Here in California, due to the lack of any spring showers, it’s already feeling like summer. That means hot weather, dry hills, and, unfortunately, an early fire season. Here are some images from a walk I took with my son yesterday around our neighborhood in the San Francisco East Bay. Photos taken May 2nd, 2013 Continue reading »
Photos taken March 29th, 2013 Martin Canyon Creek Trail, Dublin, California Interested in going? See this post: Hiking the Martin Canyon Creek Trail Continue reading »
Photos taken March 29th, 2013 Martin Canyon Creek Trail, Dublin, California Continue reading »
I enjoyed a lovely hike yesterday morning along the Calaveras Ridge Trail in Dublin Hills Regional Park. The wildflowers are beginning to bloom, especially the lupine. A few photos from the hike… Photos taken March 23rd, 2013 Continue reading »
I saw this beautiful hawk land on one of the oak trees behind our home a few days ago. I frequently see them soaring in the sky or perched on telephone poles, and have even had one attack the birds at our feeder, but I rarely see them land in the trees. Now, maybe one … Continue reading »
Early yesterday morning, my son ran into the living room and screamed, “The turkeys are back! Come look at them all!” Sure enough, there was a gang of ten or so, walking across the hill behind our home. The turkeys can be seen around Dublin throughout the winter, but only return to our neighborhood in … Continue reading »
Love this park! It has a huge field for play, paths for bike riding, an awesome play structure, and a creek with ducks. Fun! Photos taken March 7th, 2013 Continue reading »
A deer grazing on the hill behind our home, enjoying the warm, sunny day… Photos taken February 12th, 2013 Continue reading »
Saturday morning… a misty, wet hike with friends on the Calaveras Ridge Regional Trail in Dublin Hills Regional Park. Photos taken January 26th, 2013 Dublin Hills Regional Park Continue reading »
Kids thrive when given free playtime outdoors after a day of school… Photos taken January 15th, 2013 Shannon Park, Dublin, California Continue reading »
The view from the parking lot before a morning hike at Dublin Hills Regional Park To see the challenge… Weekly Photo Challenge: Illumination Continue reading »
A gray, overcast day, and a muddy, mucky trail… Photos taken December 28th, 2012 Donlon Loop Trail Dublin Hills Regional Park Continue reading »
We enjoyed a walk around our neighborhood yesterday, to look for some “signs of fall” and to collect leaves. It was another hot day here in the San Francisco East Bay… in the 80′s! This does not feel like November, but we can’t complain. The lizards are loving it, too! Also from this walk: Neighborhood: … Continue reading »
Yesterday, I took a “Signs of Fall Walk” with my 5-year-old son. This is what we found… leaves in transition. Photos taken November 6th, 2012 Continue reading »
The other day, while playing at Dublin’s Heritage Park, my son suggested we head to the attached cemetery (Dublin Pioneer Cemetery) to look for monsters. Why not? We spent the next hour searching for, running away from, and battling monsters. Here’s a post I wrote last spring about letterboxing (treasure hunting) at this cemetery… Letterboxing: … Continue reading »
I wish more city parks had rock structures like these for kids to scramble on. The following photos were taken earlier this week at Emerald Glen Park in Dublin, California. The boulders challenge kids in a way the regular play structures don’t. In order to climb these rocks, children have to use their minds to … Continue reading »
I have to preface this post by stating that we live on the edge of our city, on the border where the houses meet the open grasslands and oak forests beyond. We love living here because of the views and the wildlife that visit us. However, we’re not fond of one visitor… the rats. No … Continue reading »
We’re lucky to have a couple parks nearby that have great trees for climbing. The kids are drawn as much to playing on these trees as to the man-made play structures in the parks. This one is in Kolb Park in Dublin. Our other favorite climbing tree is in Shannon Park, also in Dublin. Do … Continue reading »
Now that my son is in kindergarten, I have a little more free to get out for some hiking during the week. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed getting outside for some fresh air and exercise with my girlfriends. To celebrate, on Saturdays, I’m going to begin posting images from one of the hikes … Continue reading »
We have a new bird visiting our yard this week. And it’s a pretty one… a female Black-Headed Grosbeak. Apparently this bird has a beautiful voice. I hope to hear it one of these days! *** Related: Attract Wildlife to Your Home – Create a Backyard Wildlife Habitat Continue reading »
The best way for me to relax and unwind is to head out the front door for a walk with my camera. Here are a few photos from my walk earlier this week. I wasn’t able to capture any images with my camera, but the highlight of this walk was while I was in the … Continue reading »
The Martin Canyon Creek Trail is my favorite spot to hike in Dublin. It’s even better now that the trail has been cut through to connect with the Dublin Hills Regional Park. Dublin gets pretty hot in the summer, and this is the only place to hike in the city that has shade. The trail … Continue reading »
We kicked off our Memorial Day weekend with a great hike with friends from our Nature Time! playgroup. The kids had fun on the trail, playing in the tall grass, and stopping to check out insects (mostly stink bugs). The weather was breezy and cool, but the children didn’t seem to notice. It makes me … Continue reading »
The weather is warming up, so it’s time to find fun outdoor activities for the kids that incorporate water play. Kids love to play in water… any kind of water! The play areas I’ve included in this list are all free and are located within local community parks. If the features aren’t already on in … Continue reading »
After tons of research, I finally decided what to plant in our yard to attract butterflies. As you may know, we’ve been creating a backyard wildlife habit, following the guidelines set forth by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). My first goal in creating our butterfly garden was to add plants to our yard that will … Continue reading »
The grasses on the hill behind our home are beginning to dry out. That means it’s weed abatement time. We live in fire country, and it’s required that all flammable and combustible growth within thirty feet of our home must be removed each spring. I completely understand the necessity of this requirement, but it makes … Continue reading »
I enjoyed getting out for some much-needed solo-time in nature today. I didn’t feel like driving anywhere, so I simply hiked into the hills behind our home. Bliss! And I had fun playing with my camera… Dublin Hills Regional Park Continue reading »
My son is now obsessed with riding his scooter at skate parks. He asks to go every day! And it’s a super easy park activity… as long as the park has the facilities. This morning, to burn some energy, have fun, and enjoy the sunshine, we headed to Dublin’s Emerald Glen Park, which has a … Continue reading »
After struggling with what to do with our little backyard for the last several years, I think I’ve finally found a solution. The main constraint for us is an oak tree that covers our entire yard with shade, making vegetable gardening difficult. The only plant thriving in our yard is rosemary. Kale does pretty well, … Continue reading »
I found the Alamo Creek Trail in the center of Dublin when my son was about four months old, and this great little trail has grown along with him. While he was a baby, I would put my son into the ERGObaby carrier and walk around, showing him the little things we saw along the … Continue reading »
