Mineral King is very social for this pair of introverts, Mr. and Mrs. Trail Guy. This is how it goes: any trail we walk includes running into people we know. Sometimes we run into people we know in the parking lot, then other people are waiting for us back at the cabin when we’ve been out and about. While we are visiting with those folks, others stop by to check in. Most people only come up the hill a handful of times a summer, or maybe only once, and they are very understandably excited to be there, and want to say hello and catch up. Trail Guy has a buddy about 1 mile down the road who invites him to his birthday party every summer, and I have a friend directly across from us who wants to be with me every moment she isn’t chasing her brother around.

Thank goodness we don’t have a phone at the cabin any more.

This is my friend holding the birthday present for Trail Guy’s friend. We decorated some scrap paper using 45-year-old crayons and used a bit of yarn from my current knitting project for the ribbon. My little buddy went through the odd assortment of cards I had on hand, and we found an envelope that matched our wrapping paper.

Brother didn’t want to go to the party. He is single-minded about baseball (New Yank Yorkie fan), and the party was decorated with San Francisco Giants stuff. He chose to stay back and play catch with his dad.

We played one game at the party. The birthday boy sat in a chair, trying to hold still, and everyone had 5 minutes to draw him. He then chose his favorite drawing, and it just wasn’t very fair for all the others to have to compete with the Central California artist. (Of course he chose mine—did you doubt?) I took it home and finished it under better light and while wearing glasses. He thought it looked like a fat girl face. (I didn’t photograph it for you, not wanting either to expose his identity or put a dent in my professional reputation.)

Let’s look at a grouse instead. No wonder the miners ate these birds. . . they are fearless, slow and easy to pop on the head. (Fear not, no head-popping took place, and the only shots taken were with my camera).

I walked down the Nature Trail to the little footbridge to see if the Monkshood had bloomed. It has been many years since I’ve seen it, although I look every year.

Yippee skippee, here it is!!

Felwort, another one that I have only seen in this one place along the Nature Trail is also in bloom, although there was only one.

Twinberry is another one I have almost seen no place else except by the footbridge on the Nature Trail.

There will be more about Mineral King, but it is now August, which means Monday is time for a Learned List.

See you Monday!

No, not literally.