So what to do at Lake Almanor?

You play with your cousins-- Tanner and Jimmy, Sarah and Lea You watch and grow older-- You spend time in the kitchen fixing meals for everyone-- Linda, the chief chef. You play on Grandma's hammock--the new one, the squirrels chewed up the other one... Sarah, Lea and Jimmy

Lake Almanor Handprints

Six years ago the grandchildren did handprint decorative stones for the side of my front walk. Some of them cracked plus two more grandchildren were born so James and Linda supervised mixing the cement and creating the new stones. Messy but nice--here are the results. I didn't show baby Kelsi's. Her hand did not show well so both feet in but then one foot was smooshed so Daddy put his handprint in with her foot--cute.

Family Reunion in Lake Almanor

A little out of focus but family gathers together--missing is Craig in Brazil, Matt V in Truckee, Meagan's Matt is hiking, Kristi's Mike is working and Linda is taking the picture. Michael picked up Meagan in Redding and she came to visit while Matt went hiking with his friends. More eating and gathering as the Valkos join us for supper and Meagan has come from Eureka. Son James from Rancho Santa Fe and Daughter Maria from Susanville holds James' newest baby Kelsi. Kristi is looking good--just two and a half months to go!

 

Family Reunion in Lake Almanor

The Pulsiphers come from El Cajon for a week at Lake Almanor and the Valkos come up from Susanville for a barbeque. It will be a fun week with all the grandchildren around.

Amy, Kristi, Sarah, and Mom Linda from El Cajon.

Michael from Susanville, Matt's girlfriend Emily from Auburn, Melissa from Susanville, and Kelly from El Cajon. 

Pretty sisters, Kristi (to be new Mommy in two months), Las Vegas and Kelly, El Cajon.

Matt introduces Emily to the cousins and everyone poses for Grandma. Aren't they all just darling...

  Amy from El Cajon and Melissa from Susanville--Cute, cute...

 

Granddaughter Sarah from El Cajon gets reacquainted with Bandido. 

It's Always Something...Different!

I keep a website up to date everyday for my son but the last two days were the most frustrating I have had with computers for a long time. It was sluggish, it was freezing, it was not showing images. I defragmented, I cleaned the disk, I deleted temporary files, I scanned for virus's and such...sweep, sweep, sweep. I called the .com company--no problem on their end. The dsl and enet buttons were looking bright and happy. Was it the computer, was it the wireless, was it the internet, was it the program, was it me????? My grandson said to load what I wanted on another computer and Format. I thought that was too drastic. My spy sweeper said I was protected against 145,679 agents and all was well--we quarantined a few on the way but now no problem. Still no workee--I ran into a friend at the store--she said to disable Norton Security--I tried that and it did help a little. Finally I called my dsl server--I had tried them yesterday but tired of waiting. Previously when it wouldn't work at all I would unplug the power or the enet and all was well. BUT THEY WERE BOTH WORKING. I asked the technician if maybe because they were flickering more than usual, was that the problem? He said No, that just meant they were passing in information. He had me do a few things and then go to Status and Statistics--somewhere no other technician had ever taken me before and my computer was at a speed of 32000--he was shocked and said it should be in the millions. He told me to unplug the power for 1 minute and then go back and check and wow, it had jumped up to 1344000!

Now what is it about this unplugging and plugging? It is the same thing for the Satellite if it messes up. Anyway the very nice man had me write down all the numbers and directions for doing it myself again if it happened. But I know next time it will be something...different!

Farewell to Britzi...

