Americana

Hurray to the USA and 4-day weekends! Idaho Falls is supposed to have some of the best fireworks in the country, but we'll have to see those maybe next year, since they start at 10 pm (way after O's bedtime). But we did go to the city's parade in the morning. Lots of bands, trucks/cars/floats, horses, dancers, and bikers. Owen really seemed to get a kick out of it.

One of our cats seems to have surrendered to Owen or is in desperate need of attention. At least she lets him pet her until he gets too excited/loud/lays on her. (The other one hides out in the basement until the kid's bedtime.) It makes him very happy, so I'm glad Ollie is accommodating. Note the look of fear in her eyes below though. :)

Since we are in outdoorsmen country now, we decided to spring for a hiking backpack that would allow us to venture into the mountains without having to stop every 2 feet. The preliminary round-the-block test went well, but stay tuned for a real field trial!

I attempted (and failed) to get a memorable 4th of July portrait of Owen. Oh well. Here are some of the attempts, both clothed and in the bath! I'm sure he'll love me for that when he's older. Ha ha!

Lastly, one of my favorite things in the backyard is the strawberry patch. I didn't have to do a thing to them. They just came back on their own and have been very productive and tasty since July started. Unfortunately, I'm not the only one to have noticed. I have to chase off a pair of robins every day. Who will win? So far, based on the empty stems I'm finding, it seems to be a draw. Here's a pic of one day's haul from the patch. They later became All-American strawberry shortcake! Yum!