Five on Sunday

1. Big Progress on the Waterfall... We have flowing water!! (with one minor leak problem that needs to be corrected) We put in a 2000 gph pump, but might consider upgrading if we can find something in between our current size and Lowe's next size (3600 gph - wowzers!). The pressure seems to be perfect, but we want slightly more volume on the right hand side (visualize a thin 'sheet' of water. We went out Saturday night (leaving the pump running) and came home to a very dry reservoir; after a little snooping around on Sunday, Sam realized that the seams we created between a few sections of liner were not sealing very well. A trip to Home Depot delivered a new cement "specifically formulated for bonding PVC sheeting" - hopefully we'll be able to put it together before the first snow hits.

2. Lilly and Pepper have become best buds. Each morning they spend a few minutes sitting with each other and catching up on their lives. Lilly regularly practices her 'hugging' skills on Pepper - I hope to capture this on film soon - it's simply the most heart warming thing that two 'mothers' can share. Sam and I weren't sure how the dogs would do with a baby in the house to begin with; we've been pleasantly surprised that Pepper is a natural mother - patient, tolerant, and affectionate.

3. Sam and I went to a Wine Tasting & Tapas Party on Saturday night. We had icewine riesling for the first time. If you've never tried it... you must! It was similar to a sparkling cider that had gone flat (or a mix of apple and grape juice that was slightly soured). Absolutely my new favorite thing to promote. Details on what makes it so special:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_wine

4. Hallie's trip down memory lane. When Hallie was a puppy (as in 42 lbs at 13 weeks old), she would sit in the front window like a cat with all four feet in the window. As she got older she began to push on the window and thankfully she eventually was too big to balance in the window. Recently, she decided this was a good idea again, albeit she couldnt get all 115 lbs and 4 feet on the actual sill again.

5. Sunday evening Hallie was on the back deck barking at the neighbors roof line. I tried to bring her inside and she insisted that something was up there - search as I might, I saw nothing. For 15 minutes she stood inside the kitchen door still as a stone staring out the door. Sam came in the room and instantly figured out what she was sooooo worked up about. A giant Owl hanging out - Sam managed to capture a few grainy shots and a short video clip - cool animal!