Smithcore

A long time coming

2007-10-04T20:36:00.000-04:00

First I will say that I will not update in any great detail the events of the last year. In short we are alive, healthy and are making the most of life. I would like to nominate Abraham Lincoln posthumously as the next President of the United States as we are in need of a leader and are without one. I would check out our new church at http://www.mdchurch.org/. I would also like to spend more time playing ping-pong and music. Oh and I have become an ardent golfer.
Here are some recent pics of what things look like now.

March 27th- April 27th updates

2006-04-23T20:53:00.000-04:00

Can we just sit and talk about the weather for a while. It's not winter, it never really was except for maybe two weeks and I couldn't be happier. In one month though I'm sure we'll need an air conditioner per window to keep up with the oppressive heat on the way. The sooner the ice caps melt the sooner we'll have a lovely view of Windham Harbor.

Jack gave Ezra his first bloody nose yesterday and recieved a fine lump on the head in return. The both wanted the same dinosaur. We are anticipating the arrival of #3 son in less than a month. Stacee looks like she's about to pop but the doctor is pretty sure she'll go to her due date. If not by then he will induce her.
In other news Matt broke a bone in his face last week playing soccer and was supposed to have surgery on it yesterday but the doctor never showed up!!! No phone call nothing, she just didn't show up. So today he gets his xygomatic arch reset. No soccer for six weeks. But the fish will be here soon so he'll be fine.
May is the month of craziness with Ezra's birthday on the 2nd, our anniversery on the 15th and Jack's birthday on the 16th and then of course young smith to be arriving on or before the 24th.

some recent pictures

2006-03-27T11:18:00.000-05:00

related?
Jack's first big kid ride. www.seaworld.com

Smith family and peppy
Petting Dolphins
Zoo pic's

Jack designed and helped implement his first building project. He did most of the hammering and the roof is a PA trailer liscence plate. More pictures later

2 months off

2006-03-26T20:21:00.000-05:00

Since January 26 quite a bit has happened. I could devote a page on each event but I wouldn't get to watch Riding the Rails tonight. From what the cover says it's a "must see" documentary on hobo life in the 20's and 30's and due to it's "must see" admonition I can't write all night long.
From soonest event to furthest back: Jack and Ezra have had colds and Jack was awake most of last night with an ear ache. It was his first ever. Stacee turned 33 on the 23rd and we threw quite an all day party here starting with waffles, whipped cream, berries and maple syrup for breakfast, presents and decorations of course, and fresh maine lobster for dinner. The fun of Birthdays for us has changed in the same way Christmas has. We enjoy the days but the kids get SO into it and that makes it more fun...We're old. Stacee is looking pretty pregnant lately. Only 2 months to go.
Jack and Ezra both completed their gymanstics classes for the year and did quite well without injuring themselves or others (much).
We've met a few families that have migrated this way from MA and NY recently and have hit it off pretty well with them.
Matt Eric Dad and I all played in a 3/3 tournament sponsored by their church. It was held at Gordon and despite my back bothering me and Eric's broken toe, we played pretty well. We had some differing views on how we should play but in the end we did well. Not great but well enough to mention it here.
Rewinding back further, to mid February, we met Penny and her kids and my grandparents out in San Diego for a week. Mom and Dad flew out with us and we had a GREAT time. The kids had never flown before and being somewhat of a control oriented person I wasn't thrilled about letting someone else fly us out there. Then I realized that A. I'm not a pilot B. I would never drive for 5 days straight with the kids in the Minivan and C. The pilot probably is a control freak too and that's why he does what he does for a living. So we went and had a blast. If you go stay at the Embassey Suite LaJolla. Not for the view or anything like that but for the breakfast buffet that's included in the price. There's a happy hour included too but it was a family vacation afterall. The zoo www.sandiegozoo.com was amazing. Sea World was pricey but worth it and the san diego wild animal park is the BEST. Jack's already planning on attending college right next to the San Diego Zoo.
There isn't much else I will publicly rant on now, perhaps in a month or so. Just remember that little verse in one of Paul's letters (paraphrase) Do everything you can, everything in your power, to be at peace with all men.

