Summer Break

This school year is over. Maarten had to say good bye to his beloved Misses for a couple of weeks. A last day picnic at the schoolyard was quite a hot event but a big success. Maarten arrived all rosy and pink and happy with a little gift and 'private' pictures with his teachers.

And here we go again. No school! Another attack on Maarten’s routine? Do we really have such a special child who always reacts so sharp to any changes?

Even though we still do so much together all the time nothing seems really to equal the school fun. Additionally the weather has been so hot the last days.


Luckily our town hasn’t closed the water feature at the Central Park yet compare to some neighboring communities. I understand that policy since it’s extremely dry this summer.
Those unfortunate wildfires all around us are one of the scary consequences of this drought.

In this heat you’d definitely look for water!
Though there is no sea in anyplace we can possibly get wet during a hot summer.
It was different in The Netherlands, in Belgium and it is different here again.
Here in the East Bay , there are some swimming pools, lakes, lagoons and so-called ‘swimming holes’.

I like the whole area around Lake Del Valle, from Sunol to Livermore. I don’t think I would go to one of its public beaches.

But for Maarten it's ideal here. The beach is sandy and it’s shallow so he can safely play and practice his swimming.
We’ve already visited some of these swimming places and I personally don’t enjoy the lifeguards enforcing the ‘safety’ rules. I know they only do their jobs. We all have to get out of the water for a collective break and Maarten is not allowed to swim with his noodle and even though the lake is pretty big, swimming is restricted to beach areas where a lifeguard is on duty.
On moments like this I realize I somehow prefer the Czech back-to-the-nature culture.


Despite the heat, Maarten claims to visit his favorite ‘little forest’, in the nearby Las Trampas. Even though the creek has already been dry for months Maarten loves to play here. It is so hot that even the shady riparian area doesn’t offer any comfort.
I’m always aware of a possible encounter with a cougar or danger from a startled bull; but last time we were suddenly surrounded by a flock of wasps. And they attacked us, Maarten in particular. I tried to get them off his clothes but he still got stung and he hurt a lot. It was his first experience so I understand that he got scared.
Luckily we each got stung only once. Still I’m surprised that they attacked us for no reason.
I guess I should drop ‘the cougar’ for a while and do more research about wasps.

Only an hour drive separates us from the seashore.

We went to the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve at Moss Beach especially because of Maarten who is crazy about all sea creatures lately. But believe me, this is not just for kids.
It was foggy and very cold compared to the East Bay but the rocky shore edge exposes so many interesting sea creatures and algae during the low tide. I was afraid we were too late since the lowest water that day was already at 7:30. Yet two hours later we could still see tide pools full of funny hermit crabs, little fish, starfish and blue-green anemones (the bigger ones should be more than hundred years old according to the ranger).


Last week, probably because of the heat, I had a big appetite for mussels; something, I used to eat often back in Holland during the summer. I haven’t seen them here in the supermarket yet, but now, I already know where to look for them.

Toward noon the shore edge was almost submerged at high water and the seals, who waited patiently at the rocky reefs, took their territory back again.


Just two miles south of the Reserve is Princeton-by-the-Sea, a small town in the north of Half Moon Bay. The Pillar Point forms the northern end of the Bay here.
A secluded beach is just a short walk from the parking lot and thanks to the harbor piers the sea here is very peaceful.
In no time Maarten took his pants off demanding to go swimming immediately.
Brrr.


PS: One of Maarten’s front teeth is a little blue. I noticed that looking at this 'vampire' picture. I know his teeth are having a hard time almost every day and I was pretty worried about this bluish tooth. The dentist found just what I've already expected. Luckily no infection but the tooth is not only chipped,which is obvious, but also cracked.