My husband... I married a funny guy

Larissa is pretty close to finally, finally losing her first tooth...

She showed the disgustingly wiggly thing to Jim and made him shiver.

Jim: "Ewww!! You know what happens when it comes off, right?"
Larissa:"What?"
Jim:"The tooth fairy comes..."
Larissa: "And she leaves money. One dollar [yay! cheap child!]"
Jim: "Not always. Sometimes she leaves bills..."

That'd be our luck...

Yosemite - Part Three

We went back, as planned!

Now we have more pictures of Tunnel View than you can collectively find on the Internet. We started there, of course. This time the blue sky had a few clouds on it, so that was an obligatory stop.

From there, Jim found a sign to a trail going up the mountain to three different stops. The first and closest one was Inspiration Point. 1.2 miles away. Up the hill. We took it on with the girls, who incidentally seem to have the ability to out-hike us when the whim strikes. This was one of those times. I can't tell you what Inspiration Point is like. What I can tell you is that you need to be pretty inspired to make it there at all. We made it to the half-point mark and decided to turn around as the trail became steeper and snow seemed to be covering most of it at that point.

We made it to the Valley floor, rented a couple of bikes and attached trailers to them for the girls. We hauled them around across the Valley. I have not been on a bike in... gosh, about sixteen years at least. Needless to say, certain parts of my anatomy are screaming in pain... why can't rental bikes have nice, cushy gel seats?? I'd pay extra for that.

Anyway, back to Yosemite. What an amazing way to see Yosemite Valley! What an amazing way to become a part of it. We drove around, guided by Jim's uncanny sense of direction (great attribute, as I have none) and made it back to some of the same spots. I could spend a year in the Valley alone, and every day would make the sights different again and again. Maybe it's because we haven't been there before that we are so enamoured with it all - but I doubt it.

We walked to lower Yosemite Falls and got a few shots there. We run into yet more deer, who amazingly don't quite mind our intrusive behavior as long as we don't get too close - and we got pretty close. We caught the afternoon light and the golden light of the late-afternoon sun as we left the park and took another stab at yet another popular view of El Capitan.

We'll be back again... and again, and again. I don't think there's a way to avoid it. I don't think there should be.

The way of the Mono

While at Bass Lake, we decided to take on a short easy hike to learn about the way of the Mono Indians. Larissa wanted to explore the trail and learn about the Indians, and we thought that would be a good way to spend the morning.

We took the trail by the lake not sure what to expect. That might have been a good thing. We read about how to tell the different types of pines in the area, and what some of them might have been used for by the Indians. But other than the interpretive signs there was no sight of anything else.

What we did find out was a spectacular view of the lake at the highest point of the trail. So we stood there, on top of this smooth rock, looking out to the water and the serene blue sky. It was beautiful, it was perfect, and it was most definitely worth it.

Yosemite - Part Two

What a difference a blue sky makes...

While getting snowed-in in Yosemite was an experience we won't forget, getting back to the park has been top of our agenda this week. Yes, the snow (piles and piles of it) was beautiful, but it makes it hard to get around the park with two little ones when you're sinking to your knees in the fresh snow that continues to fall relentlessly.

So we went back. We had planned for it by the end of the week, but on a whim decided to also go for half day after visiting the Sugar Pine Steam Railroad. And I'm so glad we did. Tunnel View was stunning the first time. It was even more so the second time around - clear this time, against the backdrop of the bluest sky.

We made it into Wawona and had lunch at the Wawona Hotel, which is a little jewel nestled within the park itself, not far from Tunnel View. Once in Yosemite Valley, we stopped by the charming little chapel and crossed the road to the spectator bridge and a beautiful view of Half Dome on one side and Yosemite Falls on the other. Pictures, pictures, pictures. This is a photographer's paradise.

We parked the car in the Curry Village lot and got in line to wait for the shuttle, which the girls had been looking forward to. We hiked the Happy Isles trail up to the interpretive center, which unfortunately was closed. The trail was in the shade, the snow on the ground was still melting, and it was quite chilly. Still, the sky was blue. We went back to the shuttle stop on our way to Mirror Lake, chasing the afternoon light.

