May Not Be White...But it Sure is Wet !

 Rain and wind......3 days straight now !  It's supposed to snow later this afternoon, but I'm really not encouraging it......Tess, Seth and Molly are driving to San Francisco for the day and I want Molly to be able to get home tonight and Dan and Anna are driving up this evening from Stockton .....hopefully they make it before the snow starts falling. 

  As you can see, Shasta.....our last remaining kitten....is not the least bit concerned.  One of the advantages for being an "only" cat is that Jim takes pity and lets you in the house.  She's a good girl so I don't mind......actually kind of like it !
   Just about ready for Xmas....presents all wrapped, nuts all roasted and fudge all made.  Sweet Anna is making lasagna for dinner when they get here tonight......so for me , a 49er's game to watch, a cozy bed to crawl into later....nothing much to do.  Until I wake up tomorrow morning !  Morning brings......last minute house cleaning, camping stew to make for Xmas eve dinner and a big plate of homemade cream puffs.......sort of stacked like a Xmas tree !!!!   My mom will  come up early ,I hope,it wouldn't be Xmas Eve day without a last minute trip to Worton's , our little mountain grocery store.  Kids will be showing up later in the afternoon......just in time for dinner ! 
   So many cherished traditions this time of year.....I repeat them each and every year with such joy and anticipation.  Merry Christmas to each of you .......enjoy each and every minute of the coming days.

Who Needs Crab !!!

 Granny's annual Crab Feed was scheduled for last Friday, but, alas, the crabbers chose to go on strike !!   No crab for the masses !  Granny went with menu option # 2 and after a trip to Costco on Thursday.....we were good to go.  Shrimp Scampi for 12, along with Granny's world famous Caesar salad.  All the "local" kids were there and Denny and Joan made it also.  Actually, it was a going away dinner for them as they're headed back to Maui for the winter. 
    It was wonderful to spend time with everyone, but the star of the party was little Bryn.  It had only been about 10 days since I'd seen him, but what a difference 10 days makes !  He's such a big boy now, full of smiles and unbelievably seems on the verge of crawling......he's not even 4 months old yet !  We all had a blast with him.......a much loved little boy.
    Tess and Bryn came up and spent the night after the party and so the next morning Tess, Molly and I headed down for a little holiday shopping.   We were pretty sucessful and had a lot of fun, as we always do.

Today,between football games, Jim and I were semi productive.  I got the outside Xmas lights up and make some apple muffins.  Jim painted the front door.......huge improvement !   Molly went down to see Ross last night and won't be home until after work tomorrow ........teriyaki and asparagus for dinner tonight!
   

Creekside !

     Super wet weekend....12 inches of rain in the past 36 hours, with winds to match.  Good thing it was such a warm storm or we might be buried in snow until Spring.  Seems like it's starting to clear up and next week promises to be drier !

     Dan and Anna braved the storm this morning to come up to watch the Niner's game with us.....I was so glad when they arrived safely.  It was great ,as always, to have them come.  The 49ers lost ,but we enjoyed the nachos and each other's company.
     Yesterday I did a big craft show down in Roseville.  I did really well.....maybe the economy is turning around !  Molly spent the day there with me and I couldn't have done it without her.  It's pretty much a tradition for Molly to come with me, she's been doing it for quite a few years, at least 6 or 7......so sweet of her and so much fun.
  Now that I don't have to be chained to the sewing machine I can start enjoying the season !  I'm meeting my mom for lunch tomorrow and hope to do a little Xmas shopping.  My list keeps getting bigger and bigger.....I have lists on top of lists, on top of lists!   Good thing I love to Xmas shop, I was born to do it !
   

A Very Merry Thanksgiving !

   Whewwww.......what a week !  Action packed and I wouldn't trade a minute of it !  
     Josh, Melanie, Taige and Tia came on Tuesday.....we were so excited to see them !   The weather was wet ,but it was a "warm" wet so no snow for them to contend with .  Seth and Amanda came up to share dinner with us, a really fun night !   The next day I was knee deep in flour and sugar and it was a miserable day, weather wise.  Everyone just kind of hung out......we did get in a few rounds of Mexican dominos and backgammon......Tia, you are an awesome player !! 

