Cold Weather...Warm Soup

Tonight I made a super-easy but tasty soup. (I'm glad my husband is easily satisfied.) To top it off, I made heart shaped biscuits. I got the recipe from a cookbook my grandma found which has proved to be quick useful in basic recipes like these biscuits.

Here's the soup recipe for good measure:
1 can Campbell's cheddar soup plus 1 can milk
1 can Campbell's potato soup plus 1 can milk
1 cup tater tots
3/4 cup diced ham

Blend soups and milk in saucepan over low heat until blended. Add tater tots and ham. (Tater tots will begin to separate). Stir frequently to prevent scalding on the bottom. When bubbly, serve!

For grandma M.

"Bean soup.... that's all I want grandma!"

I figured out how to make a similar replica of the tasty soup. Three or four cans of beans, small cubes of ham, splash of garlic, hint of onion, and salt and pepper. Not to bad, if  I do say so myself. And cheap! That's how I like it.

MMMMMmmmm good! Love me some comfort food.

        Don't forget the cheesy
        garlic-buttered biscuits!

Four months???

If a picture is worth a thousand words, this one sums up my life the last few months:

Notice the messy bulletin board, pictures, and notes.

But most of all, notice that the calendar says: JULY!!!!

I haven't even switched it for 4 months. That is just how ridiculous everything has been getting lately!






I do love getting my masters and feeling like I am moving forward and making myself more equipped to do what I want to do: impact students in the public schools.  I just hope I haven't lost too much in the process of being busy.

This weekend, Justin and I hit up the junior high dance at school, once again, in our Incredibles costumes. Goodness knows that we don't really dance,  but go to connect with the students and lend a watchful eye on those wayward dancers. :) Plus, I figure that we should get as much wear out of these costumes before they don't fit anymore!

Christmas Lights

Browsing through the junk mail, I was taken aback when I saw this:

So these days, people will even put up your Christmas lights for you. Of course you have to pay them though. (And in times like these, who has money to pay for that? Heck, who can afford a higher electric bill for the lights themselves?)

Anyway, I just think that it is crazy, and I thought someone else might find it laughable too.

Super Sweet Sidewalk

Isn't my husband great????



Long time no blog.

I finally sit down. Finally. The weeks are rushing by a hummingbird trying to get to the sweet syrup in the feeder. I think that's what I feel like too. Except sometimes I wonder if I am going to get to the sweet stuff.

My 16 credits worth of classes keep plugging away. Two at night, two online. They sure keep my busy. I told Justin that he had to plan a date for us this weekend so that I would get away and relax. Hopefully my mind will be able to shut down for a little bit! We are planning on going to Red Lobster and then a movie afterwards.

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is our chosen one for tonight. It was either that or Social Network, but since I like Facebook, I guess I don't want to see a movie that defames it. I mean, I remember when Facebook first started, and Cedarville, my college, hadn't been added yet. Then it was, and 90% of the college had started and account in a day. And it's still how I keep in touch with my college friends. While you do need to be careful about the security issue, overall I am pleased with most of it. The stuff I don't like, I can just ignore. Anyways, the movie isn't on my list to see until it comes out at Redbox.

Besides that, I'm hoping to start my research paper on best practices for schools with English learner's. It's not due for over a month, but with everything else, I'm just trying to make sure I get things done.

Over and out...

Amazing Themed Cakes

Can you believe that this is actually a cake? Well, it is. Check out more here: Amazing Cakes

 

The Road

Last night Justin and I watched The Road. Quite frankly, it was pretty frightening. I would say it was a cross between The Happening and The Carriers, and definitely over the edge on the gory side. When I say that, I mean never show it to kids, because earth had just been through an apocalypse, and people were starving so much they would eat each other. Pretty gross, I know, and I'm not quite sure how a book like this could win awards and be considered so great.

When I see a movie like that, I just think about man's depravity and utter hopelessness without God.

