My brother and sister-in-law came to Santa Barbara to drop off their ‘baby,’ Sarah, who is attending UCSB. While they were here, we got some good time in at the beach, one of the things they miss most about moving away many years ago. Here are a few captures of the day.
My daughter moved to Egypt two years ago and hadn’t been back to visit since. But that changed this month. She wasn’t able to bring both kids — imagine two hyper kids on an 18-or-so-hour trip — but brought her youngest, Abdu. We traveled up to gold country to see family and took the most amazing hike. We even had my mom with us, who turns 80 in October. It was a very special time spent together, for all of us.
Treasure time spent with loved ones. We can’t be with them all the time or always.
In reference to my post in February, I decided that to keep the rodent population under control, it would be nice to have a barn owl nesting box on the property. Luckily, ‘I know a guy’ who was willing and able to build it. We hope to have many owlets born in this cool little pad.
If you are looking to build one yourself, here’s a great resource that has all the info you need: http://www.scvas.org/pdf/cbrp/BuildingBarnOwlBoxes.pdf. You can also buy them, but I can’t guarantee that they will be furnished with all the right accoutrements needed for the survival of the barn owl pair and owlets.
I got this wonderful new espresso machine for my birthday! What a huge and wonderful surprise! I’m still figuring out all the little tweaks to make the best cup of cappuccino every morning… mind you just one double shot each day. But I’ve added it to my list of things to get better at… keep tweaking to improve, bit by bit… just like my work. I’m never bored since I’m constantly trying to improve my techniques and knowledge. I love my job!
The colors and textures are amazing to me. The photo shown above is one that I took a couple nights ago. Capturing just the right moment is the trick, since the light changes so quickly.
Farmers Market and the beginning of strawberry seasonThese organic beauties are grown locally and are as delicious as they look. Wonderful just by themselves, or on some steel cut oats for breakfast. What a great way to start the day. Only problem is… they’re gone before you know it!
Mange TooA Christmas or two ago, my niece got me some Ocean Salt by Lush. It’s a great face and body scrub that leaves my skin feeling great. I got a few gifts there recently and picked up a little something for myself. It’s a massage bar, but works equally well as a moisturizer during winter months or whenever my skin is feeling dry. The Mange Too has a wonderful scent of honey and chocolate. When I rub it in my hands, it melts just enough to coat my skin.
Girlfriend partiesI was recently invited to one of my girlfriends’ birthday parties. She is quite a character and we have a lot in common. She wanted to have a ‘Crazy Slippers and Pajama Party’ as she turned 40. We all brought a brunch item and happily indulged and celebrated her entering her 40’s, complete with bellinis. It was great!
Periodic wildlife sitingsThis bobcat wandered down the driveway the other day. I just love when that happens. I love it even more if I have my camera with telephoto lens handy.
