June 2025

Welcome summer! I planted some corn this year. we'll see how it goes. I'm not really liking how it's looking and it will get about five times the size it is here. Not my best decision.

Anna ran in the middle school district 800 final. 

There were only three of them, her and the two "scary" runners from the other middle school.

She came in third but wasn't that far behind. They all medaled.

Hanah placed first in the long jump.

On June 5th, Anna was promoted to high school! 

She did a great job in middle school and we know she will do well in high school. Go Griffins!

Tyler was also promoted so the neighbors were there as well. 

Afterwards, she chose to go to her newest favorite place, 

Cyprerss Crab Shack, and had her fill of crawfish.

Everybody else had something less bug-like.

I went with Becky, Jenny and Martyna to take Kinga and Wally to see Blippi!

If you don't know who Blippi is, well then you are lucky.

I didn't go to see Blippi but to see Kinga see Blippi.

They absolutely loved it, almost as much as the glow sticks.

We had to have a new picture in the newly painted chair.

We went to Grandpa's to take him to lunch for Father's Day. He and Mia fit in a game of chess first. It was a stalemate! Grandpa chose a barbecue place to eat at. Interesting choice for a vegetarian.

Our first trip this summer was to Big Sur. 

We rented a cabin in a campground.

We hadn't been there since Becky was two years old, 

at which time she made us carry her around in a lawn chair. 

By made us, I mean she sat in the dirt and refused to walk anywhere.

On our first full day we headed to Andrew Molero State Park for a hike to the ocean. 

Absolutely gorgeous!

There were only three of us who braved the wind on the trail to get down to the beach!

The next day was Julia Pfeiffer State Park for a forest hike. 

The kids decided to stay in the car.

We regaled them with all the wildlife we saw on the trail, 

a whole family of foxes, a wise owl and a pencil snake (truth). 😉

Maybe they'll go with us next time.

And before you get too judgmental, tell me you never make up anything about a man in a red suit...

I looked and looked for a four leaf lover but came up empty.

Did you know clovers close up in the sun? 

It makes sense that they would thrive in Ireland!

We had a lunch stop at Nepenthe, a beautiful gift shop and cafe. 

There's also a restaurant but we got scared away when we saw a cup of soup was $18.

There was no cell reception in the campground so the girls had to find other things to do. 

Basketball was a big one. 

Mia wore Dan's big hat the whole time because I made the mistake of mentioning there might be ticks.

Just in case you had to make a phone call you could use these ancient artifacts.

If you aren't interested in birds you're done until next month.

This is a Steller's Jay. They were EVERYWHERE in the campground we stayed at. 

We don't have them in Southern California.

 

On a walk to the library I saw a pin-tailed whydah up close. I've only see them on telephone wires. 

You can recognize them up high by their long tail, sometimes eighteen inches long.

On a bird outing to a local park someone pointed out to me a baby red tailed hawk on the edge of the nest. 

The person said the nest was the owl's nest last year.

Another couple, showed me these three great horned owls way up in a tree. 

This is my favorite birding pic yet.

It pays to wear binoculars. People point out random birds to you.

First month of summer on the books.