summer camping

Journey to a new destination

| poppypeach

Last week it was time to say farewell to my life as a teacher assistant and get back to my life as mama and student. I made little gifts for the 14 1st graders I worked with by getting them a ball of yarn each to do finger knitting over the summer. And for the kinder kids I made them a kumihimo loom with some extra thread to practice counting and to get crafty.

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The staff at Ventana sent me off with this lovely book as a farewell gift, it was sad to say goodbye to all the lovely people who work there. This dinner is a beyond meat sausage with porcini mushrooms and fennel over a bed of brown rice noodles.

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This amigurumi koala was made for our sitter and friend L who looked after the kids while I was working. I was so lucky to find her to take the kids to their after-school classes and the like and take care of my kids as if they were her own, they will really miss her too!

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Saturday I was ready for some me time so I got on my bike and rode the trail on a cloudy morning. I found this little guy moving fast as ever on the trail.

Saturday we headed on over to Spring Lake Regional Park in Santa Rosa for a group camping with our school. It was a great weekend away and perfect timing to get away. We stopped off at Petaluma for some delicious pie for lunch both savory and sweet. For dinner it was a potluck and I made a mexican inspired black bean salad which disappeared quickly.

As the group site was booked up when we decided to go we stayed at this beautiful cabin for $98 a night (including reservation fees) – in the pics you can see the interior with a bunk bed and a double bed so it fit the 4 or us perfectly. Friends of ours joined in the fun and camped next door, so a total of 8 people can stay at this spot. There were super cool details, with solar lights on the balcony, a little broom cupboard, a table for your goods plus a seat for your bags so it was super spacious inside. We sat out on the balcony in the morning and enjoyed a mug of oatmeal with mixed nuts and maple syrup watching the hawk hanging out in the tree.

Before we left we went on down to the lake for a swim as it was a hot day and met an evil swan guarding the canoes, kayaks and SUP boards. The kids enjoyed the cool water and if you were there all day you can hang out at the water park for $10.

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We are now back in our regular routine of feeding the chickens and doing the chores each week, it was so good to see the little ladies out and about dust bathing in the sunshine.

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Back to mama time and time in the kitchen I made this delicious crumble with coconut whipped cream and nuts. It feels so good to be free with my time and I am thankful for the time I had with my work but I really appreciated to be a master of my own time now.

 

A piece a Week – A new tote and some ceramics, yet more bowls! And farewell to summer camping!

| poppypeach
This week my tote from last year had a breakdown of buttons so I had to quickly whip one up – this is just a sample of the pattern I will be trying out for the FabMo Show in October. There are generally plenty of bags and I will road test this one first, to see if it is worth the time. The fabric reminds me of bamboo and there is a surprise patchwork inside that I added – as it was meant to be on the outside, the fun of working with unfamiliar patterns. The tote is lined with an interior pocket for organization of your bits and bobs. 
A new tote to carry the day to day bits and bobs

Surprise patchwork interior

This week I was happy to find in the pottery studio two bowls I made in a matte black and white crackle glaze. I love the effect of calligraphy ink into the glaze – though this bowl is just for decoration now as you cannot eat from it. I am so happy to be able to throw on the wheel and made 3 in the class last week – now to trim and glaze them all!

Amazing bowls that are similar in size!!

The detail of the glaze, it makes it look antique 🙂
Over the weekend we ventured out with some Australian friends of ours to a site I booked in January to Manresa State Beach. The fun thing was that same weekend my friend celebrated his 50th birthday at the beach and we were camping at the campsite down the road. So it has been a very busy weekend which explains why this posting is so late!! It is a beautiful campsite and so hard to get into as it is super close to the Bay Area and the walk to the beach is down a ramp rather than up a hill and back down again at Sunset State Beach just next door. We loved it, though we were dust balls by the time we returned on Sunday. 
A tree climbing monkey

Falling into the backwash

Enjoying the really cold water

Looking cool at the beach – why not go swimming in your clothes??

Missy gets some air

A future naturalist checking out the seaweed

Our dusty campsite!!

This beach is beautiful – Manresa State Beach, go there!

Camping over the summer…. continued

| poppypeach
It has been a long time between posts as the summer holidays came to an end. The last month and a half of the holidays I had hardly a day on my own to sit down and write… I am now back somewhat on track with the kiddos back at school and working on goodies for a trunk show happening in a couple of weeks and the FabMo Textile Art Boutique which will be happening at Menlo Park. I wanted to add some of my last couple of adventures to the Summer Camp trip piccies – the last 3 trips were Limekiln State Park at Big Sur, Butano State Park in Pescadero and Henry Cowell State Park near Santa Cruz. All beautiful in their own way!
100 ft Limekiln Falls at Limekiln State Park, Big Sur 
One of the amazing sunsets a walk from our campground at Limekiln SP
Another sunset completely accessible from our campground – it was so good to go to the beach after dinner
Banana slugs were a plenty on our redwood hike at Butano State Park – we enjoyed their campfire programs with our wonderful nature interpreter, Rosanna – check out their site here they have some very cool activities and hikes for the kiddos and of course the parents! Our campsite was secluded and away from the crowds and we loved the campfires every evening under the redwoods with a cup of vino. 
One of the many Banana Slugs on our hike at Butano State Park
Our last summer camp trip we went to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park near Santa Cruz this was a couple of nights under the redwoods. These guys had some seriously entertaining camp fire programs including a trivia night and sing a long. We enjoyed a lovely long hike from our campground to the Redwood Grove by the creek seeing Thomas the train and horses along the way. This is a camping area super close to the Bay Area and you have to get in early to get a site – I booked the site in January! 
Manzanita tree branch peeling 
Leaves of three let them be – poison oak looking autumnal
Holly trying out our new campfire dessert the campfire cone, I found the recipe here  this looks good too
This tree is known as The Giant at the Henry Cowell Redwood Grove by the Visitor Center