The weekend of 5/13/11  we drove down to Dover, DE for our annual NASCAR race trip and this year Grandpa Roger went with us. We made the trip there in record time and were there in time to watch the practice sessions for all three series as well as the truck series qualifying. Of all the race tracks I have been to the Monster Mile is one of my favorites. As it's name suggests the track is a one mile track with plenty of banking and a concrete surface. So far every time we have made the trip my favorite driver, Kyle Busch has won at least one of the races during the weekend and this was the first time we were watching him race as an owner of the #18 truck.

Friday was a beautiful May day with lots of sunshine. We sat at the top of the grandstands so we could enjoy the cool breeze as well as the shade from the luxury suites behind us. Kyle started the race in position # 3 and Ariel's favorite driver (Kevin Harvick) started in position #2. Our family definitely likes the drivers who have colorful personalities and Kyle and Kevin lead that group!

The race was fast paced and full of action which kept us on the edge of our seats most of the race. To my delight Kyle won the race after leading 123 of the 200 laps. Kevin also had a great finish within the top 5. After leaving the track we went back to our Hotel and the kids and I went for a nice swim in the Hotel Pool. When we got back to the room we all enjoyed our annual treat of Domino's Pizza. For some strange reason we all crave it when we go to the races so I figure once a year it's allowed!

The next morning we woke up ready for another full day of racing! We had breakfast at the hotel then stopped at the store to fill up the cooler with treats. Just as we were getting off the highway next to the track it started to rain. By the time we parked and began making our way into the track the skies opened up and we all began to wonder if the remainder of the weekend would be washed out. Despite the rain we made the best of our time together and when the rain lightened up we took turns stomping in the puddles and worked our way around the souvenir haulers picking up miscellaneous goodies.

The sky was dark and gloomy but to our surprise we heard the jet driers fire up in the distance, the good thing about concrete and all the banking they can dry the track in about 90 minutes.  We made our way back to the grandstands which were much cooler than they were the day before. It actually felt like an early spring day which forced me and Alex to head back to the truck so we could change into some dry clothing. Thankfully I got an amazing deal on a fire suit style jacket so not only was I warm I was sporting my drivers colors!

Just like the day before the Nationwide race was full of action from start to finish. Kyle's car was good but didn't seem to have what it needed to get to the front and every time he made progress something would send him to the back of the field. At the end of the race there were several cautions which sent the race into overtime with multiple attempts at a "Green, White, Checkered finish" As the cars came out of turn 4 in front of us Carl Edwards and Joey Logano made contact which triggered a huge multi-car crash. I love racing and there is a part of me that enjoys watching cars beat and bang on each other but I had a lump in my chest after watching cars flip over at 150mph in front of me and I actually sat down and said a prayer for each of the drivers involved. Thankfully everyone was able to get out of their cars (more like wads of crumpled metal at this point) 

Once we knew all the drivers were okay we were able to celebrate the fact that even though he didn't win our driver ended up finishing 2nd! He managed to weave his way through the wreck and was challenging for the lead at the end of the race.

Throughout the summer we took several more trips to our local short tracks as well as trips to New Hampshire for the Cup and Truck races. While racing may not be everyone's idea of a good time I will tell you don't knock it till you try it. There is something about the smell of racing fuel in the air, the roar of the engines and the vibration you feel in your chest each time they speed past you! 

Alex's Birthday - 2/28/12

   
     Alex and I were seasons ticket holders for the 2011-2012 AHL CT Whale Hockey team. It turned out they had an 11:00 game on the morning of Alex's birthday. I decided that we would spend the day as a family and the kids got the day off from school and I took a vacation day so I could enjoy the all day celebration.

 
     For his birthday I surprised him with a Zamboni ride during the first and second period of the game and they also wished him a "Happy Birthday" over the PA System and on the Jumbo Tron!

     It was an amazing game - It was tied at the end of regulation, then scoreless through overtime and we ended up deciding the game in a shootout which our team dominated! Every time our team scores 2 goals during a period everyone in attendance gets a free taco from Moe's so I bet you can guess where we went for lunch!

After Lunch we decided to go shopping at several of the area Toy stores between Hartford and Springfield where Alex was able to use the cash and gift cards he received for his birthday to purchase the different items he had on his wish list. The day went by fast and once again our minds turned to food. Alex requested a steak dinner so we headed off to Texas Roadhouse for the early dinner specials.

