Sunday, August 31, 2008

Lazy days of summer

Ale shocked us when she decided to go blond for a few minutes...amazing how fast her hair can grow!

Ale has been soooo close to starting to crawl for several weeks. Here she demonstrates what happens when the torso moves forward but the legs don't follow...

Ale and Big Mama enjoy some cuddle time on the grass.

Enjoying our last few days in Escondido Village before moving...

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Alejandra sounds her barbaric razzberry from the rooftops of Yosemite!

Ale did her first overnight camping and backcountry trekking this past weekend in a little scamper over to Yosemite. We drove to Tuolumne on Saturday and spent the night in the White Wolf campground. Sunday we headed to Tuolumne Meadows and packed in to Elizabeth Lake, up and over the Cathedral ridge (with Ale blowing razzberries into the wind at the 10,000-foot pass...), and down through meadow-billowing Echo Creek canyon to Nelson Lake. Along the way, Ale saw deer, chipmunks, a snake, several marmots, and lots of squirrels. We came out the next day and then spent the following afternoon in Yosemite Valley. Overall the weekend was a smashing success, though we might have chosen a shorter objective, as Ale got a little saddle-sore after several hours in her carrier. She (and her big mama) appreciated the rest stops! Jeanette (and I) tried casting our line (and luck) in beautiful Nelson Lake, hoping to reel in a trout or two for lunch...We could almost hear the fish snickering at our neophyte attempts and all we caught was some lake weed...Still, we had a grand time!

"Viajero, has llegado al lugar mas transparente del aire"... we soak in the magic of Yosemite valley and the magnificent backdrop of Half Dome.

Ale and Big Daddy swap perspectives while gazing out at sparkling Elizabeth Lake...

Ale-linda polishes her chubby cheeks in the graceful alpine breezes.

This is one of our favorites...wiggling her toes amidst welcoming meadowy wildflowers while staring up at hulking Half Dome...

Our little teletubby loved sleeping in the tent...sharing a bag with her Big Mama. Here she shows off her morning cheer in her fleece flight-suit before gearing up for the day's hike.

She's got her exploration hat on now and we do our exercises to warm up for the day...

Now we're ready! Ale's snuggled in her critter-carrier in Jeanette's back. Eventually she would rest her forehead on the black pad in front of her and take naps as needed.


Here we are on the trail...

Here we are at 10,000 feet approaching the pass...some stiff breezes but on the return trip Ale was blowing razzberries...below is photo from pass, with Ale giving her go-ahead salute!

Here we take a stroll around rippling Lake Nelson...

Descending from the pass on the way back, with Lembert Dome and Mt. Conness in the background...


Monday, August 11, 2008

Prelude to a crawl...


I keep expecting to see her take off crawling at any moment...just a bit longer...