Birthdays are Fun! Tues, Feb 27th

Yes, it's true, birthdays are fun ... on other people! 😊😊😊

Today (Tuesday) we celebrated Matt's 38th trip around the sun, although we were a day early.  He avoided being a leap year baby by roughly 12 hours, for which I'm sure he's grateful.  Leap year kids get gypped when it comes to receiving presents ... like every four years!  I dunno, maybe not; anyway, he missed it by being born on Feb 28th.

We met Matt and Jenny and Everly Rose for lunch at Sergio's Caffe in Grass Valley, an eatery Jimmy and I have talked about trying, but hadn't gotten "a round tuit" yet.  Jen and Jimmy ordered spaghetti and meatballs (above), Matt had a sandwich/fries and I enjoyed my fresh house-made spinach and ricotta ravioli.  We'd go back any time; the food was very good.

And would you look at this face -- sweet Everly Rose, with a spoon in one hand and the Prius key fob in the other, waiting for her dinner, too.  She'll have a birthday soon, in a few weeks she'll turn one.  I know we'll have fun-fun-fun ... may even take a picture or 700. 

She has lots of teeth already.  Matt was spooning some kind of jarred stuff to her (as evidenced by her mouth and on her chin), and she could help herself to the "cheerios."  While she didn't use the spoon, neither would she let go of the spoon!

I confess.  While Matt went to the car for something, I told the waiter that it was Matt's birthday.  He accommodated us with complimentary tiramisu ... and four new spoons.  The dessert disappeared in a heartbeat.  When the wait staff brought the dessert and gathered around to sing HBTY, Matt looked at me and said, "Who spilled the beans?"  Everly Rose is wondering who the guy behind me was.  Sorry I cut yer head off, Matt.

After lunch, we walked up and down Grass Valley's Mill Street (the main street), peeking in a shop here and there.  Then we drove to the house, which is surrounded by snow ... kind of similar to, but opposite of, an oasis in the desert.  Everly Rose, still clad in coat and hat, commenced "driving" this cute li'l walker toy through the living room.  The whole process works so much better if one has their tongue out, right?

'Round n 'round she went, for a little while.

And then we went outside ....
Look, Everly Rose, snow!

My sister said we should make snow angels.  Well, we plopped this little angel on the snow and she sat there, frozen (sorry) in place, probably wondering why she felt so cold!  She held snow in her hand, tasted it, and then we scooped her up so Matt and Jenny could throw some snowballs and make a snowman.  I managed to pelt Matt with a couple of birthday snowballs.  Too bad nobody made a snow angel, Nannie.

Jenny and Matt.

Close to the driveway keeps the shoes from getting full of snow.

What can I say?

This family could make any snowman look better!

Back in the house for cake and more singing.  I made Matt a cranberry-walnut upside-down, pretty danged tasty cake.  I hope Everly Rose is practicing blowing out candles 'cause she's next.  We had a grand afternoon, lots of fun, and yummy food.  Count me as one lucky lady to have such a nice family.

OK, the forecasters are getting serious about the next storm.  We moved to Nevada City in 2012, about the same time as the drought began.  We've seen snow each winter, but nothing like the amounts these weather guys are talking about, as in 36-48 inches of SNOW.  A little while ago I donned my signature red and while polka dotted boots and cleared the snow off the back deck table ... it's my snow gauge.  You see we'll be starting out clean.  This big, bad storm is scheduled to begin shortly and last, oh, I don't know, for days and days.  When it's over, we'll probably be ready for a south seas cruise!

School's Out, Snow Day! Monday 2/26/18

Here in NorCal, January and February were springlike, hardly behaving like a winter should.  Even flowers and fruit trees were teased into blooming.  Well, this year we, too, have been fooled by all the major weather forecasters, including AccuWeather, Intellicast, etc., with promises of snow.  Most have been busts.  So, it was with a somewhat jaundiced eye that Jimmy and I made a grocery run Sunday evening ... just in case they weren't kidding this time with their forecast of snow.  Stars were twinkling when we went to bed, so we shrugged and said good night.

The perfect caption?  Where is that pesky driveway?

Whoa, while we made Zzzzz's, more'n half a foot of snow dumped on NorCal (at least at our 3200' elevation).  Falling mutely, stealthily, we slept unaware.  Come Monday morning, I opened the blinds and gasped!  They weren't kidding!  I donned boots and jacket to fetch the paper (with my camera in a pocket), opened the door, and stepped into a hushed, white wonderland.  I wandered, awestruck by the beauty ... it took me a long time to take the paper inside!  

I don't think the snowplow had scraped our road yet;

it didn't look like it.

Drooping so gracefully,

I felt sorry for the slender tree and shook it free.

I think an Azalea and a Camellia are hiding under that blanket.

Snow flakes continued to fall as I walked about.

I love the patterns.

I made my way into the backyard,

the bird feeders wore tall white shako hats!

This grill needed an "Out of Order" sign.

Our dear Kwan Yuen statue, cloaked in snow, 

also wears a shako hat.

Snow continued -- fat, heavy flakes -- the ruler reports 10" for the storm.

