Alabama - Day 1

We left Portland this morning at 6, which means we were up at 2:30 to catch the 4 am airport shuttle. Our flight to Houston was on time, and the hopper to Birmingham was running a bit behind. That all being said, we caught a tailwind and made really good time.

From Birmingham we drove the rental car north to Huntsville. It was cheaper to fly into Birmingham, and the drive was a nice transition from flying to hotel. With the two hour time difference, our body clocks are so off. We weren't really hungry for dinner until around 7, and we probably will head for bed around 10. Of course, we ate way too much, but the food at Rosie's Mexican Cantina was good! And we're pretty picky about our Mexican food.

The next few days will be busy, but I'm looking forward to seeing the cousins and exploring a new state.

Birthday Girl

We celebrated this one's birthday with a trip to the county fair and a family dinner the next day. We were a few days late.

In honor of her birthday, the family has acquired two new members of the menagerie: Johnny and JohnJohn.

Have marionberries.....

make marionberry crumble. I thought about a pie, but I wasn't in the mood to make pie crust, so I pulled out the old apple crumble recipe, cut the cinnimon and substituted the berries. It was pretty yummy, if I do say so myself.

Hot Summer - pt 2

The heat wave continues. Today this is what I read on the thermometer. I am really, really tired of this heat.

Splish Splash!

Today we checked out a local park and splash pad. We had a few sprinkles. Somehthing we have seen precious little of this summer, so the kids tried to catch the raindrops on their tongues. Once the fountains were turned on, the water flew everywhere and the kids loved it. We finished our day with a late lunch and the golden arches and then headed to see Grammie and Papa for a couple hours. loved it!

Hot Summer - pt 1

It's been horribly hot lately. Today the thermometer on the back deck read 104.5 degrees! I'm tired of this. It's not fun and I don't have the energy to get anything done.

Raspberries and Cherries and Tomatoes

I mentioned that everything is super early this year. Last week I went raspberry picking with my mom and dad. We came home with 30 pounds, most of which were frozen in simple syrup for when we have a raspberry craving next winter.

Cherries are also ripe. Of course, they require a bit more effort (and a ladder!) to pick. But they are yummy. My niece would eat herself sick if we let her.

And this week I picked my first tomato. I love homegrown tomatos. They just taste so much better than what you buy in the stores. For the last coupld years I've branched out from the standard red tomatos. This year I planted yellow and what is labeled "pink caspian". That one is not ready yet.