Filoli trolls, October 2025

 Filoli trolls

Filoli got Thomas Dambo to make a set of 6 trolls for their wooded trail.  I visited once with Green-Eyed Girl and a second time with my family.  

The appeal is in the giant size and personalities. I like the hair on the troll examining the car and here is a  fun foot detail.

This troll is super into birds, so she builds bird houses and puts them up.  I'm not sure the birds need houses in the forest, but they are pretty.

They are a satisfying size to climb on.

They really decorated along the trail for Halloween

These glow in the dark for the night time experience.

Creepy!

We dashed through the inside, love the atmosphere.

Angel Island bike camping, August 2025

 Angel Island

The yearly bike camping trip to Angel Island!  Thanks to my fellow campers for some of the photos.

Cancun diving, April 2025

 Bonus dive trip

Cenote Kukul Kan in the Chac Mool system-with us diving!

Even though we had just been on a dive trip, we got an offer from friends to stay in their new place in Cancun.  How could we not go?!?  It was in a lovely residential area, away from the tourist hotels, but near the Costco!

We ate at several nearby restaurants and walked the neighborhood.  We used Cthulhu Divers to see the MUSA underwater museum.  Fantastic idea-put hundreds of sculptures underwater so that snorkelers and beginning divers have fun stuff to see easily.  The only problem is you are sucking in diesel fumes for the 45 minute boat ride out to the museum.  We had a good time and liked our dive master, so had him take us cenote diving the next day.

A cenote is not a cavern, you always see the sky.  They are underground rivers, so are generally colder than the ocean.  The whole experience blew us away.

So beautiful!  You are diving, but it kind of feels like you are hiking.

The lack of waves means the visibility is always amazing on the top layer.  Once you drop below the halocline visibility becomes 5 inches.  There is a rope line to guide you along the dive and you always carry flashlights.  

The second dive was in Little Brother, at the same site.  A great 2-tank dive day.

All the dive photos are from Triton photos-the professional photographer on site.  Totally worth the price

Real deal safety sign-do not ignore these!

NYC Feb 2025, Encore!

 The show was so good we went again!

We knew this show was going to have a short run, so we wanted to see it again before it closed.

Just the two of us, but made friends with our seat neighbor, Barbara.  We took her back stage to meet James and she was thrilled!  In a first, we went to his room instead of the stage-interesting!!

We stayed at the same funky hotel, the Paramount Times Square, where the lobby was always packed full of people coming and going.  Plush couches, dark wall hangings, a fake fireplace, and a nice bar.  

The main branch of the New York Public Library has a large museum. I continue to be drawn to the fibar arts displays.

an embroidered cover

A display of miniature items

Then a quick trip to Grand Central station

We went specifically to visit Jacques Torres' chocolate shop.  It was tiny, but packed with so many things!

They were even giving out freebies that were an MTA collaboration-adorable and delicious.

The Cooper Hewitt!  It has been forever since we visited the design museum.  The exhibits were all based around the idea of 'Home'.  Lots of discussions about wallpaper that I failed to photograph.

I did manage to photograph all the biotech based exhibits.

Feels like a lab, but it is also very pretty, all neat and organized.

Yup, it is cold in the winter.

We did a bit of the nostalgia tour, but due to heightened security, only students were allowed on campus.

I settled for a photo at the subway stop!

Love sweet potato fries

At Columbus Circle.  Museum of Arts and Design had a Barbie exhibit, since the movie was having a moment.  One of the better gift shops I've seen.  After this we flew to Grand Cayman and had a dive vacation!