Picnic Day is UC Davis’ annual open house and one of the largest student-run events in the country. Yet, it took us nearly 5 years living here in Davis before we finally ventured a visit. We arrived on campus early Saturday morning, where Westley got to climb aboard a fire truck and shake hands with fire fighters before we made our way to the entomology exhibits, learned about mosquito control, tasted honey samples, and created some maggot art. The campus was much busier by the time we returned from his dance lesson in Davis. We split up to wait in line for food trucks, and enjoyed a smoked lamb sandwich from Smokin’ Ewe, popcorn chicken and taro milk tea from Quickly, and churro sundae from Cowtown Creamery on Hutchinson Field as the dog frisbee contests were underway. The sun was beating hard on us as we made our way past the Silo to the Cole animal facilities, but we reached the petting zoo and showed our support for animal research. On Sunday, after 99 Ranch and Yum Buffet, we returned to the Vacaville RH Outlet to purchase a new cowhide rug for our living room. I was glad the rug fit in my car, as the 5-year-old bimmer has been a source of angst for me with another windshield replacement and navigation system issues requiring a pricey repair that didn’t even fix the problem. I felt better after Westley helped me vacuum and clean the car, but I’m again reminded of the cost of car ownership in California.