Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
What do the numbers look like?
Foster Care StatisticsNumbers and Trends
Author(s): Child Welfare Information Gateway
Year Published: 2007
Children In, Entering, and Exiting Care
These numbers give a broad picture of the number of children in the foster care system during a specific fiscal year.
Point in Time. As of September 30, 2005, there were an estimated 513,000 children in foster care.
Entries. During FY 2005, 311,000 children entered foster care.
Exits. During FY 2005, 287,000 children exited foster care.
Trends. Between FY 2000 and FY 2005, the number of children in care as of September 30 dropped, while entries into and exits from foster care during those years increased.
Placement Settings
Children in foster care may be placed in a variety of settings and may change placements among or within the different types of settings.
Point in Time. The estimated 513,000 children in foster care as of September 30, 2005, were in the following types of placements:
46 percent in nonrelative foster family homes
24 percent in relative foster homes
10 percent in institutions
8 percent in group homes
4 percent in preadoptive homes
4 percent on trial visits (short visits with prospective foster or adoptive families)
2 percent had run away
1 percent in supervised independent living
Trends. Placement type on September 30 remained relatively unchanged between FY 2000 and FY 2005.
Permanency Goals
The ultimate goal for children in care is permanency with caring parents. Permanency goals refer to the goals for permanent placement that are reported to AFCARS.3
Point in Time. Of the estimated 513,000 children in foster care as of September 30, 2005:
51 percent had a goal of reunification with parent(s) or primary caregiver(s)
20 percent had a goal of adoption
7 percent had a goal of living with a relative or guardian
7 percent had a goal of long-term foster care
6 percent had a goal of emancipation4
8 percent had not yet had a permanency goal established
Trends. The most dramatic change between FY 2000 and FY 2005 occurred in the proportion of children with a goal of reunification, which posted an increase of 10 percentage points. Also of note was the 9-point decrease in the "No Goal Established" category. This may be partially due to improved data reporting practices.
Outcomes
The outcome statistics for children leaving foster care are somewhat reflective of the percentages for the permanency goals (see above), especially for reunification and adoption.
Exits. Of the estimated 287,000 children who exited foster care during FY 2005:
54 percent were reunited with parent(s) or primary caregiver(s)
18 percent were adopted
15 percent went to live with a relative or guardian
9 percent were emancipated
4 percent had other outcomes5
Trends. The percentage of children reunited with family decreased by 3 points between FY 2000 and FY 2005. Overall, the percentage of children exiting foster care to a permanent family (i.e., reunification, adoption, or living with a relative or guardian) showed only small variations across the two periods.
Length of Stay
Length of stay in foster care refers to the amount of time between entering and exiting foster care. It may be days, months, or years, depending on a number of factors.
Exits. Of the estimated 287,000 children who exited foster care during FY 2005:
17 percent had been in care less than 1 month
33 percent had been in care for 1 to 11 months
22 percent had been in care for 12 to 23 months
11 percent had been in care for 24 to 35 months
9 percent had been in care for 36 to 59 months
8 percent had been in care for 5 or more years
Trends. The median amount of time children spent in foster care remained stable between FY 2000 and FY 2005 at 12.0 months. However, when the time periods are broken down, it becomes apparent that fewer children were in foster care less than 1 month or longer than 3 years and more children were in foster care from 1 to 23 months in FY 2005, compared to FY 2000.
Age
Children can enter foster care at any age, from infancy up to age 18 years.6
Point in Time. The median age of the children in foster care on September 30, 2005, was 10.6 years.7
Entries. The median age of children entering foster care during FY 2005 was 7.7 years.
Exits. The median age of children exiting foster care during FY 2005 was 9.7 years.
Trends. The median age at entry and exit decreased between FY 2000 and FY 2005, while the median age of all children in care at a given point in time increased very slightly.
Race and Ethnicity
AFCARS tracks children's race or ethnicity. Using U.S. Bureau of Census standards, children of Hispanic origin may be of any race. Beginning in FY 2000, children could be identified with more than one race designation.
