Hello Friends,

Emily Dolloff here in Don’s absence. Don is on his way south for the winter so I am doing my best this week to be his surrogate. Thankfully I am avoiding writer’s block as there is certainly no shortage of things to talk about this week!

I told Don I felt he was headed south a little too early this year as the weather has been absolutely gorgeous here in the Green Mountains for October and especially over the last week or so. I am going to hang on tight to the memories of this week sitting in my living room at 10pm and still having windows and doors open throughout my house. There is something different about the warm fall breezes and their ability to make you forget how the cold and the snow are just around the corner! However, there is a chance that in the next few days we could see snow here in Vermont at the higher elevations. How crazy it is to think that in the same week we could see both 80 degrees and snow. I guess this is exactly why we say around here “if you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes, it will change”. I will say I have been thankful for all the beautiful weather as it seems the tasks that need to be completed outside before winter comes are never ending and I always feel more inspired to get a few more things done outside the better the weather is out there.

It’s not just the weather has been exciting around the office. Apple made some great product updates yesterday as well! Yosemite, iOS 8.1, new iMacs, updates to the iPads and Mac Mini and more. Apple always does a great job keeping us all in suspense coming up to these announcements and as a result our imaginations tend to run wild. Several of us were talking around the office about a rumored addition of either a 12 inch MacBook Air or a larger 12 inch iPad and the rumor sites only fueled our conversations. Well in the end, rumors turned to be just that, rumors. There was no 12 inch iPad or Macbook Air, but what Apple did announce was still pretty incredible and I am pleased to see that the overlooked Mac Mini finally got an long overdue update. I am not sure I will be adding the new 27 inch iMac with 5K Retina Display to my home office just yet, but it’s very likely my 2007 MacBook (still cranking right along!) could be replaced with the new Mac Mini. I have been debating replacing my MacBook with a Mac Mini for a few years now as my ability to be portable around my home has significantly changed since adding several iPads around the home. I will have to put the new iPad on my Christmas wish list!