Story Land, NH (Rainy Day Version)

Some days in NH, you wake up to a gorgeous sunny morning, only to find yourself in a cloud an hour later. Today was one of those days where we drove off from a sunny house and ended up at a rainy Story Land. They say you can still have a good time there in the rain. This is true, to some degree. Many people don parkas and enjoy no waiting on all rides.

This blue heron (I think) landed himself in the Jungle Safari ride pond, right next to the large plastic alligator.

The flowers look just as bright in the rain.

We focused on rides that have roof tops. We rode the train around the park twice. It was nice to be covered over and watch the people who didn't mind getting soaked.
We checked out the toy store. I loved these original art dolls in the collector's case. The sign says they were the inspiration for the whole park.
My favorite today was the baker. I don't know what nursery rhyme that is, unless it is perhaps the Gingerbread Boy. The artist name is there above, Frau von Arps I think it said.

The tractor ride has a roof top.

The castle has a roof. The princess was just as charming as on a sunny day.

Morning glories climbed up to the second story.

I agree it's possible to enjoy Story Land in the rain; however, it's better on a sunny day.

Long Hot Summer Day

The front seat is my library and breakfast nook on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

This morning the rain came to an end just in time for tennis camp. I think all of us tennis teachers try to convey to the kids how happy we are when we get to be on the courts, as opposed to going inside for alternative rainy-day activities.
Clay or Har-tru courts are the greatest. Soft to run on and water-loving. They are playable soon after heavy rain. It's an amazing surface for sport.
I love vending machines. It would be great if they could vend other things too, such as fresh foods or fruits.
I love teaching the tennis kids but I also love the "adults only" locker room that I discovered recently next to the weight room.

Home again in the afternoon to a very hot and humid house.

The girls chill out with Eskimo Pies while watching butterflies on the flowers.
Ubi knows that Julia can't handle her ice cream on a hot day.
Next came an array of never-ending activities, beginning with play dough.
I can barely get them to clean up before they move on to the next thing: sprinklers and the mini pool. The broad winged hawks were shrieking and then silently swooped down over our heads. I hope I do not look up one day to see them carrying off my cat or my toddler. They are intimidating birds.
The terrier is too heavy for them. She'll have to defend us.

After this photo, I ran out of energy completely. Somehow they dragged me to push them on the swings and let them paint pictures and cook them dinner and bathe them and brush teeth, etc. before I finally collapsed of total exhaustion.

One month left of summer.

Mind at Work

Haven't had anything NEW to photograph in the past couple days. It's the wind down of summer. Routines are set.

Actually, a lot has been going on, mentally speaking. When I go teach tennis camp, my mind is going like Nascar. I find so many challenges, interests and adventures in each day of teaching. I take it seriously but try to relax and have fun. I can't really take pictures of the kids because I feel it violates their youthful privacy (and that of their parents) to photograph them or put their photos on my blog. I only do it if I ask first, or for the occasional group shot.

There is one kid who is the biggest challenge for behavior. He is a regular. He is often grouchy and goes off to sit by the edge of the court. Sometimes he stops because he says he is sweating too much. He's young and he often seeks attention through negative behaviors, such as hitting a ball over the fence or slamming the tennis gate repetitively. Since almost everybody else is wonderful, it would be possible to tune out this kid and let the summer go by without looking him in the eye. But this tennis court is my haven so I can't really have a grouchy kid making trouble for me here. I've decided to decide that he is Andre Agassi, a diamond in the rough. I even told him this; but he doesn't know Agassi, a sign of my age and a sign of the fact that tennis camp kids don't usually try the sport because of TV stars... Anyhow my strategy seems to be working and today while we were walking to the locker rooms to change for swim time, he held my hand. He still won't pick up any balls when we all pick up balls; but now he'll roll them towards the rest of us so we can pick them up. It's funny because his tennis skills are improving. I don't think it has anything to do with tennis. He must just have a lot of youthful torment within him that vents like lava.

I gripped the steering wheel tightly as I drove by several fast food restaurants on the way home from tennis. At home, weak from hunger, heat and exertion, I pulled together this nice sandwich for lunch. Then I took a little, mini, nap! Rare for me.
I've been working on a new zippered pouch model. As you can see, it has some issues. I'm not sure if I want to keep working on it or give up. It's going to be a cosmetics case with a plastic lining. Well, this one is doomed. But if I keep practicing, I'll figure out how to get it sewn nicely. It's a mental challenge to figure out how to sew something without a pattern.
The kids have been having fun. This is the bright side to having your dad out of work during the summer. Loads of parent time. They have enjoyed quality Papa-time, including visiting friends at the lake today and riding on their boat.
Anyway summer is going just fine. I should take more moments to rest.

Summer Moments

Purple plum. Organic. Ripe.

Blue hydrangea.

Red Bee Balm.

Cone flower not yet purple. Unless it might be a white swan.

Toad hiding in the rocks.

Early acorn.

Humid.

Late summer day.

Afternoon rainstorm.

Ice cream cones for dessert on the front steps.

Wentworth State Park

Time for a family birthday party for our July birthdays: Tom and Grammy Lucy. Tom's request again this year was to celebrate with a lake side picnic. We chose Wentworth State Park for a perfect setting.

The lake sets the tone for recreation and relaxation.

Summer is in full swing in July here in NH.

The woods are so many tiny towns of toadstools and mushrooms.
You can imagine a host of creatures who come out in the quiet night.
The state park has a building with restrooms for changing into swimming clothes.

Julia insists this is the ocean.

I suspect one day she will see the lakes as a part of her childhood. It seems to get into people. They tend to come back again when they are older.

Our picnic was enjoyable.

The birthday kids.

Of course we had a birthday cake, delightfully imperfect.

Grammy Lucy seemed to like her hand sewn gifts, the notebook I made in my recent sewing tutorial.
And this pillow I made, using one of Ellie's drawings. I photographed the drawing, then scanned it onto transfer material, ironed it onto cotton. I backed the cotton with interfacing for support, then sewed it onto ivory chenille. The chenille is super soft to make the pillow cozy, to balance out the transfer material, which is a bit satin-like and cool but not very soft. Oh, and I did some top stitching in matching colors over some parts of the drawing. I thought it came out cute. A one of a kind gift to make her grand daughter's artwork last forever. Ellie said it's a picture of herself and her sister.

Our group today.

Another good memory made at the lake.

Rainy Summer Afternoon in the Woods

It rained buckets today. The frog pond was full. There is no shortage of water. No need for the air conditioners.

BlackJack and I explored the yard.

The little brook that runs along side our house, just beyond the frog pond, is more like a river today. The banks are blurred by the flow. The sound envelops our home. The broad winged hawk flew over head and cried out but we could barely hear him over the water.

July is for day lilies.

This tree frog has lived in this old bird house for at least two summers. It's ironic that he just lays there but strikes me as having quite a personality. He has grown larger but sits in the exact same spot.
Although the rain let up during the late afternoon, the pace here remained slow. Ellie and BlackJack napped together. BlackJack is going for the World's Greatest Cat award, I'm certain. He is the most tolerant, social, gentle cat I've ever met. Ellie has tried very hard to learn cat etiquette so he will love her.
Eventually everyone woke up and constructed towers of blocks while I cooked and baked a birthday cake for tomorrow's double (Tom and Grammy Lucy) birthday celebration.