Let's see...  We picked 15 lbs. of elderberries and have them fermenting in the basement to make wine!!!

Dad has trapped 21 digger squirrels!  They continue to make Osker crazy.  Now we have 4 gray squirrels in the walnut tree each morning.  They take a walnut and bury it in the holes that the digger squirrels make!

This Great Egret stopped by to play in the sprinkler!  We had to watch from inside.  Once it took off flying, we were let out and Osker chased it all the way down the field!

 There has been quite a bit of bear activity on our path through the woods as evidenced by giant piles of blackberry poo.  Looks like a mom and at least one cub!

 Mom is playing in the rock piles working on a couple of walls.


Dad is readjusting the slope of the rain gutters.  Some of the screws have already broken off, probably from ice build-up.


Me and Osker keep Mom busy by laying in the dirt then coming in the house!! It's fine pumi like flour.  We heard her say that farm dogs stay outside all the time.  Dad said we're not farm dogs, we're family members!  Whew!

Well!  August flew by!  Mom and Dad traveled to Croatia for 2 weeks leaving us behind. Luckily our brother Matt stayed with us.  He's great fun!

Now we're settling in:  picking blackberries, canning a few garden vegies, doing yard work.  Trying to motivate for some bigger projects.

We've had a population explosion of digger squirrels.  They're in the wood piles and sheds.  So far Dad has caught 11 and relocated them.  There are still so many.  They don't really bother me, but they get Osker very excited.  He checks the trap throughout the day and barks when we catch one!  Dad keeps them comfy in a temporary cage until he has a load