First Day of Fourth Grade and Chloe the Pug etc...

Emma started 4th grade last week. Here she is waiting for the bus with her friend Ally and our down the street neighbor Tommy. They were great about having their photo taken multiple times, but I wonder how much longer they'll put up with it -- in public at least.


Our new pug puppy came how to live with us on the 28th of August and she is wonderful. She's 18 weeks old and pretty much potty trained already which is terrific. She's smart and playful and fun. Here she is with Jim -- that's her serious, impish look.


This past weekend we took some friends from Connecticut to Bristol. We toured the house and garden at Blithewold. It was a lovely sunny warm, but not too hot day. Afterwards we walked around town in Bristol and by the harbor and had a delicious dinner outside at Quito's seafood restaurant. Here's Emma sitting on a branch of -- I think a cedar tree -- at Blithewold. She was being a good sport considering she was the only kid out with four adults talking about plants and trees!!

Jim took this shot of me while we were eating dinner and I rather like it. You can see a fishing boat and the Bristol Harbor behind me. Good times.