OK, so I've already laid up some sauerkraut (Latino-style, with oregano, grated carrots, and chile flakes) some gingered carrots and some pickled beets. I feel like Pioneer Woman, storing up vegetables in my root cellar for the long winter ahead. Except that it's California, it's late January, and...well, let's just not destroy my fantasy here, shall we?

I also made yogurt, from whole non-homogenized milk with some added cream that I had left over. It's decadent delicious rich stuff, like semi-melted ice cream. I'm going to make cream cheese out of it.

Julian is over his cold, the teeth have broken through (I think?) and he has been in a charming and happy mood all day, in spite of no nap. The weather was so pretty today, we all went out to the backyard to play and do little chores, thrilled to be out in the sunshine and balmy weather.

I tucked the drooping vines of our bocce ball court arbor back up into the overhanding trellis, where they belong. Dan mowed the lawn, and worked up enough heat to take his shirt off...yeah! Julian was trying to climb up the lower steps of my step ladder while I was standing on the top rung, a less than safe circumstance. Then I got out the nesting bamboo tables and put them up near a support beam for him to hang onto, and he was quite happy climbing up and down on those instead. He still wanted to climb on MY stepstool with me once the novelty wore off, but I was able to distract him and redirect back to his nesting tables.

Julian has started calling himself "Baby" lately.
"Baby jump!'
"Baby eat!"
"Baby an-a Daddy an-a Mommy an-a Puppy an-a WALK!"
It's very cute.

Our friends the Knapps were back in town for a visit (they moved to Chicago last July), so it was great to visit, and Julian loved hanging out with his little friend Langston. We went to Scott Creek Beach one afternoon and played. It was beautiful, as it always is, overcast but warm and calm. There is a rushing river that meets the ocean there, and carves a shallow canal in the sand on its way across the beach, that was gorgeous. Julian had fun throwing pebbles in the stream and watching birds and waves. We found some lovely striped and speckled rocks, all polished from being turned over in the sand a billion times by the waves.

I took photos and videos with our new digital camera, but haven't figured out yet how to format the DVD inside so that I can then open it on my laptop and view/upload the pics. Soon.

We went on a lovely hike in San Pedro Valley near Pacifica last Saturday. Gorgeous green cliffs with waterfalls cascading down, it looked exactly like Kauai. It rained while we were hiking, but we were well-prepared with rain jackets and umbrellas, and it wasn't too muddy. Julian and Langston got down from their Ergos on a non-muddy section of trail and did some hiking, which they both greatly enjoyed. Julian is getting really good at hiking, he can go quite a distance now, even over rocks and uphill. Such a big boy!

Well, time to get this boy down for his nap and then do some work. I have a bunch of wraps to make for customers, and I want to make that cream cheese today, plus some kefir. Kefir is nasty when plain, but if you add some sugar it suddenly becomes delicious. Amazing stuff, that sugar. Yep.

I'm going to try a new spicy beef stew recipe today too. The weather is perfect for it, overcast and chilly. But spring is coming soon...I saw leaves starting to bud on our hike Sunday. Hooray! My absolute favorite season of the year.