Mirror Lake was a bit more of a hike - very civilized on a paved road accessible by car only to handicapped. It wasn't very long, unless you are four and seven, and then it becomes more like hiking across the world to China. Still, the walk, and the whining, were well worth it. I imagine Mirror Lake will get more water as the snow continues to melt. The view was stunning, and the light was perfect. We spent a good amount of time taking in the views and taking pictures - properly this time.

We returned to Curry Village and tabled the rest of the planned hikes to the end of this week, especially since the girls were tired at this point. On the way back, we stopped again by the side of the road after being struck by a breathtaking view of Half Dome ablaze in the golden light of the setting sun.

Still chasing the light, we managed to get some more pictures in the Valley, and while taking pictures run into two deer grazing in the meadow. We were only feet away from them, and while they did look at us inquisitively, we seem to have found the perfect distance that afforded us the view and allowed them to graze without truly feeling threatened.

Larissa is keeping count at this point - one coyote, one bear, two blue jays and eighteen deer.

We left the park as nighttime came. We were happy, if a bit tired. The girls? Fast asleep.

Yosemite

Finally!

After years of yearning to visit Yosemite, we are on our way, and we're spending one measly night in the park. Call it our orientation journey, as we are under no illusion that we can do it all in two days, or do real justice to the little we will see.

I've been joking that, unless I get attacked by a bear, this trip should be fun. I've also been reading a lot on bear awareness, just in case... bear sightings are not uncommon, but I'm really not expecting to see one, let alone get attacked by one. But just in case, I'll keep the camera close-by. In my bear awareness book, the picture comes first, the defensive moves second. I know it's stupid. It's also honest... ever wonder how photographers get those amazing shots of lions and bears, and all sorts of crazy wild animals? Yes, it's called a telephoto lens - it's also called the camera barrier that transports the photographer into another world, where reality is what's on the screen and everything else is secondary. Trust me. It happens.

Anyway. Back to Yosemite. We started our journey into Yosemite Valley wanting to stop at every turn on the road. The landscape is simply breathtaking and changes dramatically the farther you drive into the park. There was snow on the ground - in patches, protected by the many pines that abound on the hills. Before we even made it to Tunnel View, we came across a coyote and a few deer. Not a bad way to spend half an hour in the car. The girls were ecstatic.

As we drove into Yosemite Valley, we stopped at Bridalveil Falls, despite the cold weather and overcast skies. Did I say overcast? I should say foggy, hazy, overcast skies. Still, the falls are a sight to see. I can only imagine what they'd be like on a sunny day, in the early light of dawn, or as the day comes to an end. It's good a have an active imagination. It helps me enjoy things through a different filter.

We made it to Curry Village, where we'd reserved a cabin (with a bath!) to spend the night. We ran into a family from Katarina's daycare classroom. They were in Curry Village too, only in the tents and freezing their butts off. No freezing for me, thank you very much. I'm just pretending to be outdoorsy, and that's all well and good as long as it's warm and there's a shower nearby - preferably within my own four walls. I'm not ashamed of that.

From there, we took the road to the Ahwahnee Hotel - a must see if you're in the Valley. It's magnificent. It's huge. It was Sunday, so we succumbed to their Easter Grand Brunch (the price was also grand!) and were lucky enough to get seated without reservations. And here is where the sugar fast was broken, over a decadent dessert I'd call death in a chafing dish. Dark, moist chocolate cake topped with melting mini marshmallows and drizzled with caramel and chocolate sauce. Served warm... give me a moment, I'm having a flashback...

We hiked some before getting back in the car to continue our orientation and on our way to the visitor's center. We found out about the spots to hit on our short stay, the best places to take in the vistas, and about bike rentals. All part of the tentative plan for our visit.

On our way out of the visitor's center, and after another short hike and a 23 minute movie about Yosemite, Jim started yelling "bear, bear, bear!!" I thought, "yeah, funny guy," until I saw a whole bunch of cars piled on the side of the road. Ours ended up being one of them, as there was indeed a black bear grazing in the middle of the meadow. Out came the camera and the telephoto lens (I could've killed for a 400 mm at this point, but the 200 mm had to do.)

