We went to the Sonoma County Fair yesterday, and I got to go on the BIG ferris wheel with Daddy.

You go really high up on the big ferris wheel, and you can see everything from up there.

After the excitement, it was time to rustle up some grub.  Daddy found some yummy french fries.

M&D promised me some ice cream after dinner, and boy did they come through!  I got a big cup of chocolate – with a cone!

While we were there, we saw a parade that had horses, and black and white spotted dog, and dinosaurs!  We also saw some sheep, cows, and a puppet show.

On the way out, we took a tractor-pulled wagon ride in the parking lot.  I think that was the most fun of the whole day!

We’ve been getting a lot of cherries from the farmer’s market lately, and… guess what?  I learned to use the cherry pitter to remove my own pits!

I’m still working on the best technique to get them out, though.

Last week, Avery and her Mommy and Daddy came to visit.  It started with a pickup at the airport.

It wasn’t long before I was giving rides on my trike to my cuz’.

The next day, we went to see the big trees.

Yep.  They’re still really big.  We had fun collecting sticks.

On Saturday, I took Avery to my favorite park where you can feed the ducks.  We found out they like bread better than lettuce… just like us!

After that I got to try out a REAL power digger.  With this one, you pull the levers to move the scooper from side to side and up and down, and there’s one to open and close it, too!

And after that it was time for a ride on the train, and then one on the merry-go-round.

Wow, was that a fun day!

On Sunday, Uncle John and Aunt Heather took us to a castle!  It had a moat, drawbridge, and what Daddy says is called a “portcullis”, which is a really spiky looking front door.  Boy could you see a long way from the top of the castle.

After the castle, it was time for a ride to the park.  I went in front so that Avery could follow me because I knew the way.

We mostly went on the slides and bars at the park.

I turns out is is really fun to slide right into the wood chips.  The bigger the pile, the better!

After we were done at the park, we got a tow back home up the hill.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Thanks for coming to visit guys!  I had a really fun time!  Come back any time!

Digging with a bucket and shovel is so yesterday!

Brush Creek park has REAL diggers.  Watch me dig!

We went to Liz and Derek’s for a Fourth of July BBQ, and they have a Bocce court at their park!  I have to say, the adults were having a hard time sharing their Bocce balls, even when they were just lying around like they weren’t using them.  Derek says they were playing a style called “Old Italian Rules”. But I have an idea….Maybe next time, we can bring some extra balls and I can plan on the adjacent court with a style called “Three-year old Rules”.

Liz tried to give me some pointers, but the best way to learn is to try it yourself!

I also got to sit in Liz and Derek’s motorcycle sidecar….with a nice stuffed animal that everyone else calls an “Angry Bird”. But if you ask me, I call it a ‘mad chick’!

Normally I don’t allow access to a piece until its completion, but here’s a sneak peak at my creative process!

After the big canoe trip, it was time for something a little more relaxing – and where we could actually get in the water without freezing our piggies off!  Guess what?  SunRiver has a pool!

The next day, we took a trip to the stables.  I got to go for a ride on Dottie the pony while Mommy & Uncle John went for a horse ride.

Later on, we finally found some time to clean the car and get it ready for the trip back home.

We had dinner over at Aunt Carol and Uncle John’s SunRiver house.  There was lots of yummy cheese and grapes!

The next day, on the way home, we stopped at place with lots of big equipment that we could look at.  This machine chops down trees all by itself!  Boy is it tall!  I asked, but Daddy said I couldn’t drive it.  That sure would have been fun.

(Tree harvester at Collier State Park Logging Museum.)

And here is a grader just like in my Richard Scarry books!

Daddy says they used the grader to make roads into the forest so they could get the trees out to the lumber mill.

Monday was the big canoe trip.  First, we went for a ride in a big van with canoes on the trailers.  I got to see snow out the window!

Before getting in the canoes, Daddy helped me make the necessary preparations.

Then it was time to get my life vest on and pose for a picture.

After that, the guides (Matt and Chase) told everyone what we would be doing.  I thought I could listen best by getting in the boat and visualizing.

Finally, it was time to leave.  Here we go!

Then it was my turn to paddle.  It turns out that this is harder than it looks!  I gave Mommy her paddle back pretty quickly.

Avery was in her own boat  with Uncle John and Aunt Heather.

Once we got to shore, it was time for a snack.  That stuff that looks like snow in the background…?

… it really is snow!

When we all got back and it was time to get in the vans, I got ready to direct everybody to their seats.  Can you find me?

Hi Everybody!  I’m at our house in SunRiver now.  And cousin Avery came too!

We went for a ride to the park first thing the next day.  Avery is a good passenger because she doesn’t take up too much space on the seat.  And she didn’t try to take my snacks, either.

At the park, I went on the Christmas tree merry-go-round first.  After that was slides, see saws, and tire swings.

Then I was all tuckered out.  I was even too tired to stay awake up on the top bunk that I got to sleep in!

Later, we had dinner and games over at Uncle Tommy and Aunt Danee’s place.

We played cousin Christine’s ‘bolo’ game where you get to throw stuff.  Here, I’m showing Ma the “ropes”.  Get it?

Next up: The big canoe trip!