Sequoia Day Two

Day two in Sequoia/Kings Canyon, I took lots of pictures while "bringing up the rear" on our hikes. First up, Big Stump Trail... a 2 mile (round trip), ultra scenic and mild hike to view a section of Kings Canyon National Park that used to be part of the timber industry in the late 1800's.

While it is sad to see sooo many majestic trees cut down, it is nice to know the area is now protected for the future. The boys loved climbing on the stumps and fallen trees... hovering in burned out sections of the still standing sequoias, pretending they are mini-dwellings... comparing the small, egg-shaped pine cones to the 200+ foot tall trees they grow into.

In the photo below, my hubby is showing the boys how trees grow in rings... showing the small small amount of time we have been here compared to the life of that tree. While I don't think they fully grasped what this meant, they did seem to understand what we humans are capable of.

After a quick snack, we ventured further into Kings Canyon to Grant Grove to view the General Grant Tree and all the cool artifacts around that area. Did you know that farmers, foresters, poets, photographers, cavalrymen, cattle ranchers and other pioneers used to live in and around these majestic trees?

Having tired Em and Ro out (woo hoo!) we went back to our Lodge for lunch, canoeing, nature exploring and more walking. The photo below is around the back end of the Montecito Sequoia-- a peaceful and beautiful walk we took many times during our stay.

Evening time meant more hot chocolate and games around the lodge fireplace, hot baths and story time before turning in for the night. We had all adjusted to the high altitude and dropped off to bed much easier than the night before.

Up Next: Day 3... How many steps can a 3 year old climb?

Recycling Batteries

A little over a year ago, I cleaned out a glass jar, slapped a little label saying "USED BATTERIES" on it and shoved the jar up into a kitchen cabinet.

Every once in a while, the heavy clink clink of batteries being plunked into the jar would remind the boys about the importance of not throwing old batteries in the garbage.

Clink Clink Plunk - Flashlight batteries replaced

Clink Clink Plunk - bi-annual replacement of smoke detector batteries

On and on this went, the boys now having learned that this is where batteries go for recycling... a little "bin" similar to the outside ones that collect glass, paper and cardboard.

Today, with the replacing of batteries on my old CD player, the jar was full!

So, once full, where do I take them?

Household batteries can be recycled in many easy-to-find places! Listings are an Internet search away. Earth 911 Waste Management Jiffy Lube to name just a few

Teaching my kids this very easy habit will keep them mindful of keeping our planet green & healthy.

Do you have suggestions for recycling batteries or CFL lightbulbs? Electronics? Old paint? Post a comment and I'll add the link!

This morning's harvest

Four zucchini - two given to neighbors, two to be grilled tonight
A handful of chives - for lunchtime tuna sandwiches and for baked potatoes tonight
Sprigs of parsley and oregano - for the marinade for tonight's chicken
About 10 green beans - to be used tomorrow in a stir-fry
Four grape tomatoes - one casualty gotten by our doggie not pictured. Already eaten by Em.
Not pictured but happily savored last night... our first raspberry!

I need to do an updated photo, but the things you don't see often are:

• The lettuce.... sigh, the lettuce is not happy. I might get one head this season...
• The blackberry & raspberry plants are happily climbing the wires Rob installed. I do not think we'll get any blackberries this year, but there are about 10 raspberries slowly growing.
• The strawberry plants are recovered from the weird brown worm incident and I spotted about 20 strawberries growing.
• Four cucumbers are growing! If they get big enough, I'll have enough for two nights worth of salad and one batch of cucumber soup!

Sequoia, day 1

We haven't taken a family vacation since our New England trip in the Fall of '07, so it was high time to get out and have the boys experience something new... enter Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks! I am still sorting through the 458 photos (woo hoo for folder sorting!) and will post a few from each day in a new post.


Day one of course begins with the drive up... somewhat scenic and certainly "I Spy" game worthy, the drive was good. Em and Ro were pretty patient and excited and I also was able to get some crocheting done.

We arrived in a hailstorm! For a family from the desert city of Los Angeles, this was automatically cool and exciting! After checking in at the Montecito Sequoia Lodge, we went to explore the area. (First pic is the view from our room!)
Em and Ro were full of energy and ready to explore! We went down to the lake and played on the canoes, plunked stones in the water, stacked pine cones... all the usual fun kid stuff. When our clothes were dirty enough from exploring, we went in to prepare for dinner.

Now, I have to tell you this right off the bat... finding the Montecito Sequoia Lodge as a place to stay (and booking it!) was one of THE smartest things we did to prepare for this trip! The only thing I can come close to comparing it to, would be the resort in the Dirty Dancing movie... food and activities for the whole family are included for the duration of your stay. Hot tea and hot chocolate whenever you want! (Coffee too... but I don't drink that.) 3 hot meals each day and drinks/snacks available 24/7-- perfect for families! Okay, enough about that for now...

We came up to the room, cleaned up for dinner and headed down to the lodge. From the wraparound deck, we spotted several mule deers around the resort and took one more quick walk before eating. The telescopes for nighttime star gazing had been taken in prior to the storm, but we didn't need to look up for amazing views... just look left and right and right down at our feet.

After dinner, we played games around the fireplace and the turned in early to prepare for the next day. The boys would have none of this "going-to-bed" nonsense and I think we kept half the guests awake for quite a bit! Finally, sleeptime!!

Zucchini Bread, Sauteed Zucchini...

This morning's zucchini harvest! In between refereeing two rambunctious boys and feeding them breakfast and lunch, I've been researching zucchini breads, muffins, side dishes, soups, etc. to prepare for the continual flow of this green veggie into my kitchen. As I try the recipes, I'll review them and post a few non-copyrighted ones.

Today's recipes:

From Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros, Zucchini Bread

This recipe had me at the first line! "You can't really tell that there is a vegetable in here." Perfect for kids who love bread but are not always convinced easily to try new green veggies.

From Vegetables by James Peterson, Sauteed Zucchini with Garlic & Parsley

An easy and relatively quick recipe that will go perfectly with our main course tonight.

Later in the week when a few more zukes are ready, we'll try:

Bagley House Zucchini Lemon Muffins

Alice Waters' Pasta with Zucchini, Walnuts and Pesto I mean really... how can you go wrong with a recipe that includes pasta?!

What are your favorite zucchini, or summer squash recipes?

Pics from Sequoia coming later this week!