Ten inches of snow, almost a foot, wow!

Jimmy had a 9:30 eye appointment, which he called to cancel, but it didn't matter anyway, because the Eye Clinic was closed till Noon due to snow.  In fact, schools were closed and a lot of town businesses didn't open.  How-some-ever, Jimmy and I had to clear the driveway so we could park the Prius up near the road.  We were outside by 9am in snow pants, jackets and gloves, and boots ... we were ready to shovel and we set to it.

We had a lot done when Anson, our neighbor whose house you see across the street, brought his Wovel over to push away the thick snow plow berm.  Thank you, Anson!  He and Fran had just finished clearing their own driveway.  We have the best neighbors!

I sent this pic to our local newspaper, and it was published.

Jimmy and Anson finished up.  While we were working in the morning, snow kept on coming.  After lunch when the snowfall quit, Jimmy and I returned to move another couple of inches off the driveway.  The sky remained gray and the cold air felt bracing.  Maybe because it's a new challenge for us in our lives or because we don't have to do it every day or five months out of every year, we didn't mind the shoveling.  I was pleased that my back didn't give me a hard time about heaving scoops of snow.  Last week's P/T traction really, really helped. 

We did it.  The Prius is parked near the street, but far enough away from the mess the snowplow deposits as it clears the road.  I stepped into my boots several times to walk around the yard and simply gaze at what nature had given us.  Then I'd warm up in front of the fireplace (win-win).  This storm was a "cold" one and deposited snow down to the 1000' level, although what fell there would be called "designer" snow, the kind that melts by the end of the day.  The stuff we got?  It's called "Sierra Cement!"

After an overnight temp of 26 (brrrrr), we awoke to a brilliant blue sky and lots o' sun.  Early morning golden rays highlight the tops of the Cedar trees, above.  Snow bombs from heavy piles on tree branches would be crashing to the ground today, and you sure as heck didn't want to be below when a big one let go!

I grew up in Niagara Falls NY, and was accustomed to snowy, icy winters with giant icicles hanging from the eaves.  But, it's been a long, long time since I could walk out my back door and see icicles!  

Today's high temp (45ish) got some melting started.  It was a gorgeous day and we enjoyed it to the fullest.  Tomorrow another blast is fixin' to swamp us with snow (believe it? or not?), adding to the accumulation already on the ground.  This one may last into Saturday!  With LOTS of snow.  Hoy!  Sharpen the shovels!  Put the soup on!

Matt and I decided to have his birthday lunch in Grass Valley (his 38th) and we'd do it today, or wait till who knows how long before we could get together.  What a lovely, lovely day with Jimmy, Matt, Jenny, and sweet Everly Rose.  Take a guess what we did when all of us came home after lunch?

We played in the snow.

It's always pretty here ... Friday, 2/23/18

We are so fortunate to live in Nevada City, California ... when the days are too hot, a short drive will take us to the high country and cooler temperatures, and when it's so danged cold we don't even want to go outside, an even shorter drive takes us down the hill where it's warmer.  Win-win!  Right now we are in the midst of a cold-weather wave, have been and will continue to be, with little moisture to show for it and no snow to play in.

What's a body to do when cabin fever strikes?  Down the hill we went on a bright, sunny Friday to take in some Vitamin D and give the ol' legs a workout.  Like last year.  Fact is, almost exactly a year ago Jimmy and I spent an afternoon hiking the Buttermilk Bend Trail on the South Yuba River.  Don't know if you remember our flooding rains of last year, but the contrast between February 2017 and February 2018 is stunning.  Click here to see 2017's post.

Left:  2017.  Right:  2018

No matter what the season, flood or drought, it's always pretty on this trail.  Wildflowers abound, the canyon walls erupting in colorful displays, though there isn't much to see yet.  Technically this is winter!  The river, albeit low, runs with a roar ... it's not the silent type ... and puts on a beautiful blue-green display.

The hillside grasses are lushly green, pleasing to the eye against the boulders and lichens.  Jimmy above gets a head start on me, the slowpoke with the camera.  Chilly here, but not cold, and most of the trail is in full sun, which is perfect for a cool day!

Buttermilk Bend Trail is a 2.5 mile R/T moderately trafficked out and back trail.  Following the river, it's the route of the old 1877 Caleb Cooley water ditch, so it's mildly sloped and has been made wide enough for wheelchair accessibility.  Parking is easy during the week, with a $5 charge ($4 for old people like us), but the lots may fill up on weekends.

We're not sure of the distance between trail and water, but figure it averages 100'.

Above is a nice summer swimming hole if you can get to it.

A notable distinction between placid and raging water!

Common Fiddlenecks soaked up the sun's rays today.

We attempted this rutted downhill climb to the water,

but the ruts won. 

Sierra Fence Lizard, doing what comes naturally --

enjoying the sun's warmth.

This is another approximately-the-same shot (judging by the big pine on the left in the foreground of the 2018 bottom picture).  That big pine is toward the top in the 2017 photo above.  A helluva difference in a year's time!

Canyon Dudleya with Resurrection Plants.  No bloom yet on the Dudleya.

