First Jaunt of Summer.....

This is usually the last week of school.  All over the state schools are finishing up classes, saying good bye, and teachers are beginning the task of packing up their classrooms for the summer. The district where El Professor teaches, however, shortened the school year by a week to help with the huge budget shortfall, so all of the usual end of the year festivities, grading, packing, etc., happened last week.  El Professor's car looks like a storage locker as he is moving schools next year, but he is off for the summer.  

Early in the week, El Professor's brother/family called to let us know they would be coming to the area (their oldest, my nephew lives just north of here) and wondered if we had a free day.  We decided to get together and head for Mary's Peak, the highest peak in the coast range, for a picnic and a hike.... 

...never mind that Mary's Peak had her head in the clouds.  At 4,097 feet above sea level, the view from the top is amazing....when the weather is clear.  

It was misty, moisty, and magical up in the clouds.

The wild flowers were beautiful.  It looked like a rock gardener had come and planted along the path.

Our favorite memory of Mary's Peak has been walking with butterflies everywhere.  Even with the earliness of June, and the mistiness of this particular day, the wild flower meadow had butterflies galore. 





It was the first jaunt of summer and is, hopefully, the beginning of a good season.