January 26th

2006-01-26T20:57:00.000-05:00

News and update: Since Christmas we've been eating bacon, playing outside, sometimes in the snow sometimes in the 50+ degree spring like weather. A year ago last week the average temp was 7 degrees. Last week the average was around 35. It's like summer!! We've recently booked a trip to visit the Great grandparents out in sunny San Diego. We're leaving in February and for the next few weeks I'll be moonlighting as just about anything to raise money for the trip. Plasma anyone? I'd offer my hair for a wig but it'd only be worth about $.50. Does anyone want to rent a lovley Maine house for the week of the 19th? If you pay an added premium you could collect the eggs. Come on, It'll be great! In other news we found a lump behind Jack's knee and after the initial anxiety driven nausea and a ultra-sound it was determined he has a bakers cyst. It's a random thing I guess with no other side effects or necessary treatment. Thanks to God. We also found out that our 3rd child is of the man variety so we have to come up with boy names again. We are looking for good strong names wothout sounding to "haven't we come up with most unique and interesting name ever" ish. Suggestions welcome.
Other big Windham news: Lowes and Home Depot both opened stores in Windham 5 miles from the house and less then a quarter mile from each other. Another tourist attraction!

WHOA

2006-01-06T20:15:00.000-05:00

Christmas Card Outtakes

2005-12-22T19:34:00.000-05:00

With the onset of digital camera's people are either saving thousands of dollars on not having film developed or sending out ugly christmas cards. Even with all this technology it took 200+ pictures to get a picture of the boys mostly suitable for the card. The one we sent is still blurry but hey Ezra never sits still anyway. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good year.

Porkstacular Pictures

2005-11-19T22:33:00.000-05:00

mmmm...

Porktastic

2005-11-18T22:14:00.000-05:00

I will admit to feeling somewhat glum on the last post. I didn't sleep so well that night and anthropomorphised the pigs more than is necessary. The PETA people have it wrong. Pigs are not really that smart and if they have feelings they haven't lived long enough to learn how to express them. They have a life span of 7 months and they grow from 0 pounds to 300 pounds during that time frame. Their brains couldn't possibly handle feelings. A pigs brain needs to assimilate that much physical change as well as thermoregulation, feeding and basic coordination with a body that grows a pound to three pounds a day.
It rained all day as it should on a day you bring something to it's death. My dad drove up from MA to help me with the building of a box on my truck as well as the transport. I will add here that both he and Stacee begged me to pay someone to take them away. Thanks for the confidence. Anyway we built a fine box on the truck and formulated a plan of attack. We backed the truck up to the pen and manuevered a ramp into place. We put some fencing along one side of the ramp and got out our bucket of food. The pigs hadn't eaten all day say I figured, with my many years of pig husbandry, that they would practicly fly up the ramp and into the truck. The larger of the two finally got the point and came on up. Dad had to leave to get back to a client right then so we closed pig one in the truck and decided to take it and then return for pig 2. An aside: We might as well name them now because the only attachment to them will be related to a recipe. Snuffy and Oink were the original name so maybe Snuffed and Loink. As in pork loin.
I drove to the butchers and expeditiosly as one might with a 300LB pig in the bed of the smallest pickup ever to roll out of Detroit and pleaded with the butcher to help me unload it.
We opened the tailgate and asked the pig (cumown pig, mon pig, git and like words) to step out of the truck onto the loading dock. The butcher gave the pig a stern 2 second warning and then grabbed it by it's ears and hauled it out of the truck. It took two of us to pull the second one out and it was smaller. Once penned I hopped back into the truck and started planning the second loading. Our friend David who knows how to cook every scrap of a pig helped lure the second pig into the truck. It took considerably longer and the pig definitly knew that where his mate was he would soon be also. I nearly killed it by tying a noose with baling twine around it's neck and trying to drag it in the truck. It put a such a fuss that I had to cut the rope. I tried the "bucket trick" Where you put the pigs head in a five gallon bucket, grab it's tail, and steer it backwards "wherever you want it to go" (the butchers quote) I think the trick part is getting a 6' 4"rookie with a high center of gravity standing in ten inches of pig waste to try to guide a pig that hits me right at my knees up a twenty inch wide plank to my truck. Finally a piece of whole wheat bread and some apples did the trick. I gave a very un-farmerial whoop upon penning the 2nd pig in at the butchers, climbed into my now filthy, reaking cab, rolled down the window, and went home. I had to take two layers of clothes off in the barn and go straight to the showers. After 8 handwashings with 3 types of soap the smell was diminished slightly.

We picked up 210 lbs of pork product this morning and have another 80lbs of hams and 30 lbs of bacon to follow. Heart attacks for everyone!! Please contribute suggestions on how to use fatback. We have 80lbs of it with the skin attached and really no clue as to what to use it for. My suggestion was dry skin treatment.

12 hours to go.

