Creek cabins

We left Reverse Creek last week and headed home.  We had 4 days of relatively average (for June) temps of 104, or thereabouts.  But with higher humidity and temps, we headed to San Diego for a few days.  I walked around all the cabins there at Reverse Creek, which is halfway between June Lake and Silver Lake,  and took this photo.  While they look small from the outside, they are actually quite roomy inside.  They are completely furnished with all dishes and utensils and PLENTY of towels.

If you want info on them, here is the website:   http://www.reversecreeklodge.com/
Yes, it is a family-run place and the kids come and clean the cabins!  Wonderful, friendly family.

Remembering Yarnell June, 2013

This is the one year anniversary of the deaths of 19 brave firefighters, the Granite Mountain Hot Shots.

Let's face it...global warning or not, this year has been hot and DRY.  We saw lakes up in the Sierras that were down 25%.  Our mountains here above Deep Canyon are dry.  And, they are full of chapparal.

There is already an out-of-control fire this summer in Arizona, over by Vernon, which is east of Show Low.  AZ Central is providing coverage, so you can go over there to read about it.   5,000 acres burned so far.

Here's the link to a story about the Granite Mountain Hot Shots:
http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/arizona/2014/06/28/yarnell-fire-prescott-pain-lingers/11661827/

Bless them and their families. We will never forget...

Just around Emerald Bay...

No words needed.

Sierra Nevada fences~Good Fences~062714

Fences near Lone Pine, eastern Sierra, CA.  Good Fences for Friday, June 27, 2014.   To view other fences, please go to:   http://run-a-roundranch.blogspot.com/

UPDATE***This is off Lubken Road, the one at the south end of town, by the trailer park.  This road heads up toward the Sierras and it goes through the ranch that the sunflowers are on.  In fact, I think there is a pheasant hunting ranch there, too.  We ALWAYS take this road.  It is one of our favorites!

Skywatch Friday~Sierras and moon~062714

Views of the moon from the eastern Sierra Nevada last week.  SkyWatch Friday for June 27, 2014.   To visit SkyWatch Friday, please go to:    http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Lone Pine

We love Lone Pine and always stop there both going to the Sierras and coming home.  It's just such a beautiful area!  The sunflowers were blooming and, of course, we HAD to drive along the road to view them.  That's hubby in the 3rd photo...taking photos!   :-)  He loves the Alabama Hills.

Readers' blogs question

Does anybody know why I can only see 1 other blog on my readers' blogs?  It's been like this now for 3 days.  And, when I scroll down to "view others", I still only see 1 blog...sigh...So, if I don't visit your blog until this gets resolved, at least you'll know why...
STUPID GOOGLE BLOGGER!  Grrrrrrrrr!

***UPDATE*** As of 5:00 a.m. today, the issue has been resolved.  Apparently this was some kind of bug that the folks at Google had to fix!  Now I can get caught up on everybody's blogs!   :-)

HOME!

I drove 8 hours yesterday, from June Lake to Palm Desert.  Hubby either had a case of altitude sickness or a virus.  I'm thinking it was a virus, because he had it all day and we descended in altitude.  I had it two days ago, while we were IN the Sierras.  Poof!  I suddenly had a headache, was fatigued, and felt nauseated.  I didn't eat dinner, and I RARELY miss a meal!  :-)  Anyway, in his condition, I didn't want him to drive, so after lunch at Jack's in Bishop, I headed down Highway 395, past the dust clouds at Owens Lake (sigh...) and made it home on a tank of gas.  Going downhill toward home is a LOT easier than climbing from 200 feet above sea level to 8,000!

I already miss the whispering of the aspen trees, the antics of the blue jays, and the squabbles of the squirrels!  I found a woodpecker nest and I watched the parents fly in and out while the babies squawked for their next meal.  A deer showed up yesterday morning about 5:00 a.m. and a coyote crept through the cabins Sunday night about 7:00 p.m.

But, hubby has to return to work, so instead of staying overnight in Ridgecrest, I just drove home.  The dogs were overjoyed to see us and Abby, our indoor cat, told us about how SHE felt being left alone for a week.  She was NOT HAPPY!

I didn't take any photos on the way home.  Instead I put my foot to the gas pedal and away we went!  I'm sure we'll be back either this summer or next fall.  Maybe I'll take a couple of days off in October, so that we can return and see the beautiful fall leaves...

Blue Jay bloopers!

