Leek Springs Lookout

Drove up with the faithful hound Commando for a hike/bike ride. Weather was perfect, sunny, hot (but not too hot) with a few puffy clouds for interest.

My original plan was to take some roads around a meadow (Leek Springs Meadow?) based on the view from Google Maps. I thought I'd bike and give my Achilles tendon another weekend of rest. On the way down, a ranger passed and suggested that I head to Leek Springs Lookout instead. I should have listened. She didn't sound too sanguine about a meadow loop.

We continued on and got to the junction of forest road 9N15 and the way to LSL. 9N15 was (according to Google) the right road to go along the meadow. I took that one, the less travelled one.

Shortly after, there was a private road leading off across the meadow (barely glimpsed through the pines). We forged ahead on the rocky road with two snow berms and two downed trees to struggle through and over. The road traversed a hill and seemed to NOT be going to cross the meadow anytime soon.

Have I mentioned that I can be stubborn? We continued on and just as it looked like the road was going to turn and cross...it ended. True, it ended at a nice overlook towards the Valley with some granite hills nearby filling in the scenery nicely, but, no meadow crossing.

We strolled around a little and I briefly considered striking out overland to get to the road I "knew" was just on the other side of the ravine at the apparent west end of the meadow. If I'd had hiking boots and no bike I might have tried it. Fortunately, I had my sandals and bike and didn't feel like trying to schlep through the forest with those impediments.

We drank some more water and headed back. It was beautiful both ways with many, many blue flowers of many kinds. There were also several seasonal creeks from the snow melt and Commando cooled his paws in most of them.

Back at the car, I loaded up and we drove to LSL. Wow. Beautiful. Stunning 360 degree views of the Sierras. I could see where we had been earlier down below. The woman at the lookout was chatty but entertaining. There is quite a complex there with a helicopter pad, many satellite dishes and various scientific looking devices. I would have asked more questions, but she couldn't let me up in the tower and she couldn't come down.

After leaving LSL we drove along Foster Meadow Road which took us back to 88, the to the Mormon Emigrant Trail. We briefly explored the road on the other side of Leek Spring Meadow that I'd been trying unsucessfully to walk. I was a short road and ended at the meadow with a locked gate. It said this was a sensitive ecological area (true) and no one could pass without the express written consent of Fish and Game. Hmpph.

Good day though, I will definitely be visiting this area more often.

Sierra National Forest Scenic Byway 2

Commando and I setting off on the Chiquito Lake Pass trail. Unfortunately, I did not make it even to the lake. Still, it's a good trail and I'd like to do it again with some more time.

Exploring Sierra National Forest Scenic Byway

Over Memorial Day visited the family in Fresno. On Saturday and Sunday drove the Scenic Byway (what a great idea!) and did some hiking and biking.

Great views and no crowds! Here are some highlights:

The Ross Cabin has been moved from its original settler location. Commando caught a lizard and I saw firsthand how great the "lose the tail" defense is. I could see the lizardless tail twitching, but missed the lizard.












Arch Rock is fun, but no need to make a special trip for it.

Grouse Ridge Lookout Hike

Drove up 80 to 20, then took the Bowman Lake road and took a right on the Grouse Ridge road. It was badly rutted. We drove about 6 miles and were finally stopped by some deep snow patches with about 2 miles left to go. Commando and I put on our hiking boots and headed off. The trail (road) goes up, but not too steeply. There were a few snow drifts to cross lower down, then, almost nothing but snow higher up.

We finally reached the saddle summit (but not the lookout, another mile ahead) and ate our snack on a nearby summit, only about 100 feet lower than the lookout.

Spectacular views of the Grouse Lakes and assorted seasonal waterfalls. It was well worth all of the effort!

Cutest Dog Ever!

Cutest Dog Ever!

Jodi's Cabin

The cabin is between renters for the weekend so we drove up Friday and left Sunday. Friday did a little stroll along a road that crosses a valley near Royal Gorge. Saturday helped Jodi a little with cabin cleanup and strolled a bit off of Donner Pass Road. It looked like there was a trail from the summit down to Donner Lake, but we weren't able to find the bottom end so just hiked a short bit.

On Sunday we drove along Highway 89 to Henness Pass road and nearby. Hiked up Rice Canyon road and a bit on FS road 41 off of Jackson Meadows reservoir.

On the drive home we took dirt roads around Perrazo Meadow. Commando had a great time running around and chasing varmints. He actually leapt out of the car window to try to catch a lunch chipmunk. Once it had safely gotten into a tree, it mocked him.

Big Trees Trail off Mosquito Road

Commando and I drove onto the Mosquito Road to hike on the Big Trees trail in the El Dorado National Forest. It's a pleasant trail with some very large sugar pines and a few redwoods. I'm a redwood fan, but most of the trees are relatively young and small. It's probably not worth a special trip, but if you're up here, it's a pleasant stroll.

Dog Town Creek Falls

I've made several attempts to get to these falls and finally made it. The Grizzly Flats area of the El Dorado National Forest is a great place, but the roads can often be unpassable, especially in winter and in my ordinary car. The Caldor road was good this time, although a regular passenger car might have difficulty with some of the last bit. There is a great view of the falls from the road, even better than when actually at the falls.

Because I'm so lazy on the weekends, we didn't get there until late. The hike didn't start until 3 pm. The foot trail is well marked and leads down a volcanic ridge. It's steep and rocky. The trail takes a turn and flattens and then there's an unmarked fork. I chose the level fork (left) thinking it was a switchback and the steep downhill fork (right) was an illegal cut. Oops. The level fork continues level for about a 1/2 mile or so and then joins up with some OHV trails.

I could see the creek below, but the sound of the falls was fainter. I also thought I could see a road next to the creek. We left the trail and cut down the steep hill. It was a scramble through brush and around a variety of downed branches and pines. There was no road next to the creek, just a steep, mildly treacherous hill.

We traversed downstream along the slope along a deer trail and crossed a mossy and grassy wet slope over a granite slab. There were some beautiful white flowers with purple tips scattered on the bright green meadow. Under the overcast and cloudy sky they were pretty. If it had been sunny, they would have been breathtaking.

We finally made it over the meadow and then saw the falls about 40' below. Just as I reached to top of the falls, I saw the trail again. Commando and I spent some time at the top of the falls just roaming over the smooth eroded granite near the water, and the rough uneroded granite above the high water marks.

We headed back up the extremely steep trail. In the dry summer, this will be dusty and slippery...especially once many boots tamp the dirt down. We made it us and this trail turned out to be the "illegal" short cut.

Commando Wins Most Improved!

Last night we finished the basic dog obedience class at the SPCA. It was a good time and Commando enjoyed it. He learned sit, down, touch, watch (sort of), shake, other paw, sit stay, down stay, come, and to walk nicely on the leash (sort of). On the last day he was able to relax calmly in the class and lie on the floor instead of trying to play with the other dogs.

He didn't win the sit-down-touch competition, although that could have been my fault. He also didn't win the fastest tail wagger, because he's got such a stubby tail.

He did win the Most Improved dog in the class and got a big bag of dried chicken breasts from Trader Joe's. This is one of his favorites!

City Bikes is Great!

From an email I sent to them:

I'd like to thank your service department for their always extremely helpful and courteous help. Today I came in pretty grumpy with a trivial flat tire. It wasn't anything wrong with the bike, I just didn't know about the special air "thingie." I had been riding to work last week, decided to stop at the gas station to fill my tires, and let all of the air out. So, I just get grumpy when things don't work out. It's raining, I've had a hard week at work, and I bring my bike in. Now any other place could give me attitude, or ignore me completely, but the service guy was very helpful, explained about the air "thingie" (without acting snippy about my stupid questions) and helped me get an adapter so I could fill up my tire at any gas station. Oh, he also filled my tires.

Later that same day, I'm biking slowly along a gravel levee top watching my dog romp around near the river. Could like be any better? So, instead of contributing to grumpiness, your excellent service department made one person's life much, much brighter! Hey, it's not world peace or an end to poverty and hunger, but it sure made a difference to me!

