Saturday

Saturday was a boring day. Jim went to work and we went grocery shopping. 

I'm not kidding when I say I was in desperate summer appreciation mode. 

By the time Jim got home from work, I was desperate to do something summery. It felt like such a wasted day. I was almost in a panic. (of course "panic" is a hyperbole...I'm typing this with thoughts of the Houston Petersons in the back of my mind. I'm sure they would love to have a boring Saturday instead of dealing with the threat of tornados and flooding of their home. Long story short, they eventually decided to evacuate - 30 minutes before mandatory evacuation - in their truck. They made their way safely to Alisha's in Austin. They continue to be "refugees" until the flood waters abate.)

So I left the kids home with Jim and went blackberry picking along Semiahmoo. A lot of the bushes are on a busy road, otherwise I would have brought the kids with me. Maybe. 

The wild blackberries are so giant and shiny over there. And I don't know what the deal is this year, but the spiders haven't taken over yet. It's so late in the season and I'm not dodging webs.

When I got home, we ate dinner (with a side of wild blackberry),

then Lindsay texted that they were going for an evening at the beach. 

So of course we tagged along. Of course.

Being at the beach at sunset is so pleasant. No sunscreen, lots of shade.

The kids caught a fish in that blue bucket. It died. 

Thursday: Semiahmoo *** Friday: Library "Road"eo

Thursday was a beach day. Low tide is always fun for wildlife. 

We played with the spitting clams and found this purple sea star. 

Evan jumped off the dock a few times...without getting his head under water. 

Friday we spent three hours at the library. There were lots of city vehicles to explore.

"better get used to these bars, kid."

name that movie.

We were there for three hours because the kids found a tree to climb, and the moms found a spot to sit and talk, so yeah. We were there long after the city representatives had cleaned up their booths and left. 

Wednesday: Morning Hike, Evening Bike

Me and my trail buddy Emily took the kids on a morning hike to Fragrance Lake. It was two miles in, two miles out. This is the furthest the kids have ever hiked, so we both just held our breath and went for it knowing it could be a very miserable couple of hours.

But no. Not miserable. There was nary a whine. 

I'm convinced the key to hiking is going with friends. They all forget how "hard" the going is. 

Andrew likes to run ahead obnoxiously. He wants to be the leader. So if anyone gets close to him, he takes off running. It's just kind of an eye roller on a safe trail - and a major eye gauger when the trail is dangerous (he also does this in the airport. eye gauge.)

So, he was hiking along in the lead, out of sight...la la la, when I hear him scream in terror and run back toward us. 

A dog. Off leash. This is his worst nightmare. 

So that cured him of the running ahead nonsense. He stayed right by me the whole time and rode in the baby backpack for about a mile. 

They played a game - with made up names (I love that) and pretended they had to find a new home...I think they might have been orphans...

This is a very different waterfall in the spring. 

It was awesome. I love that it was a no brainer. Phew. 

We got home and rested up a bit,

then headed out for a Padden night.

Here's a little tid bit about me in the summer: I am sweaty and dirty pretty much all day - from exercising, then exploring, then beach, then chores, or whatever...

and I save up all that grime for an evening shower. I bring each child into the shower one by one and scrub them down, then send them out to get jammies and teeth brushed. 

Next year they will probably be too old for this routine...but for our current season, it is working out well. 

Jim and Joe got home from work, and we loaded up the bikes for a Padden night. 

The kids are getting so good at biking. 

At the beginning of the season, there were many hills they had to get off and walk up. Now there is only about two big hills they have to walk. 

I love when we get back to the playground after a lap around the lake and have the place to ourselves as the sun goes down. 

The dads get back and we exchange stories of how it went. Nobody wants to go home, but it gets darker and darker.

On the way home, the moon was a tiny sliver. The eclipse was two days ago, and it dawns on me...the moon was a new moon for the eclipse! I was wondering where it was during the day...you know? I thought we should be able to see it near the sun. So, yeah. New moon.

Tuesday: The Zoo

There is a little zoo across the boarder we decided to check out on Tuesday.

There are so many interactive "shows" and you can bring your bikes and ride around, 

so we bought a season pass. 

At 1:00 they feed the lions. It was equal parts amazing and sad. 

Amazing because this giant lion with a massive mane stands up on the fence to retrieve his meat. He growls and is wild.

Sad because this majestic animal that should be hunting his prey is pathetically depending on a zoo keeper to spoon feed him. He was originally taken in by some idiot as a pet, so he wouldn't survive in the wild. 

There is a bear down there. He was sleeping soundly, then stood up and peed. We liked that. 

When Andrew got tired, he sat on our feet. 

There were only about 10 people in the audience for the raptor show, so I was picked to "catch" this hawk. 

He came so fast and then landed on a dime to retrieve the piece of chicken I held. 

I can't wait to go back and take our bikes! Fatigue is always the biggest complaint in places like this, so...with bikes = problem solved. 

Monday: Eclipse at Mount Baker

This here last week of summer has got me in "desperate summer appreciation mode". 

We are packing in as much outdoor goodness as possible. 

Monday we went up to Artist Point to watch the eclipse. 

The eclipse was amazing, don't get me wrong,

but it didn't stand a chance against the views: 360 degrees of the most amazing wilderness. 

three hundred

sixty

degrees.

The kids love playing in the snow. Every year I forget to bring a sled. 

I think it's a subconscious protest against doing anything winter-y. 

Fie, winter. 

They slid down that steep slope on their shoes. 

This is a pic of the "crowd" staring at the sun.

I was surprised by how much light the sun still produces with 90% coverage.

Anything space related always gives me this existential feeling of awe. We really are floating around in vastness. We really are dependent on physics for this earth situation to work out. We really are counting on the sun to light us and heat us and feed us. It seems so fragile. 

I feel that same way when I study biological systems. It's all so miraculous, this life. 

We hiked around after the show was over. 

The kids were a bit whiny, and this trail is a tad bit sketch with Andrew, which is so frustrating. 

I hate turning around prematurely on a trail. 

But then Jim and I had an epiphany practically in the same moment: when Andrew goes to kindy next year, we can come up here and do these amazing hikes alone! 

That is the feel of summer slipping from our grasp. boo hoo