Grandpa Mark's Visit

Mike returned from Ian’s wedding with his Dad, Grandpa Mark, for a week’s visit from June 21 – 27. We had not seen him in two years, due to the pandemic. We got caught up and had a great visit! We celebrated Mike’s birthday on June 22 with grilled salmon on a bed of grilled vegetables (fresh corn, red pepper, red onion, and black beans). The kids had prepared a scavenger hunt, with many clues written on index cards, and little gifts hidden at each point. We took a day trip to the Stanford campus, which was still largely closed due to the pandemic, and strolled around. On Wednesday Owen and I took Grandpa Mark up to Deer Hollow Farm. He got to see what we do up there and helped us do chores. A highlight was that the new chicks had arrived! That is always a fun time of year – they are tiny little fluff balls on toothpick legs which weigh hardly anything at all. Another volunteer (Susan) was there with her daughter and little grandchildren, and I went into the chick pen and got a chick for Susan’s little granddaughter to hold. It felt good to make contact like that again, to be able to hand a child a chick and help her make that connection. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed that during the pandemic. On another day we went to Wilder Ranch which is just north of Santa Cruz, took the hike along the bluffs, and had a nice picnic around the farm buildings. We visited all the farm buildings, then went out to ice cream in Santa Cruz. Our last day trip was to go down to the mission at San Juan Bautista and stroll around. We visited the beautiful grounds and mission buildings, which were open to the public, then strolled around San Juan Bautista itself. On the way home, we stopped at Andy’s Orchard for a flat of his wonderful stonefruit. Mike accompanied Grandpa Mark back to Wisconsin on June 27, stayed the night, then returned to California on June 28. It was a good visit, and very good to see him after two years!

Grandpa Mark with Lela shortly after arriving

He hasn't seen Lela in two years, from age 14 to 16

Getting ready for dinner after a big travel day

The family with Grandpa Mark at dinner on the patio

Chunky grilled summer squash with chicken, pesto, and parmesan

After dinner Grandpa Mark et the cats

We had him give the cats a treat to make friends

I love the view out of Ellie's window

The cats do too

Making lunch: a reuben sandwich kit from Jake's famly!

There were too many items they didn't like so they passed the kit on to us!

We all love Reubens though so it was perfect!

It was from Katz's Deli in New York (the deli where Meg Ryan had lunch in Sleepless in Seattle... yes, that scene!)

Toasting them in the panini press

Toasted Reuben

Lunch on the patio with Reubens from Katz's Deli in New York!

Ellie with a little macrame craft

The cats in the office

Squabbling and grooming each other

Mike's birthday dinner!

Grilled salmon on grilled vegetables

Mike with his birthday cake

We did a group of 4 and a group of 7 candles

Blowing them out

Success

The kids planned a big scavenger hunt

Mike searched for clues around the house

Each location had a handmade gift and the next clue

Mike opened them all at the end

This one is a resin gift from Ellie

We went to Stanford the next day

Students had left without their bikes in spring of 2020. Lots of cobwebs

One of the new buildings near the bio building

Beautiful tall shade structure

I'm checking out the successful vines for ideas for our garden

Passionflower vine

It's a beautiful courtyard

But... somebody did not take animal behavior into account...

The slats of the shade structure are perfect perches for large birds, which make large poops. Oops

New food place on campus. Lots of online ordering for pickup or delivery

Mike, next to the hexagon, explaining a seminal meeting he attended here, developing the internet

Another bike left behind in 2020

And the authorities didn't impound the bike because they were gone too

The new Science and Engineering Quad (map)

It has echoes of the older design

The SEQ quad still feels new, with clean surfaces and sharp edges

But it will grow in over time

Heading toward the main quad

We point out the physics and astrophysics building to Lela on the left

In the main quad

Sign about social distancing

And this is new!

This is a place where everyone can go to the bathroom

I love pictures of arcades

Another one

With the planters in the quad on the left

Mike and his Dad

I got several good ones

I like these

They turned out well

We got one of Mike and me, too

Quad palms framed by the arcade

Memorial Church, closed until further notice

Beautiful blue sky over the quad, with one tiny cloud

Looking back toward the way we came in

Mike on the planter where he sat in 1993, spring of Freshman year. Same pose

Now, with three kids!

Mike with the whole family!

Strolling to where Meyer Library used to be

Coupa Cafe

Green Library is still here

We got cold drinks for the kids

The clock tower, with the hands stopped. Nobody here to wind them

The upperclassmen came back in the spring

Bits of the story above the fold

Campus bulletin board

We peek into the design school

They have a pizza oven out back

And a nice stand alone deck with benches and arbor

That afternoon we go up to the farm. There are new chicks!

Grandpa Mark helps with the chores

Back at the chicks

I give a volunteer's granddaughter a chick to hold

Leftover birthday dinner

One of my new pots. Doing well!

We walked to Rancho and saw this car with masks hanging from mirror

Thursday evening market in Los Altos

The kids chatting with Grandpa Mark on the patio

Spiced lamb on eggplant, asparagus salad with avocado, egg, and nuts.

Ellie with dessert: fig bar and giant chocolate chip cookie

The next day we went to Wildern Ranch and did the bluff walk

Beautiful views over the ocean

The kids above one of the coves

Three generations

I like this one, with the three kids walking together

Beautiful light today

Seals down on the flat rock

You can see them better here

In one of the historic outbuildings of Wilder Ranch

Interesting Wilder family tree. Descendants still in the area

The kids playing on their amazing tree

We went into Santa Cruz for ice cream afterwards. Here's the menu

Getting ice cream cones

Eating them in the parklet outside the creamery

I made Thai eggplant salad for dinner

Pan fried eggplant with boiled egg on rice

The next day we went to San Juan Bautista

We got inside the mission buildings! Check out those thick adobe walls

Dining room from late 1700s

I liked the pots and urns on the shelves

Pass-through window

Mexican land grant, contested for many years after CA became a state

List of Native American villages near the old mission

The mission arcade. I love arcades

I love strolling around the grounds

Intensely red rose

Door facing the garden, with giant cactus

I think this may belong to the caretaker. Beautiful old door

View beyond the mission grounds

The ridge behond the field is the San Andreas fault

Visiting a settler's cabin across the street from the mission

Information about it

Picture of the inside

Main street of San Juan Bautista

We walked up and down

Ellie in the rock shop (she got a lovely teardrop necklace)

Mike, Lela and Owen in the rock shop. Memories here of field trips to the mission

Pots from Mexico

We stopped at Andy's Orchard on the way home

Summer dinner of corn chowder and slow-cooked zucchini

Summer dessert of stonefruit, vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce and chocolate crumble