Cousin Cabin Time

We spent the weekend with the BFed Fam at the cabin - under smokey skies and oppressive heat!  We braved both and did a day down at Don Pedro and a morning out at PML.

I think that Henry probably had more fun than anyone - he swam and swam and learned to jump off the boat into the lake!

Smoke from the Ferguson Fire

Mimi and Jack

Where ya been?

I am getting a piece of jewelry made with Daisy Mae's remains and a piece of wood from her favorite spot in the world - the Magic Fishing Hole at Cherry.

Tonite we were packaging up the remains to send them to the artist and the dogs started going crazy - sniffing the air and wagging their tails.  All three of them!   It totally made me cry.

But then Drew came along and in a dog voice acting like he was one of the dogs talking says, "Hey, where have you been!?"  And then I cracked up!

Daisy Mae

While we were in Australia, Drew picked up Daisy Mae's remains and brought them home.  We had her cremated so that we could sprinkle her ashes at Cherry Lake, her favorite place in the world.  We took a trip up there right after we returned but I was not ready.  I need more time.

I also need to get a piece of jewelry made with her remains first.  Sound creepy but I want to do it.  They take a little but of remains and mix it into glass or resin and make a pendant.  I am also going to have a piece of wood from a Sugar Pine tree at the Magic Fishing Hole at Cherry incorporated into the jewerly too.

It has been a really hard time - I still cry just about every time I talk about her.  She was a great dog and will forever be missed.

Sinking Pontoon Mama?

We have been having trouble with one of the pontoons on the boat filling with water!  YIKES, right!?!?!  Well, mystery finally solved...there was a crack in the plug!  Luckily we have replacement plugs and could replace it right away.  The boat is back in the water and we will check for water in the toon next time we take it out.

Quilt

Grace is working on a new quilt!  She is going to have this one quilted using a long armed quilting machine.  It's a super cool machine that can be set to do just about any type of quilting pattern - she chose a flowered pattern using red, white and blue thread.  It may take up to 8 weeks to get it back which means I will have to pick it up and mail it to her in TN.  I can't wait to see it.

Daisy Mae

Today we had to say good bye to the most loyal and smartest Labrador in the world!  She lived to be about 2 months shy of 15 years.  She lived a good life of many, many walks, hikes and swims at the lake and that good life is probably responsible for her longevity.   She was our family dog - one that grew up with the kids - and was loved beyond words. 

She loved Cherry Lake - swimming and fetching rocks from the bottom of the lake -  and her ashes will be scattered there.

Rest in Peace my sweet, sweet girlie.  You will live on everyday in my heart.  Thanks for being an incredible mentor to our other dogs and for all the love and devotion. 

KY Cousin Visit

Playing in the sand in Santa Cruz

Jess, Jen and Amaya did a whirlwind Norcal trip while here for 10 days.  They did Monterey, San Juan Bautista, Santa Cruz, SF, Oakland and Yosemite!

We went to the cabin for 4 days and spent one whole day on Don Pedro tubing, jet skiing, fishing and floating.  It was actually the kids Senior Trip to the cabin so they had our cabin and we had grandma and grandpas.   It was fun to hang out with the kids a little bit.

Sweet Amaya Papaya!

We took one day to go into Yosemite and Jim took Jen and Jess on a hike to Vernal Falls while I hung out with Amaya.

Amaya and I collected treasures, had a picnic in the truck and then hiked one mile to the trail head to wait for mama and mommy.  Unfortunately as soon as we got there, I could see melt down in her eyes, so we turned around and started heading back.  After about 20 yards, I looked down and I could tell she was DONE - so I picked her up and she immediately fell asleep.....which means I had to carry her a mile back to the car!  Thank goodness I had been training for a backpacking trip or I would have died!

After Yosemite, we went to the kids cabin and bbqed them some ribs and played some cornhole.  It will go down in history as the time Patrick and I spanked K and Bug - 21 to zero!!!

Vernal Falls

Jim took them to SF for a quick tour of the bridge and Fisherman's Wharf.  They literally hit all the sites and still managed to attend G's graduation and a couple grad parties!

Looking forward to when the come back!

Change in Command

My backpacking buddy has an older sister who is a bad ass admiral! Seriously....she is an Admiral in the Coast Guard!

Last we were invited to the change in command ceremony where she was installed as the head of the entire Pacific Area.   The ceremony was at the Coast Guard Island in Alameda and was so interesting!

Me, the Admiral and Liz

Liz, my other backpacking partner, and her family also attended.  After the ceremony there was a luncheon that we also attended and got to hang out with the Admiral.

Since Jen and Jess were here visiting, they came too!  It was such a thrill for all of us!

Waiting for the ceremony to start

The Admiral's daughter is also in the Coast Guard so she came to greet us before the ceremony and brought us to a personal meeting afterwards.

Orientation

G and I spent the last couple days in Nashville for orientation.  It was a really nicely done program!  It was a full day of sessions for both the kids and the parents and then G stayed while I went back to the hotel.   She went to dinner and ice cream with a bunch of girls and then to a Fiesta.  She stayed over nite in the dorm that she will be living in.  Her room mate for the nite was a gal who came from a town of 90 people and a third of the town is her family!

Checking in

Bell Tower selfie

The plants are so lush!

Grace's room mate drove in the second day from Indiana and met us outside the dorms.  She seems like a good fit and it was nice to meet her and her folks.

Overall it was a very productive trip and we are well positioned for move in day in August!

The campus is so pretty

Grace's Graduation

TNDC at graduation

Grace graduated from high school on a very warm June morning!  We had special guests - the hillbilly relatives from Kentucky.  Uncle B and family - except for Sam who was taking the SAT were there too.  And of course we were lucky to have both sets of grandparents.

After the ceremony, we came home and had a feast of carne asada tacos and chile rellano!  We also had a delicious dessert of cake from an Asian bakery.

I am so incredibly proud of G and can't wait to see where the journey of life takes her.