This Halloween

There's a ninja in the house.  There has been a ninja in the house for a few months now.  He comes creeping up stealthily sliding long some wall or leaping over a counter.  Sometimes all you see are dark clothes draped around different places.  Today, he's in full effect.  Stealthily stealing along the house and running into a baseball player.  A baseball player who had tried on many personas.  Bee, cowgirl, Minnie Mouse,  princessa, only to land upon the idea.  I'll be a boy!  That works.   We have lots of baseball uniforms around.  So, she was covered and ready for the night!  Happy Halloweeeen!

Jack-o-Lantern

The lighting of the jack-o-lanterns.  All the pumpkins didn't get carved this year because some were so tough they were almost like a gourd.  In fact, to get the lid off we used a saw to cut though it.  The drill was out for carving.   The others though we could use a regular carving knife to carve.  Emily and I did the big one together.  She designed it and I scooped.  Big and smiley next to the ninja. 

Up North

We went to the pumpkin patch a few times this year.  We went with the day care and then ran up there ourselves.  No pictures of Emily as she was getting ready for a cheer competition and had her hair up in curlers under a bandana.  I did take a few shots and was tempted to put them up but thought better of it.  I told her I would take her back up for a photo shoot because some of my favorite pictures of her  in the pumpkin patch.  As you can see in these pictures the colors were outrageous.  Bright and warm.

Garden Day

On Sunday we had a garden work day at school.  This time it wasn't all about the garden.  Though there was lots of weeding, pruning, mulching and planting, there was also the added element of art.  How fun that was!  We painted a mural for a fence along the garden.  We made a garden of hand prints.  Hand prints that bloomed into flowers.  Because we needed two sides when it was dry we flipped it over and printed more beautiful and colorful hand prints.  It is outlined with a finger painted border.  It definitely brightens up the garden!

A Retreat

We had the opportunity to stay up in the mountains here.  This house provided a refreshing retreat.  In the trees above the fog, quiet, crickets, coyotes, lots of warmth.  We feasted and rested here.  Hiked and swam.  Enjoyed their garden's bounty and watered it a lot.  Had a houseful of cheerleaders and a house full of 10 year olds.  Watched the sun rise above the treetops and the stars come out. Good all 'round.    

Soccer Field

Soccer is part of fall.  At least around here.  Eli loves soccer.  Going to practice, playing after school, playing during school, he's in the zone.  His knees are there to prove it.  I'd say though, that his passion for the game isn't quite as intense as baseball.  He has thrown himself down on the field when he didn't quite get a goal but he doesn't walk off the field in tears every time they don't win a game.  And I gotta tell you, this season,  that would be a lot of tears. 

Garden Plantings

Around here there are certain plants we can grow anytime.  I planted these winter veggies and they are going off!  The kale is almost ready to harvest.   The lettuce too.   We have, from top to bottom, two kinds of lettuce, kale, broccoli, cabbage and chard.  As the prices for everything goes up I figure land is food and we should grow as much as we can.  We are still bringing in a few other veggies and apples also.  So, I plant as many as will fit into our garden and watch it fill with green.  However, I noticed as these grow it looks almost as if someone scattered stinging nettle seeds in every bed.  There is this low layer of bright green covering all the space between my vegetables.  I'll have to don those garden gloves.       

Canopy Cruising

They have  a set up where they can attach the cable to the tree without hurting the tree.

 

Gloves are mandatory for braking on the cable.

Peaking over.

A little more daring.

We spent a glorious Sunday morning in the redwoods.  Zipping through these magnificent trees.  Flying 100 feet and more above the ground, we felt like birds.   At first I had a knot in my stomach but had to do it.  I was partially in charge of a group of girls and if they had any doubts I didn't want to let on that I did also.  After the initial fear, it was exhilarating.  Each run was exhilarating.  Flying through the trees above woods and creeks.  Landing on platforms that are built carefully around the trees.  Built so there is no stress on the trees and growing in circumference when the trees do.  On one tree, that was about ninety years old, we stood right in the middle.  In the middle, between the very bottom of the tree, reaching in the ground, and the very tippy top reaching towards the light.  Right in the middle, between grounded and soaring.  They are good examples, these trees. Strong and flexible, grounded and soaring.