a postcard from the pumpkin patch...

We have passed by a few pumpkin patches on our travels...and I couldn't resist a photo or two. Since today seems like an appropriate day to post pumpkin pic's...I'll share a few with you.


Pete's Pumpkin Patch lies right next to Highway 101...in Camarillo, California.


In San Francisco...the home of the original sourdough bread...we happened upon sourdough jack-o-lanterns. They looked quite friendly...but I opted for the traditional loaf.


The Mickey and Minnie pumpkins looked most pleasant...just as a pumpkin face should look. There are a lot of things associated with today that I have no use for...but a friendly pumpkin seems a nice offering.

May you and all your munchkins have a happy 'pumpkin day'...

moving up...

It's moving day! Tim and Heidi sold their home...

...their first home...where they have lived for five years and made many wonderful memories.

It was a restored heritage home in the older part of town...with a huge back yard and lovely old trees.

Today they are moving up the hill...

...to a new, larger home...with a small yard and no trees.

They back onto 'green space' however...and so they can call all those neighbouring trees their own.

It is an exciting day for them...and we share in their joy...from afar.

It's sure too bad we aren't home on time to help move. We definitely didn't plan that too well! (Smile).

Speaking of trees...we had an awesome drive yesterday along the Avenue of Giants...through groves of coast redwoods which happen to be the world's largest trees.

As we entered Oregon...the California sun gave way to showers. It's beginning to feel like home.

Have a wonderful day...

a postcard from napa valley...

Greetings from Napa and Sonoma...we are in agricultural country and quite enjoying the scenery.

We are just passing through...really! We took a slight detour and now Highway 101 will be taking us north along the California coast...and through the Redwood Forest. Who knows where we will be tonight?

Enjoy the scenery...

a postcard from san francisco...

We are spending a few days sightseeing in a city which I previously knew only from photos. From open top trolley cars...to cable cars...boats and trains...we are checking out all modes of transportation in order to make the most of our time here.

We walked the Golden Gate Bridge...and far beyond. We had seafood at Fisherman's Wharf, checked out China Town, Little Italy and Union Square. Tomorrow we plan to tour Alcatraz...which happens to be the number one tourist attraction in San Francisco. Who would have thought a former federal prison could be such a drawing card?

Home is on the radar screen...just a few more stops. I'll be back to visit you all soon.

a postcard from the California coast...

We are winding our way north along California's Pacific Coast Highway...and enjoying daytime temperatures in the high eighties...and the most spectacular scenery. It's not a trip that can be done in a hurry...there's so much to see and do! Tomorrow we will tour Hearst Castle, and then drive the most winding and dramatic section of this highway to Big Sur...and visit Carmel-by-the-Sea and Monterey. I found the appropriate tunes for the trip...the best of the Beach Boys seems the perfect music for this stretch of the road!

I'll tell you all about it...later.

a postcard from disneyland...

Greetings from Mickey and Minnie...my munchkins...

myself and all of the gang who enjoyed a marathon outing to

the 'land where dreams come true' yesterday.

It's also a place where the California sun never ceases to shine...

where 'It's a Small World' is bigger than life...

and where one needs to wear comfortable shoes.

It's been a good week...the kids fly home tomorrow...

and we'll start rolling north...

slowly.

coming of age...

1978 was a good year...and October 21st was a very good day...

...and so today we celebrate my daughter's birthday.
We took the celebration on the road this year...and will make it one to be remembered!

And not to go without mention...someone we know well is celebrating her seventieth birthday today.

Now that she is so much older and wiser...she will have to give up all the shenanigans!

Until now she could not really be left unsupervised...or she was bound to get into trouble.

She has had a lot of time to get used to the idea of being 70...and so today we go public...and wish her a most wonderful birthday celebration.

Happy birthday to my sister-in-law, Martha !

May you have many more mountaintop experiences in the days and years that lie ahead!

Birthday blessings to you...

tales from the trail...

As our lovely fall weather gave way to heavy rains...we decided to head south. There are ways to prolong the summer...and delay the inevitable winter that is to come...

...and the one we had in mind lies out in the desert near Palm Springs. We almost know the trail by now...and if we take the I-5 we can make the trip in two days. Hubby keeps his eyes on the road...I work on one project or another...and we both listen to audio books. By the time we arrive at our destination we have 'read' a new novel by Scott Turow and one by Adriana Trigiani...both are well worth the listen.

And I found many opportunities to try out the new Canon...as we whizzed by all sorts of interesting things along the way. I was keeping an eye out for friends who were travelling the same route...with a truck and trailer in tow.

This was not them...but made for a fine picture none-the-less.


Every so often we were reminded that we needed to stop for coffee...and before we knew it, we were in California.

Mt. Shasta is always a pleasant sight!

California's tomato harvest was in full swing...with Roma tomatoes finding their way from the field to market along the interstate highway.

I had a bit of a fright when I glanced up to see a semi-truck coming towards us...but soon realized he was going backwards in a big hurry...and we wouldn't be meeting him anytime soon.

There is always something of interest along the highway of life...and it makes the trip go so much faster!

As we arrived at our destination on Saturday night after sundown...

...the thermometer read 31 degrees Celsius...and we knew we had found summer.

