Getting ready to Trick-or-Treat on the Santa Cruz Wharf. This is the second year in a row, so it seems like it's becoming a family tradition. It's really nice to see all the sea lions at least once a year.
 

  Katie Trick-or-Treating. She remembered to say "Thank you" more than she remembered to say "Trick or treat" so I'm pretty proud of her.
 

 

I decided there were too many photos of our barn raising to put here, so look for them at the link to the right. (I've tried putting the link here, but I can't get it to accept it.) Also, I don't have everybody's name. I apologize for forgetting names, and I will correct them as soon as I can. 

Drumming and singing at the Simcha (preschool) Sukkot party. 

Nadya's sunflower patch a couple months ago. It looks pretty bedraggled now, but produced a bumper crop of delicious sunflower seeds. 

I found some more gymnastics pictures. Yesterday Nadya told me she was tired of doing gymnastics. Today she was telling me what she's going to do the next time we go to gymnastics. I've already signed them up for the next term, so we'll probably stick with it at least through the rainy season. Here's Katie on the balance beam.  

Nadya loves the balance beam. She walks along curbs the same way. I used to do that, too. Come to think of it, I still do sometimes. 

Katie does a handstand. I just missed getting a picture of all of them doing handstands. 

The girls like climbing the little ladders. Going across is another story. 

Nadya crossing the ladder again. This time she made it all the way! 

Nadya walks the plank... 

... and jumps off at the end. 

Ben crosses the ladder. 

Nadya somersaults. 

I entered some of my yarn in the Santa Cruz County Fair this year. My wool yarn got a third place and some advice on how to improve (which was what I was hoping for) but my alpaca yarn got a first place. It's so soft! I've got a couple ideas of what to do with it. I have a lot more alpaca fleece to spin. It's so nice to work with. 

Nadya saw me spinning and wanted to try it herself. She spun this lovely yarn on my spinning wheel during four or five sessions over a month or so. I entered it in the Santa Cruz County Fair. She got first prize which included a check for $5. The judge also wrote a sweet comment. After looking at the display, we stopped by the Spinners' Guild demonstration where they fawned over Nadya (and Katie, too), "Oh, you're the little girl who spun that beautiful yarn!" 

Johns at dinner. Little John is 10 months in this pic. 

Uncle John has the kids enthralled with air-in-a-can. 

Bela and the kids plant bulbils and seeds that they collected this year. If even a small percentage of them come up next year, our front hillside will be spectacular. 

Nadya and Katie help me show off the first completed wall frame. The doors will be higher on the new shed so I won't have to duck, but I will have to remember to lift my feet more. 

Katie took this picture. The tall (8') side is laying on the ground in the front. 

Teacher Rick helps Nadya face her fear and cross the ladder in gymnastics class. It's amazing watching him herd a dozen 3 year olds. He's great! 

Typical view of Katie: Everything is in focus except her - she's a blur. 

Hans wasn't very happy - I don't remember why. 

One of our hens hatched a family and paraded the chicks around in our neighbor's yard. I tried to catch them, but they ducked under the trailer. The next night, she brought them home to the barnyard and I was able to put them in the chick pen.