TRAVELS WITH MATTIE

Another incredible week on the road, this one full of friends, family, farming, and a great road trip into Oregon. It started when we left Nevada a week and a half ago, heading over the 88 to Gold Country where I met 17 of my very best friends for a weekend post-PhD celebration at the El Dorado Ranch. There aren't words to describe the fun that we had. We danced, we DANCED, we had a *few* beers, we made a puppet out of a unicorn mask and talked under a caribou and elk head in the ranch lodge. We ate delicious food and hung out in the pool all day, and sat on FUNNOODLES, and read in the sun for three amazing days in Mountain Ranch. I cried when Mattie and I got in the car, just after the last people drove out on Sunday, because I can't even believe that I'm lucky enough to have friends like those. I LOVE YOU EVERYONE. And a huge thank you to my Mom and Dad, the best. I love you. Here are just a few (of many) pictures from the weekend (haven't yet found a really good ...

Hi everyone! We're back on the grid for the evening. The past five days have been relaxing and beautiful and delicious and productive and incredible. I left Reno after a great visit with Scott, Tiff, and the girls, following a short final trip to the Nevada Discovery Museum - which is the most awesome kids' museum anywhere, I think - where we did arts and crafts, made pinwheels, "fished" with magnets, and raced miniature sailboats in a model river. You're even allowed to paint on the windows. I KNOW. Anni paints on windows in the Discovery Museum.  Scott had to work that night, so Mattie and I took a walk with Sid, Anni, Tiff and Zoey (their new dog) around the trails behind their house. Sid took this picture of us during a little break from chasing jackrabbits and poking each other with sagebrush sticks.  Little buddy.  The next day I headed south - not far in miles, but still a long lesson in patience, thanks to the complete mess dubbed ...

HI again friends and family! We've left the fantasyland of Mono City, but not before an all-time favorite hike out of the Virginia Lakes basin with Elin. Unbelievable weather, great company, no mosquitoes, low snow, and we even got to see a detonation east across the valley from Hawthorne, NV (as if on cue with Elin's explanation of the occasional rumbles and bomb-blasts heard in Lee Vining). Hiking with Elin, looking down into the Virginia Lakes basin. If you zoom in like a hawk, there's a smoke column rising from the far (far far) ridge. That's the blast from Hawthorne.  The view from a very special Laughing Place, looking down on Burro Lake and the east side of Lundy Canyon.  Mattie and I left Lee Vining - already with plans to be back soon - in late afternoon on Monday and made our way up the 395 through Walker Canyon to Reno under a bright evening sky. Since, we've been hanging out with Scott, Tiff, Sid and Anni at their new house just a couple mi...

It's been a great few days up in Lee Vining/Mono City/Virginia Lakes Basin! Mattie and I spent a night up near the Virginia Lakes, at a beautiful shady site right next to the creek. No mosquitoes this year. Sleeping by creeks.  That afternoon we headed into Mono City (paradise, just north of Lee Vining) to visit and have dinner with the wonderful Ljungs. Everything was delicious, and we headed back in the evening to incredible storms and sunsets over Conway Summit and the Virginia Lakes Basin.  Looking west. The Big Show, from west of Conway Summit, looking towards the Sweetwaters. We headed back to camp, made some tea and took a little walk around the sites to relax for the night.  Forced family picture. Mattie deals.  Sentinel dog, in the Sierra wild.  The next morning, we woke up early to meet John and Mary for a short trip towards Mammoth, where we checked out all kinds of great (secret) dispersed campsites, then visited an are...

Happy 4th of July! We decided to take another day at Lake George, expecting that most campgrounds in the area will be pretty packed, and we didn't feel like moving anyway. But then we got a note on our bear box letting us know that we owed an extra $2 for our site because it's a "premium holiday." Thieves. I did a little painting from the Lake George dock at sundown. This picture is horrible and the colors are off and it's dull compared to the actual painting. I'll try to get a better one and repost. But it was a fun one to paint, and I'm happy with it, and actually I think it looks pretty awesome in real-life. "Lake George Sundown" 8x10 by Allison Horst **UPDATE: This painting has been traded for several nights at a beautiful home in Mono City.  We had a little fire, read for an hour or so, and went to sleep under a beautiful starry sky with no wind and quiet neighbors. This morning we woke up early and had a quick oatmeal breakfast b...

Hi again! We're back in Mammoth, after a full morning of moving from my camp home at Convict, saying goodbye to my parents and family, and heading up the 395 then the 203 to Lake George. Mattie and I have a perfect little campsite overlooking the lake. The weather is still unbeatable. Home for the night. Lake George, Mammoth Lakes.  Within about five minutes of setting up camp, we looked out into the lake and saw a beautiful light-golden black bear splashing around. The picture sucks because we stayed in camp, but here you can see him in the water. His head is on the left, behind the branches. BEARS  Did a horribly frustrating, but now finished, painting of Mt. Morrison again before leaving Convict. Eh. "Mt. Morrison, late morning" by Allison and Mattie **This painting has been traded for a future weekend in San Diego.  But then, did a really fun painting at dusk, looking down into the Owen's Valley from Rock Creek Road above Tom's P...

Back on the grid for a few minutes - still camping at Convict through Tuesday (with the family), then up north a ways to Lee Vining/Mono City where I'll be teaching a painting workshop and spending some quality time with the wonderful Ljung family. Tried to do some paintings yesterday, but two little gremlins decided they also wanted to paint - the distraction leading to a great morning of arts and crafts but not any finished products (for me). My favorite painting of the day was a portrait that Sidney did of me, titled "Aunt Allison in the Mountains." I love it. "Aunt Allison in the Mountains" by Sidney Scott Horst, June 29th, 2012 And here are the artists at work, with Mount Morrison in the background: Sid painting from the campground. Annika painting a "Treasure Map." And this is just a great picture of Yeti and Anni at the campfire. I'm having the greatest time up here. Mattie is getting used to the tent. It...