Above – Some things just strike me as pretty. Photo taken on a walk with Bear the Dog. The rains we had this season have brought on a lot of beautiful flowers.

Below – What else … The grandkids.

Christmas gifts.

This group of 4 photos is precious.

Balboa Park carousel.

And train ride.

Pleasant Hill Park.

At the Exploratorium.

I love these photos of Silas with Coach Alison and Maya on the beam in the background. These two have formed great bonds with their coaches.

Maya gets to put her name on the “You Did It” wall for accomplishing a new feat (and not on her feet).

Then, of course, Besties for ice cream after gymnastics.

I’m in Dallas. It’s raining.

Blogged on Amma’s iPad with LOVE.

Above – ROAR!

Below – Kando and Alo try on Robb’s clothes for size… a BIG size!

Below – Selfies. Maya (with ice cream and toppings in her teeth) stamped her own head with a black cat at gymnastics.

During my October visit to the Bay Area to spend some time with the boys, I took them on a long walk, scooter, bike ride (I walked, Kando scootered, Alo rode his bike) along one of the many beautiful Walnut Creek bike paths. This one is less than a mile from Robb’s house. Alo had all his protective gear on so Kando wanted to wear his. It’s a good thing because he fell a couple times and came up unscathed.

I love the camera on my iPhone. It’s hard to imagine not having that luxury. It’s so easy to prop the phone up on something, set the timer and snap a photo. Anywhere.

We drove to the City for Fleet Week. Here are some views along the way. Below is a view of The City from the Bay Bridge.

Looking back at the bridge (and Pirate’s Island) from the City.

A view from the parking garage.

Walking along the Wharf for a good spot to watch the show.

Watching the show from Boudin Bakery where we stopped to have lunch.

After lunch at the Wharf watching the show over the Bay.

It was spectacular. The kids loved it. We all did!

In this cool photo, the plane on the left is upside down, while the plane on the right is right-side up.

A last photo in the City before heading back to Walnut Creek.

On the Walnut Creek Free Bus on our way to get ice cream.

We came across this fountain (see the water spout coming out of the top of the head) at the Free Bus stop.

Ice Cream at last!

The next day we rode bikes to the Pleasant Hill Oktoberfest. It was hot outside so I managed to wear my hat for shade and an extra helmet belonging to Alo. It’s a good thing he has a big head!

At Oktoberfest by the pond where the kids enjoyed watching the turtles and Koi.

Note the finger bottom center.

Group photo at Oktoberfest. On the left Robb’s friend Ron with this dad and son, Kando, Robb, Jin and his daughter Annie, Alo and Ron’s other son (I don’t remember their names).

This is Chainee’s baby girl, Malayan Tamera Tatum.

Maya and Mo.

One silly boy.

I love this photo!

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Sri B.K.S. Iyengar, one of the foremost yoga teachers in the world, who died in 2014 at the age of 95.

Blogged on Anna’s iPhone with LOVE!

Above – Jamie visited early October to help with “the Halloween decorations.”

Below – Robb and the boys check out Great Grandma’s new bedroom remodel project.

A walk in OB with Alo and Kando.

Mackerel were biting and Alo got his hands on one.

Checking out the gulls.

Lunch at Point Loma Seafoods.

We wore ’em out …

Taco and movie night with the cousins.

Field trip time. Action figure costumes worth every penny!

The Mod Squad hiking south of Ladera Street. It might not surprise you that a couple of the accessories had to be confiscated.

This little park behind a church off Talbot and Canon Streets is a hidden gem. We spent quite a while sitting in the shade watching the kids play.

It was a very good day for Great Grandma when all these great grandkids showed up to visit. It was also another opportunity to take a progress photo of the new bedroom.

Gymnastics photo ops. So cute!

Have I mentioned how much Hogan likes corn? We moved him to the basement last weekend where he’ll stay until sometime around Easter.

A walk down Newport with Jamie and an impromptu early dinner at Hodad’s. I figured I better post these older photos because Jamie’s coming back to town again Tuesday with her grandson, Kaiden.