After dinner we finished Alex's shopping spree at Toys-R-Us to pick up Nerf guns and Skylander's and then headed over to the local Friendly's restaurant for some ice cream. I was a great day spent together as a family and while Alex had the most fun I can honestly say that Ariel, Rebecca and I all enjoyed every aspect of his special day too! To finish out his Birthday celebration Alex and I took a road trip to Maine to watch our team play the Portland Pirates and spend the weekend with my cousin Rick and his wife Lynne, more on that in my next post.

Where to start?

     I was wondering where I should start with a years worth of stories to catch up on and it almost caused a severe case writers block! I decided to look at where in time I left off posting and quickly realized it was at the end of the 2010 hunting season. Now everyone knows that I absolutely love talking about my hunting adventures so why not start with the 2011 hunting season and work my way back filling in the gaps!

     This past year I promised Ariel that we would spend some time in the woods on the 2011 youth deer hunting day the first weekend of November. We spent the week prior ensuring her aim was still true by going to the range with her .243 shooting targets. We started at 25 yards and worked our way out to the 100 yard targets. Ariel made me proud as she was safe and proficient and left me knowing that she would fill the freezer if presented with a shot at a deer in the woods.

     To our surprise on October 31'st we had an amazing snow storm that crippled not only our state but a large part of New England. We registered just under 14 inches at our house and despite the massive destruction the only damage to our house was the cable/telephone wires being ripped from the house. The snow came quick and was heavy which resulted in downed trees everywhere and left us without power for 13 days. Thankfully we purchased a generator at the beginning of the year so we were still better off than the majority of the area citizens. Once we were able to escape the neighborhood I took a trip to our friend's farm where we hunt to verify the tree stand was still standing and safe to use. I was worried as I made my way into the woods and saw how many trees were down but to my surprise the one tree that wasn't damaged was the one with my 2 person stand! Unfortunately one of my other tree stands was heavily damaged and the other one was stolen. When I got home I told Ariel of my findings and prepared her for the trip ahead of us. Normally we are able to drive into an upper field and work our way down to the tree stand but due to the damage we had about a one mile hike on foot to the tree stand.

    Friday night came quickly and we spread out our clothes and hunting equipment in preparation for the morning hunt. I don't think either of us slept well as we were both excited for our first day of tree hugging together this season. We were up early and after a quick breakfast we drove to the farm. I was very excited to see that Stan had started clearing the trees in the roadways which meant I was able to drive all the way to the top of the tractor road. It was going to be a great day!

     Ariel followed me through the fallen trees and before we knew it we were cuddling together in the comfort of my tree stand. It didn't take long before the sun began to rise behind us and within minutes of me telling Ariel it was legal shooting time I turned to see a big healthy doe working her way towards us along the brook! I tapped Ariel on her shoulder and she nodded letting me know that she had seen it too. Now I have shot a lot of deer in my years of hunting but the excitement of watching my oldest child sharing my love of hunting makes me fall apart. My knees were knocking my hands shaking my heart pounding so hard I thought for sure the deer could hear it!

     I watched in anticipation as Ariel readied her rifle and took aim. The deer was 15 yards away and I prepared myself for the sound of her gun firing. I waited, and waited some more. I then noticed there was another deer 30 yards behind the first following the same path. I whispered into Ariel's ear that there was another deer coming so she would be prepared and not alarmed when it finally came into her line of sight. I continued waiting and before I knew it the first deer was out of range and Ariel had taken aim on the second one. Once again I readied myself and the waiting game began.

     At this point in time my work appointed cell phone began vibrating in my pocket. I pulled it out and wanted to cry when I realized it was work calling and I was about to get dispatched to an emergency call. When I looked up I sat in disbelief that the second deer had made its way past us and was now out of range. Why didn't she shoot?

     Once I was sure the deer were gone I informed Ariel that I just got called into work and that we had to leave. I was confused and now very disappointed. We climbed down from the tree and made our way out of the woods without saying a word. Once we were in the upper field I asked her the question that was burning inside me, "Ariel, why didn't you shoot? Did you freeze up or was something wrong?" She answered me with "Dad, I didn't have a clear shot." I was shocked to say the least. "Ariel, what do you mean you didn't have a clear shot? Both those deer presented you with great shots." When she answered me my disappointment turned to sheer pride. "Dad, you told me that I should never shoot through anything with my gun and only shoot if there was nothing obstructing my shot. As the deer worked past me there were branches with leaves that I didn't want to shoot through because I didn't want my bullet to get deflected."

