Out with the Old ... 2023

This busy month is almost finished:  down to the wire!  The year 2023, also. In with the new: January 2024! So fast -- time is whizzing by for Jimmy and me. As incredible as it seems to us, we're entering our 80th year walking on this planet. And grateful that, yes, we're still upright and walking! We have some fun adventures planned for 2024, beginning with a trek to the desert in Tergel in mid-January, where we'll soak in their hot springs, ride our bikes, and enjoy desert warmth (hopefully).

Meantime, he's a few pics to recap December 2023.

The second weekend in December, six-and-a-half-yr-old Evie had a sleepover at our house.  We took her to the "toy store" (downtown Grass Valley's Foothill Mercantile) to let her pick out a Christmas present.  It's fun just to watch the process, as she studied and studied what she wanted the most, which turned out to be Calico Critters Popcorn Trike stand and four brown-eared bunnies to go with.  In the photos above and below, she's wearing big smiles.

The three of us managed to put together this Christmas unicorn gingerbread house, tho the construction was mainly up to Pop-pop Jimmy and Gramma.  But we had a good time (made a mess), and sent it home with her.

We picked a clear Friday to drive the New Red Subaru up to Sierra-at-Tahoe (6650') where we'd pick up season passes for Jenny and Matt.  They're making snow and folks are enjoying the bunny hill, above, but this is the first time in years that we haven't had snowfall by now at our house, and not much up there.  Fingers crossed that the high country will get a nice New Years dump of snow (and leave us out of it, please!).

Jimmy and I paid a visit to downtown Nevada City one Sunday, arriving early to get a parking spot, knowing Victorian Christmas began at 1pm and there'd be no parking anywhere.  We shopped a bit, stopped to talk to friends, and enjoyed a cuppa joe at Java John's, people-watching from our window perch.  We left as the vendors were setting up, giving some lucky soul our parking space.

Howsomeever, we did stay for VC on the 17th, snagging a parking spot by getting downtown really early, and milling around till it began.  The weather was good, overcast, neither hot nor cold, and no rain or snow!  Matt, Jenny, and Evie would meet us there.  Well, we were already done by the time they arrived, ready to leave, and Evie wanted to come home with us, so we gave our parking spot to M and J and we split.

Victorian Christmas is always crowded, but enjoyable.

Another year on Santa's lap!

(and we didn't crush him!)

The crew came up to our place on Christmas eve, Matt and Evie, and Lucy (who's Lucy? their new puppy).  Jen had to work, but her parents, Alice and Tom, came.  We served turkey with all the fixin's, and cookies, lemon icebox pie, and cranberry-walnut cake desserts.  Darned if I didn't forget to take photos!  We opened gifts, and one of Evie's involved glitter.  I'm still trying to get it off the fireplace hearth!  Go ahead and enlarge this pic so you can read what's inside the jar. 😉

Christmas Day was spent down-the-hill in Fair Oaks with Matt, Jenny, Evie, and Alice and Tom.  OMGosh, the toys, the stuff, the WOW, what a mess!  Santa brought gifts and goodies!  Matt is saying, "Hi!"

Oh yes, this is Lucy and Molly.  Alice and Tom liked the young people's puppy so much, they bought one!  These two little doggies played chase and rumbled and tumbled.  They look alike, but Molly is a couple of weeks younger.

Evie and Lucy, playing.  So cute.

Puppies like to lick.

OK, then!  Jimmy and Tom decided to put together Evie's Barbie Dream House.  Kept them busy for quite a while, but they got 'er done!

Matt cooked a Prime Rib for those that eat red meat.  Tom brought a honey baked ham for those of us who don't.  Plus we had creamed spinach and mashed taters.  Time to eat!  There were decorative cupcakes after and then we sang Happy Birthday to Jen!

For a family Christmas portrait, this is the best I could do, after dinner and almost after-the-fact.  But here we are, greeting you and wishing you a happy holiday.  Jimmy, Alice, Evie, Tom, Matt, Jenny, and moi.  And Evie has Lucy.  We had a wonderful Christmas, and we sincerely hope your holiday was filled with wonder and joy.

Next up?

Happy New Year!

December on the Bend, 12/13/23

Into the busyness that is December, we found a free afternoon and took advantage of it.  Rather than our usual out-the-door to the Cascade Canal path, we made the short drive to the South Yuba River so we could walk our favorite Buttermilk Bend trail.  This time of year it's good to be outside, away from stores and baking and computers, and into winter's quiet, where one can appreciate the stillness and find joy in nature's hibernation.  

This river looks like a small creek right now, but we have seen it full and raging.  As it awaits winter's rains and snow, the river just chuckles along.

In the clear water, we could see the sandy bottom.  Submerged boulders, iceberg-like, showed a gray tip above the water with a rocky mass below.

If we'd a mind to do it, we thought we could walk across the river in some places and only get our ankles wet.  But we know the river is cold.

The Yuba presented many faces today.

Especially lovely was the golden glow above.

Though Buttermilk Bend is known for its wildflower display in spring, 'tis not wildflower season now.  Toyon -- California's holly -- with its bright red berries, was the only color to be seen among the earth tones of winter.  A welcome contrast to the muted landscape.

From up on the trail, the last leaves of autumn looked like flowers.

The river's pools seem dark and mysterious.

I climbed far out on the boulders to video the river for Instagram.  But I forgot to post it.

Polished granite boulders shine like expensive silver trays.  So gorgeous.  And you have to love a pop of yellow. 

Listening.  Looking.  Still.

Here the water has an almost-aqua tint as it rushes downstream.

