Chillin'

Camp is hard on a guy.

No worries though because this guy saved all his spending money until the last night and splurged on a hammock.

He slept in it his last night at camp--even sleeping through breakfast!

Luckily he was already packed up and ready to go, so he didn't miss his ride home.

At home, I found him hangin' out in the hammock.

Lucky for him, I am just happy to see that grin :)

Snapshot

My Uncle Dale faithfully read my blog and would send me messages--though he never commented publicly.   He told me once "...I have never written a letter to the editor of a newspaper wither, even though I read it daily."  He was just quietly checking in on my world.  He told me on several occasions he loved my writing.  That is what is great about uncles--they love what you do because you are you.

I miss him.

He is still one of my few followers in the virtual world.  Sometimes I look at his picture and smile.  He sports his beautiful gray hair handsomely, just like my dad.  Cyberspace offers immortality for a moment.

He was my youngest uncle, a mere 13 years my senior.  Thus, I thought he was pretty cool.

Memories are funny things.  Often the random moments are what we remember. 

The last time I saw him, we were cruising around the bay area.  I had picked him and his youngest son up early that morning.  We walked beneath the redwoods.  Then we cruised down the winding road to the ocean.  Along the way, he remarked, "You are a very good driver.  It is tough driving this suburban on this narrow road--and you don't even make me nervous!"  He was smiling, but he meant it.

Of course, he spent his life driving heavy equipment--and he was very good at it, so his compliment made my heart sing.  Later my dad would tell a story about how his little brother was driving the tractor home in the pouring rain and rolled into the creek.  Luckily he wasn't hurt, but extracting the tractor was an ordeal.  I guess he learned lessons along life's way too--that made him the driver (person) he became.

At Christmastime 2 1/2 years ago we were all together at a cabin in Lead.  I  insisted on a photo of my dad with his sister and brother.  They reluctantly participated.

Check out this dutiful enthusiasm.

Mischievously placing the hat on an unsuspecting sister's head changed everything (I think my dad was responsible).  But I love each one of these smiles!  I can even hear the laughter...

One of the few photos I have with my Uncle Dale is from the night I graduated.  I was 17.  He was 30.  I framed this photo and took it to college because he quietly insisted I should go and make the most of the opportunity.  It reminded me to work hard.

I do not know what we were laughing about all those years ago (was it perhaps my dad's antics again?)

I still treasure this 80s snapshot.

And I am relieved that he is no longer haunted by the pain of his short battle with cancer.

But, I still miss him.

Ripples

My son is at camp.

It is very, very quiet without him (remind me of this on the chaotic days when I dream of quietness...)

I love this moment I captured of him fishing with his dad in the kayak.

My oldest daughter is in Portugal.

Her absence compounds the quietness.

Thank you, Facetime! I can see her suntanned and smiling face--she is so excited to share the day's activities with me.  Yesterday she was delighted that she was able to say thank you to the donut vendor in Portuguese.  

She basks in the sunshine at the beach daily--though I think she spends the most time in the water, as she loves to swim in the ocean. 

Amidst the quietness at home, my birthday arrived.  We enjoyed dining out and returning to ice-cream cake, as you can see the party was small, especially with Kiahra hiding behind the camera.

And amidst the ripples of life I embrace another year...

Schooner's Landing

Early on the morning of July 4 we left behind the chaos of the bay area and headed north to Mendocino.  It is a rare opportunity in our nomadic lifestyle to return to a campground we have visited before.  This one is worth it though.

Make no mistake, it is just a basic campground...no miniature golf or fancy bathhouses or pools. The dirt road winds around from the ocean inlet upstream.  The campsites hug the mountain in a row.

The seals would sleep on the rock in the middle of the river--we could watch them from our campsite.

As the tide moved in, the seals appeared to be floating!  They were waiting until the last moment to disappear into the water in search of dinner.

Marshmallows roasted perfectly in the campfire.

Portia even indulged--thanks to the kids!

Crabs abound on the river bottom and keep all the "neighborhood" kids busy trying to catch them--they caught this one, but he was too small, so he was returned to the river!

Fishing off the dock early one morning, Kade and Dad noticed a seal swimming nearby and enticed him with a bit of calamari!

Even dad couldn't resist feeding him!  Just for the record the seal preferred calamari to fish :)

The seagulls would dive for dinner too!

Spectacular views greeted us as we kayaked up the river!

Blue herons abound--look closely in the treetops for this one!  They are fun to watch fish in the river when the tide is out too!

  

I can't resist sharing one more river view with a river house!

Almost legal size--crabs and boys!

A doe and her fawns were grazing near the riverbank.

The river otter was speedy, but here is evidence of him diving for his lunch!

We kayaked out to the inlet where ocean views greeted us!

Fishing from the dock is perfect for the kids!

Gliding through the water, the girls enjoyed the scenery too!

The kids loved being immersed in the natural setting--it was a discovery playground!

Options

Worthless pinterest browsing informs us that one cannot breathe in through the nose and speak simultaneously.  Of course, the kids immediately attempted this challenge.  It wasn't working well for them.

So I asked, "Why do we need to be able to breathe in through our noses and speak at the same time?"

"It would be nice to have the option," Kiahra quipped without hesitation.

Whack! Whack! Whack!

 "The itsy bitsy spider

climbed up the water spout

down came Kiahra to whack the spider out

the itsy bitsy spider never saw the rain,"

sang the adoring brother.

Spiders should not risk crawling across any floor or wall with eagle eye Kiahra in the house.

Sometimes, I hear a succession of banging upstairs, and Ron will look up unmoved and comment, "Kiahra found a spider."

Sometimes, she demands spider killing support.  She attempts to deploy her siblings first.   At this point, some of the best untaped reality tv follows.  Her brother will reluctantly climb heights to reach the arachnoid.  He has even utilized his rubber band gun to take out a spider.  Lucky for his sister, he is a very proficient shot.  Though he is known to tell his sister the spider jumped or fell just to torment her more; however, he always makes sure that she is not certain of the spider's location--in the event he may fall to her whacking.

If all else fails, she will deploy her father.  He will reluctantly participate only because it will allow him the opportunity to tease his teenage daughter (Where did you think Kade learned to torment his sister?)

In the end the itsy bitsy spider (contrary to any reported size discrepancies) never sees the rain.