     It was then and there that I knew she listens to my instructions and wasn't willing to take an unethical shot no matter how bad she wanted to harvest another deer! At this point were were sitting in the truck and I explained to her that shooting through a couple of leaves wouldn't have been unethical as she was sure of her target and not shooting into branches that could cause her bullet to skip and change directions. She looked at me and said "If I had know that I would have shot BOTH of those deer!" I told her I was proud of her and that I would rather her enjoy watching the deer and go home empty handed rather then take a shot that she didn't feel comfortable with. There is always the possibility of going hunting another day and seeing another deer, you can't however call a bullet back once the trigger has been pulled.

     As we drove home we were thankful for the short time we got to spend together and that we were lucky enough to even see deer but still sad that our time together was cut short due to my job responsibilities. Before we made it home my phone began to ring again - it was my buddy Seth checking in to see how we were doing and hoping to hear that the freezer was about to get filled. He was surprised when I answered and by the volume of my voice realized that we were not in the woods. I explained what happened and he asked Ariel if he could take her back out after lunch to which she replied "Yes" of course.

     I drove to Salem, MA and thankfully my job was completed without any further issues so I began my drive home hoping to take in the end of night stand with Ariel. I arrived at the farm and began changing into my hunting clothes, I had let Seth know I was on site and would work my way through the woods to them once I was dressed. I leaned over to tie my boots when I heard the distinct sound of a rifle firing in the distance. I waited for another shot, thinking it was someone target shooting nearby but there was no second shot. I went back to tying my boots when my phone began buzzing  - It was Seth and he informed me Ariel had shot at a deer and despite thinking she hit it he couldn't find it.

     I was excited and worried at the same time - It's a horrible feeling when you shoot an animal and it suffers and you can't find it. A feeling I pray my daughter never has to experience. At this point I will tell you 3 days prior I had minor surgery on the bottom of my left foot and it was no where near healed. Keep that in mind as you picture me running as fast as I could, looking like Forrest Gump singing to myself "Run, run as fast as you can, you'll never catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!"

     I made it through the field, down the hill, and into the swamp by the tree stand without falling although I came close several times. As I looked up into the tree stand I realized Ariel was still sitting there and she was     smiling. She didn't look worried or upset, she was smiling. My first thought was she was smiling rather than laughing out loud because she had, with a birds eye view, just witnessed me running and then the thought occurred to me, maybe I wasn't singing to myself, maybe I was shouting the Gingerbread man song out loud? Despite my embarrassment I moved on and asked, "Where is Uncle Sesame?"

     She said nothing, she only pointed. I turned and to my surprise there was Seth standing in an opening about 50 yards away. I slowly made my way towards him at first not knowing where the deer was when she shot and I didn't want to disturb any areas we would be checking for signs of a hit. I said I was moving slowly at first - that was until I got about 20 yards from him and realized that he too had a smile on his face. Now I know he could see me but unless I was shouting there was no way he heard me singing so his smile could only mean one thing.

     I began running again and sure enough there it was, the deer Ariel had shot. I was like a little kid on Christmas morning! It turns out there was never a question of Ariel's shot. It was a clean, well placed shot that dispatched the deer quickly and humanely, they just wanted to have a little fun with me.

     I went back and helped Ariel down from the tree stand and after a prayer of thanks I gathered my emotions and we took a few pictures. After we finished taking pictures and reliving the memories of the past hour while they were still fresh in our minds the work began.

     Thank God that Seth was there to help me get the deer out of the woods and that Stan had cleared the fallen trees from the road way because I think I would still be dragging that deer if they hadn't done what they did!

     I have been truly blessed with family and friends who share my love of  hunting and the great outdoors. I admit having Ariel put the first deer in the freezer two years in a row provided me with a feeling of relief that we would have fresh meat for the winter but I also felt the pressure that if I didn't get a deer during the upcoming weeks that she would never let me forget it. Thankfully the 2011 season was a bountiful one.

It's been far too Long!

     It truly has been far too long since I have posted here at the Wearne's in the Woods. Although I shouldn't use it as an excuse I was once again drawn away from blogging by my Facebook Addiction! I never thought I would reactivate my account but as a father of a teenager I wanted to monitor her first interactions via social media. It didn't take long to get sucked back into the world of Facebook and before I knew it a year had passed. This past week I decided that I needed to focus on my interactions with friends and family here in the real world more than only via the world wide web.
 