Point in Time. Of the estimated 513,000 children in foster care as of September 30, 2005:
41 percent were White/Non-Hispanic
32 percent were Black/Non-Hispanic
18 percent were Hispanic
8 percent were other races or ethnic origins
Trends. The percentage of Black/Non-Hispanic children in care as of September 30 dropped 7 percentage points (from 39 to 32 percent) between FY 2000 and FY 2005, while the percentage of White Non-Hispanic children and the percentage of Hispanic children each rose 3 points. Percentages for other race and ethnicity categories remained the same.
Entries. Of the estimated 311,000 children who entered foster care during FY 2005:
47 percent were White/Non-Hispanic
26 percent were Black/Non-Hispanic
18 percent were Hispanic
9 percent were other races or ethnic origins
Trends. The percentages of White/Non-Hispanic and Hispanic children entering foster care increased and the percentages of Black/Non-Hispanic and other races decreased between FY 2000 and FY 2005.
Exits. Of the estimated 287,000 children who exited foster care during FY 2005:
45 percent were White/Non-Hispanic
28 percent were Black/Non-Hispanic
17 percent were Hispanic
9 percent were other races or ethnic origins
Trends. Changes in the racial composition of children exiting foster care between FY 2000 and FY 2005 included a decrease in the percentage of Black/Non-Hispanic children and an increase in the percentage of Hispanic children and children of other races or ethnic origins.
Gender
AFCARS numbers have consistently shown a slightly greater percentage of boys than girls in foster care.
Point in Time. Of the estimated 513,000 children in foster care as of September 30, 2005, 52 percent were male and 48 percent were female.
Trends. This reflects the same percentage breakdown by gender as was found in FY 2000.
Author(s): Child Welfare Information Gateway
Year Published: 2007
Children In, Entering, and Exiting Care
These numbers give a broad picture of the number of children in the foster care system during a specific fiscal year.
Point in Time. As of September 30, 2005, there were an estimated 513,000 children in foster care.
Entries. During FY 2005, 311,000 children entered foster care.
Exits. During FY 2005, 287,000 children exited foster care.
Trends. Between FY 2000 and FY 2005, the number of children in care as of September 30 dropped, while entries into and exits from foster care during those years increased.
Placement Settings
Children in foster care may be placed in a variety of settings and may change placements among or within the different types of settings.
Point in Time. The estimated 513,000 children in foster care as of September 30, 2005, were in the following types of placements:
46 percent in nonrelative foster family homes
24 percent in relative foster homes
10 percent in institutions
8 percent in group homes
4 percent in preadoptive homes
4 percent on trial visits (short visits with prospective foster or adoptive families)
2 percent had run away
1 percent in supervised independent living
Trends. Placement type on September 30 remained relatively unchanged between FY 2000 and FY 2005.
Permanency Goals
The ultimate goal for children in care is permanency with caring parents. Permanency goals refer to the goals for permanent placement that are reported to AFCARS.3
Point in Time. Of the estimated 513,000 children in foster care as of September 30, 2005:
51 percent had a goal of reunification with parent(s) or primary caregiver(s)
20 percent had a goal of adoption
7 percent had a goal of living with a relative or guardian
7 percent had a goal of long-term foster care
6 percent had a goal of emancipation4
8 percent had not yet had a permanency goal established
Trends. The most dramatic change between FY 2000 and FY 2005 occurred in the proportion of children with a goal of reunification, which posted an increase of 10 percentage points. Also of note was the 9-point decrease in the "No Goal Established" category. This may be partially due to improved data reporting practices.
Outcomes
The outcome statistics for children leaving foster care are somewhat reflective of the percentages for the permanency goals (see above), especially for reunification and adoption.
Exits. Of the estimated 287,000 children who exited foster care during FY 2005:
54 percent were reunited with parent(s) or primary caregiver(s)
18 percent were adopted
15 percent went to live with a relative or guardian
9 percent were emancipated
4 percent had other outcomes5
Trends. The percentage of children reunited with family decreased by 3 points between FY 2000 and FY 2005. Overall, the percentage of children exiting foster care to a permanent family (i.e., reunification, adoption, or living with a relative or guardian) showed only small variations across the two periods.
