A Day At The Races...

We went to Portland Oregon for a long weekend to catch up with old NYC friends, Allan and Rachel and little Leila who are now in Oregon, and to see Mark's race team compete in the Rose Cup. After a weekend that included a race, a birthday party, a parade, a fair, a night of introducing four of our favourite people to each other and A LOT of driving, we are home and recovering. The car (for those who have asked and got my uninformed response "I haven't a clue what it is...") is in a proto type class (says Evan) with a few rules here and there. They came in second though, which made Maia very happy and provides the relevence for this post. The pics are out of order...

Portland - Leila's b-day, the Rose festival fair...

Kindergarten

Maia starts Kindergarten in September. We went to the orientation this week and Maia declared it all as "fabulous!" I've always heard of mothers who cry on the first day of class, while their child skips happily off into their future. Well, I've started early...

Mothers Day Hike

This summer's hiking goal is for Maia to bag the Stawamus Chief. She made a great go at it today, and should have her photo taken at the top by the end of the summer.

School Pictures

This is me at the entrance to an abandoned gold mine - Maia is further in. You would think after losing her down a hole once, we would strive to keep her out of the ground.

Our ever gracious hosts

More from California

We went to California to visit Mark and Val and celebrate Evan's 40th b-day. The sun came out often enough for us to take some pictures. The rest of the time it rained - so we went slide-seeing and wine drinking. Seriously, the place we were staying at missed being cut off by a mud slide by a few hundred meters. My pictures never turned out though.

Rock climbing with Sydney and Liam - Maia isn't sure who is her favourite, she says, "it would be easier if I could tell them apart."

A merecat at the zoo

Maia and Jace romping in a field

On a ride with Val

California Trip

Relaxing after our hike

Enjoying the Santa Cruz boardwalk

Playing at Happy Hollow

Hanging out with Mark munching sour grass

I hope to write an email of our trip to Mark and Val's. Who knows if it will happen though because I'm swamped. These are some of our favourite pictures. Highlights that are not included are Maia's lemure and jaguar encounters, Maia falling in a deep hole while exploring Native Indian caves in Yosemite, Maia narrowly missing getting the full spray of a skunk - Jace the dog got that instead, and Maia out wine tasting and declaring a Zinfandel to be "pleasantly fruity, not heavy at all."

An Originals Only Art Exhibit

The Marsh Hawk Exhibit

The artists Maia and James

Grandpop's 74th Birthday

Maia and her beloved 'Cutie Pie'

Cutie Pie has been Maia's favourite doll for as long as we can remember. She is a great friend to Maia - even if a few limbs have been loved off over the years...

Music Night on Hollyburn

Enjoying the music

Climbing clear of the dark, tree-lined toboggan run (aka hiking trail). Don't tell Leighton's mum we let him toboggan in the dark!

Hollyburn lodge - One of our favourite places.
"Be of good cheer you're quite welcome here"

At the CBC Kids Show

We were lucky enough to get front row center seats - Ben and Maia had a blast. Super Ben was even 'discovered' after a great interaction with Super Patty.

Skiing up Cypress

A day with Stella

Driving a tug into Vancouver Harbour

When the sun does come out you don't miss a minute of it!

Maia insists she was once a pirate and this was her home

It has been a rainy winter...

Maia's photo of a mushroom