True, a positive point was the father and son's relationship and hanging on to each other no matter what. And another family accepting the son when the father finally died. Beyond that, it's utter hopelessness.

One review said that this book was a testament to what could happen if we don't start to take care of the earth. However, in watching the movie, I saw no pointers to anything environmental- just a decaying, horrid place that the father and son were wandering through as they tried to make it to the coast and go south.

At the end of it all, I just had nightmares about cannibalism. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. (I hate it when I waste my time like that!)

Resolution...

So, them books are crazy. I mean, really. They leave you thinking for days. The Hunger Games is phenomenal. I know I was still sorting through things in the last post, but I really, really enjoyed them. So, so much deeper than many books I have read recently. I would recommend them to anyone. In the next few weekends, when I get more time, I am going to read them again.

School (teaching) and school (my master's) is super duper busy. I'm just running around crazy. I tell myself it's only for a year, and then things will be better. And I will have time for my husband, my family, and my friends.

I just have such a desire to be a positive difference, and this keeps pushing me on. I hope that I can do it one day. I hope I am doing it now, in some capacity, for my church, my students, my coworkers.

Tomorrow I offered my room at school for prayer in the morning. I hope a few people come. I think it could be a great thing.

That's all I got for now....

Mocking Jay

SPOILER WARNING

So, finished Mockingjay last night. Close the book and felt like sobbing for hours. At the fact that Collins, the author, did such a great job or portraying evil and showing that it effects are never over, no matter how distant the trauma. I curled up beside my husband in bed and just wanted him to hold me.

I'm not going to lie, I don't know if I liked it (the ending). I already predicted that it wasn't going to turn out happy. I mean, whenever you have a three-sided romance, someone gets the bad end of the deal. But like a reviewist said, Katniss was in it to survive. And like Gale said, she would chose the one who she needs to survive. But my question was, did she really choose Peeta? Because that is who she ended up with. I guess when they returned to live in 12 after the whole mess, she didn't have to marry and have kids. So that was a choice. But still, for Gale to just stay away.... was that noble of him? I'm not sure I can call him noble when it could have been his fault that Prim died. He could think like the killers. And isn't that a little scary? Even after Katniss had been through the Games, she still had compassion and restraint. Perhaps that is why Gale didn't- because he had never been through the Games. Either way, I'm left so conflicted. Like Gale didn't live up to what I wanted him to... that perfect friend. If he was the perfect friend, would he have confused Katniss with the kisses? And to take a job in another district- is this what a friend would do? I guess I wanted him to watch out for her. But then again, even in the days before Katniss went to the games, they were partners, not lovers. So why did she still felt guilty about him seeing her kiss Peeta in the Games?

Peeta was always protecting Katniss in a selfless manner. At the Games and after. He did really care about her when he first said so in the interviews before the first Games. But even back when he gave her the bread, Katniss didn't seem to love him. It was just gratitude for survival. I think I am seeing what Katniss needs. To survive. Is this it? She does truly care for him.

In Catching Fire, I had started to really think Peeta and her would be together. I knew something drastic would have to happen to break the tension for Katniss between Peeta and Gale. So when Peeta was tortured beyond recognizing the real Katniss, I started to separate and think that Katniss would be with Gale, even with her devotion and care about Peeta. With the ending, I guess it just shows that evil affects everyone in a multitude of ways- no one can escape it. Maybe Gale wishes he would have volunteered for Peeta in the beginning, and been with Katniss the whole time. Since he didn't, does he regret it and feel that staying away is the best thing for her? Is he a minor character that I'm blowing out of proportion? Yet isn't he important to Katniss? (Maybe my personal experiences are clouding over with things that are happening to the characters, and I'm taking all of this too seriously. But I still have nagging questions in my head!)

Gale makes an interesting point about Katniss being drawn to pain- and since Peeta has more, Gale feels that he never has a chance.

Now, I went back and read the ending. The justification for being with Peeta is that Gale has fire, and Katniss doesn't need any more. Peeta is the dandelion, the rebirth. I think I can settle with this.