Bassi Falls 2

Drove up again to tackle the falls. Last time, there was about 2 feet of very slushly snow. This time, all the snow is gone and most of the ground is dry. We drove all the way to the parking area, even over an ugly very rutted patch. The walk to the falls is short...about a half mile. There's a short uphill, then a level spot, then a gradual downhill to the base of the falls. It's mainly granite so the trail is indistinct, but you can't miss the falls themselves. They were magnificent! Even this early in the season there was a steady stream of visitors. I would imagine that once summer arrives the trail will be packed.

We scrambled up to the top of the falls (more granite) on a possible trail, a possible deer trail, some possible ledges, and then any sort of gap in the manzanita. It's not difficult, but you need good footing. There was a better sort of possible trail down that starts higher up and we took that down.

I was going to head back to the car, then remembered that I left a bag of Commando's poop to pick up later. Drat. On my way to pick it up, I slipped and fell, bashing my right knee on the granite. Ow. After a few tentative and cowardly steps in the direction of the car, I decided I was okay and went down to pick up the bag.

Great area for a hike!

Mormon Emigrant Trail

Commando and I drove up the Mormon Emigrant Trail. My intent was to find the North-South road and trace it back. We hiked for about an hour off of the road through a pine forest. I was stopped by snow and couldn't continue.

I wanted to check out the Light Canyon road so drove there too. It was snowed in so we came back to Houck road and hiked up to an overlook with some weather monitoring equipment at the top. Great views!

Google Earth

Interesting that Google has loaded pre-Katrina pictures for New Orleans. It's funny to see the Katrina images marked (rescue helicopter) and the image is no longer there. Still, I wonder why they did it?

Grizzly Flats Again

I couldn't quite get motivated to leave as early as I'd planned but we finally did hit the road. I was NOT happy to discover that REI has stopped selling the printable maps from the kiosk and printer thingie. Dur. The first clerk I asked was blase, but when a second one asked if I'd found everything okay he was livid when I mentioned it. He said, "That's like KFC not selling chicken! Don't get me started."

We hiked off of Caldor road and also somewhere near Leoni Meadows. A guy stopped my in downtown Grizzly Flats to ask how to get to the freeway. He'd tried to drive up Capps Crossing based on his GPS directions but the road is blocked with snow. I told him he was miles and miles from the freeway and that he'd need to head to Placerville. Good luck to him.

Oh, I hiked instead of snowshoed because I forgot my damn boots at home. Dammit.

Rhodesian ridgeback mix

Commando was called an australian shepherd mix at the shelter. I just found that impossible to believe because his coat is short and he just looks nothing like a shepherd. I've been searching pictures of dog breeds and I think he looks the most like this dog, a Rhodesian ridgeback mix named Gracie. I'm not sure why I bothered with this search, but it's just interesting I guess. Except for the color, these two dogs could be twins.

Dog Mobile and SNOW (finally!)

On Saturday went to a Dog Mobile at the Home Show at Cal Expo. The lead was sick, my back hurt, and the other dog handler has a chronic bad back so we were hurting. We took Alex and Meredith. They had a good time and were noticed by a lot of people. A family seemed quite taken with Meredith, but I'm not sure it would be a good fit. She's older, and has early arthritis and they're a young family. She may not like kids playing roughly. We'll see if she gets adopted.

On Sunday Commando and I drove up to Grizzly Flat and snowshoed for about 2 hours. We went down Big Canyon Loop Road whatever that was. On our way in a snowshoer flagged us down and asked for directions. I hope he makes it out alright because he headed back into the woods where he had been disoriented before.

The snow was perfect! It was about 2 feet deep and nice and wet so flotation wasn't a problem. Commando had fun leaping in and out of the snow and trying to make headway in the (for him) chest deep stuff. I stopped every once in a while to see if he was okay, but he kept wanting to push on. He made many forays into the pines to sniff out birds or whatever else he feels compelled to sniff. It was warm and sunny and I only wish I could live up there and snowshoe everyday.

Foresthill Again

Suddenly winter decided to arrive and there is finally snow! It's down as low as 3000 feet. It's still snowing and many of the highways have chain controls and I wanted to avoid all of that. I drove up to Foresthill as the Divide road is relatively flat with few turns. The sky was overcast at Auburn and it was raining. It was overcast in Foresthill and there was snow on the ground. The road was barely cleared and I drove around a little trying to find a place to park.

I pulled off at Sequoia road and then snow shoed parallel to the road to Georgia road. I went down Georgia road for a bit and then headed back. It was snowing most of the time with some light hail. The snow was nice and dense and very wet. Perfect for the purpose. Some other people had done the same trip and it was nice to walk on their trail.

More Exploring Grizzly Flat

Drove to Grizzly Flat and Caldor Road and hiked in fresh snow up a forest service road. Lovely! Drove around a little and may hike again on a forest service road off of Capp's Crossing.

On the way home stopped and strolled along the shore of Lake Natoma at Nimbus Flats. I let Commando off leash for a little as there was no one there. Then, I stopped by Phoenix Park off of Hazel to check out the dog park. I had to ask a guy for directions to find it. It's not bad. Commando had a good time running around until he crashed head on into a bigger chocolate lab. He yelped and cried, then looked maybe like he was limping. I took him to the gate area and he seemed okay. We went back in and he just wasn't into running around so we went home. There was a good dog there that he liked. They did the running side by side thing that Commando seems to enjoy the most.

Yolo Basin Walk

Commando and I drove to the Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife area and took a walk in the area open to dogs and bikes. It was windy and sunny. Commando flushed a pheasant and tried to chase pigeons, swallows, and meadowlarks. Needless to say he was not successful. I pointed out a fleeing jackrabbit but he failed to look where I was pointing and missed it. He also terrified several small rodents and perhaps ruined the foyer of the bolt hole. There was a dead juvenile hawk and he sniffed it with interest and I did not let him eat any of it or roll on the carcass. This is a great trip and I'll be back. I can see where there's a good place to kayak when it's flooded and there's no current and it's sunny and not windy.

Rock City at Mt. Diablo State Park

Donna, Kayla, Mata, Ea, and I met up at Mt. Diablo for a hike. Donna and the kids got there very early and drove into the park and stopped to wait for me at Rock City. This is a perfect place for the kids. They love climbing the sandstone formations and scrambling up into the little caves. The loop hike around Rock City is very doable and the CCC trail to Sentinel Rock is quite exciting. I paid extra for the trail map and it was well worth it.

This kids really enjoyed climbing all of the rocks, although Ea was the only one brave enough to climb all the way to the tip top of Sentinel Rock. Next time, we'll need to take some geologic information to bore the kids silly.

Here's a phone pic of the kids in one of the little caves. You can see how appealing this is! Fortunately, there were no broken bones or other mishaps to mar the day. In fact, no one even tripped, slipped, or so much at skinned a knee!

Light Canyon Road

Drove up the Mormon Emigrant road and stopped when there was a little too much snow on the road. Commando and I hiked on the Light Canyon road. We stopped at the Pilliken fire monument from 1973. It was a nice stroll with light snow on the road and great views of the surrounding mountains.

Although the road is paved, there seems to be no mention of it on Google maps, or on the El Dorado National Forest site. I will visit this area again.

Antibiotics

In just two days I got red eyes, red ear, and pus in my throat. Yum. I'm taking pills and squirting some stuff in my eye too. TMI?

Damn Cold -- Grrr

Got sick Saturday evening on the way back from my fabulous hike. Had a huge fever all day Sunday and started with ibuprofen then. Bad sore throat and stuffy ears and achey left ear. Saw the doctor on Wednesday. He says it's just a virus take Advil cold and sinus.

Went through the anti-meth rigamarole and left with, as it turned out, not enough Advil cold and sinus.