The service at Hodad’s was so bad, our waiter brought this huge sundae as a peace offering. The kids gladly accepted it! Or should I say they were “BSTOKED” about it. And yes, it did make everything all better.

“HEYKOOK” – how appropriate.

Sparty never outgrew the nipple …

Little boys, green gum and a crusty nose.

I spent much of Thanksgiving and the day after creating the 2019 annual family photo calendar. It took me about 8 hours, but it was time well spent going through all the digital family photos taken throughout 2018. One thing all the photos have in common is smiles. Lots and lots of smiles. I’ve used the Apple “Photos App” in the past to create quality photo calendars but Apple discontinued the App this year. I’m anxious to see the quality of the calendars created using the new Mimeo App. Some of my time spent was getting familiar with the app and finding out different ways to organize photos on the page. The biggest problem I had was squeezing all the best photos into the calendar, but I did it and I know it will make a beautiful gift of happy memories.

I’ll leave you with this beautiful sunset from our deck.

Blogged on Amma’s iPad with LOVE and gratitude.

Above – Robb’s and the boys’ pumpkins.

Halloween season in Walnut Creek.

X

Warning. The following photo is really scary.

Meanwhile, back in San Diego …

At great grandma’s house getting ready for trick or treating.

Some of the houses gave tricks and treats.

The loot …

Back in Walnut Creek …

Lastly, I know this has nothing to do with Halloween, but it was Maya’s big day when Mo, her coach, challenged the boys’ coach to see who can hold a chin hold the longest. Mo already knew who was going to win.

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone and MacBook with LOVE!

Above – Here’s Alo’s first school picture (Pre-Kindergarten). As Bruce said “He looks all growed up.” At only 5 years old, he looks like he’s 10 and he’s beaming with pride.

Here are the finished bird houses Maya and Sparty painted.

Although I missed Alo’s birthday party, here are some photos Robb sent me. He held the party at a nearby park with a swimming pool. Robb said he spent almost the entire time in the pool with the kids.

These photos were taken several months ago at the tide pools below Cabrillo National Monument. It was a beautiful day and the kids had a blast.

Making ghee. It boils until the milk solids float to the top, then they get strained out so the ghee is clear. It takes a couple hours but well worth the wait.

Happiness at Amma and Pappa’s.

Here’s what happens when you read the kids a book about yoga poses.

Maya really likes chalking up her hands …

Maya on the beam with Sparty in the background.

Throwback. I remember when … (yikes!)

These two love each other.

These two are pretty fond of each other too …

One of the best things about being retired is taking the time to smell the roses, or in this case to marvel about and enjoy beautiful flowers, some in our yard and others I see while out walking.

The question is “Do I open the gate, or do I pass?”

That sucker was big and as you can see from the first picture, it was hairy too. Or should I say it IS hairy. Of course I didn’t kill it. Nor did I open the gate. LOL!! I went around …

Blogged on Amma’s iPhone and iMac with LOVE!

Above – Hodad’s!

Below – Kando & Alo’s first day of school.

Maya & Sparty Art at Amma & Pappa’s

Bird house art.

Sidewalk art.

Cute hairdo.

The last of our babies that flew away a while back.

Me and my girl at our lookout point …

Sparty and Hogan.

Sue and Monette enjoying their cruise from Vancouver to San Diego.

Robb sent me these photos of the otters in the creek along one of the many bike paths near his house. Pretty cool!

Here are a couple bigger otters riding the new bikes they got for their birthdays …

Alo’s riding without training wheels now.

Back at Tilden Park where you can feed the farm animals. This is always a fun place to visit.

Robb hanging out on the porch of the Airbnb I rented last time I came to the Bay Area.

I had the privilege of going with Robb to pick the boys up from school.

Then we went for sushi for dinner.

Maya and Sparty snorkeling at Kellogg’s Beach …

I’m visiting Robb and the boys this weekend. I asked Alo what I should call this blog post. I showed him all the pictures and he came up with “It looks like nature outside.” I think that’s appropriate, don’t you?

Blogged on Amma’s MacBook from Walnut Creek with LOVE!

Above – Visiting Great Great Grandma & Grandpa.

Below – Visiting Great Great Uncle Jon. Uncle Jon was a character. Really.

