Triathalon-ing

Posted on May 20, 2017 by Kim Halloran-Fry

The past few months have been full of training for my husband's 2017 project – the triathalon. A long time distance runner, he decided to stretch himself and try something different. This weekend we are on the road doing his first competition, a 750m/20km/5km (swim/bike/run) triathalon sprint.

The day started early with a 630am arrival.

We got the bike checked in and he suited up.

Then it was time to dive in. The water was a cool 60 degrees this morning.

May 2107 tri web (6 of 10)

The swim portion proved to be a lot more challenging than expected. Consensus was that more opportunity to train in open water is needed before the next competition. He was a lot happier when he got to the biking and running which was far more familiar territory.

He finished and has a lot of ideas now of what the specific challenges are and how to address those. We were really impressed with the team of teens who competed today and inspired some of ours to consider some joint race efforts. Them, not me lol.

Someone asked last week how I felt about 50. Midcentury, as it turns out, is proving to be full of possibilities and new horizons. So my answer would be encouraged. We are encouraged and grateful going forward. We aren't ready for the rockers yet.

The Best Part of Education

Posted on May 12, 2017 by Kim Halloran-Fry

In the best sort of "take your child to work" scenarios, we met my husband at his base squadron's environmental awareness event this week where the children were able to do some catch and release fishing with the DNR folks.

This gentleman has been to our home and has a wealth of stories to tell about climbing up the sides of mountain to rapel down into eagle's nests for banding and monitoring of endangered birds.

Here he is explaining another way they attract birds of prey for banding. The very fine netting in back of him is used near shrubs and brush to catch tiny songbirds near a testing range. Part of their job is to keep careful counts of the flocks to ensure they are not unduly disrupted.

This beautiful falcon is one of the rescued birds used for educational presentations. It is a great visual for kids who read a lot of historical fiction and biographies to see these maginificent birds which have partnered with people throughout history.

Obligatory kids-in-the-wheel shot of the huge tractor used for brush management and reseeding of the range.

And goslings. Oh my heart. This is exactly how our family has always traveled, with kids sandwiched between mom and dad.

“Every child should have mud pies, grasshoppers, water bugs, tadpoles, frogs, mud turtles, elderberries, wild strawberries, acorns, chestnuts, trees to climb. Brooks to wade, water lilies, woodchucks, bats, bees, butterflies, various animals to pet, hayfields, pine- cones, rocks to roll, sand, snakes, huckleberries and hornets. And any child who has been deprived of these has been deprived of the best part of education.”

— Luther Burbank (American horticulturalist and botanist, 1849 – 1926)

Finishing strong

Posted on May 11, 2017 by Kim Halloran-Fry

Another track season is on the books. As it turns out track is nearly ideal for this mom viewer. Not too hot, not too cold. And bleachers. Lots of perks. Not the least of which was that what turned out to be a just ok first season last year became a really respectable second year of the sport. I'm glad his coach convinced him to sign up again. It's often hard to predict what you will excel at at the beginning. I hope that's one of the life lessons he takes away.

Chinatown – LA

Posted on May 8, 2017 by Kim Halloran-Fry

LA's Chinatown was a must see for me. It is smaller than San Francisco of course but definitely full of color and culture.

Apr 2017 china town LA web (6 of 11)

Red and blue and yellow pretty much make my heart sing.

Yes, we did have to have a discussion about what that machine was. "What is that over there? Is that like a… is that a phone?? On the street? What for?"

So glad the children were able to see this place.

A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving. – Lao Tzu

Art lately – The Scream

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Kim Halloran-Fry

Tess has been enjoying her pack of art cards from Christmas. We randomly pulled the top card today to hang up and discuss. It was Munch's The Scream. Not my fave but we remembered some perspective drawings saved on Pinterest and decided to do those instead of a strict copy. I think they came out exceptionally well, though Tess' looks a little more angry than frightened.

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This project combines several different media and techniques so lots of bang for your lesson time buck. Links here and here Related projects here.

First things

Posted on April 30, 2017 by Kim Halloran-Fry

The pages of our virtual scrapbook here are filled with adventure. Our family has been blessed with many opportunities I could never have imagined. Never think for a minute though, that they come without sacrifices or compromises. That can be difficult. For every wonderful project I say yes to there are a dozen others that must be set aside. Sometimes it can be difficult to know for sure if the right choices are being made. If the tradeoffs are worthwhile. Sometimes saying no is exceptionally difficult, especially when it is saying no to something more pleasant or with more accolades attached. Sometimes even after screening out any extra thing there is still list longer than hours in the day.

But then again, often when I get stuck there is a timely reminder of just how to order things. That happened this weekend. My planner is at large (no, that irony is not lost on me either) so I have been writing notes to myself so I don't forget things I need to do. When I walked into my bathroom last night I saw one of those to do notes on the sink had been carefully cut into a mom love note. I have the best kids in the world and even when one or more is driving me absolutely nuts – and they definitely do at times – they are also continually doing things like this which quickly ground me again.