It's now Friday morning and I'm feeling worse, not better. This can't be. My right ear is now stuffy and so achey that I had to take 800 milligrams of ibuprofen to sleep. My eyes are gummy and bright pink.

It still may be a virus, but I'll be reporting these new symptoms to the doctor anyway.

It's time to be better now. Life is too short to spend it sick!

Beale Falls Hike and Cold

On Saturday got up relatively early and went to the Spenceville Wildlife Area to hike to Beale Falls. The trail maps are pretty bad, but I managed to make it to the falls. I started off on the Spenceville road (so far on the map) and soon went off to the right on a foot path that went along Dry Creek. This path will be very, very bad (and perhaps impassable) after rain and if the creek rises. When dry, it cuts off about a mile of distance. The creek is scenic and there are plenty of deep pools and sandy beaches to lounge and take in some water. I suppose this would be a fish hangout too. The picture in this paragraph shows the middle section of the falls. You have to scramble down a steep hill on onto a lava upthrust to get the shot.

Commando enjoyed himself running around like a loon and trying to catch squirrels and birds. Hey, bud, it ain't gonna happen!

This picture shows the deep pool at the bottom of the upper falls. I managed to capture a fence post in my shot of the upper falls.

We met only a few hikers and they were forgiving of Commando being off leash. I stopped him from heading to a family (which I couldn't see) by saying NO in my sternest voice. They were all stopped, no doubt thinking that I was being stern because he was dangerous. I apologized, and we chatted about the trail while the kids gathered around petting Commando on whatever bits they could reach.

In the spring it will be a more splendid hike, assuming it rains enough to prompt the wild flowers to bloom. Although, there may be more people. I'll definitely have to come back with Donna, Brianna, and Kayla for a bike ride. It's a little short for us at only 5 miles, but perfect for the kids.

On the drive back I started feeling sick and by the time I got home I had a nasty cold. Bummer for Sunday.

Trip to Snow and Hunting Area

On Saturday Donna came up with Brianna and Kayla. We went with her family and the dog to the Lake Valley Reservoir. There was less snow than when I was up last weekend but the roads were even icier! We sledded around and then hiked to the lake shore. It was beautiful, partly iced over, with the moutains rising above it. There was sun and we enjoyed a nice picnic. The bathroom even had some toilet paper left from the fall!

On Sunday Commando and I drove up to Farwest Camp reservoir and then on to the Spenceville Wildlife Area. Commando and I explored a field that had harbored cows. There were some hut like structures with an old engine block and perhaps a rusted washing machine. There was also a rusting, probably no longer running backhoe. Someone had dug a big hole into the rock (at least a story deep and then put up a barbed wire fence). Interesting.

Hunting was still going on and I could hear shots off in the distance. I was wearing red but I forgot Commando's yellow vest. Fine!

Yuba Gap Walk

I had tried to hike near the Emigrant Gap exit off 80 but my car was just not up to the moderate amount of snow on the road. I drove to the Yuba Gap exit and went to the forest service road that follows one side of the Lake Valley reservoir. Commando and I hiked along enjoying the winter weather and the views of the partly iced over lake.

Van Vleck Snowshoe

Drove up the Icehouse road and snowshoed a little way down to the Van Vleck bunkhouse. It was about 25 degrees F which is cold for sunny CA. I could have used my ear muffs, but they are hidden somewhere.

I made Commando wear his yellow slicker and I put a lap blanket under it. The blanket didn't last long, but he wore the slicker the whole way. I also made him wear some dog boots to protect his feet from the snow. He didn't like those either. He did the silly "high walking" step and then settled down with them. They were slippery and didn't give him a good grip.

The two on the right side kept coming off, so eventually I left them off. Then, I noticed a little blood in his paw print and put them back on. We'd been out for about an hour or so, so headed back. About halfway back, Commando kept lying down waiting for me. Hmm, unusual. I checked the boots and they looked okay. Finally I took all of them off again and he galloped around like the pup he is all the way back to the car. I'm not quite ready to give up on them so Commando is going to be forced to wear them at least once more.

It's a great hike. It slopes down relatively gradually (which means it's not a hard slog back up). The snow was hard and crisp. Even going off the road onto a meadow was good. There are great views of the Crystal Range too.

I'm going to have to think more about cross country skis. It would be nice to slide downhill instead of plod along. It's nice to not break bones too, so maybe I should keep plodding!

The Ravine

A guy with a golden lab suggested that we try the ravine, an abandoned quarry near the Granite Regional Park. Finally made it early enough to explore in the daylight. It's a great for dog walking. It's in a pit, so the dogs are naturally constrained, although they can run up the sides. It's got lots of willow type trees and plenty of trails. There's a big pond with water birds. The round trip on the most obvious trail is about 2.6 miles, so it's a good walk. There haven't been too many dogs there, although I've encountered them.

The picture is from the first trip, after the sun had set and looking over the pond. The colors are from Gimp.

Full Moon Dog Walk

Walked along the river last night with the full moon. The sky was mostly cloudy with some stars showing through. It was bright from the moon, and the lights of Sacramento shining onto the clouds. The temperature was perfect. Peaceful and quiet.

New Year's Day

Went out to the Rancho Seco county park and it was sort of a bummer from a dog walking standpoint. There's a small lake if you like to fish. There's some "exotic" animals (deer, emus, etc) but you can't hike down to them. There's no trail around the lake. There is a long trail that will be interesting in the spring, but no dogs are allowed on it. Looks like it crosses some private rangeland and they must not want to bother the cows.

Then drove up to the Fleming Meadow trailhead and poked around in the remaining hour of daylight. Got lots of good pine smell and it might be a fun trail with the bike as it's not too difficult.

Commando seemed to enjoy the driving around searching for Rancho Seco and smelling the air through the open sun roof.

King's Game Mobile

Took the very charming dog Jesse James to the mobile. He is a dalmation/pit bull mix and is very, very sweet. He was featured on the mid-game TV spot and did an outstanding job by looking at the camera, wagging his tail, and responding to the talent giving him a treat.

We took a dog that was black and white like Jesse, and people thought the two dogs were the same.

I took a video of Jesse's tail wagging because he kept it going like a metronome for almost the whole game! So far I can't seem to get it to play on anything other than my phone.

More Dramamine and Hiking

Drove up to Foresthill again and took the Deadwood road down to the Western States Trail. Walked downhill on the road to the Deadwood Cemetery and then to road's end.

It was creepy too! I'm all alone with just Commando. When we get to the restored cemetery (with just a memorial headstone, no apparent graves) I look at Commando and his hackles are up. Whooooo.

I also dropped my cellphone, which I didn't notice at first. I had to walk up and down the hill to the cemetery to see it.

Walked back up the WST, which paralleled the road, and found it a much nicer trek. Saw plenty of fresh and not so fresh deer tracks as well as some fresh animal scat but no actual animals. Possibly saw some bear scat too, but I'm not completely sure.

Great hike. Next time, I'm going to check out the Devil's Thumb.

Tiny Hike with Brother and Dog

Drove up to the Foresthill Divide as it's a relatively straight road for the mountains. Gave Commando some dramamine and he threw up anyway. Poor doggie.

We first hiked a bit at the Beacroft Trail but stopped when we got to the edge of the canyon leading down to the American River. Although there wasn't much snow, I just didn't fancy going down a steep, wet, snowy, and icy trail and then trying to climb back up.

We drove back down the road and stopped at some forest service road that goes partway into Secret Canyon and hiked around there. We could hear a waterfall but the road didn't go all the way down so we never saw the waterfall.

Could he be any cuter?

Lots of Commando Pics

In picture 1, Commando is napping in his dog basket. In picture 2, we've just finished a walk at Goethe Park near the American River. Commando is lying in the sun while we chat and look around.

Commando at the Granite Regional Dog Park

I've been sick with a cold and out of work but the dog still needs to be walked. I remembered going with Jodi and Bridget to a dog park nearby and thought this might be a good idea. I could sit and rest and Commando could run around like an idiot.

