A Great Way to End the Work Week

I work 4 - 10's (sometimes more, sometimes less). This Thursday was special in that the local band Sambada (Latin fusion & hip hop) put on a free show down at the harbor beach. All my co-workers were going with their families so I went there too! And who should I encounter there? Why none other than Ruby and her Mommy (and Karen, Ruby's once weekly care taker [and wife of my friend and co-worker Josh] - she's due to have her second baby ANY day now).

Momma was there to enjoy the show with her friend Gina, whose kids' dad leads the band! So many over-lapping connections! But that's life in community, my Friends!! There were so many families there the band turned down the volume so everyone could have a great time and still not hurt little ears. I had a blast dancing with my girl and also taking her to explore the beach. She was pouting and upset to go home, so we know she was having a lot of fun.

Montanians in Santa Cruz

Early this week, friends Darren and Tess and their pooch Raley came through the area, catching up with their many friends in the state. Last time I saw them was during my motorcycle trip in 2006. I've known them for about 7 years from my days working in Sequoia National Park. I got to meet a couple of their friends here in town - always nice to expand one's circle of contacts!

Happy Summer Solstice! (belated)

Whew and wow, so much going on! Last weekend I returned to Santa Barbara for my favorite parade: the Summer Solstice parade! Terry and his adorable daughter Natalie were in it to drum and dance the full route with their ensemble. I helped by pushing a cart with base drums and playing bell. Fun fun! Couldn't ask for a more beautiful day.

Father's Day with Ruby

Today was a great day. First I got to sleep in to 7:15 AM, then met up with Ruby's Momma and Nana for breakfast. I hafta admit, I got a little spoiled on the Eggs Benedict... And Ruby was in a great mood. Sunday's Father's Day and I'll be with her almost all day, and so after breakfast, she rides in my car. She was SO tired (being the time for her morning nap) and the lulling of the road just makes her fall asleep. So cute, but she needed a new diaper, so I had to keep her awake for another 2 minutes until we were home and changed.

I am glad she's gotten to visit my place more and that Shannon is very positive about quality time and involvement from my end. That also allows her to go to sleep more easily as she is a very curious child. With in a couple minutes of her fresh diaper, she was out, however I think the new diaper soon met a similar result as the previous one. Oh well, that's what they're made for...























Refrigerators are magnet central and she like to play with the small collection of critters and colorful things stuck there. We also spent time outside gardening, in the sand box, and for a short bike ride before she was tuckered out again, and the cycle continues... She probably having another growth spurt or is teething or something (always something, right?). But she's such a good natured, and healthy child. I couldn't have hoped for a better.

After Shannon came by to get her, my neighbor Keith came over for a couple games of chess, which he soundly beat me. A great opponent, to be sure. After that thrashing I went on a nice long bike ride along the coast and saw the sunset.

I hope your Father's Day was as good to you too!!

At 4 Mile Beach

Santa Cruz is well know for its surf spots. There are numerous beaches with a variety of names. Visiting them has become an interest of mine (as if I needed a good excuse!). Ruby loves the water, seeing the waves and wildlife, and touching sand, shells, and rocks. We went out to 4 Mile Beach today. "Why's it called that," you may ask? Well because its 4 miles north of Santa Cruz. Apparently there also a 3 Mile Beach also, but you gotta risk a ticket to get to it, and though I may not be intimidated by the threat, I'm not willing to take Ruby on a jaunt with Johnny Law.

So 4 Miles was very nice, but it was extremely windy. The ocean waves were all white capped and spray was blown off the crashing crests as the water did its final approach to the beach. Ruby loves the wind too, however his Dad (and her Momma, I've recently learned) doesn't like it so much. We found the north end of the beach was protected by a cliff so we took advantage of that and had a lot of fun in the sun and sand.

Just a Modest Home in the Hills

I have the great fortune (though not necessarily making a fortune) of installing solar. It's a lot of hard work, but the rewards are multifaceted. This is a VERY LARGE hot water, or thermal, installation on a "home" (if 6,000 sq feet fits your idea of a home) that will be published in a major magazine. It is near Seaside, looking Northwest, and across Monterey Bay.

If you were to adjust your gaze North and then East, you would see then next two shots.

This wood is blue to protect against termites and mold. Its a sprayed chemical that is purportedly basically borax (like the cleaner).

This is the third building and is ideal for your workshop, office and boat (yes, there is a space for you to park a boat). It is also the site of 60 solar photo voltaic modules generating A LOT of juice. 6.8 kW around 9:30 this morning under cloudy skies.

