Happy holidays!

The fake cobwebs are up and Max is enjoying playing with the rubber
spiders that habitate them. Candy and toys are stockpiled, so bring
on the trick or treaters! As soon as this holiday is over, it's time
to plan for Thanksgiving and Christmas - it's a little overwhelming
to stay on top of it all! Hopefully you're finding plenty of time to
unwind amidst the flurry of holiday activity. We enjoyed a wonderful
hike at Skyline-Sanborne park last week; the quiet, color, and smells
rejuvenated us! We kicked around and collected a dozen "gall balls"
(Teeny wasps lay their eggs between oak leaf tissues, and as the
leaves grow, so do the balls. The wasps eat their ways out of the
balls, leaving tiny holes. When the leaves fall in autumn, the
balls, some as large as tennis balls, fall too.), touched moss and
lichen, and counted birds on the lake.

We have limited events this week, but next week many of them will
resume.

This week's events:

Monday, October 27th at 9:30 am we'll hike at Rancho San Antonio in
Cupertino/Los Altos Hills. Depending on the needs of the group, we'll
do an almost entirely paved, flat path, or a hilly dirt path, both
going to the farm, and possibly going past it. Meet at the upper
parking lot where model airplanes are flown (just past the entrance,
turn right, then left into the first parking area uphill from the
lower two). For more information or directions, see the Rancho San
Antonio Page
(http://www.strollerhikes.com/Hikes/RanchoSanAntonio/ranchoSanAntonio.html).
Sorry, dogs not allowed. This hike is at least half shaded. Amy and little
Adelina will lead this hike. Call Amy at 650-207-6556 if you're running late.

Wednesday, October 29th at 10 am at Stevens Creek Trail! Kristen and
little Lillian will lead a hike down the wide, paved path to
Shoreline Park. Any baby transport will work, and dogs are welcome as
far as Shoreline Park. Meet at Creekside Park off of Easy Street in
Mountain View. For directions or more information about the trail,
see The Stevens Creek Trail Page
(http://www.strollerhikes.com/Hikes/StevensCreekTrail/StevensCreekTrail.html).
We'll linger and play at the park afterwards. Kristen's cell # is 408-410-7200
if you're running late.

-Debbie and little Max