the pickings for berries are getting more and more slim. but we still were able to find some yummy ones that came up from florida and across from california. new jersey always has good blueberries . . but i think they're finished now . .
we've been biking along the bike path several times already since we've returned from connecticut on saturday. i really love it. the air from the river smells like the sea and the wind is usually always strong.
i did alright with the filming and biking at the same time until we were on the way home. and then i almost ran down a woman walking along the bike path. time to put the camera away!
my new bike is an old bianchi. it was my cousin's bike from years and years ago when my cousin lived in nassau shores on ripplewater avenue with my aunt and uncle. when i was four they moved to california and she left her bike in my parents' garage. my sister rode it for seemingly forever (!) until getting her new bike a few years ago. now it's mine! my bike i'm passing on to g. it's a jc penny racer and is a boy's bike. i'm happy to have a girl's bike these days, though yesterday i kept swinging my leg over the seat, forgetting i can just . . slip on! after returning from connecticut (where the above bike has been living and where we've been swimming for the past two weeks) we took a ride along the river, down to penny park and back. the clouds and sky were beautiful and it felt so freeing to be out riding together.
today was the last day of swimming lessons. happily for m, the lifeguards had everyone participate in banana board races. (she had requested this last year, but they played water polo instead.) c was promoted to level V, which means that she probably will swim out to the float next year. i think the red cross has cut out a level and packed more into the lower levels. she'll be 10 next year and her sisters didn't swim out to the float until they were 11. the float is a good ways out . . you need to have a certain amount of strength to make it.
c was able to have two horseback riding lessons at hidden brook stables where two of our friends ride (one boards a horse here). she has been pestering me all year for lessons. maybe we can get more in next summer. she does very well and was happy to finally begin posting. holly ribello, the owner, is a great teacher and is loved for challenging her students.
we went to a peach festival last saturday after dropping k off at the bus station. it was in glastonbury at belltown orchards and the peach trees were so pretty! we picked about 15 lbs of peaches. we've been eating them all week . . they are deliciously juicy and sweet. finally, today we made a peach pie (with a few blueberries in it that we had picked that same day!) i love pie and this came out extra special. m of course did the crust . . i just don't have the delicate touch she has for crimping the edges and cutting out hearts . . !
m and c made special dresses which they wanted to wear to sturbridge village. so after swimming lessons this morning we hopped in the car and drove up. since they had were dressed sort of 19th century, many people wanted to take pictures of them along with the volunteers. as one young volunteer said, "you're going to be in a lot of people's scrapbooks." yes, including one sweet couple from germany.