And remember what I said about the camera v. bear awareness?? True. Especially when the bear seems to be surrounded by on-the-spot paparazzi. There's always a good chance the guy next to you will be the one attacked, so there's safety in numbers (I know, horrible thing to say, but hey, being honest.) Turns out we all eager photographers were a bit too close for the comfort of one of the park rangers (not close enough for me, but not getting closer either), so she got us all to back up a few feet. OK, more than a few, but who's counting. Jim estimated the bear to be about 250 pounds. He looked at all of us. We all looked at him. We got along just fine a few hundred feet away. And that worked for us.

That's when it started raining. Remember the weather forecast? It went from sunny to snow to cloudy to rain to snow again. The weather channel had one forecast. Yosemite Park had another. Trust the Park's mostly. They called for snow. Shortly after it started raining and temperatures dropped to 41 degrees, the snowflakes followed. The temperature dropped to 34 degrees. We drove around some more taking note of spots to come back for, and then finally made our way back to Curry Village.

I forgot to mention the bear warnings we received. Turned out there was a bear lose in Curry Village who'd been testing car door latches overnight. In fact, the night before a car had been broken into by said bear. Lovely. I had visions of my Volvo getting ripped by a hungry bear. Except I took the precautions of not allowing any food in the car for a few days prior to our visit - no need to test how keen those noses are, is there? We took everything out. Food and "food-related" items include all your toiletries, chapstick, creams, anything with an odor. Who knew?

In the end, we probably had nothing to worry about, as we got snowed-in overnight. I kept waking up in this new environment and watched the sheets of snow come down. We woke up to 18 inches of snow on the ground, and more snow coming down. Lots and lots of snow. The Valley, which had been meadows of greening grass and green trees, was now a winter wonderland. We were treated to two very different views of the Valley in less than 24 hours.

Visibility wasn't great, so the pictures we took show the ghost of El Capitan. Half Dome was nowhere to be found. Still, it was truly beautiful, but left us with little to do. I expected we wouldn't be able to see much of the park. I didn't expect it to be this literally! Temperatures in the low 30s and snow coming down in sheets, we made our way slowly out of the park after lunch, and after putting on the chains.

Yosemite, we will be back again. We're not done with you, not after this tiny taste.

Spring Break on our way to Bass Lake

We finally took off on our Spring Break vacation. Expectations were high, starting with my much anticipated break from the sugar fast that had been driving me batty - I thought of sugar, I craved sugar, I dreamed of sugar... in short, I was obsessed with sugar, or the lack thereof.

The destination: Bass Lake and Yosemite. The plan: uncharted, for the first time ever. Other than a night in Yosemite, there was no plan. Probably because Bass Lake didn't seem to need a lot of planning. It was evident fairly early in the planning process that we were too late for winter activities and too early for everything else. We fell on that cusp. The weather seemed uncertain, but mostly on the sunny side.

I have now finally truly learned not to rely on the weather forecast.

As we got closer to our destination, we decided to take a side road, which turned out to be a short scenic byway. And it was scenic indeed! The landscape continued to turn into green rolling hills sprinkled with rocks, trees, and flowers. And before I knew it, I was on the lookout for the ever-elusive Poppy.

I am obsessed with Poppies, and Poppies like to taunt me. They show up in clumps on the side of the road - every road where I can't stop to take a picture or twenty or one hundred. So I spend many days driving by, looking on the side of the road, and itching for my camera - and a parking spot.

Jim and his eagle eyes finally found me a Poppy (well, there were more like four). We stopped and took a few pictures, with my brother's super wide-angle lens. I have now fallen in love with that lens. We have a 17 - 55 that does a great job. The 10 - 22 is even more fun... and boy, have I been having fun with it!! Pictures to follow, all on flickr.

That's it. We made it into Bass Lake. Our unit is awesome - two-level two bedroom, 2.5 bath, full kitchen and living room with a Murphy bed, just in case. It's like being home.

Next on the unplanned agenda: Yosemite. Although now it looks like rain is looming. Or snow. I'll take the snow given a choice - better pictures.