A busy summer! After we left in mid August, Anna stayed and her friend Diane came for the week. Much clarinet playing, giggling, studying and making silly birthday videos for Jen's 30th ensued. Then Ethan joined them, Diane left, Ethan and Anna finished painting the twin bed room. (It looks amazing!) Ethan's family came in a torrential rain storm. Here's a picture of the driveway. A real 'gully washer'! It rained so hard that the rain came down the chimney and dripped out of the stove pipe onto the wood stove, and also came into the pond side of the basement. Wow!

 

The Foxes had a wonderful time by all accounts: Anna et al steamed clams and lobsters. They went to the beaches, went to Ben and Jerry's and played a lot of games. It sounds like a good visit. 

Then Alex Sandin came with a couple of his friends for a couple days. Alex left a great note as usual. 

Daniel, Julie, Nate, and Kate stayed a couple nights between various weddings in Boston and Brewster.

I decided to go out to check on the house the weekend after Labor Day (did it survive all the various combinations of visitors?) All looked fine of course. I also wanted to take pictures of the driveway because the gutter-man wouldn't/couldn't get up the driveway because of the low branches. I wanted to see if it was something Bob and I could remedy. In the process of inspecting, I met Kyle Kearin our neighbor's son. He has grown up! He gave permission for us to trim the offending branches. When I left, I took this picture at Boat Meadow beach, just off of Bridge Road. LOW TIDE!

Finally, Bob and I drove out Friday for a short 2 days to trim the trees on the driveway. When we got up on Saturday morning, it was so foggy we couldn't see across the pond. We walked to the corner store for donuts and coffee and here's Samoset Rd near the library and then Great Pond from the deck later that morning.

 By afternoon, the fog had lifted. We spent the morning trimming, cutting, cleaning up the driveway. Can you see the difference? The road is slightly better, and we raked some of the gravel back into it to level it a bit. Kyle said he wanted to fix it, but I'm not sure when/if that will happen. We did see Bob Kearin driving out and then in, he's looking older, too. Still so nice. As we were working, Art Hall (other side of the yard) came out to say hello. He had been in Florida the past week cleaning up his house/yard from Hurricane Irma. Luckily, they didn't have major damage, but had no power for the week. He was back in Eastham to close up their little house for the winter.

Bob and I also spent some time installing a dish soap dispenser (on the left side of the kitchen sink) and putting a sun-blocking film on the front storm door. We brought in the docks and enjoyed the quiet pond from the deck. All in all a nice (if short) trip out. On our way home Saturday evening, we stopped at the Kimballs in Harwich for a light supper of chips and salsa and warm chicken dip. Great to see them!