George and I taught a class at the church on Sunday evening and there was a little smoke on the hills. When we came out, however, the smoke was billowing and you could smell it thick in the air.
As we drove around, we became very fearful for our little town. Because it is a small town, we wondered how far the fires would get down into the city.
Some of the roads were closed off, but we still were able to get this close.
The fire department was setting burn lines so that the fire wouldn't hopefully go beyond them.
Kent and Natalie went to Orlando for four days to a dental convention, so we watched the kids (and animals) for them while they were gone. Ella's responsibility was to "muck" out the stalls of their two horses--Vader and Ember.
Vader and their dog, Teddy (she's a girl!)
Ella is truly an animal lover!
And then there are the two barn cats--Thompson and Curry. Bet you can't guess who named them!
This place is a "dad-burn" zoo!
Ella relaxing with the cats . . .
while Ethan just finished doing 100 laps in the pool!
One day we took them over to Tri-Cities to a jump zone.
They were having such a great time--even in the dodge ball part, but suddenly, all the attention was on all the paramedics coming in!
We stopped by our house on the way home to see how they are coming. What a mess! I wanted to grab my broom--but at least it looks like they were done with the sheet rocking!
The kids, also, played in the game room for a little while. This all was a really fun time for all of us!
After four days, we got the kids up at 3:00 a.m. and loaded them in the car. We headed for the airport where they would be meeting up with their parents who had just arrived at the airport a few hours earlier from Orlando. We then said good-bye to all of them--and they all headed to HAWAII!!! What lucky kids, right?!
A few days later, we flew in to the Oakland Airport where we spent the next ten days--seven of them watching our two grandsons, Tyson and Preston, while their parents headed to Dominican Republic for a week of staying in the jungle in a tree house!
And of course, we watched the two other members of the household: Roxey and Rosco!
August 19th marked the one-year anniversary of John and Alison's son, Parker's, Mormon mission to the Pennsylvania Philadelphia Mission. In honor of the anniversary, we dressed Rosco and Roxey up in missionary attire since besides his family, these are the two Parker (Elder Wilde) loves the best!
Also, we loved going to dinner at the Cheese Steak Shop in honor of Parker's favorite food in Philadelphia--the Philly cheese steak! They were delicious!
George spent a lot of time "tending" Rosco and Roxie! They wouldn't let him go anyplace without being right on top of him!
We loved watching Tyson play on his high school competitive soccer team. One night, it was so gorgeous sitting out under the beautiful full moon. (Tyson is far left.)
The Olympics had just finished--but we had our own Olympics right there in the Bay! We were so proud of Tyson and his team when they won the championship for the two-day "Soccer by the Bay" tournament. We continue to say that he runs like the wind!
Tyson (fifth from right) and his winning team of Mustangs!
We, also, were able to watch Preston play in a two-day basketball tournament. He is really works hard on this team--he is the youngest and is playing up a grade level. But he really holds his own and is really turning into a great ball player!
One day, while the two boys were at school, George and I decided to do a little day trip, so we just googled "Day Trips" in the area and set out for Mission San Jose'. I love museums and history, and it ended up that George was fascinated by this place, too.
This was 14th of 21 missions started by the Franciscans on June 11, 1797, in the Ohlone Indian Village. By 1830, almost 2,000 Indians lived here at the village.
The original adobe church that was on this site was destroyed in the earthquake of 1868, but it was rebuilt on the original foundation in 1985. It is considered to be a near-perfect replica of the original church, though it incorporates a concealed structural steel frame which provides earthquake resistance. 
Interior of the adobe church--very beautiful inside!
The Mission cemetery is situated to the side of the church where a great number of Mission pioneers are buried.
This cemetery was in good repair after all these years, but we wanted to see where the thousands of Ohlone Indians are resting. However, after circling and circling where our GPS took us, in trying to find the Ohlone cemetery located about a
quarter of a mile from the mission down Washington Boulevard, we discovered it was covered with weeds and had a chain link around the fence with no way to get in. So sad!