I can barely stand the fact that Prim dies. It's the ultimate horror- the sister she volunteered for in the Games ends up being killed in the Capitol, the people who would have sacrificed her for entertainment in the first place. Of course this is what drives Katniss insane, plus the fact that it could have been Gale, which seems to him the breaking point of pursuing Katniss any more.

I was glad that she killed Coin. I never liked her, really.

The blood smell and roses was sickening to read, which is probably why Snow seems so evil.

I'm really sad that Cinna died, but I suppose he lives on in the mockingjay suit.

One great part was Finnick telling all of the Capitol secrets. But I wish he never would have been put through the things that he did to know them. And somehow, the fact that Annie has a child doesn't right the fact that Finnick is gone and will never see it.

But this is Collins point, I think. To make readers see evil, and turn away from it. No one ever really wins in the end. Someone always loses something.

The Hunger Games

Last night I read The Hunger Games.  Then today, I made Justin get Catching Fire, the second book, when he was out doing errands. And I finished it too! One of my students was reading it before class started, and it looked so good that I asked if I could borrow it. He graciously let me.

Oh, it was sooooooo good. Look, you read Twilight and you're hooked, but there isn't a whole lot of redeeming character qualities or themes from the books. Sure you read them because you relate to some part of the love triangle, but it stops there. I don't think they will be a classic or anything. Back to The Hunger Games trilogy, by Suzanne Collins. The characters have depth, history, and real reasons to fight. Noble ones, like home and family. And unlike Bella, Katniss is willing to sacrifice for the good of others, not herself.

The whole scope of the story to me really illuminates our desensitization to violence. I can actually imagine this happening in the future, but of course I hope that the world never comes to this. But the hope, the perseverance, and the selflessness of the characters are what is so astounding about the story. It's not contrived and silly. It's real, in-your-face situations that tests what is right. Since we see the clear and noble choice of right triumph over the odds, it's worth the read.

I'll be recommending it to all my classes on Monday. The paperback starts at $6 at Walmart. Go get it!!!!

 http://www.scholastic.com/thehungergames/

One of those days...

Every have those days, when at the end of it all, you say,

"I wish I had a job where I didn't have to work with people!"

My hubby said that last night. I love him, and I know what he really meant. And I know that though life can be frustrating, it's all in God's hands and will eventually turn out. It might not turn out how we expected or want...but it will be God's way, which is ultimately best.

I wanted to blog to remember this moment, so when things "turn out" later on, we can look back and remember that it was God's hand in it.

Heat N Bond

I just thought that I would let everyone know that Heat N Bond is a lifesaver for the working woman. Especially the small-of-stature working woman. Yes, indeed, I love my Express pants, but they are always too long! But have no fear, Heat N Bond is here! Just cut the length you need, fold up the hem and iron. WaLaaaa! Pants are hemmed. Conveniently found at Wal-Mart for under $3.00. What a deal!

Must blog, must blog...

Sheesh, I am horrible I haven't blogged for a while!!! And I have a lot that I could say too, that's the thing. Uh, where to start?

Between one of my classes today, one of my students walked up to me and said, "Do you know you're on Google?" And I replied, "You googled me?" She was just looking for our class website, but it was still funny to me. Of course I am sure that students have done it before, but it was funny to actually hear someone say it!

In other news, my schedule for my master's program changed a bit. Right now I have class two nights a week and hopefully one online class- if I don't get that class, I might not be able to finish in a year. I do like my other two class quite a bit though- they are really invigorating. It's just the new ideas and the administrator perspective that I enjoy. In any job, there is always a different perspective. I have had the perspective of a teacher for four years now, and I like learning from the perspective of an administrator.

My classes are doing great. Very minimal discipline problems. Open house was last night, and all of the parents are very friendly and amiable. (Amiable- one of our vocabulary words this week) First quarter we have a big focus on plot, so students are reading short stories and drawing plot diagrams. O. Henry, Edgar Allen Poe, and the like. Great stuff.

