Family Mellmann

For years I have been telling the kids that while they are away at school I am home working; doing my chores, preparing meals, doing laundry, and slaving away for their comfort and well-being. Well, don't tell them, but what really happens looks more like this...the parents take the day off and go for a motorcycle ride!!

...and had to drive the car home! We didn't actually flip a coin to see who would drive the bike home...Let's just blame it on the fact that I wear skirts most of the time and couldn't get my leg over the saddle. Oh, and the fact that Patrick wanted to ride along and needed MY helmet didn't help much. So, we should do some introductions.  Friends and family, meet our new motorcycle.  The gentleman that we bought "her" from had named her, but we've never actually made a practice of naming our vehicles.  Our children have names.  Our computers have names.  But not our transportation - although I realize that a motorcycle may actually be considered quite a bit more than JUST transportation.  In any case, we hope that this motorcycle - a 2002 BMW R1150R- is the first of a pair that Family Mellmann will enjoy for seasons to come.

Today is Katherine's first day at Trinity. There will be many firsts for her here. It's the first time she's ever had her own desk. No more group tables (except for group activities), and it's the first time that the kids have been on the same schedule at the school - YEAH! Katherine will (hopefully) learn proper posture, how to sit like a lady (girls must wear dresses), and LOTS of good knowledge stuff and reading.We are hopeful that it will be a great place for her to learn.  Oh, and her class of second and third graders has only five kids in it.  In the afternoon, when they are joined by first graders, they grow to a staggering nine kids. :)

Patrick and Katherine will be on the same school schedule for the first time EVER. This is great! Katherine is a little nervous about starting a new school, but she knows that her big brother is in the room across the hall, and the teachers at Trinity are awesome.

Today, on our way home from motorcycle training class, we were struck by what we presume was a rock kicked up by a passing car. The driver's window "exploded" into a gazillion pieces and then proceeded to rain down on Joerg as he continued to drive us home. After a half hour with the shop vac, the car is cleaned up and the driveway is free of glass. Now I just have to get the window replaced.

Day 1 of our motorcycle training class has gone well. It was super hot, but it's going well. (Yes, Joerg is mostly taking this class to show solidarity with inexperienced me.)

This is a Barred Owl. Patrick feeds about seven of them at the rescue where he works. And for the past few nights, we have been hearing one calling out in our back yard and forest. Last night he was busy from about 9:00 until well past midnight. I'd like to have a couple more mouse-eating owls in the yard to help keep the inside-my-house mouse population down. :)

Tonight's dinner included Finnish Parsnip Casserole and these fresh-caught (caught by Patrick and Opa, cleaned by a neighbor) perch.

It’s a couple days late, but Jörg got his birthday “cake”. It’s actually called the “Mountain of Meatloaf” at Vermont Sports Grill, but he said it was really good.

Outreach For Earth Stewardship Live Bird Demonstration Patrick, and his partner Owen, are presenting the Barred Owl at the end of raptor camp.

Taken from Outreach for Earth Stewardship, overlooking Shelburne Farm, Lake Champlain, and the Adirondack Mountains

Back in May Patrick's school hosted a silent and live auction to raise money for new, energy efficient, windows. The auction was very nice, and one of the things we got was a pass to Ausable Chasm in New York. Well, today we used it. We left first thing this morning and drove to the ferry, out of Burlington, bound for Port Kent. Ausable Chasm is very close to the ferry docks. At Ausable Chasm we took a short scenic walk along the gorge, then took two runs down the river; first in a raft, then with inner tubes. The wait for the raft trip was very long (they're a little under staffed), but when we came back for the tubing we were able to bypass the line and go straight for the tubes. On our way out of the park, we stopped and let the kids prospect for gems, stones, and fossils. And then boarded the ferry back to Vermont, enjoying a sunset over Lake Champlain, and dinner at Pizzeria Uno.