Life around Labor Day

Last Friday I took Monkey and Roo to a small, little-known museum in our new town that specializes in birds and eggs. Called the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, it does primarily research and publications but opens its doors to the public from 3 - 4 pm on the last Friday of every month for tours. We loved it. I wasn't surprised that the monkey dug it since he's into all things animal. But Roo quite likes birds, especially pretty ones, and there was lots for her to enjoy too. Here is a photo of monkey gazing on the world's largest egg, one laid by the now-extinct elephant bird.

For three out of the last four Labor Day weekends, we have canned tomatoes with our suburban farming friends, the Grahams. [A nearby farm, Underwood, allows you to pick starting at 6 AM on Labor Day Saturday for $0.25/lb.] We missed last September because we were in New England and they had moved to OK for the year; otherwise it's been our regular Labor Day tradition. Despite the fact that we learned three weeks ago that we will be moving back to the east coast by Christmas (!), we decided to go ahead and still pick and can some tomatoes for the fall. We had a great time, as always, and it was well worth doing. The kids are even getting old enough to help just a little.

Sunday HF went on a fruitless but fun dove-hunting venture with his two local hunting buddies (both of whom had canned with us on Sat). Labor Day itself was a leisurely, at home day with reading, napping, an In-n-Out dinner outing, and backyard pool play. Here is HF teaching Roo how to dip her nose in a kayak...