I went here today ...

 I went to town to have lunch with a friend and I couldn't possibly go straight home without saying hello to the water.

Hello, Lake Michigan.

Soon the skies above will be grey and dreary and the sand will be cold underfoot and will sting our faces on the breeze. But not today. 

No, today was beautiful.

Hello, October. Woof.

Today was one of those perfect fall days ... sunny and breezy one moment, the next moment overcast and a harbinger of what's to come.

I've had a lot on my mind. Some things I just need to put onto paper and sit someplace quiet and sort out myself. Others I can do nothing about but pray. For intervention. Guidance. Grace.

I also just finished with a pretty extensive DIY project - installing about 600sf of laminate flooring - and in the week it took me to finish it I let some other things slide. So of course now certain areas are in chaos until I find time to pick up the pieces.

This afternoon I needed to get away from all the crap about the government shutdown - on TV, online - and away from the phone and e-mail and just breathe for a few minutes. So I grabbed my camera (which was dusty! For shame.) and took my sweet, silly Gunnar for a walk down the driveway to grab the mail and say hi to my brother-in-law's dog, Baby.

It felt so good to just watch them play and smell the leaves and feel the breeze on my face. I got down on my belly and rolled around with them and got some great photos. It's amazing what a little time outside with our four-legged friends can do for the soul.

How can this not make a person smile?

My handsome boy.

I just love those expressive eyes.

 Giving Baby a little love.

 Rollin' around. We should all do this now and then, no?

 Hmm. Ball or apple?

Ball?

Apple?

 Oh, that tongue. Gunnar's just about worn out by this point.

Sweet Baby. There's a lot of energy in that little dog.

"Hey, that's MY ball!"

 Pure joy.

Dogs are so intelligent. We sure could learn a lesson or two from them. Like, need a pick-me-up? Go outside, meet a friend and toss a ball around. Voila!

Quick update.

I'm here! I feel like I have really neglected my blog lately - which mostly means family and friends who don't see my occasional posts on Facebook might not be as up-to-date on the goings-on of the Pipe Lifers as when I am blogging regularly. For shame.

Well. The business of life continues. Big highlight: Sam shot a beautiful 9-pt. buck during the youth hunt weekend here in Michigan. I will pick it up from the meat processor next week, and will take the head/hide to a taxidermist. We decided to have it mounted for him - Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas for like, the next three years, kid! OK, not really. But close.

And here's the "Pipe Life" part of the story ... Steve made arrangements to come home and take Sam out hunting over the weekend, but they didn't have any luck. Steve had to head back to Detroit Sunday afternoon, but Sam still had the opportunity to hunt that evening. His Uncle Tom took him out, and that's when Sam shot this deer. I was (and still am) so happy for our boy, but gosh I sure wish Steve had been here to be a part of it, and to see this beautiful deer. Especially since the same thing happened last year, except I was the one with Sam when he took his 4-point. Ah well. Thank God for e-mail and texts and the good ol' telephone.

In other news, Gunnar the puppy is growing like a weed. He is in that puppy "teenager" stage where his legs are long and lanky and he hasn't quite grown into those big ears. His fur is getting shiny - losing that puppy fuzziness - and he is so handsome. Smart, too. Almost too smart for his own good. Some days it's a darn good thing he's that cute. *ahem* And he and Ladybug are getting along splendidly.

A rare "still" moment.

Rachel has started another busy year of Girl Scouts (her Troop will be walking in the Homecoming parade tonight) and is looking forward to signing up for a rec basketball league soon. Sam is halfway through football season (he would want me to mention his team is 3-0) and while he's not getting as much play time as he would like, he is learning a lot about the game, about working together as a team, and his overall health is improving with all that activity.

There's so much more to mention but I said quick update, so I'll stop there. It's Friday and I have errands to run and stuff to do. Enjoy your weekend!

Summer camera roll.

I have been without a dedicated camera since someone (hint: not I) dropped ye ole digital point-n-shoot on the concrete - not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES - while in Washington, D.C. in June. The poor thing finally gave up the ghost on our last day there. I haven't bought a new one because I'm saving up for something a little nicer. I do have the camera on my cell phone, though, and that's what I have used all summer.

