Our summer is coming to a close after lots of fun in the sun, beaches, fairs, boardwalks and sleeping in (well, the kids anyway. The rest of us have jobs and Zumba classes).
Rex starts school next week. The girls start the week after that.
Can't wait for the field trips!!
Meanwhile, Napoleon is going to hold down the couch for us.
Michael has been working hard laying in pipes and trenching so we can "finish" our plans for the backyard.
Some day this will be a lawn. And in the planters behind him I'd like to put in some red camellias and sweet white gardenias under the bedroom window.
Also I need to get cracking on putting plants in the planters around the patio. I plan to get grapes and wisteria to climb the pergola so we have a shady glen for future summers.
In the meantime, my amaranth an sunflowers are towering over my tomatoes, peppers, basil, etc. in the East garden.
In the west garden I have token sunflowers and a surprise hollyhock amongst the beans and squash. This is the area I'm sort of letting go as I expect it to become a sheep pasture in the near future.
Out front we've added a bistro set in the shade of the crepe myrtle. You can see my flats of fall starts on the patio in the background. I have hopes for loads of kale, broccoli, cauliflower, romanesco, lettuce, etc.
And here is the bed beneath the kids' windows out front. Looks like we will be getting lemons, limes and mandarins this winter. I'm so excited!!
Now, for your moment of zen. (These guys will be a week old tomorrow).
Our traditional annual trip to Santa Cruz had to be suspended last year as Uncle Dave was working in Spain. And we weren't springing for tickets to Spain.
So this year, with Dave back at home in Santa Cruz, we picked up with our tradition of getting Michael and the kids on the Great Dipper (old wooden roller coaster on the Boardwalk) and the log ride.
Valerie proceeded to consume the world's largest bag of kettle corn. Here's Uncle Dave with his nephew and nieces down by the ever popular Wipe Out ride and the bumper cars.
Rex posed for a Santa Cruz logo shot in one of the stores on the boardwalk.
There were loads of sea lions under the pier. You can kind of see one behind Valerie here.
Valerie is a thrill seeker. She seems quiet and mild mannered on the outside ... Rex shouted to her while she was in line, "$5 says you chicken out at the last minute!" Valerie countered with bravado, "Make it $10, Rex!" Rex owes Valerie $5.
In the meantime, Valerie was still toting the trough of kettle corn that I refused to hold. So, she turned it into seagull entertainment.
Rex was all over the beach at the Boardwalk. He and Valerie dove through lots of waves in an effort to get near a sea otter that had come close to shore.
Valerie collected an assortment of shells and sand dollars.
The place was loaded with sea lions.
We stopped for a family portrait on the pier.
The following day we made our pilgrimage to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
The otters are always fun!
I had hopes of getting some good pix of kids in front of the jelly fish, however, the jellies were the only ones willing to smile.
After a morning at the aquarium where we even saw spouts of humpback whales in the Bay, we stopped for lunch and took the kids to the always fun Denis the Menace playground. Here's Rex & Valerie on the climbing wall.
On the way home we stopped to check out more sea otters. I cannot get enough of those guys.
We had to stand on the edge of a sandy cliff to see them. In the case one was inclined to not take the warnings posted seriously, I thought the condition of this sign and a few others at the bottom of the cliff made the point abundantly clear.
Posing on the cold and windy beach in Monterey where there were shells to be collected and birds to chase.
I don't need no stinkin' bucket and shovel to have a good time!
Oh, we have to dig some trenches for sprinkler lines. At least it's not patching asphalt or killing chickens.
With the passing of Cookies and Cream in the spring, Valerie's room has been lacking something. Well, her friend, Ruthie, needed to find a home for her hamster, Munchkin.
Valerie has a new roommate! Not great pictures. But I'll get some better ones. She has charmed us all.
Summer is slipping by so quickly! No boredom around here. The girls had a week of strings camp that was Beatles themed. Below you can catch some Elanor Rigby action. Valerie needed to play violin to balance out the ensemble. What can't that girl play? And Amira did a great job on cello.
Valerie got the opportunity to show Shetland sheep at the State Fair this year. She had a blast. Her 4-H leader had the kids work hard but also got them tickets to the water park and wristbands for the rides.
Here are Valerie & Josh taking the show halters off the sheep.
Valerie and her friends goofing around at the award winning booth.
