A Weekend with Mom/G-ma

Grandma/Mom came up to share time at the Bok Kai Parade in Marysville, and in Tobin, and on Table Mountain.  Various of us gathered to see her at these places, and it was great to be with her.
Here are some photos of the fun.

Kathleen, Ian, Mom, Craig and Darlene at the Bok Kai Festival and Parade (year 135 for the Parade)

The Lion Dancers finish their dance among exploding bombs to honor the Temple

The Dragon!!!

Kathleen and Ian

Lion Dancer Heads

a long string of firecrackers, which are called Bombs, lighted and blowing up along the way

the top of the string of bombs

The top explodes!

My "california garden" has visible rows of growth!

Mom takes a ride with Jeffery on Bigfoot

Jeffery and I were watching the henhouse for friends, so here are us ladies flinging scratch corn for the chickens

Mom looks happy with her kite flying on Table Mountain, despite the chilly day.  We missed having Sara, Grant, and Dick with us this year!!!  Excuse me for saying it, but doesn't Kathy look like she just had a cow?

Mom and Kathy fly

Proof that I flew a kite, which I did most of the day  After I passed the Peace  Kite (on the left) to Jeffery, he tied it to a chair and it flew itself all day long, in honor of Grant, who is our Mr. Kite

Mom, Kathy, James, and me.

James, the artist

Kathy flies the dragon kite

Kite in the clouds

Jeffery and Kathy do as John Muir suggested, getting down to the level of, and up close to, the wildflowers, so that they can "know" the flowers, and not just "see" them.

Kathy and Dorothy, with the Sutter Buttes in the far background.  We call the Sutter Buttes "Mr. Wilson's Mountain Range" because whenever we come down to the valley, Jeffery points out the smallest mountain range in the world to us.

rock heart made by someone

Rock circle made by someone

We wander back to our chair circle, where the Peace Kite is still flying happily.  Time to gather up our things and head on home.  What a great day!

The Girls Find the Way

Brenda and I wanted to get from the highway to the river and the bridge down at Bardee's Bar, but our first foray took us on the wrong spur.  This time, we Google-Earthed it and made a better choice, and found our way to our desired goal.  It was a really pleasant hike.  And yes, it was steep coming back up to the car.

star tulip

Bardee's Bar

the bridge we seek

am not interested in trying to cross

the bridge in all it's glory.  This is also a party spot for youths.

graffiti

zoom

I liked the one on the other side, too

The Boys Make an Expedition

Jeffery and Laurie and friends went up to Lassen National Park for an overnight in the snow on the slopes of Brokeoff Mountain, which is the 2nd highest peak in the Park, after Lassen itself; and which was once part of Mt. Tehama before it blew its stack.  Laurie used cross-country skis and the rest of the guys used snowshoes to hike up to camp, and all around for the two days they spent on the very interesting mountain.

Dave, Laurie, Ben, and Tim

Jeffery by the tent he and Laurie will share, with Brokeoff Mountain in the background

Laurie in front on the tent, too.

Tim, Ben and Dave's nice camp set-up

Forest Lake, which is where the guys are camping

a recognizance trek to prepare for tomorrow's summitting

even a cool day gets you worked up to a sweat it would seem

Laurie helps show the slope of the adventure

dinner time

hang the food high so the bears don't get it.

morning light on Brokeoff Mt.

Jeffery selfie

I liked this broke-off stump in the foreground, in its own little pit of snow

Morning chill makes for extra outer-wear

Ben on the slope

the trail gets steep!

bagel time!  Lassen in background

Looking back down to camp

a photo of the guys with Mt. Lassen in the background

same shot with Dave in it instead of Tim

the summit looks so darned close from South Ridge, but this is where they turned back for camp and the car

looking down towards "home"

sign in the trees

the blue dot is from the ski area; it's the Easy trail marker

Back to the parking lot of the Lodge.  The road is closed beyond this, so you can only get into the park by foot