2005-11-14T23:00:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow I take the pigs to the butcher. I'm not so thrilled about it actually. I don't really like them very much but they are very much alive. Tonight I went out to dump a tarp full of leaves prior to the rain tommorrow and happend to walk past the pig pen. Both pigs were sleeping peacefully side by side in a pile of leaves under a very full moon. We'll see how tomorrow goes.
My dad is coming up to help get them into my truck and from there down the road a few miles to the Windham Butcher. There we unload them down a ramp into a holding pen. They hang out there for the day and then Wednesday morning they are "processed".
If anyone would like a cleansing mud bath we have 10" of the finest organic mud and I would imagine we'll have the aromatic bath for quite a while still but we will still require reservations. I'd actually love to toss a few key people in there. You can mentally get in yourself, or toss certain people in if you need to. If you do imagine it please keep it G rated and please hose them off after and bring them some clean dry clothes. goodnight.

new pictures

2005-11-07T21:12:00.000-05:00

Jack at gymnastics. He's learning levitation. To start they let them use trampolines.
Ezra at supplication....He's actually cradling a dried orange seed in his hand and asked Stacee to take his picture. Ezra Orange Pit doesn't sound as good as Johnny Apple Seed

November

2005-11-06T20:44:00.000-05:00

Saturday was nearly 70. Not quite November weather in Maine. Last Saturday was opening day for deer season and instead of being out in the balmy fall air waiting to take a life I was upstairs in bed, swishing water gently around my mouth to rinse any of the mashed potatoes or yogurt I had eaten out of the 5 sockets where once my teeth were. Gross? yes it was a bit, but the made it almost all worthwhile. Since I'm not a casual user of painkillers I can now see how some people can get hooked. I realized that while on them I could think a thought and before I could analyze the thought and convert it into speach I had already spoken it (grammar corrections welcome). Whether it was anger, kindness, a musing or what have you, out it came.
I'd like to prescribe a derivitive of this to people who like to let you guess what they're thinking and the opposite to people, like me, who usually talk without or instead of thinking. Another upside to spending a day and a half sedated in bed was watching the entire 10 hour series of the Band of Brothers DVD. I have always been fascinated by WWII and had heard great things about this series and finally had the chance to watch it. All 10 hours. If you have any interest in WWII get this series. Our library had it and I'm sure your video store does too. Disclaimer: It's very real... Especially on Hydracodone and some other .
The boys are well. The pigs are off to market on the 16th. All 250lbs of them.
Oh.... and we have another Smith on delivery for May 24th.

Grammy Hill

2005-10-12T19:02:00.001-04:00

On Friday I was talking to my mom about our plans to come down to Boston and her and dad were going to take the boys to the circus. She had to finish up a project and asked me to call her back in five minutes. I called back in 15 and got her voice mail. I had three messages from Matt in that 15 minutes. I called him back and he told me that mom was on her way down to Gram's and that Gram had died. Here are some thoughts regarding my grandmother.
First, I'm so happy that she died in her sleep, at her home of 60+ years in her own bed. In no prescribed order: A lifelong card carrying member of the international tea totaler society, her cure for the flu or a cold was peach brandy, honey, lemon and served piping hot. After a dose you were to go up in the room with the twin beds and sleep under a pile of afghans and blankets. Watermelon was a constant on the back porch in the summer time. The pool was always open. I cut her lawn and at the time I cut it it seemed so large. I think she grossly overpaid me. The freezer was full of trays of manacotti. There were pomegranates and nuts on the table in the winter. Sleep was mandatory on Sunday afternoons. It was necessary due to the five course Sunday dinners. The pool was off limits on Sunday due to a little known Levitical law carried over and nestled somewhere ( and I'm still looking) in the new testament. Other laws forbade radio listening (except in the car, and WJIB at the store), TV watching anywhere, missing a church service for anything over than bird flu or ebola, the exchange of Christmas gifts, and the wearing of comfortable clothes on Sundays. There were a number of things making up for most of these prohibitions. We were always treated to individual shopping sprees (curiously around the "holiday" season) to Filenes in Boston, dinners at the Ship, dessert at Putnam Pantry, lessons in how to act in polite company, a swimming pool for our usage primarily, the joke about the man who get's in to his pants both legs at the same time (I don't know that there was ever a punchline, she never got to it) meals for all that were legendary, pastena on rainy afternoons, a commitment to singing and acting like preachers, an international exposure to the "brethren" of many lands including Mr. Stabbit, an early baptism in the works of E.E. Milne (Winnie the pooh), lessons on pruning all sorts of shrubbery, on grass cutting, edging , planting, painting, building a fire in the fireplace, and a car to drive whenever we needed one for a roadtrip (as long as it was to a conference). We lived close enough to walk over during blizzards and having popcorn and hot chocolate by the fire. After her stroke Matt and I would visit her in our suits coming back from meetings and she would light up like a Christmas tree (she was probably picturing us as preachers) and we would struggle with communication but never to the point of utter frustration. If she couldn't get her point across she would finally laugh, shrug and look at us like "whattayagonnado??". Her oil paintings after her stroke are incredible. I'll try to post one or two.