They have moved the park slightly from when I was last there, and the new location is fabulous! It's 2.5 acres with some decomposed granite paths, plenty of grass and even some trees that will eventually make it shady.

There were people (and their dogs) last night and this morning. Commando ran around with every dog that would run with him and was pretty relentless. Every other dog in the park came to me (and my delicious Trader Joe's treats) except Commando. He is so smart, he knows that he'd rather run around than have a treat!

This morning he had a really long exercise because he slipped his collar off and then waited until almost all of the other dogs went before deigning to come near me. I think his tongue was hanging out for an hour after we left.

Devil's Falls

Based on the great waterfalls page, I drove east to Colfax to Devil's Falls in the pouring rain. The excellent directions got me right there and it's a beautiful drive, even in the bad weather.

Commando and I hiked around from the falls to the bridge and down to the river. I had Commando off leash and he was reasonably obedient. I won't be able to trust him yet around other people, but he's definitely getting it.

He did learn an important lesson too that's kind of funny. He got carsick again (I'll have to take him to the vet for that) and so I stopped in the middle of the road to let him out to finish being sick and clean up. He scampered around happily and refused to come back to me in spite of the treats.

I was in the middle of the (isolated, dirt) road and could see a pull out about 100 feet ahead. I got in, left the driver's side door open, started up the car, and drove to the pull out. Wow! Commando had a complete attitude adjustment and decided that maybe coming when I called was in fact the best option. He got a treat and some ear scratching as a reward. I also put him in the front seat to see if that made his stomach any better.

He really is the perfect companion dog for me. He's smart though which means I have to be smarter with training. On several instances you can see him thinking, "Hmmm, do I want the treat she's offering, or is what I'm doing now more entertaining?"

I hope we can get him over this car sickness because he loves hiking and hiking involves getting in the car and driving. He seems to recover quickly and still loves hopping in the car for a ride so we'll see. Maybe the vet will have some insight.

He's curled up now sleeping in his new dog basket from Ikea. So cute.

Could There Be More Commando?

Let's see. He's now fairly reliably pooping outdoors but I can't trust him not to pee indoors so he's on a leash when we're inside.

We've had several great walks around the neighborhood and along the American River. Today we're going up to the snow (hope he doesn't get too sick), probably to Donner Summit. Or maybe we'll go to Carson Pass instead. Hmmm.

Last night he and Bridget played for a few hours while Jodi and I got Thai food for dinner.

Okay, right now he's playing on the bed, messing with the covers and if a quilt headed blob with occasional dog feet popping out isn't cute and funny I don't know what is!

I promise there will be a non-Commando post here soon.

Commando and the Dog Door

Last night Commando figured out how to come IN the dog door, and this morning he figured out how to go OUT the dog door. I'm still waiting to see if he can figure out WHEN he needs to go in or out because I still can't trust him not to use the living room carpet as his own personal bathroom. Last night he had another little accident. Oops.

Commando and Cesar Millan

That Cesar guy is really good. I've been walking Commando in the morning and in the evening. He's reasonably good on the leash, and I generally let him roam around freely. We do "wait" at curbs though and he's very good at that.

I was practicing heeling with him and he was sort of getting it but there was a lot of lunging and "NO"ing and correction. Then I did the tap with the back foot on his hind end and made the "Tcchh" noise and with 2 repetitions Commando was heeling beautifully and walking very calmly at my side. I swear I could have dropped the leash completely!

I now generally let him run around on the leash and then about 3 blocks from home he heels. I also have him heel when we encounter other dogs.

So far he's been delighted to meet other dogs and immediately does the play bow.

Good dog Commando!

We're still working on getting him to use the dog door.

Commando and Bridget Redux

We went on a longer bike ride today and I didn't want to take Commando. As I was walking him in the morning, Jodi brought Bridget by and we let them go off leash in my backyard. They seemed to enjoy chasing each other around the yard with lots of play bowing and tail wagging. We brought Commando over to Jodi's and let him hang out with Bridget in the back yard while we rode the bikes.

We rode from Sac State to Old Sac and then on up to the Cornerstone for breakfast. We then called Mom to come pick us up. The dogs did great together and Commando is now happily sacked out on the floor.

I also got some potty training in with him and was able to give him treats in the back yard for going there instead of in the living room.

Biking with the Dog

Went to Goethe Park with Commando to test out biking with him. Jodi had a great tip to speed up, and hold him out and to the side. It was a little dicey, but after a bit (maybe a 10th of a mile) he seemed to catch on and we got some good exercise.

I shoved the bike in the car and Commando and I then walked around a little. We followed a deer trail and startled a doe and a buck.

We also introduced Commando and Bridget. They got along just fine and played happily on the front lawn. I think they will do well together in the back yard too.

It's nice to know that we can hang out with our dogs and not have a big fight.

2nd Day with Commando

He was great during T-giving dinner. We kept him on the leash and tied him to a table near the dining room (it's all open) and he was calm and relaxed and lied down and napped during dinner. He enjoyed a few bits of turkey and some gravy and even about 2 pieces of bread from the stuffing in his dinner.

Walked him in the morning around the neighborhood and then Andy and I headed up to Echo Summit to snowshoe. Commando sacked out on the back seat of the car. Unfortunately, when we got the the twisty mountain roads, he got car sick and hurled his breakfast. We drove slower after that and stopped a few times to give him a rest. He seemed a little uncomfortable a few times, but otherwise okay.

He really enjoyed the hike and the snow. He pranced around and sniffed every scent he could get near his nose. At one point, he even rolled little snow balls with his nose and then licked them up. He likes to toss stuff in the air when playing and he enjoyed the snow. He definitely frightened the little mousies and other " Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beasties" by sticking his nose in a variety of downed tree holes and snuffling deeply.

Great day, lots of fun and it's good to know that Commando will be a good companion on the hikes.

1st Morning with Commando

I kept him in my room for the night and it was a bit of a chore, but we worked it out. At first, he sacked out on the carpet on a towel I put down for him and I dropped off to sleep thinking all was going to be good.

After about 45 minutes, he woke up and wanted to play. He tossed his toys around and paced around my room, occasionally putting his forepaws up on the bed. I tried letting him go outside, which he loved as long as I was with him. Then he started LEAPING onto my bed and I would have to drag him off saying, "NO." This went on for a while. I could keep him off the bed only by staying up and saying, "No" everytime he would jump up.

I wasn't getting much sleep this way. Finally he settled back down on the carpet and tried to drop off. Within about 15 minutes he had leaped up on the bed and snuggled right down. I thought, he's quiet, I can sleep, so I just him be. I got most of a good night's sleep this way and so did Commando.

When morning came, we went in the backyard and I tried to encourage him to "do his business" but to no avail. I left him out there (checking on him) and went inside to make coffee. Then I got dressed and we went out for a little walk. He enjoyed the walk, didn't do any marking or any "business." We got back and I left him in the back yard for a while (checking on him).

I was doing some cleaning and tidying and after a while I let him back in. He followed me around, very curious and playful. I checked in the backyard and---success---he did his business!

Now I'm relaxing and he's lying under the feet of my recliner relaxing himself.

So far so good.

I can hear the helicopters overhead for the "Run to Feed the Hungry."

New Dog -- Commando

I finally bit the bullet and got a dog from the SPCA. His name is Commando as you might have noticed from the title. He's a shepherd mix, about 1 year and a few month's old.

Plus: He's trainable, sensitive to verbal correction, curious, and interested in being a companion. We went for a walk and he seemed to enjoy it although he needs leash training. We saw some deer and he stood up on his hind feet (like a human) perhaps to get their scent. He's definitely a sceny hound, sniffing everything thoroughly.

Minus: He's very, very active. He's been on several walks today and he's been exploring the house and rarely sitting or lying down. I assume that eventually he'll calm down. He also may not be house trained. He's already had some accidents in the house. I hope it's just nerves and that he's in an unfamiliar place. Alternatively, I hope he learns quickly.

So far so good.

