Cute Kid Pix October 2025

More photos that didn't make their own post...

Our friends were out of the country for most of the month, so we wound up picking up their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) distributions from Gorman Farms in Columbia. It was quite a haul. We gave some of it away, but managed to eat or freeze the majority of it.

First haul of veg

The most creative use was finding a recipe for muffins that used the beets (not a popular vegetable in our house). The recipe called for grinding up oat flakes to make flour and adding chocolate chips to make it flavorful. The results were pretty good, though I was the only one to eat more than two (over several days, not at one sitting!).

Chocolate/beet muffins

The kids also did some cooking with the veg we got, but it might have only been the cilantro that they used in this dish.

Measuring soy sauce

Combining in the skillet

Serving from the skillet

While up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, we visited Central Park and explored the Garden of Five Senses. The kids were a little bored but it was fun for the grownups. 

Sign of the garden

Sound of the garden

On the way home, I stopped off at Chickie's Rock for some geocaching and amazing views.

The Susquehanna River and me

Unobstructed river

More of the gorgeous view

Yet more view

I needed to get gas and the GPS pointed me to a nearby Turkey Hill gas station. Turkey Hill is also known for its ice cream. Low and behold! the gas station was right in front of their museum! The kids wish they had driven home with me that day.

Yeah, sure, I only bought gas here

The town had some interesting duplexes with completely separate sides!

Does Two-Face live here?

Our dance studio had their Costume Dance for Halloween. My wife and I went as galaxies!

We light up your life!

Shark and Greek god dance

My son went trick-or-treating as Iron Man and made a big haul with his friends.

What's with the dangling bits?

Kayaking in Annapolis March 2025

We rented kayaks from Paddle Annapolis, a small company on the Eastport peninsula at the end of March 2025. With a spring break vacation in Virginia Beach looming, we wanted to practice our skills before hitting more challenging work much further down the Chesapeake Bay. 

The company has a small and easy launch into Spa Creek.

Mom and youngest getting into their kayak

A successful launch

She launched earlier

Spa Creek is on the south side of downtown Annapolis, where the Capitol and the Naval Academy and the tourist bits are located. The creek is lined with lots of large and impressive houses, along with numerous personal docks and boats.

Downtown thataway!

We headed up the creek, leaving downtown for the return trip since the wind would favor us on the way back.

Ships near the launch area

We had fun going under Compromise Street/6th Street bridge (which we drove over to get to the kayak place).

Nicely in sync

Crossing on the left

I went through the middle of the bridge, the draw bridge part, and enjoyed seeing the signs. I am not sure what the speed limit sign is (miles or knots or metric) but I am sure I was not exceeding it.

If you need the phone number at this point, you are in trouble

Interesting height gauge

Looking up at the road

On the other side, traffic was not too busy. We had fun waving to larger boats going in the other direction.

We had this boat surrounded (see the blue kayak on the other side?)

Some fancy houses

A mega-house

Snacking on the water was fun though I had trouble docking with the other boats in the middle of the water.

Powering up for more rowing

Two thirds of our fleet

More houses and docks

Doesn't want her picture taken

More photophilic

Houses ready for high water

A dog barking at us

We saw the Charles Carroll House from the water, with the spire of Saint Mary's Catholic Church behind it.

Historic home

Going back under the bridge

On the way back under the bridge, we turned left at the Annapolis Yacht Club to paddle down Ego Alley, a small branch of Spa Creek leading into downtown.

Annapolis Yacht Club

The Naval Academy

The gas station!

We saw some birds on the water but it was hard to get close enough to get a picture before they would scatter. The ducks by downtown were more photophilic.

Sittin' on the dock of the bay

Hoping for some droppings?

The downtown waterfront

More of the same

On the way back to the kayak rental place, I was able to photograph one of the birds that hangs out on the buoys. 

Watch out for that other boat!

This Harry-Potter themed boat made me laugh.

Is it the broom or the ball?

After returning our kayaks we headed back to an old favorite, the Iron Rooster, for lunch. I ordered the Crab Hash, which was delightful.

