Yuba River

I'm a kid who grew up swimming in weed-infested farm ditches and a thick-green-algae lake. We'd choke on midges while water-skiing and never-mind slipping on that old cowpie. There were a few clear water sources that were perfect for a quick panicked dip and but were far too cold for actual swimming.

I assumed that all rivers and lakes were of equal caliber. I should never assume. A few days ago we found a swimmers paradise. Crystal clear water with huge granite boulders. There were deep pools, shallow pools and short underwater tunnels. There were cliffs perfect for jumping and short gentle waterfalls perfect for sliding. There were strong currents and calm inlets. The water was just cool enough to be refreshing but certainly not too warm. We'd scampered upstream on the boulders then floated downstream. We sunned ourselves on the rocks while we ate our lunch and watched the little carp putter about. It was perfection, plain and simple.





The view from the bridge before we took the trail upriver


Cute little pregnant Momma who makes the best blackberry crumble in the whole wide world


Ten toes

Another good combo

Camping under the stars. Minimal sleep included. Who knew that a lake could be so loud.


Breakfast in Nevada City

Bliss

Tahoe Rim Trail



Post ride swim

Spandex

My road riding sister talked us into going metro this weekend. No muddy hiking boots, minimal dirt, lots of spandex and a sleek sexy bike. Denver's not sure he's a huge fan. I am.






I stole the last two photos from the road riding sister We'll see how this goes down.

Melody

We met baby Melody for the first time this weekend. Sweet baby with the brightest blue eyes and the proudest parents in all the land.

Send-off

We gathered this weekend to wish my oldest brother and his small family safe travels and success with their new life and venture. The days were full of childhood repeats this time even better because the work was just for fun, my youngest siblings make eveything ten times better AND we didn't have to dig any thistles. The youngest siblings (they prefer to be called Uncle and Aunt at this point) are well on their way to becoming champion thistle exterminators. I don't know many other five and seven-year-olds that can so quickly identify thistle varities and specify the method of destruction. Plus they're already making $0.25 an hour.

Thistles aside, we did all sorts of fun: slept on the trampoline, picked veggies from the garden, fed watermelon rinds to the horses, baby-talked to the baby, woke up before the sun every morning and visited with aunts, uncles, cousins and old friends


Jumped off the bridge


Fed the chickens in our pjamas


Dined on the back porch


Irrigated and swatted mosquitoes


Arranged flowers for the party


Drove the 4-wheeler around, I mean, helped Dad with the flood irrigation



Made a few cookies



Drank all Dad's coffee. We drove away with not a single bean left in the house and him pulling some Folgers instant brew from the back shelf.

Happy Anniversary

Thirty years of wedded bliss
this handsome Mr and his Miss
i've heard the story many times
they started off rich in love but not a single dime

Assured they ran a greater race
the 8-5 game was not their pace
home church, home school and work from home
they give what's theirs and love to roam

They believe in hard work, independence and Grace
they dream of land and lots of space
three kids raised and now two more
their not afraid of life's new door

Thirty years of wedded bliss
this Mr and his pretty Miss
still go strong but savor rest
hot tea and coffee are what's best

Bumpass Hell

I could say that we spent the weekend camping at Lassen with my family, ate lots of s'mores, swam in a lake, rode our bikes and slept under the stars. However, I'd rather say that we hiked to Bumpass Hell.



Because we did, and then the world ended.

Summer

Armed with personal rafts and a few remaining hours of daylight and warmth we headed to the Truckee river. We had heard many mentions of this Reno summer tradition but had yet to give it a go. The float was as every float should be with leaking floatation devices, treacherous tree branches, unexpected rocks and water wars. We finally landed downtown and attempted to warm our shivering-goose-bumpy bodies in the setting sun before the quick walk back to the house.