>And we’re off to Toronto! We found some great reviews of ice cream places and also of playgrounds so I think we will be all set! New “border crossing” rules went into effect yesterday, so we will let you know how it goes when we enter Canada. They weren’t in effect last week, so we had no problem going into Ohio. Sorry Brutus.

We have tons of strawberries coming in this year! I wonder when they will ripen? Or if birds will get them before we get back? There is something that is eating in our garden. We’ve planted several sunflowers and once the plant gets about 5 inches tall with big leaves, something eats the leaves. We even planted new ones in a pot and placed the pot on the front steps to protect it from the “wild” that is east lansing. Of the two in the pot, one was eaten in the last couple of days. Im hoping the other one makes it, but suspect it may get eaten too. So far, nothing has eaten the basil, which is thriving like we’ve never seen before. We sure do miss the Markster, but that dog LOVED to eat basil. We’ve also got tomatoes and onions and corn growing. The corn is complements of Bee’s kindergarten class. They were studying how plants grow and she brought home a cup with 4 plants sprouted so we stuck them in the ground. We also cleared out the area next to the Doll House (aka the shedd), and a new herb garden which includes: Mint (which is growing really well!), rosemary (which is hanging in there, though now sure how it will do in this climate), chives, oregano, and the aforementioned basil.