Creative Reflections

Time Getting Away From Me!

Oh gosh, here it is a whole WEEK since I've gotten home from Lake Tahoe and I haven't even posted about our last full day there!! I don't know, the older I get the more time seems to get away from me! Well, let's play a little bit of "catch up" then!

As I think back to our trip with my sister and her family I can't help but feeling extremely thankful. I love my sister deeply and I have such admiration for the woman of God she has become. I see Christ continuing to refine her character as His loving hand of mercy touches her and her family. I'm so thankful that the Lord allowed us to spend this special time together. I'm thankful too that all of the many personalities in our two families "fit together" easily. Now, I'm not saying that "everything" was peaches & cream; we are all only human after all, but for the great majority of time we did truly enjoy each others company. I hope that we will have many opportunities in the future to share vacations together because I think we "wear well" together.

Because my sister's family tends to get a later start on the day than we are used to and because Saturday was to be our last full day on the lake before we headed home on Sunday I decided to set my alarm clock really early and get up before sunrise to take a hike around Spooner Lake. I figured I could be done and back home before everybody else was even up out of bed. Anthony and Justin decided to join me in my early morning adventure and BOY were we ever rewarded with some spectacular sights!

We got to Spooner Lake just as the sun was rising. It was still very brisk; you could see your breath. In fact, even the lake seemed to be "breathing!" As we rounded the corner and the lake came into sight the mist was rising off of it. All was hushed and still except for the whispered breath of this beautiful little lake....but words don't really do it justice.....take a look at this wonderous sight that greeted us that morning:

The breath of the lake seemed to be made visible as she whispered praise to her maker for a brand new day. "His mercies are new every morning!"

My two intrepid companions:

Justin

And Anthony

I love the way the touch of the sun can transform the ordinary into extraordinary. It reminds me of the way the touch of God's Son transforms our not just ordinary but even lost and broken lives into lives of extraordinary meaning, beauty and goodness.

There is nothing unimportant in His kingdom! Even a simple blade of grass has the power to tune a heart toward worship of the creator.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the lake the moon was quickly saying its farewell to the day:

Arriving early at the lake allowed us to see so many wild creatures. I could not help but think of Psalm 148 as we made our way around the lake, "Praise him sun and moon and shining stars, praise him you mountains and hills and wild animals, small creatures and wild birds. Let them praise the name of the Lord for his splendor is above all the earth. Amen."

It was a glorious start to a wonderful day!!

The balance of our day was spent playing on the beach at Lake Tahoe. The boys got in their last rides on the wave runners and their last trip to the coves in the kayak. Thank you Uncle Mike and Auntie Pooh for a very special week! And thank you Lord for creating such a magical place, where your beauty abounds and your love and mercy are tangible. Farewell my beloved lake.....until we meet again!

A Late Start and a Short Hike

We got a late start on the day Friday. I think that everybody was pretty worn out from our adventure the day before. The weather was still not cooperating. Our plan was to spend the day on the beach but it was just too cold. So, it turned into another hiking day. I promised the boys that I knew a short hike that was lots of fun and wouldn't take all day. Granny surprised us and said she wanted to join in the trek.

We drove out to Emerald Bay and hiked Cascade Falls. The hike out to the falls is a short two-mile hike that only takes about 30 minutes. Once at the falls you can run and explore all of the different levels of falls. Granny joined us for the first part of the hike and then found a shady spot where she sat with her dog and listened to her books on tape while the rest of us proceeded to the falls.

Cascade Falls is made up of many cascading streams of water that are formed by the winter snow melt. The water tumbles into Cascade Lake which is a 'sister lake' that you see on the south side of Emerald Bay. This is probably one of the most popular hikes in all of the Tahoe basin. And for good reason; the hike is very accessible, easy to traverse and consists of spectacular scenery. Because we are so late in the summer season most of the falls have dried up, but there was still enough streams to provide the boys with lots of fun exploration.

Photos from the day:

Granny & Auntie Pooh (with Uncle Mike in the background)

Our motley crew of boys

Our friendly little chipmunk....again....he seemed to show up on every hike we went on!

One of the many streams that make up Cascade Falls

Winsome little John....this sweet-natured little boy has really stolen my heart on this trip.

And my ever-smiling sweetheart of a son; Austin

The boys explore the falls

Auntie Pooh and her oldest son Jerrod

Me and my boys

The lichen covered rocks

It was so much fun to be able to have another photographer along on the hikes

The view from the top of the falls

A Grand Adventure is About to Begin

"A Grand Adventure is about to begin."
-Winnie the Pooh

I know that mine is not the most politically correct opinion but honestly I think the whole man-made global warming hysteria is all a bunch of hooey! Never did I feel more certain of that opinion than I did on this day...August 6....smack in the middle of summer. We had planned on spending the day at the beach but woke to winds that were blustering at 20 miles per hour and had a decided chill.

