The Kingdom Animal Shelter Calendar Contest is up and ready for your votes.  There are some really cute pictures displayed.  I know only two of the entries - Helen Morrison's "Ali" cat is #13, and our "Woody" is #15 (actually displayed at #51, but that will probably get corrected.  You are allowed only one vote per person a day, and voting goes on all month and will be tallied on Sept. 30.

Moe Gardner celebrated his birthday today - we got a picture of him with Jane Milne. We were happy to see Moe so chipper and looking great, enjoying his family and friends.  After we left there, we stopped to see Bob and Theresa at camp, and Jamie took us for a ride around the pond so we could get some pictures to update the directory.  I'm not sure if we got all we needed - I left my list at home - but Fred will get at least some of them on, probably tomorrow.  "Otto," Jamie and Marie's dog, had a great time on the pontoon boat, but on the way back, he crashed - reminded me of my kids when they were little and we'd take them for a ride around the pond in "Raja," our inboard.  Something about the hum of the motor at idling speed would put them to sleep every time.  Of course, it would be after a day in the water and after dinner - when they were supposed to be winding down, anyway.

We watched some crows feasting on our apples yesterday.  They are very clever.  One was in the tree and we watched as that one would hop on the branch until apples would fall, then he'd swoop down and join his buddies pecking away at them.  A couple of them carried whole apples in their beaks away from the others so they'd have it all for themselves.  We are used to having the deer raid our apples, but they at least concentrate on what's on the ground, and don't shake the tree to get more.

Jamie found a good sized bear in their driveway when he came home around lunch time today.  The bear ran ahead of him all the way up the driveway and across the field above their house into the woods.  Jamie said he followed him with the truck and honked his horn so perhaps the bear would be discouraged from coming back.  He was feasting on some rather large choke cherries that overhang the driveway.  I'm surprised they haven't been around our apples - yet.  At least one year a bear broke a large limb off our transparent apple tree, and cleaned every apple off it before we even knew they were ripe.  At least the crows don't break the trees down to get the fruit.

It's been a pretty nice day, even though the forecast wasn't promising.  We hope you are having a safe and fun-filled Labor Day Weekend.  Summer is certainly winding down, but then we have the beautiful fall colors to look forward to - and more nice weather, we hope.