seems like forever...

i know - i know. it seems like FOREVER since I last posted! It seems like even longer since I was able to actually upload photos. but alas, the day has come and i'm not only here to post - but i've got photos!!!!! can i get a big "whup whup"?

so, thanks to blogger and the wacky way it uploads your photos, these are in exactly the wrong order, just work with me here...

first up - camping!! yes, *I* the pronounced "non-camper" have been camping 3 times *this year!* We went 2 times inside of a month! and i'm STILL exhausted! but please enjoy my photos!

this is a view of the group camp site - right off the water and lovely! it was windy the first 2 days we were there (a scary reminder of the june campout with those "sun downer" winds that santa barbara is known for) but once they let up - it was a glorious 3 days. it is kinda of a far away shot - but we were literally tent to tent! about 90 campers at this one. lots of activities and things to do (including a trip to the Ty Warner Sea Center, a Chumash Indian Elder talk, a walk to the tide pool, tie-dying, rock painting - We also took a side trip to Solvang - a Dutch community about an hours drive north)
This is the little fellow who kept digging holes under my tent! one night i nearly fell over when i stepped, unexpectedly, onto one of his 'under tent' mounds! they were HUGE mounds!!
from the camping trip two weeks earlier when we made pin-wheels and left them out. it was fun afternoon of coloring - for the kids AND adults. especially once we discovered a 1/2 frozen bottle of wine in the cooler. watching it defrost was a kick (and we weren't even drunk (yet - heehee))
art prezzies from the local artists - the midnight raccoons. one night they managed to get into belfry's food bin and open only (ONLY) her sacred bag of choclate-mint cookies!
The Day of Peace & the giant Doves. This is an annual special event the the Dr Jane Goodall Institute puts on and highlights the work of the roots & shoots organizations that work under her lead. it's always a beautiful day and inspiring to continue on to the next year of work.
and here is mr pierce brosnan - making his was through the roots and shoots group tables. stopping by every table to hear about their individual projects. here, he is about 3 tables aways from us - just moments before i managed to WOW him with my charm and great looks.
so, those are just a few of the things i've been up to lately! i've been home just about a week - and it took me that long to unload my computer - and then unload my 835 photos off the camera!

but it's all good now. my goal is to update 3x's per week, so, stay close. i promise to be around a lot more!