Length of Stay
Length of stay in foster care refers to the amount of time between entering and exiting foster care. It may be days, months, or years, depending on a number of factors.
Exits. Of the estimated 287,000 children who exited foster care during FY 2005:
17 percent had been in care less than 1 month
33 percent had been in care for 1 to 11 months
22 percent had been in care for 12 to 23 months
11 percent had been in care for 24 to 35 months
9 percent had been in care for 36 to 59 months
8 percent had been in care for 5 or more years
Trends. The median amount of time children spent in foster care remained stable between FY 2000 and FY 2005 at 12.0 months. However, when the time periods are broken down, it becomes apparent that fewer children were in foster care less than 1 month or longer than 3 years and more children were in foster care from 1 to 23 months in FY 2005, compared to FY 2000.
Age
Children can enter foster care at any age, from infancy up to age 18 years.6
Point in Time. The median age of the children in foster care on September 30, 2005, was 10.6 years.7
Entries. The median age of children entering foster care during FY 2005 was 7.7 years.
Exits. The median age of children exiting foster care during FY 2005 was 9.7 years.
Trends. The median age at entry and exit decreased between FY 2000 and FY 2005, while the median age of all children in care at a given point in time increased very slightly.
Race and Ethnicity
AFCARS tracks children's race or ethnicity. Using U.S. Bureau of Census standards, children of Hispanic origin may be of any race. Beginning in FY 2000, children could be identified with more than one race designation.
Point in Time. Of the estimated 513,000 children in foster care as of September 30, 2005:
41 percent were White/Non-Hispanic
32 percent were Black/Non-Hispanic
18 percent were Hispanic
8 percent were other races or ethnic origins
Trends. The percentage of Black/Non-Hispanic children in care as of September 30 dropped 7 percentage points (from 39 to 32 percent) between FY 2000 and FY 2005, while the percentage of White Non-Hispanic children and the percentage of Hispanic children each rose 3 points. Percentages for other race and ethnicity categories remained the same.
Entries. Of the estimated 311,000 children who entered foster care during FY 2005:
47 percent were White/Non-Hispanic
26 percent were Black/Non-Hispanic
18 percent were Hispanic
9 percent were other races or ethnic origins
Trends. The percentages of White/Non-Hispanic and Hispanic children entering foster care increased and the percentages of Black/Non-Hispanic and other races decreased between FY 2000 and FY 2005.
Exits. Of the estimated 287,000 children who exited foster care during FY 2005:
45 percent were White/Non-Hispanic
28 percent were Black/Non-Hispanic
17 percent were Hispanic
9 percent were other races or ethnic origins
Trends. Changes in the racial composition of children exiting foster care between FY 2000 and FY 2005 included a decrease in the percentage of Black/Non-Hispanic children and an increase in the percentage of Hispanic children and children of other races or ethnic origins.
Gender
AFCARS numbers have consistently shown a slightly greater percentage of boys than girls in foster care.
Point in Time. Of the estimated 513,000 children in foster care as of September 30, 2005, 52 percent were male and 48 percent were female.
Trends. This reflects the same percentage breakdown by gender as was found in FY 2000.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
And what would you do without gas?