Play Time with Jaden

As many of you may know, "Sex in the City" is very popular right now. These two's mommas (and 5 others) opted to have a date of it this Sunday. So some of us dads decided to have some fun of our own with the little ones (don't worry, those bottles are empties). Ruby loves her friend Jaden. He's a week older and their moms have been best of friends for quite a while. Jaden's dad's a great guy and we had a whole lotta fun with the munchkins.

Ruby's phirst photo?

We were returning from our bike ride and Ruby seems to love her helmet.














I let Ruby have a little close time with my iphone while it was in camera mode and this is what she snapped! Cute pheet.














I'm not that delusional to think it was more than random, but hey, some of my random shots have been amongst my favs.

Yard Sales Can Have the Best Stuff

Yeah, that's where I tend to get many of my things, and yes, that means Ruby's things too...
She LOVES some of her toys more than others like this musical walker - $3 from my new acquaintances around the corner - she enjoys A LOT. When it is on, she dances, rockin' up and down...it's SO cute. I hope her spirit for music stays with her. Knowing her parents, that's probably likely...

From Sequoia With Love

So I'm back from the land of the Big Trees, the land of blooming dogwoods and haphazard weather. Was your weekend rained out too? I started hiking Friday, the South Fork of Sequoia National Park and it was beautiful. The plants were lush and green (as was the poison oak!); the dogwoods in full bloom contrasting against the deep reds of the trees; overcast so as to have no shadows (great for photos!) but, but, these same clouds
brought first rain, then snow, wet, gropplely snow. It comes
down like a flake, but its all wet and soon so was I. I was prepared, but then it got very cold. The next morning, my soggy boots and soon to be immersed socks were not welcome participants to my adventure.

The cold and swollen rivers (I'd had two crossings planned) help make up my mind for me to bail and go back to Tres Rios to visit with friends. A great plan B. Sunday evening was a potluck feast with many great friends. Though it was raining still, our Sunday night drumming still went on as it always has for the last 16 years.

I also got to chat it up with happy new parents Savy & Danny Boiano, whose new baby girl, Ella Ruby Boiano is doing well. I was very excited that they chose same middle name as my girl Ruby. I guess that she does make an impression.

On the way home, I discovered that I had a stow away: a beautiful and amazingly tame blue-belly lizard. This guy wasn't skittish, didn't drop the tail when grabbed and stayed calmly on my shirt while I was busy on my last errand leaving the Visalia area. Its been reintroduced to the Santa Cruz area (there are already blue-bellys here, so I'm not introducing a non-native y'all) and will eat up lots of garden bugs (I hope).

A Visit After Work

Yep, it looks like Rubester is already learning to walk! The two photos are documenting her longest distance yet - about four steps, or about 10 inches in distance. Funny, she does it better when she's distracted...

I'm trying to visit with her as much as I can before the long weekend. Last weekend took me to a Crystal Cave Trustee meeting at the cave. Little did I realize until just setting out that access wasn't going to happen. It seems that some dynamite from the 1930's was still in the cave (it was set, but didn't detonate! ) and it was discovered just a day before! That was unexpected. With me going back for my own explorations, and Ruby and her Mommy going away for the long weekend, I'll be missing her again. She's growing and developing more and more; each time I get to she's got something new to share. She's become great at sharing; she sometimes crawls right over when I signal that I'd like to see her; she's determined and at times this really shows on her face! And I already mentioned that she's walking! Look out world! here comes Ruby!!

Returning to the Mountains

The Sierra Nevada is my home. I've spent a lot of time since I was a kid in the 70's exploring them and I miss being there greatly. I'm looking forward to what free time I have so that I can return to continue my relationship with this grand place. This coming Memorial Day weekend is allowing me such an opportunity! Whoppie!! I'll be searching for the King Arthur tree, number 10 (I'm not counting the Washington tree anymore - Sorry! it burned up, get over it!) in the count of most massive trees on the planet. I'm just happy to soon be hiking in the mountains again.

Ruby Loves her kitty, Mancha

Ruby has two feline friends when she visits me. They've taken her presence with a good degree of patience. The key baby signing words are "gentle, gentle..." as she does have a strong grip. She hasn't realized yet how these cat expect to be catered to, pursued or lured in order to play with them, but she's learning...

The Many Faces of Ruby

As some of you may already know, I moved here to Santa Cruz to be near my daughter, Ruby. She's about 10 months old now and is doing extremely well. She sometimes seems like an old soul, especially when you see how she experiences things. Here she is with her Grandpa Richie to show what I mean.

Hello

Welcome to my blog page. I've been wanting to do this for quite some time and am finally getting it together. I hope to share my goings-on here in Santa Cruz, catch you up a bit about my life before coming here, and my views and hopes of and for the world. I hope to hear from you!