Sierra Nevada World Music Festival June 17th-19th, 2011

We left cool Santa Cruz with Joe and Zen in our Suburu for the four hour drive to BOONVILLE, California, in Mendocino County~for MUSIC!!! We warmed up (with the weather) as we got closer to the festival site~June 19th-21st. Vineyards look so beautiful~ohhh California~

And seeing bales of hay always makes me feel....good~

our lovely, trusty ol' '94 Subaru, made it with our huge load

and when we were finally parked, everyone jumps out to set up their camps as quickly as possible tho

Zen and Joe set up a little ways away~

There were two stages again~ this smaller one's called the Village Stage (the larger is the Valley Stage). I loved their little bamboo fencing

and the little boy, and my big boy sitting on a cool tree stump of a seat!

The HAIR DOS! The woman with the feathers, when she danced those feathers fluttered in the wind.

SOOOO many children wore these "ear protecters", ear "muffs"?! I don't know what they're called, but a very nice idea!!

The food...expensive, and so-much-of it, was everywhere. It was hard NOT to indulge.

I never have seen people trying to light a smoke with a magnifying glass! True...to make a fire, I've seen it~ I was impressed actually... lighting this way to be natural?!

We found this woman Barbara who we met last year when we were with Sayoko-tachi!

Barbara is a faithful concert goer~ and supporter of many people and causes, including the people she bought this coffee from.

Toot's and the Maytal's were the highlight for us~ though Coli Budd's band was NICE!

I loved seeing all the young people loving the old bands we grew up loving.

I got turned onto Toot's for the first time right here in Santa Cruz when I was a new College student in 1980, so~ it brings back real good, nostalgic feelings!

The Kids

2011 balloons from Zen and Joe's graduation~ they are STILL floating in the air TODAY, the 24th! TWO weeks after graduating. Got our money's worth~(they were $50.00!!)

Sheon's birthday was June 18th, she turned 22! Naomi-chan made the ice cream cake Sheon likes...Taka, Zen and I missed being there to celebrate : (

Ischin plays guitar now too! It had been gathering dust in the corner of his room for a while~ I can't wait to HEAR him!

Santa Cruz High GRADUATES! June 10th, 2011

The kids and teachers all were "up above" waiting until the time to descend upon all of us below~

And below, Cabrillo College Stadium:

The ceremony went on for two hours. It really was wonderful. And tho it was so sunny, there was a slight breeze. It was pretty much perfect except for no sisters or brother of Zen's being there, or any of our other blood relatives! xoxox

Zen got to walk between two of two of his best friends, Cody Love and Joseph Marden, on their way to getting their diplomas!

With Mr. Free, who was the keynote speaker! Can't get better than him!!!

Well, Obama would be close! xoxox

Then back to our place to eat, drink, celebrate them and us, and be even more merry~

Akilah celebrating the boys~

Taylor back from U.C.Berkeley and in town, and Iggy graduated from Soquel too~

Iggy's Mom Patty, and brother Willy~Akilah along with Willy and Nahshon~

I want to close out this entry with these two pictures Zen drew in one of his last classes at Santa Cruz High~ so, in thanks to his school too!

Getting ready for ZEN & JOE'S GRADUATION PARTY!!! 6/10/2011

This is looking up the road from the entrance to our driveway~ 

Having a handy man is one of the best things in THE LIFE!

They were putting down more gravel at the entrance to our driveway.

Then we had this tub~

and once I got it cleaned out...

...a hot tub man came through, and after a few days of filtering and all~ now we have the heavenly luxury of taking hot tubs any time of day we desire.

At night...when I look up at the trees surrounding the house, they appear to be hugging our home. It's so beautiful!

Zen Maki Highlights 2011

This was put together by Mr. Free~ one of Zen's assistant Coaches. He's one of the awesome~est people...and doing this for Zen and Zen's team is truly SUCH a gracious thing. THANK YOU FREE!

AND Thank You Zen, for all your work to make such incredible basketball playing!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMgsoD9-fWs

A sunny afternoon at our new home @ Porter Gulch

This is looking at the house from partway down the driveway. That's a hot tub waiting to be nursed back to health there. And yes...lots of yard to the right and further...to be GARDENED!

The feline...Lynx. He's learning how to be a true blue animal~
which means lots of life OUTSIDE the house!

I've only come close to an asthma attack twice since moving in...the cat's being outside- lots-and lots of vacuuming helps. Can you see the cat- attacking Zen's arm? He is a character...you should hear his hissing...maybe I can get it on film one day!!! That'd be cool!

Moved! But still in Santa Cruz County~~

Got back from Japan the end of April, and hardly unpacked...but went right into packing up and cleaning to move in with our old friend Jon. And then there's the dog Levi~ and one more critter~ a furry, big house cat still learning to be an outdoor cat, Lynx.

I got to sell a bunch of our things with a woman who has garage sales most every Saturday, near our condo...and dear friend Val, who I met at tennis and am otherwise now great friends with, joined us for a little chat, and time in the sun too.

AT GRANDMOM'S...I hung the KOINOBORI Ischin got for her 92nd birthday!

May 9th, 1919 Can you see, I could get a balloon that reads "Happy 92nd Birthday"

So where we've moved is a home up Porter Gulch Drive, a mile and a half back from the main road, into the redwoods. The house is furnished already, so Taka and I bought a shed to put together, for all the things we want to keep for the future.

No wonder it was so reasonably priced- $200. for a 6' by 8' shed....but 40 pages of directions for putting it together has meant...it's taking TIME!

First we had to chop out the stump of a tree, back in the corner of where we wanted to situate the shed.

Managed to get Zen to help as well~ a little bit.

Then had to make a foundation-floor~

The walls are up, but then it's rained for the past two days~now everything's soaked, and the past two nights, good ol' Taka proved he's also a great fire maker as well!!! We've gotten to warm up home via the wood stove~