A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN SANTA CRUZ

NO MATTER HOW YOU SPEND IT.

SOME SPEND IT STANDING ON THE EDGE OF A CLIFF
CATCHING A FISH.
CRAZY!

SOME SPEND IT
CATCHING A GAME OF BEACH VOLLEYBALL.
ATHLETIC!

AND THEN THEY'RE ARE THOSE
WHO CATCH A RIDE ON THE BOARDWALK.
FUN!

WE SPENT OUR DAY WATCHING ALL OF THEM,

AND OUR NIGHT CATCHING LIVVEY'S 

PROUD!

 SHE SANG IN THE CHOIR, 

 RECITED A READING,

AND SANG A SOLO.

BEAUTIFUL!!!

SINCE THIS IS HER LAST YEAR OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL,
AND HER LAST TLC SCHOOL CONCERT,
IT WAS
BITTERSWEET!

BET YOU THOUGHT IT NEVER WOULD HAPPEN

FINISHED!!!

BEFORE STARTING THE OTHER PUZZLE I RECEIVED FOR CHRISTMAS,
I'VE GOT TO
GET TO MY KNITTING!

A WARM 71 DEGREES IN SALINAS

PERFECT DAY FOR A SWIM MEET

GOOD THING GORDAN HAD HIS ACT TOGETHER TODAY.

HE HAD AN EASIER TIME SWIMMING THE 500 

(20 LAPS OF THE POOL)

THAN I DID AT TAKING PICTURES.

HOPEFULLY THIS IS HIM.

I DID HAVE ONE WHOLE RACE OF PICTURES, AND COME TO FIND OUT IT WASN'T GORDAN, IT WAS A BOY FROM THE OTHER TEAM.  I ALSO HAD A GREAT VIDEO OF THAT BOY.

THE GUYS WITH THE LAP COUNTERS
STRUGGLED ALMOST AS MUCH AS ME,

AND GORDAN SWAM ON!

GO GORDAN GO!!!

I KNOW GORDAN LOOKS JUST LIKE HIS DAD,

BUT WHEN I SEE HIM DOING THE BREAST STROKE,

I SEE SIGNS OF UNCLE CRAIG.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THAT BOTTOM LIP!

HE'S THE SPLASH

IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS PICTURE,

COMING IN STRONG,

FOR A GREAT TURN,

I'M TITLING THIS,
"I'M GOING THAT A WAY."

THIS IS THE 500

AND YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS,

ASIDE FROM THAT NO ONE WANTS TO DO IT,

20 LONG LAPS OF THE POOL!

AND- - - - - 
GORDAN, ON THE TOP OF THE PICTURE,
FINISHED WITH A STRONG SECOND.
GREAT JOB GORDAN! 

GOOD LUCK TO YOU AND YOUR COUSINS
AT THE MEET TODAY. 

SALAD ANYONE?

I'VE GOT THE LETTUCE!

I PLANTED LETTUCE IN THIS PLANTER LAST YEAR, AND THEN, WITH THE DROUGHT, STOPPED WATERING IT.  I CHOSE MY SHRUBS TO GET ANY EXTRA WATER.  LOOK WHAT I FOUND WHEN I CLEARED OUT THE WEEDS,

  LETTUCE!

MAKES ME WANT TO GO BUY SOME SEEDS, AND THIS YEAR KEEP THEM WATERED.

WHAT TO DO ON A STORMY SUNDAY AFTERNOON,

WATCH WATER POLO

OF COURSE!

 THE FIRST GAME FOUND LIV, #5 OUT DEFENDING

 AND GOING FOR THE BALL

WHILE ROXY WAS GOALIE.

SINCE THE TEAM DOESN'T HAVE A DESIGNATED GOALIE,

THEY ROTATE THIS POSITION.

I DON'T THINK TOO MANY PLAYERS WANT TO BE GOALIE,

SO THIS IS GOOD PRACTICE FOR ALL OF THEM.

CAN'T BE SURE,

BUT SINCE I TOOK THIS PICTURE,

IT MUST BE OLIVIA BEING DOUBLE TEAMED

AND DUNKED!

