Looking like a true Chessie....

... too bad there's not a duck in that grass!

Grrrr!

Cold? What Cold?

Crockett helps Shawn reel in his catch. Not bad for the last day of February!

More Snow

It's pretty. It's cold!

I'm so sleepy....

.... I can't finish my kibbles!

In the back seat of the car on the way home from Tennessee.

Mmmm.... breakfast

Daniel's Senior Recital

If Daniel doesn't make a very good living as a professional musician, there's no justice in the world.

We went to Tennessee this weekend to watch his senior recital. He played some very complicated pieces from Vivaldi and Koussevitsky. To this untrained ear, it was brilliant. To the crowd of music students, professors, and professional musicians in the auditorium, it was equally brilliant.

Bravo!

Daniel's He-Man, Post-Recital Feast

Cory's Excellent Table Manners

She Stands!

It won't be long before Ella is walking on her own.

Yea Daddy!

Ella hangs out with Uncle Cory at her first symphony concert. Did I mention that her dad is the principal bassist?

University of Tennessee Orchestra Concert

Daniel is the principal bassist of the University of Tennessee orchestra. We made it to Knoxville to hear his concert on Saturday night. They sounded good!

Awwww

Drummond Island

I wasn't there, but it sure looks like they had fun!

Happy Valentines Day

Some Valentines Day... I got snowed in Albany yesterday, Shawn got snowed in Michigan today. Fortunately, Albany is part of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, and I wasn't totally stranded.

I took the overnight train to Baltimore -- after spending more time in Penn Station after hours than anyone should have to -- rescued my car from the airport garage, and drove home on precariously icy roads..... only to find that the power was out in our neighborhood!

When I took Crockett out for his romp, I took these pictures in our yard and in the park. Everything is absolutely coated in ice. It was so quiet here today, without the usual sounds -- refrigerator hum, fish tank filter, furnace fan, television babble. The power came back on about 5:30, just as the sun was setting and as the house was starting to get really cold.

Shawn and Jacob made it home about 9:30 tonight. They stopped along the way to pick up some flowers. It wasn't such a bad Valentine's Day after all....

All that work...

.... was worth it for a mess of steamers!

Clam Harvest

Jacob & Shawn take turns in the hip waders, harvesting clams from under our dock. It looks COLD to me!

Iced in

Skating on Thin Ice

Icy Sunrise

And Now We Pause The Regularly Scheduled Winter...

.... to bring you a scene from summer!

The Sea Ray, Memorial Day Weekend.

Where's the Water?

The ice has formed a dam at the mouth of the lake.

Lillian plays hard to get

Run Lillian, Run!

Crockett took off after Lillian this morning over the jetty. She's a bit more agile than he is, but he had fun trying to catch her.

Pretty Kitty

Reflections

No doubt about it -- it's winter. The river is still flowing in the channel, but it's frozen solid between our dock and the jetty.

Christmas Amarillys

One of my Christmas presents, in full bloom!

Fetch!

If only we could teach him to "drop" once he's finished fetching!

I think it's finally winter...

Full Moon over the Magothy

Crockett plays with Noah & Hero

Some of Crockett's friends from the dog park.

The chase is on!

Broadneck Park has been a godsend. Shawn takes Crockett to the dog run almost every day after he gets home from work. It wears our little puppy out, helps socialize him around other dogs, and teaches him a thing or two about picking on someone his own size!