So, with two weeks left of summer break, here's what I find on my camera roll. Certainly not all-inclusive (either of what we did this summer, or of what is on my phone), and in no particular order ...

At our annual summer gathering with family at my uncle's lake house in Elk Rapids:

Playing at a playground near the RV park Steve has stayed in all summer:

A rare girls-only afternoon. Dessert, anyone?

My shiny baby. Paid off (early) on July 13.

 New sunglasses ...

 And goofin' with Grandma while we ate lunch at the mall in Ann Arbor.

 (We developed a love for Olga's Kitchen that day. YUM.)

On my way out the door for an overnighter with Steve for my birthday.

Deciding which sunglasses to wear ...

The view from a comfy chair in the RV park.

Sam's quadra-decker grilled sandwich. He cooks!

We did lots of this ...

And a little of this.

On one of Steve's few Sundays off, the four of us visited the Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum and the Michigan Firehouse Museum. (I'll blog about these with more pictures later.)

Visited the county fair in July.

 Spent a fun evening with friends, and Rachel climbed the rock wall.

 The patio and garden: my happy place.

 One day's harvest. And there's a lot more to come.

Spent a lot of time here and looking forward to more ... until the snow flies.

 Rachel, my mom and I spent an evening at Waterfront Park recently while Sam was at football practice. First time all year we've watched the carferry come in.

This past weekend Rach and I spent two nights camping with her Girl Scout troop at Silver Lake. It was so much fun. Great memories for all of us.

Now if I hear "we haven't done anything all summer!" one more time I'm gonna' slap someone. It's been a great summer, we survived some crazy heat, and I am ready for some down time. Or at least a shift to a different kind of busy-ness. Hello, fall!

Seven reasons I know fall is approaching.

1. Football practice. Sam decided he wants to play football this year, so he started voluntary practices with the team this week. Just sitting there watching those boys toss the ball around gets me thinking about cool fall evenings cheering from the sidelines.

2. Papa John's Sweet Corn. Our dear friends (and neighbors) set up a roadside stand where their daughters sell sweet corn grown on the family farm. Proceeds buy the girls their school clothes. So with just a quick walk down the road and some pocket change we've got ourselves the makings for one of our favorite late-summer dinners. In fact, it was all we had for dinner tonight.

3. Crisp morning air. Perfect for taking the dog for a stroll and then sitting on the patio with a cup o' joe without getting drenched in sweat.

4. A bountiful harvest. Yesterday my lunch was a salad of lettuce, cherry tomatoes and cucumber, all grown in my garden. We have enough to eat our fill and still have plenty to share. Soon I will be pulling up the beets and roasting them in the oven. Mmm.

5. Grandma's canning jars. See #4. I have boxes of canning jars stored under my bed. It is a joyous occasion when I harvest so much from my garden that I have enough to merit pulling out the canning supplies. This evening the kids helped me make jalapeno jelly with peppers from the garden. I have six 1/2-pint jars cooling on the counter in the kitchen and I may be able to make more with what is yet to be harvested.

6. The back-to-school ads and e-mails. Gag me.

7. That "nesting" thing. It's afghans and decaf in the evenings. Thinking more about paint chips and cozy furniture arrangements than petunias and planting grass seed. It feels natural to turn my thoughts inward a bit, stick close to home, bring out the cinnamon-scented candles.

We still have a few weeks of summer to enjoy before the kids head back to school, but fall is no doubt on its way. I'm OK with that. Ready for it, even. Bring it.

I can hardly move.

Today was a great day.

I went with Rachel's class to the State Park where we walked ...

and walked ... and walked ... and walked.

 The kids had a nature-themed scavenger hunt.

 We hiked out to the lighthouse.

(That's a mile and a half each way.)

 

My group of girls had plenty of energy, though.

Hm. Not the most flattering photo of me ... but at least I was warm! 

And Rachel looks cute as always.

 Big Sable Point Lighthouse.

Then this evening we all went to the kids' school to participate in a fund-raiser. It was a fun run/walk.

I walked. And now, between all that exercise and all that fresh air, I am so tired and so sore I can hardly move. But it was an awesome day and I'm so glad I did it. Too soon our kids will be grown and gone and I will cherish these memories.

Wait. Did I say "too soon?" Not too soon, necessarily. Just ... sooner than we can imagine on days like today.