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  We had plenty of sunshine this weekend, enjoyed by what we can only hope is a large proportion of our pond’s turtles. The squirrels — all of whom are as fat as house cats — checked out the new growth. The birds also seemed to enjoy the fine spring weather.  Here is a mourning […]

There were more signs of spring this weekend, including this robin.  Today also marked the return of the barn swallows.  Since 2007, the barn swallows have arrived as early as April 22 and as late as April 28 — an impressively tight range. A less fortunate sign of spring is this capacious front door that […]

Sarah and her friend Michaela played with sticks before heading out to Kids’ Night Out at Bard. Herman the muskrat prowled about, looking for material for his lodge. He is far more photogenic in the water than out of it. A mallard sits pondside, watching the sun set.

We saw this fellow on Monday while we were kayaking on Commodore Creek, off Tarpon Bay, Florida. We should be back at the farm next weekend!

Sarah made beautiful placecards for Thanksgiving. Even though we were sad not have Grandma with us, we had much to be thankful for, including a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner. For dessert, we had hickory nut pie (among other pies). It was an exhausting affair. The indefatigable Sarah, however, got everyone to play Monopoly, every day. She […]

We’ve had a lovely, crisp, fall weekend as we get ready to celebrate Halloween. On Saturday, Sarah played her first game with the Rhinebeck Soccer League. And today, we watched as riders in the Landsman Kill Trail Association’s Fall Hunter Pace passed by the pond. Throughout the weekend, Jen put in long hours working on […]

We climbed Burger Hill this afternoon.  It wasn’t particularly cold, but Sarah  is nevertheless wearing her new earmuffs, which she got at the Sheep & Wool festival at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds.  She and Jen attended both Saturday and today.  Sarah still has a touch of poison ivy from apple-picking last weekend. Here’s a squirrel […]

Here is Sarah with her bug box, which we put together last weekend.   She has been using it mostly to house caterpillars.   Inside are a woolly bear caterpillar, which looks like it is wearing a Princeton sweater, and this fellow below, Lophocampa caryae, who will some day grow up to be a hickory […]

This weekend we attended the 165th Dutchess County Fair.  It’s not just about sampling local delicacies, such as fried dough, funnel cake and elephant ears.  We met plenty of animals, from the soulful goats… … to the handsome, prize-winning roosters… … to the miffed-looking, ribbonless roosters. There were many, many piglets. Sarah even learned how to make non-dairy […]

We had a great summer vacation, mostly at the farm.  We started off last week with a canoe trip in the Adirondacks, on Follensby Clear Pond.  Here is Sarah preparing to launch the Sarah K.  Sarah got the full camping experience, including a campfire dinner (hot dogs, corn on the cob and s’mores) and plenty […]