Fall Color Tour

Our Campsite

Bishop Creek Canyon

Bishop Creek

Conway Summit at the base of Virginia Lakes

This is the way we roll!

For the last 30 years or so, or as long as Les was driving truck on the west coast, he's taken me on a "Fall Color Tour". Every year, about now, he would come home and say "it's time for your fall color tour hon' !" I knew just what that meant....he was beginning to see the trees along the way north turn their fall colors in earnest. I'd pack my bag, and the next trip north, I was along for the ride! He knew all the BEST spots.....and as we rode along would tell me to look left or right for that spot, or even a particular tree he had seen, that was a brilliant red or orange. We'd talk till we were both hoarse......about anything and everything. Lots of goals and plans for our life and family were made on those fall color tours. Five years ago, when Les quit driving, so did our fall color tours. Not on purpose mind you, but simply a part of the changing times of our lives....weddings, grandchildren, and now I get to see Les EVERYDAY! So this year, my sweetheart came in the house one day and said "Hon' it's time for your fall color tour". He'd been checking online to see just when the optimum time would be to see COLOR on the east side of the Sierras. He said he had a few vacation days left....com'on...let's GO! So we did.....and were not disappointed.

We camped at Virginia Lakes, 9600ft. evevation in a gorgeous spot. These pics are from the campsite and in and around the general area...say a 50 mile radius. The picture with Les and Mickey in it with all the beautiful trees is taken in Bishop Creek Canyon. Gorgeous!

Trip to Chicagoland

All summer we'd looked forward to our trip to Chicago and visiting Jerry, Bernice, James and Lucas. We weren't disappointed! What fun we had. Les and Jerry did their favorite MAN activity...getting grease under the nails and searching the countryside and city for just the right bolt. Oh yeah, they complained and acted frustrated...but we know the truth! They enjoy the challenge and the hunt for the right part and then finding it and finishing the project!! Another highlight was, of course, Jame's 3rd birthday. If you read Bernice's blog, then you know it was a Thomas the Train theme. After going to the children's museum in Naperville, we stopped for dinner at a train themed diner. It was REALLY cute! The train entered the kitchen on one side and then came out the other laden with all our yummy eats. The next time around it brought out our ice cream dessert....topped with a birthday candle for James. A good day indeed.

We also whiled our time away with shopping at an outlet mall, a really fantastic one, in Aurora, antiquing in Crown Point, Indiana, visiting with friends, and going for walks in the neighborhood. Going for walks was one of my favorite things to do...all the houses in Jerry and Bernice's neighborhood are just plain lovely to look at. White with painted shutters, or wrap around porches decked out in inviting wicker seating and the most humongous lush hanging ferns I've ever seen in my life!! Just like the picture on a magazine cover. If only I could transform MY house to one of those.....sigh.

It IS good to be home again though we miss our dear ones in Illinois....perhaps, someday we can all live a bit closer together....tis a dream ..................................but you never know ;-)

A quilt for James

Three years ago, when Grandma Dora entered the Bethany Home, she wanted something to keep her hands busy. Embroidery was something she could still manage, so off to Beverly's I went, in search of cute small projects. These little quilt squares were just the ticket! I found the coordinating fabric over a year ago and just now was able to finish the quilt in time for our upcoming trip to Chicago for James' 3rd

birthday!! I think it turned out pretty adorable

myself =) !

Fall is on it's way....

We woke to the sound of a tractor's approach....not unusual for 6AM on a week day in our little rural area of the world. The tractor...which turned out to be a swather, stopped in front of the house. It was followed by the silage trucks, and just like that, summer is fading into the distance. Everything in my house would soon be coated in an ADDITIONAL, hahahahaha, layer of dust. I've been working hard lately to purge and organize all the "stuff" one accumulates in 25 years of living in the same place. I'd just FINALLY managed to see the TOP of my craft/sewing table and actually had my sewing machine set up there. The window was open.....and just like that....in a snap! MY nice CLEAN work space was filthy! Aaaaaaarrrrgh! On the bright side....we have our view back. The coast range is once again a gorgeous scene at sunset thru the front window. Ahhhhhhhhh.....fall is on it's way.

New bathroom!

Over a month ago, I began to work on re-doing our bathroom. For years...nearly twenty I believe....the bath has been decorated with a painted latice work and climbing roses on a beige background. I went for a BIG change and painted it a Laura Ashley color, Apple Green#3, and bright gloss white. The handles on all the cabinets and drawers were removed and replaced with glass knobs I purchased on a recent trip to Snohomish, Washington. The bird hooks and modified toilet paper holder came from Capitola, CA., two years ago. I've been hanging on to them with this project in mind....that's how long I've been pondering this re-do!!

Since my brain doesn't work in a grid pattern ;), my wonderful "measure twice, cut once" hubby, laid the new peel and stick tile for me....thank you honey!! It looks great...don't you think?? So nice and fresh!

Loveseat that I love.....

Ah...loveseat that I love....let me count the ways :)

1.Thou art lovely to look upon.

2. Thou art the correct color...in that burgundy plushness.

3. Thy pillows and cushions are soft and lush, but supportive due to your 56 pocket, ultra high coil density, roboticaly placed, ultrasonically welded seating.

4. Thy size is diminutive, yet adequate, just long enough for me to lounge with feet elevated....oh, the thought of it!

5. Thou art curved and rolled in precisely all the right places...sigh.

6. And lastly, though certainly not least.....the one thing that made me love thee at first sight, ah, thinking of it makes my heart pitter patter......... thou wast, ahem, half price!

It's a cat's life.....

Whoever said "it's a dog's life" .... never owned a cat.

Left to right....Sugar, Cinnabon, and Bob

Conference call

This is the way things go at our house.....talk on the phone outdoors, and everyone (chickens, goose, cats, dogs, goldfish, steer, goats...you get the picture...) thinks you're talking to THEM. It's such a ruckus that sometimes you can't hear who you're talking to in the first place.

Mr. Tree and the girls who love him

Mr. Tree has lived here for some time now, but it is only recently that the girls truly discovered their love for him. They surround him and sit at his feet day after day, cleaning between his toes. At various times during the day they take turns leaving their gift of gratitude. They entrust him with their most precious possession, an egg :). Each one vigorously announces that they've left this gift; proud to let the world know that they've done it! Or, is it the same RELIEF we feel when a job is well done and we want to shout it to the world?! The analogies could go on forever here.....

Down the road on a Harley

A new beginning....

After being off this blogsite for a year and a half....I've decided to give it another try. I quite honestly was not feeling blogworthy for quite some time. It was a burdon. One more thing on a long list of chores. However, after so much enjoyment from looking at the blogs of those who are nearest and dearest to me, and encouragement from a good friend; I begin anew. A weekly entry seems do-able so that's my goal......