Hidden Villa

After biking by Hidden Villa for many years, we finally decided to go in. They promised farm animals and hiking trails, and that's pretty much what we got.

I think these chickens are after my snacks!

Hmmm... looks kind of like Polly

Hiking, very acceptable.

A creek. Even more acceptable.

About half an hour was spent doing this. Surprisingly, he didn't actually fall is, but he did get his feet wet.

Puddles

It finally rained. Nick found that very acceptable.

And that's how we roll!

Well walk, actually.

The child is heavy. The child + minimal amount of hiking stuff + pack to carry it all is very heavy. Enough to make the whole experience rather unpleasant. Recently it occurred to me that I have a very capable pack mule right here in the house (no, not Kostadis, at least not on weekdays).

Oh hai! I iz a labramule! 

So Miss P now pulls her own weight around here. Well, actually, it's Nick's and my weight, but whatever. If we go for a reasonable two hour hike, Polly can actually carry all our gear, snacks, and water, which means all I have to do is carry the kid in the small backpack.

Today we tried out this arrangement at Fremont Older. Worked really well. Pictures and vital statistics below.

The route

The mule is packed and ready to go

Always wear your Road ID. So if you get hit on the head by
a brick, they'll know whom to call. And yes, I also carry a phone.
And don't go far. And all that other safety stuff.

The passenger. 

The trail.

The staff

We hiked around this canyon

Milk/snack break! Why do I feel that one day this
will be poured down the back of my shirt?

I can haz a snack too?

Watering the mule. Nick insisted on drinking from the water
bottle too. Note, Polly is not actually tired, she just likes drinking
lying down.

Hey, little dude, I carried these crackers for you,
can I at least have a couple? 

Score!

Mechanics is hard!

He has some idea that the gears need to be touching each other to spin. Unfortunately, he doesn't understand that if you wedge three gears together they don't spin any more. The other big problem is some gears have spinny parts and non-spinny parts. And he doesn't quite get the idea that it's the spinny parts that need to be touching.

The boys on Saturday morning

I am about to leave for the dog show. Why do I have a feeling the three of them will spend the whole day on the couch in their pajamas?

Sunol

Nick and Sarah in Little Yosemite area of Sunol. They think it's very acceptable.

Gears!

Best toy ever, apparently!

So good, in fact, that I could not get him to stop for lunch. So as most engineers, he chose to eat lunch at his desk.