Lower Deadman's Camp part.1

We have been blessed with a lot of camping time this summer. Our "Summer House" was set up at Lower Deadman's Campground in August and we enjoyed it every day possible for 17 days!

The Camp is only 9 miles from our home so when there was work to be done we came home and cleaned up, worked, cleaned up again and went back out to our vacation house.It was fabulous!

Because we were in such a remote area I felt comfortable letting Rugby be off the leash. I want to train her to stay by me but it is hard to test her in town. She did beautifully. She is such a good camp dog. She stayed right in our camp area and never barked. She met every dog that moved in to the campground and got along with all of them. She made use of the quilt top I made for camp when it blew off the bench. Yes, I took and used a "floppy top" before it was finished... I couldn't wait and I wasn't home long enough to finish it.

Now here is a brief description of the camp. Standing at the...west side of the table looking towards the
campfire. Notice Ruggy's bed? She is a "glamper" to be sure.

Turning counter clockwise and facing North is what we now call "The Pumice Trail". It is an overflow area for Deadman's creek. If you follow the Pumice Trail you will arrive at our friends camp. Very convenient.

Turning a bit more to the west is the "kitchen".

a bit more and we are now looking at my son's room.



Here is the deluxe Master bedroom that we started with, but the zippers started breaking and the poor thing had many holes in it so we bought an even better one. I did not get a good photo though.

Now we are facing west south westish. The bridge to cross the creek is a log through those green bushes. Most of the time we were there someone or another was standing there fishing. Big fish, small pond.

This is facing south towards a campsite that had two different "Moto/Generator type camper families. I felt immense relief when they would leave. The fact that they left food in coolers out for the bears was infuriating as well.This is where we put our new tent up once we bought it.

Our spa. Yep, we even had a solar shower.

We need a better door/towel... longer, and some clothespins. 

The inside of the shower.

a mat that drains.

The view out of the door of the shower.

The view looking up from inside the shower, nice huh? Yep we even had monogrammed washcloths.

Standing at the campfire pit looking west.

We found tablecloths and quilts to be very handy against splinters.

and pine needles. Aww Ruggie.

Stay tuned for part 2.

Picnic at Rock Creek Lake

A few days ago we decided to have a picnic dinner up at one of our many local Lakes, Rock Creek Lake. On the drive over a Ladybug landed on my leg...

We found a shady spot right by the water...

some clouds blossomed above...

Rugby noticed we had a visitor...

Ants always show up to picnics invited or not.

Rock creek lake is so peaceful...

Yeah, I think we are pretty blessed.

I hope you all get a chance to sit by a lake this weekend...or at least a hose sprinkler. ;0)Keep Cool my friends

Local Wildflowers

Our grueling winter is paying off in so many ways, like raging rivers and an abundance of wildflowers and here are photos of just a few.

Penstemon

Rugby Rose hip

Rose hip Bud Torrey's Blue-eyed Mary

Phlox

Indian Paintbrush

Mariposa Lily

I haven't identified this one yet. Mule's Ears.

and those are just wildflowers I have found in the last few days within our town's limits! I love it.

Just a few shots

This morning I was reminded that I have a blog and I need to post occasionally or my faithful readers will revolt! He he ;0)

So I am posting a few shots of happenings around here but I will be back with more soon. I have been sweeping chimneys like crazy and on those "sweepy" days I am beat, exhausted and have no desire to type or even think. On top of it my son has recently graduated High School and seems determined to drive me nuts! Why did I think things would be easier when he was out of school?! Even with all of this, and more I don't even want to bring up,I have been super crafty and I need to show you all what I have been doing. Until then check this out...


I posted about this table last November after we had a big snow storm and the snow piled up perfectly like a frosted cake. Well I didn't have room to store the poor old thing indoors so I just left it there where it stood all winter and figured it would be broken in the spring. I wasn't too attached to it anymore, although it was an amazingly well built table. Over the years I had painted it, decoupaged it and eventually it became a craft table and then it was put outside in the garden for our outdoor dinners and I used it a lot when I painted.

As the far above average amount of snow melted in the garden I would think about the table, "I wonder if the legs broke off" or "maybe it broke right in half down the middle?" I waited as the snow melted and watched. As the garden began to appear more and more I wondered "what happened to the table? I should be able to see it now!" I figured it must be broken flat on the ground. The middle and the legs must have broken in half. I did not in any way expect what really happened...

It sunk into the ground. About two feet of the table legs were perfectly pushed deep in the earth and the table was completely intact, the paint job ruined of course, but not broken at all. I had a mind to make big pillows to sit on and just go with it...go without chairs I mean but Hubby helped me pull it out.Whew... it was tight in there and a leg did break from the table and Hubs had to wiggle it out of the ground but it pushed right back into the table.No Problem! They sure don't make things like they used to, this table just won't die!

We went up to look at the local waterfall and here is a shot looking out over the town sitting amidst all those pines, looking toward Crowley Lake. It was a bit hazy that day...wildfires somewhere south.

Twin Lakes still had a bit of snow on it...

and finally here is the waterfall. I shot a sweet little movie of this moment with my handy camera but I can't seem to get it uploaded onto Blogger.
Drats!

Sooo peaceful. Only birds twittering and the roar of the waterfall in the background. The campgrounds weren't open yet due to the Insane amount of snow we still have so there weren't many tourists either.
Our weather forecast for last night and today called for rain and snow...on June 28th! That is how crazy this winter/spring has been. I have lived here for 32 years and last winter was my biggest winter yet. I wonder what is coming next? It has been raining all night and this morning, and the mountains have are again covered in fresh snow so we are gonna go out and see some of the rivers swell. Can't sweep chimneys in the rain...rain, roofs and soot don't mix.

Have a great Day, J

I'd like to check you for Ticks (not)

On our latest adventure with Rugby we went down to the Owens River. This is a shot of the view to the south. The Sierra Nevada Mountains just go on and on. Here is the view to the north where the clouds went on and on. Oh... A very photogenic Goat posed for a scavenger hunt photo for me.
I needed a shot of a farm animal. I think he wanted to go home with us.

I also needed a photo of some tree branches and I found these gorgeous trees in a beautiful grassy area by the river.

I can't decide which photo I like better, with the sunbeams or without?

A sweet little wild rose in the softest pink.

This was a very nice spot...or so we thought.

Wandering through the brush I noticed the sting of a mosquito biting my hand and then my arm.

We found what seemed to be a nice picnic spot until right about here Rugby stopped having fun. I didn't know why until we found seven ticks on her that afternoon. Yuck. I have never seen one before and they are ugly suckers.

We got outta there Quick, and went shopping. ;0)

P.S. in case you are wondering, the title of this post is from a Brad Paisley song which has earwormed its way into my brain this week.