   Thanksgiving morning started ,of course, with Holiday fruit, smokies and french toast for eight. In order to work off a little of the breakfast, everyone headed out for a little basketball.   It was a beautiful morning, although everyone was trying to stand in the sun ! Ross was the first to show up that afternoon, a welcome sight as his old truck, Blackie, made it up the driveway.   Granny, Tess, Boyce and little Bryn were next to arrive......yaaaa, some hands on time with my Bryn !!   Our friend , Phil, came just as the family band was getting warmed up.......and by the then the turkey was smelling pretty good !!
    We ate around 5:00 and finally got up from the table around 7:30.  We rolled into the family room to crowd by the fire and tried to stuff ourselves further with pie, cake, cookies and fudge .   The party broke up not too long after, Tess and Boyce had a bit of a drive home.  They also gave Granny a ride back to her house.....and yes, they insisted on taking Bryn too !

    The next day Granny treated us to In&Out , and an afternoon at Chucky Cheese......the kids had a blast !!    My Taige and Tia are such joys......so much fun and so sweet.  I've gotten to spend more time than usual with them this year......we've loved every minute.
Leftovers for dinner......Yay......everything always tastes better the second night.

   Yesterday we all drove to SugarPine Lake......including Seth and both dogs, Callie and Josh's awesome dog, Timber.  The hike around the lake is about 4 1/2 miles.....it felt wonderful to all of us...until about that last 1/2 mile....even the dogs were dragging.   The turkey soup had been simmering all day while we were gone, the highlight of Thanksgiving.  I made some homemade pizza to go with it and we had a most enjoyable  dinner.   Everyone turned in around 9:30, full of good food and fresh air.
   Josh and his family left early this morning.....we all wish we lived closer to each other.  They are such a wonderful family...I love you all so much....thanks once again for making the long journey.

Happy, Sad ........Relief !

     This has been quite a week !!!  On Wednesday, my love headed off for his "day away" and returned that afternoon with a complete set of vintage Pyrex mixing bowls !  I've always wanted a set, but it's difficult and expensive to find an actual complete set.  My mom had .......and still has a couple of these bowls....and they certainly are nostalgic for me.   And, now that I have the actual bowl my mom uses for her macaroni salad , I will, at long last,  be able to make it taste as wonderful as hers !

    Now, for the sad.......Tess called that Bryn had been vomiting a lot with some blood mixed in.  The next day she took him to the pediatrician, he said nothing to worry about.  Somedays he seemed better, some days worse.  On Saturday she called me that she was taking him to the emergency room in Paradise.  I hopped in the car and drove up to meet her.  Eight hours later , after invasive tests, ultrasounds and consultations they told her to take him imediately down to a large hospital in Sacramento.  The three of us, Tess ,Boyce and myself hopped in our cars and took off.  We hit some insane road construction and a trip that should take ,at most, two hours.....took us almost four.   Very nerve racking as we still didn't know what was wrong with Bryn.  At last we arrived at the hospital, by now it was almost 11 at night.  Bryn was checked in and examined by a doctor and we found out they thought for sure that he had Pyloric Stenosis......a narrowing of a valve in the stomach, not uncommon in newborn boys, but Bryn was 2 1/2 months and thriving, not the typical profile.   Anyhow, more tests in the morning, meetings with the surgeon, diagnosis confirmed  Pyloric Stenosis.......Bryn wheeled into surgery about noon.  
  Now the relief.......Bryn came through the surgery like a champ....the "old" Bryn is already back !  Smiling, kicking, adorable Bryn !  Poor Tessy....she handled it all like a pro, but the look on her face when the surgeon came in with good news.....that look told the story of all the stress and worry she'd been dealing with, her face and whole body gave a visible sigh .  Brynnie will be headed home tomorrow....good as new, even more precious.

Meowwwww !

