Motherhood,

Happy- Happy- Joy- Joy!

 

 

Road Trip! San Juan Capistrano.

Last weekend we took a trip down to San Diego to watch the Oregon State University Beavers play a football game. Which was great fun.

Between Thousand Oaks and San Diego is Mission San Juan Capistrano, so on our way home we stopped in. If you have the time it is fun to travel the El Camino Real and visit all the missions.

The San Juan Capistrano was founded in October 30 of 1775, but then a do over, November 1st 1776 after a little uprising in San Diego. This was the seventh mission of the 21 Spanish missions in California. It is famous for the cliff swallows that used to nest there. The only swallows I saw were these out along the I-5 freeway.

There is more to this place than the birds of course...have a look.

 a Quinceanera was also taking place at the Mission.

 one of the two fountains

 

 St Peregrine Chapel. a baptism was going on while we were there.

 Kathy watching the Koi.

 Through the window of the chapel

 altar niches in the old stone church, destroyed in an earth quake, 1812.

The Day of the Horse

For the past nine years ETI corral 37 has been holding an event called Day of The Horse. The event is free to the public, its intent to aquatint citizens of Thousand Oaks with equestrian groups and history of the horse in this area.

  Proceeds from silent auction and food sales go to buying hay for the horse rescue and ride on therapeutic stables.

Kathy usually volunteer's at this event in the Ride on booth, this year I decided to go and have a look...

 

 

 I met equine ambassador Jackson...He was hard to miss.

Here he is scoring a carrot...see in his mouth

He has appeared in GQ in a photo shoot, but it hasn't gone to his head.

he was just such a mellow fellow

this picture says it all. 

Nuttin' on T.V.? Try this movie...

I am no Siskel and Ebert, but I really like this movie. Smoke Signals, written by  Sherman Alexie, I've read a couple of his books, I love they way he uses language, he paints a picture. 

One of my favorite lines from this move goes something like this," my boy could fly, like some kind of indigenous angel, only his wings were made of t.v. dinner trays..."

Basically this movie is a quest, but I love journey movies and books, or I guess they are called coming of age, what ever, I liked it.

 

 

Victor on the left in the picture and Thomas on the right , are on their way to Arizona to pick up Victors dads ashes. The story is told in a series of flash backs ,why Victors dad left, why Victor and Thomas have the connection they do. It's funny, its sad and as I said before the language is poetic at times.

If you watch it let me know what you think!

Fall Color

Not what you were expecting was it?

The monarch butterflies are migrating south. For the last couple of weeks now they have been flitting through the park, my back yard, down the freeway...

Its harder than heck to get a photo of a butterfly in flight. I got this one in coffee lady Martha's yard.

Every fall the monarchs on the western side of the Rockies migrate south to California. The ones East go to Mexico. Keep in mind the generation that migrate south has never been here before.

They over winter along the California coast...I live in the blue circle on the map above.

Every year I say I am going to go see the hundreds to thousands that hang in the trees....but I don't.

 At coffee last week, we were discussing how you never do the things close to home because you think , I can do that anytime...well, I came home from coffee and put "Visit butterflies" on the November calender. I am going this year, even scoped out the best butterfly viewing places....

I learned some interesting facts form this web site, the map is from there too..US forest service wildflowers

Facts such as:

• one generation migrates south , it takes 3 to 4 to move back north. 
• the generation that migrates south doses not complete its development to sexual maturity, allowing it a longer life span to winter over.
• spring time triggers the butterfly to finish its development , it mates,lays eggs.
•  the kids that hatch start the trip north. 

Nature is so darn amazing!

Buffalo girl

In July of 2000, we took the girls to Yellowstone, Kathy was 7 years old.

She was fascinated with the buffalo,  we purchased a small toy buffalo for her at the gift shop, she named him Fluffy. Fluffy is about all she remembered of the trip, so when I asked her if she wanted to join me this summer on a trip to Yellowstone, the now 20 year old, jumped at the chance.

 As we crossed the park boarder,....Fluffy appeared out of the back pack.  Yes, Fluffy had returned to his home range.(pictures provided by Kathy)

Looking for relatives

Helping Plan sightseeing destinations

On top of the world

sight seeing

resting up in the room

Fluffy came home with a new friend, as yet to be named.

You just never know what something can mean to a person, this funny little Fluffy and Yellowstone touched a little kids heart and her funny bone too.