Many of the trees had shed their leaves and we could see into the forest on the north-facing slope.  A few trees had crispy leaves that curled up, fetal-like. Yet, seeing some green leaves made it feel less austere, less wintry.  The day itself was chilly and sunny at our house.  On the trail, we didn't need our jackets, the sun felt warm and toasty ... till shadows reached across the river and we knew it was time to turn around.

Smooth and buffed to a fine sheen, reflecting all above it.

Come January or maybe February, no one knows for sure, the polished granite boulders will be hidden below high water.

Fleecy white mare's tales reached across a bluebird sky, tickling a snag's sticks.  As we neared the car, more clouds filled in and the sky turned a slate color. 

These Osage Orange trees and fruit are a curiosity.  I don't think they belong here; their natural habitat is Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas.  I don't think they're good for anything, either, except as a curiosity.

Ahhh, such a great place to recharge batteries, a balm to soothe the soul during this hurried month.  Today we didn't hurry, we stopped frequently with the river's roar always below us, and noting every glorious thing around us.  The trail is roughly three miles and we spent roughly two hours on it.  Just the right amount of time.  Tomorrow we can return to December's needs.

Worst and Best: Home, 11/7/23

 

Leaving Beatty, Nevada and heading north, it was apparent that we needed to spend one more night in Nevada because it was raining in NorCal and probably snowing on the high pass we'd have to travel.  NorCal's weather would clear enough the next day for us to get home without getting snowed in or on.  Hopefully.  With that caveat, we aimed for Fort Churchill, located a bit south of Reno, a site we tried to get to on a previous trip, but missed 'cause I turned right instead of left.

We spied so many wild burros on our way north.  This guy/gal danced in circles when we stopped Tergel to watch it, like it wanted us to come to the fence ... or move on already!

Goldfield:  "Living Ghost Town Ahead"  Nevada has plenty of towns that have figuratively "dried up and blown away" mainly due to mines playing out and residents moving elsewhere.  But their dilapidated houses persist and the junk in the yards doesn't rust and disappear.  It'd be fun to take a metal detector around, see what would you could find, except for:  snakes.

Dramatic skies unfolded as we rolled along.  Wind really kicked up and things got scary around Hawthorne.  If we could've found a spot to hunker down, we would have.  Tergel is a real "high profile vehicle," and being broadside to fierce winds is not funny, not fun at all.  Obviously we survived, but we sighed with relief when we got to our campground.

When we saw the sign:  Camping 1/2 mile, we turned in, and, yup, this was the Fort Churchill campground.  Nobody else around.  No hookups, but all the space you could ever want.  We backed up to the Carson River, and proceeded to hit the trail alongside the river.  Venerable Cottonwoods, golden in the waning sun, shaded the path.  Nights and mornings have been chilly since we left Louisiana, and the forecast is for more of the same.

Carson River was moving fast, and full.

Autumn leaves littered the trail.  We only went a mile-and-a-half; we didn't want to be caught out when it got dark.  It was a lovely, peaceful walk, notwithstanding cows that had used the trail earlier that day, leaving their distinctive calling card:  The juicy cow patty.  We minded our steps.

We buttoned up Tergel after dinner, pulled in the slides and turned on the catalytic propane heater early.  But I was still mighty surprised the next morning when I saw the outside temp at 23.5 degrees.  That's cold!  Cold enough to turn on the furnace, too!  Wasn't much to do to leave the campground.  We pulled out 9am/ish, and a half mile up the highway, pulled into Ft Churchill State Historic Site, parked, and began a walking tour.

Ft Churchill is a state park preserving the remains of a US Army fort and a way-station on the Pony Express and Central Overland Routes dating back to the 1860's. Built to provide protection for early settlers and the mail route along the Pony Express, the fort became an important supply depot for the Union Army during the American Civil War; it was abandoned in 1869. Most of the original adobe structures have melted into the Nevada ground, and those that do remain are in various states of ruin or arrested decay.

With the warming sun, being Out and About was quite pleasant.

Again, we were all by ourselves.

Officers quarters: one-and-a-half story buildings made of adobe walls 20" thick.  Of course, officers lived in relative comfort compared to enlisted men. 

Few people are buried in the cemetery.

A lonely place to spend "eternal rest."

Back in Tergel, it was time to head home, after gassing up in Ferley NV for less expensive gas than California's.  We had our fingers crossed for good weather.

Those golden Cottonwoods alongside the Truckee River were so striking!  You know I'm always happy to see the welcome home sign!

We began seeing snow on the peaks and I-80 was wet.

By gum, despite our calculations, snow fell on us as we drove up to and over Donner Pass, and we were driving Tergel verrrry slow.  Snow, sleet, and rain hit us, but no ice coated the freeway.  Down, down, down, we drove and eventually broke out into sunshine.  We did it!

Home again, late afternoon on Tuesday, 11-07-23, after 5+ weeks away, including that fabulous trip to Belize.  I was thrilled to see autumn leaf color, delighted that I hadn't missed NorCal's superb leaf-peeping show.  That dratted bear (above, left) turned up the following afternoon (welcome home!); it'd demolished our bird feeders while we were gone, so I won't be feeding birds anytime soon. 😞

A couple of days later, we jumped in the Prius to go see Matt and Jen and Evie in Fair Oaks.  Uh-oh.  The Prius' dashboard lit up like a Christmas tree and it screamed and flashed "PROBLEM."  Well, the Prius went to the shop, not Fair Oaks, and we learned two days ago that after 19+ years, the major big battery rolled over and died.  Broke my heart  (the worst).  I loved that 2005 car -- brought it home Oct 2004.  She didn't show her age, either.  Sigh ....  but we knew she couldn't last much longer.

We also knew we needed a car more suited to driving in snow and ice:  I present you --

The new member of our family -- a red 2024 Subaru Crosstrek.

Picked it up this afternoon.  The Best.