We decided to drive to Squaw Valley to see what the weather was like there. We bundled up in winter gear and headed out. We figured we could take the tram to the top of Granite peek and if it was too cold we could just take the tram back down and play around in Olympic Village. If it wasn't too cold we would hike down to Shirley Lake and Squaw Creek.

When we got to the village the temperature was 50 degrees but the sun was shining. Up top where the tram lets you off the temperature was 45 degrees. The wind was gusting and while there were dark clouds there was still lots a patches of blue. We decided to throw caution to the wind and head on down the mountain on an adventurous hike. After all, what is a vacation without a little adventure thrown in?!!

Well, we sure did have a fun, wild adventure!! The hike up to the trail head did give us pause as to whether we should proceed. The wind was whipping like crazy. But we figured once we got on the downhill side of the trail we should be blocked by most of the wind; which was the case.

The hike down to Shirley Lake was quick. The wildflowers were beautiful and the boys were having a great time. We made our way around the lake and just as we got out onto the glacier falls the skies opened up and it started HAILING! We took shelter under some trees until the worst of it blew over. The boys were laughing and in great spirits. They thought it was great fun to be able to be out in the rain hiking. My sister and I were happy because the moisture in the air seemed to intensify all the colors and made for some great photos (I know, we are twisted!) And Uncle Mike joined in the fun spirit of the day.

It took us a total of four hours to make it all the way to the base of the mountain. When the hail would come down we would find shelter where we could. Despite the cold and the rain this was one of the most fun hikes we have ever been on. The boys were drenched by the time we made it to the bottom and they all looked up at me with twinkly eyes and said, "so, what do you have planned for us tomorrow Aunt Debb?!!" I guess that any Aunt that puts together a plan that includes braving the weather, climbing down glacier falls in the hail and splashing through creeks in the rain secures their "favorite Aunt status" at least for the day!!

When we got to the village we learned that it was actually SNOWING on the summit!! So much for global warming, right?!!

Here are some photos from the day:

Photos from the tram

The boys at Base Camp at Granite Summit

Anthony & John fight the winds to make it to the top of the trail head

The wildflowers on the way down to Shirley Lake

Anthony says, "Uh, Mom, I think it is starting to hail!"

.....and then the skies opened up!!

At one point John thought the best way to cope with the elements was to pretend he was a penguin

Don't we look like we are having fun?!! Auntie Pooh, Uncle Mike & John

Taking a break under the trees

Some of the beautiful sights along the way

My boys....still smiling!

Even with the cold and rain my Pookie Bear is still a handsome boy!

John took his cues from his big cousin Anthony.........

.....and smiled through it all!

You know what they say....you can't have rainbows without a little rain!! And if EVER there was a pot of gold at the end of any rainbow then my beloved Lake Tahoe is surely that!!! What a perfect ending to a wild, wacky, wonderful, adventure-filled day!

Aunt Debb do we have to go to a museum?!!

You can't tell it by the photos that follow but Wednesday was a blustery, cold day. Definitely NOT a day to be out on the beach on the wave runners. There was some thought that we might drive down to Reno to see the antique car show but then we settled on the idea of visiting the Tallic Historic Home Site. The Vrzich family had never been there and the walking was level so it would be an easy trip for Granny to make with us.

Eveybody was enthused about the idea until the younger Vrzich boys realized that we would be going to a....dreaded word...."MUSEUM!!" Apparently they aren't too keen on having to go to museums, especially in the summer time and especially if it means they have to read anything. I told them not to worry, that Tallic wasn't like a "normal" museum and if it made them feel any better they could just say they were going for a walk along the shore line in S. Lake Tahoe.

Tallic Historic Home Site is located in S. Lake Tahoe, just north of Camp Richardson. There are four different historic homes that were build at the turn of the last century. The setting, amongst the pines and right on the shore of the lake, is beautiful. The homes give you a glimpse of a by-gone era. At one point during our walking tour John came up to me and said, "Aunt Debb, I like YOUR museums, we get to run around outside and we don't have to read anything!" WHEW!!! I'm so glad they liked it; I would hate to have lost my "favorite Aunt" status!!

After we visited Tallic we took a drive to Fallen Leaf Lake. This is a beautiful lake that sits in the shadow of Mt. Tallic. There is a community of private residence and a boat dock. The road back to the lake is tiny, narrow and nerve-wracking but the view once you get there is really beautiful.

