weekend photos

Ok, NOW I have photos.

First off, some of Anna and her best friend Annie. If I hadn't given birth to one of them, I'd swear they were separated at birth. They are so alike it's SCARY. Smart, wildly funny, into science and nature and art. And oh man are they TROUBLE. Behold: Furthermore, they wrapped our pillows in saran-wrap, and they were plotting to wrap our CARS in it until I overheard them cackling and I intercepted.

Here they are, worshipping me while chanting "We're not worthy, we're not worthy" because I agreed that we could make chocolate chip cookies first thing Saturday morning.
They spent most of the day creating a "bird aviary" between the garage and the fence; there are bird houses, various things for the birds to sit on, a couple of feeders and a bird-bath. I love that they occasionally channel their energy into stuff like this.


Here are some photos from Turnbull Wildlife Refuge on Monday. Anna took her "Identiflyer" to try to call in some red winged black-birds. It worked!
There is a duck-blind on the edge of the pond, where you can hide and watch the birds. Anna has always called this "the submarine" for some reason. There is an old journal out there in which to write your wildlife observations; Anna loves to go through it and find all the times we've written in it, going back to 2003 when we first moved here. Here you can see, on the right side of the book, where she wrote her name in the book many years ago. I love that it's still there. And then as a special treat, we let her stand up through the sun-roof while we drove slowly on the back-roads looking for birds and animals. I LOVE this picture.


And lastly, the first day of school. Second grade!
My favorite little face:


Other favorite moments of the last-weekend-of-summer:

Having dinner on the back porch with David and Sarah, two of my favorite people on earth, talking politics and life. I think it's safe to say they adore each other as much as I adore both of them.

Sitting out under the big old clock tower in Riverfront Park, watching Lucinda Williams perform under the stars.

Snuggling in bed with Anna and David as we read from "Misty of Chincoteague" last night after she refused to go to bed until he came home. "I want Davie!!" Yeah, I think she likes him.

Taking a walk during sunset, looking at the beautiful pink clouds and being able to hear the Spokane Symphony playing "Moon River" at a nearby park. They give a free performance each year on Labor Day at a park 4 blocks from our house.

Getting out of my car this morning at work and smelling the change in the air; it is cooler and just smells like Fall.

Aaaah. Happy Autumn, everyone.