Getting caught up

So, I'm still trying to get caught up on posting a few of the great pictures from California. It's still less than a week that we've been back, which means I'm way ahead of my usual schedule of being at least a week late on keeping this blog synchronized with my life. Now, on with the show....



These are photos from the lovely carousel atop Yerba Buena Gardens in the SOMA district (or is it the Mission?) of Fran San Cisco (as Little A calls it and we've found ourselves adopting). The funny thing about this particular carousel that I don't want to forget was the music. The first song they played was "Hotel California". The second song was "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix. I can't remember the rest but they were equally as unexpected. I guess they think (correctly) that the parents need a little entertainment too. Good call.

Next we have the obligatory Rice a Roni picture hanging off the cable car. It's the least we could get for a $40 trip up the street and back. If you look closely you will notice the shoes I am wearing. They may not look extraordinary, but let me assure you that they are quite so. You see, they have the special talent of being able to squeak, puff, and fart with every step. I didn't even have to pay extra. The irony here is that I went to buy new, comfortable brown sandals especially for this trip with CCC. She was the one who really wanted these shoes, but alas, they weren't available in her size and, being the good friend I am, knowing she'd rather see them on my feet than some stranger's, I snapped them up right before her eyes. I was thus cursed with gassy shoes throughout the whole trip. Lucky me.



One of our last days in Fran San Cisco we were able to celebrate Uncle K's birthday with him and many of his friends and get this scary photo. Don't trust the candles on the birthday pie. He's much older than 6.



On to Yosemite. One of the first things we did was hike to Lower Yosemite Falls. Big E and BB made it all the way over the big boulders to the lovely pool and were able to bathe in the falls themselves. Being the evil nemesis I am, I had to turn Little A around about 3/4 of the way there because he was a little too convinced that he was Spiderman and leaping to and fro among the boulders the size of Jupiter's moons. But you can see here that he had really turned into a giant and was ready to stomp on and crush those tiny people in the corner of the pic.




Lovely verdant valley.



Photo from top of Sentinel Dome. I had a mini-breakdown up here, again caused by Little A's irreverent attitude toward windy heights, death and leaping around uncontrollably like a lemur on amphetamines.



The gang at Glacier Point as we all try to open our eyes against the brilliant sunset in our faces.



So, those are the highlights. We got a bit off course a couple of times. Ending up in Lodi on the way there which meant I had that CCR Lodi song in my head for days and can only remember a line or two of it anyway, so it was the same 2 lines, over and over and over. The campsite was great although not very conveniently located to the Valley. Who knew Yosemite was the size of Denmark?

All caught up now, I think. Bags unpacked. Laundry done. California sand out of everyone's ears. Blog done. Cheers!