Peaches

Our yard here is a little crazy...a little wild even.  It would be a full time job to even start to tame it.  But it has advantages, one being the fruit trees that are growing on the property.  I've mentioned these before.  They haven't been cared for in awhile.  And we didn't want to touch them until after this growing year, to see what everything was.  Some trees are doing okay and others won't have much produce to speak of.  One tree that IS doing well is the peach tree.  We've enjoyed lots of tasty, though small, peaches! 

Trails and Goats

The Pacific Coast was so beautiful, and interesting, that I can't help but post more about our time there a couple of weeks ago! Here is one last shot of the coastline, looking south towards Point Reyes National Seashore.  Amazing!

 On the way down the trail, our friends were telling us that they have at times seen people walking their goats (yes...GOATS) down on the beach, just like we would walk our dog. Hilarious! Well, what do you think we saw at day on the beach??? Someone walking their GOATS. Not just one, but two! Here is a pic of one of them.  They were large goats...taller than my boys.  Talk about seeing the unexpected!

On our way back up the trail to our cars, I couldn't help but snap a couple of shots of the trail.  These pictures do not do even begin to show off the beauty of what surrounded us.  I was super proud of the boys on the hike back up.  They hardly complained, though they were clearly tired after all of their explorations at the beach! 

Rock Climbing and Whale Watching

Ahhh...The Pacific Coast!  What a beautiful place!  Last weekend was the boys first visit to the Pacific Coast.  And my second visit...it's been 10 years since I've been to the west coast. They loved it, as did I!  We went to visit some friends from college who live nearby.  It was great to see them and catch up a bit.  We were also able to meet their little boy, who is 3 1/2.  He may have been a bit younger than our boys, but he kept up just fine.  In fact, I think he ran circles around all of us, my boys included. :) 

Big J thought that the rocks were awesome.  He was always 1/2 mile ahead of us exploring the next group of rocks.  M-man really liked the tide pools.  We saw anemones and lots of other little creatures.  The best surprise of the whole day was being able to see whales!  Our friends said that it was rare to see them this time of year.  They weren't too far off shore, as it was a relatively calm day.  We could see them spout and could see the tops of their bodies.  Big J even saw their flukes a couple of times.  It was a great experience, and so unexpected! 

At the Nature Center

Today, the boys and I headed to a local nature center.  It's in our county, but it's not exactly close by.  It was about 45 minutes from our house.  It was small, but friendly, and had some neat exhibits.  The boys really enjoyed the frog pond that currently has some nice-sized tadpoles swimming around in it.  We went for a hike...they climbed rocks, raced up hills, and chased lizards.  Afterwards, we went to a regional park for a picnic lunch.  The boys had a blast running and playing!  The best part about the whole day was that a cold front had moved through last night.  It was 70 degrees at noon with a nice cool breeze.  After being near 100 for a few days, this weather has been a literal breath of fresh air.  We were longing to have another adventure, and this was the perfect one!

Swim Like a Fish

 

It has been nearly a month since we went to visit family and friends.  I guess it's time to blog about it. :) The boys had the opportunity nearly every day we were gone to go swimming, and they took advantage of every moment!  Here they are, swimming in Mimi and Grandpa's pool.  They swam every day, three times and day, and we had to literally drag them out when it was time to go in.  To say they had fun would be an understatement!  Good times! 

Friday Musings on Life With Boys

As a mom of boys, every day brings new challenges, as well as moments that just make me laugh.  Just the other day, Big J did something that had me laughing the rest of the evening.  I had just gotten the boys new toothbrushes at the store.  They insist on getting these light-up ones that blink for the minute that they are supposed to be brushing.  I like the blinking feature, as it means one less thing that I have to get onto them about.  Now, their favorite toothbrush comes with a suction cup on the end.  In the eyes of a boy, this is the most awesome feature ever.  I've found the toothbrushes stuck to the mirror, the bathtub, and as you can see, the back of the door.  The funny (and maybe a little bit devious) thing about this is that for starters, this was his brother's toothbrush, and secondly, it was on the BACK of the door, which means no one could find it. I happened upon it by chance. :)  It makes me wonder what kinds of things I can expect in the future!

The Best Paper Airplanes...Ever!

Many thanks to Aunt Sarah and Uncle Jeff for these super cool paper airplanes!  The boys have had the best time making Star Wars star fighters that actually fly!  There are a half-dozen of them lined up in the window sill of the living room as I write this. ;) 

They came from the Star Wars Folded Flyers book, in case any one wants to know. :) 

My Personal Ninja

Yes, I have my own personal Ninja!  He is extremely creative and made his outfit all by himself...out of paper!  Welcome to my home...and watch your back. :)

On the Jeep Trail (part 2)

On our way out from the jeep trail, we passed this sign, which is a historical landmark.  In case you can't zoom in, it says that the first mining ditch was built at this spot in 1851.  This was a gold mining area.  We actually saw several people panning for gold at the river and also upstream on a smaller creek that feeds into the river. 

One last thing.  I don't have a picture of it, but on the way home, we crossed over the Foresthill Bridge, which is the highest bridge in California, and one of the highest (conflicting articles say anywhere from the third to the fifth highest) in the U.S.  Awesome!