One of my new favorite beers is Sam Adams Boston Lager. Yeah, yeah, I know, not a Maine microbrew, but good nonetheless. Nice and hoppy, but not as much as the commercials claim (at least, certainly not as hoppy as my old fave Pale Ale by Saranac...). Onena these days, Alice, I'm going to produce a Portland Pale Ale.

Happy Birthday, Byron. I know, I know, this may or may not be your actual birthday, but you always knew that I could never remember it. I just know that it was around Veteran's Day. This is the last of the homebrew Pale Ales that I brewed this spring that we never got to drink together... at least not on this side of the mortal coil. Happy 37th, brother. I raise my glass to you.

On our way home, we got to see Grammie. We also drove through Bennington, VT and got to see the Revolutionary War monument there. In all the times that we have driven back through Bennington, we had never seen it other than a huge spire of rock rising through the wooded hills that you can see approaching the town. They have Gen. Burgoyne's camp cooking pot on display that was captured in the battle.

Saturday, October 14, 2006. Byron's Memorial service held at the Soujourner Truth park in New Paltz next to the Walkill River. People were invited to talk about Byron and how he had influenced their lives, poetry was read (just remember to breath...) and the pipes were played. At the end of the service, as befitting a Viking, Byron's model viking longboat was set aflame and sailed off down the river. People also lit candles and set them afloat down the river. Farewell, my warrior brother and await me in Valhalla one day.

Walter at the ripe old age of seven months. Thanks for the Cookie Monster hoodie, Gramma!

I first noticed this sign a couple of months ago while sitting at a light. I don't know who created this, but since then, I've found another in Portland based on a different sign. Very clever. I'm not sure if anyone has really noticed it as it blends in so well. But it hasn't been touched for months and so I'm guessing that everyone just overlooks it.

For Halloween, Walter was... the exact opposite of what his normal persona is. The costume also had a little tail sewn onto his butt.

The boy modeling his black-eyed bunny hat that I bought for him last summer (on sale!).


Walter is a ham. He saw me with the camera and had to have his picture taken. His in-house paparazzi obliged.

Walter has also taken up reading as a hobby. Here he is with the last book on his light summer reading list. Next up is "War and Peace."






Even he is surprised by his rapid development!

Walter hasn't been making us update this blog as much as we'd like, leading us to show multiple images from successive months. Here he was at four months...










and at five months...


































and six months. happy half a year birthday, Boy!

R.I.P. Byron Joseph Preston. Born Nov. 12, 1969, Died Sept. 4, 2006. Drinker of beers, teller of stories, reader and student of history, wearer of fezzes and hunter of ghosts and oldest of friends since 1991. You will be missed by your 'brother.'

Though it was for a sad occasion, the boy and M and I took our first trip together to Ulster County, NY to visit his Uncle Byron and Aunt Kathy and cousin Nora.
















We also got to see many other Aunts and Uncles, including Uncle Geoff and Aunt Seana, his surrogate grandfather Wolf and Uncle Peter who looks all too natural with a baby in his arms.

and perhaps his favorite (at least ours...), prunes.

first carrots...
both before...


and after...

first peas...

Walter has had many firsts in the last few months...
first cereals... both rice and oatmeal.

It has been a busy past month since I last updated this blog...

The boy has experimented with his turban phase... it was just a phase.

The boy and I also had a busy schedule watching the World Cup.




Here we are cheering on France in their semifinal vs. Portugal. I'm wearing a German national jersey and the boy is wearing a new outfit as well.







It was also Walter's third month birthday. He'll soon be bigger than his teddy bear.




And the boy has started Basic Training.

It was the boy's two month birthday this past Sunday and while we didn't get a cake or really celebrate, it feels as if we passed some sort of milestone. Walter is getting so much larger than from when we first brought him home. He is growing like the proverbial weed. He had his first pediatrician's visit outside of the hospital yesterday where he was weighed, measured, poked and prodded and given 4 shots which he did not like at all.