Hot !!!!

     Oh my........it is so hot !!  For the 3rd day in a row it is well over 100 down in the valley, upper 90's up here. Records are being broken everyday and we still have the hottest days to come.  Tomorrow and Tuesday it's expected to be around 110 in Roseville.   Yesterday we beat the heat at the lake.  We stayed until late evening......it was a blast ! We took both kayaks and both dogs......instant entertainment !   Oh.....we also had Bryn !   Taige and Tia became world class kayakers and rope swingers....although Taige tangled with a hornet's nest at the rope swing and had a badly swollen nose to show for it !  We ended the day out on the deck devouring barbecued ribs and salad.....take that you horrible heat !!

    Today everyone but Jim and I headed down to San Francisco .....much cooler there !  We miss them all, but hanging out in front of the ac and watching bad movies on Netfix isn't all bad !   Not cooking tonight even......Jim promised Chinese take-out !
    Jilly and fam come Tuesday night....we can't wait!




 

Climate Change !

    Holy moly.......it's a winter storm in June !    Yes, hard to believe,but we just received around 2 inches of rain in the past two days.  Highly unusual for Lupine Hill.  We often get summer storms with thunder, lightening and a brief downpour, but the last couple of days have been steady rain and cool temps.  All the flowers and veggies are a little beaten down , but in the long run I'm sure they'll appreciate this damp gift.

     Josh and his family were due to show up on Thursday, however, Josh called this afternoon and said due to a great job opportunity they won't be here until probably Saturday.  That works out ok for us since we haven't been able to "open" the pool yet due to the weather.  We definitely want the water to be welcoming since by the time they get here it's forecast to be well into the nineties up here ! 
    Jilly and her family will be arriving this coming Tuesday and staying until August 9th.   They will be gone for a week in there around the end of July as they're planning a 10 day trip to Hawaii and then coming back here to spend Jilly's birthday on August 7.   If you're reading this you're invited ........details to follow !
   Molly and Matt came for dinner on Saturday......super fun evening.  Matt is a great guy.....open, funny and good heart.  He probably be running the gauntlet in the next few weeks with all the family to meet.   I think he'll be up for it !
   Costco run with my mom tomorrow......Yippee....money is to spend .......right ?   Hope not to rack up too big of bill......coffee, laundry detergent, bread and cereal being my main targets.
    Exciting weeks ahead.....I'll do my best to stay somewhat current !
 

Hot Summer Days and Dormant Volcanoes !!

     Last week at this time the temperatures were in the 110's down in the valley and not much cooler up here !  We sought refuge , along with Tess and Bryn, in the crystal blue, cool waters of the Yuba River North Fork .    It was heavenly , I think Callie and I stayed in the water from about noon until 6:00 with only a couple of breaks to eat something :-)   Bryn , I'm so proud to say, is a true river boy and stayed in almost the entire day also, only coming out because we forced him too, when he started turning blue !  The day will stay in my memory as one of the all time great days......hot sun, cool water, awesome water dog, people I adore......could anything be better ?

      Well, coming close was a lovely get-away with my love.  On Wednesday we got up early and loaded up the camper.......off we headed to Lassen National Park.  It is absolutely beautiful and we practically had the place to ourselves. It's an underused gem in the National Park system......I highly recommend a trip into it, even if only for the day.   After an awesome day of sight seeing we headed back to our little home -away-from-home, situated on beautiful Deer Creek.   Dinner by the campfire, roasted marshmallows, a cozy bed at night with the roar of the creek as a backdrop.    Pretty nice !   The next morning we did some more scouting around the area before packing up to head home.  Always wonderful to be home.......can't deny it !

     Today I met up with Seth and Molly for a while.  Seth is off to climb El Capitan ......again !!!   Needless to say I'll be happy when he's back safe and sound.    Molly is headed up to the mountains to spend some time with her boyfriend......he lives in Sierraville, a beautiful little  valley high in the Sierras.
     Quiet weekend ahead.......Bluegrass jam on Sunday !