We ended the day eating dinner at a wonderful family-style Italian restaurant on the N. Shore. All in all it was a wonderful, relaxing day.

Photos:

Granny and Anthony

Look, they are smiling....even if we are getting ready to go to a "museum!!"

Some of the sights on the grounds of the mueseum

Our two "peas in a pod" Austin & his cousin Justin

Anthony & Austin Overlooking Fallen Leaf Lake

The Big Meadow Hike

Yesterday Uncle Mike showed us just how much fun you could have on the lake with a couple of wave runners. Today it was our turn to show the Vrzich family one of our most favorite places in all of the Tahoe basin. We took them on the "Big Meadow Hike" aka "The Best Hike EVAH!!"

We love this hike because of the variety of terrains and eco-systems you see along the way and because it has one of the best "rewards" at the turn around point; Lake Dardenelles. This hike starts with the typical switch-back climb through a thick stand of lodge pole pines. Then you work your way down to a HUGE mountain meadow. Once you proceed through the meadow you start working your way up a long steep ridge, passing an open hillside meadow on one side and a deep creek on the opposite side. At the top of the ridge line you are presented with a spectacular view of a deep mountain valley and distant mountain peeks. The trail then takes you down to that valley where you pass several mountain streams and a mountain swamp. There is one more short little climb up some granite glacial fields and then you turn a corner to find one of the MOST picturesque alpine lakes in all of the Tahoe basin.

Uncle Mike LOVED the hike and especially the destination of Lake Dardenelles. I was so tickled to be able to show and share this special place with him. Auntie Pooh is such a fun and easy-going companion. She and I both had our cameras with us and we ended up laughing at how much alike our photos are; we are drawn to the same elements of beauty. The boys were fantastic sports. They played and romped and teased and climbed rocks and raced ahead of us on the trail and swam in the lake and smelled the bark of trees and threw rocks and generally had the kind of fun that only boys hiking in the wilds of Tahoe can have.

Here are some photos of the day:

Hiking through the Big Meadow

Uncle Mike with all the boys

Hillside Daisies

Me & My Boys

Crossing one of the many streams on this hike

A little chipmunk watched us while we ate lunch

Justin takes a breather at the lake after lunch

Lake Dardenelles from three different spots along the shore

Heading back home through the meadow

Anthony with Auntie Pooh

Dusting off the Cobwebs

Wow....December 17th?!!! This 'ole blog sure needs some updating! My world got rocked last December. A day after my last post last year I received a phone call telling me that my beloved Grandma was very ill in the hospital. She passed away a few days later on December 20th. I'm still not at a point where I feel comfortable sharing my feelings in a public forum but needless to say this was a difficult loss and a tough transition.

There has been much that has transpired in the past six months that I should probably catch up on. The BEST news is that my sweet Alex is now a High School graduate and is headed to college next week. Anthony will be a freshman in High School and Austin is getting ready to start seventh grade.

Millie surprised us with a litter of puppies this summer. She had two darling little pups. My brother Mark has taken one of the puppies and I think/hope we are keeping the second pup. His name is Tramp. The daddy was a black lab and Tramp has his coloring but he has Millie's sweet face AND temperament. I'll post more on Alex's graduation, Millie's puppies and Mario's new job later.....but for now.....WE ARE IN TAHOE and I have some fun times and photos to share!!

Mario was not able to take time off from his new job this summer for a summer vacation and Alex has been working full-time at a Christian camp at Mt. Palomar. So, I decided to take Anthony and Austin on a short one-week trip to Tahoe. My sister, brother-in-law and their four boys were already at the condo, having come up earlier in the summer. Mom joined the boys and I and we are now all up here enjoying each others' company and the beauty of this magical place.

One of the really fun benefits of coming to Tahoe with Uncle Mike and Auntie Pooh is that they have all kinds of "water toys." Uncle Mike brought up two wave-runners this summer. Usually our summers on Tahoe consist of lounging on the beach, swimming, jumping rocks and for real excitement we get in the kayak. Well, I'm afraid that is all going to pale in comparison from now on for my boys now that they have experienced the thrill of zooming over the crystal blue waters of Tahoe in a wave-runner.

Here are some photos from our first day out on the water this past Monday:

Austin, Cousin Jerrod and Anthony pose on the "taco" before taking off on the wave-runners.

Just look at those grins, can you tell they are having fun?

Austin wanted a chance to drive so he hopped on with Anthony.

Anthony with Cousin John

Austin and Cousin Justin get towed by Anthony and Jerrod.