The "Zoo"

As a special birthday treat for Jude, we visited a nearby petting zoo/animal refuge.  We followed the "zoo" signs up a narrow switchback road.  A local family runs it and visited with us while we played with the animals.  They have a rescued bear, wolf, llama, and camel.  Additionally they have Australian deer, geese, pigs, rabbits, peacocks, sheep, a horse, a donkey, emus, plus a few I forgot.  Most of these are in one giant pen and are very friendly, especially one little piggy that wouldn't leave our ankles.  It was an immersion petting zoo experience like none we've had before, and lots of fun.

This is the little pig Artur that likes people (and milk) more than other piggies.

Artur especially loved Max.  

A 10-day-old goat that let us love on her.  

Skipping School

Craig had a day off and took the three bigs out of school for a day of fishing in Kotor Bay.  This is Seth's perfect day of school.

And when you are tired of fishing, read Harry Potter.

Homemade Halloween

We celebrated Halloween at the embassy and with Trunk-or-Treat at the kids' school.  We (Craig) used a borrowed Harry Potter costume and owl, our costume box, paint, the wrapping paper box, and moving boxes to create this years costumes.  Seth and Jude both won most creative! 

Taco Seth

Jude the Tank, with an awesome hatch for collecting treats

Max, a woodland elf, with his Viking dad

Harry Potter

The mini van as a Monster for trunk-or-treat, a bean bag tossed through an eye to get a treat

One Last Picture from the Trip

I forgot to mention this funny moment from our time in the mountains.  This gal was at the playground at the hotel where we stayed when we returned for naps.

Free range?

More Kotor

Day 2 we took a tour of Kotor Bay and Our Lady of the Rocks. 

Gee and our boat captain, Ivan

Sveti Djordje -- The other small island in the bay, home of a monastery.  It's beautiful, but you can only look at it.

Vic censoring a couple of statues on Our Lady of the Rocks

Arriving at Our Lady of the Rocks

Kotor Bay

After the mountains and a few days back in Podgorica, we went for a long weekend on Kotor Bay.

Day 1 we dropped Seth, Gee, and Pops off for a Old City Kotor tour.  While they learned some history and climbed the 1,350 steps up the city wall, the other boys and I went to a nearby beach, Solila, for the morning.  We were the only visitors to the beach on this almost warm morning.

Leaving Kotor Old Town

On Solila Beach.... 

Boys braving the cold water at our Air BnB

Tara Canyon Zipline

Friends told us it was awesome, so we did it.  We were a little nervous, but it was fantastic.  Even better.  All eight of us, from youngest (Jude) to oldest (Pops) zip-lined.  Vic and I went first because I was afraid I would chicken out otherwise.

It is 1050 meters across (0.65 miles) and goes 80-100 km/h (50-60+ mph).

Tara Canyon is the deepest in Europe, so I am not sure what purpose the helmets serve????

If you listen carefully at the beginning, Gee really tried to un-make her decision to cross.  

Vic's initial feeling

We're off.  All the kids went tandem with zipline staff.

Day 2: Black Lake

We spent the morning of Day 2 hiking around Black Lake, located inside Durmitor National Park.  Again, stunning.  And, joyful to see boys run free.

See Seth?

Boys exploring on their own

The Durmitor Mountains

Our first travels with Gee and Pops were to the Durmitor Mountains in the northwest of Montenegro.  It was peak fall color and all around stunning. Day 1 we hired Ivan and his 4x4 to take us all around.  We drove the Durmitor Ring and a few more "roads" off the beaten path, which is saying a lot here where the path isn't exactly "beaten".

Gee and Pops came for a Visit for Fall Break

Skadar Lake

It is a grace to make dear friends.  It is a special grace to be with them twice in an Army life.  She isn't Army, but we shared our time in Indiana and Virginia with Ronke.  And, she stopped by Montenegro on her 30th birthday travels with friends.  We toured Skadar Lake, the largest lake in southern Europe, together on a beautiful Saturday morning.  

A water chestnut carved into a dragon by our boat captain