(This post was saved as draft a few days ago.  The picture uploader was being retarded so it took me this long to get them on here.)

The family gathered at the beach side to celebrate Ken's graduation.  With optimism, we wanted to have it there but under a covered picnic area.  Thanks to grandma and grandpa for arriving early to have squatter's rights.  It is a first come, first serve condidtion.   I came to relieve them a little later in the morning and begin setting up.  

Tom tied up ends at home with the girls and brought the food closer to noon.   Without electric he was in charge of the grill to keep the ox roast warm.   It is always a challenge to keep cold foods cold on a picnic but I came up with a good idea.   I had four big, deep, plasic containers that I put the mayo salads and coleslaw in.   I found a box that fit them comfortable inside.   But first I lined the cardboard box with a huge garbage bag pulled out around the outside of the box covering it nicely.  Then Tom dumped ice in and we put our dishes in.  It was our own cold saladbar!  It kept it cold for the hours we were there. Of course, the more that was eaten the colder it stayed.

The cake was straight to the point and was the perfect amount.   There was one piece leftover for the graduate to take home.

We did have a few moments of rain and had to scurry to push a few things closer to the middle of the shelter, but thanks again to mom and dad for thinking ahead and bringing their pop-up sun shade that gave us the extra room for the food.

I got the chance to pop in and see Ken's new apartment.  It is really nice!  Just the right size for him right now to stay and the right size to try and keep clean.   He has started decorating it with his own budget wise taste and is doing a great job! 

I especially like the "Man Doily".   Adds that personal touch.

I took him out to pick up a few groceries and hope that he will be cooking more for himself soon.  That is the next step to tackle.  I know he can cook, it is just like a man to be left doing it.  

I went on my first trail ride of the year.   We were lucky enough to get a day with hardly any bugs and lots of sunshine.   There were at least ten of us.  Some people I knew and a few guests.   Two girls joined our ride today that I knew from way back.  I didn't get to talk to them much but it was fun seeing them again.  Jess and Diane have worked hard on that path and it looks really good.  In fact, it was such a work out that we had to let the horses jump in and take a drink to perk up a bit.

Last night after work, our hay person called to find out if we would like to take the rest of last season's hay so that we can help get in the first cut this year.  So that was the first load.   Then, another friends husband called and ask if we were interested in his first cut. So, truck pulls in and we start to unload.

Some good sized bales to be tossing up to Rebekah and I.

When all is done (about 11:00 p.m.)  we counted 225 bales so far.   We expect to get another hundred or so up here for the winter.  We also have three round bales down below we are working on right now when they aren't out in the pasture.

Today, back in the fields to put up the bales!

Rebekah's time has come to get ready for the big dance at the theater in town.   First she has to get the perfect updo ready

oh, now, come on.  Don't be shy! 

She and her friend were also treated to having a manicure done.  Rebekah had never had one and wanted to be treated to a French Manicure for the shows this year.

She is dancing two nights again this year, but her numbers are close together and  are more at the very end of the show. They had some good dancing (minus the hip hop) especially the wee ones coming on for the first time.  Tom and I always like that.

 I tried to get a few pictures on stage, but flash wasn't allowed and I didn't want to miss the whole routine by taking pictures.   We only get one chance!

She did a jazz number (far left up front)  I know this one isn't close, but being the first number, I probably won't get another picture of her in this costume.

 and a tap number to "Make 'em Laugh".  (far left)

Afterwards the elegant dancer is showered with flowers.   She was pleasantly surprised by the thoughtfulness of one of her older brothers bringing roses!

She also enjoyed having her friend  Ashley come and see her again this year.

Grandma and Grandpa

Tom, me, Jessalyn

Of course, it is tradition to go for ice cream afterwards.  You burn all those calories you know. 

In other news,  our little buck went up to get his horns taken care of and didn't come back.  That left me with one screaming mama.   She worked herself up in such a dandy that she won't drop her milk.  My goat friend came down with meds and cream.  I sure hope she can drop today.  She is huge!

Jessalyn has lost all but three of her baby bunnies she has had.  She lost three in the last two days alone.   And she hasn't been feeling well.  All this during dance week.

Now I have to concentrate on Ken's graduation party at the beach next Sunday.  

With such a busy week and a lot weighing heavy on my mind and heart, I was up very early and was catching up on other blogs.  If you have time try checking out a few of these fav's.

MAPLE GROVE FARM  's  May 29 post tells of the dreams and realities of homesteading.  I can relate to that to some degree.

MOUNTAIN MAMA    has some beautiful flowers from her garden to share if you need a quite time and a smile.

I was asked what kind of bird that could be.  I was told it was a starling.  I looked it up and even though they are darker,  the babies are light like that.  I compared it with a house wren, but the beak was much longer like that of a starling.

Rebekah had a chance to volunteer at the local library yesterday.  They have a summer reading program and incorporate other guests and events to promote it.   One librarian ask her if she could come and in and share some of her tap dance with the children. 

Later in the evening Ken came back through on his way to ETM practice at the firehall.  It was for  mail call and pick up a few more personal items to take with him.  He loaded his bike up to take with him in to town to either store, or keep clean and ready to sell.

Rain, rain today.   It is really a down time.   I think I will go back to our spare room and work there for a while.  I need weed through to the sewing machine so I can get some projects finished up.

The girls and I had the chance to visit with some friends a few days ago.  We stopped to see the additions that they now have.   Cute, fuzzy dinners and squealing bacon!