New Gate in Progress

When I replaced most of my fence a few years ago I also put in a new gate to my backyard. It was a cheap, pre-fab, stapled together gate and although it has served its purpose well, it is time to replace it. The stapled boards have fallen off and the replacement screws now tear out of the worn cross pieces. The hinge is bent and buckled.

This picture is me preparing to load the raw materials into my Jetta after a shopping trip at Home Depot. You'll see other pictures later as I put the gate together.

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New Fone Phinally

I'd been checking my cell phone company fairly often for new phones and they just started selling the Samsung Blackjack. It seems to have all of the features I need (although it looks like I might want a bigger screen) so I ordered it. Will update this when the phone arrives.

Update: Well, the phone arrived last night. It's very small, I almost feel like I might lose it. It's not hooked up to my service yet and I'll be calling today on my old phone. It's got a nice feel and I like the keyboard layout very much. I'm not so sure that I like that it doesn't have a touch screen. I wasn't sure if I would miss it, but touch screen is an easier interface. I added some dog mobiles to the calendar. So far so good.

Day 3 of the Desert Adventure

We made reservations at the fabulous Furnace Creek Inn for brunch so spent most of the day mooching around the Valley taking in a variety of the roadside attractions. We gazed at the Borax works from the parking lot and drove through the aptly named Mustard Canyo (formed of yellow mud). We strolled to Natural Bridge, although not all the way to the end of the canyon. We drove through Artist's Palette (colored rocks) and got out once to stroll around. We toured Zabriskie Point.

The brunch was outstanding! The highlight of the meal was the smoked salmon, lightly seared ahi tuna sashimi, and mounds of delicious caviar with all the fixin's. They also had blueberries and blackberries. I'm sorry to say I gorged. Well, there was one mishap. I started eating the blackberries and noticed that one had smashed. I scooped it up with my spoon and added another whole blackberry. Oops, bad taste, that was caviar, not smashed blackberry! They also had petit fours, a rare treat. The service was impeccable, although, the waiter did chuff Petra for not finishing her profiterole.

We then drove all the way to Wildrose Peak and the Charcoal Kilns. The kilns are very interesting. It was late in the day so we didn't hike very far up the trail and stayed mainly on the level bits.

Our last stop was the best and I wish we'd had more time there. We hiked up Mosaic Canyon for a bit but just ran out of daylight. I will definitely do this hike again.

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Day 2 of the Desert Adventure

We drove, biked (or coasted), and walked down through Titus canyon. It's quite interesting and about everything you can imagine being done with rock has been done. It's colored, folded, melted, torn, dissected, pressed, stacked, tortured, and riven.

We briefly visited Scotty's Castle and ate some taste flavored eating substances. Skip the snack bar unless you're starving.

We hiked all around Ubehebe crater. It was a great way to see it. Your perspective changes as you round the circle. We interrupted a raven enjoying the beauty and testing echo properties of the crater.

Lastly we drove to the racetrack. This is really a whole day trip and best made when everyone is fresh. The road is bad, but I've been on much, much worse. All of the roads we took were rated 4x4 only, but all could be driven with a regular passenger car. Of course, conditions change!

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Day 1 of the Desert Adventure

The first day was a long driving day. Started out by walking Moose in the morning at the ranch. Reached the superb train station in Wasco just as Petra's train pulled in. It's a new station in a poor Valley town. The bathrooms are particularly nice with motion sensors on everything.

Dr0ve over 155 to 395 to 190 and over Daylight pass to Beatty. We stopped for lunch at the above "Koffee Shop" in Lake Isabella.

I'm a bit disappointed in the El Portal as it looks like a dump and may cost the same as the Stagecoach and Motel 6. The woman who checked us in was very frazzled and said she had just woken up.

There's not much in Beatty so next time it might be prudent to bring food and a camp stove because I'm not sure we're within 50 miles of diners or even a grocery.

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Petsmart Stockton Blvd Mobile

This is Taylor, an 11 month old white german sheperd mix. He's quite charming and should be easily adopted from the shelter. He enjoys treats and is learning to sit and walk on the leash. He's pretty much mastered sit, and needs more leash work.

We also had Chevy, a 10 year old border collie who was well trained and quite clever. He knew sit, down, and roll over...he also knew that he would get a treat whether or not he performed the trick so he got sloppier and sloppier with the tricks as the day went on.

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Wasted kayak trip

If any time on the water can be considered wasted, this was. On a previous trip, I'd checked out the William B Pond access to the river. It looked like a nice, calm place to put in. It was calm, but it didn't connect to the river. I had to portage over the cobble rocks that infest the river banks and bushwhack through the willows and poison oak. Might I also add that a kayak is not the best thing to have on your shoulder while bushwhacking? It's not. It's long, it gets stuck on every branch within a mile, and it's heavy.

On the other hand, I got exercise and spent some time in lovely weather along the beautiful American River. I guess I can't complain too loudly.

Jaeda at the Home Show Mobile Adoption

This is Jaeda. A very cute dog with such a cute boo-boo face. My cell phone camera really doesn't do this shot justice! Jaeda is about 6 years old.

Remember to spay and neuter your pets, and feel free to look for adoptable dogs and cats at the Sacramento SPCA.

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Mobile at Cal Expo

This was the dog I was lucky enough to take. His name is Puppy, and he is 11 months old. Based on his cuteness, calm personality, and the attention he received from the attendees, he will be adopted very quickly.

I almost took him home myself!

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New Bike

Finally bit the bullet and bought a new bike. I bought a Trek mostly road bike. It's very light, especially compared to my e-Bike. I also bought different shifters and a different seat. The seat is somewhat comfortable, but I wouldn't mind a little more cush.

Rode it to and from work today and it is much easier to peddle and get started and stopped. I'll also have to check and see if more people catch me as a test of speed.

So far so good.

Bike Trip on the Golden Gate Bridge

Donna and I met up with child in tow for a bike trip. We met at the scenic overlook area. I discovered that you can't get to the S.O.A. from southbound 101 so I would recommend parking on the other side in the triangular shaped parking area. That's accessible from both sides of the freeway.



We biked across on the Bay side of the bridge and then turned around after a brief exploration of the SF side. The views are fabulous, although it was overcast and cold.

We biked back on the ocean side of the bridge, and schlepped the bikes down some steps and up some steps back to the S.O.A. We stowed the bikes in my car and then went down to Sausalito to poke around. We ate lunch at a nondescript place next to the water while the child ran around exploring the rocks.

We then went back and sorted out the bikes and headed off in our separate directions. This was fun and we'll definitely do it again. I also saw a good (free!) launch site for the kayak and will look forward to a trip for that.

Mystery of the Yellow Flower

This was growing widely in the gravel near the American River in Goethe Park. It's definitely a spiny, prolific weed. I did a GIS for it, but couldn't find anything quite like it.

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Walk at Goethe Park

Took a stroll along the American River and saw some turkeys pecking away at the grass. Almost everytime I come here I see the turkeys. They don't look so hard to catch and I wonder how many people try to snag one late in November?

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Kitty-Puss Put to Sleep

When I got home from camping the cat ate his last meal after meowing for it like he always does. Later in the evening though, he was listless, didn't ask for second dinner, and ignored the food I put out for him.

He spent some time outside, and slept in the bedrooms. When I got up, he was outside walking down the sidewalk (who knows why, perhaps pain) and came inside when I called him. He wasn't asking for food at all. I knew it was time.

Gave him all of the pain medication, about 3 doses. It took him a while, but he finally got pretty dopey. We took him to SAMG around 8 am and he was sent to his final resting place about a half hour later. I should have brought a little piece of his fuzzy blanket as a soft place for him to rest but didn't. I thought about sacrificing the towel, or may pajama pants, but that just wasn't right.

He's being cremated, and they'll call me when his ashes are ready to pick up. I'll be able to scatter him around the backyard, and on the chimney, and even some on the roof...all of his favorite places.