An earned meal

Bern, Switzerland

Bern is the capital of Switzerland and dates back to the 1100s. The old town area has a lot of fascinating architecture, including a pair of clocks that are less than ten minutes away from each other. The Kafigturm dates from the 1600s and is closer to the train station. It is a clock and bell tower. I love buildings that have passages through them!

Kafigturm

In the middle of the town is Zytglogge, which was built in the 1200s and had a lot of additions, especially the astronomical clock. A museum is attached which we did not visit.

Zytglogge

The streets have many fountains with drinkable water and fancy statues on pillars. A lot of the statues have bears. The word "Bern" is related to "bear" so they are mascots for the town.

Bear in armor

A local hero

Lady Justice (near the capitol)

Matronly statue

Another obvious bear

Moses, by the cathedral

Ogre eating babies?!?

Patriotic statue

Aggressive statue

Some of the street statues are not fountains, just dramatic portrayals.

Why "soap" grafitti?

River goddess, who is on a fountain

Her fountain by one of the state buildings

The government buildings are on the south side of old-town Bern, overlooking the Aare River. A nice park is nearby where locals relax.

National bank building

The capitol under scaffolding

Nearby park

View of greater Bern

Bridge and river in the distance

Better view of the Aare

Further to the east is more of the old town, including the Casinoplatz, where the casino or concert hall is located (not for gambling). 

Casino

Medieval street

The medieval area includes the Munster, the local cathedral for Bern. They don't allow pictures inside, so I have some of the outside stuff.

Munster door

One-eyed gargoyle

Doorway again

Detail of the Last Judgment above the door

Getting water from the Moses fountain

The old town is surrounded by a bend in the Aare River, with some picturesque views. Also, just across the river is a bear pen on a hillside. 

Less population, more greenery!

The bend in the river

One of the handful of bridges on the end of town

The bear pen is quite large and it can be hard to spot the three bears living there. They do have some statues for unsuccessful visitors to look at.

Bears hiding place

Bears in stone

We did spot a bear!

Above the bear pen is a bench with a statue of Albert Einstein, who became a Swiss citizen in 1901 and lived in Bern for several years.

Einstein and me

Not as much of a fan

The town has a lot of odd bits in it.

Nobody talks about the plane

Starbucks is everywhere!

A small playground that has three in-ground trampolines

Medieval streets with automobiles!

Is "Modern Antiquarian" an oxymoron?

We visited Drachenascht, or the Dragon's Nest, where we bought some games. The name means "Dragon's Nest." In German, the word for "dragon" is the same as the word for "kite" which the store sells, along with magic supplies, juggling equipment, and comic books. 

Bern also has a funicular railway up to a mountain park, Gurten Park, south of town. A lot of locals come here to get away and enjoy hiking or summer concerts. 

Ominous funicular station

On our way up

The part where the trains pass

View of the town

The park includes an observation tower which I climbed.

Not reassuringly solid

View of Bern

View of countryside

View of the park's restaurants

View of the concert venues

On our last day in Bern, we took a walk along the River Aare to a playground to get some fresh air and sunshine before the long ride to Italy. Imagine our horror when we arrived and dozens of children were at the playground using all the equipment! Also, they were younger than our kids, so the situation was double-awkward. My son played with the unused helicopter for a bit, then we left.

Helicopter with graffiti

"Get me out of here!"

View of a bridge on the way back to our lodging

The river is available for swimming, with several staircases leading down into the water. We were amazed at how fast the water flowed and were afraid to try it out on our own. Many people just float along with a "dry bag" holding their clothes as they are whisked away down the river.

People swimming in the river(!)

View with a line for swimmers to go down from a bridge!

Bern is a great city to visit with a lot packed into a small space. Our rental place was just outside of the old town, which was a great location, but it had no air conditioning and windows that opened to nowhere, so not a lot of ventilation. On the other hand, the Bern tourist office offers free public transport tickets to rental guests, so we rode the funicular for free. You have to take the good with the bad.