생일축하합니다, or Happy Birthday Brian

Well, we won't say which birthday it was, but Brian is another year older. And five pounds heavier...

The five of us checked out a new coffee place,Kaffe Espresso, to celebrate the big day. No cake today... but incredible drinks! These multi-layered masterpieces are each a work of art. Mr Hong, the owner, is a photographer and barista. He sculpted a bear in the top of a hot chocolate right at our table. Then he designed an ornate message in the froth of a green tea latte. Amazing! It almost made us forget about the birthday...

Waterfalls and mountains... just 30 minutes away

On Saturday (August 23rd), Brian and I ventured to a nearby mountain park called Gyreongsan National Park. We have been meaning to get to this park for two years, and we are so glad we went! It was stunningly beautiful, with several mountain peaks and many trails. There were also some interesting temples and pagodas and a thriving tourist town at the base of the mountains. The most fascinating thing for us, though, was the number of waterfalls we encountered along our hike. Gushing rivers and streams abounded along our route and one set of twin falls fell a dazzling long way from the side of one mountain into a deep clear pool. It was so beautiful. The top of the mountain was shrouded in mist, so the views from the top weren't so grand (you can see the mountain peak - with its blanket of mist - in the photo of the temple complex with mountains in the background). But the scenery along the way made up for any views we have missed at the top. Now, if we could only convince the girls to join us in our hiking excursions...

Summer fun, Canadian-style...

Our summer at home was so wonderful, full of visits with family and friends that will sustain us this year while we are away. We spent time in Kincardine, Sudbury, Peterborough, Haliburton, Marmora, Toronto and more, and it was all fantastic. Here are some photo highlights...

Alien conspiracy... hmmm...

While in New Mexico, we had to visit Roswell. As die-hard X-Files fans, this day was a highlight, and we spent a lot of time at the UFO museum and research centre (as well as at numerous kitschy alien shops around town!). In this post you can see us with a new friend, and the boxes I'm peeking into contain files of UFO sitings from around America (I'm trying to look like Scully, in case you didn't notice). Brian is excited about the alien autopsy tableau at the museum, as well. He's a bit more excited than Mulder may typically be but, hey, it was our first visit to Roswell.

New Mexico Adventures!

In July, Brian and I spent five days exploring New Mexico, and we made it to three corners of the state (needless to say, we did a lot of driving, but the landscape was so beautiful and changeable that we didn't mind). We visited Chaco Canyon National Park, and the First Nation ruins there; the Gila Cliff dwellings (more First Nation ruins that were incredibly beautiful); the White Sands desert; Carlsbad Caverns (where you walk 75 stories underground to find immense caverns teeming with stalagmites and stalactites, and where 10,000 Mexican freetail bats emerge at dusk every evening - very cool); and Roswell (I'll do a separate post about that). It was a wonderful way to celebrate our 15th anniversary.