I spent the morning TRYING to get some decent pics of the blue jays outside our cabin, however...they are tricky fellows!  And, FAST!  I did get some decent shots, but I thought you might enjoy these "action" ones!   :-)

And, one final photo...YES, he did land on the BBQ and check me out!  They are so cheeky!

Look who came for dinner!

These guys are so entertaining!  They squawk, they chase each other off, they stuff themselves!  Who could ask for better entertainment?

California's drought

Well, we DID get rain and hail Tuesday afternoon in South Lake Tahoe, but there is no rain in the forecast for the next 10 days. As we pulled onto the June Lake loop yesterday afternoon, we were shocked at the condition of Grant Lake.  Grant Lake is one of the 3 lakes in the loop and they all supply water to Los Angeles (don't EVEN get me started on that controversy!).  We've NEVER seen the lake so low.  Even Mono Lake was a lot lower than last summer, but Grant Lake...it is pathetic!

The top two photos show how low Mono Lake is this year.

The bottom two photos show how low Grant Lake is this year.  I sure hope the folks in Los Angeles are conserving water!

Western fences near Lake Tahoe~Good Fences~062014

I always love coming up to Lake Tahoe.  When I was a kid, my mom and aunt used to bring my cousin and I up to Camp Richardson.  They were cousins to the family that owned it, the Richardson family.  Don and I would play with his wooden Lincoln logs and throw them at each other.  Camp Richardson, in those days, wasn't as busy or as crowded as it is now.  Frankly, I don't think I would camp there today...too many people.  But, in the early 60's, it was a great vacation from the suburbs of Los Angeles.

One thing I always loved, and still do, are the fences up here.  Real Western fences!  Like these zig-zag ones, made with REAL logs!

Good Fences for June 20, 2014.   To visit Good Fences, please go to:   http://run-a-roundranch.blogspot.com/

Emerald Bay

On Wednesday we drove up to Emerald Bay.  I hadn't forgotten how beautiful the forest is up there.  Lots of rocks along the winding road, then a clear view of the bay below.  Along the way, we had stopped to take some photos and we saw two bald eagles soaring above the lake!  That really made our day.  We continued on to a lookout above the Vikingsholm in the bay.  Then, we followed Fallen Leaf road out to the marina and along the way we spotted one of the fences I love!  It was a good day.

HAIL at Lake Tahoe!

When we arrived at South Lake Tahoe, we both could see dark storm clouds and thunderheads off to the east.  By the time we checked in and went to Raley's Market, it was starting to sprinkle and then rain, WITH HAIL!!!  HAIL!  We were safely tucked into our hotel room and worked on a dinner with steak, chicken, and baked potatoes.  Oh, and some kind of white wine.  Vacation is good.

I almost forgot to blog today! Happy Father's Day!

It's been a busy two days here.  Yesterday I drove up to the horses for a quick visit and a trip to the feed store for 4 bags of pellets and 2 huge salt blocks.  It's that time of year and Lucille really goes through the salt!  Back down the hill for a quick shower, then over to our daughter's for a TGIO (thank God it's OVER) party for some of her teacher friends.  Then, back to their house this morning for a Father's Day breakfast, and now off to our son's for a Father's Day dinner with the entire family.  Phew!  I need a vacation from my vacation!

Once again, up at the ranch, I was enthralled by all the hummingbirds up there.  The ranch owner has 4 separate feeders for them.  There must have been over 50 of the little guys darting and buzzing around!  One flew right by my nose!

Fortunately the ranch owner makes her own solution.  Some of the hummers are babies that never migrated and I saw a very tiny one.  I always enjoy watching them.  Some are quite aggressive toward THEIR feeders!   :-)

I SURVIVED!

There were times this school year when I thought I might not survive.  I used up ALL of my 10 day sick leave plus another 8 or 9 days.  Ugh.  This really was the class from HELL.  In 28 years of teaching, this group was THE WORST EVER.  Not only were they low, low, low, but they made it perfectly clear THEY DID NOT WANT TO LEARN.  No way.  No how.  They rebelled.  They didn't bring homework.  They didn't care.  They were VERY immature.  One girl sat out the class party because the day before she was playing some STUPID game where she had another student close their eyes, and then she SCRATCHED them!  I mean, come on!  Use some common sense, kiddos!  I hear the upcoming class is low, but they apparently do NOT have the behavior and discipline problems that this group had.  And, they were ALL accounted for today, except for one boy (who I should have RETAINED), but I just didn't have the energy to do so.

So, after a two-hour nap this afternoon, my vacation has officially started!    :-)