Journal: day 5 & 6

Thursday, day 5 We awoke to a cold and clear Thanksgiving.  

Those of us at the compound had a scrumptious feast at Ali and Ty's.  

Lauren stayed on the mountain, as the team had practice, & another tourney game coming up, "tough" coach. Lauren's dad cooked his infamous turducken and gravy and drove it all the way up to the college so the team would have a Thanksgiving meal.  

Colt came by for a bit before heading to friends.  So it was just six of us to make toasts of thanks for a bountiful harvest and say grace.

We played Exploding Kittens and Cards Against Humanity and laughed so much that we all had sore muscles.  Cody was in especially rare form, dang he was funny.

Of course it wouldn't be "our normal" if everything went off without a hitch.  Colt's dog Duke, was with us and started acting like something was wrong. 

 

Duke

 Colt came by and ended up taking him to UCD vet hospital that evening.  Poor Duke ended up having surgery to repair a huge hole in the back of his mouth that he got from a stick. (He's a Lab!) Colt didn't get back to the house with Duke til 2:30 AM. Then he turned around an headed to the airport to catch his 4 AM flight out to visit friends in Arizona.

Friday, day 6

 Sean and I said our good byes, loaded up and head North.

 

leaving the snows to their breakfast

 Lake Shasta

 

near Shasta Caverns

Castle Crags

Shastina, cinder cone to Mt Shasta

Looking east toward Mt Shasta, notice how much more snow since last we were this way.

coming off the summit into Ashland, Oregon

After that it got too dark for photos.  We had dry roads all the way and light traffic til Portlandia, which is always bad. Across the Columbia River and home by 7:30. After a late start, we made it back in 9 hours. 

Had a great trip, Loved getting to see family & friends, can hardly wait for the next one.

Journal: day 4

Of course I tell you I'm going to journal mostly with photos, and promptly forget to take any on Wednesday, day 4. 

Not a lot of excitement around the compound. We all were a bit bushed from the previous day. And the kids all had jobs to go to.

I was up early as I wanted to watch & listen to the hundreds of snows working a rice field. 

 

photo courtesy grandson Cody  Black Shield Photography

 I took two videos but they didn't do them justice.  Was surprised I didn't hear more firing from the blinds that surround the compound.  Ali said she had expected more too, so it wasn't a case of faulty memory on my part. (thank goodness)

We did manage to roundup a small crew to go out to dinner. Back at the house Tyler and Ali built a pipe and butcher block table for their kitchen.  

All in...  

 

Journal: day 3

We loaded up in Granddaughter Ali's pickup around noon Tuesday. After a quick stop at Marymine's house

to pickup her and Cody we headed out up Hwy 70 for Quincy to watch Lauren play volleyball.

 Just the four of us, as the others decided they didn't like snow. And it was snow'n and blow'n not long after Lake Oroville.

creeks were running

cold and snowing

 

a train chugging up the canyon

there are three deer at the waters edge

 

ten minutes out from the game that turned into 30

Lauren's team won!

night life in Quincy

After the game we chained up, and went to the grocery store to load up on rations for the trip back down the mountain. 

Love my people...country people! How many other people will come up to you, shake your hand or give you a hug and Thank You for making the trip to watch and support the kids.

Once we got on the road again it really started to snow and blow.  Made it most of the way down the canyon with few problems.  Only to come around a curve and find a boulder the size of a Volkswagen in our lane.  Thankfully, no one coming the other direction, so Ali was able to go around.  We wanted to call it in, but no cell service in most of the canyon.  A little farther down we saw a loader going up to take care of it.  

Long day, Kudos to Granddaughter Ali for getting us safely up there and back! All home and in bed by 12:30 AM.

Journal: days 1 and 2

I'm going to journal the trip mostly in photos...

Sean and I headed out early Sunday AM in Ruby. 

crossing the Columbia River into Oregon in the rain at 0 dark thirty

down the backside of Mt Hood, OR

 

near Madras, Oregon

the Cowman's headstone over looking the Wood River, Ft Klamath, OR

cowboys on the road, Ft Klamath, OR

Sean and Ruby,  Ft Klamath, OR

heart in the quakies, Ft Klamath, Oregon

backside of Mt Shasta, N CA

We stopped in Redding for the night.  Went to the casino, Sean donated,  I came out couple hundred to the good!  

Next morning down the road to Red Bluff, to see friends, and have breakfast with SIL Patty & BIL Darrell. So good to spend time with them.   Then back on the road down to daughter Marymine's compound near Grimes.   We are staying at the compound with Ali, her husband and Dozer, (their house has more bedrooms than Marymine's).  

Four pickups of us went to dinner last night at "Osaka Sushi" in Woodland.  Great food, much laughter, and telling of tall tales.

Sean is off to Modesto today to see his college roommate.  I'm staying here next to the woodstove at Ali's... 

Dozer making sure I stoke the fire

the view from the compound.

Five of us girls are going up hwy 70 to Quincy this afternoon, to watch Lauren play college volleyball.  Supposed to have snow storm tonight, so the trip back down the canyon to here could be interesting...

Packing out...

Getting packed out for the road trip to NorCal.  I never get it quite right on what to pack. Either too many boots and not enough underwear or vice versa. I've slept in my clothes a time or three, because I forgot to put PJ's in, who does that? Thankfully the little Cabela's bag always has nail polish, makeup, toothbrush, first aide, flashlight, gun, knife, and such already in it, so no worries there.  I roll my clothes so I can fit a lot in a small space but boots are a bit of a problem.  I'll figure something out.

Not sure I will be posting from the road so I'll wish you a "Happy Thanksgiving" now, may it be filled with Love and Laughter...