Mesocyclone?

It has been a tough year for trees in Mercer County, NJ.

No rain. High winds. And then, Tuesday night,
a freaky-strong micro storm
(one of the emergency workers on the scene
called it a mesocyclone):

Looks like it's been a tough year for cars, too.
(These poor neighbors are away on vacation.)

This is the street corner closest to our house.
The street was quickly closed due to downed wires.
Smoke was still hanging in the air.

Everywhere we looked,
there were huge chunks of tree on the ground.

Earlier this summer, our front yard's
street tree dropped this little "hint."

The township arborist looked at his records,
inspected the tree, and then said,
"I'm sorry, but that tree has to go."

We're feeling pretty lucky this week.
Especially since the new addition is just fine.

(Photos 2-4 of this post were taken by a certain
almost nine year old who wants "to be really good a photography.")

Lessons from Camp, 2010

Some of this year's lessons from camp

(And a big "howdy" to Mary, Brett, Jan, Bruce, & Tara
at N. of Highland Camping Area)...

Bring a friend, a bucket, and a shovel.

Let your friend test the waters...... and then you try it, too.

Make friends...

... with the locals.
(Why yes, that's Vicki Kennedy. At our campground.)

Teamwork...

... makes everything easier.

Get a little fancy with your camping self.

When captured, grin and bear it.

Act like every shot is "gettable".

Ride your bike to the ocean.


Shoutouts to our camping partners Sassafras Mama and JT,
who have helped put the special in this trip for years.
Thanks, too, to our families for putting up
with our relative inaccessibility,
and big smushy cyberkisses
to our folks, Auntie Nish, Wendy, Karen Schiff,
Jen Manion, Diana Conway, Tante Dorit, and Aunt Chelle
for their contributions (snailmail and otherwise)
to another fantastic stay at camp this year.
Can't get enough?
Sassafras Mama's
pics of the shark are pretty great, too!)

Unexpected Pleasures

I've got loads of catching up to do over here on the personal blog, so let's get to it! Even though Mr. D is currently enjoying the fabulousness that is Auntie Camp (read: he's hanging w/ the Feldinis down in MD), we still have unshared pics from his last camp, back before Cape Cod, even!

Can't you just hear the little girl asking,
"Can I hold a bunny?"

And here is the delighted Mr. D
helping a calf get its mid-morning snack.

This time with the roving petting zoo
was all the more sweet for the fact that
we had no idea it was on the schedule that day...
nothing quite as sweet as unexpected pleasures!