    Must be Halloween....I caught this black cat out on our front porch......pretty sweet looking , but you never know ! 
    It's a cloudy , cool Halloween......hoping the rain holds off until all the kids around here collect their loot.  However, when we lived in Idaho, even a few feet of fresh snow didn't deter the kids ! 
   Today is "my day alone".  One day a week Jim goes off for the day, doing errands, checking out record stores, stocking up on Guiness ! So.....I get the house and the day to myself.  Not that I don't enjoy Jim, but "alone time" is an actual place for me that I need to go once in a while.  Anyhow.... thanks, love, for being such a loving, sweet husband.
    Guess I'll up to Worton's to get a little candy in case some lost soul wanders up our driveway......if no one shows up, we'll have to struggle through the candy ourselves !
    

Slippin' and Slidin' !

With the best of intentions, we got up sort of early, got our butts in gear and headed up the road for a load of firewood.  After we'd driven a few miles we were surprised that the road was becoming narrower and narrower as the snow became thicker and thicker!  We had no idea the snow line was already so close and we realized we were not going to be able to get to our Deadwood hangout.  We were barely able to turn the 4-Runner around, but finally we were headed back toward home.  We found a little pine on the way back and so we stopped and pretty much filed the back of the truck.....not the best wood in the world, but it'll work until the real cold weather gets here.
     While we were cutting wood Callie had her first introduction to snow and it was a match made in Heaven !!  She is so good at entertaining herself and the snow was certainly a plus......she was hilarious !
    We got home and warmed up some soup left from last night and I got started on the Halloween cookies.   I looked out on the deck and found Callie snoozing on her favorite napping site......one of the picnic tables outside !  

   Tomorrow Tess is coming down to attend a friend's wedding and so Molly, Mom and I are meeting her first for lunch in Auburn.....it's been two weeks since I've seen Bryn.....I can hardly wait !

It's That Kind of Day !

      That kind of day, as in.......cold, wet and windy !  A good day to kick back on the sofa in front of the fire......not a care in the world.  Callie took full advantage .......unfortunately, Jim and I had things to do !    I finally got started on the applesauce.....I made two big batches and it barely touched our harvest of apples.   Jim's dried 4 or 5 huge batches, I've made a freezer full of pies ,we eat them day and night and we still have several bushel baskets full !   Not that I'm really complaining.....I love apples in all forms.......it just seems that they multiple overnight .  Well, next on the apple production line, apple chutney, which will taste so good on a bowl of hot, spicy curry, some cold winter day.

      Oh, ya......how about those Giants !   How awesome is that !  Can't wait for the first game tonight......I'll have to round up anything orange that I can find !   Go Giants !!!!

Granny's Favorite 90th Birthday Gift !

    This past Saturday we enjoyed our annual Autumn Birthday Bash for all the Fall babies in the family......there are quite a few !!  The emphasis this year was on Granny's 90th birthday, although she had to share the spotlight with the family's newest member, Bryn.........I don't think she minded in the least !   It was a wonderful day, sunny and bright, and about 30 of the nicest people ever.   Thanks to all of you who made the trek up! 
      Denny's daughter, Heather, is staying with my mom for a week and so the last few days I've been meeting them and enjoying Heather's company.   I was never around Heather too much when she was a little girl and so I'm really enjoying getting to know her as a woman.  
    Tomorrow I plan a day at home and hope to get some applesauce canned and some pesto frozen.......if not, there's always next week !
     

Score Another Point For Fall !

     It's a cold, dark and damp afternoon up here.....it's about time....all those sunny, warm days have been getting on my nerves !!  It was a wonderful day to curl up with Jim and watch the Giants win yet another playoff game !  We're about to start a fire and I've got some chicken marsala simmering on the stove. 
      I want to share something I chanced upon a couple of weeks ago......these amazing pumpkin spice English muffins !   Oh, they are most delicious, but hard to find.  I got Tess hooked on them and then she couldn't find them anywhere......well, Tessy, I'm here to tell you I've got three packages in the freezer and I intend to share with you !!  Bring on the cream cheese !
    I haven't been lazing on the sofa eating English muffins all day.....I worked in the yard all morning, ran a few errands ......trying to get some things done for the big party on Saturday.  The party is our annual Fall Birthday Bash since we have an abundance of September and October birthdays in our families.  This year the focus will be on my mom's 90th birthday and so I'm trying to make everything extra nice.  There'll be around 30-35 people and so tomorrow I'll spend the day cooking.  Easy menu, but a lot of prep work.....croissants with curried chicken salad and Asian cole slaw.......and, of course, the birthday cake !  The weather should be back to beautiful by Saturday......I'm really looking forward to the day.
   

