Ian is off to Boy Scout summer camp!

Leah made it back from her church camp yesterday afternoon.  She had a great time, and wishes she could still be at camp with her friends.

Ian got dropped off with his Troop this morning.  I stuck around for about an hour while the trailers were loaded up with all sorts of footlockers, cots, and other camping stuff.  They look like they are going to have a great time.

Ian was having a good time with his friends from his patrol.  When we pick him up this next Saturday, we immediately hit the road on our way to the Washington, D.C. area for my next assignment.  The packers get here Tuesday, and everything should be loaded on the truck on Thursday.  Friday is my "graduation" (not really, that will be next summer, but the didactic year is done - I passed my comprehensive final oral examination!), after which we head over to see Ian at his Boy Scout camp.  So, a busy week but what else would you expect?

Cheers,

Marc

Leah's off to her first summer camp

We just got back from dropping Leah off at her first week-long summer camp through the church.  She was pretty excited to go, and ready for us to leave (start swimming - they did it right!).

Next week it will be Ian's turn, only this time with the Boy Scouts instead of with our church.

Off to study...less than a week to go before the big oral final exam.  Cheers,

Marc

Summer vacation is almost here!

The kids and I are finishing up school, though Ian and Leah finish before I do.  I still have an international management seminar at the end of this week, but then it is study, study, study for my comprehensive oral final examination.

So for no particular reason, here are a couple of photos, one each of Leah and Ian.

I had to go fast since the mosquitos were out in full force.  I got to play with my flash, which is how I got the background to go close to black; trust me, it was still fully light out.

Have a great day everybody!  Cheers,

Marc

Ian working for Memorial Day

Ian had a bit of work today for the Boy Scouts - he got to plant some flags at the Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery in preparation for Memorial Day.

We had some bad intel and got there an hour too soon, but Ian was a trooper and lasted all the way until we finally got to go plant some flags.

We barely missed some rain, having finished up in the newer part of the cemetery and then walking to the car to get to the next part of the cemetery.  We got stuck in a huge traffic jam (unreal what some people think when they park their vehicles blocking the ONLY route out!), during which it rained fairly heavily.

Our plans are pretty soft for the weekend - the weather doesn't look like it is going to play nice, and I have my final couple of weeks of school to finish, as well as a comprehensive final oral exam to prepare for.  Have a great weekend!

Marc

Hamilton Pool and Westcave Preserve

Yesterday (Sunday) was a beautiful day, so after church I loaded up Catherine and the kids into the car to take a chance at getting into Hamilton Pool.  I say take a chance, because the county park officials regulate how many people can get into the pool (swimming hole) at any one point in time.  The park is located about 20 miles or so west and south of Austin.

We took our chances, hoping that since it was early May and Sunday, that we'd be able to get in (they don't allow you to wait along the road, so it is either make it or don't).  When we first got there, they were turning folks away, the pool was closed.  Fortunately, there was a sign for Westcave preserve just a mile down the road, so we went there to see if that was worth visiting.

It was.

The photo, below, is from the area just outside the visitor's center at Westcave.  The flowers and cacti were blooming, which were really very pretty.

We got there in time to sign up for a guided tour down to the Westcave and grotto, which we all agreed was cooler than Hamilton Pool (we got in on our way home).  The kids chatted up the tour guide the ENTIRE way to the grotto, Catherine and I were chopped liver...

The tour guide told us she enjoyed the questions and comments (rattlesnakes are actually polite, because they rattle before they strike - says Ian in regards to the tour guide's comment about all four poisonous snakes residing in/around the preserve).  Gotta love that boy!

The photos, above, are from the grotto just outside of Westcave.  Leah is doing her modeling thing.  Again, I have no idea where she learned that.

We spent about two hours roaming around Westcave, enjoying the hike and the sights.  We left Westcave and went past Hamilton Pool to see if we could enter the second time around, which we were able to do.  So we hiked the quarter mile down from the parking lot to the crowded pool.  It is a really good idea that they control the numbers, or this place would be teeming with people.

The roof to this cave fell in a long, long time ago, leaving this really cool swimming hole, complete with waterfall.  Thanks to the magic of photoshop, I've cloned out most of the people, leaving in only those folks on the far side under the waterfall.  We are glad we went to see it (the kids got their feet wet - water was 65F, no way I was going to swim), but we all thought the Westcave Preserve was neater.  I'm sure in July when the temperature is 105F+ that Hamilton Pool would be the better place to go cool off (you aren't swimming at Westcave), but for our money, Westcave was the better of the two.

Have a great day!

Marc

End of fourth semester, and beginning of summer fun!

This past Thursday was the last day of my fourth semester, all that is left is the fifth "mini-meeter" . . . about 6-7 weeks.  From there we head back east.  It feels good to be wrapping up the didactic portion of my next degree, and I am looking forward to putting this new knowledge and skills to good use.

Until then, though, we'll enjoy some sun and fun while we can!  And that means swimming.

If you are Ian and Leah.

Catherine and I think it is a shade too cold to swim just yet, but the water is almost to the perfect temperature.

Both kids had a great time in the pool, they've already logged several hours this week.

Catherine had a nice opportunity to visit with a friend in town on business from our Cincinnati days, so I stayed home and made pizza with the kids.

Catherine didn't stay out late, so when she came back I decided I wanted a couple of photos of the kids.  I unpacked my flash gear, for which Leah strutted her stuff like a real life model.  We don't know where she got it, but she would change poses after every pop of the flash - she is too cute.  Ian just wanted the process to be over, but I really like the photo I got of him, I think it is the best one in quite some time.

Have a great day!

Cheers,

Marc

I should be studying...

...but chose to spend a bit of time with Catherine and the kids, instead.  Much better!!!

Nothing new to report.  We've had a string of rainy days this past week, and today the skies cleared up.  I wanted to get outside for a bit, so we drove to a local park not too far from the house, and walked around for a bit.

I brought my camera with me to help document the sun and fun.

It is a fairly new park, so shade was hard to come by.

Another family was celebrating a birthday, so we didn't stay too long after our walk.  The kids did get to play on the playground and burn off some steam.

For whatever reason, I think the photo above makes Ian look tall.  We are both breaking in new hiking boots, and his boots are only a 1/2 size smaller than mine!

Have a great day everybody!

Marc