B & E California Bound: Where Did Those 6 Months Go?

Our grandson, Stanton, passed the half-year point this month! He can sit up well on his own, and has started enjoying solid food and moving around by rolling.

Here are a few of our favorite recent photos:

Michigan grandparents visited in late May

What is this stuff? Stanton on the beach.

A little music box that plays Greensleeves is a favorite

He loves "baby buzzing"

Fascinated by grown-ups' food containers

We think he might have a few Polish genes

Helping mom and dad celebrate their 10th anniversary

Just back from child care

Apple sauce is a favorite

Over Memorial Day weekend, we traveled to Mountain View in the South Bay to visit the Computer History Museum. The displays run all the way from the abacus to today's computers. Here are a few photos from that trip.

Erick and I revisited "ancient history" from our
student days at UM using punch cards to run programs
at the computing center.

We entered our names on punch cards and came away
with a souvenir print out.

What a cable for those huge, tape driven computers looked like

And now our alma mater has produced the
world's smallest computer

At the driverless car exhibit

The obligatory souvenir for baby - He'll grow into it in no time.

Stanton isn't the only growing thing we've been keeping an eye on. A couple of years ago, we got a gift of a Bird of Paradise plant for the main deck. After a rough start, it's been growing well. We read that the plant must have at least 7 leaves before it will send up flower spikes. We reached that magic number this year, and the flower spikes followed.

Leaves and 2 buds visible

First bloom

Two bloom stage

Just this week a third flower bloomed and
first bud produced a second flower

Note the extension bloom in the center

Elsewhere on the balconies and decks this month:

Main deck - mostly Verbena

Main deck - small Hibiscus

Main deck - geraniums

Main deck - lettuce
The only veggies we've been successful with in planters.

West / bay side of the house
where the balconies are

Container arrangement

Geranium varieties
(also a carnation and a small jade plant)

Our indoor hobby, jigsaw puzzles, continues to provide a chance to play together.

The puzzle table in action

Puzzle #14

Puzzle #15

Puzzle #16

We've had some unusual weather in the last month. A bit of rain - not typical - and a run of record temperatures. It got as high as 90 degrees F here in the hills.