Yesterday we went on a tour of an urban goat farm in Portland. It was definitely worth it and I wish I had brought my camera. There were six (or seven) goats there and the kids and some adults got to take a turn milking one of the mellower female goats. Samuel was thrilled he tried it out and really loved the experience. We all got to try out some of the fresh goat milk and I brought home a 1/2 gallon, which I think I am going to use to make soap, although I may end up making yogurt with it, depending on how quickly I move. It is the type of thing to make kefir with but I have no kefir grains. Something will come of it I am sure. The man who owns the farm will let anyone who shows up at milking time take a turn milking the goats. How fun it that?

Today we went u-picking and were pleasantly surprised to find raspberries! and marionberries (in August!!) and even a few boysenberries!

We just finished a really wonderful set of stories by Ruth Stiles Gannett called My Father's Dragon (the second and third books are Elmer and the Dragon and The Dragons of Blueland). They are so good and I can't recommend them enough. I enjoyed them at least as much as Winnie the Pooh! There are just so many good books out there and then there are some really fun ones and this is one of the really fun ones for sure!

I forgot to post that Samuel rented a violin and is now hoping to take violin lessons. His art teacher from last spring teaches violin and we are hoping to have lessons with her. She teaches suzuki violin, which seems like a good fit for Samuel, at least in theory, and he is wanting to give it a try after taking some time with the violin on his own. The place we rented it from was great and they fitted him with a violin just his size and there is a case, etc. So that is some more fun news from around here.