Thanksgiving in Captiva 2017

We have always enjoy spending the Thanksgiving holiday in Captiva, Florida with family. It’s always nice to see Julie’s sister and her family and it also gives us a chance to catch up with her other cousins. If the weather cooperates, it’s also a nice way to grab just a little more summer sunshine before the reality of winter sets in. Here are a few of my favorite photos from this years trip to seashell capital of the world. You can click the ‘view more’ link below to see a slideshow of all the photos from the trip.

Pack 1229 Fall Hike

One of the nicest things about living in the Northern Virginia area is the diversity of the area and the ability to change your scenery by doing nothing more than traveling 30 to 45 minutes in any direction. Living in Arlington, we are literally walking distance to Georgetown, which is one of the more beautiful and popular spots in Washington DC. Even though we enjoy being close to the city, it’s nice to get out of the city and enjoy a nice hike in the woods from time to time.

This year the location of the Pack 1229 fall hike would turn out to be a favorite of mine… Scott’s Run Nature Preserve, which is located on the Virginia side of the Potomac River in North McLean. I’ve hiked these trails before and truly enjoy both the scenic views of the north river and the rocky waterfalls. Dylan has shown much more interest in hiking since joining the Cub Scouts and I believe this outing will be yet another positive bonding experience for both of us and his new Scouting friends.

Halloween 2017

I’ll try not to go overboard with the annual Halloween post write-up this year, but you do know how much my wife loves this holiday. We started things off with an evening outdoor event at one of Dylan’s classmate’s families properties in The Plains, VA, where all the parents and kids of this years Osprey Class enjoyed a bonfire, spooky hayrides through the woods and even an awesome food truck serving taco’s for dinner! Thank you for hosting Amy & Brian… this was a fantastic event! Next on the list would be the annual River School Halloween parade up and down MacArthur Blvd, followed by our normal neighborhood evening trick-or-treating adventure with Dylan and all his local friends. Happy Halloween everyone!

More Scouting for Dylan

Here are a couple more photos from Dylan’s first month in Scouting with Cub Scout Pack 1229, Falls Church, VA. He should have joined the Pack as a Wolf this year, but because his friend Liam was a grade level ahead (and he insisted on being in his friends Den), we let him join the Bear Den with the condition that he puts in twice the effort and tries to earn both his Wolf and Bear rank this year. Being the great dad and former Scout that I am, I told him that I would work with him one-on-one to make sure he accomplish the tasks and adventures that were required to make his ranks. It’s nice to see that he has taken to Scouting like a fish to water. Oh yeah, and he also earned his first belt loop this month too!

Dylan’s First Camp-out

I have to admit, ever since my son joined the ranks of Cub Scouting last month, I have been looking forward to getting back into the woods myself to help out on some of his camping trips There’s nothing better than pitching a tent in the middle of the woods and falling a sleep under the stars listening to the sounds of nature. However, it turns out that Dylan’s first camping trip with Pack 1229 would wind up being a little different than what we first expected… they call it “Cabin Camping”. Okay, so it didn’t turn out exactly as I had envisioned, but the event was a lot of fun and seeing how we were in bear country (and there had been several sightings), it was probably a better idea to start the ‘first timer’ out in a cabin sleeping on a somewhat comfortable raised cot. Next trip will be tent camping for sure!!

Dylan joins the Cub Scouts

Thanks to a friend who Dylan meet in summer camp, we have officially become a Cub Scout family. I was a Boy Scout myself when I was younger, and even though I never made Eagle Scout, I did learn a lot from the program. Being a Scout brought me closer to nature and helped to make me a better outdoors-men and survivalist. I hope that Dylan will stay active in Scouting long enough for me to teach him the ways of the woods. I’ve already been asked by several of the Scout Leaders if I would be interested in helping out with the program. My reply was a simple..”We’ll see how things go”.

Working from the Backyard

It’s nice to have days like this once in a while, when your working from home and both the weather and the workload are surprisingly pleasant. Even though I have a pretty nice backyard oasis to hang out in, I don’t use it nearly as much as I should. I’ve been told this by several people, so I plan on making it a habit to get outside and enjoy it more often in the future.

Dylan’s First Day of 2nd Grade

I don’t know about everyone, but for myself as a father, there is nothing more gratifying than having your child tell you that they look forward to going back to school in the fall. I know that for Dylan, it’s mostly because he misses his friends and he also enjoys the organization the school day brings. It gives me a good feeling in my heart knowing that he truly enjoys his teachers and where he goes school and I hope that he continues to enjoy school and the journey of knowledge it takes him on for many years to come. I was once told that “there is no greater weapon than knowledge, but one must also spend the time in the real world making their own mistakes to obtain wisdom as well”. Always Remember… Knowledge is the tool, but wisdom is the treasure!

Burke Lake Park

Part two of our crazy weekend ended up being an outing to Burke Lake Park with the Grandparents. Dylan, like most boys, has always had an obsession with trains, and it just so happens that one of the main features of this park is their miniature gas powered passenger train, which takes riders for a tour around Burke Lake. As you can see from the pictures, Dylan could not be satisfied with just one ride. The good news is that the waiting line to ride does get shorter the later it gets in the day.

Downtown DC with Dylan

This past weekend Dylan asked if we could do the tourist thing and go downtown to one of his favorite places… the United States Botanical Garden which is located on the grounds of the US Capital in Washington, DC. It’s odd that this is one of my sons favorite places in DC… maybe it’s because they have dinosaurs mixed in with the plant life. Regardless of the reason, he truly enjoys exploring this beautiful exhibit and exploring the hidden spaces around the garden.

Being that we were already downtown, it made perfect since to extend our sightseeing adventure a bit by taking the short walk over to the National Museum of the American Indian just two blocks away. It’s one of my favorite museums in DC and the exhibits do a superb job of showing what Native American life was like both before and after the Europeans invaded. There are also exhibits that do great job of reminding visitors of how the original indigenous inhabitants of this great land were so badly treated over the years. My Great Grandmother was a full blooded native American Indian, so I get kind of emotional when I watch the videos and read some of the displays they have up on the top floor .

If you find yourself in Washington, DC and have some free time, I highly suggest checking out any of the wonderful museums the Nations Capital has to offer… they are all outstanding and well worth the price of admission! You can see more of my photos from this weekends excursion by clicking the view more link below. Enjoy!