Carrot

Daddy is doing fieldwork for the latter half of July, which makes doing outdoor activities a bit more of a challenge for Mommy and the girls. Nonetheless, Mommy and the girls had a successful dipnetting trip to the Kenai River. We met up with two other moms with kids (and a puppy!). All the mommies got a lot of salmon. We camped overnight and headed back in the morning. Ava donned her waders and tried her hand with the dipnet in the river, but it was before the fish were really coming in droves, so she tired of it (and got water in her waders). Mommy doesn't have many pictures because she was busy dipnetting and otherwise cold, wet, and covered in sand and salmon. I did snap a picture of the chaos on the beach when we arrived--there was a bouncy castle for kids and a church distributing free hot dogs. Our kids joined the roving band of feral children, dug massive sand pits, fed themselves from pizza that the mommies brought, and joined various campfires along the beach while the mommies acquired and dealt with fish. AVa and Rosemary each came back with a bad cold (not cold or flu--got tested) from their California visit, which they gave to Mommy. Mommy was suffering from that cold while fishing and processing fish at home. Huzzah!

While Ava was finishing her visit in CA, Rosemary and Mommy joined a group of families for a lovely hike to Portage Lake via the Portage Pass trail in Whittier. Photos here. 

Dinner downtown

Ava finished her visit to grandparents and Aunt Laura, Uncle Jerico, and new baby Henry in CA

 One of our hens went broody. We failed to dissuade her from her maternal ambitions, so we capitulated and obtained fertilized eggs from a friend for her to incubate. She did so successfully and is now a great mother to six chicks, born Sunday July 11th. Photos and videos here. 

Rosemary has been needle felting. She decided on her own to create an image of fruit falling from the sky. 

We were treated to a visit from Grandpa Lee and Grandma Joanne from California. After their visit they took Rosemary with them for a visit, during which time her new cousin arrived into the world a wee bit earlier than expected. We're delighted that Rosemary and Ava met their new cousin. Daddy and Ava joined them in California for a few days, then Daddy and Rosemary returned home, and Ava stayed for her own visit. Photos here. 

We went camping and dipnetting on the Kasilof with friends. Photos here. 

A few photos from some recent hikes by Mommy: Symphony Lakes, South Suicide Peak via Falls Creek, O'Malley Gulch, Williwaw Lakes

 We celebrated Rosemary's 7th birthday with a small party at our house. Rosemary has been campaigning for over a year for a short, purple haircut inspired by Mal from Disney's Descendants. Well, we recently got the short hair cuts, so I humored her with temporary purple hair dye. Some of her friends participated too! Daddy's father and stepmother were visiting this week before taking Rosemary back to California with them for a visit. Photos from the party are here. 

Daddy and Grandpa went fishing out of Seward

Mommy has gone on a few hikes 

Ava is making progress on guitar

Ava wet felting the background of a picture she is working on 

Local hikes with friends. Photos: Turnagain Arm; Glen Alps

We picked rose petals and made rose petal syrup.