THIS LOOKS KIND OF ILLEGAL TO ME LIV,

ARE YOU TRYING TO HOLD HER ARM DOWN

OR JUST FEELING HER MUSCLE. 

 ROXANNE #4 IS OUT OF THE GOALIE BOX

AND DOING SOME DEFENDING HERSELF,

STOP THAT BALL LIV,

 IT'S YOURS!

 OK ROXY,

STOP THIS BALL,

 AND CALL IT A WIN

 WITH A SCORE OF 6 TO 4.

GREAT JOB GIRLS!
NOW LET'S DO THAT ALL OVER AGAIN.

MY CAMERA BATTERY GAVE OUT 

JUST BARELY INTO THE SECOND GAME.

 I DID GET THESE GREAT PICTURES OF #4, 

WHO I HOPE IS LIV,

DRIVING THE BALL DOWN FOR A SCORE.

THEY BOTH CHANGED NUMBERS A COUPLE OF TIMES

THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

TRYING TO KEEP THE PICTURE TAKER ON HER TOES,

HUH GIRLS?

SCORE!

EVEN THOUGH SHE LOOKS TOTALLY DIFFERENT

IN THE SWIM CAP, I CAN TELL THIS IS ROXANNE

DRIVING THE BALL  

BECAUSE SHE WEARS A DARK BLUE SWIM CAP 

UNDER THE WATER POLO CAP.

THE LAST QUARTER OF THE GAME,

AND ITS OLIVIA'S TURN TO BE GOALIE.

BY THIS POINT THEY WERE WINNING 

WITH A SCORE OF TWENTY PLUS TO NOTHING.

 SHE HAD LOTS  OF TIME TO POSE FOR THE CAMERA,
WHILE CRAIG TOOK THIS PICTURE.

GREAT GAMES GIRLS!
I'M GLAD I CAME OUT ON THIS BLUSTERY DAY.

MY EVERGREEN PEAR

HAS TURNED EVER BROWN!

THESE TREES ARE NOTED FOR GETTING BLIGHT, WHICH CAN TURN A BEAUTIFUL GREEN TREE BROWN WITHIN A WEEK OR SO.  WE'VE SPRAYED FOR IT  IN THE PAST, JUST WHEN THE LEAVES START TO SPROUT.  DIDN'T DO IT THIS YEAR, AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, IT LOOKED LIKE FALL IN OUR BACKYARD.  YESTERDAY WE STARTED THE TASK OF PRUNING BACK ALL THE BRANCHES.  THIS MORNING IT WAS RAINING SO WE WERE GOING TO TAKE A DAY OFF.  I CALLED BETTY, AND AS USUAL WE HAD A LONG CHAT.  MY HAPPY MOOD FROM TALKING TO BETTY QUICKLY VANISHED AS I LOOKED OUTSIDE AND SAW DARYL CONTINUING ON THE TREE.  

NO MORE CLIMBING IN TREES FOR DARYL!
HE WAS ABLE TO USE THIS EXTENDABLE PRUNER,
ONLY HAVING TO GET ON THE LADDER ONCE.

HE HAULED THE BRANCHES UP ONTO THE DECK,

AND I CUT THEM INTO FOUR FOOT PIECES SO THEY WILL FIT IN THE GREEN CAN.

THE LAST TIME WE PRUNED THIS TREE OURSELVES, STEVE WAS HERE AND HELPED ME WITH THIS TASK.

IT MAY NOT SEEM LIKE MUCH, BUT JUST ASK STEVE, THE PILES HAVE TO BE THE RIGHT SIZE, AND THEN EACH ONE TIED UP BEFORE WE FILL EVERY GREEN CAN ON THE BLOCK WITH THE BUNDLES.  ONE MORE DAY AND HOPEFULLY THAT SHOULD BE FINISHED.

I LOVE THIS TREE, AND HAVE GREAT HOPES THAT IT WILL SURVIVE.
BUT KNOWING THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN,
AND ALL THE WORK IT INVOLVES,
I JUST MAY BE SECRETLY HOPING THAT MAYBE IT WON'T.

