Weekend jaunts

A quick post, since Easter is almost here (and yes, the Easter Bunny has already come to our house, with many many jelly beans).

Friday was a day off for the boos and Dad (due to Good Friday and Flex Friday, respectively), so we went to Edwards Air Force Base to the museums there, which were not open the last time we tried. You can't get on that base without at least one person in your party having what Rocket Boy calls a "cack" card (I don't even know how to spell it), so I'm sure that'll be our last visit there.

Part of Edwards is actually NASA, and the NASA museum is very small, but they do have an extensive gift shop, plus a nice place to eat lunch. We bought some little things (emphasis on little, remember we're moving in a month) and ate lunch. We also looked at the planes they have on display outside, such as this lifting body.

Then we drove over to the Air Force part of the base and went to their museum, which is much bigger (though still not very big). It has some very attractive displays...

I liked this wall of aircraft, as did Baby A.

But pretty soon the boys got tired of it all and we drove back to Ridgecrest and dyed eggs -- and I don't have any photos of that activity because it's VERY MESSY. I brought the camera out and everything, but almost immediately my hands were covered with dye and that was the end of that.

Today (Saturday, that is) we decided to go for a hike. In the morning the boos were being JUST AWFUL, so we took them to the park... I know that sounds like we're rewarding them for being awful, but we really all needed to get out of the house.

Then we went home for lunch, which they wouldn't eat, and after lunch they continued to be awful, running away down the street when I told them not to leave our property, making messes with water in the bathroom and the backyard, taking all the blankets and pillows off their bed and piling them in the hallway, and laughing every time I scolded them. We thought maybe some of the naughtiness had to do with Easter coming, and some of it might be nervousness about the upcoming move, which we keep discussing the logistics of, and some of it I don't know... maybe just spring, the sap running in the veins and all that?

Finally we packed up and drove to Short Canyon, which is quite nearby, just past the intersection of Highways 14 and 395. The road from the highway is rough and hard to follow, and the first part of the trail is steep. But once you get over the hump you're in a delightful place.

It was very dry and there were very few wildflowers, but we did see some. It might be a bit early, though this is clearly not going to be a good year. We saw Indian paintbrush, thistle, apricot mallow...

and I think this is Brittlebush:

After 30 or 40 minutes I decided to turn back. Baby B wanted to go with me, but Baby A wanted to keep hiking with Dad. So I handed over the camera and later was rewarded with shots like this one:

which I was glad I had not experienced in person!

Baby B and I had to wait for the others for over an hour, but we had water and snacks, and it wasn't a terribly hot day, so we coped.

Once we were all reunited, we drove back to the highway and continued up 395 to Pearsonville Park, where we had a barbecue (veggie burgers, marinated vegetables on skewers, chips, olives, hard-boiled eggs).

I can't tell you how much better behaved and generally more pleasant to be around the twins were in both these settings (canyon and park). I think little kids are meant to be out in nature, not cooped up in houses and small yards. Ours certainly respond to it with joy.