3 Years Gone!

Keeping up with Facebook, being unemployed, and the rest of life seems to have just been uninspiring. I want to do better. Can I have do-overs??

The Amigas Head Home

It was a wonderful time, but we had to leave. Thanks to everyone who made our 10 days so great. One of the things I love about my family is that we welcome guests with open arms. I was so proud to be one of us as everyone opened hearts, homes, and wallets to make Sami feel at home and welcome Danae and me back into the fold. I wouldn't trade families with with anyone.

Mt. Shasta...the place where the soda springs flow!

Oceanside Pier Then and Now

I got these at www.sandiegohistory.org a GREAT site for those native to SD to see the transformations the city has undergone since the invention of photography. Cool, huh?

"Oh, We Belong in the Zoo, The San Diego Zoo"

Yes, I'm showing my age with this slightly modified title, but it's so true. Doug and crew once again accompanied us to see the the animals. (The hatless ones are usually the zoo residents, in case we are hard to distinguish.) I'll bet you've all seen the cute'n cuddlies as well as the slippery slimies before, so you'll mostly see us humans here. To see more just go to http://www.sandiegozoo.org/


...another one rides the bus



No. We never made it to my favorite place on the planet, Balboa Park. but I couldn't leave it out entirely. Here's California tower as seen from the zoo.

Yes. Sami actually pushed Doug around the park!

Crazy Hats and Carousels at Seaport Village

Melissa, Sean, Layla, Doug, Pam, Beth and the 3 A's spent a very fun day at Seaport Village handling objects we didn't plan to buy, being very noisy and generally making a nuisance of ourselves in stores. it was great!!


Everyone wants a ride in Sean's new baby!

Two cuties with Coronado Bridge behind.

A Spam Hat! Danae's ultimate desire in headcoverings.

The Amigas Visit Family and Friends

We had a wonderful time seeing friends and family. In fact, we were having such a good time, we forgot to take pics of important people like the McClellans, Linda Miller, Cheri & Fred, and other folks! Sorry guys.
G'ma & G'pa pose with us.

We wouldn't miss a chance to visit Aunt Edith

Cathy taught Danae and Sami the fine art of nose-picking.

Sami made a new friend
Still cute after all these years.
Kellie, Kailey, Iain & D'lainey
Emmanuel, Pam, Christian & Providencia
Gerardo & Francisca (Francisca, the pic of you and me at the coffee shop didn't show up. We need to get together for coffee soon! Come to Bend :)

Doug Joins the 3A's for a "Wild" Time

The 3 A's were lucky indeed to have the company of my brother Doug (who rivals the size of a silverback gorilla as shown below) at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. Thanks to the generosity of Jane Baker (She donated her guest passes to our cause) we got in and on the tram for almost nothin'. We were looking forward to the big monorail ride and were disappointed to find it had been replaced with a crummy bus/tram kinda thing that uses gas or diesel and is really noisy and only shows you about 1/2 of the area that the monorail covered. Being lower, it also gives you a bird's eye view of feeding huts, block walls and chain link fences. They also seem to have dismanteled my favorite part--the "Where's Waldo" with mountain goats. Anyway, they have added cool new lion viewing areas and a balloon ride that soars 400 feet above the park . Only Sami and Doug were courageous enough for that. Danae and I sat in the shade and admired their bravery from the ground. We spent a long morning and afternoon there checking out the bird show, the open area enclosures, and enjoying the jungle ambience of the place.


Danae and Sami Fed nectar to lorikeets in an aviary filled with the colorful flutterers.
To find out more about the cool stuff at the SD Wild Animal Park click on this link http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wap/index.html

Balloon Ride!!


Lions (Sami got the best lion pics) and tram with cool view of the balloon