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| Avalon is in Stony Brook, Long Island, near my parents' place in Setauket. It is a great place to walk a dog, jog, not crowded and a gorgeous wood |
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| Our 13-year-old Shadow, who just got minor surgery removing a recurrent cancer growth that was not supposed to have spread, but we just found out has spread to his jaw. We're hoping it won't spread much more, but if it does will not involve too much suffering. He's doing amazing after surgery - running and playing like a puppy with sore joints. |
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| Boom is absolutely gaga for Shadow, thinks he's in charge of Shadow (and everyone else in our family, for that matter!). Abraham's blog: That picture's so good of me with Shadow! I made him stay with me. Shadow got the bump in his mouth (tumor) when we moved to Malaysia. Shadow is a great doggy. Shadow likes to roll on the grass. Shadow likes to jump. He loves all of us. He likes to play with me. He likes to copy me. If I run somewhere, he runs somewhere. He likes to eat raw meat and little black stuff (dry dog food). I feed him, walk him, and chase him to give him exercise. I love my doggy. |
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| The ENTIRE walk Boom and Ken played soldiers fighting bad guys. Abraham's blog: We are fighting werewolf people. We have weapons. The weapons are sticks. In this game, Shadow is not old, he is 5 years old, like me. And, he is not old - he is a puppy that likes to fight. We are fighting because for the golden crown and we are winning. |
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| See, there's graffiti in the burbs too! |
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| Critter hole |
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| Tree climbing |
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| My favorite picture of Shadow, who likes to herd us, going to the front of our hiking family then swinging to the back, thinking he can keep us all safe from attackers, who he now can't hear or see very well. |
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| Alice balancing with a stick. |
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| Our well-loved Mill, that our Papa Luther first rehabilitated and where my family stayed for weeks every summer, with lots of cousins nearby to play with. |
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| Now, the next generation of girl cousins had a sleepover, initiated by my cousins, John and Allison. All of us cousins used to have sleepovers at the mill often. It was so heartwarming to have our kids' sleepovering now! |
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| Adorable Haley, the sleepover mascot |
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| All sides of the mill |
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| The mill sits on one side with a lake preserve, managed by Caleb Smith Park. A swan couple have claimed it for their own lake. |
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| This gorgeous waterfall that Papa Luther created transitions the lake into the Nissequogue River that leads out to the Long Island Sound then Atlantic Ocean. We ride down the waterfall in foam mats at high tide. And, we swim in the second waterfall level, calling it our jacuzzi. The water's got a bite since it comes from a cold spring above the lake, I think in Blydenburgh park. |
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| Front of the mill and the waterfall. My cousins Allison, John, and their daughters live there now, giving it a warm, happy glow. |
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| The island that we've played on for years. All our parents were married there. On the right, you can see the stone steps down into the river that's actually pretty shallow at low tide. Great to baptize babies to swimming. |
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| Allison and John have made the lakeside welcoming and picaresque. |
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| We love the picture-poster Nanny and Papa make for each child on their birthday! See text below for Griffin's story telling about this party. |
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| Molly makes her signature waffles! |
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| Still can't believe Griffin is 10!! |
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| Boom and Dean hiding |
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| Boom and Dean sneaking round the corner. There's great strength together, than being small apart. |
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| The party-makers, really makers of fun and love for their beloved grandies. |
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| I took the kids back to the Pleasant Valley Audubon sanctuary, after Patty, Courtney and I went there to hike. We're considering it for a week of day camp. It's completely quiet at this time of year, with no one else there hiking in the snow. Glorious! |
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| They spent a lot of time breaking up the ice. Meditative work. |
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| The bigger the stick, the bigger the man, according to Boom. Abraham's Blog: I am breaking up the ice so the beavers can swim. We want the beavers to have fun swimming. |
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| Snack break before hike up the mountain. |
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| Hike up. We got pretty far with Boom insisting on going up the increasingly steep hill, until he lay flat down on the snow face to the side, refusing to get up but unable to admit that he couldn't continue. |
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| Hike to the horses at Grammy and Harvey's place in upstate NY |
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| About 10 horses are at their neighbor's. Alice is crazy for them and the horse owner is crazy for Alice too. |
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| Griffin sometimes likes to play a Harry Potter fantasy game with a stick. |
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| Neighbors' horse stalls. |
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| Our beloved comet and the horse our neighbor uses to race and compete. Abraham's Blog: This is my favorite horse. His name is Comet. I like to feed him because he loves me. And, he is strong and big. He is the most strongest horsey. He can carry any person. He is the fastest horse. |
