Tidbits

Violet wanted to take Spencer with us to Wheeler Gorge.

Best cats ever!

We had a last bit of cool weather to enjoy this week, with reasonable temperatures Monday and Tuesday before the heat arrived for summer.

Cora and I joined my mom, Mel and Nick at Magic Mountain for Eloise's first trip, and first time on a ride.

She didn't look very impressed, but must have liked it because she started crying when it ended!

I think she enjoyed walking around more than anything else. 

On Tuesday evening, we had a blast from the past as we enjoyed a visit from John, Genia and their kids! Haven't seen them in five years, and the kids hadn't been back to SClarita since their move eight years ago. 

It was great catching up, though the kids definitely seemed to not remember each other as well as the adults did. 
 

We had lunch with Kelly and Yass the other day, and returned to the little Colombian place in Chatsworth we enjoyed last year, pre-Covid.

Well, because of distancing rules, the restaurant coule only have a few tables open inside, and they have zero outside space. We were told it would be a 45-60 minutes wait, but because we'd LEFT SClarita to eat there, we decided to wait it out, and tailgate with snacks and drinks in the parking lot. Thank goodness our camping chairs were still in the car!

A Grownup Desk

For the past four or five years, this lovely wooden play kitchen has entertained the girls and their friends in the corner of our playroom.

Genia graciously gave it to us when her children were done with it, and it came filled with wooden food sets.

Now, with the girls both in school, the kitchen doesn't get much action, except when Violet has friends over. (And then, Cora complains that she's the one cleaning it all up.)

Uncle Bill and Aunt Patty rearranged their furniture a few weeks ago and offered us their corner desk, but I said we had no room for it. Then, after thinking about it, I realized the right thing to do would be to send the lovely kitchen on to a family with younger children.

So, the kitchen is moving on to some dear friends, and our playroom is growing up.

Stace took apart the kitchen for easier transport, and somehow Violet got stuck! Silly girl.

Thankfully, Uncle Bill and Aunt Patty hadn't gotten rid of the desk yet. The girls helped put it together when we got it back home.

It's a perfect fit in the corner, and both girls can sit together and do their homework. Sometimes there is even room for a cat.

Cora and Violet are both very excited about having a desk for homework, and if an assignment runs into dinner, they don't have to pack up when it's time to eat.

Weekend Fun

We finally had a free weekend day, and took the opportunity to go to the Discovery Cube Science Museum. We got our membership at Christmas, and the girls and I went in April, but Stacey still hadn't checked it out.

He loved it, and we all had a good time together. Here, he and Cora are learning about the energy usage of the three major types of light bulbs (incandescent, CFL and LED). Cora is going around answering questions about whether the house exhibit is energy efficient or not, using the tablet hooked around her neck.

We actually picked up some ideas we should do to increase our home's efficiency, like weather stripping around our front door.

Cora answered enough questions correctly to be named a "Super Inspector" and have her picture taken for the big board.

Next, we went to the grocery store section, and Stace helped Violet go around with her electronic cart and scanner, answering questions by scanning the correct product.

On this Saturday afternoon, the museum wasn't very crowded at all, so it was a lot easier to get around then it was when we went during Spring Break.

We went up to the Science of Hockey exhibit, and Cora, Violet and I tried our hands at smacking the puck into the goal screen.

We went back home and tried to have  barbecue with Keith - "tried," because we invited him over, bought the ground beef and buns, and had no gas in the tank. Oh well, we made do on the stove top and enjoyed our dinner together nonetheless.

On Sunday, we went to church, talked to our family, and cooled off in the pool. Then, we headed south to a beach community not far from LAX. Uncle Johnny was in town to play with Ricardo Lemvo and Makina Loca in a "concert in the park" setting. The timing, setting and weather were perfect for us to see John play.

Rigo and Colleen and the kids joined us, and it was a very pleasant evening.

John hooked us up with T-shirts for his band in Billings, John Roberts y Pan Blanco. (Pan blanco means "white bread" in Spanish, a nickname John picked up.) We won't even charge to be his new models...

Fireworks, Steaks and Lakes

We got back into Billings on the afternoon of July 4th with a bit of time to unload and relax, before the evening festivities.

Several branches of John's family came over, and we ate, drank and had fun with sparklers and other small-scale firecrackers.

Then, we walked across the street to get a nice view of the local fireworks display.

