Bursting with Color

 Song -  Bring it on Home to Me -  Sam Cooke cover by Marc Broussard & Jamie McLean

Autumn begins slowly and before you know what hit you it is a riotous state of color!

 

"How beautiful the leaves 

grow old.  How full of 

light and color are

their last days."

--John Burroughs

The Rat Pack

Song - I Put A Spell On You by Nina Simone

Last years jack-o-lanterns.....

...and this years roses.

 

Andy circa 1991

Halloween is this guys favorite holiday.....not the guy in the photo above 

but the photo of Mr. B below....

Can't you just see the love and determination on this guys face to carve the best pumpkin to date?

Last year Tyler did a "Mr. B" jack-o-lantern....pretty good imitation!

Here is Tyler a few years ago, balancing a pumpkin on his head for some unknown reason.....

And this year we have a new member of the Baird Halloween Rat Pack - Ashley!!!

Go TEAM Girls!

Boys - 4 Girls - 2

We're gaining...

Of course when the boys are as cute as this, who cares?

I forgot to tell Ashley that her new husband is a Joker....oops!

Happy Halloween!

"How beautifully leaves grow old. 

How full of light and color are their last days."

 -- John Burroughs

Santa Cruzin'

Song - Under the Boadwalk by The Drifters

My parents bought a sweet little cabin in the Santa Cruz mountains about 35 years ago.

It is in an incredible Redwood forest with a covered bridge nearby that you walk through to get to Grandma's Beach.  It has survived earthquakes and floods.

Dad & his brother on the river next to the Boardwalk

It is a sentimental place for them as my father spent his summers camping near the beach as a young boy and my parents would go there while dating.

Friends and family (Mom & dad are on the far right)

My mom & Duchess the dog & Dad's family

When they bought the cabin it was in desperate need of some love and care.  It is a beautiful log cabin, with wood floors and large windows.

Dad & Mom at Aptos

My dad's parents - Violet & John (and Duchess) in Santa Cruz

My parents have faithfully worked on her over the last 35 years and not only restored her to her former beauty but added a lot of extra's! Sheet rock and skylights (which is much needed in a dark Redwood forest), a dormer for the kids to sleep in, they extended the deck, added a workshop for my dad and countless other wonderful features. Many, many years of hard work, but they have a lot of fun there as well.   A lot of new friendships were made and a lot of grandchildren rode in the "Grandma's Beach Express" wagon to the river's swimming hole.

Andy & Katie at Grandma's Beach

After 35 years in such a moist environment, the deck now needs replacing by the next generation.  We all have such fond memories of our time at the cabin that it is a joy to be able to "give back" a little to both the cabin and my parents.

TJ kicking out the deck railing

Andy b. helping to demolish

A rare photo op of Mr. B during the demolition

The foundation piers being set

So for Memorial Day weekend, our family will happily work together on restoring the deck that we have enjoyed for so many years.  Some will cook and some will hammer but it will be time well spent.....together!

Thanks to Mom & Dad for providing us this little spot of heaven!

"I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see." – John Burroughs

Tahoe Wildflowers

The wildflowers are still in bloom in the Tahoe Basin. It is amazing that September has arrived and the wildflowers are just finishing their summer show.

The weather is still warm during the day but there is a crispness in the air in the early morning & evening.

"To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter... to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird's nest or a wildflower in spring - these are some of the rewards of the simple life. "
— John Burroughs

   "Look closely. The beautiful may be small."    Emmanuel Kant