Also coming soon is Justin's website for online personal training. Since I don't really have any background in web design, I'm sure I am making it a lot more cumbersome than it has to be. Still, I enjoy the new challenge and we hope to get some advertising out too.

That's the biggest things in short. I'll have to get more detailed later!

A Reward for Your Work

"Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before obscure men."

Proverbs 22:29

That verse constantly motivates me to do my best! 

Today, I had a huge encouragement when someone I very much respected gave me a huge compliment about my teaching. I was so uplifted by it. I wish I could say exactly what it is, and maybe after some time I will be able to. For now, it's a confidential compliment. (Sorry to leave everyone hanging!)

Pizza!

First day of school, and I came home and wanted to make pizza sauce. So I did, from tomatoes and spices in our tiny little garden. And pizza. Like real, homemade dough from yeast and everything. And it was good. The great thing about making your own pizza is that you can make it how you want it! I had four sections:

• pineapple and ham
• ham and pepperoni
• ham, pepperoni, and bacon
• ham and bacon

Don'tcha want some?

Garrapata State Park Hike

one rabbit
forty-seven  lizards
dozens of wildflowers
multitudes of grasshoppers

...time with my husband....priceless!

While the hike at Garrapata State Park was very strenuous, as a guide would describe it, I think it was worth it. We went up the Rocky Ridge Trail first (I recommend this!) through a dryer ecosystem with lots of wildflowers and a view of the coast when it wasn't fog covered. We hiked this section early so we didn't have a clear view of the coast the whole way up. There is a nice bench on this side where you can look out and see the ocean when the mist lifts.

This first section had a pretty steep grade, but nothing like going down the other side of the ridge, where we saw many people going up. I am very glad we hiked up the Rocky Ridge Trail and down the other side before it turns into the Soberanes Canyon Trail. I would much rather have the very, very steep on the way down! There was plenty of lizards along the trail that kept popping up and over the rocks, though Justin wasn't fast enough to catch one. This section was a little over 3 miles, but felt a little longer.

Now, we knew when the Soberanes Canyon Trail started, because we made it to the bottom and found a beautiful little creek that winds its way through the canyon bottom. This creek feeds the grove of redwoods that live here. While there are not as big as Yosemite or Calaveras redwoods, they are still great to walk under the shade of, especially as the creeks winds through the valley. We crossed it several times through this 1.7 mile section of the trail. All in all the hike was about 3 hours for us, which included our lunch break along the creek.

Down further on the highway is a beach, though we just explored a small portion of the coast right across from the trailhead.

Here's some pictures of the scenery:

Funky flowers on the Rocky Ridge Trail

A spiderweb with the morning dew

             

Non-native cacti

 Gorgeous redwoods

        

Coastal view on the other side of Highway One

Flying and Jesus

First, three kids board a plane and fly from Florida to Nashville without their parents knowing! How????
WATCH HERE

Second, a guy walks across the country wheeling a cross... and had his way provided for by strangers.
WATCH HERE



(I was going to gripe about seniority today, but I'll hold my peace for awhile more!)

Super Easy Chicken and Rice Casserole

MMMMmmmm Good!

Try this:

1 can Campbell's cheddar cheese soup
1 can milk (from above empty container)
1 can chicken, undrained or 1 shredded chicken breast
1 1/2 cups raw broccoli, chopped into small pieces
1 cup rice, uncooked

Combine soup and milk in microwave-safe bowl and heat, stirring occasionally until mixed. Add chicken, broccoli, and rice. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Transfer to small casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Feel free to substitute cheddar cheese soup for cream of celery, cream of chicken, or cream of whatever! You could also add different veggies like peas or carrots, or various meats like ground turkey, sausage or hamburger. Just cook the meat first! I bet you could put this in a crock pot on low heat too... I haven't experimented yet. Happy eating!