On Sunday, the hot spell broke and we woke up to cloudy skies and off-and-on light rain. It was a lovely change from the heat.

Thankfully the rain held off while we met up with the extended family again at a big park. Since grass was present, a soccer game broke out. This time, even Genia got involved, and me, for a bit. We were both s-o-r-e the next day! I am not used to sprinting.

Violet enjoyed playing with John and Genia's niece, who is a year younger than she is.

I'm not sure what was so fascinating about the underside of Stacey's shoe...

We went out to dinner, and were able to take over the banquet room. Afterwards, we took a photo of the cousins, and the honorary cousins.

In the evening, after getting the children to bed, we four adults stayed up to play a bit of Boggle, the word-finding game.

Our flight Monday was in the evening, and the airport is super close to Genia and John's home. Therefore we had quite a bit of time to play around before saying good-bye.

After getting packed in the morning, we went out to lunch at a Bull Mountain Grille, where Stace was able to enjoy a top-class steak. This place might become a new "must stop" on our trips.

After lunch, Stace and John went out to the Trailead gin distillery, where they always go together. Genia and I stayed with the kids at Lake Elmo, a fitting last hurrah.

Our flight home was smooth, and we're now back home. Thanks, Roberts family, for another great time together!

Beartooth Pass

After waking up and getting dressed - no shower facilities at this campground - we enjoyed muffins and instant coffee made with water boiled on an open fire.

Then we packed up and headed out to one of America's great scenic drives, up the Beartooth Highway. The road zig-zags up gorgeous terrain, zooming swiftly up to over 10,000 feet in elevation.

Snow was still visible, though we didn't take the time to hike out to it. The wildflowers were in full force, as well.

The lake, the snow, the wildflowers - what a blessing to see all three.

We crossed into Wyoming, to take a photo of the Montana sign.

At a rest stop on the way back down the mountain, the striped chipmunks were well trained.

We stopped at another lake, on the hunt for a calm swimming hole we'd heard about. We didn't find it - and it would have been super cold if we had - but what a lovely hike we enjoyed.

Owen and Violet stopped in an area where dozens of tiny blue butterflies were fluttering around. There were so many, even these two young crazy kiddos had several land on them.

Back near the parking lot, we had warmed up enough that the cool stream felt great.

We arrived back in Red Lodge after the big Fourth of July parade had ended - yes, this was Independence Day.

The tiny town was packed out with visitors, so eating lunch out wasn't an option. Stace and I ran into the town's grocery store and bought sandwich makings, chips and drinks, and we all enjoyed lunch on the town green.

Then, we set off on the hour's drive back to Billings, for more Fourth of July fun.

When in Montana, do what the Montanans do...

Genia tells me that Montana people love to camp in the summer, and it's obvious why. The scenery is stunning, and the weather is pretty darn good, too, especially after the true winters they experience.

We were more than happy to make camping with the Roberts part of our Montana 2015 trip. Luckily, Stace and John were able to find a spot in a campground near Red Lodge, after getting out before 9 a.m. to hunt for one.

Genia and I followed with the kids a few hours later.

After getting set up and having lunch, we went down to the river to check it out. The main river was flowing too strongly to play in, but a nearby stream was perfect for splashing in. Perfectly cold, with little fish and even a water snake flowing by!

Such fun memories!

On our way back to our temporary home, all the children picked wildflowers to form into bouquets.

I love this picture of Owen.

We then drove down the road to a small lake, created in the early 1900s for recreational purposes. The rainbow trout we saw and caught were too small to keep, but it was fun to pull them in.

Violet was very excited to fish for the first time.

Until she had to share the fishing rod... Then she wanted to go back home. She camped out on the rock by the bug spray, asking to go back, and complaining about the bugs. (Granted, she had already been bitten twice by biting flies, so she had a reason.)

On our way to the camp site, Violet kept asking when we would get to the "lodge," overhearing us talk about the town of Red Lodge. She might turn out to be more of a "glamper" than a camper.

Back at the camping site, we of course roasted hot dogs on the fire for dinner, and later had s'mores.

After dinner, Stace and John went out to the field nearby to practice fly fishing. We had an excellent location within the small campground, on the edge near all this beautiful open space.

Meanwhile, the children set about building a small stone wall with all the rocks scattered around. It was great seeing them working together, entertained without any electronics.

Then, we all split up for bedtime, the girls in the pop-up trailer, the boys in the tent.