WAITING FOR THE WIND, IT SEEMS

I've seen these two before when I'm  on different walks around our local lake.  Every afternoon after 3:00 the breezes pick up and it can get pretty windy at times.  I've seen them before in this same area of the lake where the wind can get quite strong.  To me it appears to be a mom and daughter enjoying their lake time.

Not ever having been on a paddle board before I don't know how  they stay upright.   The photos don't show how windy it was.    I was up on the road instead of down on the trail so maybe it's stronger where I was.

  There's still no swimming allowed at the lake (but people do anyway).  No lifeguards, snack areas, and if you take a boat in you have to get it inspected for  "quagga mussels."

AS FAR AS LAKES GO AROUND HERE

Green Valley Lake is probably at the highest altitude, approximately 7000 feet and it gets a lot more snow in winter.  We had a vacation cabin here years ago and just never got up here enough when we had jobs and then the busy -ness of life got in the way.    The town only has about six buildings and probably only four of them actually have businesses that are open.  The lake is small but beautiful.

We went up there the other day and while walking around we stopped over at the community garden.  It was fun to see that not only are they extremely trusting up here but creative.   Next to the garden is the covered area which is nice and shady and where people come to do their mosaic crafts.  Evidently, because it's left open even when no one is around, if you brought up some glue and a few little tools, you could sit there and use their "stuff".  I'm not sure if that is the case or not - but it looks like it.  Who knows - if you tried to do that someone might come out of nowhere and kick you out but I doubt it as I didn't see anybody aound except for a guy who owns the antique store a few buildings over. 

Oh...  and the stuff I talked about are buckets of chipped dishes and even glass marbles and such in buckets just sitting out - basically everything you need to mosaic things except for the "thing" you want to mosaic.

ODDLY ENOUGH - IN SUMMER I START GETTING EXCITED FOR FALL AND THEN WINTER

In my 20's 30's 40's 50's my favorite season was summer.  Since then it is my least favorite season.  The sun, even if it is only 70 or 75 out seems so much stronger and hotter  than it did 10 or more years ago.  Has anybody else noticed this.  And then the thought came just now, maybe when you get older and your skin loses layers and becomes thinner - possibly the sun just feels warmer because of that.

I remembered today after having a warm night while trying to sleep that here in the mountains our nights actually start cooling down really nice by September.  The days can be warm but not hot and the leaves start getting their fall colors  a lot earlier up here than down the mountain.  So we are now about the middle of July  which means only 2 more months and then we will be heading into my favorite season, autumn.

I saw this photo today and thought yes, I do love snow... right after it falls and when it melts quickly.  So today my thoughts are on the changing seasons.

The other thing that just came to mind is right after July - the months speed by until Christmas. 


(photo - our local lake)

LIFE STARTS ALL OVER AGAIN WHEN IT GETS CRISP IN THE FALL.

F. SCOTT FITZGERALD

A NICE PLACE TO WALK

There is a path across where I'm taking the photo - ...that one area is a rock wall - the grey area and the path is just below that right by the water and then you go up steps to the right and then follow the path to the end.  It's the longest of the lake trails we take and it's probably my favorite. 

While the valleys are going to be hot it will still be a lot cooler up here and good weather to take out a grandson for a hike today.  He is on his Xbox a lot and it's time to get him out of the house.  We have him until Saturday.  It's nice to have a kid in the house again, especially one that is 14 and you really don't have to do much other than let him enjoy his visit (with no chores and his grandpa's cooking and lots of Xbox time). 

How's  life where you live - still the Covid mask thing and social distancing?

OUT AND ABOUT IN THE JEEP - BLUE SKIES HIGH CLOUDS NATURE'S BEAUTY

How was your 4th.  In the mountains all lakes (which there are four) had their firework shows cancelled.   Even our little town was quiet and I only heard one firework go off which was a relief because of the dense forests up here that could catch fire.

I love this time of year in the mountains especially when high clouds are painting the skies so pretty.  In this area we drove through cars are parked here and there and people are out hiking.  There are many campsites where you can camp free but there are  no restrooms or drinking water.  At each site you can have  two vehicles and up to 8 people.  After 14 days, you have to leave but then you could come back for another 14 days and keep doing that.  I'm thinking if a person is living in their RV full time this would be a good spot to stop at for a few weeks.   Not sure where people dispose of their waste as I haven't had the desire to go check that out;)

It's a beautiful area and about four miles up the road is some really good hiking and a restroom.

Every time we have gone up there I never see that many people camping or even hiking.  We only go during the week not a weekend.