Soccer Season returns!

Soccer season is back in swing. Dan's team has by now played 5 games, losing only 1. He's having a great time, playing some time at goal keeper and forward. Here's a great shot of him returning the ball after stopping a goal attempt.

And Dan at forward.


He so loves playing soccer, and he's become really quite a good player.

Santa Fe Renaissance Fair

We also visited the Renaissance Fair in September. We saw the usual games and performance by Clan Tynker and picnicked. Dan almost got the prize on the Jacob's Ladder game.

Andy had to try out the stocks.


We also saw the small mill that was running, learned about how the mill works and that traditionally it was tended by children.

There was a CSA encampment, with archery, caber toss and other games. No jousting this year much to Dan's dismay. The guys hiked up -- while I enjoyed some quiet time by the stream in the shade -- and found a school house exhibit set up with games and items used in schools in times past. We shopped at the booths, and after much consideration and comparison, Dan bought a few things.

State Fair

We spent an afternoon at the Fair last month. I didn't get a lot of pictures, but we did see a lot.

We watched a BMX demonstration show that was awesome! Riders on bicycles and skateboards, and even a guy on roller blades, flipping and jumping over each others -- and an audience volunteer.

We checked out the lego models and stamp collections and coin collections, homemade quilts and watched a bit of the chocolate contest (while wondering how one can become a taste tester in that competition); saw horses and blacksmiths and tried several exhibits at the Kids' Pavilion.

The prized buy of the State Fair this year, tho, is clackers! Remember those from the 70's?


By far, the coolest show of the day was the Mapapa African Acrobat Dancers. They were amazingly talented and funny and just all around fun to watch!

Botanic Gardens

We spent a wonderful afternoon at the Botanic Gardens, toured the butterfly pavilion, walked the trails and saw so much.

At the water's edge, leaving the butterfly exhibit, we saw several bullfrogs, and some things we first thought were worms, or maybe larvae. As we looked around to see what they might be, we determined they were some kind of seeds dropped from trees. We also saw some amazing lotus blossoms in the ponds along the way.


Dan showed his balance beam skills at the fountain's edge.

We saw this HUGE spider in her web at the rose garden. We were all impressed with the ziz zag woven into the web, and later looked it up to find that it's common in the webs of this species of spider.


Outside the Mediterranean Gardens, where the bug exhibit had grasshoppers several inches long! Some gross, equally big roaches too.


We walked back to the Japanese Gardens where Dan we saw a tiny, perfectly still bunny, and Dan was mobbed by enormous koi hoping he'd brought food along.

Four Corners

In early September, we took a trip to Four Corners. Okay, so not a glamorous trip, but a cool place Dan really wanted to see. Long drive up and back, but we had a wonderful time, with a lot of rambling conversations, the connections impossible to trace back.

When I pulled the camera out, the batteries were almost dead, which for some reason means the camera takes pink pictures! I tweaked the pix as best I could, deleted those that were entirely pink and here's what was left.

Gary, Andy & Dan. Andy is now taller than Gary (just in the past month or so)! When did they get so big?


Andy standing at the exact point (tho we later learned it may be off by either a small bit or a lot, who depending on which survey methods one credits) where the four states meet.



Standing wasn't comical enough for Gary, and the boys insisted I get a picture of Dad being silly. Really, an amazing number of people there take odd poses -- like crabs, or sitting with feet and hand each in a different state.

Andy brought his yo-yo of course, and walked around the site, pausing to do a trick, Around the World (I think) in each of the four states.


Again, when did Andy get so tall? I ask myself that question every time I look UP at my sweet Andy.

Cliff Jumping in the Jemez

A beautiful August day in the Jemez Mountains with friends. We hiked about 2 miles in, winding back and forth across a stream. We all had a fabulous time, and I wish I'd taken more pictures. There were cows and cold water crossings, and slippery rocks and just so much I forgot my camera as we hiked in.

The water was freezing! Not cold enough to stop the kids, tho. Andy didn't jump from any cliffs, but he spent hours (really, hours!) in the water in a pool that we estimated to be about 15' deep.

Dan did jump, from a few different spots, climbing up the rocks like a pro.




Andy had a great time getting acquainted with a cousin of the friends who led the hike. As we hiked back, Dan and his buddies wanted to catch fish. By the end of the hike out, Andy, Kale (the cousin) and I had fallen far behind and were walking out alone, when the herd of cows decided they were not going to let us cross the stream the final time to get back to the trail out. We thought about climbing up to the road, but really didn't want to go the extra distance. I considered letting Andy be our ambassador to the cows, since he's the only vegetarian. After a few minutes, the cows moved on and we finished our hike.

We'll definitely make this hike against next summer, and bring Gary along.

Wow! it's been too long!

A recent online discussion reminded me it's been ages since I updated the family blog. It's been a busy summer and fall, and and too long since I posted any photos of the boys or what we've been up to.

So here goes....

We attended an Isotopes game after the boys won free tickets at a city parks event. Andy insisted on sitting with Homer for a picture.



Over the years, we've spent lots of time at Ironwood Farms, helping out and just hanging out with friends. Just this summer, Andy is pitching in for pay. He really enjoys both the chance to make some money and the physical work of helping Chris. Andy & Chris were moving fence posts this afternoon back in August.

Dan, Scotty & Eliza spend hours driving Scotty's rider mower around the farm. They also use it to deliver bales of hay to the livestock. Dan really enjoys his time on the rider mower.