New Gallery in Town

Goldens by birth and marriage: Oliver (Sr), Carmen, Oliver (Jr.), Karen, Oliver (III)


McNallys: Thomas, Seamus, Patrick, Ann Mary's wedding, Michael, Katie Donnelly, Margaret, Mary Ann and Catherine


Cowies and Meyers: Cowie clan//Elands/H&M/Henry's grandparent Meyers//Meyer family;Henry and Marilynn, Henry's folks; Cowie kids

Don and Betty's wedding, Elands (Betty's family); Meyer kids, young Henry;

As a result mostly of Karen and Terri's reinvasion of the Island, we had many pictures to put up. The most striking is the photo wall in the hallway. Check out all the relatives!

But the other rooms got some updating, too. Xavi's room is not Cottage influenced, unless Aunt Catherine was secretly a comic book fan.

The Island watercolors, a Bielecky, Bela's claim, Xavi's new Sanctum Sanctorum

Beginning of Fall

John's school got rolling with the usual week of meetings. He has a terrible schedule this fall - 3 night classes, and some early morning student observations. The kids, after some deliberation, are going back to Voyagers, with some negotiations having taken place of how X and Y will be accountable for their learning. That's a little video of what they're expecting this year.

Karen took a quick trip up to McNally with Terri for a part salvadge op/part moms escape adventure. Only 2.5 days, but lots of laughing. Karen says the place is looking ransacked, as cousins remove their spoils. Sadly, it looks like the cottage is going to sell soon. I'm sure Katie and Michael (above in wedding photo) are spinning.

Oh - and the costumes arrived, for a quick Halloween preview.

End of Summer

Boy were we wiped after South Dakota and Mackinac. We did get in a couple of day trips, including a nice zoo experience with Brandon and the Mattox clan. The highlight of that was the neat lion exhibit, including one lioness trying to get the other (unsuccessfully) to play, and the female grizzly going berserk.

The turkey herd is our little wildlife experience at home. Up to 10 rapidly growing turkeys appear, meandering across the neighborhood. The first time we spotted them was because Bela was sure she was hearing gobbling.

We finally got in a day trip down to Monroe, where we hung with Carmen for the afternoon, and then came home after dinner.

The Moth Saga

Karen found this really bizarre looking caterpillar that we couldn't identify - it looked more like a spike from Magic: the Gathering than anything else. That's the really fuzzy picture. We put it in a tub, and it eventually did a sort of a chrysalis - though it could still wiggle. After more than 10 days as a chrysalis (in a chrysalis?) the rather cool, large moth emerged. Neato!