You can fool the fans - but not the players.... John Cage

Yosemite in May - just another version of breathtaking.

Sometimes you just get lucky and hit it just right. Not too many other people, no road work, not too many wildfires and the accompanying smoke in the air... just the always amazing views of Tuolumne and the Yosemite Valley.

Tenaya Lake, which we were skating on not four months ago...

Just beginning to wake up from its snowy sleep.

Dogwood in full bloom in the valley - the lower elevations are fully green and lush.

Shot along the banks of the rushing Merced River.

I could have stayed here all day.

This is the time to get to Yosemite. Even though the campgrounds are full on the weekends you can still squeeze in midweek.

The view from Tunnel overlook on Hwy 41. Classic.

Bridalveil Falls.

Taken from along the road below. The Merced on one side, this on the other.

I don't know the name of this waterfall, but it was across the valley from Bridalveil.

Merced River.

Oops!

Get on a plane, train, bus or in your car and go there, NOW!

Yosemite in May - just another version of breathtaking.

Sometimes you just get lucky and hit it just right. Not too many other people, no road work, not too many wildfires and the accompanying smoke in the air... just the always amazing views of Tuolumne and the Yosemite Valley.

Tenaya Lake, which we were skating on not four months ago...

Just beginning to wake up from its snowy sleep.

Dogwood in full bloom in the valley - the lower elevations are fully green and lush.

Shot along the banks of the rushing Merced River.

I could have stayed here all day.

This is the time to get to Yosemite. Even though the campgrounds are full on the weekends you can still squeeze in midweek.

The view from Tunnel overlook on Hwy 41. Classic.

Bridalveil Falls.

Taken from along the road below. The Merced on one side, this on the other.

I don't know the name of this waterfall, but it was across the valley from Bridalveil.

Merced River.

Oops!

Get on a plane, train, bus or in your car and go there, NOW!

Exploring a place through the dead

I thought long and hard about what to name this post and whether confessing that we love old cemeteries makes us weird. I decided it does not. I bet that a lot of people find the smallest of hints about a life, a family, a community make for a fascinating afternoon. There is so much to be learned by wandering around a cemetery and so much else to wonder.

 

We aren't big fans of modern cemeteries. You won't find us wandering around the one with the perfectly manicured plots. We like old. We like cemeteries that tell stories and hold the history of a place. We've poked around cemeteries in Leadville, Sierraville and most recently, Benton.

 

Although Benton's cemetery has gravestones dating as recently as 2009, there is a large part of it that is much older and obviously abandoned. The once ornate fences and headstones are falling down around the graves, the wood shows the ravages of time, wind and weather, and no one has visited them for a very long time.

 

Where are the families of these people? Has the entire clan passed on? Is there no one to tend to the memories of the dead?

 

These are the questions we ask each other as we wander around reading the headstones and trying to piece together the stories.

 

It is really beautiful in a melancholy sort of way.

 

There is an unwritten code of ethics in an old graveyard - no one takes anything from it but photos and memories - so the beautifully carved fenceposts and gates and marble are all still laying where they fell.

 

We visited this cemetery in the late afternoon on a sunny winter day and the light was so great, the air so clear and crisp, the wind brisk - it was easy to imagine how harsh yet beautiful life was in Benton years ago.

 

And at one time someone went to a lot of effort to enclose these plots.

 

 

 

But now, nothing but decay.

 

It was just so beautiful to me. I couldn't stop snapping photos from all angles - careful all the while of where I was stepping so as to not to disrespect the dead.

 

All of us end up here and who knows how long a family survives... we have fewer and fewer children to live on after us. And I'm sure a place that seems so wonderful to us might seem like godforsaken nowhere to a descendant. So they move away and the memories of the ones who've passed fade away until the only ones visiting the graves are the curious. Like us.

Benton Hot Springs weekend

Not far from us, but far enough away to get away, is Benton Hot Springs. We go there regularly, but not often enough - for when we do get there we find it completely and utterly relaxing. We've stayed at the B&B (highly recommended) and we've camped and I've celebrated milestone birthdays there with friends and family. There's no cell service and they only recently added wi-fi at the B&B.

 

The hot springs are located in a scrubby area of east Mono County and although there are some great rocks and canyons, the real draw here is the water.

 

Up the canyon from the campground and B&B is the big hot pool, the source, the mother-pool.... but it is too hot to touch here. It's all fenced off to keep idiots and dogs from leaping in, but the stream that flows down to the resort is open and just dipping your hand in it illustrates how scalding it is up at this pool. It flows for about a quarter mile to the tubs and still comes out very, very warm.

 

The campground is great because each site has its own tub. There are big tile tubs, smaller redwood tubs, sites for several vehicles, sites that are more private. We chose a larger one since we had three couples and three camping vehicles.

