Tarantula Hike

 

 

 

 

 

Last night we joined friends at Mt. Diablo to go on a park-sponsored taratula lecture & hike. Most enjoyable outting this school year, by far. Nate was the first to volunteer holding the large pet spider, and Gina quickly followed suit, despite her innate fear of spiders. We then hiked through a valley and up a ridge as the sun started setting, and found nests and one lonely male looking for a friend. We each let the wild spider climb over our hand before hiking back down to the car.

Squiggles

 

 

Our weekend house guest from Julie's classroom.

Ringling Brother Circus

 

 

 

 

 

While on jury duty, and since I was away most of Saturday at a lecture, I purchased Sunday tickets for the family to the Ringling Brothers Circus at the Oakland Arena. Even with the PETA warnings it seems like the circus is something every kid should see (just make your animal welfare donation afterwards.) Julie and Nate were both on the edge of the seats, with Julie repeatedly asking me "Is it over?" and when I said no, she clapped her hands even more. Nate liked the "strong men", Gina liked the acrobats, and Julie liked "all of it", of course. Money well spent even after the $10 lemonades.

Legion of Honor Museum

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday was "beach & culture day", so we drove to a chilly/foggy Montara Beach to play briefly on the sand, then headed up the coast to San Francisco to visit the Dutch Masters exhibit at the Legion of Honor Arts Museum. It was an interesting experience trying to convey excitement to an 8 and 6 year old about five-hundred year old paintings of dead pheasants and thunderstorms, but in retrospect, they did great. Julie's favorite paintings had the elaborate dresses and Nate liked the moralistic portrait of the drunk and over-indulgent sleeping man being pick-pocketed by a grinning woman. We all liked the Rodin sculptures. Any money we saved by using free entrance tickets provided by Bank of America was instantly blown at the great cafe downstairs, even before we ordered the champagne.