Home again (and slowing down)

Hello, folks! We just returned from a last-minute, week-long trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains outside of Boone, NC. Sometimes our feet get itchy, so we pack up the car and take to the hills or the beach or anywhere that removes us from the usual routine. Okay, you can never escape the usual routine with babies, but you can change the scenery. And my, the scenery was beautiful. Where do your feet take you when real life seems a bit too heavy or bland?

While I sift through my mountains of mountain photos and try to pull together a few posts, I thought I'd share with you this photo of an owl we see regularly along one of our favorite trails here at home. Cute little owl motifs have become so prevalent in kids' clothing, toys and design that sometimes I forget how neat it is to catch a glimpse of the real thing. Want to learn more about these incredible creatures? My aunt, a science teacher, just recommended these books to me: Wesley the owl and North American owls. I can't wait to dig in.

On an unrelated note, have you been following the recent discussions on slow blogging? I think I'm entering a phase of slow blogging by both necessity and choice. Between the nasty plagues we keep getting and recent shifts in developmental stages (read: serious sleep regression), it's become difficult to find time to do optional things like, you know, think. Or write. Or edit photos. Have you been there, too?

Stay tuned for mountains photos and a nut-free cinnamon roll recipe once I get my head on straight...