October.......Ahhhh !

  It finally feels like Autumn around here.  Sunny days and cold nights.....I'm in my "good spot" !  Yesterday I took advantage of just such a day and Molly and I trekked over to Nevada City to hang out with Tess and Bryn.   We met Tess at Pacos and enjoyed a sunny lunch on their patio.  Bryn contributed to the lunch by staying asleep the entire time.  We made full use of the time and had such a lovely visit with each other.  When the sun shifted and it started to cool off we loaded in the car and made our way to town.  It was packed with people ......everyone enjoying the foothill weather.  We roamed the little stores, stopped for coffee and a lunch break for Bryn.  After eating, Bryn decided it was time to hang out with Grandma Janny and Aunt Molly .......oh, what a precious little guy !  He is so healthy, happy and delicious.  Oh, notice in the photo Bryn has his grandma's chin.......as in double !
      Tessy is already back in her "skinny" jeans, her tops, however, are a little tight......such a dilemma !   We found a little used clothing store and got her a few t-shirts to accommodate her new figure !
   Today is Sunday and that means football !  Dan and Anna will be up soon to watch the 49er's game......also all sorts of playoff baseball on........not enough minutes in the day !!


  

Hangin' On !

    October 1st , and still in the nineties !!   Record setting territory, with another week of hot weather ahead !  I'm trying to just enjoy, but I can't help but feel that I'm missing out on my beloved Fall.
    Well, as you may be able to tell, I was finally able to get my computer fixed.....to the tune of $300 !!!  I guess still a lot cheaper than replacing it.......long may it run !  I did manage a few posts on my iPad, but it was a bit more of a challenge so I'm happy to be back in business on the old Pavilion .
    We had a most pleasant weekend .....on Saturday I met Tess and Bryn in Auburn .  Awww.....little Bryn is adorable and Tessy is such a sweet mom.  We did the local second hand baby store.....we were looking for second hand clothes, not a second hand baby...... and restocked Bryn's outgrown wardrobe and them managed a quick trip through Target.  They came up here for dinner so Papa Jim could sneak in a little Bryn time.  
     Yesterday, Dan and Anna made the trek up for the weekly 49er's game.  Having them share the game with us makes it so fun and there's always time for a little music playing and gossip time with darling Anna. 

    Today we're taking Callie to the lake for a .......hopefully......last hot day swim.  She's become quite the water dog......I can't begin to tell you how much we enjoy our silly puppy.
    Today is my oldest grandson's birthday.......Espen is 17 today !!!  Hard to imagine how that can be .......I so remember that call in Idaho the day he was born.   He's such a wonderful young man....sweet, smart and funny........we love you Eppie and are so proud of you.

  

Sweet Chicks !

Just a photo of a couple of the awesome "chicks" residing up here lately ! I speak, of course , of Tia and her sisters ........the newest babies to arrive here on the farm ! Taige and Tia went down to the feed store the other day with Papa Jim and picked out 5.......buy 3, get 2 free......baby chicks. The kids have had a hard time getting in enough "quality" time with the chicks, the kittens and the puppy , but they sure are having fun trying !
We actually have been having a lot of fun all week. A couple of trips down to Roseville for lunch with Granny, a few trips to Target and a day up at Aunt Tessy's to meet Bryn. Today we're headed up to a beautiful little lake for some kayaking and later,climbing with Uncle Bubba. Tomorrow is their last day here and Tess and Bryn may come up for a domino tournament on the deck ! We've enjoyed Taige and Tia so much while they've been here.......they're great kids.....fun loving and sweet. Thanks Josh and Melanie for sharing !
Next week involves canning applesauce, getting my computer fixed and then there are always the kittens, the puppy and the chicks !




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Papa Jim's First Visit !