THE SHINING???

2005-09-26T21:16:00.000-04:00

Ezra and a little beat juice at dinner time.

Since the last time

2005-09-26T20:58:00.000-04:00

It has been a while since anything has made it here. We have entered the youth soccer phase of life as Jack is now on the Hannaford Maroon team. I've deamed pre-5th grade soccer clusterball. The ball is somewhere in the center, like a queen bee and her drones and they all keep buzzing around the queen trying to poke at her. Occasionally the ball gets free and they all rush to cluster up once again. Jack's favorite part is the stampede. He runs in the middle grabs onto a shirt or two around him while making an effort to kick the ball and falls down pulling at least two people with him. There is usually a pile-up after which Jack jumps up does a sweet dance move and jumps on my leg. I'm the assistant coach.
Jack is also doing gymnastics. THis is starting to sound like a perfect Christmas greetings letter but bear with me. Most of the kids are in full time pre-school at this point in their lives and we figured we would spend less money and put him in a couple of things that are short term and fun. Anyway gymnastics is incredible. He goes to this gym in which they have every concievable contraption with which to vault from, pommel towards, nimble up and swing on and big pits of foam blocks. Pictures will follow but no he doesn't wear a leotard. One can rent the entire gym for their birthday. Mine just passed so maybe next year.

the nail

2005-09-26T20:55:00.000-04:00

the forementioned finger. The nail has stayed on but every day there is a new spectrum of reds, blues, purples and blacks beneath the surface

Low light

2005-08-29T20:14:00.000-04:00

As opposed to highlight. Yesterday morning we went to church. Stacee was in the nursery and I thoroughly enjoyed the service. It was bright and cool and somewhat fall-like in the morning. We planned on taking a small mountain hike after church with friends and their kids but on the way there it started pouring. We decided to head into Bridgeton for Frappes and coffee at Ricky's Diner. It was a whiny ride home, Jack and Ezra both had had enough of the car and being damp. So did we. We pulled into the driveway and stopped. I helped Ezra unbuckle and Stacee was carrying and armload of stuff inside when we heard the car door slam and Jack let out a shriek...and then a wail. Put down food if you are eating it. His ring finger tip had been slammed in the door. Stacee opened it, gathered him up and brought him inside. Ezra was imitating Jack crying on the other side of the car and saying "wha happen Jack? waaaaa". That makes things better. We put it in a frozen corn bag for a while and loosely wrapped a Clifford band aid around it. After the Veggie Tales Christmas movie he cooled down. The finger tip swelled up pretty seriously though and he didn't use that hand for the rest of the night. This morning it didn't seem to hurt and although babying it a bit he seems fine. Tonight after his shower it was all purple. Jack prefers calling it grey. The nail has started to pull away somewhat from his finger. I'm entirely grossed out by this and am reminded of my cousin Dustin, who at age 4 or 5, did the same thing. Exept it was his middle finger and the tip of it swelled up like a small plum. He would wave his monstous middle finger at people and I can remember him riding his bike with his plum extended while his other fingers gripped the handlebars of his red bike. We were more interested at that age as to what the contents of his plum like finger held and yes we did find out. He had to get it lanced....gag...and he told us that a lot of black "stuff" came out. As a parent I understand better grown-ups reactions to things like this. My apologies for sickening anyone but this is my therapy. I'm getting it off of my chest. I'll let you know the outcome later...commence with your eating.

vacation highlights

2005-08-28T21:43:00.000-04:00

Yes, most of the time at camp all blends together; the swimming, washing dishes, coffee on the dock, canoeing etc... I am not for a second saying that those weren't fantastic in and of themselves but there were a few events that will stick.
Boat Event: We rented a pontoon boat for two days. We arrived Friday and picked up the boat early Saturday morning. The boat was 20' or so in length and had a 30hp outboard. Not a neck snapper. After breakfast we decided since it was a little grey out to take a boat ride. All of us hopped on and commented how this floating patio idea was just grand and why didn't everyone own one. We headed out to the largepart of the lake in the shadow of Borestone Mountain. We had a peaceful but long trip. The next morning was a washout. We called the marina and they allowed us to keep the boat for another day at no charge. It cleared in the afternoon and we all piled back on and were thrilled that the sun had come up and dried everything out. We headed east to the narrower part of the river, took turns swimming off the boat and then turned back towards camp in the western direction. The sky was dark. We turned our sled around and raced to reach camp before the sky opened. Our chances may have improved if some of our group had hopped off the boat, hung on and kicked. A big boat with 14 people on it does not break speed records with a 30hp. At first it was a drizzle and then a nice summer rain and then it poured. For a good 10 minutes it rained hard and just as we were easing into the dock the sky cleared, and there in the distance, a rainbow. We've already submitted this heartwarming tale to Hallmark.
The Spiders: I don't know how Maine, with it's bitter winters and 2 week long summers can do this but Maine grows the largest spiders I have ever seen except for a few bird eating spiders at zoos. If anyone knows there actual breed (or species, kingdom, phylum, genus, what have you) I would love to know. Most of the more terrible ones were under the dock and would come out of a just long enough for you to go "ahhhh, did you see that thing?". They were larger, not exagerating for effect, than a silver dollar. The biggest one though was in our cabin. I opened a door and thought I saw something move on top of it. Having my experience with bats I cautiously looked at the other side of the top of the door and there it was. The biggest, fattest spider I have seen not in a zoo. One leg was on one side of an inch and 3/4 door and the rest was on the other side. I killed it.

