Big Adventure: hummingbird

Hello! It's rainy and gross here (but not cold like in Woods Hole where there is the possibility of anywhere from 2 - 22 inches of snow coming).

I read three books these past two weeks, but I'm only going to tell you about two because the one I read last night/today was free on the kindle - I finally learned how to get ebooks! - and not worth talking about.

Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett took me about two weeks to read because it was almost 1,000 pages long. I was shocked that enjoyed it so much! Normally I am not into books that are so long and although I love love love historical fiction, the novel is about building a cathedral which sounded suspiciously boring to me. However, this really is Follett's masterpiece and I will never look at churches the same. Although the book revolves around the cathedral being built at the Kingsbridge Priory (England, early 1100s), the story jumps around and focuses on different characters who are all somehow involved: Prior Phillip, the master builder Tom and his family, Tom's step-son Jack, William and his allies who want to destroy the cathedral, the beautiful Aliena, etc. so you get architecture, fights and wars, a love story, revenge, curses. I hauled that book around with me everywhere I went, very worth it.

The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey focuses on a modern day police investigator who is laid up in the hospital. While there he begins an historical investigation into the disappearance of the two princes in the Tower of London, supposedly killed by Richard III. I won't spoil all the details but I am thoroughly convinced that Richard did not do it and I am very pleased because I always liked him and wished that he was less of a murderous jerk. Really clever book, lots of interesting historical facts and a very important reminder not to believe everything your history book (or history teacher!) tells you.

I've been very excited about taking photos of birds lately!

This little guy I saw while I was home over break. From my online research I think that he is a Cedar Waxwing.

click read more to see more birds!

Hey y'all! It is pouring rain and 40 degrees here so I had fun looking through my pictures of sunny California. Wunderground says it's supposed to get up to 73 in San Diego today, enjoy it for me guys.

I haven't been posting a lot of Food News lately because Keegan and I eat the same three meals every night: vegetable stir fry with dumplings, vegetable stir fry with sausage, or pasta and sauce. I tried to branch out the other night with this delicious meal:

(http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/spaghetti-squash-cacio-e-pepe) which was great except Keegan apparently doesn't like squash so I ate all four servings myself. We bought some ground turkey so maybe we'll make burgers or spice up a tomato sauce this week, but we're headed home on Saturday so i just have to hold out for my mom's cooking :))))

I read a book yesterday, Clariel: The Lost Abhorsen by Garth Nix, and it was awesome. This is a prequel/ companion novel to the Old Kingdom series that Garth Nix wrote in the 90s-early 2000s which I devoured as a teenager. This newest book was not as great as the others, but the writing was solid and it was fun to explore a different character, one who turns out to be a villain in much later years. The books take place in a world where there is Charter Magic which can be used and controlled with proper training, and Free Magic, which can be used but also may end up using you. The Abhorsens are a family that keep magic in check as well as take down zombies etc that come to eat people. The descriptions in the early books are so well done, there are these people who live in a glacier, and there are awesome waterfalls, it's hard to explain but I recommend them to anyone who wants a fun, exciting, non-thinking book.

Here are some photos from California! I didn't take as many as I thought, I need to get more in the habit of using my camera. You should be able to pull them off the website but I can email anyone from the fam more photos if you want!

mom and Charlie having some snacks, her favorite is the yogurt, less into the sweet potato puree

the flowers here, AMAZING! Mom and I were constantly marveling over them/ deciding what we would plant if we lived in warmer climates

We took a trip downtown to the Mission Beach boardwalk. The adults went on the roller coaster (you can see it in the background) which is called the Giant Dipper. It's a wooden roller coaster built in 1925 and is now recognized as a National Historical Landmark. Charlie and I hung out by the ferris wheel and people watched.

Mom, Cathy, and Bonnie! Three Musketeers!

Jess and Charlie having a snack

There were hummingbirds everywhere! This is one I caught sipping at a Bird of paradise flower while at lunch.

This is a little guy who hangs out in my grandfather's back yard and likes to sit in this tree. I saw (I think it was the same one) hime every day!

a little blast from the past of baby Grace and grandpa Darcy

Mom and I took an early morning walk through Torrey Pines! Our favorite.

Picture for mom: there's the rosemary

A day at the racetrack!!

go horses go!!!! Mom was the big betting winner and quit while she was ahead, always a good choice.

Went for a walk in downtown La Jolla, there are seals all over the rocks. This is a little baby quietly napping with it's mom but then some jerks snuck up and PET THE BABY SEAL! What idiots, I really though the seals would attack but instead they just got really scared and ran away from the people. Those two are lucky it wasn't a male seal or a sea lion right there because I think they could have gotten really hurt. Never touch wild animals. idiots.