Well, that's what many Georgians, especially Atlantians are trying to figure out. What can I do and what can I eliminate if I don't have gas? Who knew it would get so bad. I walk outside and I hear the hustle and bustle of cars passing by, as if nothing changed, as if there were no "gas crisis". Friday night was a fun night, huh dad? Knowing the present situation of gas here in Atlanta, I knew that I needed to minimize where I went and have done pretty good the last week. Well, Friday I was on a little less than a 1/4 of a tank and knew I had to get gas sometime. My dad was a little closer to empty then I, well, you could say the needle was sitting right on empty. So, Friday I must have called 15-20 gas stations in Kennesaw and Marietta to see who would be getting gas. Most of the responses that I got were "hahaha, no, no gas". So, I would insist on asking, "when do you plan on getting gas, anytime soon" and generally would get the response "not a clue, not any time soon". And then there were gas stations who had just received gas and it was already gone in less than a 6 hour span of time, usually it takes a gas station 3-7 days to empty their gas tanks. So, I finally got one station in Marietta that would be getting gas on Saturday. I was excited, even called my parents to tell them so they could be prepared to go to the gas station on Saturday. Well, I thought I would try one more gas station, just about 2 miles from my parents house, to see if they had gas or anticipated getting it anytime soon. Shock - they were going to be getting gas at 6pm. It was 3pm and I knew I had to be there. So, I called my parents back and told them that they needed to be at the BP before 6pm. Well, I packed a few things (not knowing if I would run out of gas, get to the gas station and them not having, etc., I was just trying t be prepared) up and made sure I was on the road over to the gas station by 5:30pm. Well, that was my plan. I thought I would stop off at the store first and then head over to the gas station, but when I passed the gas station at 4:30pm, there was already a line. I called my dad to make sure he was on his way and we were both in line by 4:45pm. So, we wait in anticipation of gas coming at 6pm, the gas attended promised - 6pm or earlier. We all eagerly waited. It got close to 5:30pm and we found out that the gas would be there between 6pm and 9pm. Wow, now we had a couple of hours with no guaranteed time that the gas was going to be there. So, both my dad and I got out of our cars and decided to be good citizens and let the other poor folks in line know that there really was no gas and we were all jut waiting in anticipation that the gas was going to be there some time between 6pm and 9pm, with no guarantee that it was going to be there at all. It felt like I talked to over a thousand people, it probably was close to a couple hundred, but it sure felt like a thousand :--). As I am getting ready to tell another group of cars that there really was no gas, a gentleman said "I just followed him in, the gas guy is coming, he's coming". I told him that he better not be lying :-). I went and told everyone that had been waiting that the the gas guy was coming, the gas guy was coming. Sure enough, within 2 minutes the gas truck came .... and went right by the gas station. you should have seen every one's faces - disappointment. And then, around the corner came the gas truck, he needed to come into the gas station from a different angle. So e started organized all the cars out of the way so the gas truck could pull in without any problems. We were sooooo excited that the gas guy was there. By the time the gas guy arrived, it was about 7:30pm and it seemed like a hundred+ cars were waiting in line for gas. They were double parked on the two roads to get to the gas station. By the time the gas guy finished filling the tanks and we were able to pump, it was able 8pm. An interesting evening to say the least :-).
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Is It Really Fall?
With the daytime temperatures maybe not but the evening, Ohhh Yesss!!! We went with the Dearborn's to camp yesterday. What a beautiful lake. About 20-30 acres with trees right down to the shoreline in most areas and the trees were starting to change. The swamp maples were a gorgeous burgandy color and there were reds, yellow and even a few pink mixed in.
Dan and Dad took the canoe out on the lake and tried their hand at fishing. No bites, the fish must know that the fishing season is over on the 30th. Dan was ready to cast off and the top of is reel plunked into the pond. It was a good thing that part of the line was still attached as it went down and he was able to pull the top up. Of course his line looked like a very messy bird nest. He had to bring it back and try to cut the line free, oh by the way he didn't try putting it back on the reel, yards and yards and yards of it. They went around the lake a couple of times and Dad was the only one fishing, but they really enjoyed the time. Jo and I sat on the deck and knitted. I was knitting an afgan and Jo was knitting and unknitting. She hasn't knitted for a long time and couldn't get the guage right.
We sat on the deck for a while but it started to get chilly as the sun started to set. It was a delightful afternoon. On our way out we passed a yard that had a yard that had a Volkswagen painted pink with eyes and a snout on the front and about 6 little kids cars around it also painted pink with eyes and and snout. No Lipstick though. At first I thought it was a political statement but realized it was just a weird yard ornament but cute.