I'm very sad and still crying. I know it's stupid to be upset about a free cat, but he was very special to me and we had a special bond.

Cat, I will miss you and will love you always.

ADP Conference

Director Kathy Jett says the data that providers enter into CalOMS and other systems is critical to help ADP tell a compelling story to get state and federal funding. We save between $1 and $4 for every dollar spent diverting users to treatment from jail. Courts, treatment, and law enforcement are now speaking with one voice on this issue and it helps legislators continue to fund these effective programs.

Deputy Director Michael Cunningham mentioned the "inalienable right to services" that clients have.

Dennis McCarty suggests (and challenges) that more drug dealers are using text messaging and the internet to sell drugs than are prevention and treatment providers to prevent and treat AOD users. With treatnent, timing is everything. When clients call, they shouldn't have to wait a month for help. He also provided some statistics that were interesting (see the CD). Successful treatment outcomes decrease with any delay in providing treatment.

These are my notes for my purposes and are not meant to reflect on ADP policies or practices.

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Castle Peak Too Hard For Me

My original plan was to drive to the end of the forest service road. I didn't do that because I thought, "Oh, I can walk the whole distance." Plus, I'm not sure my car would have made it.

Well, I can definitely make it to the top of Castle Pass, but when I started up the trail to the peak, I realized it was steep and rocky and I really needed to be much fresher than I was. The views are gorgeous and there was almost no one up there so I took a long time drinking water and eating some dried apricots.

I took the Pacific Crest Trail down instead of the road. It's a much nicer trail, although a bit longer. There are some forest service "roads" that connect the PCT to the road I'd come up. I got a little lost traversing them, but managed to make it back to car okay.

Note to self: don't forget the Advil!

Windy paddle

Drove to Hell Hole to paddle. The water level was down about 30 feet and there was wind as well as many people loading and unloading boats. That translates to too crowded for me.

I headed along to French Meadows which is usually prettier. Well, it was prettier although also down about 30 feet and much, much windier. I battled the waves (most with whitecaps) for a short trip and then called it a day.

I briefly visited Ox Box Reservoir but just couldn't get motivated to unload the kayak.

Fixing My Rack

Finally got the car rack put back together. I had to take a trip down to the store and ask for help. It turns out there's a hex wrench adjustment that needs to be made. Once that was done (and it took a bit to figure out how that worked) the racks are on nice and tight. I'm going to experiment with a little trip onto the American River at say Howe or Watt and then go up and then down. If I'm right, there won't be much current and I'll have no problem. If I'm wrong, I'll have a short paddle to some current area and then have to turn around.

Castle Peak

Drove up to inspect some work done on Jodi's cabin and then headed to the Castle Peak/Boreal exit off 80. Jodi wanted a steep climb and I wanted a relatively flat hike. Neither of us had (we thought) gone this way before, but I figured that if couldn't be that hard as it was such a popular trail.

We started off around 4 pm and the trail climbed steadily (but not horribly) upwards. We reached a trail marker to the "Hole in the Wall" trail which climbed steeply to the left and Jodi headed off that way. I continued along the forest service road.

This is a very pretty trail with great views of meadows and Castle Peak. About the last 1/2 mile is a pretty steep climb and once the forest service road peters out and the Pacific Crest Trail it's pretty damn steep as it gets to Castle Summit at 7880 feet.

Spectacular views all around. The experience was a little marred because a large (20+) group of people arrived at the same time so there was plenty of loud talk and shouting, especially by one guy who had WAY too much energy. I was time for me to head back anyway so I feasted my eyes on the scenery and headed back.

I'll have to drive all the way up the forest service road next time and get to the summit of Castle Peak. Another day.

Winnemucca Lake via Woods Lake

Took Friday off and drove up to look at the potential house in Sutter Creek, then continued on up to Carson Pass. I was going to take the usual route at the summit past Frog Lake, but decided to try something different.

The Woods Lake trail is nice, perhaps a little rockier where it crosses or is actually part of a seasonal streambed. Most of the route is not too steep, although there is one patch close to the end that's stimulating. The path borders a snow melt fed creek that was rushing along.

Winnemucca Lake itself is gorgeous against it's volcanic backdrop. I sat and admired Elephant Back for about 10 minutes before heading back. There were lots of wildflowers in the forests and in the open hillside.

Attack ducks

Of course they aren't close enough to see but these juvenile ducks were in the mood for trouble. They followed me around and explored around my kayak at the shore while I was swimming. They left their mischief when I yelled at them.

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Kayak

My beautiful and trusty kayak on Lake Natoma.

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Dental weeniness

Apparently one of my ancient fillings (20 = +?) needed to be replaced and I am a giant weenie when it comes to dental procedures. The dentist prescribed some Xanax and I took one the night before (and felt nothing) and 2 in the morning.

Two was certainly the right amount although I did need an extra injection of novocaine during the procedure. I give props to the new-fangled electric drill because it seemed to have less vibration than the old and busted air powered drill.

Got home and slept for the rest of the day. Managed to wake up and eat dinner and watch about 1 hour of TV and then went back to bed for the whole night.

I can't believe that people actually take the drug recreationally! What's recreational about sleeping for 24 hours? If I'm going to recreate (which I'm not, drugs are bad), I want to see colors and other weird crap.

More Echo Lake Kayaking

Andy came up Friday and rented a Kestrel from CCK (great retailer, please patronize for all of your kayaking needs). On Saturday we loaded up in the baking 100 degree temperatures and headed for the lake.

We stopped in Pollack Pines for a fishing license for Andy and in Placerville for breakfast for both.

Echo Lake was very crowded! The lower lot was full, the upper lot was full, and people were parked along the road for a good half mile. The ferry that crosses the two lakes was in constant service shuttling hikers to and fro. The lake was riffly from a mild breeze and choppy from the ferry and few power boats revving around.

We paddled steadily to the upper end and then hung out where a cold, snow melt creek infalls. I floated around in the water while Andy got his fishing tackle ready to go. Then, he paddled out to experiment with fishing while kayaking. I floated some more, then strolled a few hundred yards in either direction along a casual use trail that bordered the lake. Then I got back into my Willow and poked along the shoreline.

After an hour or so, Andy decided that the one nibble he might have gotten wasn't worth it so we meandered around the various islands and then headed back to the launch area.

I selfishly allowed Andy to hike back up to the car and sat and watched the crowds around. A retriever fetched a stick and walked along the top of the dam. Various boats exited. Several people wore extraordinarily silly shoes. Will "rich" people buy anything? I swear that a man wore sequined clogs that matched his wife's.

Andy made it back down and we loaded up. We had a brief delay while he unhooked a fish hook from his shorts. As a sister, I can say with due fondness, "ha, ha, ha, HA, HA, HA, HA" and wipe tears of laughter from my eyes.

A woman asked us about kayaking and we assured her that it was fun and she should definitely rent some tomorrow and go out on the lake and try it out.

So that was the great trip!

Even more sick cat news

Each day we disect his movements and wonder if it means he is in pain, or if it's time. He went outside for the first time in months...what does that mean? He decided to spend the day on the red couch. He slept in his wicker basket after avoiding it for about 3 weeks. He slept on the chair with the towel. He spent the day in my chair. He begged for food and wolfed it down. He is still snubbing the salmon feast but loving everything else. He drinks a lot out of the toilet. He slept in the spare room (sorry about the cat hairs Andy). Are we wiping up drool more often?

What does it mean?

Mt. Judah Loop

Went with Jodi yesterday to conquer the trail. At the beginning (up a rocky cliff face) I was expecting more of a smooth, "dynamited from solid granite" experience. Instead, the granite is very eroded and it's more like scrambling over small granite boulders and blocks. It's not too steep though with the numerous switchbacks. Then we began to climb gradually over more of a lightly forested dirt trail with long, long switchbacks. We reached the trail junction (where the Mt. Judah Loop leaves the PCT) and headed up again. There is some interesting overlooks and a weird puddingstone gash bisecting the hill. Not sure if it's human made or elemental.

