Turtle Bay

We were lucky enough to get to take a trip to Washington this summer. My Aunt and BFF was getting married. The drive is long, like 15 hours, So knowing I had all the little ones to entertain I planned a few stops.

Turtle bay is in Redding, CA. There are outdoor exhibits like the Paul Bunion Forest Camp and the walk through aviary with beautiful Lories.


They give you a cup of nectar and the birds land right on you. Ava was a magnet and had about 7 on her at one point.

There is also an indoor museum with interactive exhibits like underwater fish viewing, a tree situated on a glass floor so you can see the whole root system, and historic recreations of the Sacramento Valley.

While we visited they also has a visiting exhibit called Grossology. What can I say about Grossology? It was gross and the kids LOVED it! There were exhibits and games about boogers, gas, burping, there was a life sized operation game and the best part? A climbing area where you scaled the esophagus, traveled the digestive system and slid out the anus. I kid you not. I couldn't make this stuff up.

Owen is building a burp.
Shooting boogers
Jacob chasing Anna through the stomach and sliding out the anus!

As you got ready to leave there was one last stop. The identify the smell station! WOW! As you can see the kids were horrified. They were so traumatized they played with it for 15 minutes!

Summer Fun

Winter seems endless here. I think it is because everything goes dormant and turns brown. The lack of color is hard to deal with after 4 months. Trudging out to break up frozen water troughs and hauling buckets when the water lines freeze does nothing to help either. I look so forward to Spring. I plan gardens, buy seeds, tend to my frozen boxes and wait. I look for every sign Spring might be around the corner. I start seeds in my kitchen window in eager anticipation of warmer days and tilling the soil.

Sadly, this year spring was frigid. Snow does not count as spring in my opinion. My starters, started and wilted on my sink. Buds formed on trees and promptly froze. There was no garden for me. We also ended up a few hard births, a parasite problem from all the wetness and bottle babies due to the freezing weather and mom's who were not being vigilant enough. So spring went from a celebration of new life and a time of recovery from the long hard days of winter, to dealing with sick and dying animals and a lot of hard work.
Summer was just what we needed. Pastures coming alive means less hauling of hay. Dry heat kills the parasites and helps the babies grow strong. Hoses that work mean no buckets to haul...YES!

We kicked off the summer with the annual trip to Tahoe to the family reunion. It was a smaller showing this year but that gave us more time with those who made it. My number one priority is sucking up as much time as possible with my Grandparents. They have been a rock in my life. I do not have any idea where I would be without those two amazing people. My Papa wrote a book over the last few years. "World War II Recollections Of Clarence A. Burton," was ready and my copy was waiting in Tahoe. As always a trip with family makes a summer.

Plus spending time with people who have to love you no matter what is awesome!