Today will deliver to us the first day of Autumn. A beautiful time of the year and a season I always look forward to. This year I will look forward to it again but not with the same wild abandon that I usually feel as I tromp through the woods. My Fuji and I will still wander the woods, beaches, and local areas as we continue to capture life in real-time but it will be with a slightly heavy heart as we wander into fall and winter wondering what new challenges we might have to face with this virus being our constant companion wherever we go. I am hoping for less virus and more peace for all who visit here. I’m hoping for healing in our country where common sense and kindness will be restored once again. The cost of so much loss this summer is staggering in health, dollars, but most importantly in the loss of life and the human touch. Who wouldn’t love a hug right about now? As we leave summer behind now I leave it hoping that the sadness of it will be replaced with joy and hope. Although it wasn’t the summer that I was hoping for, it was a good one with the boys. They are the light right now. They are what drives me to continue documenting our everyday life. They are the future so I will follow them for as long as they lead me and to wherever they take me. It is their world now. They will always continue to be my joy. I also know as they grow they will be gentle with our world.

Jenna and the boys spent lots of time in Maine this year. We felt it was the safest place to be. Our house is on the lake in a woodsy area so not a lot of foot traffic. Maine was also one of the few states with a very low virus count. It is easy to isolate in the woods and on the lake and there was still lots of fun for the boys and for us. We were thankful for their visits. We were also thankful to visit their Maine house also, which is a short trip from our house. Of course, each day brings tea time, a time we all enjoy and this year they were very helpful in the kitchen. Jaxson made the pumpkin bread for this tea party and Liam made cookies. They didn’t even wait for me to properly put on the tablecloth before they got started. Somedays its just tea and a book in the late afternoon that saves the day.

After tea, they relaxed for a while before helping Mom and Papa put up the tent. This night they decided that they would have a camp out complete with a campfire and roasted marshmallows. A sweet night for sure. The conversations around the fire are wonderful and informing, a really slowed down special time. I love the smell of the deadwood burning and the fire giving warmth and light. Then, time for bed. Jaxson made it for about an hour in the tent and then came crawling into bed with me but Liam actually made it through the night. Jim was with him and they were very proud of themselves for surviving the bumpy ground and chipmunk tunnels.

A lake is a busy place and we have all the toys you need for a day on the water. I went kayaking in the late afternoon. So peaceful. The boys, Jenna and Jonathan all went tubing. That is their favorite thing to do when they come to the Maine House. I take snaps from the back of the boat and always try to capture the big smiles and deep laughter that they freely express when they are out there bouncing around on the waves…

All was well on the tube until they took the newer tube out and then they all bounced right out of it going over a wave. That was pretty funny. Next time out the boys went alone. When they are not tubing they love playing and diving off the trampoline that Papa got them last year. It was so good to just see them outside being kids, doing what kids should be able to do on summer vacation. How nice that we all had this time together and without masks in our little area, sometimes it actually felt normal.

Home from Maine. It is now time for the boys to start back to school this week, remotely, and so before their first day back we took them for one more summer adventure but this time in their little town of Manchester by the Sea. We took them for brunch on a most beautiful Sunday morning. Allie’s Cafe has outside seating and it has been just wonderful to have so many places outside available to us all summer long for eating out. It saved us and again added that sense of normalcy that we all need. Fall will bring us back inside and we will miss these sunny, warm days gathering together for a simple meal. We won’t be dining inside until this virus turns itself around…sad but true.

It was cool when we left but it warmed up very quickly. And no adventure would be complete with the boys if we didn’t hit a bookshop. We love the independent bookshop in Manchester. It has lots of new books but the really neat thing is it has lots of old books. We can poke around in here for hours and often do.

For now, we hold onto these memories of our coronavirus summer. We didn’t let the virus win. We wore our masks, kept our distance from those who were not part of our family and we made some great memories. I was so impressed with how easy the boys slipped in and out of their masks without a bit of hesitation. They do know it is part of their world now and they except it. I wish more adults could see them as models of good virus prevention. Somehow, kids are often much smarter and more realistic than adults. They make me proud, these boys.

And here they are, ready to go. One in 5th grade and the other in 2nd grade. I know they are eager to get back to work and I also know that the fall will be good to them. It is not hard to find joy and laughter when one spends time with these guys. The world might not be right at this moment but these two loves are moving on with hope and joy…I must move on in the same way. If I have learned any lesson from this nasty virus and the temperature of our country, I have learned love always wins. Keep your circle small, wear your mask, and love those who make your world go round. The rest will sort itself out one way or another. Happy Fall to all who visit here. We are happy that you are part of our circle.