#17 and #32

I'm starting to draw a few conclusions: 1) I'm just a big baby; or 2) This is a lot worse that I thought it would be.

On Friday morning, I went under anesthesia and they pulled tooth #17 and #32. That's the two lower back wisdom teeth. And so recovery begins....

Friday: I pretty much sleep all day, eating a little bit of pudding and not much else. Since I'm sleeping, not much bothers me. I realize late in the day that I still have the heart monitor stickers on me and pull them off.

Saturday: Umm, ouch. The right side of my mouth is beginning to swell, I have a headache, and have horrible nausea. I have to take penicillin and a pain medicine, Propoxyphene, the latter which is making me feel pretty sick. Luckily, Justin is able to get ahold of the doctor and he says to just take Ibuprofen for the pain. It's just kinda of a dull pain anyways, but consistent. Plus, my mouth is stiff so I start using a cold pack. I have to start doing salt water mouth rinses, and try to gently brush the teeth. Still on a liquid diet- juice, broth, applesauce, pudding. Justin and I try to watch a movie, but between the noise and trying to hold the cold pack, it's just not working out. Justin reads our daily Bible reading to me out loud before bed, and I try to concentrate.

Sunday: Stayed home from church. I feel really groggy and can't talk too well, and you know you always talk at church. More pudding, more broth, more swelling, more sleep. Less nausea though, thank goodness. I feel majorly lame because it shouldn't take me this long to get better. On top of it, since we sold my Cougar yesterday, we need to go get me a car. So, about 4:30 we head over and buy a new Honda Fit (more on that later). We get back around 7:30, and I'm exhausted.

Monday: I slept horrible last night. Like bad, bad. I couldn't get comfortable. I need to get to school to work on my classroom, but it's just not happening. After a hot bath, I end up going back to sleep for a few hours, after which I wake up, and decide it is my duty to blog. After all, I don't want to forget how nasty this recovery it. That way, when I am having a bad day, I can just say "at least I didn't just get my teeth pulled." Seriously. I will.

Part of the problem with all of this is that I hate wasting time. And that is what I feel like I have done all weekend! I always want to feel profitable, and I really, really, haven't.

I should add that the doctor was great and gave me very complete recovery directions. I don't blame him for anything. This is just inevitable!

Lords of the Earth

What a great, epic missionary story! Don Richardson, also the author of Peace Child, wrote Lords of the Earth about a fellow missionary's work in the stone-age jungles of Irian Jaya. Stanley Dale was a unique personality, and it turned out, the perfect one to start a missionary work in the forgotten places of the Snow Mountains in Irian Jaya. I don't want to spoil anything, but I will blog a few quotes that were powerful to me from the book.



' "Bruno," Stan mused. "This peace treaty was initiated in a day." And then he added meaningfully: "It could have taken years!" 

 Bruno weighed Stan's point: some problems diminish in proportion to the gumption, not necessarily the superior skills or knowledge, of those who tackle them. Or increase in proportion to the timidity of those who lack daring. Some problems, Bruno reflected, but perhaps not all." '



'Hovering in helpless anguish, Bruno saw Stan raise his head and look up at the cold stars, just now beginning to emerge above the Heluk Valley's black mountain walls. And in his expression Bruno could almost read what Stan was thinking.

It's a lonely enough place in which to live; but it's an even lonelier place in which to die!'



'At the entrance to the Kibi village, Kusaho stood, his arms outstretched in welcome. I realized when I saw him that what I had imagined was true- weighed in the light of cultural differences, Kusaho must be regarded as one of the most unique human beings on earth. His untaught compassion toward strangers, his clear-sighted anticipation of unknown truth, and his willingness to differ from the majority, Kusaho towered above his peers higher, perhaps, than many great men in our culture have towered above us.'

Buy it here! Read it!

