Bean Camp - ponies and puppies

Tuesday and Wednesday of our Bean Camp week were spent on animal adventures. Nate left for DC for a conference, so we were on our own with Gigi and Babu along for our fun. On Tuesday morning, we visited Green Mountain Australian Labradoodles at Pam and Alex McEwing's house, where they had 10 puppies for us to play with. 

We tired out those little puppies

After the puppy adventure, we stopped for lunch at Ray's Seafood in Essex. The kids were really interested in the lobster tanks, and Jimbo ordered a whole lobster for lunch.

Amazingly, the kids helped crack and eat this thing

That afternoon, the kids and I went to the beach to watch a storm come in. We took a selfie.

On Wednesday, we all headed to Good Hope Farm in South Hero. Aunt Jean (my Uncle Peter's sister) runs CHAMP (Champlain Adaptive Mounted Program), so her program owns several very gentle horses and ponies that are used for therapeutic riding classes with developmentally challenged kids and adults. She introduced us to Millie, their newest pony, who is very sweet but still needed to be tried with kids before being used in the CHAMP classes. Sign us up!

Aunt Jean, Millie the pony, and an interested audience

We helped groom and tack Millie, and then Cora and Silas had a chance to ride.

So excited

Afterward, Cora helped wipe Millie down and put her back to pasture.

The barn, originally known as Contentment Farm
when it was owned by the Yates family

Also: Dad bought a drone.