Papa Jim finally got his hands on Bryn !! We drove up the other evening for a lovely visit with Tess and Boyce......Callie also had a blast with the resident dogs, Odie and Buddha ! Little Bryn was his little mellow self and slept in Jim's arms for a couple of hours. Tessy made some delicious carrot-apple juice for us and we all enjoyed their lovely home and beautiful land .
Today I drove to Reno to pick up some of my other beautiful grandchildren ......Taige and Tia who flew in to Reno from Salt Lake for a week. So wonderful to see them and their sweet faces . After a stop at MickeyD's we headed on up here. So far, they've played with Callie, then played with Callie and then played some more with Callie !! They also spent time with the kitties and squeezed in some time in the pool ! Tomorrow Ross and Molly will be here and ,hopefully ,my mom for a day of dominoes ! I'll get some photos then.
Jim'll be going up to town......Foresthill......to bring home some food from a new Chinese restaurant that just opened up here.......fingers are crossed !!


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Location:Papa Jim's First Visit !

Bryn Elijah Hundley !

Just wanted to introduce you all to my newest love.......Tess and Boyce's newborn son! He was born last night at 1:58 am after a fast, but furious labor lasting around 4 hours. He jettisoned out into this big wide world weighing 7lbs 11oz...... Or as Boyce put it last night,he was about medium :-)!
He is beautiful, full of sweetness and we couldn't be happier !
I spent the day with him today, I hope to be able to spend many, many more in the years to come.
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Heading for the High Country !

Whew.......it has been so hot ! Around 100* up here and about 107* down in the valley ! The heat\'s been here for about 10 days now and expected to hang around for another 4-5 days. I\'d just about "had" it on Sunday.....too hot ! Jim , being the perceptive husband he is, suggested we take a drive up the road. We ended up at one of my favorite local spots, Robinson Flat. It\'s a high meadow, about 6,000 ft, with a stream running through it. Unfortunately , the stream was dry this late in the year since it was a dry winter, but there were lovely wildflowers


and the air was cool and fresh. Callie had a blast running and wrestling in the tall meadow grass and we enjoyed watching her explore with a puppy\'s curiosity .
We stopped at Sugar Pine on the way home for a quick swim. Callie didn\'t exactly swim, but did retrieve some sticks from the water.......baby steps...
Drove all the way down to Auburn for some Chinese food and by the time we got home the house was bearable so we settled in to watch a cheesy Netflix movie and enjoy our food.

Let the Good Times Roll !

Before I get too far behind......a quick post ! We continue to enjoy our new family members......Callie is a joy and a laugh a minute . The three kitties are thriving and so entertaining !
A few days ago Jim and I took Callie up to the lake and although she was curious, she wouldn't jump in with me . I hope she has a change of heart soon, I want a water dog ! Any ideas ? Yesterday we took her over to Grass Valley to pick up some seeds and she didn't seem to mind the ride and she definitely liked stopping at
Pacos for some tacos !
On Monday we had the whole gang over to celebrate Dan's birthday. Really fun day..,......what
an awesome bunch of "kids" ! Tess was able to waddle in......just joking , she still looks adorable,but I don't think she can hang in much longer.......she's huge!
We're really enjoying having Molly around.......wish she didn't have such heavy decisions to make. Last night we made the best of the situation and Jim gave her a Tarot reading to try to help her figure things out. Tarot reading was a little sideline of Jim's back in his Santa Cruz days! I don't know if Molly found the answers she was looking for , but I know we all have a very fun night !
Today I'm looking forward to meeting some of my cousins for lunch, my mom joins us also we're all able to swap some gossip and share some laughs.
Life would be near perfect if not for the fact that the next 5 days are going to be around 105 degrees :-(. Waaaa, waaaaaa, wa





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Lupine,Shasta and Yarrow !

     We are on a roll !   If we need to stick around here because of Callie, our puppy, we might as well throw some kittens into the mix !   We've been wanting to get some more cats since we're down to one very elderly and reclusive lady.  I drove down to the Auburn S.P.C.A. and I really lucked out !  Three beautiful siblings.......the black and white cat is the male, Yarrow and he is the ringleader of the pack! The beautiful calico is Lupine and her equally pretty sister is sweet, shy Shasta ! They're residing in the garage for the time being......we hope to be able to let them out and about soon.....they will definitely be out door kitties.They're all right at home with us already and even tolerate Callie .

