Thursday, January 31, 2008
Clear Day
Monday, January 28, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
New internet friends
"
By 9:00 we were at the parking lot for the butterfly sanctuary. We were the first people there other than a couple of kids trying to make a buck by directing us to a parking spot with a flag, despite the fact that there was probably enough parking for 2000 cars. There was a long line of restaurant/snack shacks leading up the hill, but only a couple were coming to life at that hour. The guides hadn't even shown up yet to offer their services, so within just a few minutes Ali and I were disappearing into the woods on our own. We picked up a well worn horse trail and I assumed that it would lead us to the monarchs.
The climb was extremely steep, and within ten minutes we found ourselves stopping often to catch our breath. We were up around 9000 feet and it was a serious climb. We went on like this for over an hour, climbing and climbing, yet never reaching the top which always seemed just beyond our reach. By this point we knew we had screwed up, there was no way this was the trail that the tourists would be brought up on. But when you are nearing the top of a mountain there is really nothing you can do but keep climbing. Eventually we reached a clearing and we thought, or rather hoped, that we'd find millions of monarchs fluttering around. We didn't. In fact we had yet to see a single butterfly.
We picked up another trail on the other side of the clearing and began a much slower descent. We were not happy at this point, figuring we had just climbed an entire mountain for no reason whatsoever. But then suddenly we had a butterfly flutter past us. Then another, and another. Pretty soon they were everywhere. And then, in an instant, there were billions of them. A grouping of trees in front of us were dripping monarchs. They were so thick that their weight bent the branches straight down. It was truly an amazing sight, and certainly one of the most remarkable things we'd ever seen. Butterflies littered the ground, both dead and alive, making it hard to walk. It was like a living carpet on the forest floor.
After finding a safe spot for our feet we turned our attention upwards. The trees were heaving, and as the sun shown through the forest canopy the entire place came alive in a burst of orange. When the sun hid behind the clouds everything became very still, but the minute the suns rays warmed things up everything around us began to move. It sounded like a cave full of bats flying over our heads.
Ali and I stood for hours, afraid to move our feet while the butterflies made themselves comfortable all over our bodies. They seemed especially attracted to Ali's head where she almost always wore at least one as a fashion accessory."
Friday, January 25, 2008
Movin Day for the girls
- Movin day for the girls.
- The girls started moving in to their new house a little at a time. I put some new light fixtures up and then yesterday they tented the house to deal with termites.
Tenting came of today and tomorrow bright and early they will attempt to get moved in for the most part. I think I'm gonna be hangin and installing more light fixtures. We'll watch Vaughn tomorrow and I may drop in to crack the whip every now and then.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Moving Day
I love moving day when now. Don't have to pack and unpack a bunch of stuff, don't have to call friends to help lug furniture around. Just pick up a few items, stow em in the trailer, hookup and go. We are all settled in at our new digs. Funniest thing though, I'm gonna have to put out the remote antenna for TV, there is 1 lone palm tree here and somehow it's exactly in the way of our mounted antenna and the sat in the sky. Oh well, gotta have some kind of excitement in my day.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Saturday's adventure
"Yes the Cuz braved the bitter cold in the hours of darkness from Fresno to Roseville. Going, well, God only knows how fast, to get here in under 3 hours.
Then, I offer to lead him off into what I thought would be a great ride to a place he picked out for us to stop and have lunch. Little did I know how much my area is changing, and I got a tad lost, but my cuz, Mr. Daniel Boon carved a path to the Garden highway from the Sacramento international airport, where my tiny Shadow gas tank needed another gallon of gas.
But, we did meet a nice chap in this motorhome who was on his way out of Alaska, and boy, he and his lady were really happy about our heat wave (32 degs).
Finally we arrive at the, "Squeeze Inn" Where there was seating for 10 along a very narrow counter.
I sure felt sorry for the cagers, but Ron and I had no problem squeezing our bikes in the tiny parking.
But, then we are confronted with a long line waiting to get inside to order, there was a lot of joking and good humor amongst everyone.
Once inside we were told there would be a 30 minute wait, we already waited 30 minutes, we ain't giving up now. And the wait was well worth it.
Not to mention the eye candy was fantastic!!."
