Days of Miracle and Wonder, Part Three
Photos from the summer of 2023 - part three of a three-part series
By Alex on October 29, 2023
In the first two weeks of August, Hase was out of school between the end of preschool and the start of transitional kindergarten, or “TK.” Pat and Fritz took him on day trips to the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park and the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley.
We went on a camping trip to Manzanita Lake at Lassen Volcanic National Park, where Willie joined up with us after finishing a backpacking trip. Char and I were both enduring a fever which started up on our first night in the woods, but we mustered up the energy to visit the Devastated Area and the Sulphur Works.
Hase found a patch of snow near the trailhead to Lassen Peak and got some good snow hauling done with his buddies, Greg the Green Dump Truck and Freddie the Front End Loader.
On the last weekend before TK, we headed to Doran Beach near Bodega Bay and took some family photos so that Hase had a current picture he could keep in his class cubby. So far, we like his new school, Austin Creek Elementary, and we are excited to get more familiar with it. Hase did a great job transitioning to a new school. It’s a lot of change for us, but we are happy to be on the path toward more challenges and new experiences.
At the end of August, we spent a weekend with Hans, Rosalie, Everett and Esme at the ranch. Mae, always a lover of dogs, was happy to spend time with Chita.
We returned to Bale of Fun Farm for Hase’s friend Ayrah’s birthday party and got to know a sow named Juliette, who was nursing about twenty piglets. Hase was thrilled to hold the chicks, who were only a few days old.
On Labor Day weekend, we went back to Doran beach where Hase and Mae immersed themselves in the sand and surf.
Since Hase started TK, the school schedule has become our regimen, bringing an earlier morning routine and more structure to Hase’s days. Mae is going to music class every week and working on her language skills.
As I write this, we are fully into autumn activities, with Halloween quickly approaching. I hope you enjoy the rest of the photos from our summer. We’ll send out more photos of the fall soon.