      Besides puppy and kitten day care, we've been trying to stay cool.....me in the pool !   I had to escape the kitchen.....steamy hot from more pickles.  Looking forward to an easy dinner of fresh salmon and a big assortment of fresh veggies from the garden !

In A Pickle !

  Well, since today is a little warmer than it's been the last week or so I decided it would be a good day to get the kitchen extra hot and steamy !  I guess pickles just wouldn't taste right if they weren't made in a hot sticky kitchen.  
   The garden, by-the-way, is awesome this year.  The squash, eggplant, peppers and cucumbers have been pouring in and now here come the tomatoes !!   I must admit the tomatoes are my favorite....first thing I usually eat when I get up this time of year is a big, juicy, ripe tomato.....with just a dash of salt !
    Yesterday my mom and I had a wonderful day with Tess. I can't tell you how many people stopped to tell her how adorable she looks......about to pop....but so tan, healthy and happy !  I have a feeling the baby may get here before too long....certainly before her due date....August 22....I don't see how her belly can get any bigger.....she's likely to topple over....face first !  
    Our "little one"....Callie... continues to delight us.  She's being such a good girl, trying very hard to please.  She and our cat, Guppy, have been working out their relationship and seem to be starting to enjoy each other.

    Now hearing the pickle jar lids "pop".....a good sign, meaning they're all sealed up .  Now the wait......should be ready to eat around Halloween !

Life Goes On and On and On !

   Still missing our "girl", but life does indeed keep moving forward.  In that line of thought we happened to see a puppy that we thought could fit in our lives and she so made us smile that we decided to take her home !  Sorry for the blurry photo .....even thought she is a "blur of activity" she was actually lying still for that photo , but camera wouldn't focus for some reason and when I got that worked out , the puppy wouldn't stay still !! Anyhow.....she's a border collie mix , 8 weeks old and we named her Callie Rose.  She shows great promise.....already house trained, leash trained and a great car rider !!    She fills a huge void for us and is great comic relief !
    Seems like we've been running around a lot the past week.  We spent one day on the coast hiking the beaches, later enjoying a wonderful dinner and music at Terrapin Crossroads where Ross and Dan were playing.
  Yesterday Seth was once again climbing El Capitan in Yosemite and so we packed up Callie and headed down there.  We arrived just in time to see him reach the top.......very exciting !! and very much a relief for me !  It was a beautiful day there.....isn't everyday there a beautiful day ??.......and so we spent some time with Callie at the river.  On the way home the road was closed for a while because of a fire.  We only had to wait about an hour and we had a puppy to play with and cherries and oatmeal cookies to eat.....I actually enjoyed the wait , but glad we were in the shade !

   Tomorrow my mom and I are headed up to see Tess !  Not long to go for her now and we're going to pick up a few things for the baby.  Getting pretty excited and can't wait to meet the little guy !

My Sweet Jenny Girl....

   I can hardly write this without crying, but wanted you all to know that our sweet Australian mutt, Jenny died suddenly around midnight on Tuesday night July 17.  As I mentioned in an earlier post Jenny had been diagnosed with Heartworms a few months ago and we had opted to go with a "gentle treatment" because of her age .......almost 12.  Up until a few days ago she was feeling so good .......full of energy .  She went downhill very fast and on Tuesday we knew she didn't have long.  She died outside on the back deck on a starry, cool evening with all of us around her.  We've buried her up here so she never has to leave her beloved home.

   We still feel quite heartbroken and miss her sweet face in everything we do......we love you, Jenny.....our precious red-dirt dog.

I've Been A Long Time Gone !

