End O'Summer

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).

Location:Backyard

Santa Cruz Summer

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!