 

The tubs are drained, scrubbed and refilled between visitors. There's no slime, no grease, no heebie-jeebies. Just lovely hot water.

 

We had the infamous Holiday Rambler, our spacious abode...

 

Our friends had their more maneuverable campers and jeeps.

 

We did a lot of this...

 

And this....

 

And this....

Then there was some of this:

 

And then a little more of this:

 

We managed to get out just a little:

 

Where 3 out of 4 of us tangled with the deadly cholla:

 

But thankfully JC carries a multi-tool with pliers and was able to extract the beasts with little damage.

And we ended the days with this:

 

along with just enough beer, margaritas and one night, shots of whipped cream vodka. Yum.

 

Sigh. (Map image is from Best Made Company).

A little bit of country in the city.

Seems like every year I'm down in southern California in February. It is my birthday month (I like to stretch it into a month), it is smack in the middle of winter, and for some reason I just like to get away from here for a weekend in February.

 

I seem to need some time with my mom and sis mid-winter. And one of my favorite ways to start the day is to take a walk in the hills on the edge of the city.

 

In February it is always green down there and flowers are beginning to bloom. The air is moist and even though the nights can be chilly it warms up quickly.

 

It never ceases to amaze me what I see on this walk. Birds, including big birds of prey, are all over this canyon, and they must drop seeds of some domestic plants that take root and become wild. This isn't a great photo but I think this is a penstemon and it had bright red flowers blooming.

 

This is urban southern California so I carry pepper spray and always walk with my dogs. You never know. And I'm constantly reminding myself to stay aware of what is around me. So often when I hike or walk it is a time I can let my mind go but I don't allow it down here. It is prudent to stay alert.

 

So far the only people I've met are other dog owners with their dogs. Friendly, chatty, people I end up waving at across the canyon on subsequent walks.

These are wild artichokes and they are so interesting year 'round. The blooms are gorgeous a little later in the year and we've seen the little artichokes. I've never tried eating them but I've taken a lot of photos of them in all seasons.

 

It is completely wonderful that this exists so close to all the chaos of the city - surrounding this canyon are subdivisions, a business park, big box stores, and bustling busy streets. But there are sections of this walk where you can't see any of it and it gets very quiet and peaceful with only the sounds of a bird call or the drone of bees.

 

And the green. My eye needs green this time of year when everything up here is dormant and gray or brown. All this foliage does something for the senses.

 

Along one section someone has taken the time over the years to line the path with round stones. This goes on for quite a ways. JC and I were walking up here once and saw a barefoot guy placing stones - and you wonder why.

 

The dogs absolutely love this canyon and it is the only opportunity they have to be leash-free. They know when we are heading for the area and they know that mornings, after a cup of coffee, are when we go. So the eyes start boring into your brain sending that subliminal dog message, "Take me for a walk" soon after we get up.

 

It is just a fabulous way to start the day. Then I happily climb into the car and hit the stores, drive the freeways, navigate the city.

There's just something about visiting the place where it all happens...

Last week I was with my co-workers wandering the halls of the state capital. We went to meet with representatives that work with communities in the Sierra, something we do about once a year just to remind them that we are here. There is something about being in the capital, any capital, that fascinates me because this is where it all happens - the lobbying, the arguing, the decisions that affect us in our little towns.

 

 

I love all the old buildings, the history, the pomp and circumstance. I like walking around the Capital area of Sacramento and all the detail of the buildings. I like the hoardes of school kids getting a lesson in politics.

 

There are two parts to the Capital building in Sacramento - a historic, rennovated section and a newer section. Of course I like wandering around the older section. There are a couple of politico offices decked out in period decor that a visitor may peer into; elevators with big, ornate, brass doors; and wide halls with high ceilings.

 

Things are "grand" in the capital... and reminiscent of a much more formal era.

 

We were successful, too, in meeting with legislative staffers and talking about a few of the issues that hit home with Sierrans... the water bond, funding for low and moderate income housing.

We had lunch at Magpie Catering

 

We've used this catering company when we've hosted the Vision Awards at the Leland Stanford Mansion and they are excellent....

 

Lunch was excellent too.

 

I wanted to take this bike home with me

 

only it belonged to someone else, was chained to a post, and I was in a carpool with three other people.

 

Still, one can dream.

 

Just one day in the city, that's all I need. A shot of brick and iron, a few photos of an older time.

 

And one or two treats...

 

that aren't easily found in a small town.

We packed our bags before evening traffic and were heading back up to the Sierra as the sun went down... happily returning to our rural homes.

