Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Check out my Slide Show!

Check out my Slide Show!

Check out my Slide Show!

Check out my Slide Show!

Check out my Slide Show!

Check out my Slide Show!

Check out my Slide Show!

Full moom and storm clouds - 1-21-08


Terry practicing gratefullness - Muppet too - Muppet - Downstream looking towards bridge - Ice Drizzles, Millions of Ladybugs along the road -






warmth oh warmth


Wintering over at the lake

Usually I'm at other places other than here for the winter, but this year I decided to stay here, work at the resort, and enjoy the winter at home - fine except it's damn cold in this mobile home, and the utilities are so high that I choose to dress warm and keep the propane and electricity to a minimum - there are 60 units in here, all 55 and older people - some of them can afford 3 and 4 hundred dollars a month just for propane, some of us can't - some of the older folks are really having a problem, and i feel sad for them - of course, the utilitiy companies could care less with their greed! such a world it is today - I can see why some of my family's old folks used to say, "it's time to go, and leave the world, as we knew it, to the younger generation." Sad though, what a legacy we are leaving for our kids and grandkids! Joni Mitchel sings just for me!

The good new is that my old dog and i still go out in it, except for days like yesterday, when i chose to vegetate, which is usually the way after working a 3 day weekend, but on Sunday, my friend, Terry Valdez, Muppet, and i went for a hike in the snow, ending up at the swinging bridge in Wawona, in Yosemite National Park - (the southern entrance being only 15 miles from my front door)

It all started one day when we were working together at the resort, and after 2 years, discovered in the course of conversation, that we were fellow "ex women employees, of Yosemite", (especially in the days when it was run by Curry Company) which is a breed unto its own - the whole thing immediately zeroed in on a sisterhood that is few and far between, and lots of us are still in the area, still doing adventures as we did in the good old days, and really only understood by friends and family - (in fact, some of my family have followed the adventures themselves all these years, and the excitement has continued with Dillon and Erika, 2 of my grandchildren)

the conversation led towards, "let's do a hike together", not caring that it was winter with lots of snow everywhere, and 3 days later, we on our way - we wanted to hike the Nelder Grove of big trees, but couldn't get all the way there due to snow, so went into the park, to Wawona, where we both used to work, and then took the tiny 2 mile road to the swinging bridge -

It is a place where we used to go during our time off from work - we'd hike out there from employee housing, and swim and bake in the sun, and only people familiar with Wawona know its there - it's our well-kept secret.

I had to slush through some scary snow to park the car, but as usual my little pt cruiser was a trooper - then we walked the half mile to the bridge in the snow - it was heaven - the river roaring, the freshest air in the universe, beautiful landscape, and we had it all to ourselves - Muppet roared into gear with memories such a loved and familiar place, making snowdog angels, eating the snow and running around like a 13 year old pup, in her doggy overcoat - terry and i were transformed into a god treat only a few could imagine - a place where one can enjoy their own thoughts of past and present, knowing we were in the right place at the right time, as faith teaches us -

a few hours later, i was back home, showering, and getting ready to go back to work - but the pictures are always here to remind us that we still have that pioneering spirit that we chose when, for whatever reason, we ended up giving our lives over to the magic and spirit of Yosemite of which i will forever be grateful for -

So now I will go light my fireplace, which next year will have to replaced with a wood stove if I choose to winter over here again!

Wednesday, January 2, 2008