Vacation

2005-08-28T09:48:00.000-04:00

Anna and Ezra making mud soup

Breakfast and coloring on the breakfast porch. We were usually up an hour before everyone else and so as not to wake anyone we ate breakfast out here.
Silas shows granpa fly tying.... ok it was just for the picture

These are the cousins.

This is one of many good rainy day activities planned by gram

2005-08-15T16:08:00.000-04:00

Hit me baby one more time....

The Story of the Cowboy and the Bee

2005-08-15T16:01:00.000-04:00

3:36AM

2005-08-09T21:22:00.000-04:00

I tweaked a muscle in my back the other night. It was 3:36am. Stacee woke me and asked me if I had heard something in the room. I hadn't because I was asleep.
She was pretty sure she heard something so the light went on and...Nothing. She peered over her side of the bed to check for AHHHHH. It was on the sheet, hanging upside down, and when she screamed it took flight over the bed and started circling the room.
Under the covers I prayed that God would send great wisdom and bravery to me and that the bat would have it's last breath and just die on the spot. The bat didn't die on the spot.
I stuck an eye out from under the comforter, which at the time was living up to it's name, and saw that the bat was perched on our door frame. I quickly decased my pillow, leapt from my bed, kicked the door shut hoping to crush it's head in the door, but when it didn't I swung my pillowcase with all of my might and gently dislodged the bat from it's perch. As it started it's first trip around our room I dove into bed and as I was diving tried to make my large self quite small. In doing so I pulled something in my upper back. Now we were trapped and my back was cramping up. When I raised another eye the bat was just inches above our heads and I caught it in our comforter. We bundled it up in all of the bed clothes and brought it out into the driveway. We spread the sheets on the car and the bat flew off. The chiropractor doesn't like bats either but my back is better.
A week later, in Magnolia MA, 100 miles south, my parents were trapped in similar fashion in their room by a very similar bat.

JACK'S FIRST FISH

2005-07-30T14:07:00.000-04:00

Presumpscott River. Trolling a Klouser minnow on a Zebco Pushbutton Special. 17 1/2 " smallmouth bass. I thought someone threw a brick in the water behind us at first but Jack was doing all he could to hang on to his rod. It came out of the water a good 3' two or three times. and was netted after about 4 minutes. We may need a new reel. The crank handle is bent.

Casco Days Kid's Parade

2005-07-29T22:31:00.000-04:00

Our second trip to Casco Day's Kid's Parade. Last year Jack was Doombay the African Drummer and this year he chose something a bit more traditional. He also brought candy to throw out which helped earn us the coveted 2nd place, in the fairy tale division, ribbon. For more information on Casco days AND to see Doombay in last years parade take a look at www.cascodays.com (The official picture can be seen at )http://www.cascodays.com/galleries/Friday04/slides/DSC_0184.html

A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words

2005-07-25T22:29:00.000-04:00

I don't have any pictures of this weekend as the camera was left home and I don't have time at this point for a thousand words but I will summarize. The LL Maine Coast Weekend:
A cottage in Cape Rosier Maine, on the Penobscot Bay, just south of Blue Hill with 3 other couples, of whose company we enjoy, and their children (2 a piece, all charming mostly, to LL Maine standard). Horseshoes on the beach, a walk in the woods to pick lots of blueberries, more horseshoes on the beach, and then a big lobsterfest followed by blueberry pie. All the kids were in bed by 9:00 and the grown ups (us) sat on the beach by the fire. Harbor seals or porpoises were coming up just of the beach and breathing pretty loudly. Call me and I'll demonstrate the sound. Kind of like pfffsss, not what you were thinking. The next morning was coffee on the beach followed by kayaking around the bay. We left at 2:00 but not before a brief swim. I'll post the exact temp when I find it but suffice it to say it was ......really....really...cold.

