Travelingjenny

Older and wiser

July 23, 2008

Grace has been very good to her little sister lately. I think she genuinely enjoys her company, but most of all, I think she likes feeling like a big kid when she teaches Tess how to do things, like use scissors or ride her tricycle. And of course, Tess wants to do whatever her big sister does, even if it means wearing “earrings” scotch-taped to her ears. Those two are building their own little loving relationship – and it’s very sweet to watch.
Snake charmer

July 22, 2008

Yesterday, Grace was riding her bike down the driveway when I spotted a garter snake slithering across. I pointed out the snake to Grace, and of course, she jumped off her bike and proceeded to follow the snake into the woods. And of course, she caught the snake, and held it nicely with two hands, very calmly checking it out. I was very proud of my snake-catching girl (and proud of myself for successfully suppressing the urge to yell, “No! Don’t touch it – snakes are creepy!”). And of course, I ran and got my camera – very quickly. After I had snapped a couple of shots, she calmly walked back into the woods and released the snake. It wasn’t until then that she said, “It bited me!” Garter snakes aren’t venomous and don’t have fangs, but I could see the mark on her hand, and then I was doubly proud of that tough, animal-loving kid – who had continued to hold the snake after it had bitten her – of course. That’s some very good training for an animal rescuer, but I’m pretty sure that her first time catching a snake was also her last. Later, she was telling the story to her Grandpa on the phone, and she said, “Grandpa – if you see a garter snake, don’t pick it up. They bite!” Right, and they’re creepy.
Future shortstop

July 21, 2008

Tess received a new purse the other day as a gift, and she has been carrying a baseball around in it. Yes, a baseball of all things. She loves to roll it around and show it off to people (my, how she charmed the cashier at the supermarket!). If she’s going to have a future as a ball player, though, she needs to learn that rubber boots are not the best footwear for running the bases.
Which way is the circus?

July 17, 2008

Why, it’s right here, in Nana’s backyard, of course! All you need is a hula hoop, a grassy area, and two little monkeys (plus an enthusiastic coach). We’re going to make them practice their routines every day so that soon, they can take their act on the road and start earning money for college.
Our own water park

July 15, 2008

Last weekend, Grace had a friend come over to play, and this smart friend taught her something very cool: if you put the hose at the top of the slide, you can make your very own water slide. Awesome. Of course, Grace needed to add her crazy swinging stunts to the mix, and I feel very fortunate that we were able to avoid a trip to the emergency room. Yet again.
Fair-skinned beauty

July 13, 2008

Today, Grace ended up with pink cheeks after a long morning at the beach, even though Daddy had applied sunscreen. Her cute reaction to seeing her red face? “Daddy’s not a very good sunblocker, but he’s a good man!”

I agree, although we can’t blame Daddy’s sunscreen application for her mild sunburn – it’s definitely the fault of all those fair-skinned Irish genes! So in addition to needing wetsuits to cope with summer in Maine, I guess we’ll have to invest in huge buckets of sunblock, too. Or maybe really big, floppy hats.
Perhaps we need wetsuits

July 10, 2008

Ah yes, there’s nothing like the Fourth of July in Maine –– a little swimming, and a lot of shivering.

Of course, a few goosebumps never stopped Gracie (or her water-loving daddy) from doing anything…
Drumroll please…

July 9, 2008

Introducing the Chicken Fortress, the Coop deVille, or whatever you choose to call it (we are still undecided). As you can see, it is off to the side of the yard, next to the garden, so it gets sun but is out of the way. It does indeed seem to be predator proof, as we have already discovered raccoon paw prints on the side of the coop, but the chicks have remained unharmed (phew!). We owe many thanks to “Toolman” Tim, who devoted several Saturdays to aid in the coop construction; “Workhorse” Bret, whose skilled hands and brotherly advice contributed to a perfectly built roof; “Handy Grandpa” Tom, who helped Adam erect the coop; and “Get-it-done” Robin, whose expertise made the metal roof installation seem like a walk in the park. Of course, I am also eternally grateful to Adam, who labored very hard in his “free” time to build the chicks a safe and warm home. Below is an interior shot of the coop, with the vent, perch, droppings board and window. Nest boxes will be added in another 10 weeks or so when the chickens are ready to start laying. The white door at the bottom will eventually open into the “brooder,” an additional 4′ x 4′ area to give the chickens more room to roam in the wintertime (so hopefully this addition will be completed in the fall – it is not insulated and should be faster to build). Anyway, the chicks seem to be very happy there, although I had to teach them to sleep on the perch at night by physically placing them each up there for a few nights in a row (at first they preferred to sleep like puppies, all piled up on top of each other on the floor). And today, when the sky began to darken and we heard the rumblings of thunder, Grace and I had to run around the yard for about 20 minutes to get the chicks to come into the coop. Because as much as they like their new digs, they like scratching and pecking in the yard more. I suppose we won’t hold that against them.
The little wolf

July 7, 2008

Last week, Grace attended summer camp at Wolfe’s Neck Farm in Freeport. She got to feed the farm animals, pick radishes in the organic garden, visit the beach, walk through the woods, and hang out with the baby ducks and goats. Even better, she got to do all of this with her best friend, Elyse. On the last day of camp, the kids performed a play they had practiced all week – The Three Little Pigs. Grace and Elyse were both wolves. I had no idea wolves could be so adorable – after all, when was the last time you saw a wolf wearing a ball gown?
Free-ranging drama

July 1, 2008

Yesterday, Grace and I decided to let the chicks out of their pen to free-range in the yard for the first time. I had been afraid to do this, thinking they might accidentally wander into the woods or scatter around the yard, and it would too hard to corral them again. But they kept standing at their fence, staring into the big, green yard with their pleading little eyes, and I started to feel sorry for them. So we let them out. And they mostly stayed together while they slowly wandered around, pecking at the grass and flapping their wings with excitement. And then not five minutes later, it suddenly started to rain – and we were all caught in a downpour. So Grace and I ran around the yard chasing chickens and tossing them into the coop, laughing and getting soaked. Luckily, most of the poor chickens ran right for the coop, which is great because they are supposed to consider it their safe place. So I am proud of the little buggers, although I feel kind of bad that their first foray into the yard ended so dramatically. I guess they might as well learn that freedom can be a little scary sometimes.

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