Spring forward

Looks like I took the winter off from posting anything, but now that it's spring I guess I'll share some new pics. My parents were in town (visiting from Maryland) last week and we did all the usual tourist outings. Here's a family shot at Lower Yosemite Fall.

On Easter, the bunny at Columbia State Historic Park handed out real carrots to the kids (and they hunted for real hard-boiled eggs)!

During the past few months, I've visited the four state parks in our region — Columbia, Railtown, Calaveras Big Trees and Indian Grinding Rock — for an upcoming story in Friends and Neighbors magazine due this summer (for the new spring issue I wrote an article about the benefits of tai chi). Here's a pic of Ediza and her friends inside the Pioneer Cabin Tree at Calaveras Big Trees State Park.

We had never been to Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park in Amador County, but we really enjoyed our trip there — walking around and imagining life as a Native American. These holes in a stone slab are where Miwok women pounded acorns into meal.

Let's see, what else have we been up to? Amber is continuing her second year as team captain of the local High Country Hellcats roller derby team (their next home bout is April 27). We helped with a huge Bollywood-themed fundraiser for Ediza's school, the Sierra Waldorf School's Rites of Spring Auction. And in two months I will be running a marathon along the Inca Trail in Peru. More on that one later.

Peep Show

The local arts council where my parents live host a fundraiser each spring where different artists and community members make creative designs using Peeps — the brightly-colored marshmallow treats that show up around Easter.

Dubbed the "Peep Show," the exhibit features more than 200 entries with various themes. People purchase tickets to vote for their favorite display. There's even Peep-inspired short movies shown on a big screen and people can buy Peep-related merchandise, including temporary Peep tattoos and cards that say "Give Peeps a Chance" (a play off of "give peace a chance").

Here's some of the wacky entries:

Peepzilla (created by my third-grade teacher)...


Kung Fu Peep (instead of Panda, get it?)...


Several depicted the Lorax...


Would you like a slice of Peeporoni Peepza?


And lets not forget Little Bo Peep...


Oh, and there's one more — Ediza Peep!

East Coast Easter

We've been staying busy on the East Coast with lots of different outings, including dinner and folk music at Hickory Bridge Farm in Pennsylvania and playing at a children's museum called Port Discovery in Baltimore.

Ediza has gotten an early start on Easter by meeting a couple of different bunnies (including some real ones) and going on egg hunts.


One of the highlights was a trip to Harpers Ferry — the point where Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia meet. The Appalachian Trail goes right through this historic town.


After a short hike on the trail, we walked around the charming town and ate (for dessert I had homemade red velvet cake ice cream!) and shopped (our purchases included blackberry wine and a stuffed llama handmade in Peru). Ediza will be finding the latter gift in her Easter basket!