During the dig after the earthquake, the marble grave marker of Robert Livermore was located in the original tile floor of the church. It was carefully
repaired and replaced in the reconstructed church. Many prominent
Spaniards are buried in the floor of the Mission church but only
Livermore's grave is marked.
We were fascinated in learning more about the early days of settlement in the area.
After visiting the mission, we took a little ride up the hill to where the Ohlone College, a community college that offers 61 Associate Degrees and over 100 vocational certificate programs that provide job skill training. George was immediately drawn to the baseball field. It was sooo green! Amazing, since everything in California is extremely brown right now. We saw the reason--the entire field is turf! Wow! So nice!
Another day trip we took was to Muir Woods--which is really like a mini-Redwood Forest and only about and hour and a half from where John and Alison live.
If only this tree could talk! After it's beginning in 909 AD, some of the events marked on the tree rings were: 1492 when Columbus sailed to America, 1607 when Jamestown, VA, was established by the English colonists, 1776 when the Declaration of Independence was written, and 1849 when the California Gold Rush took place. So many events until it fell in 1930!
I had been here a couple of times before, but this was George's first time. He was in awe and loved it!
I don't care how many times you've been here, this is one of the most beautiful places on earth!
So true: "In every walk with nature, one receives far more than one seeks." John Muir
The tree above has a huge burl formed on its trunk. These burls are made up of thousands of bud cells that accumulate below ground, at the base of the trunk, or sometimes higher in the tree like the one above.
As the sign indicates, most bud cells remain dormant as long as the parent tree remains healthy and undamaged But each bud cell is fully capable of producing a new redwood--a clone that is genetically identical to its parent. Even redwood logs lying on the forest floor are apt to sprout long after the parent tree has fallen.
As this sign indicates, some of the redwood foliage (such as moss, ferns, and lichen) have leaves that fold down and hide when they get too much direct sunlight on them. Then they straighten up, unfold, and turn toward the light once again as soon as shade or diffused light returns.
On our way home, we passed California's state penitentiary of San Quentin.
We were so happy to be there on August 26th--Tyson's 16th birthday. He is such a joy to be around. He works to hard at school and his soccer. You could actually see his intensity when he first started playing in China. And, I actually love his crazy-made-up songs for every situation that make everyone smile.
By this time, John and Alison were back from their vacation, so she wanted to take him lunch at school. When we got there at lunch time, she had also brought him balloons, that he allowed the picture to be taken, but he didn't want to carry the balloons. A girl came up and said she would get him to carry them, then she proceeded to try to catch him to give them to him. It was pretty funny!
That evening, we went to Cheese Cake Factory for a birthday dinner.
That afternoon, we got to celebrate Tyson's birthday again before we left for the airport--with this delicious ice cream cake!
Enjoying the last of the California sunshine, with the dog, by the pool, eating ice cream cake. What could be better!
Saying "bye" to everyone. We totally enjoyed these last ten days, and it's always hard to say good-bye!
Roxie had to have one last dance--while Rosco looks on. He's no dancer--just like all the other Copeland men. Hah!
Had to go by my favorite spot in their whole house--this beautiful window through which I can tell the weather, the seasons, view the turkeys and deer, and just be part of nature in the city. And then we were off for home.
We got home very late Saturday night, but Kent and Natalie were so kind to invite us to Sunday dinner the next day. They fixed wonderful Navajo tacos and for dessert, Ella and her mom had fixed this fantastic chocolate homemade cake!
Yes, and it was just as delicious as it looks! We so appreciated this wonderful meal after we got home. Thanks to the whole family who had a part of it--Kent fried the scones even!
We so love being with our family and look forward to many wonderful adventures with them in September!
1 comment:
What a full, fun month of August you had!! I heard about all of your adventures when I would talk to you on the phone but didn't hear about the fire in Prosser! Wow...so scary!!! Looks like you're going to have another busy month in September!
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