July Joys

 Hello, and how are you all doing with the summer heat?  Some of you asked about the humidity in this area.  Well, on a recent post, I mentioned driving to the city, which was extremely hot that day, but that was in the valley, about 50 minutes away.  During the summer, we usually get temps in the 90's here in the mountains, although we have had some days in the 100's this month.  Also, California usually doesn't get the humidity like some of the other states do.  So, it has been a warm summer, but supposed to cool down in August.  There are several July birthdays in my family, so when I saw these confetti cupcakes in the bakery section, I had to buy them.

Francesca and Mia are already interested in taking pictures, and this little daisy Francesca captured when we were visiting the church one day.

I liked this photo of Mia so much, that I put it on my computer screen.  It has summer written all over it.

A BLT sandwich with some Popchips.

I made a squash bake, which turned out delicious.  Lots of cheese sprinkled on top.

I had some leftover chicken, and my son made his own special creation one night.  It was so good that I had two servings.

Nel took a trip to England this summer, and she sent me a few pictures.  These two photos are of a wall that was built by the Romans.  It spans the entire island of England and marked the very edge of the Roman Empire.  It's called Hadrian's Wall.

When Jess was here, we visited the home shop in town, and Bigfoot was greeting us at the door.

I bought this Lego Twirling Rapunzel for Francesca, and she wanted to put it together all by herself.

How is it that my girl turned 43 this month?  I still remember her climbing grandma's tree when she was just a playful young girl.

For her special day, she went to a magic show in Hollywood with her sister-in-law and Jess.  They had drinks and dinner, and she got picked as a volunteer from the audience for two shows and was able to witness some mind blowing magic up close and personal.  It was so fun getting all dressed up and wandering The Magic Castle that night.  I love the green velvet dress she wore.

Mermaid Charlotte.  Out of all the babies in my family, including my own, she has to have the sweetest smile.

Through the window at my neighbor's house.  I've never seen the hummer's tiny long beak inside the feeder before.

My son often goes to the creek, and sent me this picture.  It's such a peaceful place to visit for him.

This summer heat is zapping my energy, so going through photo albums sounds like a good idea.  I always say that if there was ever a fire or I had to get out of the house quickly, one of the first things I'd gather is my photo albums.  They have so many memories in them.

Try to stay cool, friends.  It's in the 100's the next couple of days, then cooling down to the 80's.

~Sheri 

Enchanted Cave

I'm wrapping up the last of the outings me and Jess had when she came to visit me in the mountains.  This day was a fun one, as we drove to see the cave that is located not that far from here.  This neat cave is a lava tube that was formed by a volcano 20,000 years ago.  It is completely dark inside, so you have to bring a flashlight or a lantern to accompany you.  It gets very cold inside the cave, and remains 46 degrees year round.  The hike is only 1/3 of a mile, so it is accessible for kids and older people.  I didn't go through the cave myself, and took a nice walk with Charlotte, but I did walk to the entrance of the cave and took a few pictures.  Come along, and see the interesting and somewhat spooky cave that Jess and Francesca and uncle b. walked through.

 When they finished walking through the cave, and they came out from another direction, Francesca saw me and shouted "grandma!"  This is a popular attraction in this area, and I'm glad that Jess was able to experience it, and spend this time with her brother.

~Sheri

A Very Hot Day In The City

I had a wonderful time when Jess visited recently.  One of those days we drove to the city and spent the day there.  When I was growing up, this town was a small country town, with not many attractions, but now it's a big city with a mall, restaurants, and shops of every kind.  The streets are getting so crowded, and with the temps being in the 100's, it made it very uncomfortable.  I also drove to the city last week with my son, so I will combine both of these days on this post today.  We first stopped at our favorite cafe' and had something to eat.  Then, we walked along main street and went inside a few shops.  We drove to the other side of town, and went to all my favorite shops, World Market, Barnes & Noble, and others.  Jess and Nel have always loved the bookstores, and I appreciate the cafes within the bookstores.  The Barnes & Noble cafe' had a cozy vibe, and we sat for awhile to get out of the heat - it was 97 degrees that day.  Uncle b. bought Francesca a specialty milkshake - Vanilla Bean Frappuccino.  When me and my son drove to the city last week, it was very hot, 115 degrees...not pleasant weather at all.  I browsed through an eclectic shop and then we went to Target, where I found some soft furry slippers in a blush color.  They will be nice this winter.  Here's a few photos from our fun day spent in the city.

Let the world busy themselves with events and celebrations.  I'm quite content having the pure innocence of a baby nestled in my arms.

 ~Sheri

The Sculpture Park

Continuing with Jess' visit, we had many outings on her five-day stay, and one of those days we drove over to the Sculpture Park to see the giant whimsical characters.  The sculptures are created from discarded scrap materials, and the artists, two brothers, shapes them into life.  Among them were the Tin Man, the bright green Inchworm, the Cat, the Aliens and their UFO, and my favorite, the Giraffe.  This sculpture was grand, and you can see how tall it was with Francesca standing next to it.  So, here's some of the delightful sculptures we saw on the warm Summer day.

When we got home, I made a big pot of spaghetti and salad, and Jess shared the bread she bought, which was so good that it went in a day.  We also had a glass of wine that night after dinner.  I've had these blue wine glasses forever.  They look gypsy to me. 

Jess fixed my Netflix on the big screen, so we saw lots of shows when she was here.  She hadn't seen the Virgin River Christmas episodes, so we enjoyed watching them.  Yes, I sometimes watch Christmas shows in the Summer.  ; )   

My neighbors keep telling me to go see the sculptures, so now I can tell them I did!  I'd love to hear which sculpture was your favorite.

~Sheri