Windham Library 2nd Annual Pet show

2005-07-25T22:12:00.000-04:00

From the left: Best mug for the camera, Best dressed presenter (At 80 degrees the bow tie was a must), and finally best ears. We had any number of things to bring but we couldn't find the cat. The chickens and pigs aren't really pets, although the librarian suggested we bring them, and the other rabbit, Thomasina, died of heat stroke 2 weeks ago.

2005-07-25T22:00:00.000-04:00

The formentioned pigs. They are pushing 100+ pounds a piece. Cleaning out their pen daily is more than a two minute chore. It's amazing to me that something that eats so much and grows so much still has something to eliminate. I don't think we'll miss them when they take their fateful journey. They are truly gross animals. They will drink and e in the same puddle at the same time. It's clear to see where Levitical law comes from.

Camping in Freeport

2005-06-29T17:04:00.000-04:00

Eat it Ezra!!!
Camping in Freeport with Friends

Four Fenway Franks Please

2005-06-29T17:01:00.000-04:00

PLAY BALL

2005-06-29T16:54:00.000-04:00

Fenway Park. My first official work related connection landed is in the 18th row behind home plate. Pittsburgh was visiting Fenway for the first time in a lot of years for inter-league play. Sox win 8-0.

Jack's Dream

2005-06-29T16:47:00.000-04:00

Jack's dream come true. A real live Thomas. We drove 3 1/2 hours and stayed over the night before in a hotel to get Jack on the train. We didn't tell him and when he saw Thomas for the first time it might be the equivalent of a true trekkie getting to hang out with William Shatner for the day. Hopefully the attendants to "Day Out with Thomas" won't be at the Star Wars or Trekkie convention in the next 14 years

2005-06-13T22:09:00.000-04:00

Tire-Ball or Tireball. We haven't decided on the official name yet but in a nutshell this is Tireball. The necessary components are 2 to 4 participants, a tire and a ball. THe ball we have found works the best is an exact replica of Tom Hank's friend in the movie Castaway, Wilson. Complete with blood red handprint. My brother used it three years ago (yes he still dresses for halloween) for his costume. I could post pictures of the rest of it but just watch the movie. Anyway most of you don't know which brother I refer to. The other element is of course a tire. The first match was played on my birthday in September of 2004. It was played with bare feet. The object is to kick the ball through the tire (2 points) or to hit the tire (1 point). Participants take turns playing the ball from wherever it was last. Games are played to 11 or 15 depending on the whim of the participants. You can move the ball a reasonable distanceif it's in a vush or the garden but you can't wait all day for the tire to spin around. Other potential scoring optons that we are considering are a 3 point shot for a one touch ball or header and a 2 points with a free kick if you get the ball stuck in the tire. Good gamesmanship is appreciatted and so is thicker skin.

2005-06-13T21:57:00.000-04:00

A boy and his Tonka. This is the largest truck Tonka makes. It came in handy tonight as we made a game out of using it to fill all the holes the kids had dug in the yard. you can fill three small holes with one load from this truck but only one hole from the other truck (not pictured)

2005-06-13T21:48:00.000-04:00

The pigs are about to go on their grower ration.This means they have completed the first phase of their 3 phase existence. Weaner, grower, and finisher. They'll eat about 10 pounds of grain for the next 50 days and then go on to finisher for another 50 days and then be loaded on a truck and taken down Varney Mill Road to the butcher.
The old hymn comes to mind from my childhood "Life at best is very brief, like the falling of the leaf, like the binding of the scheafe, be in time". Imagine life categorized by 3 types of food. Baby food, real food and then I guess we're back to baby food again. It seems longer though, since we have real food for quite a while. There was a lady I knew at a nursing home who ate a hot dog in rice crispy's three times a day. That's a transition phase, but I digress. The pigs are doing fine and I don't quite know how quickly it takes a person to bind a scheafe.

2005-06-13T21:39:00.000-04:00

North Gorham Pond at the end of the road. Home of enormous small mouth. We have yet to catch one. Jack is patient.

2005-06-13T21:36:00.000-04:00

It's the French Canadian in him.

Updates and Fodder

2005-06-13T16:41:00.000-04:00

Two weeks go by very quickly. It seems as if not much has happened. The pigs haven't taken any fingers from Jack or Ezra although they will bite my boots when I go in the pen.
Things of note an topics of discussion here have been: At four years old Jack must wear something in the pool, Ezra has two more years of complete freedom. This is fine unless like often happens other families just stop on over and Ezra wants to hug them and Jack, with soaking wet Thomas the Tank Engine briefs, is running through the yard wanting to play tag or wrestle, or knight and dragon.
We have made up some more rules to Tire Ball. I'll write more on tire ball later but keep your eyes on the local playground. Tire Ball will be the next Jai-Alai.
I got a call from two people from two completey different areas of life. They were in the same car in Vermont. Dreamlike.

