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We had a long weekend for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, but spent half of it in New York so that Sarah could attend a Bat Mitzvah and we could attend The Book of Mormon.

We drove up Sunday morning to find an icy, but not frozen, pond.

I hate these birds deeply (since one of them is destroying my porch), but they are photogenic.

We rode out the end of the year at the farm.  While we didn’t have a white Christmas, the holiday was bookended by dustings that produced a little more snow than advertised.  Pictured is “less than an inch.”

We had a fine tree with many presents beneath it.

Sarah performed her customary ceremonial duties as elf.

Jen’s entire family came for the festivities.

Erica presented this award to Jen.

Even Daisy received a gift.

After Christmas we had a beautiful sunset.

And then another “dusting.”

Fortunately, there was just enough snow for sledding in the back yard.  Daisy was an enthusiastic participant.

We cooked up a storm for Thanksgiving.  Here is Jen making three pies simultaneously.

We got a monster turkey from Frank Vosburgh at Kesicke Farm — 25.75 pounds.  It was the smallest one he had.

Julie and Stacey came in uniform.

Sarah danced whenever not organizing or playing board games.

Her grandfather looked on bemusedly.

Daisy is patiently waiting for Thanksgiving, when she hopes many items will fall off the dining table.

We had a surprise dusting of snow overnight.  We hope it won’t interfere with anyone’s holiday travel plans!

… is absolutely destroying our porch.

Grrr.

We had fine weather today for a walk up Burger Hill.

Daisy and Ringo, who were married last year in an informal ceremony officiated by Sarah and her friend Sophie, came along for the walk.

Jen harvested our two pumpkins, just in time for Halloween.

On Saturday Daisy had a doggy play-date to climb Burger Hill with Ringo.

We stayed to watch the sun set over the Catskills.

Later we saw the hunter/super moon.  A well-hyped moon.

On Sunday, Sarah and Jen visited the Sheep & Wool festival at the Rhinebeck fairgrounds.  Sarah made friends with a lamb.

Jen gathered the remaining tomatoes and peppers ahead of tonight’s possible frost.  I guess we can have fried or pickled green tomatoes, but I have no idea what to do with all those peppers (many of which are outside the frame).

Jen grew this teeny weeny melon in her garden.  Now we are in a race against time — or, rather, against the first frost, which thank goodness is not forecast to arrive this week.

Daisy pursues the fall sports.

We had a busy weekend, hosting the Winnakee Land Trust Barn Tour on Saturday and the Landsman Kill Trail Association Fall Trail Ride on Sunday.   Our barn, which is 100 years old this year, has one of the earliest poured concrete foundations in Dutchess County.

On Saturday I tried to give the barn tourists an authentic farm experience by mowing the hayfield above the barn.

I had some help from Del Wolcott, who did quite a bit of mowing to get ready for the LKTA.

Jen used some of our many, many tomatoes to make tomato jam.