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Ringo visited on Saturday for a playdate with Daisy.  We took a long walk culminating in a visit to the pond.

Daisy taught Ringo how to swim.

Here they are exiting the pond, ears flying.

They are finally making some progress on our new barn roof.  We are hopeful that it won’t look like a HoJo’s when it’s done.

On Saturday we had dinner at Bocuse, the fancy French restaurant at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. It’s run by earnest students, not quite ready for prime time, which adds a lot to its charm. After dinner, we had a tour of the kitchen, and Sarah was given a toque.

On Sunday Jen organized her 2014 jam production, which was extensive.

We had a relaxing Labor Day weekend with Jen’s parents and with Erica and Geoff.  I let Erica win at Boggle because she is an English professor and it is important to her.  Here, Lew and Sarah relaxed on the back porch.

On Sunday we met the Ostroys’ new dog Ringo, who is part Golden Retriever, part Border Collie, and altogether sweet.  We are hoping he will reform his co-dog Willie, who is a nightmare.

We had a big crowd for the fair this year, with visits from my father and BJ, Paula and Jerry, and Julie and Stacey.

Sarah befriended goats, sheep, and really any other livestock that seemed like it might be friendly.

Very few of the pigs at the fair were awake.

No visit to the fair is complete without a visit to the midway, where Sarah enjoyed favorites such as the Hamster Dance (above), the tilt-a-whirl,  and the bumper cars.

We met exotic chickens and bunnies.

The fair involves a lot of walking.  Here, BJ, Paula, Jerry and my father rested on the porch in front of the horticulture building.

Back at home, Sarah spent hours and hours on her latest enthusiasm, sewing.

I got my rotary mower back from the shop, where it’s spent most of the summer.  The invoice from Keil Equipment (which was breathtaking in amount) included a note to call the owner, Kim Keil — a little like getting a “see me” note on a test.  He wanted to stop by on Sunday to find out why I kept driving the mower over rocks and stumps.  I am woefully behind on my mowing, but I got a fair amount done this weekend.  In the picture you can see, at far left, Jen tending her garden.

She is growing lots of tomatoes — possibly more than we can eat.

Here’s a bunny I surprised on my way to the mailbox.

We are freshly back from two weeks in the country.  Sarah spent both weeks at the Mill Street Loft arts camp in Red Hook, Jen pottered around her various gardens, and I plied my trade, remotely.  Here are Sarah and Jen enjoying an afternoon dip in the town pool.

We had a visit from the Harris family, and climbed Burger Hill.

We also stopped by Stickles in downtown Rhinebeck, which has absolutely everything.

Sarah appeared onstage in the Mill Street Loft’s play.

A metal barn roof lasts about 100 years.  We are lucky enough to get to replace ours.

Jen is growing lots of tomatoes and lots of flowers.

And Sarah spent plenty of quality time with her dog.

This weekend was our last before Sarah returns from summer camp.  Daisy is waiting patiently for her return.

This chipmunk likewise has been pining for Sarah.  (Get it?  Pining??)

Here’s a Great Spangled Fritillary, feasting on our endless supply of milkweed.

Our fawns are growing up, and soon will assume their life’s work of laying waste to vegetation farm-wide.

Just after I took the picture above, our young friend snorted and bounded off through the high grass.

We arrived at the farm Thursday night in the middle of a monsoon, which claimed about a third of a big maple tree in the back yard.  We had no power until 3:30 a.m., which gave us the opportunity to play Boggle by candlelight.  No plaint here.  It continued raining all day on July 4.  Chuck helped clear the tree away on Saturday, when the sun came out.

Here’s the view underneath the hammock on Saturday afternoon.