Keeping up with the blog is a bigger commitment when you have a full time job, and kids and what not. We took the kids to the fourth of July festivities in Montpelier last night. Great parade and greater fireworks, Evie and AJ got to stay up way past their bedtime, running around on the capital lawn, playing with their friend Aiden and creating a public nuisance.

Unfortunately, I seem never to remember to take the camera anywhere these days.

Also, the damaged toe is all fixed up. After finding out that going to an ER clinic was going to cost me $50, I decided to take out my own stitches on Saturday night. I have an MS in biology, so I figured I was plenty qualified. What I found out is that you should never ever pay real money for this service. A couple beers and toenail clippers is all it really takes.

I did get a picture of this neat tree growing in our back yard. Somebody else may be able to pick out the species, but it's some sort of birch and maybe hemlock that must have sprouted next to each other some long time ago.