A Week, Briefly (6/29/20)
After last week's picture fest, there's a bit of a break this week. :)
We've stayed close to home.
Preserving fruit. (3 gallons of chunky applesauce, 7 pints of orange sauce, 15 pints of cherry jam, plus scads of dried and frozen fruit)
Sucking popsicles.
Flooding the sand pit.
Doing some school. (We finished the biography of George Washington Carver--he is truly a hero!)
Finding a new park and going on a new hike.
Hike #18 of 52--Hidden Valley Park and Trail
35.51 miles + 3.2 = 38.81 miles
Super Star, Belle, Nature Angel, and Little Princess tried to take an outing to the lake. We knew the beaches were closed, but the marina is open, swimming is allowed from boats, and no one batted an eyelash the other day when we ventured into the water.
However, there was a rather grumpy park ranger who was enforcing the "no swimming from shore" rule that we knew nothing about.
(What's different about swimming from shore compared to swimming from a boat?)
He called the girls criminals and berated Super Star for "leading the minors into criminal behavior."
Super Star is still a minor herself!
That was a rough way to start a Friday.
We've picked about a double handful of blueberries each day from our bushes.
We've harvested our first cabbage--a good big one!
We've seen and heard the songs of a catbird in our woods. The song is breathtaking, and the bird itself is so pretty.
We've also seen a darling pair of house finches on the power line above our apple tree. The male had the loveliest blush of red.
And we've learned to identify the Tick Trefoil (aka Beggar's Lice) flower. It's such a pretty flower with such a dreadful name! It was everywhere we looked along our hike this week.
I just got an email informing me that the library has increased the number of allowed holds from 20 to 75! I know what I'm doing for the next half hour!!
We've stayed close to home.
Preserving fruit. (3 gallons of chunky applesauce, 7 pints of orange sauce, 15 pints of cherry jam, plus scads of dried and frozen fruit)
Sucking popsicles.
Flooding the sand pit.
Doing some school. (We finished the biography of George Washington Carver--he is truly a hero!)
Finding a new park and going on a new hike.
 |
| Starting at the trailhead |
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| Watching 2 snails eat an earthworm--1 from each end |
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| It was a deliciously windy, hilly trail, and I set the rule that the kids had to stay behind Belle and Theo and in front of me. Belle took off to have "a peaceful walk," so the kids had 1/2 a mile or so of allowed space. My photo editor wouldn't let me mark the spot, but Baymax is smiling and waving at me in this picture, delighted that the big curve allowed us to see each other. |
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| It was also a trail chock full of roots and tripping places--It seemed like Baymax found them all. Fortunately the drinking fountain was on, and he was able to wash off a little bit. :) |
Hike #18 of 52--Hidden Valley Park and Trail
35.51 miles + 3.2 = 38.81 miles
Super Star, Belle, Nature Angel, and Little Princess tried to take an outing to the lake. We knew the beaches were closed, but the marina is open, swimming is allowed from boats, and no one batted an eyelash the other day when we ventured into the water.
However, there was a rather grumpy park ranger who was enforcing the "no swimming from shore" rule that we knew nothing about.
(What's different about swimming from shore compared to swimming from a boat?)
He called the girls criminals and berated Super Star for "leading the minors into criminal behavior."
Super Star is still a minor herself!
That was a rough way to start a Friday.
We've picked about a double handful of blueberries each day from our bushes.
We've harvested our first cabbage--a good big one!
We've seen and heard the songs of a catbird in our woods. The song is breathtaking, and the bird itself is so pretty.
We've also seen a darling pair of house finches on the power line above our apple tree. The male had the loveliest blush of red.
 |
| photo source |
And we've learned to identify the Tick Trefoil (aka Beggar's Lice) flower. It's such a pretty flower with such a dreadful name! It was everywhere we looked along our hike this week.
I just got an email informing me that the library has increased the number of allowed holds from 20 to 75! I know what I'm doing for the next half hour!!
I am glad your library is letting you have more books. That will add delight you days. The hike sound marvelous. I am sorry about the swimming incident. Everyone needs to show a great deal more kindness. Everything would go so much more smoothly if they did. You guys sure are being productive with your fruit storage.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Dawn
Some park rangers! Grrr! But how fun to go on a new hike and find a new park. And hooray for being able to get more books!
ReplyDeleteYay for a new park and a hike! I am so sorry for the grumpy park ranger! Your poor girls! Here the swim beaches are still closed because they don't want people congregating in groups but swimming from the shore is completely fine. Even if it isn't allowed there is no reason to be ugly about it. I hope you have a great week!
ReplyDeleteHuzzah for the new park find! Playgrounds here are still closed, boo. I need to get us outside more. I miss parks.
ReplyDeleteGreat news on the library increasing your holds! We did curbside pickup for more books yesterday, and I got an email this morning that we have another book waiting. Do you guys have a Zip Books program? California has been mailing us books from Amazon by request, if they're not already part of the library collection. We'll turn them in after the libraries open, and they'll become library books at that time. You can only get 3 per month, but I've been loving this program! There are always books on my Amazon wishlist.