2011 in review

This is the time of year when you see reflection from every direction. Turn on the television, tune in the radio, read the headlines... everyone is looking back. So why should I be any different? What WAS 2011 about anyway?

A year ago (almost) Rhea was at Millpond and being schooled by Janet. She was willing but lacked confidence and has grown up so beautifully this year. She's a fine little mare.

 

Vegas, baby! with Southern Charm. We loved this place, called the Green Valley Spa and Resort in Henderson. It was a fun Art & Soul retreat, we had a car so we thrifted in Vegas, and as always we just managed to have a good time together.

 

In March, spring begins to come to the valley. Cruelly, right after this was taken, we had a hard freeze and big winds that stripped our fruit trees of blossoms meaning - no fruit this year. What will this spring bring after this very weird start to winter?

 

April was sort of magical in that I happened by this foal right after birth... and they happened to be close enough to the road that I could get some fabulous photos. It was a joy to watch this foal grow all through the spring. There were lots of other babies around the valley but this one was special for me.

 

May I flew to Boise to see my niece graduate. It was an amazing time with family and I loved southern Idaho. I could live there. Boise has a great small town feel with a lot of amenities, even an Anthropologie!

 

Looking back, it was a year of travel. In June we were in Colorado for a family reunion, visiting Leadville, Breckinridge, and Frisco. I blogged quite a bit about Leadville - what great buildings and history there. And I loved the terrain; high and open.

That's enough retrospection for now... I'll finish the year before the year is finished. I'm off to the races, now... we've got our sights on Yosemite again today.

Christmas Day in Yosemite; Skating Tenaya Lake

The lack of snow is becoming alarming while at the same time it is paving the way for some historic moments. Last year was epic in the amount of snow we had over the holidays, and this year is epic in the availability of ice. We are focused on the ice and making the most of it while doing our best NOT to focus on the lack of snow.

Christmas Day we headed to Yosemite. Tioga Pass is open, we've heard that the skating at some of the lakes up there was not to be missed and so we set our sights on Tenaya Lake. We packed a lunch and got on the road as early as we could (which wasn't really that early - cause after all it was Christmas!) and set off.

 

What a perfect day. No wind, brilliant blue skies, and ice like glass. As we drove into the park we saw people taking advantage of the availability of Tuolumne in all sorts of ways - climbers on the domes, photographers setting up to capture the icy beauty of the river, hikers braving the persistent patches of snow, and ice skaters on ponds, the river, and Tenaya Lake.

 

We skated the entire lake. There is some open water in the middle that we steered clear of, but the rest of the lake was 4-6 inches of solid ice that was so crystal clear in places that you could see the bottom of the lake you were skating over. That was a little disconcerting - I felt like the puppy on the glass.

 

This was a Christmas to remember. We didn't do many gifts this year and the ones we gave each other were practical, but this was a gift for the two of us that we will look back on and treasure for years. Everywhere we skated people we greeting each other and wishing one another Merry Christmas. Over and over we heard people noting what an amazing day this was and what a unique experience to be a part of. No one was taking it for granted.

 

We asked a park ranger when the last time the pass had been open this late into the year and he told us 1999. I'm not sure if there was ice skating then - I was finishing school in Reno that year. The flip side of all this magic is the growing worry about drought - which we keep pushing off thinking about until tomorrow.

 

JC had our skates sharpened and my Christmas gift was a pair of boot gloves - neoprene covers that help keep your feet warm in standard-issue figure skates. I love 'em. They really worked and they make me feel so professional.

 

The ice is so beautiful in itself - the cracks, the bubbles, the difference in clarity. I have way too many photos of ice. Maybe I can use them as backgrounds in Photoshop or something... but I can't seem to stop taking shots of the ice.

 

We packed some hot soup and some cold beer for this expedition and Rogue Chocolate Stout was definitely the right beer for the day. My chair is now permanently wearing the last little bit of my chocolate stout as I overturned my glass when I returned to my seat after our last lap. I was more upset over spilling the last of the beer than the stained chair - but it'll spark a memory each time I use the chair.

 

The dogs went with us although they had to spend most of the time on their leashes in the bed of the truck... the ranger had us move them off the beach. They were happy with their beds and Christmas bones.

 

Glorious day. Wonderful Christmas.

 

If the weather and the ice holds we'll be back next weekend to bring in the New Year in similar fashion.

 

Can't waste a moment of this sweet life.

What weekend?

I admit it - I am spoiled. I work at home, I live in a beautiful place, and I am steadily working my way towards goals I have dreamed of. There is a studio filled with materials and tools downstairs, dogs lounging around under my computer desk, and horses just down the road. So every day is practically a weekend, right?

