Oakley started holding weekly farmers markets in May, and we visited the second one on a cloudy Saturday, May 28. Photo by Glenn.
Ben checks out a display of fresh veggies at the farmers market. It's pretty early in the season for much of a selection. Photo by Glenn.
Ahhhh, here's what we came for fresh fruit! We came home with a flat of strawberries that were gone in a couple of days. Photo by Glenn.
Here's the mighty gopher hunter with his trophy shot after bagging the big beast. OK, so Glenn didn't actually catch the gopher, but he did cage it in the plastic bucket. Photo by Roni.
Aw, isn't it cute? Not. Photo by Glenn.
Glenn transplants Mr. Gopher into a grape vineyard. In our experience gophers don't much care for grape roots, so these should be fine. Photo by Roni.
We visited the Contra Costa County Fair on June 4. Here, Ben checks out the prize winners in the photography display. He's more interested in the cats than the photo technique. Photo by Glenn.
This was a cool art display at the fair. It is very three-dimensional and lifelike. Photo by Glenn.
Ben holds up his old man during a photo op at the fair. Or maybe it was the other way around. Photo by Roni.
Inside the farm equipment display barn, Roni rests her feet while Ben answers questions for his treasure hunt. Photo by Glenn.
Ben looks ready for work atop this 1965 John Deere. Now if we could just hook it up to a plow he could turn over our weedy back yard. Photo by Glenn.
All he is saying is give peace a chance. Or something. That's Ben on the left. We have no idea who that dummy on the right is. Photo by Glenn.
Ben tries to select his prize after winning the ring toss game at the fair carnival. Photo by Glenn.
Ben had a successful day on the midway. Here he is surrounded by his new stuffed pals. Photo by Glenn.
A fair ain't nothing without its Ferris wheels. This is the big one out on the carnival midway. The crowd remained small until just before sundown. Photo by Glenn.
Now we're at the Livermore Rodeo. If you want to truly enjoy the rodeo you have to have the proper attire. Not sure that a blue cowboy hat is it, but it was the one Ben liked. Photo by Glenn.
An Army unit displays the American flag during opening ceremonies of the Livermore Rodeo, June 11. Photo by Glenn.
A rodeo is pretty much nonstop action from start to finish. Here a rider tries to chase down a calf in the calf roping competition. Photo by Glenn.
Wild cow milking is not a true rodeo event, but it was truly hilarious. This cow doesn't want to be milked without a fight, and this cowboy is going to give him one. Photo by Glenn.
Got milk? A quick jog back to the sidelines will help work off that gut. Now if he could just shake that clown who's mocking him. Photo by Glenn.
Ladies barrel racing is one of the rodeo highlights. Bet you'll never guess who sponsored the event... Photo by Glenn.
If your image of a bull rider is some studly cowboy with his Stetson flying as he bounces along on the bull's rump, look at this. This dude's wearing a crash helmet and body armor. Probably not a bad idea. Photo by Glenn.
Oh yeah, they had the studly cowboy types on the bulls, too. Well, some of them stayed on the bulls. Photo by Glenn.
Whoa, stand back, boys! You can see the snot flying from this bull as it fights to buck its rider. Photo by Glenn.
Look out, this is gonna hurt. Photo by Glenn.
Think she's a happy rodeo fan? Photo by Glenn.
Mr. Gopher may be gone, but he's left his mark on our front yard. Here is what was left of our giant pittosporum bush... Photo by Glenn.
...And here is what it looks like after we pruned it back to its bare trunk. It may be too late to save it, so we've got a new shrub waiting in the wings. Photo by Glenn.
Needing more space to display postcards in the writing sanctuary, Glenn added a bulletin board across one wall of the room. Photo by Glenn.
Ben wanted his own bulletin board after seeing Dad's, so we built one in his bedroom. Here he is loading it up with school memorabilia. Photo by Glenn.
Ben and his Uncle Sean match wits in an intense Pokémon battle. Well, it was intense for Ben anyway. Photo by Glenn.
Steve Walde takes a hot lap at the Antioch Speedway on June 18. He is the husband of one of Roni's friends and currently sits atop the points in his division thanks to a second place finish this night. Photo by Glenn.
A little Father's Day weekend activity in the pits as a young fan is introduced to the trophy dash winner, dwarf car driver Ricardo Rivera. Photo by Glenn.
Our seats were directly behind the flag man, who had an adventurous night. He waved every one of the flags in his collection at least once. Photo by Glenn.
Sean takes a photo of the sign marking the entrance to the Ted and Helen Halsey Trail on Jersey Island. Photo by Glenn.
You can see what we mean when we say this is a primitive, unpaved trail. To the left you've got water, to the right there are stickers and cow pastures. Sean and Ben talk as they walk. Photo by Glenn.
A closeup of yarrow in bloom. There's a lot of it along the trail. Photo by Glenn.
We've reached the end of the trail at the second gate, which is about half a mile from the first gate. Gotta close the gates behind you to keep the cows inside. Photo by Glenn.
Roni indulges the photographer while taking a break against the cattle paddock. Photo by Glenn.
We're heading back to the car after our hike. The weather was cool and clear, and there was quite a bit of wind. Photo by Glenn.
Bull thistles create an interesting display. We actually saw a few that were still in purple bloom. but most of them looked like this. Photo by Glenn.
Roni strolls along the levee top beyond a sea of yellow flowers. We think these are some kind of thistle, but they sure are colorful in large clusters this time of year. Photo by Glenn.
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