There is still snow on the sheltered sides of the hills and the melt makes a lively brooklet running down the center of the trail. Part of the landscape is the ski area for Sugar Bowl so the lifts and run areas are evident.

The top is lovely (although we decided NOT to scramble all the way to the top) with good views of the surrounding mountains.

We retraced our steps to the trail junction and then I led us (somewhat inaccurately to Jodi's annoyance) straight down the ski run to a dirt road which I falsely believed would take us to a little lake and some cabins and the road that we started the trail on.

No quite. We pushed on heading down and rightwards until we hit a "trail" that followed along a dry creekbed. In spite of the DEET I was viciously savaged by mosquitos who apparently considered DEET more of a sauce than a deterrent. It was a bit of a scramble on the creekbed with some 2 to 4 foot drops. I did see a bike tread on one of the damp dirt areas and can't imagine how someone got a bike up or down the creekbed without walking it.

Eventually we did reach the pond area. Jodi (much fitter and faster) had reached it first and waded in for a cooling swim. Apparently it's all private property and some cranky "bad karma" guy told her to get the hell out and stay out. What a grouch!

I caught up to her as she was headed back up and we were on the road the whole way back to the car. I do think the shortcut saved some distance and was not quite as difficult as the rocky cliff part of the trail. I could be biased though as I'm a fan of hiking off the trail.

Keep in mind that I'm always doing this where there is some feature or other to navigate towards to avoid getting lost!

Remembering SF

I loved Muni and all of the busses. The 38 Geary is great because it's always full (Tip: Go to the back!). At rush hour leaving downtown the poor people near the Civic Center would watch bus after bus pass by because they were always jammed. The 1 California is great because it crosses Stockton street which is always fun. Mmmmm, I wonder if Hunan Home's is still there? The 30 Stockton (?) is fun too especially through Chinatown and you do NOT want to get in the way of the little old ladies with the pink bags. They will mow you down.

Just having the monthly Muni pass is too cool for words, especially when riding the cable cars. Ignore the turn stile at Market, just barge on up at Union Square and wave your pass while the tourists are handing over great stacks of cash to the conductors.

Jogging along the street just up from California after Van Ness, then down Lake street, then onto dirt trails in the Presidio and then to Baker Beach was a great workout. It slopes mostly downhill and you can cool your feet in the ocean. Then, just walk a couple blocks to Geary and take the 38 back.

The Embarcadero is open with views of the Bay Bridge, and don't forget the ferry over to Sausalito for breakfast on the weekend, or the farmer's market at the Ferry Building. It's easy to bike along the Embarcadero and then along Crissy Field and up and over the Golden Gate bridge and then return. Polar Bear swims near Ghirardelli Square are the best. There are busses to the Marin Headlands over the GG for hiking excursions too, and you're only an hour from the wine country.

Too bad Busvan for Bargains closed!

Clement street has great shopping as does Mission, Irving, and Fillmore. What's the great art store at Market near Van Ness, and I wonder if the funky psychic shop is still near there? Keeping up with the outlet stores was too much after a while, but browsing in the garment and furniture districts was always fun.

Although the Berkeley Rep was good I preferred the San Jose Rep. The Santa Cruz Shakespeare festival was always the absolute best...I still remember Waiting for Godot and Midsummer Night's Dream there!

The street fairs and parties...Folsom Street Fair is wild, Halloween in the Castro used to be wilder, but still has its charm, and Bay to Breakers is a party too. Don't run naked though, it's just gross!

My brother still lives there and I get to visit him, but not often enough!

Sacramento Knights Reno Trip

As is the tradition, we stayed at the Sands Regency in Reno. It's not the best hotel and the casino is pretty dirty, but it is cheap and conveniently located. Plus, we're guests of the S.K. so we can't really be choosers.

We hiked two loop trails. The first trail was in Bear Valley Discovery Loop. The second trail included an off trail scramble as we hiked off the trail around a little pond off of the Glacier Meadow Loop. Although the distance travelled wasn't much, scrambling along the base of the cliffs forming the ridge between Highway 80 and to old Donner Pass road was challenging.

The next day we woke up bright and early and had breakfast at the Atlantis casino, then drove south on 395 to Mt. Rose pass. We probably made only about 2 1/2 miles as the trail was blocked by snow. We ran into other hikers who had made 2 other attempts. They had been blocked at the parking lot on the first try, and at the top of the first short climb on the second try. Another hiker recommended that we take the alternate mountain bike route as it was on the west face and the snow was likely to have melted.

We also drove north on 395 and looked at some houses in Bordertown. It's a nice area and within commute distance to Reno.

It was a lot of fun for me to chat with everyone at BOE and hear the various stories. The gambling was amusing, but as usual, I did not win anything to speak of.

We'll have to try that Mt. Rose summit again, once all of the snow has melted.

Mini-vacation activity

Kayaked for the first time at the Willow Creek area of Lake Natoma. It is really very nice there. The cattle egrets have set up a nesting area just west of the launch area on some bluffs overlooking the lake. They always look so silly up in the trees...these big, white birds...looking "too big to be allowed" and perching precariously on branches bending under them. This is a successful survival strategy?

Next day drove to Clear Lake (and did a little hiking) to explore the area from a property standpoint. I mistakenly ran out of gas (duh!) and was very, very lucky in making it back to civilization and highway 20 before the car actually choked and died. Although there was no cell phone signal, there was a call box about 2/10's of a mile (1/5? ha ha) down the road. Thank you to my tax dollars.

Next day I stood up Andy and went hiking near Lola Montez lake after a long, arduous drive up the dirt road. The road has decayed since the last time and I'm not sure I'll be able to traverse it later. Snow runoff has created several deep cuts in the roadway. I was finally stopped by a snow bank at about 7200 feet. It's a beautiful area though and I'll have to explore it more often. On the way back I explored the area off Highway 20 near Bear Valley. Bowman Lake looks like it might be a great place to camp.

On Tuesday I washed clothes, dishes, and the cat. He tolerated being washed better than I thought and next time he'll get a more thorough cleaning! Also went to Malene's for the 4th and had a good time.

Now, it's back to work and I'd better get my ass in gear.

SPCA Dog Walk

Went in this morning for about 2 hours and walked 3 dogs. I liked the first one the best (Snickerdoodle, Doodlydoodle? Something like that). She was energetic and really enthusiastic about the whole thing in the that pure, energetic way of dogs. Then I walked Prince who was pretty tame. He did decide to lie down in the shade by the book sale area and refused to get up and keep walking. Funny! A treat lured him right away. Then I walked Snowy, a young pit mix. She was energetic and needs lots and lots of leash training.

It was a lot of fun. I was surprised when I went in to record my time and walked past the cattery how sad the sight was. It was visceral and unexpected.

More sick cat

Well, the biopsy came back and he's got a sarcoma on his tongue. Apparently it's common and there's not much that can be done. The vet gives him 1 to 2 months.

He's sitting on my lap now enjoying the cool morning air and we're both listening to some pissed off squirrel in the tree outside.

He's had a good life since I moved in (and maybe before, who knows) and he'll keep having a good time until he's not.

It's just amazing how this little furry critter wormed his way into my heart. Back in the day I'd be sitting in the yard waiting to be bitten by mosquitoes and he'd come out of the wild and overgrown ivy meowing and meowing. He'd let me pet him but not pick him up or hold him. Then I started feeding him. Then I started luring him into the house with food placed just inside the front door. He's a scaredy cat and we spent a lot of time with him just at the front door sneaking a quick bite and then darting out to the "safety" of outdoors.

Finally he got comfortable coming inside and began to relax and take advantage of the heat and cool. I installed a cat door because he was a big one for going out, coming in, going out, coming in and I refused to devote several hours a day to be a catomatic door opener.

He would sleep on the roof, or on the roof of the shed under the branches of the camellia tree. He also liked a little nesty area under the false quince. He spent some time on the concrete slabs around the garden area (once I'd ripped out the ivy and built it). And he would usually be waiting for me on the chimney ledge when I came home from work. He could survey the street and still stay tucked up nice and safe.

