LAST WEEK'S TRIP DOWN TO ALTA LOMA AND SOME OF MY FAVORITE WALKS

 During beautiful weather and before summer hits down below - high 90s sometimes now going up to 110 isn't that abnormal - ...I enjoyed a 70 something degree day.  It was beautiful.  I walked and walked and drove to different places and walked some more.   At times, I really wish I could live back where I use to because there were so many places to go and enjoy walks or hiking.  In the area where I lived a lot of people had horses and there were bridle trails all over the place.  

I lived near the foothills and after retirement we started climbing up the hills...sometimes where there weren't actual trails.  I remember one time going up a steep narrow really almost vertical path and I got 3/4 of the way to the top and didn't think I could go any farther.  I found a branch hanging from a bush that I could grab on to and get up to the top.  I was feeling anxiety at the fact that Mike would have to call one of our sons to come  and help him get me out of this situation if I stayed stuck on that path, neither able to go down or up.  Silly me.  No way was I going to humiliate myself like that, so that is what made me finish to the top. 

Some photos below from an area I always enjoyed walking on a bridle path and then up into these neighborhoods with really beautiful homes.  

 So many of these hills we climbed around in  before there were houses built.  I've noticed every time I go down there are new developments of houses going on further and further up the foothills. 

These rusty cans make a beautiful wind chime. The sounds are really nice. 

SPRING DAY AT THE PARK

 What a beautiful day it was last week.  I had reason to be down the mountain and took myself to three different areas  near where I use to live, to walk around.  The first place I stopped was this park where my sons use to play in their little league games.  it's a good size park with not only this pond but several ball fields on the northern side as well as playgrounds.  I forgot how much I loved being here.  

I remember after we moved to the mountains I saw an article where they were removing the turtles from the little lake here.  Whatever reason they did doesn't matter now as they are back and looking quite content on the little island.  

I took several photos of other areas around here but i was more focused on the little island with the turtles and the people enjoying the spring weather.

LOOKING BACK - WHAT BEST FRIENDS LOOK LIKE - GRANDDAUGHTER IN BLUE/BLACK AND JAKE THE DRIVER GRANDSON

 

MAKAYLA AND MACKENIE - TAKEN THIS MORNING 

I was upstairs in my bedroom when I heard a lot of noise out on the patio.

I looked out and Jake was driving the girls around on the convertible.






I grabbed my "good" camera and went outside.

I kept clicking and got about 50 shots I think.

These are my favorites.

They have been close ever since they were born, Makayla being about 6 months older than Mac.  Mac will be 5 in June. 

The bows were made by the "Bow Lady".

Her bows are beautiful.

Jake was having fun driving them around.

Jake turned 2 yesterday.  I'll have photos later of that.

And...it's a beautiful day.

Love his little face looking around the girls.

You're doing a good job Jakey.

The girls then decided to go inside and I followed to take pics of them dancing.

And taking a bow.

And the Chaffeur is done with his day job.

 

I miss these days.  We lived with them for about a year after we sold our house - i got to be witness to all their antics.  And I took quite a lot of photos.  I copied and pasted this from an older blog.

VISTING BEND, OREGON IN SPRING

 How can it be seven years ago that I enjoyed this visit.  I've been to Bend in all season because my third son and his family live there.  Spring and Fall has been the best with their colors and beautiful Deschutes running through part of the town.  This area in the photos is Mirror Pond which is an impoundment of the Deschutes River and is a beautiful area with a nice park basically right behind the old town of Bend.  

It's getting more difficult to decide, if we go sometime, who we can visit as three of my sons now live in different states.  We have been both to Oregon and Washingto but one of my sons moved to Montana around six years ago and we still haven't visited there.  He will be getting married in the fall of 2023 so we will definitely make a visit then.

I don't want to spend much time today posting as the trip we were going to take to Big Bear yesterday didn't happen because of some kind of traffic issue which caused a huge back up and people were turning around on the hwy going back down.  We will try again today.  I'm anxious to see if any wildflowers are finally blooming there. 

The bridge separating the neighborhood from the park, crossing over Mirror Pond.

This house appealed to me.  

these houses are along the river.

BIG BEAR LAKE IS WAY DOWN THIS YEAR

For the first time ever, I was able to walk on the other side of Boulder Bay because of how much shoreline is present now.  I realized with a little more melt of the snow i could have walked the shoreline to the opposite side of the lake.  

These are from March when i was last up there.  Hoping for another trip around Wednesday or Thursday to see if any wildflowers are blooming.

I've never been able to get close to those big rock formations of the cabins.  Finally I was able to walk right by them.  Next time I should be able to walk on the shore all the way to the other side of the lake way in the background.  Everything will be melted by now.