Oreo went with us and if I had let him loose he probably would have swam out to the canoe. He really misses Dad when he isn't around.
They are saying that we will be getting an ocean storm and and it will start to rain Friday morning and pour in the evening and continue through most of Saturday. We really need rain right now. Not as dry as Georgia but we will need to have rain to give the plants a good start on the wintering process.
Well, I'd better conclude for now. I have some kitchen windows to get washed. Thank goodness they can be washed inside and out from the inside. That is good, no standing on ladders outside.
Hope everyone is well. I will write again soon. I won't be writing when I am in Washington. This time I am not taking the computer, only a small gym ag carry on and an over shoulder bag Kathy made for me. I am going to enjoy being with Nana and Auntie Judy.
Love you all,
Mom, Grandma
Dan and Dad took the canoe out on the lake and tried their hand at fishing. No bites, the fish must know that the fishing season is over on the 30th. Dan was ready to cast off and the top of is reel plunked into the pond. It was a good thing that part of the line was still attached as it went down and he was able to pull the top up. Of course his line looked like a very messy bird nest. He had to bring it back and try to cut the line free, oh by the way he didn't try putting it back on the reel, yards and yards and yards of it. They went around the lake a couple of times and Dad was the only one fishing, but they really enjoyed the time. Jo and I sat on the deck and knitted. I was knitting an afgan and Jo was knitting and unknitting. She hasn't knitted for a long time and couldn't get the guage right.
We sat on the deck for a while but it started to get chilly as the sun started to set. It was a delightful afternoon. On our way out we passed a yard that had a yard that had a Volkswagen painted pink with eyes and a snout on the front and about 6 little kids cars around it also painted pink with eyes and and snout. No Lipstick though. At first I thought it was a political statement but realized it was just a weird yard ornament but cute.
Oreo went with us and if I had let him loose he probably would have swam out to the canoe. He really misses Dad when he isn't around.
They are saying that we will be getting an ocean storm and and it will start to rain Friday morning and pour in the evening and continue through most of Saturday. We really need rain right now. Not as dry as Georgia but we will need to have rain to give the plants a good start on the wintering process.
Well, I'd better conclude for now. I have some kitchen windows to get washed. Thank goodness they can be washed inside and out from the inside. That is good, no standing on ladders outside.
Hope everyone is well. I will write again soon. I won't be writing when I am in Washington. This time I am not taking the computer, only a small gym ag carry on and an over shoulder bag Kathy made for me. I am going to enjoy being with Nana and Auntie Judy.
Love you all,
Mom, Grandma
Friday, September 19, 2008
Fall in Maine
Hi Family,
Fall has started to set in, in good old Maine. The days are staying warm after it warms up in the morning, got cool last night but not as cool as it is at Kathy's. With the oil situation we are hoping for a late winter, warm winter and an early spring. Do you think we are hoping for too much? The original Farmer's Almanac says that it is going to be exceptionally cold this winter in the New England states. Hope they are as right this year as they have been in other years. NOT!!
Dad is trying to get things ready to accept what ever cold that comes along. Just hope for little bit of cold though.
We will be going to the Fryeburg Fair on September 30th. Hope the weather is as nice as it usually is for the fair dates. Of course we go on Senior Citizen day. No fee for parking and we don't have to pay to get in. Now I would say that is a great bargain. Only pay for the fatty food we eat. Of course I have to have my Sausage and Pepper sandwich.
As Mom said it is a great day. The black and white pest is sitting in my lap demanding that I scratch him under the chin. He puts his paw on my arm and raises his head as if to say "right about there"
I'm also doing a little body work on my new toy (my new truck). I'm also doing a couple of rust spots on Mom's car. I have my own little cart I made to put all of my "stuff" to do work on the cars. I guess I don't have to much to do. We are going to go with the Dearborn's to their kids camp to pick up the canoe and while we are there we will have a picnic lunch and Dan and I will do some fly fishing. Mom and Jo will probably sit on the deck and sun themselves. When it comes to fly fishing I have a ton of flys and haven't the foggiest on which one to use so I try them all, but not at the same time.
