feel free to click on photos to get a larger view.... 

Hello Everyone...

Welcome to part 2 of my summer.

Since we were planning to go on a road trip, mom thought it would be fun if I did a daily journal. Well, mom has been trying to figure out just how to do it as I wrote about my days and took pictures. I do have to admit that I haven't been too cooperative as you know how I feel about doing "work" outside of school... :)

Mom had an idea to blog the journal too, but it didn't work out as it would of been MUCH longer than this posting. Otherwise, mom would of updated my blog more often over my summer break. This is the last super long post as mom will update my blog more often to keep the posts shorter. And now mom has better knowledge on how to do my journals and blogging it to. :) 

Mom, I really want to go outside instead of putting my journal together. 

So here is a photo of my journal in the works. I just finished it the other day and it's at school. I am sharing it with my fellow classmates. :) I should have taken a photo of it all done, but I will just have to do that another time.

So, we left off with mom and I packing for our road trip to WA. 

I forgot to add these photos in my previous post. I am on the phone telling grandma that mom and I are going on a road trip to WA. 

Well, we didn't quite make it. The morning we were getting ready to leave, I broke my leg, so mom had to take me to the ER. Later that day, I got a cast put on and discharged the following day. Mom was going to have me stay another night, but I said no way, so I got to go home. I was in such a good mood, and feeling so much better.

 This has been a whole new world for mom and I. I've just gone with the flow, adjusting good, but mom has had a more difficult time with it all, but getting better. Well, as long as she doesn't hear a weird noise like a pop, or feel anything that seems "off".

Due to tolerance and alignment, I have gone through two cast changes, 

and my cast time has extended two weeks to allow for additional healing. However, my leg is healing nicely with just a slight curve. My doctor seems very pleased with the progress. I am getting it off on Friday, October 5th. Yay!

So, I had the whole month of August off from school, plus a few days in July and September.

Since I couldn't wash my hair at home, mom has taken me weekly to our friend; Lynn's salon to have her do it. I have thoroughly enjoyed it every time that I hope to continue to get to go often once my cast is off. A few times afterwards, Lynn, mom and I would go to lunch including a picnic lunch outside that I really enjoyed being under the trees. These outings were a lot of fun.

The county fair was here, so mom took me to the windy fair one day. I loved it, and I thought it was about time mom and I did something fun! I looked at everything there was to look at. I got to throw balls into these bowls. I didn't do all that great, but they gave me a fish anyway for trying so hard. However, I gave my fish to this little girl because no matter how hard mom tries to keep my fish alive, they never make it. I got to see many animals, ran into some friends and family, so that was fun. Mom got me this light that is really cool. I like turning it on after dark as it glows and lights up the whole room. :)

Mom finally got the courage to take me on a small road trip to San Diego. We went to the zoo to see the baby Leopard Cubs again. They have grown a lot. 

We went in the morning and evening taking a break during the day when it was really hot. 

I got to see the Polar Bear swim in the water. At one point, he came right by me, but mom wasn't prepared with the camera to get a photo. It was so cool though. Do you know that they are really BIG? They are. 

The first day in San Diego, we went to the Convention Center and walked down and through Seaport Village over by the navy ships and memorials.  

I saw a big male California Sea Lion sound asleep on one of the docks.

We ended up coming home a day early because I was having such rough nights with my cast making mom uneasy, so. The morning we were heading home, we first stopped at La Jolla to visit a friend and walk along the cliffs over to see the Harbour Seals. I wasn't ready to leave, but we needed to try to beat the traffic.

Back at home a few days later, mom got word that there were some Humpback Whales inside the Port of San Luis Obispo in Avila Beach.. The next day, mom decided we need to go and see what we see. We had only driven through Avila Beach once, never did get out, so this would give us a chance to explore and experience Avila Beach. Off we went. First evening there we saw a ton of California Brown Pelicans and Coastal Bottlenose Dolphins near shore, but no whales.

Just before dark, we saw two blows off in the distance in the harbor area, so apparently we just didn't look in the right spot earlier. That is okay as we still enjoyed our walk around town, watch the dolphins and birds and just hung out. 

The following morning we figured we would try this other pier that was more wheelchair friendly. 

 Well, sure enough, there were two large Humpback Whales in the Port of San Luis Obispo (side of the pier) lunge feeding with all the Pelicans and California Sea Lions. It was crazy. 

They surfaced a few times before heading out of the port/harbor, so we got there just in time to see them for maybe 30 minutes. Guess what??? One lunge fed right below me and this guy on a kayak got a picture of it with me in the background. It was soooo cool! 

Can you find mom and I??? :)

Photo By: Marlin Harms, Morro Bay, CA

A photo mom got, it shows that a Pelican was in its mouth, but it did get out before the whale shut its mouth. 

A whale would not swallow a bird as it would choke. We hung around to see if they would come back, but they didn't, so we decided to drive up to Morro Bay for lunch since the plan was to stay overnight there. 
Well, it was so foggy and cold we decided to just have lunch hanging out with the Sea Otters and then stay over in Pismo Beach where the weather was much nicer. 

The next morning we headed back into Avila Beach.

These Pelicans were hanging out with me.

Driving home. 

We went home for a few days before returning to see if we could see the whales again. Plus, I really like going there since I get to spend so much time outside. :) We had foggy, chilly mornings, but beautiful afternoons. 

There was a ton 
of people there one day when the whales were off the end of the pier, so it was really difficult for mom and I to see and photograph the whales. 

One evening, the whales were in the harbor and we saw them from the road which was nice. 

A few times waiting for the whales to come in to the port / harbor, I got to watch the Coastal Bottlenose Dolphins play and feed. There were a lot of them and they were quite frisky.

 

Lots and lots of noisy California Sea Lions, which some of them were pushing others off the dock. Not very nice. 

 

Oh, on the way home from Avila, a truck cut in front of mom, so I honked my horn that is on my tray since mom didn't. I smiled too.

I had some problems with my seizures, so I had to get an IV dose of medication to try to stop them, or calm them down. It didn't really work, but I did get to see the infusion center at the doctor's office. It was a pretty neat place, despite it being a medical treatment area. I also got to take home a neat Panda book.

I got to spend a day with my old school aide; Mary. She watched me while mom went to do her volunteer naturalist job in Santa Barbara. I had a lot of fun as she braided my hair, read books, went for a walk to do some shopping, and just hung out. It was also a nice break from mom.

A few days before school started, I got to go school shopping a few times. I loved it and looked at everything, especially the day mom took me. Every two years I get a new school bag and lunch bag, so this was the year. Cubby also got a few new outfits.

 I started 11th grade this year the day after labor day. I have been doing really well, and thoroughly enjoying it. We are studying insects. I have been full of smiles, giggles and energy! I am not sleeping at all, not even a wink at school, and only at night-time at home.

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you all, but I got my final dates for my Make-A-Wish trip. I am going the week of Thanksgiving so I don't miss any school. My trip is to Orlando, FL to see Mickey and go to Disney World. I am so excited. When I was little, I use to fly all the time and loved it, but its been a really long time since I have flown. Mom hopes I will do just as good, and enjoy it just as much as I used to.

Since it's taken me so long to get this update done, I will add the Endeavours last flight that grandma and mom saw since I had school. Here are a few photos that mom took of it flying by Point Dume in Malibu.

Until next time... 

Love,

                      Kayla