THE COASTAL ROUTE

IS THE MOST PICTURESQUE WAY

TO GET DOWN SOUTH

WE THOUGHT OF STOPPING FOR A NIGHT IN PISMO, BUT WITH SPRING BREAK IN FULL SWING, EVEN NOT SO REASONABLE HOTELS  WERE FULL.  NEXT CHOICE, CAROL'S FAVORITE ALONG MOONSTONE BEACH IN CAMBRIA,  NO VACANCY.  BUT, WE DID FIND THIS HIDDEN RESORT, I'D SAY RIGHT OUT OF THE 60'S? , BUT SOMEWHAT RE-DONE.  IT ALSO IS ALONG MOONSTONE BEACH, AND JUST LOOK WHAT'S WITHIN A WALK ACROSS THE PROPERTY.

WITH JUST A SHORT STROLL THROUGH THE, NOT SO REAL GOLF COURSE, HERE'S THE BEACH.

JUST ABOVE,
THE PERFECT PICNIC AREA

WITH THIS WONDERFUL VIEW.
A PERFECT FIND
AND IT EVEN CAME WITH BREAKFAST!


I 5 ON THE OTHER HAND,
IS GREAT FOR THE SHORTEST WAY HOME,
BUT HAS NOTHING PICTURESQUE,ASIDE FROM A SHORT AREA WHERE THE HILLS
ARE FULL OF POPPIES.

POPPIES OR NOT,
I PREFER THE  COAST.

EMILY'S 21ST BIRTHDAY

SOME PEOPLE CELEBRATE THEIR 21ST BIRTHDAY

IN LAS VEGAS,

SOME IN NAPA, 

BUT EMILY CHOSE TO SPEND HERS

AT THE 

"HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH"

DISNEYLAND!!!

HER MOM, DAD, SISTER AND BROTHER,
LOTS OF COUSINS,
AUNTS AND UNCLES,
AND FRIENDS
STARTED THE FUN ON FRIDAY,
WHILE PAPA AND I JOINED IN
THE CELEBRATION ON SATURDAY.
TODAY, HER ACTUAL BIRTHDAY,
 WE ALL GOT TOGETHER FOR
A CHARACTER BREAKFAST
BEFORE HEADING FOR HOME.

THE WEEKEND BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES OF 1998
AND THE FIRST TIME
WE WERE THERE WITH HER FAMILY
AND COUSINS
CHRIS, CAMERON, ABBEY, AND BRITTNEY.
BRITTNEY WAS THERE AGAIN THIS WEEKEND
TO JOIN IN THE FUN.

THERE SHE IS AGAIN IN 2001
AT THE CHARACTER BREAKFAST
WITH HER MOM, GORDAN, ELISE,
 BRITTNEY, ABBEY AND CAMERON.

LIKE EMILY,
DISNEYLAND HAS CHANGED THROUGH THE YEARS,
BUT ENJOYING THE RIDES

 AND THE CHARACTERS 

NEVER GETS OLD.

STOPPING FOR A SNACK

FROM TIME TO TIME
THROUGHOUT THE DAY

ADDS TO THE FUN.

EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE,
NO MATTER WHERE IT MIGHT BE,
THEY JUST HAD TO SIT DOWN
AND REST THEIR FEET.

BUT NOT FOR TOO LONG 

BEFORE EMILY HAD EVERYONE UP
AND RUNNING TO THE NEXT RIDE.

WHEN IT GOT DARK

SHE LED THE WAY WITH A LIGHT UP WAND,

AND WE ALL FOLLOWED.

IT'S MIDNIGHT,
THE PARK IS CLOSING,
AND WE GIVE OUR FEET A LITTLE REST 

BEFORE HOT FOOTING IT BACK
TO OUR HOTEL.

YES IT IS 

"THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMILY!

WISHING YOU A YEAR,

LIKE THIS WEEKEND,

FILLED WITH LOTS OF FUN!!!