Who Was That Masked Man?

I couldn't think of a better way to close out August, than with a visit to the home of our friends the Santalucias. Chris, (who was holed up in the living room with a plasterer for the day) was skillfully and lovingly represented by Jen, his very astute stunt double. It was the most relaxing of afternoons, complete with a tour of the grounds (hen house, vegetable garden, herb garden, Lake George) and enjoyable encounters with The Lozeaus and Aunt Kate Norris. Then it was back to Teresa and Pepper's where a yummy dinner was lovingly prepared using the freshest of ingredients. I have to say, Maeve and Mateo got along rather swimmingly (aside from a few Maeve meltdowns) and he was very attentive and affectionate toward her which, of course, melted my heart a wee bit. Perhaps the highlight of my day, however, was meeting little Mariela for the first time. She may very well be the most mild-mannered, snuggliest (is that a word?), drop-dead gorgeous baby the world has seen in a very long time. So, from start to finish, the day was pretty much perfect (although I know Chris was slightly tortured by not being there). They made it very difficult to leave, but very easy to come back. Here is a shot of our resident super hero and his damsel in distress while on our walk down the dirt road: