In Berkeley last May

Just received from a friend this photo of the three of us taken last May in Berkeley and thought I'd pass it along.

North Carolina & West Virginia

On the last day of July we flew east to visit our good friends Ben, Crystal, and Abby in Durham, North Carolina. From there we kidnapped Crystal and Abby and went to the Appalachian Stringband Music Festival in Clifftop West Virginia for 5+ days of music and camping before returning to Durham for a little bit and then flying home. It was a really great trip. Here are a few photos we've cobbled together; the first set were taken by Ben that first weekend and the second bunch by Crystal and Morgan while we were at Clifftop. The photo above is of Abby at the science museum in Durham. It is a great museum and just what Lena wanted after spending the previous day cooped up in planes, buses, and cars.
Lena surveying the scene at the museum from the vantage of the sand box.
Lena and Abby cruising with heavy machinery.
Abby and Lena snacking with Crystal before heading into the butterfly house.

The fam en route to the wind area.


The museum was really really great. Here we all are checking out the boat pond (there is one in the background with a yellow stripe on it). The boats were solar powered and you could control their sails remotely from a couple stations on the side of the pond.
Lena playing with a small boat at a display on wind and sail shapes where kids could set up their boats with different types of sails and see how they go.

Abby splashing around.
Lena following suit.
We flew into Durham on Saturday and then on Monday drove to Clifftop. On Tuesday we hiked down to the creek where the kids had a blast kicking around in the cool water.
Here Lena and Abby play with bubbles at our campsite.
Lena, Morgan, and Abby rocking out at "Please touch the instruments", a display where kids can try out guitars, fiddles, banjos, etc. Lena had a chance to play a fiddle for the first time!

A photo of Paul and a few of our friends one afternoon late in the week.
On Saturday Morgan, Crystal and the kids drove back to Durham while Paul stayed one extra night at the festival. Here they are painting a bit at home before we made our trek back to California.

Cats, cake & family

Preparing for a trip this weekend so will be brief but wanted to post a few photos and videos from last weekend before we go. Last weekend Candace (Morgan's mom), Gillian & Alan (Paul's mom & dad) Jennifer (Paul's aunt), and Sol (Paul's uncle) were in town for a visit. The first batch of photos are of Lena on Sunday morning when she discovered green cats that had "sprouted" up all over the house (courtesy of Candace & Morgan and inspired by a book Candace had brought with her to read with Lena). Here Lena points excitedly at one of the cats in the window.
Cat in the kitchen.
More cats!

Even more (and a rather large orange one as well).
Lena taking a break from photographing cats to snap one of her 'rents.
MomG (Gillian) and Lena cruising through the backyard looking at secret worlds under rocks and logs.
Sol and Lena laughing during dinner. It was a real treat to have everyone together for a meal.

As part of the festivities we celebrated Morgan's birthday. Morgan's birthday is actually on Saturday (when we'll be flying to NC) and so we celebrated all together last Sunday and then again on Wednesday night. Here Lena shows Morgan how to open her presents.

Delicious chocolate cake courtesy of Lena's great grandmother, MomHelen.

A couple green cat videos.

TV playhouse, trip to MomHelen's, and rocking out

The other day we stumbled upon this massive television box being thrown out. We salvaged it and brought it home where it is now a play house/pet hospital/goblin home.
This Saturday we went down to Carmel for the day to see MomHelen. It had been awhile since we had gone for a visit and it was a great treat. Here Lena and MomHelen check out one of MomHelen's pieces of basalt she brought back from Hawaii.



Playing the hand-in-hand game.

Last week we also had some friends over for music. Here Lena rocks out with us.

Camping and beachcombing

This July 4th we spent the weekend camping at Henry Coe State Park, located southeast of San Jose, CA. The photos here are a mixture of ones we took and those taken by friends.
Keeping cool at the campground.
A king snake that Becca, Mark, and Lee Hsiang saw on their hike.
The park was beautiful but is also quite hot and thirsty this time of year.
Paul and Lena taking a break in the shade to read books.
Picnic lunch with friends.
Lena was entranced by Morgan's dromedary bag which was great because she drank tons of water!
Hiking into the hills above the campground.
Looking back towards our campsite.
Exploring the barn at the visitor's center.
Lena back at the water hose (drinking on the wing).
The three of us (nice to have a few photos of us all together).
Morgan and Lena.
A very cool wasp dragging a dead spider back to its hole for a meal (video below).
Lena playing in Becca & Mark's tent.
Lena enthusiastically pointing out poop (coyote?) on the trail.
The gang from L to R: Mark, Paul, Becca, Morgan, Lena, Lee Hsiang.
Mark & Becca.
Lena making mud soup for the raccoons that visited our campsite.

Little dirt ball having a blast.
Paul and Lena looking for birds at dawn with their binoculars.

Mudball making mud soup.
After a couple days & nights at Henry Coe we beat a retreat to the coast to get out of the heat. Indeed the coast over near Santa Cruz wasn't hot at all! Here Lena wears her fleece hat at a park a bit north of Santa Cruz on July 4.

Lena and Lee Hsiang.
Playing with Lena's stomp rocket.



Riley and Treat hanging out at home.

Here is the fantastic video of the wasp and its spider meal.