It was a very full summer, with lots of exciting events. Cara's friend Megan had a birthday, Grandpa Fay visited and Ms. A got married!
Cara wasn't sure what to make of the Ms. A and her husband sharing their wedding cake.
Helping Ms. A celebrate!
Can Megan blow the candles out before the wind does?
Yummy cake!
The birthday girl with her balloon.
Riding the carousel with Grandpa.
Every year the lion statue at the zoo gets smaller.
After C's meeting we spent a day exploring the area around Bristol, Maine, including the famous Pemaquid Lighthouse. There we found wonderful rocks to scramble around and tidepools to explore.
The scenery inspired Cara to break into song.
The next Julie Andrews?
Lunchtime!
Look what I found!
Exploring with Dad.
A colleague of C's knew that August is a great time to be in Maine, and scheduled a meeting for the first week of August. We figured this was a good opportunity to head east, let Cara spend some time with Grandma and Grandpa, and C get some work done as well! Cara was delighted to revisit the beach on Bay Point and we all had a great visit.
Cara explains her digging techniques to Grandpa.
Something fun to show Grandma.
Building with sand and seashells.
Playing ball with Auntie R.
Cara has fun checking out the Baby Bear in the Children's Garden, at the Coast Maine Botanical Gardens
Grandma braves the rope bridge from the tree house.
Cara's long strong legs made us think that she could probably handle hiking far enough on her own that we could go backpacking. Barclay Lake is a favorite destination for families, hiking in on a gentle trail 2 1/4 miles to a large sub-alpine lake. While plenty of other people had the same idea, we still found a secluded lake-side campsite. Cara hiked all the way there and back, with plenty of energy left for jumping, splashing and scrambling over logs.
Eating while sitting on a log was one of the skills that Cara learned.
Bedtime stories are important, no matter where you are.
The view from the dining room.
Looking at the water.
We didn't have a sandy spot by the lake, but balancing on the logs was probably at least as fun.
Hiking means lots of snacks!
In mid-July, C's family and friends gathered in Alameda to celebrate Grandma's life. Everyone gathered their favorite photos of her, and a niece put together two beautiful posters of photos. The following day a smaller group gathered in Monterey to take scatter her ashes in the bay from a whale watching boat. It was a truly beautiful experience.
Aunt Lena and Pam at the celebration lunch.
The photo collages.
Cara spent the celebration lunch on Mom's lap, with a slight fever. But she bounced back okay the next day.
Always good to hang out with Grandpa!
This is one of the best series of whales tails we saw - but we saw plenty.
Everyone took a turn scattering the ashes.
And we left a trail of flowers as we slowly motored back to shore.
Summer has resisted coming to the Pacific Northwest, but we managed to get out for a hike on the Fourth of July weekend avoiding the rain, if not the clouds. The aim of the hike was wildflowers, mountain scenery and, once Cara saw distant patches of snow, snow to play on. The hike up to Esmerelda Basin satisfied everyone. Our friend Kathy joined us, adding to the fun.
Mountain scenery.
Wildflowers - we saw fields of these beautiful shooting stars.
It was a small patch of snow, but big enough for almost sliding.
Cherries add to any occasion.
Walking downhill is much easier.
Unless you are very tired.
We still need to look up what type of bird this is. You see lots more on the trail going slow!
To our sorrow, C's mom passed away ten days ago. It's been a sad time for all of us. She will be greatly missed.
Cutting the wedding cake.
Newly married.
First days as a mom.
Tying C's shoes.
Merry Christmas!
Holding Cara.