     I will admit it was a difficult decision and I quickly realized how much time I spent peeking in on every one's daily life. The hardest part was I had started a cooking/recipe page where I posted pictures of my favorite dishes as did several of my friends and family. I now realize that I can still do that here with you my loyal readers.

     The past two days I have been thinking about my blog and how I actually miss updating it. Today I was sitting with Rebecca's parents after lunch and the conversation came up that I should write more. To me this was a sort of confirmation of what I had been thinking about the past couple days. I may not be the most eloquent writer but I do enjoy sharing my life's experiences here via my blog and I think I do it in an entertaining  manner with plenty of words and pictures.

     So with some nervous excitement I announce my return to blogging and anticipate building up to frequent posts. I may go back in time a little bit to share some of my life's journey from the past year while I get back into the groove of writing. To those of you have checked in throughout the past year despite my lack of activity, I thank you!

So here is to terminating my Facebook account with extreme prejudice!

Where has the time gone?

I keep checking in on everyone's blogs but every time I go to post something I end up distracted by life, thus the long gap in updates. The last time I posted it was my favorite time of the year - Hunting season! Despite the trees not having any leaves and the lack of color in New England winter time is one of my favorite times of the year. I enjoy the colder weather, hunting and ice fishing and the family time spent during Thanksgiving and Christmas. Along with the outdoor activities Alex and I became Hockey Fanatics and made several new friends thanks to the CT Whale AHL Hockey team and are looking forward to the 2011-2012 season as seasons ticket holders.

Here we are now in the hot, humid 90 degree weather - not my favorite but I have found ways to make it bearable. Since my last post I have enjoyed a weekend at the Dover, DE Nascar races with my family, a couple Wacky Wednesday Races at the Waterford Speed  Bowl and several days at 6 Flags New England enjoying the thrill rides and the water park, hanging out with friends and family on Independence Day and I even got to spend a great night out fishing with my cousin Ricky and my friend Jayson. We also enjoyed a family day together at Rebecca's Uncle Mikes house in New Hampshire, a relaxing day at the beach and in a couple weeks we will be cheering for our favorite drivers at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The highlight of the summer so far has been the Owl City concert we attended as a family for Ariel's birthday at The House of Blues in Boston. I have also tested my ability to properly sex day old chickens this year - I now know that this is a skill I do not possess as I have 5 extra roosters that I am looking to find homes for!

My daughter has officially become a teenager and impresses me daily with her gift of art, my wife is still the most amazing woman I know, my son continues to amaze me with his gift of engineering and ability to build things. I am truly a blessed man!

My Happy Place (When I'm not at home of course!)

Here are some pictures of my view from tree stand. It is a very peaceful place with lots of wild life. It is not uncommon to see wild turkeys, squirrels, coyotes, kestrels, hawks, ducks, geese, owls, fishers and my favorite deer!

This is the view straight in front of the stand

This is the view to the right (this is where Ariel shot her deer)

This is the view behind the stand (Where I shot my deer this year)

This is the view to the left of the stand

My Opening day Button Buck and the first of many delicious meals

I was blessed with harvesting a beautiful button buck during evening stand on opening day of private land shotgun/rifle season. Yet again our freezer will be stocked with healthy, delicious venison. I truly am blessed!

This was the first meal we enjoyed from this deer.

Venison Tenderloin with Glazed Carrots, Hot Sopressata, Spicy Cabot Cheddar and Pomegranate Arils.

A Virgin Hunter No More!

Yesterday was the second of the State JR deer hunting days for 2010. I was unable to take Ariel out on the first one as we were celebrating my friend Phil's wedding in New Hampshire so I promised Ariel that I would do everything in my power to take her out this weekend. I was worried about my work schedule but my daylight hours were kept open so we left the house well before sunrise and were sitting in the woods by 05:30.

I was excited to spend the day one-on-one with my daughter as we have many times before but today was going to be different. The reason why is because for the first time in her short 12 years of life she was allowed to be the hunter and not just a spectator. Today was just for her and we were both excited to see what events the day would hold.

