Zeal Turns 4

It's hard to believe that Zeal Henry is 4 years old. It seems like just yesterday he was born....

Taking a trip back in time to August, when we last posted. 

Zeal's 4th birthday included a long-time dream of having a pony in our backyard.

Our New Chicken Coop

When we returned from Nantucket, we started an important project right away: dismantling our old coop (which had bad joojoo because of all the raccoon-induced chicken deaths that had happened in it) and building a new one. We did the math and realized that in order to never buy eggs again, we needed 10 hens. And if we were to get 10 laying hens, we also wanted two soft sweet silkie hens. Silkies are not hearty layers so they would be the pets. And then there was a delivery mix-up and we got an extra bird. So now we have 13. Auspicious number? Hope so.

Chris made sure the walls of fine sturdy mesh go down into a deep trough around the coop so nothing can burrow under it.

And we wanted to be able to stand up in it and to be able to get light in it since it's in a shady part of the yard. Our friend Mark put the whole roof on in just a few hours. 

Off in another part of the yard, Avery built a wooden fort.

The chickens were delivered from Santa Barbara county 10 days after Chris dismantled the coop, and we weren't quite ready for them. The boys entertained the chickens in the puppy pen all afternoon until the coop was ready.

The straw will never be this clean again.

 Astrid came over to help acclimate the chickens to humans.

Tiny silkie of love

Big silkie regards little silkie approvingly. Little silkie came a week later (delivery mix-up) so she needed some protection from the others who were pecking her. Interestingly, the two silkies are now bonded and roost together, away from the others. Their names are Henrietta and Henners, respectively.

Welcome to California

Within the first week of being home, we did some favorite activities that we had missed during our year away. We went to the Sutro Baths early one morning to explore the ruins of the old bathhouse and smell the salt air (we were having ocean withdrawal). And gardening; it's great to be back in our piece of earth, tending it lovingly (and only sometimes using serious equipment). And finally, a reunion with some old friends we had sorely missed.  

Sid, clearly excited to see this giant rock in the middle of the beach.

And peaches! We arrived just in time for peaches, plums, and summer apples. 

Blueberries, almost ready...

Manly man using Mantis to mangle the minerally manure:

Avery and Zeal picked blackberries one morning to make waffle sauce. 

This is something that just happens when Uncle Zach comes to town. The instruments make their way to the patio.

Zach and Christina's daughter, Chloe

Seven children all eating nachos

And a trip to Oakland's Fairyland, Walt Disney's inspiration. 

Three ways to look uncertain with sun hat and wooden mushroom:

Avery and Uncle Zach both getting taller

The original band from 1997

Zeal making connections to 10

Farewell, Nantucket

We had a wonderful half-summer on the island before heading west. With all our new friendships, it was very hard to say goodbye. We had a whirlwind month of welcoming the larger Braunohler family back to the island and farewelling our new community. 

Just some of the things we loved about our year on Nantucket:

the Lighthouse School with its warm, creative teachers

walking to town on a quiet footpath, Grove Lane

that people leave their winter coats on the backs of the chairs in waiting rooms while they see the doctor

running into at least 3 people you know every grocery store trip

the Unitarian Universalist Church, especially Reverend Linda and art teacher Leyah

the Corner Table cafe and all the festive cooking classes 

visiting Hinckley beach in all kinds of weather

collecting tiny scallop shells on the snowy beach in Madaket

the film for thought movies on Wednesday evenings at the Dreamland Theater

date nights thanks to the sitter of our dreams, Allison G.

harvesting grapes, beach plums, blackberries, and hazelnuts

weekly trips to the library for new books, baby classes, and art classes

milkweed pod collecting on the bike path in the gathering dark

that oncoming cars stop for you when you want to turn left (true from October - April)

that when biking to school, you get honks from at least 4 drivers who know you and encourage your young bikers

catching turtles quite easily at the field station in spring, and the magical swamp tree there

oil painting classes at the Artist Association

drum lessons for Avery with his energetic match, Nick H.

the music center and its recording studio and master engineer, Floyd

spending time with our incredible new family of friends

head over heels for the corner table cafe

Chris recording his new album

Performing at Cisco Brewery, with fans

UU Teacher, Leyah, firing student clay on the beach (Avery's pinch pot in front)

Drum lessons

date night harbor walk

Grove Lane painting by Christine

Sidney and cousin Emmett

tent caterpillar whisperers

Lindsey and Caleb at the fire pit

Avery and his beloved Barrie, kindergarten teacher and Wampanoag expert

Zeal and his beloved Alicia, his teacher and fellow animal lover

testing homemade kites

Our farewell party, hosted by Lindsey, Orla, and Caleb 

Sidney's first friend, Faye

Avery's best bud, Sawyer

Avery's class in a Wampanoag village in Plimouth

The boys' all-school weekly meeting

Zeal's class luncheon for all the mothers

Zeal serving lunch

Miacomet at night

Amazing sushi cooking class at a communal table, Nantucket Culinary Center

The Linda Loring story walk

red boat painting

Hinckley beach

Katie and Christine at the mustache tea party

Zeal at his Open House night

Zeal and his loving teacher, Alana

A pirate party in town

one of our favorite hidden walks

Sid and Joy

Zeal and Caleb

Uncle Peter at the magic swamp tree

brothers tubing

the morning view we could never stop photographing

this boy

artists/teachers/makers

Sid's favorite dipping pool

Christine's bog painting

The Corner Table/ Culinary Center Magic Makers 

Opa and his Siddy

Collecting eggs with teacher Alicia

Lauren and Emmett (1 year)

Bob Henry and Zeal Henry, the 4th of July 

Pensive bikers

First wheel throwing at NISDA

Auntie time

Zeal with Mimi at Hinckley