puppy raiser cookout...

What a fun weekend this has turned out to be. After the wedding yesterday, we were packing up and heading down to the beach house. My friend and fellow puppy raiser from New York State, Lee, takes the house for a week and invites the rest of the puppy raisers to come and have a lobster bake. It's nice when we can cook them outside and leave all the "mess" in the driveway.

My dear Ed.. the master chef... pretty good for a guy who really doesn't care for lobsters or clams... (he had a steak on the grill --- which I cooked)....

Everyone brought some special treats to go with the lobsters and clams.. and it was a feast fit for a king or in our case.... puppy raisers.... doesn't this table look yummy????

Ah, yes.... now this is what it's all about. For the record.. I ate two, and then had two to bring home. I love lobster!!!! and hope we'll have some more feeds before the summer's end.

Here's the gang... course you know when you say puppy raisers, you also mean the puppies too.... and we had a good batch again this year....

The doggies are as excited to see  each other as the humans are. You can tell that they really are good friends....

Abbie was with us because Sadie and Jesse were off on their honeymoon... she was "in charge of Debbie"....

They're beginning to warm up to each other, but Abbie tells me that she still misses Rylie.

Uncle Rick... your suppose to be eating lobsters.. not children!!!!!

Zuzu just cracks me up... she does everything in her poodle style.. including.. "I want to have fun and be silly, but no one can see me doing that!!!"

Debbie enjoyed smoozing with everyone... she really is a charmer and had Tom right where she wanted him. The weather was perfect, the company was simply grand and the food wonderful... such a perfect time....












And at the end of it all... Papa and Abbie were completely exhausted.....

the wedding of Sadie and Jesse...

Saturday, July 20, 2013.. at 11:00 AM the wedding ceremony of Sadie Mae and Jesse John.... at Sweetgrass Farm.........

We are set up, and ready to go......

Food arrives..... a traditional pig roast!!!!!

The house is alive with activity... everyone is getting ready for the big day.....

The woodstove serves today as a flower spot....

Abbie is taking this very seriously and listens carefully as to what "her job" will be...

My Mom and Dad.. and Amy, take their turn going down the "isle"....

Pastor Abby, Jesse, and the grooms men....

the flower girl.....

Here comes the bride......

(and Tatter nearly trips Ed!!!!)














Kassy....

the vows.....

a shady spot, and perfect view of the activities......

exchange of rings....

The wedding party.... of course we had a professional photographer, so these blog photos are what I could catch while trying to play Mother of the Bride.... and I will just let the rest speak for themselves... but I will be so excited to see what MaryEllen captured with her camera....

The Manchester family.......

getting ready...

As with any big event in my life, it would seem that we plan and plan, and it feels so far away, and suddenly.... here we go. The farm has been all dressed up and it feels like something big is about to happen. Even the "yard" that we have kept "wild" for our bees, seems to be showing off it's beautiful colors....

The weather is still quite warm, but we are so grateful for the breeze that is sweeping down the pastures. IF there is a breeze to be found, it will come across our front lawn, right where we plan to put the tents. Ed was up early, went and got Rick and the two of them headed down to pick up the supplies. Everything went very nicely into out big trailer and they were back much quicker than I had thought.

The rest of the setting up troop arrived and parts and pieces were laid out. I was a bit worried about this "tent business"... normally when you reserve one, it comes with a set up crew... but we didn't reserve it in time, so the set-up was up to us. Ed seemed pretty confident in doing it....

Kass, Nate and Reagan arrived to help out where ever they could. They also are staying over tonite, so that makes me very happy. Reagan was pretty interested in all the going on's and didn't want to take his nap.....

Since there could be only so many playing with the tent, Nate jumped on the mower and finished up that job for Ed... I have to say, with the rains we had all spring and the late day thunderstorms.. the grass has stayed nice and green.....

All in all, the tent went up quite easy.....

Course, if one could figure out how the knots worked....

Or what "kind" of knot you might need to keep things up..... that might be a good thing!!!!!

And then all of sudden.... tent was up and there it was!!! We were very pleased to notice right away how much cooler it was under the tents... and now if the breeze keeps up, we will be in great shape for tomorrow. One thing, no predictions for rain...... so, we'll take the heat and sun....

Jesse's Mom - Terri - volunteered to do the flowers, and had her own little "shop" going in the garage. This is certainly going to be a family style - home grown country wedding... which, I believe Sadie and Jesse were hoping for....

Pretty as the wild flowers out in the pasture....













And so, here we go!!!! and not to brag, but could there be a prettier place to have a wedding.... for today, I think not....