Last week we spent a couple of nice days in central Massachusetts at our friends lake house, including some time paddling in the canoe. Here's Lee with our friend Joey.

Since then we've settled into Amherst at my dad and sister's house. It's the first time since we left Taiwan on June 12 that we've spent more than four consecutive nights in one place. We're here for two weeks with a quick weekend trip in the middle to visit Philadelphia.

It's that time in the summer when teachers inevitably turn their thoughts towards the new school year. Hard though it is to believe, there's less than a month until the first day of classes.