I will be going to Writer's Conference on Saturday to learn some more stuff. One of these days I will write a book or maybe finish a couple short stories.
Dad and I were interviewed for a story in one of the weekly papers regarding Hazardous Waste. Come to find out we have more that we though we did. Window cleaner, furniture polish and a couple of other things that really surprised us. We had batteries in the drawer and of course the buttons we need for some things and that is hazardous. They are Lithium. We also had a bag of batteries that we have kept forgetting when it comes to the Collection days. Oh well. One of the pictures was terrible. We will send the article to you so you can see it wasn't as bad as it sounds. We know the proper way to discard the harmful stuff.
Well I guess this is enough rambling for now. Let's see what we can come up with next.
Love you guys.
Mom and Dad
Fall has started to set in, in good old Maine. The days are staying warm after it warms up in the morning, got cool last night but not as cool as it is at Kathy's. With the oil situation we are hoping for a late winter, warm winter and an early spring. Do you think we are hoping for too much? The original Farmer's Almanac says that it is going to be exceptionally cold this winter in the New England states. Hope they are as right this year as they have been in other years. NOT!!
Dad is trying to get things ready to accept what ever cold that comes along. Just hope for little bit of cold though.
We will be going to the Fryeburg Fair on September 30th. Hope the weather is as nice as it usually is for the fair dates. Of course we go on Senior Citizen day. No fee for parking and we don't have to pay to get in. Now I would say that is a great bargain. Only pay for the fatty food we eat. Of course I have to have my Sausage and Pepper sandwich.
As Mom said it is a great day. The black and white pest is sitting in my lap demanding that I scratch him under the chin. He puts his paw on my arm and raises his head as if to say "right about there"
I'm also doing a little body work on my new toy (my new truck). I'm also doing a couple of rust spots on Mom's car. I have my own little cart I made to put all of my "stuff" to do work on the cars. I guess I don't have to much to do. We are going to go with the Dearborn's to their kids camp to pick up the canoe and while we are there we will have a picnic lunch and Dan and I will do some fly fishing. Mom and Jo will probably sit on the deck and sun themselves. When it comes to fly fishing I have a ton of flys and haven't the foggiest on which one to use so I try them all, but not at the same time.
I will be going to Writer's Conference on Saturday to learn some more stuff. One of these days I will write a book or maybe finish a couple short stories.
Dad and I were interviewed for a story in one of the weekly papers regarding Hazardous Waste. Come to find out we have more that we though we did. Window cleaner, furniture polish and a couple of other things that really surprised us. We had batteries in the drawer and of course the buttons we need for some things and that is hazardous. They are Lithium. We also had a bag of batteries that we have kept forgetting when it comes to the Collection days. Oh well. One of the pictures was terrible. We will send the article to you so you can see it wasn't as bad as it sounds. We know the proper way to discard the harmful stuff.
Well I guess this is enough rambling for now. Let's see what we can come up with next.
Love you guys.
Mom and Dad
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
The countdown ....
I'm almost there ... :-) ... Just a couple more months to go ...
In a 20 month span of time I can say that I was organized and dedicated … I can say that I completed three degrees from three different schools. But why you say, why would you go for three degrees? Well, that’s simple, hehe, well, besides being a bit crazy; I could not decide which program to take so I thought I would take them all.
By mid-February 2009 I will be finished with South University …
By mid-June 2009 I will be finished with Boston University …
By mid-August 2009 I will be finished with Tiffin University …
And all that to say that I have MCJ3 … that is MCJ to the 3rd degree (thanks uncle Tom for that one :o) …
In a 20 month span of time I can say that I was organized and dedicated … I can say that I completed three degrees from three different schools. But why you say, why would you go for three degrees? Well, that’s simple, hehe, well, besides being a bit crazy; I could not decide which program to take so I thought I would take them all.