2005-06-06T09:13:00.000-04:00

Sunset on Sebago. White Mountains in the background

2005-06-06T09:09:00.001-04:00

to quote Jack as we were heading out into the lake "This must be my LUCKY DAY"

2005-06-06T09:04:00.000-04:00

Ezra tearing up Sebago Lake. Our neighbors just bought a sweet new boat and we went out on Saturday night for a sunset trip on the Lake. People come from all over the country to vacation on Sebago lake and we live less than 2 miles from it and have only been on it twice.

2005-06-06T08:57:00.000-04:00

The peas are up and the rest of the garden is finally in. We are expecting tomatoes, corn, beans, squash, zucchini, basil, beats, carrots and maybe some potatoes. The garden is not my department so I'm not sure.

2005-06-06T08:54:00.000-04:00

Jack realizing that our lawn tractor is not in fact a John Deere but a reliable Craftsman.

2005-06-06T08:52:00.000-04:00

The pigs, putting on weight nicely. They eat pretty much anything...even pineapple skin. They're amazing. So far the smell is not overpowering.

2005-06-03T10:27:00.000-04:00

Shane, the other catcher. The small one is 36". I see a day off coming up soon.

2005-06-03T10:25:00.000-04:00

Aaron the catcher

2005-06-03T10:23:00.000-04:00

Big brother Matt. Well he didn't catch it but he was driving the boat and they were trolling. 32lbs 42 inches. 10lb test.

Memorial Day Weekend Start

2005-05-27T12:26:00.000-04:00

It doesn't seem like Memorial Day weekend. It's still cold but we did see the sky brighten a bit. No blue yet but it was exciting. Because of the weather we have no plans. The one cook out scheduled for the weekend was rained out.
We are going to celebrate the weekend by having a memorial to the Memorial Day weekend. When I was young we would go to Rockport or someones house, usually a relative, for a cookout with the Hill side of the family. We always had watermelon. My uncle Allen would normally wear patchwork pants. He was the one person I've ever known to wear them that wasn't homeless or reaking of patchouli oil. I'll hit up Goodwill and try to snag a pair for old times sake.

We'll probably go to the Windham Tractor Parade on Monday like we did last year. All the old tiemahs bring out their antique John Deere's Dee-ahs) and run them down the road. It lasts about 20 minutes but I'm sure I'll need (and could use) an old tractor by the end of it. This is Memorial Day's homage' to farming. The fire department gives everyone a little flag. The kids still have theirs from last year. The vets from Windham, and there are quite a few, march last in the parade and everyone waves their flags and follows them down to down to the high school for a breif ceremony. The kids like the guns.
Another memorial day we took a young Jack and a spastic dog named Angus up to Acadia National Park to camp for the weekend. The average temp was about 35 and the wind blew at about 50 mph off the water for the weekend. It was fun and cool in theory.
This weekend we have NO plans. Just think of what could happen over this memorial day weekend. We'll see how it turns out on Tuesday. Until then find some patchwork pants, go to a parade, turn a fan up really high while spritzing yourself with water and eat watermelon. God Bless America

2005-05-26T13:25:00.000-04:00

Ezra's Eggs, 9 total yesterday.

2005-05-26T13:23:00.000-04:00

Jack in action. I built these nesting boxes according to official hieght, weight, and number of boxes per chicken specs, and the chickens all, for the most part, lay their eggs under the boxes in the corner

2005-05-26T13:18:00.000-04:00

Another pig shot. The carpet was installed to keep the pigs out of the damp and wind. They have created a nice nest inside their house and it's actually quite clean and sweet smelling inside. Another thing of interest is that the pigs seem to go to the bathroom in the same spot every day which should make smell control manageable.

2005-05-26T13:11:00.000-04:00

I was actually referred to as James Herriott. Pig feces on green rubber boots make a statement. Who knew? It's the same concept behind the Be Like Mike campaign. Drink Gatorade, Be Like Mike. Wear crappy green boots covered in slime. Be like James Herriott.... I'm so proud

Rain

2005-05-25T11:53:00.000-04:00

Small talk is weather talk. It's small talk that is until it rains for 10 days straight. The weather site I access shows another 6 days of little cloud shaped face with their lips puckered up to show rain, no sun and the kiss of 30 MPH wind.
Depression will be part of small talk by Friday.
"So Bill, how are you?"
"Miserable craving a sun lamp and Prozac. How are You?"
"Oh about the same..."
"If only it would get really cold and snow"
"Yup, I know what you mean, At least we could go outside in it"
"Oh well, I've got to go, the basements flooded"
Even the pigs it. They come out of their shed only to eat and use the facilities. Enough small talk. I'm going home for lunch. More pictures soon!!
We are now accepting advice, or opinions, on should pigs eat coffee grounds and eggshells? We are on the fence about this and can't find anything either way on line.

