New Year Buddy

2024 was the year of walking Buddy.

Yuletide

Dinner with these guys before the calendar flips.

Hanukkah

The boys still using their pre-school menorahs.

Ice Ice Buddy

Buddy discovers ice on a walk yesterday. He seemed genuinely confused about standing on water.

Fully Lit

A nearly full moon illuminated the yard last night. The moon is right above the roof line and made for a brighter walk to the mailbox.

Approach

It was a chilly welcome to Minnesota last week. -5 degrees on touchdown. Things moderated from there and we had a great visit, with Sam joining us Saturday and flying home with us on Monday.

Good Lookin Kid

Media Day

Always something interesting when the photographers show up.

Tree Trimming

Had both boys home last weekend to decorate the tree like old times.

Swamp Poppas

Jeff, Karen and i made it down to south Minneapolis to see Andy and his band play at the schooner tavern. Fun times.

Saturdays

I don't really have the words yet but one thing I do know is that it's heartbreaking to know mom won't be part of my Saturday calls to my parents again. Still enjoy chatting with dad and will do that as long as I can.

One More Night

We will put the pumpkins out for the animals tomorrow but tonight we have a fire and jack o lanterns for one last night.

Bat Dog

Buddy was thrilled with his Halloween costume and wore it all night.

Bones

Our marathon medal, pink pussyhat wearing skeleton got into the holiday mode too.

Nine Kids

We had the most trick or treaters in a decade. Still a little disappointing.

Happy Halloween

Sam's working tonight. Should be good tips.

2024 Black Bear Rugby

Self Evident

...via PhotoToaster, using these settings.

Sent from my iPad

3 for 5

Good conversion kicking day for the lad. The Black Bears got a big win for our visit.

Perch Selfie

Perch Lake Hike

Another 8am hike this morning with a lot less elevation and a nice little lake for a portion of the 4 miles.

Penobscot

Looking up the Penobscot towards Bangor. Beautiful day for a hike.

Open Air Experience

This came in handy for one of us.

We Survived

Top o Mead Mountain

Nice, long and at times technical hike up Mead Mountain. 6 miles with a 900 foot elevation change was a good work out for the legs. We are in Maine visiting Dylan and taking in the Fall colors.

Fresh Air

Karen, Rachel, Mom and I taking in some autumn air and changing leaves at the Minnesota Masonic Home.

Practice

All fun and games at practice until someone get hit with a javelin. No one was hit with a javelin but I'm sure it happens.

Grays Lake

Mornings can be amazing.

Grays Lake

Got up and out before sunrise for a couple laps around Grays Lake. Low 50's at 7am. 88 degrees for our walk along Ingersoll and Grand this afternoon.

West End

Sam and a happy Momma at the boys workplace. This is the quintessential college bar if there ever was one. Fun owner and great co-workers. Nicole and I did not make closing time.

Griff

Got in so early we could have had breakfast at the Drake Diner. We had lunch, available at 11am and we ordered at 11:01. Saw Tim and Steph with Steph's parents there too. Des Moines is a small town.

Early Flight

Was chased by the sun all the way from DC to Chicago and on to Des Moines this morning. Found Tim and Steph at the airport this morning, they were headed to Des Moines too.

Dialing in

Dylan sizing up the competition in last weeks Maine Rugby home game. The season has been a little disappointing but it's a young team and Dylan has played well and scored many points with his foot.

Recovery

Grandma getting some grandkid time last weekend. She had Sam to hang out with the weekend before.

Green

The lawn was getting really tired, rooted, uneven and generally burnt out due to the southern exposure, hot summers and lack of water. I had my lawn guy (Chao) do a big aeration and soil replacement about ten days ago. He sort of dug up the existing grass, added about two inches of soil across most of the yard and put down a ton seed. I started watering immediately but the we got about 7 days of straight rain since. It's finally sunny today and I have never seen a greener lawn in my life.

The hope is to get some great growth until around mid November then a new lush lawn when growing season starts again in late march.

UCLA

Spent a couple days at a conference at the UCLA Luskin Conference Center and Hotel earlier this week. It included a couple walks around campus and I must say, it may beat Cal, Stanford and UCSD as the states most beautiful university. I've been to LA many times, but never UCLA.

After the Rain

Spent five days in Minnesota last week. Lots of it in the hospital with my mom but did get out for fresh air on a regular basis and caught up with my friend, Dan. Mom is doing better and is now in a TCU for rehabilitation of the broken leg. Sam drove up from Des Moines and joined us for a couple days, Nicole and Dylan are there this weekend.

It still feels like summer in the twin cities but I'm sure Fall is right around the corner. I'm sure I will be back a couple times this year and get some of Minnesota's best season.

Coast Guard Academy

The black bears played in New London this past Saturday and came away with a loss. Dylan played well and contributed by making both conversions kicks.

Solid Conversions

Dylan’s Role Model

Maine seems to claim Paul Bunyan but everyone knows he's a Minnesotan.

Twin Cars

The boys both ended up getting the same model cars a couple weeks ago. Dylan's is blueish grey and Sam is more grey green. Sam's also has a roof rack on his, as shown below. I've driven nearly 1,700 miles in both of them last week and can confirm they are comfortable, stylish and safe.

Downtown Bangor

It's a tiny city but quite quirky at the same time.

All Moved In

Dylan is back in the same room as last semester, but with a queen size bed this time. He had two single beds in this room last year but the school swapped the two singles for a queen over the summer. Much better set up. He's starting rugby practice this week and school next week.

Back to School

Sam and I drove his new car to Iowa early last week, flew home on Tuesday and drove to Maine a couple days later with Dylan and his new car. Nicole met us in Maine to help move Dylan into his dorm and we flew home yesterday. Sam started school on Monday and we are empty nesters again.

Vibrant Music Hall

Busy couple of weeks but have some more photos from the second half of our vacation. We were joined by a bunch of Sam's friends in Des Moines for another counting crows show. It was a ton of fun per usual.

Holiday Card?

This one may make this years holiday card. It was taken by a complete stranger.

Creation Rock

A truly unique concert venue.

Red Rocks Vibe

Went up top to see the city in the distance.

Moose

Found this moose in a little lake near our rental house. We were on our way to hike to the summit of Maryland mountain before it got warm.

Raccoon Trail

Took the boys for the afternoon hike in Golden Gate Canyon State Park. 3 mile loop with a 489 elevation gain at about 9,100 feet, which tested my cardio vascular system.