Month: July 2009

A Return to Normal

We capped off Tyson’s family’s visit to Tacoma with a visit to the zoo after a morning of packing. It’s been awhile since I’ve been to the zoo, and quite awhile longer since the California kids have been there.

Two of the newest additions to the zoo proved to be the most popular. What kid wouldn’t enjoy a camel ride?

kids on camel

Nearby was the most advertised addition to the zoo, the  Budgie Buddies. It was almost as popular with the kids,

Logan and Zoe feeding budgie

though at least one of the group seemed a little unsure of how close she really wanted these high flyers to get to her:

Sydney with Budgie

Afterwards, we all had spaghetti and Gramps drove a tired group of travelers to the airport to reunite them with Dad, who had spent a long day working.

I’m looking forward to the possibility of a return engagement during Christmas, but right now I’m trying to get a little extra sleep so that I’ll have enough energy to keep up with them when they get back.

How I Spent my 4th, and 3rd

It’s the 4th of July and I can hear Tacoma’s fireworks resounding in the background as I type this entry. I had my 4th of July yesterday and have been perfectly content to spend the day quietly, once the three boys who stayed overnight were picked up by their parents at 10:00 this morning.

We spent most of yesterday at Cory and Margaret’s, with lots of boating and eating. Cory started the activities by showing Logan how to paddle

Cory and Logan Kayaking

and then took nearly all the kids out in the boat for a spin.

Cory and Kids on Boat

Meanwhile Tyson took Sydney out in the kayak

Tyson and Sydney Kayaking

while grandpa sat on the shore enjoying the sunshine and relative quiet.

After dinner they decided it was too quiet and decided to have a preview of tonight’s fireworks,

Fireworks

which had a decidedly mixed reaction with Sidney and Zoe retreating to the house while six-year-old Logan was most upset that his mother wouldn’t allow him to hold a rocket launcher.

While kids and their families spent the day at the beach watching pole vault exhibitions, air shows and fireworks, Leslie and I were content to sit at home and watch the Mariners take their second straight game from the Boston Red Sox and eat a quiet dinner on the deck.

We capped the night by babysitting Sydney who was too tired to stay up for tonight’s fireworks and watched Nemo. Just the right amount of excitement for me!

Thursday at Belfair

Before I picked up Tyson and his family at the airport for an extended 4th of July weekend I managed to sneak in a quick trip to Theler Wetlands. Birding was actually rather poor, limited to the usual Red-Winged Blackbirds and Mallards with accompanying ducklings.

However, I did enjoy watching this Kingfisher fishing,

Kingfisher Diving

even if it was quite a ways away.

I’d resigned myself to taking pictures of flowers, like this newly emerged Coreopsis,

Coreopsis

and this red and yellow lily

Lily

when I came around the corner of the garden to find a whole flock of Cedar Waxwings eating berries.

I would probably be enthralled with this picture

Cedar Waxwing Easting Berry

if I hadn’t taken an even better picture last year in exactly the same spot.

Luckily, such beauty seems ever new.