In the last year or two he's spent more and more time inside. I bought a litter box for him and actually locked him in after a cat mugging incident. I would call it a cat fight but he's tiny and unable to fight. A small gray tabby kitten once cowed him and forced him into the house.

Some might think I should have made him into an indoor only cat to protect his safety and perhaps they right. On the other hand, it's a decision I made that I believed was in his best interest and I'd do the same thing again. He didn't wander and I never saw him kill a bird (although I think he would have liked to). He was never going to catch one of the bold jays that would occasionally dive bomb him (and me!) to protect “their” territory.

Now, he hardly ever goes outside. The last time he was out, he was beaten up (no wounds) and now he's content to stay inside. He goes out occasionally on the front porch if I'm with him.

Indoors he likes to sleep on a lap (and don't move too much or he'll meow in protest). Over time he's made many indoor places to sleep...the spare bed in the spare bedroom (leading to the "cat has his own room" joke)...the back of the red IKEA couch...all of the living room furniture...the top of the TV cabinet when he could still get up there...the dresser in the front bedroom...the dining room table.

He had a bout with cancer in his bowel and the vet at 65th street did a GREAT job of surgery. He had chemo from Dr. Stephen Crow at SAMG and the brilliant surgery and the chemo gave us about 5 more great years. Thanks to my brother Andy for forgiving my horrible extravagance (and it really was immorally extravagant).

Don't know how old he is, I've had my house since 1998 (it's 2006 now) so perhaps it's 8 plus 5 for a total of 13 years.

He hates one of my friends which is mean because she's fed him many times. He loves another friend and tolerates my brother.

I never named him...it seemed wrong to give him a human name. He's a sentient adult; I don't understand his language and don't want to presume to tell him what his own name is. Yep, it's stupid but it's how I feel.

Just a few thoughts before I toss him off my lap (probably to go in the wicker basket) and get moving for my day.

Letter from Dad

Dad has been writing to his cousin about some property in New Brunswick. This is his letter:

Dear George,

I have been wanting to write to you for some time. You overcame my procrastination. Of course I will sign the course of action you advise. In fact I hope I have remembered to include it with this correspondence of June 20.

It brings to mind a wonderful summer I spent in New Brunswick with Grampy at his house there. It sat on a corner of a graveled road that had no junction with another regular road for another forty miles (?) after passing Grampy‘s house. Just before Grampy‘s house a dirt road went up to the McCutcheon farm. Chester and his brother Ralph lived with their parents there. All of the McCutcheons were great friends of Grampy. Chester visited us in Cornish for Sandra’s wedding.

For fun Ralph and Chester took me deer hunting one late evening. That involved a rifle, a large flashlight, and a drive past a game warden‘s house and a detour through large areas of sloping fields fronting his house. The pick up truck was parked some walking distance back past the warden’s house and we walked back to jacklight some deer below his house. A deer was lighted, a shot was fired with no resulting joy, we heard a vehicle start up near the warden’s house and consequently we ran towards where the pick up was parked. The rifle was hidden in one stone wall and the flashlight in another. Arriving at our transport we drove circuitously back to Grampy‘s and continued our evening conversation there. Soon a car drove up and the driver stopped to chat knowingly with Ralph and Chester and courteously with Grampy. He even kindly said he hoped I was enjoying New Brunswick. Definitely New Brunswick had exemplary people.

My routine there was to visit the outhouse upon awakening. It was a short walk there and each morning I would pass a steaming pile of bear droppings. Then I would wash up and Grampy would start to make his delicious sourdough biscuits telling me to go catch breakfast (trout) in the stream in back of the house. In a few minutes I would have three to five brook trout and return to the house. Grampy and I would prepare the trout for pan frying and a fantastic breakfast would be ready in minutes.

The neighbors would always include Grampy and I in their baking each week so we had fresh bread and sometimes cookies or a cake. One neighbor added me to his family for a blueberry picking trip. We went there in a horse and wagon. I hope I turned in more than I ate but it was a long time ago (sixty + years) so my memory fails me on that issue.

Another time some friends of Grampy took us on a day trip to a remote lake. We had to take a motor boat to the island they lived on. I saw and heard loons on that trip. This trip was up the road past Grampy’s.
Mention of Chester certainly evokes pleasant memories.

However a correspondence from you brings forth even more and greater memories of the most wonderful family I have ever known, the WALKER’S. Your mother and father were exceptional, and their children Betty, George, Tom, Kathy, Dorothy all contributed to my ideas of what people
should be like. Each of you were different but with your own admirable qualities. For all of the terrific things each of you did for me, huge THANKS!

Sick Cat Slightly Better

This morning he was begging for food around 4:30 am. Normally I ignore this as it is TOO EARLY! In fact, one of the first commands I taught him was, "Cats who meow at 4 am go outside and stay outside no matter how cold it is."

I digress. I put some Fancy Feast Turkey and Giblets down for him and he gobbled it up as fast as he could. I waited a little bit, and put some more down and he munched that down also. I didn't give him anymore because he tends to throw up easily.

Here's the funny bit...it's time to go to bed and I'm showing my mother (who's staying with me this week) how to give him the pain medication. I haven't given him any because he's not in pain anymore. As soon as he saw the medicine bottle he got very excited and begged for some. He hopped up on the dining room table and nearly knocked me down getting it.

Now I just have to find out what substance the vet flavored the medicine with and put it in his food and maybe I can get him to eat more.

So, today was a good day for the cat.

Sick Cat

Well, my beloved, ancient cat is really on his last legs perhaps. I took him in for a regular checkup about a month ago and everything seemed fine except for his kidney disease. Almost immediately though, he started drooling when he napped and then began drooling even more. On Friday, it didn't look like he'd eaten anything all day so I took him into SAMG on Saturday.

The news isn't good. The vet found a mass, most likely cancer, on his tongue. It's possible that it's an ulcer from the kidney disease so the vet wasn't sure. They did a biopsy on Saturday and he's home here with some pain medication.

Well, he's clearly in pain now. He isn't eating much and I haven't seen him drink either. He's spends most of his time in his basket (unusual). It could be the pain of having the biopsy done, or it could be the cancer, or it could be the kidney disease.

Obviously, I just don't know. He just ate a tiny bit of food and went back to his hut. He normally welcomes petting but when I pet him, he doesn't seek out more so clearly he is in a lot of pain.

I really love this cat and will be very sorry to see him go. I'm so glad that I bought this house and that he welcomed me as his companion for these many years. I wish we could have many more years but it's not looking good now.

Hell Hole Again

Drove to Hell Hole for a quick kayak trip. The rains over the winter really did a number on Mosquito Ridge road and whatever road leaves HH for Georgetown. Lots of slides, big and small. Some slides were just dirt, but plenty were dirt mixed with giant several ton boulders. In one place, you could see the dent where the boulder landed, then the scrape marks on the pavement as the boulder was dragged to the shoulder.

The water was not as cold as I thought it would be although it was plenty high. The waterfalls were tame but still flowing. Lots of debris (logs, logs, logs, sticks. twigs, branches, and bark) in the water.

My arms are a bit sore.

Tomorrow it's another bike ride with Jodi.

Lake Natoma Wind

Drove up after work for a quick workout. Jodi went with to rollerblade. I kayaked across, then cut back and went to the ranger point. It was a little windy and cold but still very relaxing and pleasant. There were a ton of other boats, kayaks, canoes, crew rowers, outriggers, single and double rowers, sail boats, sail boards, and surf skis. As I was leaving, a kayak class was starting.

Post Repair Bike Ride

Should have taken the bike in much, much sooner. Just got back from the ride and we went faster and didn't take the bus on the way home. It's amazing how having all of the gears available helps!

Nice and cool with a stiff breeze...why is it always a headwind though? The turtle pond is drying out and the grass is turning crispy colored.