Well, the biggest news on the farm is our youngest daughter, Kelly, being selected to join the Peace Corps. It was a long, arduous process. Forms, interviews, more forms and more interviews. She went through a rigorous health evaluation and after all that, she had to just sit and wait…patiently. The process takes from 6 – 12 months. Last year approximately 19,000 people applied and roughly 2,800 accepted, an acceptance rate of only 19%. And our Kelly was selected. We are so proud. Her placement is in Tonga, the South Pacific. She will be teaching grade 4 – 6. Not a bad gig, eh? Yes, we are planning to visit her before her 27-month tour is up. She does have a blog. Click on http://vanfrankenhuyzenk.shutterfly.com/ . It will ask for an email (username). Type in: vanfrank@student.gvsu.edu and then type in the password which is: password1. You can see pictures, journals and blogs etc. Granddaughter, Noorah Cole will be one-year old this November. She also has her own blog www.noorahcole.blogspot.com if you want to check out how absolutely adorable she is. Kelly and I visited her in Maine in September just in time to celebrate Heather’s birthday. Heather has taken to motherhood so naturally. She is taking web design classes so that she can design her boutiques web site. Between her store, classes and Noorah, she keeps very busy. We are very proud of both of our daughters. Now to the farm. I don’t know about your neck of the woods but this was the summer that never was. Cool, wet weather most of the time. Bad for the garden but perfect conditions for a bazillion mosquitoes. My daily walks in the back 40 were an exercise in speed walking and slapping. If I were at all ambitious, this would have been the year to take up jogging in order to outrun the nasty bloodsuckers. That is the only "Pollyannish" way to look at the !#x*! mosquitoes. The weather also contributed to three rows of dead tomato plants. Yup..we got the blight. When I returned from Bangor late September (just an 8-day trip), all my plants were either dead or dying. I burned (not composted) all the debris and will not plant tomatoes in that infected area for 3 years, as suggested. Very disappointing. The weather was good for the prairie…Nick’s pride and joy. It has tripled in size and he continues to harvest seed to spread to new and expanded areas. He weeds and seeds all by hand. It is truly a labor of love. Hazel Ridge Farm continues to be an informal learning center for kids and adults. Tours for birders, botanists, teachers, photographers, students and painters are just a few of the groups that have walked and enjoyed the property. Everyone shares their love and knowledge of Mother Nature. We spotted a Pileated Woodpecker on 3 different occasions, secretly watched mink at the back pond and continually flushed turkey and pheasant. Nick also kept an ongoing journal of an unusual female red-winged blackbird. She had the bright orange wing patches of a male. He observed her build a nest, lay and incubate 3 eggs and raise the hatchlings. The richness and diversity of nature is amazing. It looks like we are going to finally wrap up the paperwork that creates a conservation easement for the farm. We will rest easy knowing that no further building or development will ever take place on this 40-acres. If you need information regarding a conservation easement for your land, talk to us. We will share with you our positive experience with the organization. Nick is having fun with a night camera in our orchard. A visual journal, so to speak. He mounts the camera to an apple tree and the motion detector captures the nighttime raiders. Lots of does, rabbits and several very majestic 8-pointers. I have been studying several new healing methods. I am nearing the end of a yearlong Shaman Apprenticeship taught by an amazing Master Shaman, Colleen Deatsman. I will include her web site chocked full of enlightening information. Specifically, the link is to her explanation of Shamanism. She and her training have enriched my life and has taught me much about the power of intent, focus and energy. http://www.colleendeatsman.com/articles.html . I have also completed Level 1 Esoteric Healing.