We enjoyed a lazy morning at the resort yesterday...and then made our way to the airport to meet our gang who flew in to join us. The had been en route for many hours......and were much more interested in beginning the vacation than in waiting in a rental car line-up for what proved to be a very long time.

The kids made themselves comfortable... claimed a fair piece of the airport as their own...and before long it looked almost like home!

For the next few days...

...we will mostly be floating down the lazy river! It is a wonderful place for kids of all ages...and we are having a great time together.

Our only regret is that Kris, Lisa and Ranen could not be with us...as it just wasn't a good time for them to be leaving the country.

Lisa stays near home these days...and we look forward to the arrival of a new grand baby sometime soon.

As for the cows back home...we are most grateful to Corina and Steve who have stepped up to the plate...and are taking care of the farm. It's not often that we have family vacations...since it's hard for us all to get away from the farm at once.

And so ends my road report for today...

footloose and fancy free...

Don't expect much but 'the sounds of silence' coming from My Front Porch in the near future...because it is time for a road trip. We are off in search of a little more summer...and we know the sun is still shining somewhere!

Think south!

I love road trips! My projects are packed...including the manual instruction binder for the new Canon. Who knows what I may find to photograph along the way?


These people take the meaning of 'footloose and fancy free' to another level.


By now...nothing surprises me!

I'm just planning to put my feet up...and take it all in.

The laptop is packed...and I may just be checking in from time to time...where WiFi is available. In the meantime...you all take care!

to do list...

One by one...I'm crossing items off the list.

Go to the library for audio books.

I even walked around the the park behind the library...since it was too lovely to ignore.

Visit the Bookman.

Say hi to resident kitty for Ryder.

Haircut.

Stock up on Twizzlers.

Sudoku.
I'm trying to get all my ducks in a row!

eagles in the city...

Now out here in the country, eagle sightings are a common occurrence...

...we need just look out our window during the winter months. The city dwellers, however...may never see the real thing in their neighbourhood.

On our recent visit to Vancouver...we were surprised to see many eagles. They were not exactly like our country eagles...

...but were positioned to greet us at every corner along the waterfront. Eagle art...quite intriguing. I stopped to read the signs...and take pictures, of course...and soon got the scoop.

The eagle sculptures are part of an art project sponsored by the B.C. Lions Club to raise funds for children with disabilities in our province. Each eagle is a seven and a half foot bald eagle, formed of fibreglass...and custom painted by a commissioned artist. The completed works of art are on display in prominent public spaces in many of the major cities of our province.

It was only upon my return to the country, that I discovered we have eagle art on display at our own city hall as well. So I stopped by to check it out...

...and thought it was most appropriate for our 'city in the country'. It looks a little more realistic...but then out here we know what eagles really look like.

In April 2010 all the eagles will 'fly the coop'...when they will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. If you are interested in having an eagle all your own...check out the details at Eagles in the City.

Or if you are more interested in seeing the real thing...the eagles are beginning to arrive in our area...drawn here by the spawning salmon. We have one of North America's largest gatherings of bald eagles nearby...with many excellent opportunities for eagle watching. Every November our community and several others along the river, play host to the Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival...a chance to view the majestic birds and gain a little knowledge. Why not?

for the record...

In our country...the second Monday of October is a national holiday...'a day of general thanksgiving to the Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed'.

We personalize that over here on the farm...and are most grateful for the harvest which was completed just days ago....and is safely stored in the barns for winter.

And as we look back over the events of the past year...we are again reminded that God is good...and we have been abundantly blessed.

We gathered as a family around the table yesterday...all thirteen of us at a table that seats fourteen. It should be full to capacity very shortly...but we know there's always room at the table!

We each shared something for which we were thankful...and in most every case that 'something' was not a thing but a person. It's people...not things...that matter most in the end.

Although most of us are quite enthusiastic about turkey dinner...and gladly enjoy several of them over the Thanksgiving weekend...

...the under-four-crowd was more interested in going to play than in cleaning up the plate. Ranen was beginning to complain about the things she didn't really like...and mommy suggested she be a little more positive. She said, "Well I like all the people!" She too has figured out that family matters more than the food we eat or the stuff we collect.

Since we were all together...we started a few birthday celebrations ahead of schedule. Emme and Spencer have almost a month before they turn eight...but it was decided they would get their birthday gifts early this year.

They seemed to think opening gifts early was a fine idea...

...and were quite thrilled with their new cameras! They have plans to visit a magical place next week...a place where their new cameras will come in very handy. (I'm still thinking Canon might be wise to sponsor this blog...as I continue to advertise freely on their behalf!)

And since Auntie Heidi will be celebrating her birthday in a faraway place next week...she got her gift early as well.

And when I need to borrow an electric fondue...I now know three doors I can knock on!

The meal was done...the gifts were opened...now finally the young'uns could go out and play...

...and that they did!

The budding photographers spent the afternoon honing their skills...and moved to the barn to practise on the animals at chore time. It's about preserving the memories...and what fun they are having.

Thanksgiving Day 2009 came and went...but it will not soon be forgotten. In most of British Columbia...it will go down has the coldest Thanksgiving Day on record. But that was outside...inside it was nice and warm!

And here's my post-holiday favorite...after cooking up a storm on the weekend...there will be no cooking until the leftovers are gone!