Success At Last!

Liam and his dad and uncle went to Hagemann Ranch Trout Farm (warning: annoying music begins playing as soon as you visit the site) today, and Liam bagged two rainbow trout. Joy of joys, the fishing season ends with a bang, not the whimper we feared.

Jazz Prodigy

For reasons that I have attempted to explain over at my blog, Liam's new interest is the saxophone.

Another visit to Fantasy Junction

We went back to Fantasy Junction this weekend, and the owner let Li sit in the driver's seat of a 1969 Jaguar XKR. Heaven on Earth.

Fantasy Junction

Yesterday we discovered this place in nearby Emeryville called Fantasy Junction. Its a showroom for very high-end sports cars. Think 1974 Lamborghini Countach. Think 1937 Jaguar SS-100. That was one of Liam's favorites. Here is a picture of a car Liam really loved, a 1953 Jaguar. He's in the corner of the photo holding his face in joy and excitement.

Some Great Surprises

Today we were all sort of getting on each other's nerves, so we decided to go and do a hike. We set out to find mushrooms but I (Andrea) was not hopeful. Winter's almost over around here and I didn't know what to expect. But we found some amazing stuff, including some really rare mushrooms. We haven't identified this first one, but are pretty sure that the second picture shows a Black Elfin Saddle or a False Morel, also called a Brain Mushroom. The last two pictures are of a perfect Panther (amanita pantherina) that we found. This is the first one of these that we've ever found ourselves and Liam is ecstatic. He said, "This is a great day for the imagination!" 

A New Interest

Liam is really interested in sports cars now, and in particular, really likes Jaguars, especially ones that have the jaguar on the hood. 

The Elephant Seals at Ano Nuevo State Park

Sorry if the formatting is messed up on this post. I can't seem to get the photos situated properly.

On February 26, Liam and I went down to Ano Nuevo State Park, which is south of Half Moon Bay, where there is a large group of elephant seals that mate and birth at this time of year. The day we were there, the census was more than 2000 elephant seals. While the rest of us marveled at this population, Liam took pix of his own creation. I will try to get those off his camera shortly. 

The next photo shows one of these beasts. This is a male seal, lounging on what the rangers call "Losers' Beach" because its where the male seals who were unsuccessful in creating a harem go. This dude was easily 12 feet long, and we could get within 25 feet of him. After I took this picture, he raised his head and chest and bellowed, then charged at another male, who tried to find safety with our tour group. We all had to scramble up a sand dune. This gents can travel very fast and will steamroll whatever's in their path. We saw a few dead seal pups whom the docent thought had probably been trampled.

Here's Liam with our docent Laura, discussing the various bones that had been found on the beach.

And finally, here's another male who was sliding down a sand dune, although it was unclear how he ever fought gravity and inertia to get up that hill. 

Here's the most interesting thing I learned about elephant seals. The females come to the beach to give birth, and 24 days later, they are impregnated again. However, actual gestation of the embryo does not begin for about 2-3 months. It just hangs out until she's had a chance to feed and bulk up again. Gestation lasts 9 months, although she carries the embryo for a few months before it begins. Wierd, huh?