On Monday, Alex drove to Cincinnati for business. Lil and I followed on Tuesday to take advantage of free hotel, visit our friends and their new baby, and enjoy some time away from the homestead. We've reveled in the air conditioning, being too cheap to turn it on at home. We met that beautiful baby with a head of shockingly thick yellow hair. Lil and I explored the Gorman Heritage Farm, the Newport Aquarium, and Sharon Woods park. Today we'll shop at Ikea and Jungle Jims.

What feels even better than what I did, is what I haven't been doing. I haven't been collecting eggs thrice daily. I haven't let dogs in and out and in and out. I haven't cleaned up poop, weeded, or watered. I haven't shaken butter, washed dishes, or taken pictures of darn near anything. It's been a very nice break, largely because our neighbor is taking care of the animals with genuine care.

This is a good time of year to leave the homestead. When we took a vacation in mid June last year, we missed ripe strawberries and peas and weeds took over. If we left in August, tomatoes would rot from the neglect. We'll sneak in another trip in mid July, hopefully just after spring vegetables are finished producing and late summer ones begin.

I've been plagued with poor Internet service, so all the posts I hoped to write and the site redesign I'm planning were put on hold. Perhaps this is the way it should be, forcing me to truly take advantage of this little break and focus on my family and relaxation. We'll return to the chores of everyday life tomorrow.