Moose Twins and a Job!

June has gotten off to a great start. The weather has been everything but what's forecasted (so we've had lots of sunny, beautiful days) and training is going really well. With Kelsey (my new training buddy and teammate) gone off to far away places I've been on my own a bit more but it's what I'm used to so I don't mind too much. Casey, Brian, and Russell are around for a bit so at least the shooting workouts aren't too lonely. We've also been lucky enough to have Nick and Gabby, two cross country skiers who join us when they're home from college in summer, join us occasionally. Gabby just graduated from Bates….huge CONGRATULATIONS to her!

Casey, Gabby, Nick, and Seth enjoying popsicles after the first hot track workout of the summer.

***Remember, you can click on any of the photos to view them all larger in a slideshow format. 

A couple shots from a road ride I took earlier this week...

My biggest news and life alteration is probably the JOB(!!!) I got two weeks ago. Kelsey and I are both going to be waitressing a bit this summer at the Lakeview Restaurant in St. Agatha. I've already started and this week I'll be on my own (no more training wheels) for the first time! We have two private parties this weekend so hopefully I've learned enough to fly solo!

In other excitement….this family came through our yard while we were eating breakfast on the porch earlier this week. So awesome!

These past two weeks I've been working on some ski technique ideas and getting good and comfortable on the range again. I can happily say that both missions are going really well.

 

Working on range procedure during combo workouts….that means a lot of one-shots (taking just a single shot each time on the range)!

Afternoon precision session in the sun….

I've opened my standing position ever so slightly and so far it's a much more relaxed stance. Notice how my left foot is slightly behind my right in the picture….that's what I'm working on instead of having my feet lined up side-by-side and perpendicular to the targets. 

The summer's first mountain/cross biking adventure with Seth last weekend. We've had amazing weather up here and I've been taking a ton of pictures because everything is so lush and green. It's gorgeous! 

Seth and I took a detour through some farm roads on our way home from a track workout earlier this week and I grabbed these shots quickly so as to avoid being carried off by black flies. The pond is Daigle Pond and the fields are the top of Cemetery Hill. 

Last week I decided it was time to conquer some of Eva's fur and help her shed a bit more quickly. I brushed her for probably close to a half hour (much to her dismay) and you can't even tell it happened. So much kitty fur! When I finished I stuck the fur pile in a pot with the brushes and came back shortly thereafter to find her pulling it out of pot to play with it (see bottom left photo in the collage)!

Some crafting: bullet earrings in Out There colors (the orange ones around the right side) that are now on their way to Wisconsin! 

My new relaxation station….although with the hot sun and clear skies we've been having I've had to hide in the shade more than I like! I won't complain about sun though...

The latest additions to my hat collection...

I've been harvesting some of our neighbor Clifford's rhubarb lately. After three rounds I think I've settled on raspberry rhubarb as my favorite of the sauce options. 

 

Project complete: When I was at home earlier this spring I scavenged some old fencing boards from my uncle's house and cut them (including learning to use the saw) to create this. It came north to Fort Kent with me still in pieces and has since been screwed together, painted and hung. Now we have a fun place to display all of our random and mismatched coffee/tea mugs! 

I ran this trail along the river's edge here in Fort Kent with Seth last week. Right now it has these tiny blue flowers with yellow centers all along the trail's edge, making it absolutely picturesque to run along. 

Smartwool sent me some socks to test out….I think I almost ruined them on their first adventure when I slogged through shin-deep mud in the woods with Kelsey. 

Luckily they passed the sniff test from Eva so they're approved for more adventures.

I just found out that I'm mostly likely going to get a boot sponsorship from Alpina this year so I can retire my VERY TIRED (but well-loved) roller ski boots soon. 

Thank you Alpina….my feet truly appreciate your support!

What's next? 

Another 10 days in the County and then I head home to NH for a quick visit packed full with a trip to see the Phantom of the Opera in Boston with my mom, Kid's Day on the Farm at Beans & Greens and hopefully some quality time catching up with my parents! 

Happy June!