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Jenny and Doug must miss Barkley enormously, but I really do feel so thankful she's here keeping me company. She lights up my days. Second time out in the snow and she was prancing around, pretty darn cute. Still ready to come in (standing by the door waiting for me to finish digging out the car), but I have no doubt she's enjoying the fluffy white stuff. 

Barkley's First Snow....

Yeah, i'm going to count this as Barkley's first snow. This is the real stuff, the fluffy and light, the snowshoeable snow that I remember from earlier this year. She seems to like it! 

Yup, I should probably buy a snow shovel sometime soon.....

My biggest surprise in Maine. It may be cold and there may be snow on the ground, but I am constantly amazed at how much the sun shines and how blue the sky is year-round. So beautiful. Here Barkley checks out last weeks snow. Hopefully she's ready for our snowstorm predicted for tomorrow! 

It's been a few weeks since I last posted, and so much has happened. Nothing overly exciting in the end, but here's the catch-up -

1. Put an offer on a house in Jefferson, 35 mins away from work. Ten years old, 3 bedroom, no-work-needed right now house.

2. Had offer rejected, countered with more than I can afford. Game over, keep on looking.

3. Went to Woods Hole, caught up with fabulous friends, started to panic about working at SEA in January......lots of lectures to write, pronto!

4. On the way back caught up with Tara, Paul and the kids who moved from Hawaii to Portsmouth in the summer. Was awesome to see them!

5. Work wise it's been proposals, proposals and proposals, and i'm a little burnt out to say the least. But there are more to write before the year finishes, so just got to keep plugging away. On the exciting side i've submitted a few to do some deep decompression diving that i'm excited about. Hope they come through.

6. The usual internal university politics has reared its head in Maine. I keep reminding myself how bad Hawaii is and that makes it better. In short, it's been a highly frustrating few weeks trying to get a summer course on the books the way I want it to be. More on that in a later post once things are firmed up, but it hasn't gone the way I want and that's left me a little deflated.

And that's about that. Health wise it's been a bit sucky, stomach has been playing up (acidy) and had an endoscopy last week (inflammation, but the doctor said it was better than he expected) and I seem to be getting a migraine a week right now. Wonder if it's the changing air (we're definitely getting dry up here!).

I'm ready to start a new year. I keep reminding myself this year has been good because I am here, in Maine, and I love it here. On a day to day basis it's sucked more than a little recently, and throughout the year really (bad cruises, green card bollocks, politics etc.), so i'm ready to kick 2011 goodbye and say hello to 2012. Not too long to wait I guess.....

Last week

Dad and Sanchia have been here this last few days, and it's been really fun going to all the places I haven't managed to go to yet. Thursday we went down to Popham Beach and Fort, Friday we hung around town and went to Edgecombe Fort, Saturday was Pemaquid and a party at the Rigaud's, yesterday we went out to Fort Knox and Camden and today it's Portland. Wednesday they fly out so it's been a whirlwind visit. 

Barkley at Popham Beach - she had fun and is sporting her blaze orange, as the deer hunting season started up this week too. 

Popham Beach

Popham Fort

We had lunch at a fabulous farmhouse out at Popham. It was such a nice day we sat outside in the sunshine and a few friends came by - the Maine Coon cat....

And several flocks of chickens. It was a fabulous place - North Creek Farm

Edgecomb Fort

Barkley breaking the rules......

I knew Dad and Barkley would get on well, they both love to nap on the couch.....

We went trick or treating with friends tonight. Barkley was a trouper and kept her 'costume' on for the whole walk around the circle. The best bit though was a small tot backing away into daddy's legs saying 'that's a scary cat!"....:0)

Happy Halloween!

What better to do on a snowy sunday than build zombie cupcakes! Watch out, they eat brains.....

Snowtober....

If this is a sign of the winter to come, I say "Bring it On!"......hard to believe just a few weeks ago I was wearing shorts and t-shirts! I love the snow. Maybe i'll get over it after a few years, but for now, lots of snow this winter will mean I actually might have time to enjoy it this year (unlike last) and go snowshoeing, skiing and maybe even look up some dog mushing. Today is not the nice white fluffy snow though, it's wet and heavy and will turn into a mud pile in a few days i'm sure....but still, for now i'm enjoying seeing the white stuff coming down. 

Barkley, is not so sure. My little Hawaii girl was having more fun with the sticks blown from the trees than the white stuff, but again, it's really not the fun fluffy stuff just yet, so i'm hopeful. She did the same with rain to begin with here too, and now goes running out in it, so a little acclimation might be all that's needed. 

Snow coming down in the night. 

It doesn't look like it, but it is actually still snowing, and it's supposed to keep going until a little after mid day here. 

Miss Barkley, really not so sure....

Fall has fallen...

Did I mention we have snow predicted for tonight??

More Pumpkin Festival & AAUS Week

Finally getting around to catching up! A whirlwind few weeks to catch up on - the last few days of the pumpkin festival (the weather was fantastic!), the diving meeting (AAUS - the meeting and my talk went well), saying goodbye to Laura (:0(, accepting a 6 week teaching position in Woods Hole for SEA in January, papers, proposals and even looking at houses to buy (gulp). Whirlwind is very true. Next week Dad and Sanchia arrive too, so i'm scrambling to get a bunch done and dusted before they get here. Some photos from the last few weeks.....

The pumpkin catapult, flinging pumpkins into the river....:0)

The pumpkin canon....

....blasting the truck! 

As part of the diving meeting Laura and I went out to Monhegan, and I got to play with my camera a little more. 

Laura and a starfish! 

I still can't get enough of the number of lobsters you see around here! 

Sam, you're adorable....

It was so nice to finally meet you! 

Hanging out with Hawaii Peeps

It's been so wonderful to see Jenny, Doug and Hannah, and to meet little Sam. They left this morning for Portsmouth and then back to Hawaii. I miss them already! Luckily Laura is here for another week (yay!) and of course Miss Barkley, who was well behaved and is happily snoozing away on her bed after a few days of excitement. 

Hannah and I hanging out on the stairs. She's such a star, and so much more vocal than last time I saw her in April. 

Hannah and Mamma trying out Hannah's bed. 

Dadda and Sam, catching up with Outside magazine....:0)

Checking out the giant pumpkins at the Pumpkin Festival in town....

.....and the not so large pumpkins.....:0)

A sacked out Sam. He is totally adorable. 

We went down to the DMC and checked out the beach for a few hours. Hannah was in heaven with all the rocks, week and snails......and Barkley was in heaven with all the dead things to eat.....

Mamma, Dadda and Hannah

Looking at a crab cage. 

Hanging out in the canoe with Laura. 

Giant pumpkin carving! 

Giant Pumpkin carving! 

Laura watching the parade, after the family had headed on out. 

The parade

This one caught my eye......