Cigi for the weekend

 Last year, for Christmas, I gave Chris and Jason a gift certificate for a night at the Arlington Hotel in Paris. Nic and Dave gave them a meal there and we both said we would babysit. Well Chris stretched it to 2 nights and we picked Cigi up in Paris on Friday.

We stopped at a farmers market on the way home

 

At first she was a bit intimidated by all these bright orange aliens

but eventually she screwed up the courage to touch one.

 

Nic and I felt we would have to keep her busy so we had a variety of activities planned. 

Apple in hand, she helped take the pruned Rose of Sharon sticks to the fire pit.

Apple still in hand she examined

a fuzzy caterpillar.

Then we sat on the Edge for a while, eating an apple and watching "berbs". We discovered that they were her 2 favorite things....apples and birds.

Up early (way, way too early) we went to the market in search of apples. Finding none

we went up the road to an apple farm and bought a bag. Happy, with apple in hand.

Really not interested in the trees covered in apples, just in getting them in her mouth.

Ok, yes that's pretty, but where are the apples.

Next chore, shucking corn on the front porch and watching the birds.

After a nap it was down to the beach

where she played in the sand, walked in the water and had an ice cream cone (shared 3 ways, we didn't want her on a sugar high)

Another early morning and, after breakfast, we sat on the front porch, with apple in hand, before cleaning out the games cupboard (she helped Nic make sure all the chess pieces were there)

We met Chris and Jason in Aldershot to hand her back. Exhausting but so much fun. She really is easily occupied and happy to eat cheese and apples at every meal, turning down other offerings (ate a banana and some cheerios for breakfast)

Sad day today as Spellbound came out of the water. Boom off,

mast down and bottom sprayed off.

It was like a funeral procession with Spellbound being carried to her cradle, followed by Rick and Tim walking and me in the car.

She was deposited in her cradle where she will sit for the winter while Rick itemizes all the things that need doing this fall (that he wont get around to until next spring).