The summer has been a whirl of busy days. After a very hot month with lots of pool time and watering our parched plants, rain has come and we rejoice. We've had happy times with cousins and grandparents and a bittersweet memorial service for our dear teacher and friend, Robert Carwithen. The girls have been little farmers, always running out to see what plants might be ready to harvest. The weather has made the garden odd this year and though we have an unexpected bounty of tomatoes, beans, peppers and zucchini were not successful. We're waiting on pumpkins, elderberries, cabbages, beets and squash. We'll see who wins- Emmie and Lena or the chickens. We've had many other exciting happenings this month: train rides, boat rides, trips to the historic Landis Valley Museum and a general excitement as new school books begin to trickle in. We're all a little tired and grateful all at once and look forward to a few more weeks of summer before the seasons shift and we begin to get into a steady learning rhythm. 
