Ty Continues to Decorate our House

Ty continues to bless us while he is hear with decorating.  Sheri finished painting the mantle, and here is the result, he brought some lamps home from his work for the bar, and hung curtains yesterday.

Not only that but he also worked on organizing the garage, an impossible task.

Pow Wow

The Pow Wow continues through tomorrow.  I feel sorry they've had such hot weather.  We went by for a short visit, Sheri, I, Ona, Miranda and Tony.  Tony got in his head he didn't want to go, but was OK after we got there.  We were there for a couple dances.  They were separated by a lot of talking.  There was a tremendously big crowd.  I guess Three Rivers Lodge, the sponsor, is a rehab center.  There was lots of talking about rehab.  The event was alcohol and drug free.

So between dances we visited the vendors.  Miranda was looking for a beaded necklace.  Tony got in his brain he needed a tail.  A vendor had lots of tails. The one Tony wanted, the black one, was $15.  Sheri didn't want to buy something he would enjoy for a few minutes, and then forget.  We got him a raccoon hat, with a raccoon tail, camping, and he doesn't play with it any more.  So Tony set to crying, he needed.  He we soon headed for the exit.  Tony was tired to begin with as we waited until dark to avoid the heat.  As we drove away Tony said "Bye bye tail."

Life in Mateca 16: Haggin Museum

http://www.hagginmuseum.org/I discovered that the museum was free on the first Saturday of the month, and as I can't beat that price, decided we should go.  This museum presents the history of the local area, and also is an art museum.  They didn't allow pictures inside, but they have taken a lot of their own which can be accessed through the website.

I was most impressed with the Native American collection they have.  There was an impressive amount of bead work.  Also the basketry was very fine.  Tony liked the guns, but he also was showing off the Native American area. 

There was an old harvester that looked like it required more than 30 horses. In addition to the harvester, there was a picture of four of them working together.  It was so large it was very impressive.

As for the art work, there are some very nice paintings of Yosemite, one at sunset by Albert Bierstadt is very beautiful.  Sheri was impressed with the ocean pictures.  Another of the angry sea was very impressive.  The J.C. Leyendecker Gallery is a must see.  There is a series of Kellog's kids.  Tony liked the girl eating strawberries on her corn flakes. 

Even Sheri enjoyed he museum, and she was the last one out.

Life in Manteca 15: Tony and I Continue our Parks Review

***Shasta Park is in central Manteca, Cotton and Alameda area.  It has a large grassy area and plenty of trees for shade.  More importantant it has a very nice web and climbing area.  Tony has been there a couple times now, first with his mother and then later with me.  When I went with Caleb we discovered its biggest lack, no restroom.  We had to cut our visit short, heading downtown to a place with a restroom. 

**^Pagola Park, I don't know if that is the right name, but that is the street it is on.  This park is our local community park as it is only a couple short blocks from our house.  It is the park Tony visits most frequently.  It is nice in the evening after the heat of the day has dissipated.  It has swings, a basket and the climbing, slide structure.  Tony was climbing up any number of ways.  He also met a friend with a ball and was tossing he ball.  Our local park also has a very large grassy area which is depressed as it is also a flood basin.  Thee is water on the area several times a year.  Caleb's friend came to try his skim board, and said he feel one time and the water was pretty stinky.

**Victory Park Stockton. This park is a well established grassy area.  It has a playground, which had something lacking as the slides were blocked off.  One of them had collapsed making a big hole in the slide.  There is a pond with water fountain and a few ducks.  There was a mother duck with four ducklings.  This trip we made with the family.

Life in Manteca 14: Foreign Exchnge Student

We met our foreign exchange student today.  Ona is going to be with us for a month.  There was a big potluck to welcome them.  Sheri made potato salad for the potluck.  It was very good.  I enjoyed all the water melon.

Ona ate mostly salad.  She is from Barcelona and speaks with a Spanish accent.  Caleb lit off a couple fireworks tonight to welcome her.