The photo below is the other side of the tombstone – Jon’s mom and dad.

Jon’s got a great view!

Photos from Robb, Alo and Kando’s last visit – in Great Grandma’s back yard.

Scooting at Liberty Station.

Super Heros.

Swimming at Ron’s.

Cannon Ball …

Here’s Sparty’s version of a cannon ball …

Christening the new bedroom. This was early on in the project (several weeks ago).

On the drive back to Walnut Creek. I think this In-N-Out Burger is a recurring stop.

Back in the Bay Area on an outing at Knowland Park Zoo, Oakland. Three happy boys. The kids love it there!

I was going through some boxes of photos (and other miscellaneous treasures) in my mom’s garage and came across this classic photo of my dad (on the left) with one of his fireman buddies (nicknamed Suzy). This photo was taken circa 1954, around the time I was born. I remember my dad working on a fire boat when I was very little, but it wasn’t this one. It was pretty cool having a dad who was a fireman. He had a lot of time off to spend with us. He was pretty handsome too.

Mo and Maya, a match made in heaven. Mo is Maya’s gymnastics coach, and these two have created quite a bond. The look on Maya’s face tells it all. They’re looking at a video Bruce took of Maya doing some great feat in gymnastics. I have a lot of great videos I’ll share if I ever get my act together.

I love that smile. She is so proud of herself.

A very special occasion – Andy, Mo, JR and Max came to visit Great Grandma a few weeks ago. We got out the family heirloom Civil War era rifle with bayonet, which was (and always is) a great conversation piece.

The boys have grown up so much since we saw them last. They were perfect gentlemen and we enjoyed their visit tremendously. Word has it they’re coming back to visit again Sunday.

A little one-on-one time with Amma at Lighthouse Ice Cream shop with a walk to the beach.

Silly faces. Note Sparty’s Pune bracelet. During the month of August there’s an India holiday called “brother’s day” where girls give their brothers or someone who is like a brother to them these bracelets. They sell them everywhere. You may remember seeing photos when I posted from Pune. Well, I brought home a whole bunch of them, so there are plenty to last a long time, forever maybe.

Fun times hanging around the construction site …

Creating memories on Amma’s MacBook with LOVE and JOY!

Above – Amma and Sparty Oakland bound! Last year I took Maya on a special Oakland outing to see her cousins. Now it was Sparty’s turn (a couple weeks ago).

On the plane … Dorito’s and video games were all it took to keep this little one happy.

Below – First BART ride. The first BART tram is free, from the airport to the BART station. As soon as we got off the tram, a train was waiting and one of the workers said we could get on it, so we did. Right about the time the doors closed, I realized we were headed south – the wrong direction. LOL!! I was a bit frantic because I knew Robb was waiting for us (on his lunch break) at one of the stops. The best part of this mis-adventure was we got to go down and up a couple extra escalators, which Sparty thought was really cool and a lot of fun.

This BART went past the home of the Raiders. We were headed the right direction this time.

After we met up with Robb, Sparty feel asleep in the car so I dropped Robb off at work and drove to Robb’s house. After a nice little nap, we packed a lunch and went to the park.

Then a bike ride on the new bike Kando got for his birthday. Alo’s bike didn’t have training wheels, but this one has a handle bar rev mechanism that makes a way cool noise so it was the bike of choice.

Then a bbq dinner consisting of ribs, corn, salad and salmon.

It’s always fun to go to bed in someone else’s bed. There are so many things to make a kid smile here. The best part of this bedtime was that Alo and Kando would be arriving early in the morning and the cousins would have a whole day to play.

I spent almost all day alone with these little angels (ages 3, 4 & 4). I think it was pretty brave of me to take them to iHop…

After iHop we played. A lot. We rode bikes, played games, played cars, built train tracks and did all kinds of fun stuff, indoors and outdoors. I even got all three of them to take a nap. That was heaven …

Galoshes. The latest indoor fashion.

It was a very short one-nighter and now back at the airport waiting in the security line wishing I had taken more photos.

Look what someone left parked inside the airport!

Goodbye Oakland!

Blogged on Amma’s MacBook with LOVE.