Happy 4th of July

I haven't posted in a long time. Father's Day we went for bike ride and I crashed on the bike trail about 5 miles into the trip. We couldn't take my bike because the stem was too short for Reeve's trail behind bike. I'm not a very good bike rider. I love to ride a bike, but I'm the type that likes to ride with the handle bars up high, not down low & bent over like a speed racer. Well...the bike Tom rigged up was not suited for me and to top it off the trail behind bike frame was bent which forced Reeve to ride lopsided. I switched bikes and rode Tom's bike...for me it was even worse. To make matters worse I noticed I had a huge swelling on my right wrist from pulling weeds in the garden. My hand was so sore I could barely pull the break lever on the bike...I like to go slow so I use the brakes a lot. I'm sure a lot of you are scratching your heads right now at how a little dare devil like Tommy married such a non-risk-taker like me! Anyway I tried to rest my hands on Tommy's aero bars...they look something like this:

I lost my balance and crashed. Luckily I was wearing a helmet because I hit my head hard. This was the result:

It doesn't look so bad, but remember I'm a wimp when it comes to personal injury. It hurt really bad, and I had to pick the gravel out of my hands & toe. The skin on the heels of my hands was scrapped off by the fall, so I couldn't use my hands for a couple of days. Reeve helped by doing dishes. I gritted through the pain and was all better by the end of the week. Now I will always ride my bike, wear biking gloves, wear my helmet, and wear covered toe shoes.
We're raising monarch caterpillars agian this year. Luckily I snapped some pics of them before they turned into their chrysalises. Reeve wanted to be a little silly in this picture.

They eat a lot of milkweed and grow at an incredible rate.

At the last minute we decided to go camping at the Midwest Renewable Energy Fair in Custer, WI. There was a HUGE turn-out this year. It's always fun to hang out with cool like-minded people.

We were incredibly lucky that the folks who run the campground at the fair took pity on us and offered us an unofficial campsite off the trail. I promised next year we'd make reservations:

We had a great time listening to and dancing to the funky sweet soul music of Paul Cebar & The Tomorrow Sound (aka Paul Cebar & the Milwaukeeans). Kyle really wanted to get Reeve to crazy dance with him, and eventually we were all out there shaking a leg.

After some dancing the kids found some horses to feed.

The next day we woke up with the sun and had a delicious breakfast in the Organic Valley tent.

Next the kids and I found shelter from the downpour of rain in the "Fun with Animals" tent. Oh that poor bullfrog getting squeezed!

Kyle liked petting the snake.

The kids are in tennis lessons this year.

They're having a lot of fun with it.

On Monday Kyle came up to me during his lesson and asked me to get a bug away from his ear. I couldn't see a bug and he said he kept hearing buzzing. Then after the lesson we went to the library. In the library he let out a little scream and said something bit him in his ear. Then he said he heard more buzzing. Recently someone told me their son had an earache and the doctor had found two ticks stuck way in his ear. YUCK! I wasn't going to take any chances and we went to the clinic right away to see what, if anything, was in his ear. Sure enough the doctor looked into Kyle's left ear and saw a bug that looked very much like this

crawling around in Kyle's ear! The doctor said it gave her the willies to see that bug in his ear, after she composed herself she was dumbfounded because Kyle and Reeve couldn't stop laughing. Reeve was having a fit and was literally on the floor in tears because he was laughing so hard. The doctor tried blowing the bug out. That didn't work. Then the doctor tried to drown the bug and put water in Kyle's ear. The bug bit Kyle again. I had to hold Kyle on his side while the doctor, on her knees, tried once again to get the bug out with water. Finally the silly little mean bug came out. The doctor said that was the funniest visit she's ever had. I'm glad we were able to brighten her day.
We're off to go camping at Devil's Lake State Park. Everyone please have a safe & happy 4th of July.