Gregory Palooza Pictures

In case you haven't had enough pictures of the Gregory Palooza, or you didn't get to see them while you were there, there are about 50 more in the slideshow.  Thanks again to Justin for the food, Mom and Dad for the accommodations and everyone else for being there.

Melissa's Good-Bye to Elwood

Jason usually does all the posting, but today is my turn. It was a hard decision to make, but we had to let Elwood go. Last summer's back injury was catching up to him again. He was also struggling to breath. I could not bear to watch him. A few rolls of the tennis ball, a walk to the corner, a trip down the stairs were all out of the question anymore. For a dog dedicated to running, retrieving, and goofing, this was clearly no fun. I realized it was time to say goodbye to the lipcurl, the licks to my hand, the water dripping from those lips two sizes to big, the socks in the yard, and the everyday goofiness that was Elwood. From the day we thought we were going to pick a puppy but instead he walked over and licked my hand as if to say he picked me; he never strayed from my side, he always jumped on the bed next to me, laid at my feet at the fire, and watched and waited at the back door for me to come home. He may have hunted with Jason, but he was my companion, and I will miss him terribly. Hug your dog for me tonight. Give them that extra toss of the tennis ball and remember that they picked you as much as you picked them. You owe it to them to do the right thing no matter how it makes you feel.

Floors and Furniture

We've been too busy and/or tired to post lately but I thought we should update the progress here.  The last trip was a big one, getting paint and flooring all done.  We were then able to put some real furniture in the house, like our new old floor table provided by Mom and Dad.  We even got some of the seed bag decorations on the wall.  These were the bags that we found in the attic of the garage covered with 3" of dirt and other dirt.

The plan from here forward is to slowly get to a few things every trip but also to give ourselves some time to enjoy the summer.  The roofing party is planned for Aug 6-8, but after that it should be on cruise control for the rest of the summer.