Timna Valley, Solomon’s Pillars and Makhtesh Ramon

I don’t even know what to say because it’s almost more rewarding just to enjoy the sprawling desert scenes/photos … which at times reminded us of canyons in the States (only different in that they were so ripe with archeological finds that are so much older.)  Makhtesh is not quite a ‘crater’ but filled with wildlife like these sweet and unafraid ibex who approached us in the park.  The makhtesh is named after a beloved Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon – who perished in the space mission Columbia.  Solomon’s Pillars and the Mushroom Rock are grand and otherworldly themselves.. it was yet another beautiful day of hiking at least 20 thousand steps over rocks and sand!

‘camel rock’ really looks like a camel !

friendly critters are usually out at dusk and sunrise

Solomon’s Pillars… so majestic!

these cuties; always ready to pose

the famed ‘mushroom rock’

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A trip back to Untermyer Park

We got back to this beautiful place, along with cousin Angelo (who is getting so big!)

Not only is it a great place for a toddler to run off his energy – but a great place to find flowers cascading over walls and get some last warm-weather strolling in.  Although as the sun went down, so did the temperatures.

the 3 cousins… Angelo in his hat

I love these cascading flowers in all colors!

here we all are, enjoying a crisp fall day

 

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It seems a long time ago, we saw the snow

Overall it’s been a fairly mild winter.  I am just finally getting to blog these pretty pix of Cornwall, CT .   We were surprised to wake to a snowstorm after a week of 50 degree weather in the city.  The kids had only one snow day off from school this year – and it felt as if they had a snowball fight in the morning, and then a melted yard by afternoon.  In a sense I am happy to see hyacinth and tulip buds already emerging in our front yard… but this day in the snow was definitely a peaceful and fun one:  

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Hiking around in the cold

I’m trying to take a new approach to winter: if you can’t beat it, join it!  It was hella cold on Thanksgiving – like 8 degrees where we were in Connecticut.  But I figured out if I had all the right warm clothing on, a refreshing walk in the snow can really clear your head. The kids loved following a frozen stream and then whittling their found branches into walking sticks.

the whole gang!

the lake was starting to thaw by Saturday

yay some sunshine!

dreary weather but good hiking

Zoe loves eating snow

whittling away

and the better shots, by my husband:

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Hiking around Yosemite

I finally got around to seeing a National Park on the west coast!  Yosemite is more amazing in person than in pictures, but here’s a try at showing it in photos.  We hiked for up to 4-6 hours a day (some of us more than others) and got great weather.  We slept great after long hikes uphill, and enjoyed 78 degree days and cooler nights.  We enjoyed all this for a couple days with cousins Jake and Tali, and then finished the ‘rural’ leg of our tour with a brief bout of fishing at Sierra National Forest/Bass Lake area.  The air here is sooooo clean!  I felt headache-free for a week!

the drive between Santa Rosa and Yosemite area … wildflowers on hills

John Muir was here!

El Capitan is so impressive in person

waterfalls waterfalls everywhere!

fresh air hiking with cousins

Ezra under a rainbow at Vernal Falls/Nevada Falls mist trail

Gone fishing at Bass Lake Sierra Natl Park

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Watkins Glen

My husband had the brilliant idea (really, it was brilliant) to get up early and get to Watkins Glen State Park before anyone else got there.  Although I looked sleepy in photos and was exhausted by noon, it was great to walk the park before the throngs of tourists came.  The best part was: the sun hit the waterfalls in a way that created rainbows in several sections of the park.  As we descended near noon we found maddening crowds and a natural daylight that didn’t highlight the waterfalls like the early morning light had.  I’m glad we rose early!

Some info on Watkins Glen from wikipedia:

“Watkins Glen is south of Seneca Lake in Schuyler County in New York’s Finger Lakes region. The park’s lower part is near the village, while the upper part is open woodland. It was opened to the public in 1863 and was privately run as a tourist resort until 1906, when it was purchased by New York State.

The centerpiece of the park is a 400-foot-deep narrow gorge cut through rock by a stream – Glen Creek – that was left hanging when glaciers of the Ice age deepened the Seneca valley, increasing the tributary stream gradient to create rapids and waterfalls wherever there were layers of hard rock. The rocks of the area are sedimentary of Devonian age that are part of a dissected plateau that was uplifted with little faulting or distortion. They consist mostly of soft shales, with some layers of harder sandstone and limestone.

The park features three trails – open mid-May to early November – by which one can climb or descend the gorge.” 

Seriously isn’t this place amazing?!

from behind the falls

my husband getting shots

I’m his sleepy muse at 7 a.m

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Memorial Day weekend

How did this year fly by so quickly? I can’t believe it’s nearly June… JUNE!!
Well we tripped out to ‘cation house again for some of the weekend – where we saw a car show and met the neighbor’s dog Kumi. The sun poked its head out for a bit so that the kids could hone their kayak rowing skills, and then we needed to get back to the city for a busy week of E&Z’s dad working days and nights. If the blog goes a little radio silent for a bit, we will be back soon after the crazy work spell is over! Meanwhile some shots from our Instagram feed:

traffic on the Whitestone Bridge getting out of town

a car just her size!

Lily of the valley

a found nest in a fallen branch

Ezra took this great shot of Kumi the dog

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Happy Passover and Spring is in the air!

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What’s been going on – from our Instagram feed..

It was a crazy busy week last week of movie premiers and parent/teacher conferences. We ran off to a friend’s house in the country to enjoy the foliage but it was covered with snow by Sunday! Here are some snaps from IG of some of the highlights :

met Anthony Bourdain while at a peaceful protest in our hood!

checked out the new movie ‘Fantastic Beasts’

so warm outside on Saturday..

suddenly crazy snowy by Sunday!

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Sukkot in DC

We had shakshuka in the sukkah at cousin Stephanie’s house. What a treat! I do love this holiday and eating outdoors for what feels like the last days before the real bitter cold comes around. We feasted outdoors for lunch as well before hiking around Rock Creek National Park a bit. I guess I didn’t realize how many friends and neighbors can build sukkahs in their yards when you live in the suburbs. In the city I’d grown accustomed to just visiting common sukkahs in synagogues or if an apartment building was fortunate enough to have large garden space. And of course what’s best of all is getting to see cousins again for the weekend.

hooray for cousins!Zoe already pouting about going home ;(

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