This and That

 What first looked like several bird poops on our potted orange tree leaves turned out to be something alive and amazing.  They are actually caterpillars of the beautiful giant swallowtail butterfly!  Not knowing what they were, and not appreciating what they were doing to the first new leaves this tree has made, I "removed" all but one, and then later looked it up on the computer.  Uh-oh, now we know!

 The other night I heard something rummaging around in Gail's art shed.  I opened the door and saw scattered bones and a few eggshells, but no culprit - until my light caught the eye of a opossum, motionless in the corner.

 Sunday, Andria and the kids came up for a few hours of play.

 Gail spotted this bike with a free sign and after a little tightening up and inspection, we thought it would make a good next bike for Soren.  He did a good job of riding it, but because his feet didn't quite reach the ground, starting and stopping were different matters.  In a few more months it should be just fine.

 The kids never tire of this big old plastic pool.  Come to think of it, Gail and I don't either.

Yesterday, we did a hike and trash pick up at our neighborhood hiking park.  We especially delight in "capturing" Mylar balloons!

This is a photo from October 2011 at the entrance to ZuZu's Tapas Restaurant in downtown Napa.  Gail is "scolding" me for taking her inside after seeing this sign on the way out.  Ironically, there was heavy damage to buildings along this street during last Sunday's earthquake.  It must have been fortunate that the quake occurred in the predawn hours.  Nick's and Cassidy's home escaped with some broken dishes, a dislodged brick from the chimney, and 3 broken windows in the barn.  It must have been terrifying, though.

Napa Visit

Sunday, Paul, Sue, Cassidy, and I went to The rock Shop in Vacaville, then over to Davis for lunch.  This mosaic statue called The Phoenix, by Mark Rivera, adorned a front yard.  Nick had to work.

 In just a few months, Nick has created a very productive vegetable garden.  We had several great meals composed mostly of his own produce.  In his eagerness to check on the garden, Nick didn't have time to get out of his work shirt.
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 We also had a great tapas meal at ZuZu's - thanks Paul and Sue!

 The garden, which Nick generously shares with a buck, doe, and a fawn, plus 30 some cats from next door.

 He and I had very pleasant "happy hours" tending the garden and chatting.  Actually, Nick tended the garden while I looked on, munching on snacks and sipping a beer.  Nick's home brew we made together last winter is excellent - thanks for saving a couple bottles for me and Gail!

 Nick on the job at Van Winden's Nursery  (I had to shoot fast before his fellow workers noticed).

I came home, Thursday, to a magnificent Gail reception.  She had prepared trout, butter squash, rice, and other tasty treats. Our little propeller plants were also in brilliant bloom!

Well, time to regroup and then get ready for our epic Yellowstone adventure - retirement rocks!

Sierra Backpack Trip 2014

Once again I was able to go backpacking with Cousin Sue, Paul, and Becky.  Sue and Paul landed in San Diego, so we were delighted to have them stay with us a couple nights before heading to the Sierras.  Gail held down the fort while I was gone, and appreciated some Gail time before we head out to Yellowstone in a couple weeks.

 The long drive through the Mojave Desert has a few interesting sights besides Joshua trees.  Highway 395 passes right through the old mining town of Red Mountain, which looks like a set for Breaking Bad.  Although the sign says population 130, we have never seen a soul there.  The temperatures in the 100's might have something to do with it.

 Can you imagine living here?

 There has been much monsoonal influence on the deserts and Eastern Sierras this summer.

 This abandoned trading post is in the adjacent ghost town of Johannesburg.

 The rain and lightening came as I neared Lone Pine, just east of Mt. Whitney.  It lasted about an hour.  I met Sue and Paul in Bishop, where we met Becky, and had a great dinner of sushi.

 Leaving Bishop the next morning, I passed through truly beautiful country.

 Clean air, no traffic, and beautiful scenery was a much needed respite from Southern California.

 We eventually all met up at at Pinecrest, in the Western Sierra north of Yosemite.  We followed a dirt forest service road to the Gianelli trailhead.

 Becky's dog Max was excited to be along.  Since he has been trained for search and rescue, he is very well behaved and obedient.  He is 12 years old, and has a crippled back leg due to getting hit by a car last year.

 We camped at this lake (Powell Lake) the first night, and had it to ourselves.

 Max has a technique for draining the last bit of slop out of a Mountain House pouch.  He sticks his nose in and then tilts it up into the air.

 This was the view from my tent door.

 At one end of the lake was a colony of marmots.  They're sort of like land beavers.

 The second day out , we hiked about six miles over relatively mild terrain.  No Paul death march this year!

 We were surprised and disappointed to see cattle at this expansive meadow (Whitesides Meadow).

 As we neared our destination of Upper Relief Valley, there was ample evidence of past volcanic activity.
The area we were in is in the Emigrant Wilderness, part of the Stanislaus National Forest.

 In the center of the picture is my tent, masquerading as a boulder.

 We had a nice kitchen and dining area up against the rocks.

 There were many Pacific Tree Frogs hopping around our campsite.

 Sue and Paul always look fresh and clean, unlike grubby old me.

 Posing in front of our personal lake, which didn't even have a name.

 Collecting firewood above our campsite, I took this picture looking down at our campsite.

 Sierra flower arrangement.

 That building sized boulder at the top of the ridge looks like it could send a tidal wave across the lake if it came down.

We never saw another person here for the two nights we stayed.

 Max cleaning up the "dishes".

 Paul does his old "Burning Man" stunt.  Since we were just below 9,000 feet, we could have a fire. Above that elevation, fires are not allowed due to the need to have plant material replenish the scant soil.

 The setting sun means a fabulous Sierra night sky is soon to come.

 Group shot!

 Ok, Max, we're heading out to Chewing Gum Lake.

 Lava and boulders that once tried to puncture the earth's surface from below.

 More fantasy lava forms.

 Maybe the biggest mushroom I've ever seen!

 I felt honored that Max chose my tent to watch the evening proceedings!  As Chewing Gum Lake was an easy day hike from the trailhead, we camped well above the lake to avoid other campers that were arriving for the weekend.  It turned out quite nice, and we had a large pond for swimming and water nearby.

 The nights weren't that cold, but a fire let us stay up "late".

One last shot before the trailhead.  We said goodbye to Becky and Max, then Paul, Sue, and I drove west to Napa to stay at Nick's and Cassidy's for a few nights.  Paul and Sue flew from SFO back to Washington D.C. three days later.  Thanks, Paul and Sue, for instigating another great trip!