Yahoo Employee Foundation Grant

As many of you know, Yahoo has been purchased by Verizon and the deal closed in mid-June.  As you may also know, I have been on the Board of Directors of the Yahoo Employee Foundation (YEF), which is an employee managed and employee funded non profit that provides financial grants to non profits that our employees are passionate about.  Being on this board and giving away money has truly been one of the highlights of my entire career.  I have been so fortunate to see 100's of amazing non profits that are making an incredible impact around the world.

Unfortunately, with the end of Yahoo came the logical end of YEF.  The decision that the Board made to close the fund was incredibly emotional but we knew we had to honor the intent of the donors.  Fortunately, we were able to give away over $9 million dollars to deserving non-profits around the world!  All this money will be distributed in the next few weeks. 

STOP and read that again - NINE MILLION DOLLARS!

That spreads a lot of good in this world!

I have been incredibly honored and humbled to be able to do this work.  I have always lived my personal value "to give back" but I never was able to do it with this scale of impact.  I will cherish this opportunity.

Out of this last round of giving came a grant to the non profit I personally Champion, Canine Companions.  Since they have been a long time partner of YEF, they received the largest level of grant:  $320k!  That will help change the lives of many disabled folks when they are matched with a canine companion.   I am beyond thrilled for them!

Happy 17th Birthday K

G went to the zoo this week to celebrate her buddy, Kayla's, 17th birthday.  They hatched a plan when we were all together last week to wear their animal onesies!  Apparently they made quite the hit with all the little kids at the zoo!

Long Weekend with the Girls

We just spent 4 days at the cabin with K and Bug.  The purpose was to do weed whacking and Grandma Anna and Grandpa Roy's house but we squeezed in a lot of floating too!

Waiting for the first cheese fries of the season

Grandpa helping with machinery

Oak loves to nap on the boat

There was a terrible heat wave with it being over 100 degrees each day.  It was way to hot to sleep inside so we all made beds on the deck.  

AK

It's been a busy week in Alaska.  Last week they had one really good haul of about 10k pounds in a 24 hour period but then the next opener was not as good.

After the last opener they had three days off and hit it again today.  During their time off they hiked to the top of a mountain.  During the hike they saw TWO bears!

Drew was in the lead and came over a knoll and came within 15 feet of the biggest bear Susan had ever seen!  Drew described it as the size of a Honda Civic!  Susan said it had to be 300 pounds.  Luckily it took a drink and lumbered off.  See pic below of actual bear!

The next bear they came upon was about 20 yards from them BUT it started walking towards them!  Max and Eric took out their guns and Susan took out her horn and bear spray.  Apparently there was all kinds of giggling when Susan blew her horn right behind Max who had a gun in is hand!

Honda Civic bear!

This is the mountain they hiked to the top of where they saw all the bears

View on hike day from camp

Shenanigans

Camp fire

Haul!

Alaska Update

Salmon tender

We have been getting updates and pics from Alaska.  They are on for 24 hours and then off for 24 (or more).  The fishing is still light and the weather goes back and forth between summer and winter - today it was about 45 degrees.  

Jim taking a bath!  Brrr.

When the weather is bad, they spend the down time playing games.  The play for $5 a game and Susan keeps track of wins and losses so they can all even up at the end!

A day with no fishing - not sure what Eric is shooting

The one constant is they seem to be eating really well!  Sushi and tempura prawns.

This is the little range they use for cooking.  I am betting they come back having gained a few pounds.

Groveland Car Show

It has been really fun to hang around the cabin all week because we are usually out in the wilderness when we are here for a long time.  Being at the cabin has allowed to check out stuff we normally don't do.  Like today we went to the Groveland car show!  We went into town to wash Drew's truck and wandered upon it.

My favorites were the VW Van and the old Blazer.  Grace liked the Mustangs.  So fun!

Outhouse Races

The Holy Roller team (on the right) were totally trashed!

G and I packed up 3 and 4 today and went to the outhouse races in Twain Harte!  It is actually officially called a "Crapper Derby".

It was one of those situations where you say to yourself...."this is AWESOME and why am I not racing a crapper?!"

Hershey Squirt

Unfortunately, an elderly man was hit by a run away crapper!  But the race was only delayed about 15 minutes while the paramedics attended to him and his wife whisked him off to the hospital.  You can imagine the jokes:  "Boy that poor guy has had a shitty day", "He sure had the crap knocked out of him", "You can't make this shit up", etc!

Dung Fu Warrior

These two were bored silly

The whole event had me planning a TNDC Crapper for the Derby!  Here are the jobs:

• Kyle will use his bicycle engineering skills and access to light weight material to build the base
• Jim will use his building skills to build a Cureton Crapper on wheels
• Amanda will paint and/or design the Crapper
• Drew and Grace - with their long legs - will push the Crapper 
• Bug - with her tiny build - will drive the Crapper
• Marty will manage all the marketing of the Crapper
• Tina will make grilled cheese
• Cindy will make "not koolaid" so the ladies can be trashed like the Holy Rollers
• The Screwtops will stand around jinxing the whole event (less Renee who will be photographing everything)
• Mr C will dye his mustache pink and stand around the competition looking like a creeper

Who is in?   I think we can win this event!

Local Photography

In a field, on Memorial Day weekend, near Greely Hills

When on vacation at the cabin, G and I took the opportunity to go on a boondoggle to take photographs of local sites.  It was a lot of fun to just wander around and look for interesting things to photograph.  The results are so cool.

Door's near Jeffrey Hotel, Coulterville

Big Oak Flat

In a field between Coulterville and Greeley Hill

At the top of the Priest Grade

General Store in Coulterville

Shrimp Dinner

Drew and Max set out shrimp traps yesterday and caught shrimp for dinner.  Looks like they got a good haul.

And while they were out hiking, they collected fiddle fern which they fried up to go with their shrimp.

Yosemite Boondoggle

The Merced River is all the way up to the bottom of the Swinging Bridge

Grace and I did a trip into Yosemite to take some pics of the epic water falls this year.  It was fun since we never go into the park during the summer.

Ahi tried to jump out the window while we were watching these deer!

At the bottom of Bridal Veil

The Merced River at just below flood stage

We went into Foresta for the first time and found this Pioneer Cemetery.  The headstones are from the mid and late 1800's.