TRAVELS WITH MATTIE

Hi everybody! This week: Climbing! Swimming! BBQs! World Cup! Hikes! Stonehouse! Painting! A great start to summer. Here's a movie about it (video by Allison and Greg, directed by Mattie & Milo):   It's hot. We're having an awesome time. We'll post more pictures later! Love, Allison & Mattie Dog

You guys! We're on the move.  After saying a sad goodbye to many wonderful students who are moving on to bigger things, Mattie and I finished packing up the truck (Radio Flyer) and left town.  Leaving the coast is hard, but being on the road cures most things, and our sadness was left behind somewhere on the 101 between Santa Ynez and SLO. We spent a couple great days with Yeti and Dad while the truck was tuned up. Which means: The best blueberry pancakes ever from scratch! Poirot! Pizza! Walks! Hanging out and doing a lot of nothing! Picking out super carrot seeds (they must be separated from the wiener seeds) with Yeti to make the garden of world domination!  Here are some pictures:  Yeti and Dad show off the garden goods.  Yeti and an award-winning radish from the front yard wine barrel garden.  About to leave to head north. Saying bye to Dad. He always waves from the sidewalk until the car is out of sight. We left SLO on...

First, and most importantly, this:  And then, I made my first totally trivial (but happy) movie with my new GoPro. I'm all fired up about it. That's just from one long weekend in the mountains with Greg & Milo. Imagine how ridiculous and silly the ENTIRE SUMMER movie will be. And we're on YouTube. Techno techno nerd nation wooooot.

Hi everybody! Especially Kevin and Dawn - Mattie and I think you guys might need to take a vacation and come hang out in the mountains for a while this summer, too. Thinking of you! A few more weeks of school before summer really starts, but we're taking advantage of this long weekend to spend some days in our favorite places up on (and off) the 395. Here are a few things that have happened in less than 24 hours on the East Side: Awesome Thing #1 . I SAW MY FIRST DESERT ROSY BOA! Mattie and I took a stop at the stunning Fossil Falls at Aunt Diane's suggestion (how have we never stopped there before???), and spent the day wandering and checking out the amazing gorge (looks like some fun climbing). It was raining when we arrived, so we waited patiently in the car for most of the thundercloud to pass and headed out the short trail to the volcanic falls. And can you believe it? This guy was just slinking out of his hole on the side of the trail as the rain stopped. What l...

Sunset pictures are totally overdone and overused and cliche and everything, but I couldn't help myself.  The river valley really went for it tonight. I fall in love with the hills again. West down Paradise Road from the cabin front yard. East up the Santa Ynez River Valley. Now, packing (getting on the 395 North tomorrow for a long weekend with Greg, with a stop at Fossil Falls on the way!) and drinking a Moose Drool about it all. I can't help but be reminded of long evening hikes and front porch sits at Swiftcurrent during my summer working at Glacier NP. And here's a picture of a pellet that's been out and bleached for a while. That's good eating. You can find the most amazing things when you walk around staring at the ground all the time. Some of you will get a kick out of this: Remember our wonderful buddy Mike? (See: our posts from  this ,  and this , and some other ones that I don't feel like finding...). Well check out this c...

5/19/14 (It's a Monday). Deer buddies, I love you.     Also this afternoon:         burn zone exploration            (so many effing stickers)                    one handsome turkey                              a skunk family with babies                                   owl pellet mouse skulls and                                          my dog took all of the trash out of the trashcan and sprinkled garbage throughout                       the cabin.

A great few days at the cabin!  Plenty of school work, but also:  A fun walk/dinner/music/dance party at the cabin with Sam, Sara, Bobby, Adam and Liz. We were up late and our feet were really dirty the next morning.  Some great wandering and all kinds of creatures, including a few of these gigantic beautiful caterpillars! Actual size. I'm not kidding. They're like 3 - 4 inches long and 1/2 inch in diameter. Gorgeous things. What do they grow up to be? Anybody? And now for a glimpse into hermit life with Allison and Mattie: So when we spend all kinds of time together (...just the two of us...), we find ways to keep ourselves entertained. One of my favorite things is playing "Where's Mattie?" She really invented the game. It kind of evolved like this. Usually I go wandering around looking at the ground for long periods of time finding cool rocks and chips and bones. Mattie at some point figured out that she doesn't really have to wa...