Katarina Tree-Hugger

We went out to dinner last Friday. The girls got out of the car, and before I knew it, Katarina's attention was on a used and discarded paper coffee cup. Someone had carelessly thrown it on top of the bushes - which really, really gets to me. People!! Don't litter!!

Anyway... Katarina grabbed the cup, which had all my motherly instincts going "No! Cooties!!" She looked at me and said:

"Oh, oh... someone is not saving the Earth!"

My tree-hugger heart was putty in her hands...

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.