Some highlights

 Many - though not enough - days at the beach with friends. Including seeing Giraffe (dear friend's daughter, here nicknamed as they are her favorite toys) experience the surf - dislike - and the sand  - loved it. Mouse built her a little pool to splash in and then we spent a long time building retaining walls and moving water. Even though this is Lake Michigan, the waves where very strong that day.

 Lots of fiber-y fun, this is a camel and sheep's wool blend.

 Homemade tasty treats, my granola shown here.

 Dehydrating food for our backpacking trip. I loved the trip and am attempting to lose some weight and get in better shape to hike more.

 Hiking trip breakfasts, my granola plus dehydrated banana chips, pineapple, blueberries, and cranberries. mostly it took me hours to finish eating a bag. Very tasty but a bit crumbly/messy.

 Gear and packing required a lot of thought I used everything I brought at least once, but in a fit of trying to lighten the pack the night before I left some things behind - long sleeve shirt, pj pants, drawing pad and pencil, flashlight (this was accidental,) hand sanitizer, and honey sticks - that I really could have used. A learning experience and due to friends not a horrific to endure one.

 Tiny little dishcloth I made to bring on the trip the day before!

First day back to school. A new schedule since Mouse is in middle school and has to be there by 7:12, the girls and I get to their school now well before supervision begins, so we play on the playground or in the van depending on the weather. Beaver has a new schedule for his last year in high school and doesn't have to be in until 9. Which makes morning bathroom fights all but disappear. I really think this new schedule is a boon to our family.

~ Julia

My adventure.

I loaded up the Mouse and got him to kindergarten this morning then Team Girl went on an adventure!  To Wisconsin Spin In.  I could not take a class there (girls and wheel not working so well) but figured I could buy some fiber, look, touch and dream.  I was a little worried too taking the girls with but we talked about not touching or running.  The first couple of people did not seem pleased to have the littles, but the yarn and roving were so beautiful!

Then we were greeted by two wonderful alpaca farmers, who were loom knitting hats.  They invited us into their small stall and told us to touch everything!  These men where awesome.  I explained I wanted to look at everything before buying anything, and off we went.  The next stall had a woman spinning out front wearing an apron made out of blue bandannas, she greeted the girls first and we chatted about my wheel.  They repair wheels but their store is about a 2-3 drive from here!  She was supper nice.  We wandered around, and Butterfly, who wants to be a musician, was fascinated with the man playing music and surprised her momma in knowing that he was playing a banjo.   I really have to figure out some music lessons for her.

After we had look around we went back to the lady with the cool apron and asked if tell would be able to take a look at my wheel here.  The convention is through tomorrow  too, so I was hopeful.  When she found out it was in the car she told me to grab it and watched the girls while I went so I wasn't trying to push a stroller with one hand carry the wheel with the other.  Her husband come out and laughed at my drive band!  Then looked further,  the orifice is not in-line with the hooks, putting tension on the flyer - causing my draft problem and the drive wheel was spinning a bit on the axle.  He has to take those pieces home with him and will mail them back to me.  He figured it would only be like $15-20 and he is sending me a proper drive band as well.

We also went back to the alpaca farmers and are now the proud, excited owners a 21oz of unwashed alpaca fleece, from a soft light brown gal named Reba who lives about an hour and a half from us.  

Camel it is a darker brown than is showing up.

We met a nice lady selling Camel that was picked by women and children in Afghanistan, hand de-haired by them and sold often as their only means of support.  1 oz was eight dollars most of which goes back to the people who actually collected the fiber.  We got an oz, no clue what we will do with it, but it is really soft and I feel good about the purchase.  Badger insisted on carrying the little bag. 

Hope your adventures bring you joy and excitement! - Julia