The Resurrection Plants look dead without any moisture to turn them bright green.  

I managed to clamber down to water's edge further along the trail, where it wasn't so steep.  I think some of the huge boulders in the water are photogenic enough to make into wall hangings.  Jimmy elected to stay up on the trail ... he continued on past the park boundary till the trail dead ends at a drop-off.

Always.  Everywhere.

California Saxifrage (I believe)

Speaking of photogenic,

a few lavender Blue Dicks jut out of a hillside. 

Here we're on the way back toward the car.

What a lovely spot to hike.

At the parking lot, I leaned over a wire fence to capture the above shot.  The aquamarine water is so clear as it zips toward the covered bridge.  At this point, the riverbed is filled with boulders, rocks, large and small, thousands of them, which extends on the opposite side far beyond the scope of the camera.  We guessed that many of them were deposited by last year's floods.

I almost forgot to mention the benches that are strategically placed, where a person can sit and admire the view, have a snack, doze in the sun, or just rest for a minute or two.  Altogether, this is perfect.

We found a new way home (a bit shorter, maybe) through the beauteous rolling hills.  Maybe my sister and brother-in-law will want to visit Buttermilk Bend, see how pretty it is for themselves.  The first thing I did when we got home was turn up the heat!  Call us wussies, but 43 degrees for a high and a low in the mid-20's is flat-out cold, period.  Along with planning trips, Jimmy and I have been playing the card game called "Hand and Foot" in the afternoons before supper on these cold days.  It's a fun game, and we're not too competitive (she says), and fairly evenly matched.  I think we're at a draw.

What's next?  Light flurries this afternoon (Saturday).  More cold, and snow forecast for Monday, Wednesday and so on and so on.  Hope it warms up soon.

Weather's fine, c'mon out! Friday, 2/16/18

We had a couple of things to take care of down the hill, in Auburn and Rocklin on Friday.  And since it was such a beautiful day, we thought, why not stow the hikers in the car and pay a visit to Hidden Falls afterward.  We needed to use our legs, keep in shape so to speak, and heaven knows this park is nothing but ups and downs!

It's been a while since we've been to Hidden Falls Regional Park, but it was close and it sure felt good to be Out and About.  Our winter so far has been very mild and dry, which is good news if you like to be outside, but bad news if your area needs rain.  So while we rejoice in fair weather, NorCal suffers again from a lack of rain.  Where is that balance?  Many days we've needed only shirt-sleeves, sans jackets, and you call this winter?

Well, hold onto your hat.  A freezing forecast with snow-showers for late weekend and early next week has us enjoying our Friday hike while we can!

Hidden Falls is one of those places where it feels toasty warm in the sun and downright chilly in the shade, no doubt affected by the cool waters of Coon river and Deadman Creek.  Look at the new spring-green leaves on this tree; blimey if I know what tree it is, but seeing the leaves uncurl was neat.  Already many species have begun to bud and bloom, albeit too early.  Auburn's elevation is roughly 1200' and this weekend may spell doom for many.

Golden Deadman Creek is flowing.  Since we've had a dearth of rain thus far this year, we wondered if the falls would be full or empty.  Down in this ravine, we didn't spend much time.  Too chilly.  

Also in the north-side shade of the ravine are ferns, lots of 'em, so verdant and fresh, makes you want to bury your face in them.

There are miles of multi-use trails in the park, some accessible.  Horses, bikes, hikers and runners.  It can be very crowded on weekends and holidays; in fact, Placer County has instituted a parking reservation system to guarantee you a parking space.  I don't know about summer ... it'd be too hot in summer for us to hike here ... but we had no problem parking today.  Two restrooms are available near the parking lot, but they're "out of order?"  A bank of five port-a-potties stands a short distance away, screaming use me instead!  OK!

It's still early for many wildflowers,

except for a lone Blue Dicks and a bunch of Buttercups.

Yes, the falls was cascading down the rocks.

I couldn't get any closer to get a good shot of the falls.

Most of the oaks in the park hadn't leafed out yet, making the landscape look washed out.  The trail we were following took us over Coon River on this beautiful bridge.  We turned the wrong way to get back to square one (the car) and had to backtrack not once, but twice, increasing our hiking distance to 4.5 miles or something like that.  The health app on my phone recorded 20 floors we climbed. 

This is a high portion of the Legacy Trail, very very pretty.

It felt good to be Out and About.  We also want to start hiking in the high country, and maybe we can if there isn't much snow in Truckee or Squaw Valley.  We've been watching the Olympics on TV (mainly Jimmy), and our local TV station has a team broadcasting from Squaw Valley Village -- a place we've been to quite a few times -- which makes the South Korea Olympics feel more personal for us.  We both were glued to the TV to watch Shaun White WIN THE GOLD.

Ah now, is it possible for me to NOT include a picture of sweet Everly Rose?  Nope.  Matt took this pic of me and Everly Rose a week ago.  They live close to the American River Parkway now, which is great!  We took ER in the stroller down to the river, where she could watch the ducks, geese and gulls.  I don't remember why we were laughing, but that's okay.  All I need to do is see the look on our faces to make me happy.  💕💕💕