We were greeted early by a large flock of wild turkey's which graced us with their presence for about 30 minutes before moving on from the woods and into the hay fields. We were up in the "Grand Stand" and cuddled together to help keep each other warm in the 28 degree F. morning air. While sharing some simple conversation I spotted a decent buck walking parallel to us at about 80 yards. He never presented a shot but we were happy just to have seen a deer during our first trip out. About 30 minutes later Ariel spotted a doe walking the same route as the buck had followed by another doe who presented a shot for me but thankfully for the deer I was not allowed to have a firearm with me as it was a day just for JR hunters. Ariel raised her rifle at one point but due to some small branches decided it was too risky to take the shot with her .243 so we resolved to watch the deer as they worked their way through the woods and around the pond.

We decided to head out of the woods to get some food in our bellies and met up with my friend Jayson and his son Ryan for breakfast. Ryan shot a beautiful 8 point wall hanger last Saturday during the first JR Hunting day so we were excited to finally get a chance to hear first hand about his adventure from the previous weekend.

 After breakfast we ran a few errands and headed back out into the woods for night stand.

The we were back in our stand at 14:00 and it was much, much warmer than in the morning - it was almost 65 degrees F. We settled in and I explained to Ariel that it would be closer to 15:30-16:00 before the deer would start moving again. 

Once the sun started settling into the tree limbs the temperature immediately began to drop and I informed Ariel to get ready the "magic hour" was upon us. She rolled her eyes at me thinking I was trying to be funny but quickly realized that I was serious when the first of 2 deer came crashing through the woods and the brook behind us! 

The deer were on my side of the stand and Ariel had to get in a very awkward position to try and take a shot as the deer was standing in the brook. Her first shot was high (It was at this very moment I realized I have never had her shoot at an angle from an elevated position - a mistake on my part) and the deer jumped into the brush between us and a pond wondering what just happened. The second deer began to move through the thicket and crossed into the brook at the same section as the first, Ariel felt confident and prepared for another shot, she took her time and when the gun went off the deer mule kicked and appeared to me to be a good hit! I responded to this when Ariel informed me she had missed - I really doubted her and when we saw the deer again it was acting very funny and looked injured to me. I informed Ariel that she needed to take another shot and I was able to stop the deer by in a gap between the trees by bleating and this time her aim was true. I saw the deer was down and the emotions began to set in for me - I had just watched my daughter harvest her first deer at 12 years old!

As we were making our way out of the stand and to the deer Ariel explained that the deer was jumped onto the shore just as she was squeezing the trigger and that she thought she may have under it. I was unable to see any visual damage to its legs but I assume that some gravel may have bruised its legs when the round hit under it.

We walked up on the deer and verified it was a clean kill then walked over to the edge of the brook to make sure there was no sign of the first deer being wounded (we actually had a chance to shoot the first deer while taking care of the one that was down but due to the fact I had to leave for work we let her walk.) Ariel was calm, cool and collected during the entire process which surprised me but made me proud and a little envious at the same time - I still come unglued at the seams when I see a deer while hunting!

We spent a few moments admiring the deer and expressing our thanks for the ability to provide for our family with the meat this animal would provide while acknowledging the bitter sweet moment of knowing we were responsible for ending the life of a living creature. These emotions are very important to me and I explained to my daughter that these emotions are normal and that if she ever loses the possession of these emotions that she should stop hunting. I enjoy hunting and raising animals for meat but there has never been a moment that I have been happy with the physical act of ending the life of a living animal and I always do my best to show it the respect it deserves. I hope that my actions have been noticed by my kids and that as discussions with them about it will always be fresh in their memory.

I am proud of how my daughter handled her self today and that while filling our freezer with fresh venison she showed she is still a soft hearted person and especially that she shares my interests in life which include all things hunting and fishing.

Congratulations to both Ryan and Ariel on harvesting their first deer, I pray that you both manage to have years like this throughout your life but remember to enjoy the time you get to spend in the woods admiring all of the beautiful nature that surrounds you whether you get a deer every year or not.



Little Annie Oakley

I finally was able to get a weekend off from work recently and spent Sunday as a Daddy/Daughter day.Since my vacation earlier this year I haven't had much time to enjoy myself and hang out with the family, work has been very busy - which is a blessing (I am extremely thankful for my job - I just grow weary of the 80 hour work weeks).  I received an invitation to sign Ariel up for a Junior Hunting Day Pheasant Hunt last month and after discussing it with her and we decided to attend.

