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!

A Week on a West Texas Ranch

We just returned from a 5-day visit with my sister and brother-in-law at their ranch in West Texas. B-I-L Maxie and his two siblings were each given approx 5.5 sections (3520 acres) of their parents' ranch about 20 miles west of Iraan where Maxie, Sharon and I grew up. M&S are building a hunting cabin on their part of the ranch and we decided to go out and help them.

We worked hard the first two days, finishing up the forms for the foundation that was poured on Thursday (pictures will be forthcoming as soon as Sharon sends them to me -- I forgot my camera!). Suffice it to say that I added rebar "wire twisting" to my construction skills resume!

After work, lunch, clean-up and a nap, we would take a ride in their 4-wheeled Polaris Ranger. In addition to the longhorn cattle, sheep, and goats they raise on the ranch, we saw quail, dove, roadrunners, jackrabbits (which JJ and Grover LOVED chasing), cottontails, deer, a variety of butterflies and even rattlesnake tracks. JJ and Grover also kept us safe from vultures touring the area by barking at them whenever they came into view. One afternoon, it showered on us as we were riding around -- quite refreshing!

One evening we were treated to a spectacular lightning show -- one that only the skies of West Texas can produce.

While there, I collected some cacti for our desert garden at home: cholla, horse-crippler, lace cactus and another type I'm unsure of.

Every evening after dinner, we played 42 -- Carl and I managed to win enough so we were not totally humiliated!

It was a great week and it reminded me of all the things I loved about living out there. . .