7/8: Holy smokes.

A beautiful, wonderful week that reminds us why we need a life with a lot of wandering.

My friends came up and we spent 4th of July weekend at a beautiful cabin on June Lake. We went on hikes, drank beers and moscow mules, went fishing, swam, watched World Cup, and spent the evening of the 4th in Panum Crater as the sun went down over the mountains. We were sad when they left for the coast. I miss you all. I am the luckiest ever to have such amazing, interesting, curious, hilarious friends. 

My friends (aka a really cool indie rock band) just hanging out in Panum Crater.

This afternoon we watched Germany absolutely destroy Brazil at the lovely summer home of our Sierra family, the Ljungs! Great company, wonderful food, nice chairs, a big TV, and a view of thunderclouds over Mono Lake? There have been worse ways to watch a terrible game! The outcome I wanted, but it just ended up being sad.

The summer storms have moved in and it is amazing. After the game we went wandering and got caught in the sagebrush. Thunder. Lightning. Downpours. Raging creeks. An upset dog. And, some of the best sunsets I've seen in Lee Vining. This was tonight's:

One of the greatest Sierra summer days to date. Exploring the new Laughing Place.

We found a new laughing place, which only happens about once a year. Giant granite boulders. Mortars. A view of the Mono Craters and the mountains, tucked away in a gorgeous valley against the Sierra Nevada.

Now we're back to work planning and updating courses for next year. Also, I just drained my car battery charging all of my different gadgets (idiot), so I'm waiting for AAA to save me (NO WAY IT JUST STARTED! Service cancelled! Off to drive around and recharge this battery for a while...). Even THAT isn't stressful when you're in Lee Vining!

Tomorrow: more school work, another (hopefully much better) soccer game with John, Mary and Elin, some painting, and hopefully more rain and thunder.

There's a halo around the moon, so it looks like we might be in luck.


With love from a worn out pick-up truck,

Allison & Mattie