picnic in the valley

Hello, few and faithful who read this blog and care that I update frequently! I apologize for being MIA this week thus far.  We've been entertaining some friends of friends who are visiting Sicily on their way through Italy.  Lena and I have so much fun introducing Carrie and Ginny to a few of our favorite haunts near our home, and we also took a fun adventure to the ancient port city of Syracuse yesterday.  I've got some pretty pictures to share, hopefully tomorrow!

In the meantime, here's a bit of life around here...

For awhile now I've wanted to have a picnic with my friend Becca and her kids, but the weather's been cold and rainy and windy, and thus a picnic hasn't been at the top of our list of ways to hang out.  However, as of mid-March, Sicily seems to have changed her opinion about what season we're in, and spring has sprung!

And what better way to celebrate than to picnic in the great green outdoors?

 

                

     

It was warm and sunny and, other than a shepherd with his flock of sheep, we were the only people in the valley.  After our picnic lunch, we hiked a little more through the cacti and green grass.  The walk back up out of the valley at the end was the toughest part of our hike, but it was a rewarding way to finish a healthy, hearty picnic in our gigantic backyard!