FIRST LET ME SAY - .... WHAT'S WITH THE SPAM FOLDER AND MY BLOGGER FRIENDS MESSAGES GETTING PUT IN THERE

 I already mentioned on my art blog that I had just discovered a few days back that there is a spam folder and that it should be checked out every few days.  For some reason many of your comments on past posts, I just noticed,  went into spam.  Blogger is really challenging me lately - what with inability to comment at certain places and then putting actual real message in spam.  So just to say ...I went to the folder and read your comments from past posts - thanks so much and sorry I haven't responded to them.  

So, yesterday, I decided to head up to Green Valley Lake to spend some time in isolation with nature and wonderful breezes.  Imagine if you will, it's a Friday - a time in any area of summer that draws tourists, that for some reason I guess Green Valley Lake remains a hidden gem.  There were very few people there and from my experience going up on a weekend - that proves to be true pretty much all the time. 

My area where I live is so crowded with people all around the lake in summer that you can't even find parking to get out and enjoy a walk.  Some people even park half way up a curb on to the trail area.  

This is the calm and beauty (and perfect breezy temps) I experienced yesterday.  I was amazed to realize it had been almost 20 years (2003) since we had bought a cabin and only kept it for a few years before we sold it as I thought it was too boring up there.  Geez, what an idiot I was in my 50's.  Now I could totally live up there year around.  I don't care about shopping anymore, unless it's for necessities and this town only has about seven businesses.  

And it wasn't even a challenge to find parking.  I've posted many photos in the past from here but it's always a new experience when i go.

 

GREEN VALLEY LAKE

 A favorite really small town like 7 buildings - up a few thousand feet from our town.  I went looking for spring but figured there would still be snow.  There was but the weather was nice and spring like.  

March was an usual month without somebody's birthday in my family except...for my oldest who's birth is the 31st.  

How are we almost to April - ...it's a paradox really ..for me anyway...winter feels so long, but then spring shows up and flies by.  But then i look back and it seems like fall wasn't that long ago.  I guess this is what getting older is like.  One's perception of time shortens.  

Had a son and two grandkids here off and on last week and enjoyed seeing them all. 

I INVITED MYSELF TO VISIT "GREEN VALLEY LAKE" THE OTHER DAY

 Mike wasn't home and i needed to get out and walk through nature.  As i walked along I saw this boat just taking a break and napping in the sun on the shoreline.  It was really difficult  not to just step in, sit down  and go for a float around the lake.  It was a beautiful day and I walked for at least two hours up and down the roads and through a few neighborhoods.  And then... today is foggy, chilly, some sprinkling and hoping tomorrow is another beautiful sunny day.

Green Valley Lake is at about 7000 feet and one of the prettiest small lakes around these mountains.

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.

JOYFUL COOL BREEZES AT THE LAKE

Yesterday at Green Valley Lake - it was a cool 75 with the right amount of breezes.  While down in the valley it was hitting temps of 107 and in the deserts I read it could be well over 100, it was just perfect in the mountains.  Green Valley Lake is another small mountain town higher than ours with a small lake  the town is about five buildings.  Years ago we owned a small cabin up in this area but we later sold it.   A lot of people were there enjoying the day which was fun to see.

They had a small festival yesterday so knowing it wouldn't be very crowded we headed up there - talk about small - there were about five booths and the only business open was the small market and a cafe.  The house I posted photos of really appealed to me - it was just up the road about five houses from the shoreline.  And, I can't pass a dog without taking its' photo(s)..