By mid-February 2009 I will be finished with South University …
By mid-June 2009 I will be finished with Boston University …
By mid-August 2009 I will be finished with Tiffin University …
And all that to say that I have MCJ3 … that is MCJ to the 3rd degree (thanks uncle Tom for that one :o) …
Mom and Dad,
I wish you the best for your birthday's. I've been wanting to come up to New England to see Amy and Jason's baby and to watch the waves roll up to the shore in front of your house.
Now is the perfect time to be in Maine.
Tourists are gone, parking spaces in front of your favorite restaurants have opened up.
The leaves are just starting to blush. Oh yes, it's also time for the running of the dogs.
We are sending these pictures for Oreo and hope that he doesn't forget his friends down South.
Can you send us an Oreo picture to pass around?
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Catching up from down south
Labor Day weekend was quiet in Ellijay. We came up on Friday afternoon. It was warm ( actually HOT). We had to run the AC Saturday. Andrew and Jackie came up for dinner Saturday. It is fun to have company here since it's so far off the beaten path.
Julie and I sat on the front porch Sunday morning and watched the hummingbirds wrestle over the feeders. They have no problem reminding us when it's time to fill their feeders.
The yellow jackets have been out in full force. Zoe got stung on the upper jaw and it swelled up to look like a platypus, fortunately the swelling went away the next morning. We found a trick to get rid of the yellow jackets that has had great success. We built a tripod with sticks; tied a hot dog covered in maple syrup and dangled it over a pan of water mixed with dish detergent. ( The detergent breaks the surface tension of the water) The bees swarm the hotdogs and in their greed to grab all the meat they can, they drop into the pan of water, overloaded. The dish detergent prevents them from skating across the surface of the water and they drowned.
It's kind of neat to watch, especially since we have no TV up here.
I have seen some tracks in the driveway that are too small to be a bear, but too large to be one of our dogs. There are three toes with very sharp claws. I'd like to find out who they belong to.
Apple season has started. The orchard bins around here are filling up. The Apple Festival is next month. We are looking forward to going to it.
We picked a batch of figs yesterday and put them in the dehydrator. They might have been in there a little too long. They taste like fig flavored rocks this morning. We're going to have to learn how to dry fruits or consider new dental work.
We hope ya'll be able to come visit soon.
Love T3
Julie and I sat on the front porch Sunday morning and watched the hummingbirds wrestle over the feeders. They have no problem reminding us when it's time to fill their feeders.
The yellow jackets have been out in full force. Zoe got stung on the upper jaw and it swelled up to look like a platypus, fortunately the swelling went away the next morning. We found a trick to get rid of the yellow jackets that has had great success. We built a tripod with sticks; tied a hot dog covered in maple syrup and dangled it over a pan of water mixed with dish detergent. ( The detergent breaks the surface tension of the water) The bees swarm the hotdogs and in their greed to grab all the meat they can, they drop into the pan of water, overloaded. The dish detergent prevents them from skating across the surface of the water and they drowned.
It's kind of neat to watch, especially since we have no TV up here.
I have seen some tracks in the driveway that are too small to be a bear, but too large to be one of our dogs. There are three toes with very sharp claws. I'd like to find out who they belong to.
Apple season has started. The orchard bins around here are filling up. The Apple Festival is next month. We are looking forward to going to it.
We picked a batch of figs yesterday and put them in the dehydrator. They might have been in there a little too long. They taste like fig flavored rocks this morning. We're going to have to learn how to dry fruits or consider new dental work.
We hope ya'll be able to come visit soon.
Love T3
Monday, September 1, 2008
Happy Birthday Mom and Dad
Hi Mom and Dad,
We wish you both a fabulous birthday celebration.
May all your wishes come true....
Love Kathy & Mel and of course Cameron....
Life is a Journey!
The one thing I can say about you both, Mom and Dad, is that you have the best of life ticket.. You know how to live life, love life, relish life and share it with others. You shake away the bad and hold onto to the good. That is an incredible legacy to pass on to your children, grandchildren and now even great grandchildren.
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