Gophers Part II

Oh, here we go again. We finally gave in and called the landlord to use some of his specialty gopher-killing devices. He came out yesterday. Then, this evening, Justin was checking out a new mound of dirt and saw the grass move. After a successful flooding, he got the wretched little thing out. He called me to look at it at about that time. Here's what happened before he, uh, disposed of it...

A most special morning

My husband always succeeds in making me feel like the most special woman in the world. I wake up this morning and stumble into the kitchen to find a handmade card:

So here I am, two dozen years old. Somehow I feel that I should be older, but I'm making the most of the time God has given me! Thanks, Lord, for another birthday and for a wonderful husband, family, and friends.

Palomarin Trailhead to Bass Lake and Alamere Falls

After a very fine hike, I took a long, steamy, bubbly bubble bath. (I hope the heat will help me to not be sore tomorrow!)

Today we met up with Kelly and Jeremy and drove to Point Reyes. I had heard about Alamere Falls when researching coastal waterfalls, and wanted to try the hike. It ended up being about 8 miles round trip, and well worth it. The hike itself was pretty mild.  A little bit uphill the first half mile to a mile but the trail is wide and well maintained. Besides that, it was pretty even hiking and it went in-and-out the shaded areas. Quite a variety of plant life kept the hike very interesting and I didn't feel like I was staring at rocks, which sometimes happens in my Sierra hikes, though I love them. A variety of animal life was also present- chipmunks, rabbits, birds, a shell of a crab, and, unfortunately, three slitherings of snakes. (Did I mention that I hate snakes- and three of them on one hike! Acck!!!) At least the snakes got off of the path right away.

About two miles in, you arrive at Bass Lake. It's a pretty lake but virtually no shore to get in. A small area gives entrance if you brought a floating device, and there is a rope swing. We would have had to sit in a small open area about 30 feet away from the lake, with too much foliage in the way to even see the lake, if we had stopped here. I have been to much, much better. Apparently it's the hot spot though, because on our hike back, we passed around 40 people who all looked like they were headed to the lake. Also apparently, nudists make an appearance, which I'm very glad that I didn't see. (Hello, keep it to yourself!)

The middle of the hike ended at Alamere Falls, and it was a sight. A 15-foot cascade drops into a small pool, and makes its was down to two smaller falls, and finally about a 40-foot drop into the sand to the ocean. It's  great photo op at the smaller falls, and if you are adventurous, you can make your way down to the beach at low tide. I'll warn you though, it is pretty steep and slippery. The sliding shale-like rock breaks away and makes the path difficult. Getting back up is worse because it's harder to grip. Still, it was worth it to go down to the beach for lunch. Even if we didn't make it down to the bottom of the 40-foot falls, it still would have been worth it to see the three other cascades.

It was a great day, and I didn't even get burnt because the four miles in it was overcast! I just hope I'm not too sore tomorrow!

Scarves and pants and shirts, Oh My!

Today.

Laid out all my school (ie... "professional") clothes to see what I had. Began a pile of all the clothing items I haven't worn in a year.Went shopping. Found some good deals. Organized my drawers. Organized my closet. Left the extra clothes in pile to give away.

Tired. Sigh. Just look what clothes can do to you!

Yikes!

School stuff...

Today I went into school today. To really work on classroom stuff-cleaning, organizing books, putting up bulletin boards. There is that feeling of progress, of newness, of starting again that is refreshing. A new batch of kids. A new technique or two to try. A new optimism that only happens at this point in the year.

I suppose that is what keeps me coming back- always a new start to impact student's lives. I know I can't get to everyone, but if I can make a lasting difference in just a few lives, I feel satisfied at the end of the year. This past year, I had one student in particular who really had some struggles and even lost her father in the last week of school. At the end of the year, she wrote me some really sweet things that meant a lot. That is the encouraging part of teaching.

