Racing in the Rain

Memorial Day weekend was 2/3 wash out this year.  We headed up to Vermont so that Andy and Becky and Micah could run the Burlington marathon and relay, along with all of Becky's sisters and brother-in-laws.  Both Saturday and Sunday, the race day, were very cold and wet and windy.  We even drove through some snow in the higher elevations on our trip up from NH.  Not exactly ideal racing conditions, but after a giant carb-fest Saturday night (23 people, including 10 kids under 9), the runners were fueled up and ready.  All finished their respective courses, and all in great times as well.

Digging worms for fishing

Phoebe and Haley look at their worms

Micah at the pond

My mom and I were responsible for the Dean and Deegan kids during the race, and given the weather, we decided not to spectate at the marathon.  Instead, we had a nice day in Monkton with visits from Aunt Chris, Uncle Preston, Sarah, and Francesca.  Aunt Chris brought over a big bag of goodies for the kids, including bug huts and homemade dolls that we painted sweet faces on.  We slung some raingear on the kiddos before lunch and headed outside to start up the sauna and look for critters to fill the mini terrariums from Aunt Chris.  Under a big woodpile near the driveway we quickly discovered a red-backed salamander, an earwig, and a few millipedes.  But then, the real surprise discovery was two baby milk snakes curled up under logs and waiting out the rain.  Aiden got to keep one in his bug hut for the day, and Francesca took the other one home to watch as a pet for awhile.  The snakes were very animated once they warmed up inside the house, and we read up about them in field guides and online.

Aiden's milk snake

Mom and Fisher

Francesca hugs a chicken

Monday morning dawned clear and blue, so we hurried up a bunch of small chores for mom and then headed over to Vergennes to watch the Memorial Day parade.  This parade is advertised as the largest in VT, and it did last for a good full hour with tractors, numerous marching bands, several different beauty queens waving from convertibles, fire trucks from every town within a 30 mile radius, and even the governor and a senator or two.  And candy.  The kids each raked in a huge bagful of tootsie rolls, mints and lollipops that were thrown by the paraders.  Kimball didn't enjoy the parade anywhere near as much as the kids, though... After the first marching band went blasting by, she was shaking uncontrollably and backing out of her collar, so Andy had to take her back near where we had parked. She recovered by the time we got home though, and was back to rolling on the lawn and rooting out chipmunks.  

 

parade time

Fisher

The girls running around the pond