HG's a good traveler, so we took a trip down south to visit with friends. First stop after LAX was West Lake Village, land of many old oak trees and the ever-incredible Tess. We met when we were 16, and Tess re-located to Missouri for a couple years with her family. Now she's got two beautiful daughters, Miss P and Miss V, who entertained Bo like they were his awesome big sisters. They read to him, jumped on the trampoline with him, and took us on a lovely walk to their neighborhood park. Yogi Mom Tess fed us well and offered me a mantra and some breathing exercises. Harrison played some fun songs on his trumpet and let the kids blow on his coronet - very exciting to hear Humboldt's first brass tune. L.A. = beautiful people and weather!
Next we visited Sierra Madre and our three-year-old buddy, Miss H, who used to live near us but now lives nearer her extended family in L.A. Her dad, Rene, returned from his archaealogical dig on St. Nicholas Island and serenaded the kids with guitar music while they got ready for bed. Bo loved H's toy llama, that he re-named My Pony Bill, and her sand box. Miss H is featured here on the turtle with Bo and with her mama, Leslie. Leslie's a great cook, and she has a huge avocado tree in her back yard!
The Los Angeles County Arboretum was delightful. Here's a close-up of a Ceiba Speciosa, or Silk Floss tree blooming and another of the whole tree with flowering aloe in the mid-ground and the eastern mountains in the background. We all really enjoyed Leslie's home-packed picnic and the snake path that wound through the Australia section of the grounds.
In Palos Verdes Estates, we had our first chance to welcome seven-month-old L. into the world. Stacey walked baby L. and dog, Kula, in Ryan Park, where the boys climbed on trees and played in the sand. Here's a great photo of big brother R. who's four and yes, really this cute. Bo had a great time participating in a Little Gym class and playing in the sand at the park and beach with R. That's Randy with baby L. Stacey and the boys live on a gorgeous peninsula, a beautiful place to walk the dog, raise two boys, and grow some oranges.
There were many highlights of the trip: all of our new and old friends, the doggies, and all of the toys and books they shared, particularly R's trains!
