Concert in the Pines

Way back in June, we went to our first concert in the pines of the season. Adaline remembered the concert from last year and was sooooo excited to put on her dancing skirt and dance with everybody. 

Spencer wasn't too sure about the dancing, but he loved his new chair :)

By the end of the concert season, Spencer was out in the middle of things, just like Big Sister.

When we weren't dancing, we were visiting with family.

We had to miss the very last concert of the year because of the Rim Fire, but it was a small price to pay to keep our babies lungs safe and free of smoke. Thankfully, the fire is now completely under control and the communities can start the recovery process that follows every fire.

Central Coast Friends

While we were in Shell Beach we called up our local friends and begged them to come play with us.

I have known Brooke since our freshman year in college. We both have two young children so we jump at the chance to spend any time at all together, no matter how short it may be. This time, Brooke was able to bring her youngest over, whom we had yet to meet- and she was able to meet Spencer. After an hour of play time, we met up with her husband and older son for a few minutes before they had dinner with their families...at the resort we were staying at! I love when life works out for all of us :)

Getting to know each other

Isn't he beautiful?

Pretty good pic for four adults and four young children :)

We were also able to catch up with our other good friends, Mike and Michelle and their darling girls for dinner and a walk on the pier. The last time we visited with the Phares family was our last trip to Avila Beach in 2011. I can't believe how much our families have grown!

Travis and Mike met in college, too- only fitting that we were both able to visit with our college friends!

We were reminded, yet again, that we have wonderful friends and that we were blessed with time to catch up with them in person. We keep in touch with social media, but nothing beats getting a real hug from a loved one that you haven't seen in over a year.

Shell Beach

Back to catching up on our summer happenings...
In mid-July, we spent four days in Shell Beach with Travis's parents. It was nice to get out of the valley for a while and enjoy the ocean air. The weather was perfect, and the company was great, too!
Grandpa and Grandma Walsh brought kites to fly on the grassy bluff...well, that was the idea, but the kites had other plans. I had never seen kites like these before so I wasn't much help in getting them to fly...instead I stood back and documented the process :)

 It was fun to watch everyone struggle with the kites then rejoice when they were airborne, no matter how short-lived it was.

The view from the hotel was amazing. I don't think we had a cloudy day the entire time we were there, the mornings had a little marine layer, but it aways burned off quickly. 

 (another pic of attempting to fly kites)

 I took a long run out to the point in the left part of the picture above and looked back upon the spot where this actual picture was taken- it was pretty cool to see, but I can't seem to find that picture : /

Of course we went to the beach a few times...

...and we discovered that Shell Beach is only shelly in the morning- which works out well when you're trying to play in the sand, because, really, who wants to post up on a whole bunch of shells?

We went to the Avila Barn and Petting Zoo on one of the mornings.  We had a blast feeding the animals and taking a tractor ride to pick our own fresh peaches.

We had an enjoyable four days in one of our favorite parts of the state. I can't wait to go back when Spencer is a little older and we're able to do a little bit more as a family. Soon enough...until then, I'll keep looking at the pure joy that radiates from my children's faces in these photos :)

Post Rim Fire 2013

My dad works in Tuolumne County and routinely travels highways 108 and 120.  Today, on his way through, he took all these pictures with his iPhone.

In his words: 

The first three photos were taken along Evergreen Rd going into Evergreen Lodge and outside of Yosemite National Park. The thing to think about is that if any trees are to be logged they have to come out before this winter because with the bark burned off of them the wood will not be any good after it freezes (because the bark insulates the wood.) 

 All the white on the ground is not snow, it's ash.

 The second group of pictures were taken on HWY 120

He showed me these photos and I had such an overwhelming feeling of devastation. In the post just prior to this, I posted pics of Sugar Pine community. The thick trees and foliage is what all of this area looked like just weeks ago. Now it looks liked the Nevada desert. The air is still smoky in the morning, and there are still firemen in the area finishing up with the back burns and the original fire. One fireman said it would be months before the smoke is completely gone from the air. And what will happen when the rains start and wash away all the top soil? Landslides, rivers and creeks will clog with all the debris...and what about all the flame retardant? I know nothing about about it? Is it environmentally safe?
One of the stores my dad travels to said a bear walked through the grocery store parking lot, all his fur burned off, his mussel burned, and his paws must have been burned because he would stop and lick his paws every few steps. Heartbreaking. If the bear survives the initial burns, how will he survive the winter with no coat? How will he hunt for food right now with injured paws? What about all the birds? The deer? All the other wildlife? I know it's a part of the cycle of life, but I hate being faced with the reality of it.
Thankfully, so many homes were saved. So many ranchers were able to save their horses and cattle. So many community members pulled together to support one another in this horrific disaster. The mountain community is strong- it will always be strong. It's events like these that really put things in perspective for every one- I know I stopped to count my blessings and give thanks for all that could have gone wrong that didn't for my family and friends. Thank you, firemen for all that you risked to save so much for so many people.