Garden Progress

The wildlfowers have really taken off leaving our yard a happy splash of color lately!

Found this sign discarded out in the field someplace...it's perfect

Happy Easter

The plan was to have an Easter egg hunt with cousin Kyan, but sadly Kyan and aunt Jaime were both sick, so we had a solo hunt.  As you can see it was a hit!  He gasped with joy upon finding each egg and thoroughly enjoyed the popcorn hidden inside the plastic eggs.  Q also got to have some real sugar this afternoon....jelly beans, cadbury mini eggs, reeces pieces, cupcake....wow....the kid was bouncing off the walls on a sugar high, but it was great!  

La Jolla BBQ

I think I already mentioned that the sea turtle meeting has been going on in town for the past week.  It's been like a little NC reunion (though I shamefully didn't get ANY photos of NC pals).  Many of the people we knew from Duke, NOAA and the NCWRC were in SD all week for the meeting.  I managed to make it out to one of the poster sessions and got to catch up with a few people, but others were too busy with the organization of the meeting to have any social time until after the close of the conference....our good bud, Bryan was one of those.  Yesterday was my last chance to catch up with him at all.  Luckily our friends Jeremy and Kelly had a BBQ at their La Jolla place and had a bunch of folks over.  It was the perfect day for a cookout at the coast....just lovely.

Jeremy, our host frying up some humboldt squid

Our three friends from Nigeria (Bolaji, Bolu, and Akin)

Bolu and Jeff

Q with Akin

Bolaji

Bryan finally made it to the bbq, but it was about 15 minutes before I had to leave to go to another party. Didn't get to spend too much time with him, but at least we got to catch up briefly.  This just means that he, Jess and Leander have to come back for a visit soon!

Bryan 

Quinn tackling me and trying to shove tortilla chips into my mouth!

Phone Photos...

I've not been a very good blogger as of late, have I?  Things have been busy - again!  I've gone back to work for USGS, Quinn has gotten and passed along to Jeff and me another cold, Jeff has been at the International Sea Turtle Symposium meeting all week, and he's been entertaining people who are in town for the meeting.  Things will slow down after today.  I haven't gotten out the real camera, but I probably take daily photos with my phone and every once in a while will think to download them to the computer.  What follows is a smattering of photos from the past month or so:

Hiking in the canyon near the house

The yard is starting to fill out!!  Check out all the wildflowers that are coming up!

The tunnel at the zoo....Q is really into tunnels right now

Mama and Kiddo matching shoes

After his flu and colds he's been lazy and has preferred being carried in the backpack.

The gorillas on our weekly trip to the Zoo

Awww....cousin bonding time after lunch last week

Trying on daddy's shoes

Dos Cabezas Camping

What a nice and much-needed break!  Friday night we received an invitation to go on a one night camping trip in Anza Borrego.  Why not?  I'm so glad we decided to go.  What a stunning area!  Even though we battled 40 mph gusty winds all night it was so nice to get out and discover a new place.  The campground was several miles down a 4wd road.  We barely made it in my low-clearance Subaru (will need to replace it with something a little tougher one of these days).  The spot was at the end of the road surrounded by rocky peaks, which provided some shelter (but not much) from the wicked winds.  We went with several friends from work and some of their friends whom we'd never met before.  It's always great to meet new folks.  We had a potluck style dinner and were treated to hot toddys (sp?),  hot buttered rum, and gourmet smores (made with recees)...  Quinn slept amazingly well given the conditions.  I think he slept better than anyone else.  The kid likes tents!  Yippee!

Cholla cholla everywhere!  Glad I didn't have to map this.
Woke up to Cactus Wrens singing!

Waiting for the sun to hit us

Did I mention that it was WINDY?

Handsome mutt

Anza the wonderdog

Katie with her blanket

Ladder-backed Woodpecker at the campsite

This morning we went on a short hike.  I'm so happy that Quinn is back to his energetic self.  He enjoyed running up the trail, walking the dog, and seeing sssssssnakes!

Inside a little "cave"

Suellen, Michael and Erin

Michelle

Still more cholla