Monterey is our favorite vacation spot, and it doesn't really matter what time of the year we visit. The kids will play in the ocean no matter what the temperature of the water or the ambient temperature of the air! I think they have some kind of subcutaneous insulation that makes them impervious to cold weather: it can't be an nice layer of adipose tissue because they're all too lean, maybe it's metabolic - judging by the amount of food they consume after we drag them out the water.
Emily and I did some crustacean research while on the peninsula. I have heard that one never needs to cover a bucket of crabs to prevent their escape, because the crabs will pull each other down as they reach the top of the bucket: Truth or Fiction? Well, Emily devised a very successful technique for capturing crabs we found in rock crevices near tide pools. We placed several crabs in the above CRD (crustacean restraining device) and observed their escape behavior. No cooperative behavior was noted: it was every crab for himself (or herself? How do you tell?) They would indeed pull each other down, however, one opportunistic crab did manage to climb over several other crabs locked leg-to-claw and made his escape.
This successful escapee did not get far, though.
Did you know there are Marsh-Mallow plants? Althea officinalis plants grow in salt marshes and have been harvested for their sap to flavor and thicken candy since ancient Egypt. This sap was used until the mid-1800's when confectioners replaced the marsh-mallow sap with gelatin in their recipes (don't you just love the internet). Genius later combined the marshmallow with chocolate and graham crackers to create S'mores, which we ate every night!
Josiah's introduction to the fine art of S'more preparation.
In our microwave culture, the hand-made hamburger patty is quickly being replaced in campgrounds all across the nation with the prefabricated, unimaginative, cookie-cutter, mass produced, flavorless frozen patties found in abundance at Costco and supermarkets everywhere. Truly, this represents one of the great grilling tragedies of our modern age: a relentless march toward BBQ mediocrity. My beautiful, intelligent, creative, and courageous wife has chosen to stand fast against the mindless onslaught of factory burgers and preserve the honor and dignity of the hand-made patty: each one as unique as a snowflake, and enjoyed by our family as our forefathers intended. Show me someone who favors the prefab patty, and I'll show you a closet communist.
Why did God make me six-feet tall? So I could go down a slide this way!
Emily and Moriah discussing the historical significance of marshmallows on ancient Egyptian culture and the mallow's current impact on the 21st century.
Seafaring Madison
Joseph, Javan, and Moriah returning from an ocean voyage.
On this trip, we vacationed with friends. Dan can be seen here in construction mode.
Captain Hook and crew.
The triumph of discovery.
Our friends Dan and Carolyn pondering Herman Melville in Moby Dick,
". . . these are the times of dreamy quietude, when beholding the tranquil beauty and brilliancy of the ocean's skin, one forgets the tiger heart that pants beneath it..."
Josiah and I at the edge of the continent. (Note the waterproof, Gore-Tex lined, leather boots from Cabelas mentioned in a previous blog.)
An ocean kiss for Maia.
9 comments:
Fun,Fun,Fun! What trailer park did you guys stay at? We almost went up there for the 4th.
Oh that was funny to read, thanks for the laugh... and choke... and ya, there may have been a snort heard around here.
I would love for my side of the family to take credit for the love of the ocean no matter what the weather! Comes from the blood of my mother's side with my grandfather being a lighthouse keeper on the west coast. Or maybe it is a "youth" thing! I enoyed your vacations pics and comentary. P.S. I still continue to make my hamburgers w/the real meat no prefab for me and papa :)
I'm sorry to say but you have been tagged with a meme (I really don't know what that is but oh well you can check out my blog for details)!
I prefer prefab. Proud of my sister (I had no idea that she made her own burgers.) The Crew's like ours to be the same size. It's a math thing. Great pictures, lots of fun!
Emily, we stayed at Laguna Seca. Only $30 a night and 15 min from down town Monterey.
Emily, we stayed at Laguna Seca. Only $30 a night and 15 min from down town Monterey.
I told Mark we should go there next year for the fourth. We usually go right before for Javan and Mark's birthdays and then this year right after. Maybe we could plan it for next year.
That would be really fun!
Wow. You guys look like you had a wonderful time. My kids would love those hermit crabs. I think our cats might too though! Enjoyed the post. Thanks for sharing. :)
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