Well, I wish it felt that way, but the days fly by and there is always something that needs to get done that doesn't get done, the house always has piles of projects and "to-do"s, and I wonder how did I ever manage to work outside the house? And when work calls me away from home... it is probably actually a good thing. I tend to be a hermit otherwise.

This past weekend was truncated by work - good work, but work nonetheless. JC came home and was on his own mission to organize everything he brought home before returning to his winter job today, this morning. Then there was the time change. Did we even have a weekend?

 

I'm beginning to work in more of a production mode, and it is working pretty well with the way metalwork has to fit into all the other obligations of the day. I started out by cutting many rectangles and squares of brass, not just a few.

 

I took all those out to the bench grinder for one session of smoothing corners and edges. Working this way allows me to get into a "zone" of concentration and learn how to better my techniques as I'm working. It doesn't calm my impatience the way making just a few at a time does, but I think as this progresses there will always be materials in various stages of completion so that I get the satisfaction of the finished product.

It is easier to fit the work into my day this way, too. It is more focused. If I have a couple of hours to work there is a pile of material to work with. I don't have so much opportunity to spin - wondering where to start.

 

My work on Saturday took me to the "big" city of Ridgecrest, which sports a couple of big box stores including Home Depot. I went in looking for brass strips and came out with a length of copper pipe and a new pipe cutter. We'd learned how to make round bezels in one of Stephanie's classes but I hadn't yet incorporated it into my own work.

JC helped me cut rings from pipe - it isn't as easy to cut nice thin ones as it looked when Stephanie did it! And I developed blisters from turning the pipe and the cutter - agh! Physical labor.

 

I carved out a little time last evening to work with circles, again setting off the smoke alarm numerous times despite having cross-flow ventilation with two windows open AND the ceiling fan on.

 

But I am liking the round bezels with the ball chain accent!

The time change does one big thing for me - it gives me longer evenings inside. Summer it is so hard to get in early since evenings are the most beautiful time to ride and be outside but winter, winter is all about long evenings, music, fires in the woodstove, dinners with JC, and studio time.

In keeping with more of a production mode mentality I finished off the work session with prepping some pearls for adding later. Copper pearls with sterling silver wire... beautiful...

 

I still don't know where the weekend went but here it is Monday and work, responsibilities, routine, chores - all are calling with a mighty voice. At least I am up early.

The Branding we didn't make it to...

Ahhh, the best laid plans. The coolers are packed, the camera battery charged, the vehicles fueled. We were heading north to a branding. A weekend in the valley, good friends, beer, calf nuts and camaraderie. And we had all that - just not the branding part.

 

Vehicles have a way of determining the outcome of a day and driving up the 99 and over on the 80 has been hard on our vehicles. This time it was a camp trailer tire - the Holiday Rambler ended up disabled just long enough for us to miss the branding. But... nobody was hurt, we were all together and we made the best of it.

 

How could you not with weather like this? Driving over Conway Summit I stopped several times to take photos, knowing that in just a few days it would be all different. One hard freeze, one windstorm (not that we ever get those), and all those glorious colors will be gone, leaving bare branches waiting for snow.

 

I'm sure that up any canyon on the east side is much better than from the road, but it was a balance this day and as it was I got a late start (surprise!) and had several errands to run in Reno before getting to the valley. This is what I got and it was a heck of a lot better than no fall color at all. I know I keep saying this but the wheels are in motion for change and next year I should be able to squeeze in a hike or two.

 

There have been years when I've not made it up the grade to the higher country and missed October all together... I'm counting my blessings.

 

Once we settled in at our dear friends' house we made the most of it. The HR is such a cool camp trailer. Our wonderful hostess immediately produced a table and this stellar tablecloth, we pulled out the vintage pink chairs, and cocktail hour was upon us. We made it to the branding potluck and JC got his calf nuts, we socialized with friends old and new, and completed the weekend with no more mishaps.

 

This might be one of my favorite bumper stickers ever. The Plumas-Sierra Cattlewomen put this out and it adorns more than a few trucks in this ranching valley.

 

I love this valley and JC is falling for it too. I wouldn't be surprised if we ended up back here some day. It is a place where social networks are established around a someone's kitchen table or a cup of coffee in a cafe.

 

It has a lot of history. Families have lived and ranched here for generations. We saw too many "For Sale" signs on ranches, signs that things have not been easy lately. There's a lot of pressure on this valley and it isn't easy to make a living.

 

You can't come here looking for a job -  you've almost got to bring it with you. Retirees and second homeowners are buying up the old houses because they are the only ones who can. And it isn't a bad thing - lots of the historic houses are being lovingly restored by these new owners - but they sit empty a lot and some of the vibrancy of the community is lost.

 

I do love this valley and am so thankful for the years I spent here, the friends I made, and the memories I have and continue to make.