Thirty Three

When you think your birthday is just another day, little children change all of that. We baked a cake last night, not so much for me, but for them to help me celebrate the day!

We spent most of the day on the coast, looking for tidepools, treasures, and crabs! It was another gorgeous day in Northern California, filled with a lot of happy birthday wishes and memories.

Flip Turn

It would be unfair of me to say that I 'taught' him how to do the flip turn. I used to know how, but hadn't done it in a long time. But the little man was sure ready to try it, so I told him that it's like doing a somersault in the water.

It took him one try, and he got it. The smile on his face after he had done it was priceless.

By the way, he also does a 'back-flip' which I will get on video another time... And it may look like all he does in the pool is doing laps, which is not at all the case. He sure plays in the water like any other boy would, too! His sister is his favorite pool companion, of course.

Sand and Sea

Wilder Ranch

Wilder Ranch State Park is just minutes away from our house. It's an old working farm with New England - like houses and barns, tractors and pens. But the most exciting thing for the kids there yesterday was the big old tree with dozens of branches to climb on. They had been on it before, but now they are just that much bigger and more able to enjoy this natural climbing gym. "It's our tree house, Mommy" they called out and disappeared in there for quite a while playing their imaginary games together.

We also walked down the path toward the cliff where you can get a good view of the Monterey Bay. They were determined to get to the lookout point, despite my warning that it was rather far and I was not going to carry them - at all. I was proud of them that they did it, with minimal whining towards the end.

Our newest friend

A baby Skink!

Farm picnic

The late afternoon light seemed perfect through my sunglasses, but still a bit too bright in reality. After having an early dinner picnic by the chicken coop, we wandered to the big field where the crops were putting out more food than can be eaten or sold by the UCSC farm people.

The kids found that if they dropped the huge (abandoned) squashes onto the ground, they could brake it open and get out the seeds easily. Claire went on to using sticks as a tool to help pry the squashes open. I told them that they were doing what people used to do in the old days...

That thought interested them. They asked what seemed like endless questions about the old days and how people used to live. I had a flashback about my own childhood, and how I wanted to live like people used to way back when. We chatted until the sun got low enough in the sky and finally created that perfect late afternoon light that a lot of photographers yearn for.

Progress

It's been less than two months since these kiddos started swimming and they are doing so well!

We have been going to the neighborhood pool everyday. It's no Walden Pond, of course, but it gives them a chance to practice strokes and to gain confidence. We are proud of them, to say the least.

Sun in the field

I have not been carrying my camera around too much... But here are some photos from our last visit to the UCSC farm.

We have been busy doing summery things during our last summer vacation days. It feels like it has been a very long, fun, adventerous summer!

Davenport Beach

"I see the Ocean, Mommy!", yelled Momo as we drove on Pacific Highway 1, toward the town of Davenport, about 10 miles away from where we are living.

"And I see the moon, too. It's following us. But actually, it's because our car is moving..."

The monologue kept going as the excited young boy waited for his morning at the beach with his sister, and me.

The fog had not burned off yet, but several surfers were already in the water, catching waves. We had a few minutes to explore the tidepools before the tide came in too high. Within those few minutes, we were able to see lots of creatures and all sorts of plant life. No matter how many times we do this, the kids seem so eager to learn and find the treasures of the sea.


When it was too dangerous to poke around the tidepools, we retreated to comb the beach. We collected other treasures as the kids had a plan of making an 'exhibit' of what they found. They never cease to inspire and create, these little creatures of mine.

Jewels

Don't let these fall colored crops fool you... we have a lot more summer here left. Today, for instance, we spent two hours in the swimming pool and will be sleeping with the fan tonight. In some ways, summer has just begun here!

A Walk in the Woods

Just a few steps from where we live is a nice shaded trail with Bay trees and the Redwoods making a canopy overhead. 

Every so often, we will spot a stag or a deer, or a fawn, traversing and sharing our paths. They are quiet, but curious.  This one stared at us for a while before politely disappearing into the woods. 

Market Bounty

I am still in shock of the farmers' markets here.

First of all, there is practically a farmer's market every day of the week, just a matter of where. Secondly, these markets are bountiful: baskets overloaded with the most beautiful fruits and vegetables begging to be taken home and put into good use. Thirdly, the amount of people that go to these things: everybody. Make that, everybody and all their children and visitors from out of town. It can be a zoo, but as farmers' markets go, the more the merrier!

I am trying to take it all in slowly. There are many familiar faces both behind the stalls and those walking around. There are also many familiar offerings, but also new ones that I am excited to learn about. Padrone peppers, for example, was not in my pepper vocabulary until last Wednesday. And after being introduced to it, I am hooked (more on this in another post).

