A Visit FROM my Daughter & a Visit TO my Brother

I've been busy these last few weeks.  Beth and her Greg paid us a visit, starting on Saturday April 23rd.  Then on the 28th Beth and I took a train ride up to Corvallis Oregon to visit my brother Gerard.  Here's some pix from the entire week:

Early in the week we took Beth & Greg up the Oakland Hills, to see the overlook. . .

And then to go with us and the boys to Tilden Park's "Little Farm"

And its Botanical Gardens. . .

The next day, we went to Muir Woods, near Sausalito. 

After which we saw Sausalito, had some sausages there, and crossed the Golden Gate Bridge back to SF, where we visited the Palace of Fine Arts:

On the next day, I took Beth and Greg to the Jelly Belly jellybeans factory in Fairfield.  Here's a piece of art made from jellybeans.

And some souvenirs for the boys:

On Thursday night Beth and I boarded the AMTRAK California Starlight Express, and headed up to Oregon to pay my brother Gerry and his Maureen a weekend visit.

Scenery from the train was amazing:

Beth and I stayed at the Super 8 motel in Corvallis. Here she is with her Uncle Gerry one morning in the lobby.

And here I am with my favorite   ;-)   brother:

I just thot this is an interesting plaque on a park bench in Corvallis:

Here's an item of apparel that I started wearing this week.  It is Elijah's old wristband from Camp WinnaRainbow of a couple years back.  It has some extra special personal meaning to me tho.

Corvallis is a really sweet, charming little college town, as well as the county seat of Linn County.  The courthouse there is a work of art dating back to 1888.

Lotta small town charm here.

I got a kick out of this sign outside the Sunnyside Cafe, where we ate twice while in Corvallis:

A welcoming sign!

My "rented chariot". . .  a nice-sized Ford Fusion.

Here's the gang, including G&M's friend Jean, outside the Sunnyside Cafe. . . .

We visited the Oregon State University campus, where Gerry works, too.  All ablossom.  It was "Moms' Weekend" for the students.  A good time of year to have that.

There was an exhibition of Renaissance "warfare" at one place on campus:

Beth found some "kindred spirits" there.  They, too, are members of the SCA - Society of Creative Anachronisms - that Beth and Greg belong to!

Some Celtic music was provided by musicians:

Sis-in-Law Maureen looks very nice amid the blooming Rhodies:

So my week with family was GREAT!