We took a trip to New Hampshire in order to drive up Mount Washington (and spend some time in Littleton). And yes, we got the little "This Car Climbed Mount Washington" bumper sticker.

What I want to know is: How is it more people have not died going up this mountain?!

No guardrails next to a hundred-foot drop. Steep hills, smoking brakes. Barely room for two cars on the road. Unpaved portions of roadway. High winds. I could go on.

We absolutely loved the experience, but there was no small bit of terror involved. Both on the way up and the way back. I'm just thanking my lucky stars that the mountain closed the day before I was going to take Trevor up there alone in our little Kia last year. I think I would have had a panic attack on the ascent.

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Dave and Bob McEwen at the Isle La Motte Teddy Roosevelt Day celebration. Dave ran some of the logistics and apparently found that being in uniform helped his credibility. Any uniform.

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This is lovely and pastoral, yes? Except if you're a car coming around the corner of this barely two-lane dirt and gravel road.

Sometimes I wonder if the bicyclists realize that people live here on our island. They ride three abreast in the road while we sit behind them in our cars, waiting to go to doctors appointments and jobs.

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The balloon festival at the Shelburne Museum was amazing. We watched the balloons launch, then Dave and Trevor took a ride in a tethered balloon. Gavin and I stayed on land.

But my absolute favorite part of the evening was the nighttime balloon walk. The four of us claimed a spot on a big rock near the lighthouse and watched the ground crews return from their flights. They unrolled the balloons, tethered them, and lit them up like lanterns.

We were in a spot to see five of six, but toward the end of the night, we took and walk in the dark around Shelburne Farms to see the others. It's always a little creepy to wander empty museum grounds at night.

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Trevor wanted to take home a sheep from the Champlain Valley Fair. I draw the line at chickens.

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Sixth graders are the oldest kids in the school and they get to sit in the back of the bus. It's hard to be so cool.

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