June 2023

In terms of weather, June was a very pleasant month with temperatures mostly below average hovering near 75 F max, and low humidity. We did finally see more rain and heat later on though. Here is a link to all of our photos and videos from the month.

Mouse in the House (continued)

Rob: So we realized we might have a mouse problem when we found a situation in the closet on Memorial Day, as noted last month. The first week of June, we did catch one or two more mice (in humane, catch and releae traps) -- in total we caught 5. But we haven't seen any or caught any more since then. So for now, that appears to be the end of it, and plugging the small holes in the wall might have fixed it. I did hear something scratching on the inside of the wall in the bathroom, which supports my theory that that's where they came in from. Our living space is situated above an old barn or horse stable that is now just used for storage by  our landlord, so I'm sure there are plenty of mice down there that might get up into the walls on occasion.

Canadian Smoke

Rob: So far this summer, there have been many wildfires up in Canada due to drought. The smoke has been pushed down into the eastern U.S., and many days have been poor air quality. There were a few days in June that were especially bad -- it was just yellow outside, so thick you could even look at the sun in the middle of the day. And I can't smell but Becky said it smelled bad too. Everyone had to stay inside. It looks like these fires are continuing, so we might be dealing with some bad air quality all summer.

Annual Softball Picnic

Rob: We planned a church softball picnic again this year, but it was around the time when the smoke was really bad and I thought we might have to cancel it. Fortunately, things cleared up enough for us to go outside. We ordered some Dominos, people brought sides and desserts. kids played on the playground, some people hung out around the pavillion, and others got a few innings of softball in. Probably our best year so far for participation in the softball game.  The weather was cool at around 70. So it turned out to be a pretty good time.

Outings

Rob: Some of our photos and videos this month will show a visit to Minnewaska State Park, which is always a favorite and was particularly beautiful on the day we went after some rain. Also Bowdoin Park up in Dutchess County, which has not only a splash pad, but a nice walking trail near a pond full of turtles and frogs and where  we saw a deer pose for a pretty fabulous photo (shown above). Not shown is a trip we made to the Walkway Over the Hudson, where we got hit with a very intense downpour that turned to hail as we were coming back across the bridge, with no cover whatsoever. Me and Alex booked it with his jogging stroller and made made it to the other side before the hail started. Becky trailed behind though, and had to protect herself from the hail with Alex's scooter. We were completely drenched, but it was fun times. Later in the month, we enjoyed a nice stroll along the Heritage Rail Trail near Goshen, which was freshly paved and thus perfect conditions for Alex's scooter. There I saw my first firefly of the season.

What Else Is New

Rob: June was a very busy month in terms of work. I've lost count of how many NIH applications we have submitted, but probably 5 or 6, each with their own deadline, in addition to other work. So lots of late nights catching up on things after bedtime, when I'd rather be watching Netflix or something. But the good news is that we got one small foundation grant to investigate the effects of COVID-19 on pregnancy, and also a big NIH grant to investigate how Zika virus transmits from mother to fetus. Those are fruits from labors earlier this year, so hopefully some of these recent efforts pay off down the road as well. 

Alex: Alex has not forgotten how much he loves fireworks, and so when we lit some sparklers he was pretty excited about it. So now if you just say the word "fireworks" or "sparkle" (what he calls sparklers), he runs to get his shoes and then we go do some sparklers out in the yard. We've done that several times this month, and look forward to doing some of the more exciting stuff on the 4th.

Becky:  I generally really enjoy my job.  Kids with ASD tend to provide a non-stop stream of comedic material for the parents and I to laugh about.  What's new for me is my participation in primary at church.  I spend most of my time in the nursery, but today I got to be with some of the older kids.  The more I'm in primary, the more ideas start popping into my head about how to increase participation, manage behaviors, etc.  I like getting to create a good nursery environment for Alex, too.  Another part I like is working with Tawnya, the Primary president, and Heather Kofoed- before she moved.  But it looks like we'll have some new faces in primary as a couple new ladies are being brought in, and a few new families have moved into the ward this summer.  I look forward to working with them.