It's good to be able to call this place, with all its bounty and beauty, home again.

UCSC arboretum and the tub

Soon to be our backyard, the UCSC arboretum is a hidden gem.

Since we got back here, I have a personal mission to photograph one of the hundreds of hummingbirds zooming around from bush to bush, drinking away the sweet nectar of the flowers grown here. Everytime we have visited the arboretum, I am impressed at how peaceful yet extensive this place is.

Not only can you see the sweeping view of the Monterey Bay from up there, you can also pretend like you live down under because the arboretum has got one of the largest collections of Australian and New Zealand native plant species. I wonder how many local Santa Cruzians know about this!

This morning we went up there, partly to connect with nature, partly to monitor the progress of our new 'house'. Our property will literally border the arboretum, right by the New Zealand collection area. We could, within a few months time, be looking out our window at a Kauri tree standing tall against the California sky.


On a different note, we were happily reunited with our claw foot tub today! It is a long story, but the short of it is that we didn't think we would see it again when we sold our house last year... but here it is, still as good as before. It just feels slightly smaller because some people have grown!

The Sierras

If it seems like we have been absent, it is because we were away from civilization for a few days. And how wonderful it was to not be 'connected' to the world, but instead to nature. We slept in a small tent, all together like sardines. We ate by a campfire each night, listening to the birds, and watching little critters waiting for our crumbs.

Going from the California coast, into the Sierra Nevada mountains felt like entering a different piece of land all together. The air got thinner, and the mountains rose high into the brilliant blue sky. Mountain streams created a musical symphony and serenity unsurpassed by anything man-made.

Each of our children brought only one belonging with them: Momo brought Brown Cloud (his bear), and Claire brought Pink Pink (her bear). I intentionally did not bring any other toys because I knew that they would sit untouched as the children explored their surroundings where they were sure to find many more interesting things than manufactured plastic items.

Lucky for us, a lovely family was camping across from our camp site. Their 8 year old daughter and 6 year old son played wonderfully with our children. The four kids would disappear into the rocks and trees for what felt like an eternity, only to come back asking "Can we play some more?"

As an icing on the cake, Grover Hot Springs State Park where we camped had natural hot springs. We were spoiled with a hot pool and a cool pool right next to each other for swimming. We tried to remind the children that this was a special treat, especially when you have a 10,000-foot mountain as your view from the soaking pool.

We hope to return to the same spot next summer! For now, I am happy to be sharing these memories and photographs with you.

Sonoma

A quick visit to Sonoma reassured us that we have indeed returned to California: the deep blue sky, ripening fruits on the trees, grapes on the vines, the smell of the eucalyptus grove at Jack London State Park where the kids went lizard hunting!

The Beach

We woke up to the usual foggy summer morning in Santa Cruz.  Regardless, the children begged to go to the beach.  And why not? With our schedule wide open, we could do whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted.  So to the beach we went.

There was one man on the beach, conversing with mother nature and practicing tai chi.  Ah, to be back in the land of all things alternative, I thought! 

It was not warm at the beach, and we were not well dressed (the only fall back to traveling light) for the cool temperature.  But the kids were too excited to care.  They looked for treasures, yearned to explore, and were thrilled to be free. 

We traversed a small estuary that ran into the ocean, and followed a foot-path to a washed up log.  A great blue heron flew by, so elegantly and quietly.  Both children gasped in amazement, and reminisced about our beloved Blue Heron farm back in Massachusetts.

The sun emerged later in the morning, just in time for us to swim in the pool, and frolicked with friends.  It was another perfect day to be back in Santa Cruz.

Back Home

UCSC farm

Best Friends

Looking at the lizard at the farm

It is a strange feeling, indeed, to be 'home' but not in one's own home. We have a few months yet to be able to get into a place we can call our own. But yet when we look about us, we are, in fact, home.

The glorious California sun greeted us as we landed in the sunshine state yesterday, and it seems as though it is here to stay! Within 24 hours of our arrival, we have already visited some our favorite spots: the bountiful farmers' market that reminded me of my love for this area, the UCSC farm where our children first learned about nature, the neighborhood playground in which our children played and progressed.

In some ways, it feels like we never left. And in many ways, it feels like we were gone for a long long time. Our children did a lot of growing in New England this past year: they perfected their speech, they learned about the extreme seasons, they became more independent, they made lots of friends, and don't forget - they learned how to swim!

So we return with more life, more maturity, as individuals as well as a family. What a year it was!