2005-05-22T16:16:00.001-04:00

Jack and some other Smith's

2005-05-22T16:16:00.000-04:00

Ezra's new hat... and scrapes

Pigs Day 1

2005-05-22T16:11:00.000-04:00

Pigs on day 1 This is the start of a 6 month project that will end one of 3 ways: It will go very well and we'll have a lot of pork at the end of the year, It will go poorly, smell very bad and we'll suffer through the summer to end up with roughly 300lbs of pork, or thirdly it will be a disaster/ learning experience that we don't want to go through ever again. I'll keep us posted throughout.

Ezra's crash, salt in wound

2005-05-18T21:22:00.000-04:00

I make a call to the house every day around 1:00PM to see what I'm missing at the house and I did yesterday. THe morning had been busy and for the most part good but Ezra fell off of a two foot wall and landed on his face. WHAT! Me being the not so "relax I'm sure it's nothing" parent start in with a very helpful line of questioning that went something like "how could you let that happen?" and a much more sensative line "why didn't you hold his hand?". Yes I missed the part in the parenting class about having to watch your child get pretty banged up and then getting accused as a neglectful parent by your spouse. Great job Smith. Anyway Ezra's fine but he looks pretty beat up. Jack couldn't look at him on the way home because he looked scary. Also thanks for all of the comments on potty training. Jack is 4 straight days without an . 3 days till pigs come

2005-05-17T11:36:00.000-04:00

Happy? Excited? a little wiered out? coll pj's anyway

2005-05-17T11:34:00.000-04:00

duck duck goose arial view

2005-05-17T11:32:00.000-04:00

mmm, Thomas cake

2005-05-17T11:31:00.000-04:00

birthday watermelon

Jack's Birthday

2005-05-16T11:19:00.000-04:00

Jack turns four today. There was quite a party at the house yesterday with rousing bouts of musical chairs, sticker tag, duck, duck, goose, and the donut on a string game. Ready for the big surprise... It rained again. I cleaned out the barn so we could run around in there. We're off to Gray Animal Park for Jack's birthday lunch.
Pictures to follow.

2005-05-13T21:34:00.001-04:00

CAKE

2005-05-13T21:34:00.000-04:00

ball, cake, ball, cake, ball, cake

2005-05-13T21:33:00.000-04:00

Ezra's prized present, It stretches three feet

Ezra's birthday

2005-05-13T21:30:00.000-04:00

These are some pictures from Ezra's party. In other news we got another 6 chicks today (pictures to follow) and we put a deposit down on two piglets... or porklets as they will be known as.

May 10th

2005-05-11T10:08:00.000-04:00

I took a personal day yesterday intending to score a turkey and getting some yard work done.
I missed on the turkey but I did get three of 11 posts in the ground for the pigpen. We're hoping to have the pigs by Sunday for Jack's party and that means all 11 posts need to be in and some other stuff done as well by then. Jack's party is probably going to be in the barn because it's supposed to rain again this weekend. That would make it 4 weekends in a row of rain. Maybe we should be raising ducks or trout.

2005-05-09T14:11:00.000-04:00

chickens

2005-05-09T14:08:00.000-04:00

old cat flower

Starting Point

2005-05-09T13:42:00.000-04:00

This is kind of like a Christmas (Holiday) letter that you add to year round. Usually it's all the nice things, quaintly packaged for public digestion... Oh did you here______was promoted to ______ and there child was accepted at University of Phoenix!!! We are SO lucky to know them.... Well here it is 12 months a year.

For starters we had an incedent this morning in which Ezra and Flower ,the cat, were engaged in a skirmish this morning. It ended with me having to pull one of her claws out of Ezra's thumb. At least a cat's claws are sanitary. Especially Flowers. She only kills and brings in cleanish animals like squirrels, mice, moles, woodpecker's, and on mother's day for Stacee a plump robin.

Smithcore is about to aquire two piglets. We are going to raise them for the summer and due to town zoning regulations have them slaughtered in the fall. On a brighter note we are adding another 6 chicks to our 13 remaining laying hens. The college fund is growing.

Ezra just had his 2nd birthday, a ball party, and Jack is anticipating turning 4 on Monday the 16th. More on that to come.

Advice we are open to taking: anything relating to composting, pig raising, tree pruning, and potty training.

2005-05-09T11:18:00.000-04:00

Posing for mothers day photos a few weeks early. It is SO nice to play outside again.

2005-05-09T11:11:00.000-04:00