The difficult part, as any seasoned teacher knows, is that there is no perfect recipe for success. Each student brings burdens, cares, or distractions with them to school, and it is my job to try teach in spite of these. A blogger didn't quite understand this in his comments about standardized testing. He seemed to think that standardized testing was an end-all for evaluating  teacher performance. Of course it isn't- otherwise it would have solved education's woes a long time ago. Yet I still think that it is an important part and don't mind being evaluated on the improvement of my student's test scores from their previous year. I don't think that teacher should be evaluated on a exact percentage of students that arrive on a certain level, but instead on improvement from the previous year.

In about three more weeks I see this year's set of about 100 thirteen and fourteen- year olds.

Bring it on! :)

Dilation!?!?!?

Wowsers... I went the optometrist today for an checkup appointment. I thought MOVC was very professional and up-to-date on new equipment and procedures, as well a friendly. During the checkup, the doctor did a test that dilated my pupils... nothing too unusual. Except that for this particular one, the pupils stay dilated a little throughout the day. Or maybe I should say A LOT! Check this freakness out:

Pretty weird!!!!

Woah Sugar!

Yet again Yahoo has enlightened me. Check out this article about beverage industry secrets. I'm glad that I'm a water girl-I really don't consume too much juice, and rarely ever drink pop. I suppose my one vice is Jamba Juice, but that probably only happens about twice a month- if that.

If you really want to see how bad it is visually, check out this slideshow! It's twenty drinks with sugar comparisons like the picture that I have here. I would say that the comparisons are quite horrifying (as well as encouraging me to just stick with my regular ice cream! :) )

Hot Hike!

Yesterday I went on another hike into the Sierras. It took Kelly and I about 2 1/2 hours to get up past Sonora and through the pass to Levitt's Meadow for our hike. Upon arriving at the parking area, I could see a great river coursing its way through the long meadow. While it seemed smooth through the meadow valley, it soon began crashing upon the rocks and we realized that even this late in the year, the river had quite a current. Once we crossed over the river on a bridge, we headed uphill for about 3 miles. Unfortunately, there wasn't much shade and it got quite hot. On this trip, as opposed to last week, I put on sunscreen before I left!

After about 3.5 miles, we arrived at Secret Lake. It was a beautiful lake nestled into a mountain valley. We had brought our water shoes and waded out into the lake up to our knees. Soon, we saw the life of the lake emerge with crawdads, water skippers, and chipmunks scurrying about. The water was so warm it would have been easy to swim. That scene made the trip worth it! The hike back on the other side of the mountain was much smoother and mostly downhill, though exposed to the sun almost the whole way. A highlight was the fragrance of sage from the sage bushes all around the valley. All in all, our trip was about 8 miles.

Right down the road from where the trail started was a Marine cold weather base. We saw some Marine Corp. vehicles and soldiers training on the rock cliffs. I liked knowing they were there- it was probably the safest I have ever felt on a hike. :)

Alas, I forgot my camera, but I found some pictures on the internet. I wish I could find a picture with the river running through the valley.  It's quite the beautiful wilderness!

Part of Levitt's Meadow where we started-

And the lake was something like this-

Hogs and Hillbillies: County Fair Style

I love going to the fair. I always have. To me, it's America as much as New York City ever was. The down-to-earth, hard-working, farm-loving people who come are just astounding. I love to see all the kids who work so hard to get their animals ready and care for them. And so many different people coming together in one place too.

I love America. And I love the fair.

Well, my cousin Austin was showing his pig. It was supposed to do really well, but apparently it was "weak on it's feet"- it wasn't walking very well. He took 6th in his class, but we were all hoping that he would do better. He's done quite well the last two years, even winning Grand Champion before!

I rode over with me grandma and grandpa as well as my two cousins Janae and Talitha. Here's a few pics of the fun!


They put funny clothes on the sheep... to keep them clean I suppose...

Rabbits

Chicken barn... this is one huge chicken! On the left it is bending over for some food I guess!

Eating lunch with grandma and grandpa

Cousins!

My favorite sign EVER

Gotta love blue tongues from Slushies!

Austin showing his pig