I use to enjoy bird hunting but now that I no longer have a hunting dog I have focused on bigger game and waterfowl so I was excited to have the chance to introduce Ariel to a form of hunting she had never seen. Ariel and I made a couple trips to the range to practice her wing shooting skills and when the day of her hunt came I felt pretty confident she would feel comfortable with the gun and enjoy her time in the field.

We woke up early on the day of her hunt and went out to breakfast together. I am always amazed at how chipper she can be when she is getting up at the crack of dawn to go hunting or fishing but is generally miserable when she gets up for school! We enjoyed the 90 minute drive across state during which we talked about what to expect, listened to music, beat each others arms up with VW "punch buggies" and generally basked in each others company.

When we arrived we signed in and a safety inspection was performed on her firearm, then she was tested on what she learned in her hunters safety course earlier this year. Once the safety orientation was completed the sent us out to the trap range so they could verify she knew proper gun handling and safe operation of her firearm. Ariel has been around firearms since she was very little and knows the importance of safety first and practices it at all times - she made me proud and her diligence towards safety was notices by the instructors at the event also which I learned later in the day.

We were finally heading out to the field where we would meet the instructors, dogs and handlers she would be working with. We arrived at the check point out in the field and another safety lesson was given as well as instructions about hunting with a dog. There were several types of dogs which were being rotated between groups, a German short haired pointer, several labs and a English springer spaniel. Ariel was paired up with a young boy named Greg and as they headed out you could tell they both had butterflies in their tummies as they were excited, nervous and full of anticipation!

The first bird that went up was a big cock pheasant, he launched himself into the air and headed right towards the group of people standing at the field check point. Ariel had her gun at the ready but was aware of her surroundings and stopped herself from swinging which made me proud and was a great relief to the instructors (there was an instructor behind her who would have stopped her gun from following through if needed but there was never a need to intervene.) After an adventure with the other shooter (for another time I don't really want to post it here) Ariel was up as the primary shooter again. Her bird exploded into the air and as it took to flight the sound of her gun echoed through the field as the bird came crashing back down to earth! Ariel had just successfully shot her first pheasant. It was a hen pheasant which might not have all the shiny colored feathers but are beautiful in their own special ways. Everyone congratulated her as she held her bird and admired its feathers. After several minutes we moved on to the next field and another large rooster was flushed, the primary shooter missed and Ariel followed up with her shot but the bird continued on flying all the way to the wood line to roam free another day!

The sun was high in the sky at this point and before departing the field area the instructors told me to go back to the check in area we were finished eating. When we arrived at the club house area there was an instructor who was taking the birds and cleaning them for the kids while teaching them how to do it for themselves -  Ariel watched and listened as he dressed out her bird despite the fact she has seen it done time and time again with chickens, ducks, geese and an occasional turkey. Once her bird was finished they wrapped it up and we put it in the cooler I had in my truck with some ice to keep it cool. We washed up and enjoyed a nice BBQ style lunch that the sportsmen club provided for us. After we finished eating we enjoyed conversation with several of the other families that were there then we headed over the the check in station as we were instructed by the field guide. Much to our surprise they were waiting for us because they wanted Ariel to go back out and fill her second tag. The instructors and dog handlers were so impressed/comfortable with the way Ariel conducted herself they wanted to give her another chance to fill her 2 bird limit!

As we walked back to the truck I was full of emotions, I remember my first hunting trip as a licensed hunter with my dad and know that the memories made today will be cherished by Ariel for years to come. There was also a lot of pride, pride in the fact that my daughter was kind to those around her, safe and conscious of her surroundings at all times, an excellent shot and just proud to be her loving father! 

We cleaned her second bird and made our rounds thanking everyone who made the day possible for her and headed home. Once we were in the truck we discussed the days events, the lessons learned and thanked God for the day spent together and the yummy pheasant dinner that was now in our very near future!

The sound of Silence

This past week has been very quiet around the home-front while the kids are away at summer camp. Ariel went to New England Keswick this year with her best friend Taylor while Alex chose to go back to Pine Brook with his cousin Noah. Rebecca and I have been enjoying the quiet time spent together and thankfully my schedule has allowed us to actually see each other this week which made the week that much better. I have to admit I miss having my kids around and not just because they help with taking care of all our animals but I'm grateful that they choose to go to camp every year. We forgot to bring a camera with us when we dropped them off but I did manage to get a couple pictures of Alex with my blackberry before leaving.