Yosemite in August

Last week we had the pleasure of visiting Yosemite National Park with some of my favorite people. We only had one afternoon to visit and we enjoyed every minute. Most of the photos I took were taken from the moving car so they aren't the best but it is hard to mess up a shot of anything in Yosemite, it is just too beautiful. We enter the park from the East side and Tenaya Lake is a treasure to behold. Gorgeous mountain water.

Rugby didn't enjoy the long drive this time.

It seemed like everyone thought it would be a good day to visit the Park, lots and lots of Happy Campers.

Entering the Park...yipeee!

Uh Oh! looks like a wildfire is burning down there.

Yep...looks to be a big one.

As we winded down the mountains into the valley we started to worry that the air wouldn't be very good down there.

There she is...Yosemite Valley. It is just so majestic, always takes my breathe away.

The air actually didn't seem too bad once we got down to the valley floor.

Lush, so lush this year.

I will never understand this...I mean why pose on the dangerous rocks? There is a reason so many tourists die in our National Parks every year...stupidity.

I mean look at this shot below!

This is Bridalveil Falls...all these folks are at the base of it...here is a shot of the top.

She is a beauty isn't she?

Hope you all get a chance to visit one of our fabulous National Parks this summer.

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

The Roar of Snow Melt

Today we went up to our Lakes Basin to check out the waterfall. This is a shot from above the falls down onto Twin Lakes. Our little town is just below the lakes, less than ten minute drive.

We are getting some amazing cloud formations.Pooh Bear would be busy if he were here today. Big puffy white clouds that go on and on. This is a close up shot of the clouds above the hill that is in the background of the next shot.

Our Valley is pretty green today. ;-)

The sound of the waterfall is amazing... a roar. I bet the campers are loving it. The sounds of a rushing waterfall while you drift of to sleep. SMACK! sorry, mosquito woke me up! ;0)

To the right of this sweet little cabin there is still snow

Here is a shot of the snow and the waterfall side by side.
Strange don't you think?

I have a thing for colorful boats... they are so charming.

The mosquitoes buzzing up my nose are NOT!

The sky is a brilliant clear blue.

I think that little cloud looks like a baby bird... on a turtle's back... being chased by a pig.

Watch out for horses and tourists!

This lake looks more and more like a lake on the moon, if they had lakes on the moon, due to a little CO2 problem from the volcano. The trees here at Horseshoe Lake are dying.

It didn't look like this when I was a kid.

We still have quite a lot of snow in our mountains and you know...

they are still skiing at the resort!

I am sending you all a cool mountain breeze. :-)