Festive Fire Season? - October 2017

October is pretty special in NorCal for so many reasons. 

1.) everyone is finally settled into the school groove

2.) Sports are in full swing

3.) the weather is cooler but still lovely & warm

4.) We are getting closer to the fun holiday season

To kick off the October LOVE fest, FLEET Week come screaming in to give us a show.
I know that many in the city are not huge fans of all the crowds it draws but we still think its pretty darn cool 

Morty is "helping" me by using his thighs as ear muffs so the planes aren't so loud. Thanks?

So much fun  - no wonder Mom and Dad got engaged in this gorgeous city on this very day 13 years earlier!

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Fire Season?!!

You might not have known that we apparently have a fire season round these parts. 

Normally its a few wild fires that are contained in a small amount of time and is very manageable. 

NOT this year!! October 2017 was horrendous! How bad you ask? Friends of ours family members lost their homes, animals were killed & burned and so many had to flee. It was so awful that ash was raining down hundred of miles away and took weeks to fully put out. People were wearing breathing masks, buying air purifiers, schools were not allowed to let kids out to play, all outdoor sports and activities were canceled. The list goes on and on. After a week of having headaches and a hard time breathing Dad and Mom decided it was best to take our whole crew (pups included) and head south to breathe some fresh air. No one was objecting!!

We now know the direct link to view the AQI (Air quality index)
When we left, our house was in the burgundy air quality zone. 

We were so lucky we could leave and take some time away from it all. 

Muppet was all for it as well. 

We did some sight seeing and of course had to visit some fish!

No sea otters today : (

Fun fact: Angler fish mate for life and the way that they do that is by fusing to each other until one absorbs the other. Creep cool!

Dad's face says it all. GO CARDS!

Not the best circumstances and one does feel a little guilty fleeing .... but it was such a fun little break. 

Once we got back to school, we made sure to thank the men & woman that stayed and stuck it out to protect our community. (My first pop up card!!)

Fresh air is really a treat when you know how bad it can really be. 

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Exploring down south reminded us of how much exploring we needed to do once we were back home. Morty and I kept hearing about this restaurant called Benihana where they cook right in front of you and toss shrimp tails in to the air..... we begged Mom to go and we made an evening of it!!

Of course we had to stop and say hi to GG

This one we sent to Dad as he was on a trip back to St. Louis. HI DAD!!

We made it! The fun parking garage says it all. We were PUMPED!

 Clearly we were being a little nutty

 But what else is one supposed to do 

 While wearing such a fun hat?? Yum

It was crazy delicious and of course we ate ourselves sick, but it was totally worth it!

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 Mom won't let me have a Snapchat

account but i think the filters are so fun. I always ask for "Snap of the Chat" time with Mom. 

 Morty has been working on his Jackson Pollack page of his Calendar he is giving Mom and Dad for Xmas. He said this was his very favorite to make!!

 Here's a glimpse of our everyday happenings after school. It's not glamorous but its pretty cute that Dad and Morty always work together. 

(note the air purifier is still in use!)

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I think that Halloween could very well be my favorite time of year. I love the clever costumes, the pumpkin spice treats... well, ALL the treats really. Have you heard that I am a total sugar addict? Anyhow - in California you can still swim outside this time of year too. October is pretty awesome. 

Pumpkin picking time!!

I thought for sure we wouldn't see a change of leaves but boy was I wrong - how cool are these maple trees?

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This was already a very memorable October but I think we know what really makes October so fun??

HALLOWEEN!

This year we were very lucky that Gamma came all the way out to hang with us. It was so nice to show her our new house, neighborhood, school and introduce her to our new friends. 

Pumpkin carving time! Watch your fingers ... EEK!

This year I decided to be a hero and idol of mine. RBG: Ruth Bader Ginsburg
I thought it was pretty interesting how many people didn't know who she was. This is California, right?

Morty wanted to be a Ninjago Lego man. a Blue one of course!
He had a mask/helmet too but he wasn't allowed to wear that part at school. 

Morty and pals: Panda Guy, Skeleton teddy and three toe'd sloth Bobbie

Margie and I stuck together at The McKim's Halloween party. She was a gorgeous peacock

One final photo before we went Trick or Treating with Mom aka Rosie Revere.  ERA - all the way!!

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October was hot, fiery and fun - where did the time go? Its always November!?? Stay tuned!!