Back on Texas Soil

As of Tuesday, we are back on Texas soil. As happy as we are to be home, we had such a special two-week visit.

In addition to the adventures chronicled in prior posts, we also enjoyed:

• the crisp, clear, dry air of the high desert;
• numerous rowdy rounds of "Settlers of Catan";
• feasting on apples, nectarines, peaches, and pears fresh from neighbors' trees;
• worshiping in the Bishop United Methodist Church; and, most especially,
• hanging out with family and building additional memories.

We spent the day at Yosemite National Park: even though the falls were dry and the rivers were low, it is still one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited.

Hiking From South Lake

About 20 minutes from where our family lives are several beautiful lakes. One day we hiked from South Lake to Long Lake -- come along with us!

Trip to Mammoth

On Saturday we drove to Mammoth for the afternoon. We took in their premier Arts & Crafts Festival which is held there on Labor Day weekend each year. Carl and I bought a beautiful wooden salad server set inlaid with turquoise and a doorbell set in carved rock which, coincidentally, matches the rock around our house; Stan and Karen bought a wonderful pottery platter done by none other than the nephew of Jonas Salk!

We took a drive up to Lake Mary and Lake George -- two of the most beautiful lakes I've ever seen -- and we capped off the day with a little shopping and dinner at The Auld Dubliner, a wonderfully authentic Irish pub. We enjoyed fish & chips, bangers and champ, and corned beef and cabbage boxty -- DEE-LISH! To our total surprise, when we got ready to head back to Bishop, we had spent almost THREE hours in the pub! Time does fly when you having fun. . .

Update from Bishop, CA

Our previous post showed a pic of Mt Tom from Karen & Stan's front yard with smoke in the air from the fires in the mountains. After a shower and northerly breeze last night, the air this morning was crystal clear.

California, Here We Come!

On Tuesday, September 1, we arose in the "4's" and caught a 7:30 flight from San Antonio to Reno, NV. We were met by Karen and Rick (Carl's sister & B-I-L hereafter known as K&R) and started the gorgeous 4.5 hour drive to Bishop, CA.

We stopped in Walker, CA to have the famous Walker Burger for lunch, and arrived in Bishop about 4:00 p.m. at Stan & Karen's (Carl's brother and S-I-L, hereafter known as S&K) where we are staying.

Bishop sits at about 4000 feet above sea level in the Eastern Sierra and the sub-division where K&R and S&K live sits at about 6400 feet above sea level. The picture below is looking out S&K's front door at Mt Tom which rises 13,648 feet above sea level!














On Wednesday, the Karens and I went into town so that I could have a foot evaluation (I have been plagued by toe cramps when wearing tennis shoes). Sure enough, the young man diagnosed my problem and recommended a shoe for me. I wore them the rest of the day with no cramping so, the next morning, I decided to join Carl, Stan and Karen on a 3-mile walk. The scenery was beautiful (see pictures below) and the toes didn't cramp!