We enjoyed one of the last summery days by heading out to Duke Gardens for a picnic, where Fiona proved that she was our offspring by immediately liking fresh Guglhupf bread with aged goat cheese. Mmmm!
Our next family adventure was much bolder: we drove out to the mountains to hike a segment of the Appalachian Trail.The impetus was a cool event to commemorate the Dartmouth Outing Club's 100th anniversary, in which the DOC organized 900 hikers to hike the entire trail in one day. We picked a segment in Tennessee not too far from the N.C. border. I was happy because it meant we would fulfill my goal of camping before Fiona turned 1. Jeff was happy because it gave him a reason to hit REI and get that sweet frame baby backpack that he's been dreaming about since we knew we were having a baby!
We found a great little campsite on Watuga Lake in Cherokee National forest. We all managed to sleep reasonably well, although Jeff was forced to confront the harsh truth that our baby girl is too large to sleep in a laundry basket... Here she is crashing for the night in the tent (with Swingsley!) and waking up the next morning.
Our next family adventure was a trip to the North Carolina State Fair in Raleigh. In the picture to the left, we are shown attending a tractor pull. We actually paid money to enjoy this spectacle due to my poor negotiation of the online ticket website. While we were there, we told Fiona that if she ever expresses a desire for a temporary tattoo of the confederate flag on the small of her back, she's going to boarding school in Vermont....
Fiona enjoyed seeing lots of animals at the fair, including a barn full of bunnies, and teams of racing pigs, goats, and ducks. Plus, she got to go on her first pony ride!
We also introduced her to the pleasures of the midway: carnival rides and food on a stick! We ate a month's worth of fried food - our favorite were the fried pickles (although the free hush puppies weren't bad). Here's one of my latest favorite photos showing Fiona on her first ride: the ferris wheel.
Here's Fiona attacking her first caramel apple. As far as we can tell, she thought this was the best thing she'd ever eaten. You can see more photos from our month's adventures, including videos of her pony ride and caramel apple eating posted
here.
And finally, here is Fiona at 8 months, clad all in velour and clapping, as she does these days when she's pleased. She had official "school pictures" taken the previous day, so we may have those to post eventually too.
We found a great little campsite on Watuga Lake in Cherokee National forest. We all managed to sleep reasonably well, although Jeff was forced to confront the harsh truth that our baby girl is too large to sleep in a laundry basket... Here she is crashing for the night in the tent (with Swingsley!) and waking up the next morning.
Fiona enjoyed seeing lots of animals at the fair, including a barn full of bunnies, and teams of racing pigs, goats, and ducks. Plus, she got to go on her first pony ride!
We also introduced her to the pleasures of the midway: carnival rides and food on a stick! We ate a month's worth of fried food - our favorite were the fried pickles (although the free hush puppies weren't bad). Here's one of my latest favorite photos showing Fiona on her first ride: the ferris wheel. 
And finally, here is Fiona at 8 months, clad all in velour and clapping, as she does these days when she's pleased. She had official "school pictures" taken the previous day, so we may have those to post eventually too.
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