Little Patch of Earth
“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.” Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden
Friday, July 19, 2024
Armitos Park
Tuesday, July 2, 2024
Patriotic Events 2024
Santa Barbara and Goleta Events
* Carpinteria Independence Parade Saturday 7/6 3:30-4:30
Monday, June 24, 2024
Eastside Neighborhood Park
Eastside Neighborhood Park |
Eastside Neighborhood Park got an overhaul! The new design leaves plenty of green space for running around, leaves the community garden, replaced the little kid playground and created a big kid place area. It also added a big kid play area and adult exercise equipment. The new play structures are built in the new style that gives kids freedom to explore in different ways rather than use it for one intended design, but it does keep the rubber mat for impacts.
Little Kid Play Area |
The little kid (2-5) play area is now fully fenced with one entrance and exit. This area is nicely shaded under oaks. There are two baby swings and a larger bucket swing for multiple kids. The play structure has a regular slide, a tunnel slide, and several climbing places. There are multiple benches as well as small picnic tables here.
Big Kid Play Area |
The new big kid play area (5-12) is also fully fenced with one entrance and exit. It does not have trees to shade it but it does have a nice shade canopies. There are no swings, but a number of different climbing parts are much more explorational play. The benches in this prayer are often in full sun.
There are now bathrooms with a cool mural on the walls. Bathrooms were clean and well stocked on the day we were here.
Pros:
Bathrooms |
Cons:
Related posts
Old Eastside Neighborhood Park
Eastside Library
Ortega Park
Franklin Park
Saturday, June 15, 2024
Choose Your Own Adventure 2024
With our quests, I have discovered that it is harder to try new things with my older kids! So this summer we are repeating last summer's quest: Choose Your Own Adventure. We have a few more beaches I would like to try as well as day trips, museums and hikes we didn't get to on our previous summers. We have a busy summer with things unrelated to my blog, but I will try to sneak in a few places on the list. I am aiming to share a new thing every week, a list that might be useful and a place we love. Here are some of the ideas for the new things:
From 2015 Parks
From 2017 Nature Walks
Wind Tunnels at Gaviota State Park
Cheltham/Westmont Trail
Allan Road Footpath
Ortega Hill Loop
Ennisbrook Trail
From 2018 Day Trips
Lake Casitas Water Park got a facelift!
Canzelle Alpacas
Pump It Up (Ventura)
Marina Park (Ventura)
Ventura Aquatic Center
Quicksilver Miniature Horse Ranch (Santa Ynez)
Solvang
La Purissima Mission
Seein Spots Farm
From 2019 Museums
Old Mission Santa Barbara
Rancho La Patera & Stow House
Santa Barbara Carriage and Western Arts Museum
Santa Barbara Historical Museum (El Presidio)
Ablitt House
Bellosguardo Estate
Casa del Herrero
Casa Dolores
Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum
Reagan Ranch Center
Ridley Tree Museum of Art (Westmont College)
Santa Barbara Art Museum (UCSB)
Santa Barbara Surfing Museum
Santa Barbara Veterans Museum
Susan Quinlan's Doll & Teddy Bear Museum
UCSB Multicultural Center
Elveroj Museum of History and Art
Guadelupe-Nipomo Dunes Center
Guadelupe Cultural Arts Center
La Purissima Mission
Santa Maria Museum of Flight
Santa Maria Valley Historical Railway Museum
Wilding Art Museum
UCSB Marine Science Institute
From 2020 Beaches Part 2
Adding a few beaches beyond the Haskells to Miramar set we did 2016 and 2020
Sandyland Beach ?
Padaro Beach ?
Loon Point Beach *
Finney Beach *
Summerland Beach
Gaviota Beach
From 2021
Zodos
Lotusland
Lompoc Aquatic Center
Art from Scrap
From 2022 Hikes
Gaviota Wind Caves
Lizards Mouth
Tangerine Falls
Lizards Mouth
Rattlesnake Canyon
Parma Park
San Ysidro falls
Seven Sisters
Skofield Park
Tunnel Trail
Related Posts
Summer of the Parks (2015)
Summer of the Beaches (2016)
Summer of the Nature Walks (2017)
Summer of the Day Trips (2018)
Summer of the Museums (2019)
Summer of the Beaches 2 (2020)
Summer of Kid's Choice (2021)
Summer of the Hikes (2022)
Wednesday, May 15, 2024
Toad Walk at Restoration Oaks Ranch
Santa Barbara Blueberries is on Restoration Oaks Ranch which is 955 acres of woodlands and grasslands. In addition to the Upick berries, there are other branches: Wild Dirt, an events space, vacation rental and grass fed beef as well as the non-profit Wild Farmlands Foundation which supports agroecology and smaller farmer advocacy . Part of their educational outreach is a tarantula walk in the fall and a toad walk in the spring. In May, my family walked with a group in the farmland behind the blueberry farm to visit the toads. Ed and Shay Seaman, who are managers of the farmland and the non-profit, lead the walks along with their son or another ranch hand.
We walked from the barn out to a pond with nets. Ed, Shay and their son used the largest nets to look for toads, tadpoles and froglets as well as water bugs. Kids held the smaller nets and looked (less successfully) for them as well. There are occasionally snakes on the walk but none when we were there. After about an hour, we headed back to the barn to look at the creatures we had found as well as pass around a toad for people to gently hold.
It was a fun afternoon and probably especially good for kids between 4 and 8. It was a little slow for my 10 and 13 year olds, but we still enjoyed it. To find out about the open dates, sign up for the SB Blueberry email. The toad walk happens in May and signups are in late March early April.
Toad Walk Pond (View 1) |
Toad Walk Pond (View 2) |
Nets to Catch Frogs and Toads |
Nature Talk |
Holding the toad |
Related Posts:
Santa Barbara Blueberries
Thursday, March 21, 2024
Spring 2024 Snapshot
This year I have continued to work and volunteer more, so I have still had less time for blogging. I love the ways I spend my time but miss blogging!
Favorite New Product; Not completely new, but I love Thrive Causemetics Eye Line: the Infinity Waterproof Eye Shadow Stick in Riji and the Brilliant Eye Brightener in Gia. Get 10% off with this link!
Gia |
In a nutshell:
1. Expressing regrets (I am sorry)
2. Accepting responsibility (I was wrong)
3. Making restitution (what can I do to make it right?)
4. Genuinely Repenting (I will try not to do that again.)
5. Requesting forgiveness (Will you please forgive me?)