(almost) One Year of Otis part (1)

 Like, whoa.  Been about three months since we've updated this thing.  Strange because it feels like not much as happened, but after looking at pictures I guess we have been busy.  Grab a drink, get cozy, and lets go back in time three months starting..............now!

We got a brief visit from our old friend Corrie of Santa Cruz Beckmannia fame.  She lives on the easty coast, Maine I think, where she has blossomed into a naturopath M.D.  Pretty cool having a doctor as a friend!  We made her dinner, drank some wine, and stayed up late talking trash.

8/10/11 - Otis and Corrie

The below photo is from Otis' first hike in the woods.  Pretty fun, very nice to get outside at this point, climbed a relatively easy 500ft ascent, but who would think about the hiking being more sketchy going downhill with a baby on your back?  Well, we didn't.  It wasn't sketchy per se, but it was a clear eye opener that one has to take more precarious steps in the woods when holding invaluable cargo.  Otis came away scab free and had a glorious time staring at the redwoods. 

8/13/11 - Otis and Tony hiking at Armstrong Woods

Had a brief day visiting our good friends at the Space Pharm in Sonoma while they were working on their Burning Man camp.  The bus you see below was turned into a giant Pak-Man.

8/14/11 - Blake, Otis and Lacy in the Sno Pak bus

8/14/11 - Otis and Lacy

8/16/11 - Otis and Trevor at Sonoma Farmer's Market

Whaddyooooooolookinat?

Otis' Oregonian Grandparents came for a nice visit in late August and stayed with him overnight so Melanie and I could go enjoy our anniversary.  They are always a huge help to us whenever they visit.  Marsha talks Melanie down from her Maternal edge and Randy and I get to have beers and meat while putting holes in the house.  I tried to offer him a full time job, but he rudely declined the wages of peanuts and bottle caps.   

8/21/11 - Otis and Grandpa Randy

8/22/11 - Nana Debbie, Gramma Marsha and Otis

8/22/11 - Gramma Marsha, Nana Debbie, Mama Melanie and Otis

8/22/11 - Grandpa Randy, Gramma Marsha, Nana Debbie and Otis

8/23/11 - Gramma Marsha, Mama Melanie and Otis

8/23/11 - Gramma Marsha, Grandpa Randy and Otis

8/23/11 - Gramma Marsha and Otis

This ain't amateur hour.  Do not try this at home.  Cooking with baby on your back can cause severe droziness, oil burns, and delicious food with an Everest sized pile of dishes.

8/24/11 - Papa Tony cooking with Otis on his back

Oh yeeeah, front lawn gone, oh yeah.  Scot came over and helped me with this huge project.  We had to make several store runs for old cardboard boxes to cover the lawn, then we soaked it good and covered it with a layer of sweet smelling compost and redwood mulch.  After 3 months, which is now probably, the lawn should be totally dead and beginning to breakup into the soil.  We got big plans for the yard, all takes time which we are short on.  Not shown in the photo but we now have a great design for several tiers of garden beds with drip irrigation and a tear drop section for a citrus tree.  I've been fantasizing about doing a rock wall in the front.  There is downward slope going from the back of the yard to street, which begs for that near and dear famous quote from that crazy old man we love in Willits, "Any fool can farm flat land". 

8/27/11 - Our good friend Scot Adam and Tony covered our front lawn with compost and mulch to destroy it

8/27/11 - Scot, Tony, Melanie and Otis went to Wild Flour Bakery and hung out in their incredible garden

We took Scot out to the original Union Hotel in Occidental for a well deserved big lunch of ravioli's and shrimp pasta.  Afterwords we headed over to the Wyldflour Bakery to over indulge on the baked goods.  We took a walk through their Garden and Scot helped Otis get into some shenanigans involving a few broken wind chimes and several distant picnicking hippies.   

8/27/11 - Scot, Otis and Melanie

8/27/11 - Scot and Otis

Because this year was a little early to take Otis to Burning Man, we finally had a free weekend to spend with my Dad at his cabin on lake Pillsbury.  Had a really fantastic time relaxing and sitting on the pontoon boat getting some sun.  While riding on the boat we saw a bear in distance come down for a drink in the lake.  We tried to get closer but he hurried away.

9/2/11 - Tony and Otis at Blue Bird Cafe in Hopland

9/2/11 - Tony, Melanie & Otis on Gregg's pontoon boat at Lake Pillsbury

9/2/11 - Otis and Grandpa Gregg on Lake Pillsbury

9/3/11 - Uncle Gean and Otis on Lake Pillsbury

Video of Otis on the boat:
http://youtu.be/ue5jAUkwnpI

9/3/11 - Grandpa Gregg and Otis

9/4/11 - Melissa and Otis at Melissa's Birthday Party

We spent three nights camping at Camp N' Sons in mid-september for our OTP event "Plunge".  Lots of friends, good food, good music, good times.  Highlights included spending copious amout of time in the pond, seeing Otis go nuts for being in the woods, ladies fighting over holding Otis, Momma letting me stay out till the sun came up, deep frying leftover bourbon chicken with oh-mak crackers and peanut butter pretzels, having our new friend Doug come play music for us from England.  Lowlights included Otis having such a good time he didn't ever want to sleep, dad staying out until the sun came up, and leaving:)

9/10/11 - Papa and Otis at Plunge

9/10/11 - Sadia and Otis at Plunge

9/10/11 - Lacy, Gelsey, Melanie, Lacie and Otis at Plunge

Video of Xander and Otis:
http://youtu.be/1TWeXXS-a98

Had to make this photo extra large so you could read the fine print.  He must take after his daddy!

9/10/11 - Otis and Jane at Plunge

9/11/11 - Karynn, Otis and Adam at Plunge

9/11/11 - Karynn and Otis at Plunge

9/11/11 - Otis and Trevor at Plunge

9/11/11 - Tony, Scott and Otis at Plunge

9/11/11 - Otis and Molly at Plunge

9/11/11 - Otis and Doug (our post-Plunge house guest)

Jeran came over and babysat for us one night so we could go out to dinner by ourselves.  Love the stink out of that diaper butt baby, but really nice to have a few hours of grownup time with wine and good eatin'. 

9/23/11 - Auntie Jeran and Otis