Lots of animal stories to share, but the newest one is of their new friendly bird.   Seems that there wasn't a mama at the neighbors house, so they were taking care of babies by hand feeding.  Now it this bird visits between houses and will come right to them to be hand fed.  So out go the younger girls looking for grasshoppers and worms in the grass.  When it is full it will fly off until next time.

it doesn't care who it goes to as long as it will be fed.  Here, it just hopped on to becky's finger and wanted to eat.   She didn't do that part, though.

Time was spent getting ready for the Ultimate Cowboy Race this past weekend.  Our neighbor friend set up the obsticle course that will be used in the race later this summer.  Jessalyn  went up and did some walk throughs to make sure everything was good.  Diana made all the events herself.  That was a lot of work!

Here, you have a six foot area on either side that you walk your horse into and take the rope "gate"  off one cone, pass through, and then replace it to close the "gate".  It is harder than it looks.  There are many other events too involving buckets of water, scary blue tarps, log dragging, and balls and cones.

I took a ride around the beach looking for the right spot to have Ken's get together for graduation. I went way up on the tip of the peninsula and took this picture looking across the bay.   Look on any map and you can see the peninsula jetting out of Erie, I was in the NE top curve of that looking across at the shoreline.

We had another event this last weekend.

Thirteen homeschoolers participated in the ceremony that was held in town.  The opening, a special presentation, and a special speaker, and then each graduate was met on stage by their parents.  We got a chance to give a little  last minute reflection and instruction and then present Ken with his diploma.

And graduated Ken as we know him best

Two days later Ken has moved out to his own place just within minutes walking distance to work.  Oh, boy.  As if time hasn't flown by fast enough! 

and the birds are flitting about.  I had three yellow birds sitting on my shepard's hook outside my front window.  As I was doing things in the house I heard a bird making quite a racket outside.  Guess he must have been very hungry and was elated to find a tree to eat from!  I got up as close as three feet and was standing behind a group of trees before he flew away.   

I am thankful for the cooler weather. We were promised rain for over a week and frankly, I was getting worried.  We were using old horse water for the plants. Finally, it rained for some time yesterday, and quite hard too.  I was worried that my plants would break in two.  I had spent this week working 6 hours in the garden one day just making rows and transplanting plants.   It was suppose to rain then.  I waited.  No rain.  So the next day I went out and spent the day mowing making sure the low spots were done before it rained.   No rain.   Yesterday I decided to weed the daylillies along the driveway.  Boy, was it hot and humid!   I went back out to the garden and put in the corn and weeded a few rows that were becoming bad.  I came inside for some iced coffee and IT RAINED!   And boy did it come down.  Cooled it right down and made the plants nice and green.  I know my tomato plants spurted more leaves just in a few hours!

So today with it starting as overcast, I began inside.  I have done the "this and that" stuff that needed to be done.   I mended the screen that Jack jumped through the day before yesterday, the undercovering of the couch that is falling away, and pulled out the sewing machine to tackle the basket full of clothes that needed repaired or altered.  The sun is shining now that I am done and ready to head to town to take Rebekah to work.   Ah, it the rain washed grass smells good!

for not keeping up with my blog.  I have been busy!  It isn't for lack of things that is going on!  We have finished up school for the year.  Everyone is done!   Ken has now finished his Senior year.   Oh, what a relief!

Then came the holiday.   Everyone enjoyed a picinic over the weekend.  You couldn't ask for better weather!  With a canopy up, the tables were covered with food.  Of course, you need to bring back the game of croquet! 

The boys didn't join us.  They took their bikes to the beach  and cruised around looking for women. When that didn't pan out, this is the best they could find.  Then they went to the local amusement park for fireworks.

We went to the Memorial Day Parade across the line the next day.  Jessalyn and a few others from OHC walked in the parade.

One of the riders is a friend of mine.  She and her husband are re-enacters of Civil war.   She dressed in her era clothes to ride.

Later that day we came home to find Roni busy with this little guy.  He is the softest kid I have ever felt!  I was so glad that delivery was easy.

Isn't this the coolest car?  We followed it down to the thruway.  I just had to have Rebekah take a picture.

I posted wood on a free board a while back and a gentleman responded to come and get all that pine that came down in the storms.  Tom and Ken were hauling it up to the driveway for him to get with his big truck.   Yesterday, he came and took away the big dead trees the electric co. had taken down for us.  Today since it was stinking hot I decided to go and clean up that area since it is right at the road and looks bad.   How refreshing it was to see the pool man come with our water!  It won't be long now!  It doesn't look bad.  A bit of dirt to be vacuumed out and some chemicals, but other than that it is ready to go!

It is hard to believe just how hot it is today after early last week when we had two days of frost.  The local grape growers here in the east lost 80% of their crops.  I lost my mother's day flowers, even the marigolds that are suppose to be hardy.  And the rose of sharon!  Now I will have sticks in the front and side yards until next year.  Fortunately, the new trees did fairly well, with the exception of the peach.  They look a little raggy.  Here is the fuschia Tom bought me.  How it faired all this, I just don't know.

is tomarrow night at the local high school.  Every year is an awareness assembly for the high schoolers.  This year Ken got to participate in the mock accident.

The students were ejoying the show and the fact of missing classes for this assembly.   I was wondering how many volunteers were thinking about who they might really see in this case scenerio this weekend.

A few shots of the handsome young firefighter

and a few of the second handsome young man, Ken's friend Jake.

He and Ken go fishing together.  He encouraged Ken to come on down and join the guys at the firehouse.

It wasn't until I downloaded the pictures that I saw he had this T-shirt on.  "The Pary Has Arrived"