Wow....busy, awesome week!   Time to play "catch- up"........Saturday, July 1, was the long awaited baby shower for Tess and Boyce's baby boy.  It was a super fun party.....pretty spontaneous, lots of laughter, good, but casual food and a host of wonderful people.  Tess received so many lovely gifts and good wishes.......thanks again to all who made it such a memorable day.
 On July 3rd we headed down to Granny's party to watch the Sun City fireworks.  It was a lovely cool night with lots of great company.  On the 4th we were all up early to trek up to town to watch Foresthill's own parade......the best Americana parade around.....the high school football team, Forest Service trucks......with Smokey the Bear !......lots of candy being thrown to the kids and the "Clampers" a very weird club leftover from the Gold Rush days.  We came home....fixed some hot dogs and proceeded to play games in the shade for the rest of the afternoon.
   The next day we all piled in a couple of cars and drove over to the coast.  We stopped in Fairfax, the lovely town Ross and Molly live in, picked them up and headed to Stinson Beach.  Despite the fact that it was a cool, windy day the 4 youngest kids jumped right in ......even doing a little Boogy Boarding !  After a long bout of shivering we got them back in the car and off we drove to Point Reyes National Seashore......a true treasure.   We hiked down to another beach there and the kids stayed somewhat dry.....no shivering involved !  From there we drove up to a high cliff with an overlook .  Tia and I got there first....we looked out and there was a whale below us !!  It was such a sight to behold in this glorious, wild setting and we all were transfixed for a good hour.  Back in the car....now we were all shivering, it was cold !.......we drove back to San Rafael just in time to see Ross preform at Terrapin Crossroads.   Wonderful show.......great time !
   Next day , it's off to Chucky Cheese.......Granny's treat!  The kids had a ball and came out with all sorts of plastic junk !  
  Yesterday was another day of adventure.  We met Tess and Boyce at their favorite swimming hole on Oregon Creek.  It's pretty much right in the middle between their house and ours. It was like a water park , only it was all natural......jumping off rocks, swimming under waterfalls ......even secret passages under water.......it had it all !  We left in the evening hungry, exhausted and thrilled to have spent the day in such an awesome place.

  Josh and family left this morning and it seems so quiet.  They are such a wonderful family.  Thanks for making the long drive, Josh.........we love you all .
 

El Capitan !!

      I just got word that Seth and his friend Jon are climbing El Capitan in Yosemite ! They started out early this morning at sunrise. It's been a dream of Seth's since he was about 12 years old.  It will take them 2-3 days to complete the climb , sleeping on  narrow ledges or in slings tied onto bolts.  They also will be hauling up their food, sleeping bags and warm clothes......all that and still be able to literally hang by their finger tips.   Am I a little freaked out........I sure am !  I know Seth sees this as the pinnacle of his climbing career and will certainly secure his place as among the elite of climbers, still ......no mom wants to think about their son spending 3 days on the granite face of a huge mountain.  That said.....I'm so proud of you, Seth......your love of your sport and the amazing grace and talent you bring to the world of climbing is nothing short of incredible  Come home safely.......my precious Blackman.

All Ready !

   Tomorrow's the day !   Jill, Anders, Johan, Espen and Espen's girlfriend, Malena will be here from Norway !  They'll be boarding their plane in Oslo about 11pm tonight our time and arrive in San Francisco 3 pm tomorrow.....it's a long, long flight!  They're picking up a rental car in SF and will get up here about 9 or 10 tomorrow night.  I've promised them homemade pumpkin pie when they arrive 
   I've spent the last week getting Jilly's room ready and  I hope it looks pretty inviting to her.......a bed of nails would probably look inviting after that long of flight !!!!   Tomorrow we'll spend the day getting the pool up and running .......ugh.....a real pain, but well worth the effort.  Yesterday was a Costco run, today a trip down to Raleys......I hope I have enough food stockpiled for at least a couple of days !

   Josh, Melanie, Taige and Tia arrive on Friday......after a grueling 12 hour car trip across Utah and Nevada......that's when we start playing musical beds !  I think all kids under,,,,,,hmmm.....18 .....will be outside in a tent .  I think Molly, Ross and Tess may be showing up around then also.......maybe we'll make it 30 and under !!! Well, actually, Tess will get a pass in the tent this year, she's mightly pregnant and I doubt she can get up off the ground !  I'm sure we'll figure something out and I know we'll be having a blast !