It did not escape me that my little artist used my to-do list. Carved into my schedule of chores and commitments and opportunities passed over, is this reminder. THIS is my priority. Other plates may occasionally stop spinning. (fall, crash, shatter…)

I have this awesome day job though. I am ok.

Travel Diary – Long Beach Waterfront

Posted on April 28, 2017 by Kim Halloran-Fry

It was late in the day when we got set up at the RV park and then got ourselves over to the waterfront. Such a beautiful welcome to California though for us landlocked folks. We walked as far around the little marina area as we could before dark fell then stopped to eat. This evening was chillier than we had expected but also more colorful. Such happy bright colors on this trip!

Apr 2017 long beach pier (1 of 1)

Apr 2017 long beach pier (5 of 6)

It was a treat for us all around. We usually don't eat out a lot when traveling so it was a fun splurge to enjoy dinner on the patio of the restaurant. Our weird funny California newbie story then was that we circled a while for parking when we arrived. Since we didn't know our way around we made another splurge decision and used the waterfront's valet parking. It was like $10 and we figured that was what a parking garage was going to cost anyway. When we finished dinner we walked back to the valet pick-up and they cheerfully said we were like third in line. No problem. There were heated pavillions to wait in. We sat ourselves down with a very cool international mix of other folks and waited.

And waited.

And waaaaaaited.

50 minutes all told. Fortunately the views were awesome and the people were interesting. People and places are always interesting to me though. : )

of canyons and emus

Posted on April 27, 2017 by Kim Halloran-Fry

The first day of our California trip took us through a bit of Arizona and some….. sparsely populated places. The canyons were incredible, soaring up high above us as we wound our way through. Also, I should clean the windshield before I take pictures through it.

We stopped for gas at a little hole in the wall place in the middle of nowhere. In the middle of nowhere, across from a gas station, there is a petting zoo. At the petting zoo, across from the gas station, there are some emus. (you were dying to know how this comes together right?) So, none of it made sense but you can be sure I made the mister pull over.

This is him thinking something to the effect of, "She seriously wants to go over across the road to see the emus in the junkyard petting zoo? Silly question. Of course she does."

Of course I did! You've gotta admit they are some of the creepiest semi-domestic creatures ever. So much attitude.

Child posing cooperatively.

#ibrakeforemus

Day at the Capitol

Posted on April 8, 2017 by Kim Halloran-Fry

A few weeks ago the little homeschool group we have been joining for field trips had planned a tour of the capitol building. Since we had a commitment that morning I hadn't expected to attend. Our appointment wrapped up early however, and I quipped that we could have gone ahead and done the field trip after all. My husband said why don't you guys just pack up and head down?

Why not indeed? Though if you knew me you'd know that while I am always game for spur of the moment outings when I am riding shotgun, it's different when I am the driver and navigator both. Especially since I don't know everyone in our group well enough to recognize them at a distance. First thoughts were that it was too late, there wasn't enough time to check out directions and confirm with people and about a dozen other reasons why it was too much trouble. The second thought was go, Kim. Just get in the car and it will be great.

And it was.

We not only got a tour but a thorough history of the building and the circumstances surrounding its construction and our statehood. The land it sits on came into the hands of the state through a windfall of inheritance tax money from a railroad tycoon.

Mar 2017 capitol web (7 of 16)

The murals just below the rotunda depict early missionaries and settlers.

The beehive is the state symbol and it figures prominently throughtout the building.

Mar 2017 capitol web (7 of 16)

We were fortunate that one of our state representatives took time to visit with us and arranged for the children to sit in on a hearing discussing upcoming measures. Being kids, and being tired by that time, there was glazing over. Later that night though we saw our local television news channel had been there and was covering the same things we learned about in the evening news.

It was a beautiful day and they came away with a firm idea of the three branches of government as well as a clear visual of where and how they work in this state. Bonus was we were right down the street from Whole Foods so we stopped and had an overpriced fun lunch while we were in town. And I didn't get a parking ticket and didn't get lost. Not that you were probably concerned but just wanted to throw that in.

March hares

Posted on April 6, 2017 by Kim Halloran-Fry

If you drove down our farm road in England in the early morning hours of springtime you had to be on your toes not to hit the dozens of tiny bunnies that dodged into your path. Or at least I made everyone navigate with exceptional care, being sure to warn them loudly when I saw one bounce out onto the gravel. It might sound silly but I loved seeing those little fur babies darting into the hedgerows.

Two years in a row now, since we have been back in the States, I have found some little wild hares at the thrift shop that remind me of an old Georgian farmhouse on the fens of Suffolk. In the springtime they come out again.

Starry Sky Journal

Reflections from Starry Sky Ranch