TRAVELS WITH MATTIE

First, and most importantly, this:  And then, I made my first totally trivial (but happy) movie with my new GoPro. I'm all fired up about it. That's just from one long weekend in the mountains with Greg & Milo. Imagine how ridiculous and silly the ENTIRE SUMMER movie will be. And we're on YouTube. Techno techno nerd nation wooooot.

Hi everybody! Especially Kevin and Dawn - Mattie and I think you guys might need to take a vacation and come hang out in the mountains for a while this summer, too. Thinking of you! A few more weeks of school before summer really starts, but we're taking advantage of this long weekend to spend some days in our favorite places up on (and off) the 395. Here are a few things that have happened in less than 24 hours on the East Side: Awesome Thing #1 . I SAW MY FIRST DESERT ROSY BOA! Mattie and I took a stop at the stunning Fossil Falls at Aunt Diane's suggestion (how have we never stopped there before???), and spent the day wandering and checking out the amazing gorge (looks like some fun climbing). It was raining when we arrived, so we waited patiently in the car for most of the thundercloud to pass and headed out the short trail to the volcanic falls. And can you believe it? This guy was just slinking out of his hole on the side of the trail as the rain stopped. What l...

Sunset pictures are totally overdone and overused and cliche and everything, but I couldn't help myself.  The river valley really went for it tonight. I fall in love with the hills again. West down Paradise Road from the cabin front yard. East up the Santa Ynez River Valley. Now, packing (getting on the 395 North tomorrow for a long weekend with Greg, with a stop at Fossil Falls on the way!) and drinking a Moose Drool about it all. I can't help but be reminded of long evening hikes and front porch sits at Swiftcurrent during my summer working at Glacier NP. And here's a picture of a pellet that's been out and bleached for a while. That's good eating. You can find the most amazing things when you walk around staring at the ground all the time. Some of you will get a kick out of this: Remember our wonderful buddy Mike? (See: our posts from  this ,  and this , and some other ones that I don't feel like finding...). Well check out this c...

5/19/14 (It's a Monday). Deer buddies, I love you.     Also this afternoon:         burn zone exploration            (so many effing stickers)                    one handsome turkey                              a skunk family with babies                                   owl pellet mouse skulls and                                          my dog took all of the trash out of the trashcan and sprinkled garbage throughout                       the cabin.

A great few days at the cabin!  Plenty of school work, but also:  A fun walk/dinner/music/dance party at the cabin with Sam, Sara, Bobby, Adam and Liz. We were up late and our feet were really dirty the next morning.  Some great wandering and all kinds of creatures, including a few of these gigantic beautiful caterpillars! Actual size. I'm not kidding. They're like 3 - 4 inches long and 1/2 inch in diameter. Gorgeous things. What do they grow up to be? Anybody? And now for a glimpse into hermit life with Allison and Mattie: So when we spend all kinds of time together (...just the two of us...), we find ways to keep ourselves entertained. One of my favorite things is playing "Where's Mattie?" She really invented the game. It kind of evolved like this. Usually I go wandering around looking at the ground for long periods of time finding cool rocks and chips and bones. Mattie at some point figured out that she doesn't really have to wa...

Holy cow, it's so hot. I love the river valley more than almost anywhere, but days like this remind me why I especially need to leave for the summer (...like I need any reminding to go back to the mountains...). I don't understand people who can (and choose to) live in places where heat like this is normal and goes on for months and months. Masochists. Mattie and I are just sitting here with the AC cranked in the cabin, dreaming of Lee Vining and summer Sierra storms. Three more weeks and we're heading back up the 395 for summer (insert excitement squeal here). We've had a great week! It was wonderful hanging out with Yeti and Dad last weekend in SLO (you crazy Poirots), and this week has mostly been mellow (with a lot of class prep and logistical stuff to deal with, but nothing overly stressful. Besides the heat.). Mattie and I have been getting out to do some exploring around the river valley in the evenings when the sun dips and it starts to cool. I fi...

Our Yeti holds us all together.  I love you more than I could say with all the words in this big awesome world. You are the most incredible, strong, hilarious, brave and giving Wife, Mom and Grandma. Happy Yeti's Day.  Yeti, Sid and Anni. A couple of crazies.  Sometimes she is a Mountain Yeti.  Yeti and Anni camping. Yeti and Dad at Morro Bay. Love. Don't mind the old man's blank stare...he was on a trillion drugs. Yeti tries to control the wild rumpus. Me and my Yeti, through Yosemite.  ALOHA, WILD Y! Go find some sea turtles with Dad!

Whoa, 10 days goes by fast!  Ten days ago, I picked Greg up in the late afternoon and we went out for some delicious burgers at Eureka (and of course saw 7 of my students while at a quick dinner downtown...), then had a relaxing night at the cabin. We were up early the next morning for breakfast with Eric and Meng (who were on their way up for a visit with Yeti and Dad in SLO) at Tupelo Junction. Also delicious.  Then it was downtown on a Saturday afternoon for a few hours at Figueroa Mountain Brewery (in the awesome but obnoxiously named "Funk Zone") with Sam, Sara and Bobby, where we even tried a beer created by several of my students called "H1NFun." Brilliant. And, yes, also delicious.  We took a long 50 yard walk to a few wineries, two of which were really great, but the third (where the picture below was taken, unfortunately), was absolutely awful. Anyone who knows us will know we're the opposites of wine snobs, but the wine at this place was ...