Thankful for my Midwest family

 Hannah hosted the holiday in Madison  

Delicious and fun!

Now I know the benefit of having kids… so they grow up to do the work!

John was on pie crust duty. 

Now is when I’m 64

 

It’s Day 3 of my birthday week here in Idyllwild and while I’m waiting for my cake to cool so I can frost it, I thought I would share some pix of our celebrations. 

This was our dessert on my actual birthday at Ferro restaurant.  It tasted so much better than it looks >>> banana cake topped with a deep dark chocolate gelato, and half banana topped with Nutella drizzle and salty pistachios. AMAZING! (John is a gift every day.)

Blue skies, nothing but blue skies…

Shadow casting on my favorite hike. 

64 years, 3328 weeks, 23296 mornings 

Sunset at 123 Lavender Farm

Hopeful for another year of trees, flowers, friends and travel adventures.

Grateful for it all. 😘

Last days in Maine

 We’ve had a great week in Maine but all things must end, and so, too, does our time here. The following are photos of our final day on Mt Desert Island and Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

More rocky shoreline

So much moss!

Tree lichen

A walk in the woods is always a good day

John being ever curious

Is this steeple not so New England?

A week of crabmeat, lobster and finally oysters!

And truly finally, a few colors for the leaf peepers.

Acadia National Park

 Is it possible that each day is as beautiful as the last one? Apparently so in Acadia. Enjoying more ocean views from various vantage points on the shoreline.

Sand Beach

Mountain reflection

Fleet feet… Hannah always walks faster than I do. Occasionally I catch up long enough to snap a pic.

Our kind of rock climbing

Rocky shoreline typifies Maine beaches

A sign we left on the trail for John so he knew which fork to take to find us.

Friendship Sloop and more

 Today was a special sail on a 32-foot sloop (one masted) sailboat around the local harbor, bays and islands. We couldn’t have had better weather, sunny and medium wind. We had a captain/guide but John took his turn at the helm, too.

Alice is the oldest sloop made in Friendship, Maine, that is still sailing today. She was built in 1899. Her mast and bow are made from pine.

It was also a day of flowers and the first hints of fall colors in the trees.

Flowers at Jordan Pond House