Here's the team and the ribbons.
I was a big fan of the llamas and alpacas.
The baby miniature donkey was extremely cute ... As were the baby deer.
The one animal that impressed the entire family was the baby wallaby (well, there were three of them) in the petting zoo behind the sheep barn.
Amira said, "We need, not want, NEED a wallaby!"
I asked Rex if he got enough wallaby time at the fair. He said there is never enough wallaby time.
Then he went home and started researching what kind of a permit we'd need to keep a wallaby and where the breeders are. Michael is not sold on the wallaby as a pet idea. I was thinking it could just hop around the house and yard ... And it could sleep in a pouch in Rex's room. Alas, it is not happening any time soon.
Amira got to milk a cow at the UC Davis vet school tent.
Now there's a maid a milking!
I saw the cutest grill also:
How cool is that? No. Didn't buy that either. I showed a lot of restraint. I did not eat the potato tornado, deep fried grilled cheese sandwich, chocolate covered bacon nor the deep fried mac 'n cheese (on a stick)!
Valerie was eating a deep fried mystery food. I asked her what it was. She responded, "Clams!" Then she said they were making her feel sick. Ya think? Who buys clams (or any sea food) at the fair. So, instead of throwing them out, she calls her friend over, "Hey, Briar! Do you want the rest of these?"
Neither of them actually got sick. But the other excitement at the fair was on the day the kids got wristbands for rides. Josh came back to the sheep barn and said, "Well, some guy threw up on one of the rides. The good news is that he was sitting NEXT to Valerie."
When I asked how that is good news, he told me that Valerie was the one person who didn't get barf all over her. Niiiiice.
No photos! Aren't you lucky!
Home a few days and it's off to Santa Cruz for our last summer hurrah. Then I'd better to prepare for canning like crazy. Garden looks amazing in spite of the neglect.
Okay, I have been all about buying raw milk from a local farmer for the past several years. There are many reasons for this: food security, living foods, pro-biotics, digestive enzymes, etc.
As the kids are not milk drinkers, we consume less than a gallon a week. And I've really tried to curb the cereal consumption as well.
So, we've had a surplus of milk in the house. I've taken to making cheese and yogurt and encouraging the kids to make milk shakes.
Then one day it occurred to me how ridiculous it was to be tossing out milk to the chickens while buying ice cream.
Enter our friend the Cuisinart! Here's the first recipe we've tried:
3 cups whole raw milk (with cream) 1/2 cup sugar 2 raw egg yolks 2 teaspoons vanilla (steeped in vodka) Dash of sea salt
Combine above ingredients with hand immersion blender (not standard blender- important!)
Chill mixture for 30 mins in fridge.
Slowly pour into running Cuisinart 1,5 quart ice cream maker.
Let it run until thick.
Finish thickening in freezer.
Totally relish the flavors, textures and nutrition!
I was finally able to nab several cukes from the garden before they morphed into mysterious orange torpedoes. I soaked them in cold water and prepared to make lacto-fermented dill pickles. I was able to use garlic and coriander from the yard.
In addition to my (hopefully) fantastic pickles, I batched up what I hope will be some rockin' salsa as well using tomatoes, jalapeños and garlic from the garden. I did have to purchase the cilantro and key limes ... And onion. Technically I could have used my onions, but we ate all the good ones this year. The ones left behind have not been properly cured or stored and are, frankly, a bit sketchy.
I kept holding up jars of garden fresh pro-biotic delight to show Valerie. "Mommy, are you just really proud of yourself?"
Darn tootin' I am. Otherwise I would have dumped all this out to the chickens and kept my mouth shut.
And look here, we killed some sausage, watermelon and eggplant for dinner. Eggplant from the garden!
Last weekend Rex and Valerie declared they were tired of long hair and decided it was time for the big chop. Amira wanted to get in on that action too.
So, Amazing Grace made a house call.
Before
During
The morning after
Valerie before
After
And Amira looks kind of the same. She won't let me take a photo.
To celebrate the shearing we went to see The Lone Ranger yesterday.
Today is back to the grind. Valerie is taking a babysitting course today and tomorrow. She'll learn CPR and everything.
Next week Rex is off to Boy Scout Camp on the coast. The girls will stay here and have strings camp where they play Beatles music all week. Amira should be in heaven.