This morning when Bandido and I arrived at Marjorie's house Britzi was not there to greet us. I thought that Marjorie had slept in and then she came out and told us the tragic news that Britzi had died yesterday at 3:15 pm at the Vet's. He was only 6 yrs old--too young to leave us. That is his picture in "Morning Walk" blog. We had taken the dogs with us yesterday morning to the hand carwash place in Chester and after we washed our cars we took a short walk and then had breakfast while the dogs rested in our cars. Britzi appeared fine. But on the way home and the rest of the morning he just could not find a comfortable way to lay and seemed very down. There was no vomiting, etc. but he was not himself. The Vet determined he probably had a tumor and bled to death. Now Marjorie must decide where to bury him or possibly do cremation. She has a big back yard but would need a back hoe to dig a hole deep enough for a big lab. The Vet gave her a couple of days to think about it. Poor Marjorie. We will all miss him--he was a very sweet dog. Bandido would not finish making the walk this morning--without Britzi to compete with, he just gave up and I had to carry him (bad knees). Tonight we went down to investigate the trail that runs behind the Chester Park. It goes by the beautiful Feather River and then branches off into the trees for a long way--we didn't go all the distance so do not know where it ends up. The Park has a wonderful playground for the children, picnic tables, a lot of horse shoe ringers and a co-ed adult group were playing softball. A typical summer evening in a small town. Then we investigated a new little race track at the Snowmobile Park--$20 for 10 minutes for adults and if underage $40 because they have to go through some teaching and training before they can go out into the track--after that it is $18 for 10 minutes for them whenever they come again. The owner says your arms can only take about 10 minutes because of all the turns! And he says he is priced $4 less than most places. It is called Heart-Attack Racing...hmm, well, not for me.

Morning Walk

Six mornings a week Marjorie and I walk at 7 AM--lately it has been 47 degrees at that time so it is very fresh! The other morning a neighbor of Marjorie's came out and took our picture and gave it to us. The hats? We have discovered keeping the sun out of your eyes really is worthwhile...guys don't do it just for looks, who'd have known? 

Rain!

Can you believe, it actually rained and we walked in it this morning and it felt very good. The temperature dropped 15 degrees and the humidity rose 30--feels good and the American flag was retrieved from the front deck and is drying in my bathroom!

My ears are glued to the Israeli-Lebanon situation and I have downloaded more information for my growing portfolio on the mideast crisis and the story of Israel's history. Since I am teaching a lesson this Sunday on the downfall of Israel in 850 BC, it all relates and is interesting to see the way the borders have changed in the last 2800 plus years. It is quite a story but it is so sad what is happening to the civilians...and it will only get worse I am afraid.

The big news is I put a new automatic watering system (actually I had to scan the directions and print them at 200 percent--how can anyone read that small, small print?) onto my front and back faucets and they actually work! I just have to water the trees and bushes I planted and I can actually stand on my decks and handle that with a far reaching hose...yea.

Heat Wave!

I hear there is a heat wave across the nation so I tracked the temperature today--As we went for our walk this morning at 6:30 AM it was 57--As I drove the car in to Hamilton Branch to have the windshield replaced at 9 AM it was 73 degrees--Late in the afternoon I drove into Chester to the bank where it was 94--but as I arrived back home in the trees it was 89 and now at 7:30 in the evening it is 80. My neighbor thinks it is too hot but then his house doesn't have any trees over it (I don't know why the builders cut them all down). Anyway comparing to where the rest of the nation is, it is not bad at all. Of course, it would be nice to have a little rain but I don't see that happening...When we take our walk at 9, it will be plenty cool...I should be dipping in the lake on days like this...hope you all have a cool spot...enjoy.

Oh, Deer! and Wild Daisy time!

I wish I could have seen this. While I was at the dentist, a deer I presume, totally mangled the wire around the crabapple tree and broke off the large, floppy, juicy top. There wasn't so much as a twig left around so I assume he enjoyed it. So why am I planting these things... Mother Nature, on the other hand, grows smashing big daisies in hard, dry dirt on the side of my driveway, while I coax what little color I get in MY gardens with water and food and tender loving care. Don't get me wrong, I love the daisies Mother Nature lends me, though they are a little late this year, they are more profuse, taller and somehow decorated BOTH sides of my driveway--kinda cute, I think though some people look on them as weeds. I say, hey, green is good and with a flower on top, even better.

Meagan's Back!

The two world travelers pose together--Craig off to two years in Brazil and Meagan just back from two years in Hong Kong where she learned Mandarin Chinese and became an expert in Yoga and asian food. She will be attending Tufts University in the fall for her Masters Degree in Food Policy. Matt, her boyfriend, left his job in Hong Kong and will get a new job in Boston--oh, to be a computer expert like Matt and be able to pick and choose where you live!!! Michael, who leaves for Humboldt later this summer, is always a nice companion for Grandma. Melissa, who is attending Lassen College, is always dressed like a model. Tanner and Grandma look like they are off to the dance but instead just going to Church to hear Craig's farewell talk.