The Jasons Great Outdoors: August 2024

As I write, Fiona is only a few weeks from moving into her Mass Art dorm. I don't think it will hit me that she is gone until I return home from work on that day and she is not there. I try not to think about it... So; moving on. The garden has far exceeded my expectations. Literally could fill a large garbage bag with all the tomatoes I have. Making tomato sauce with these babies. Strawberries, jalepenos, cucumbers, eggplant, basil, lettuce and banana peppers. We managed to survive our first and last travel ball season! What a lot of driving and sitting on the sidelines (in high 80's/90's temps). Mom and Dad managed to get to a game together, and Dad surprised me another time. It was nice to have company on the sidelines! We all enjoyed our family vacation care of Gammy and Gampy. Scott was even able to join us the entire time! First time in the six years we've been dong this. There was fishing, canoeing, smores, bananagrams, boogie boarding, hiking, delicious home cooked meals and a trip to Mystic, CT. Another collecting of memories that will last a lifetime. Thank you Mom and Dad. Soon after our return I was starting packing lists for our family camping trip. As usual Scott and I were in our happy place. Our kids go along...and maybe someday will actually go camping of their own free will, but once they acclimated they let loose and had some good clean fun. We had some good hot weather that allowed swimming in cold rivers to be refreshing. We looked at the river trout through goggles. We enjoyed cards games until close to midnight, smores, delicious camp food cooked by our camp chef(otherwise known as Scott), a trip to a matinee on our one rainy day, a steep and rewarding hike up "Imp Face", and ended the trip with a stop at "The Whales Tail" on our way home. Less than a week after returning from camping I was headed up to Maine to visit with Morton and his family along with a stop in to see Betty. He remains the same. Doesn't seem any more mature after turning 95! While I was there in Maine Ethan took the train/bus up north to visit his best buddies. The Five of them spent time in his friends cabin WAAAAY up north along Canadian border. There was electric, but no running water. He was pretty grimy when he got home. Only a few days after my return MA I was anxious to get into my classroom and begin setting up. After two 6 hour days, I feel like I am pretty well organized; but I am no fool. I know there is no amount of organizing that can make the nerves of welcoming 24 seven year olds into my classroom on day one go away. Scott's job remains exciting. He constantly has a new problem to solve each and everyday. Next time I write Fiona will have her new routine, and the rest of us will be settling into ours. I am going to miss having that girl under the same roof as me all the time...but this is the reason we raise them and teach them to be independent. To let them go.............