a real garden

We are hoping to have one anyway...if successful it will be our first beyond a few tomato and pepper plants. Got everything planted a few weeks ago, and then one night a couple weeks ago I go out to check on it to find cucumber beetles have devoured the cucumbers, watermelon and beans. A bit of replanting later plus nightly check for more beetles and it is looking better. We are hoping that we'll have enough veggies to can/freeze.

One last look at San Fran

We had an awesome room at the Parc 55 hotel. We had a corner room, but the corner actually jutted out a bit so that we had windows on most sides of the room. The room had a sitting area, a desk, a dressing area and then a huge bathroom. Behind all of the curtains below are windows, so we had great views of the city day & night.

San Fran activity #3

On the third day we headed North for a walking tour of Muir Woods. As you can see it was another dreary, overcast, rainy day...and we were out in it. We were both soaked and cold after our 3 hour hike, and again I didn't get very good pictures.
Golden Gate Bridge
The sign at the entrance into the woods, you can see our tour guide below the sign.
About the only picture I have of the redwoods since it was so dark once we got into the woods.
A banana slug crossing the trail.
K and I inside a burnt out redwood tree.

San Fran activity #2, part 2

The Monterey Canning Company on Cannery Row
An adorable see otter statue
Honestly, there are several sea otters in the picture out amongst the kelp.
Our tour guide with a piece of bullwhip kelp.
The lone cypress at Pebble Beach.


It was a very long day and not all of the sights were thrilling to us, but next time we'll rent a car and stop where we want to.

San Fran activity #2, part 1

Day #2 saw us headed South for a tour to Monterey. It was cold, rainy and rather dreary. Most of my pictures out the tour bus either are blurry from the speed or the raindrops on the window. But I did get some worth sharing.

A sea stack seen on our way south.
A lighthouse between artichoke fields and the ocean.
Gorgeous bougainvillea at a Thai restaurant in Monterey.
Several cormorants on the rocks outside Monterey aquarium.
These sweet geese swam their gosling right up to us.

San Fran activity #1

Our first evening we went on the Alcatraz tour. It was fun, but quite cold. And some idiot (yep, that would be me) forgot to bring the spare camera battery, so I didn't get many pictures.

K's favorite part of San Francisco

Yep, he could spend all day watching the silly sea lions on Pier 39.

Rockies from above

This was my first time to fly over the Rocky Mountains during the day without clouds...here are some of the ski trails.


And some neat scenery.

all 4 boys

Karl and Lenny in the pool, Darth and DB on the outside waiting their turn.

2 of my boys

Lenny & Karl enjoying a swim in their big pool. The Khaki's are decent flyers, so they don't typically use the ramp to get into the pool.

My babies are growin' up

Here are the girls a few weeks ago taking their first swim in the kiddy pool. The one outside the pool took a few more days than the others to figure it out, but now they all enjoy splashing in the pool.