The first time I drew a Hume Lake cabin, it was for my friend’s parents. Her mom commissioned a pencil drawing. Wait, not true. The first time I drew a Hume Lake cabin, it was the boys staff cabin across the street from the girls staff cabin, in 1978. It was a present for my […]
In the Sierra, but not Mineral King | At Hume Lake
Each summer starting in 2017, I’ve spent time with a dear friend at her Hume Lake cabin. Most years we gather in June, last year in July, and this year in August. It was HOT, REALLY HOT, so we didn’t rent any watercraft or walk around the lake. Mostly we just hung out in and […]
Tryna Hike in Mineral King
On my last trip up the hill, my back hurt. I don’t know why. It just does sometimes, and after a week, it subsides. I never know if it is good for it to get taken for a walk or if I should just lie on the floor on ice. I decided to ignore the […]
Mineral King Road
The Mineral King Road is a doozy. 26 miles (I think, but maybe it is 25), much of it a cliff-hanger, no fog lines, rails, center stripes, and in some places, no shoulder. The lower 10 miles is under county jurisdiction, the upper part under the feds (national park). About 13 miles of the upper […]
Nine Things Learned in July
2. Jury duty is a rough way to spend a day because it is so boring and feels like a complete disregard of the value of time. Be there at 9, sit in a room until 11, half the people get called, the other half gets sent out to waste 2-1/2 hours, returning for another […]
Mineral King, (But it’s not Friday!)
In order to do my August calendar picture post and the Learned-in-July-List in a timely manner, this week’s Mineral King report is landing on the wrong day. Flex with me, Readers! It was a time of many people in our neighborhood, with much socializing and renewal of friendships. I felt as if I fit in, […]
Painting Another Sequoia Panel (+ an Infomercial)
The panel isn’t made out of sequoia wood; the panel is made out of ?? wood, and I am painting a sequoia tree on it. Sequoia gigantea is the official name for the redwood trees in Sequoia National Park, not the redwoods of northern California, called Sequoia sempervirens. Those are tall; ours are thick. Two […]
Sawtooth and Me
50 years ago today I got medevacked* off Sawtooth. A group of high school kids were on a backpacking trip in Mineral King, a week long loop. We were fully chaperoned by experienced adults, age 32. (Why does that no longer seem like an adult age??) We camped at Columbine Lake below Sawtooth with a […]
Eureka! Part 2
The carpenter brought ”Aunt Em’s” completed stained glass window to the house to install it. More decisions: facing the garden or facing the laundry room? Hang inside or outside? Trail Guy and I had both thought that outside made the most sense. Not sure why, but since we were in agreement, it felt like the […]
Eureka! (I have found it)
WARNING: LONG STORY When I was a child, “Aunt Em” lived next door to my Great Aunt Mary in Three Rivers. She was a retired teacher, a “spinster” in the vernacular of the day, probably a bit eccentric. She had designed her own home and filled it with antiques. When we were allowed to visit […]