Sunday Hike - Woods Lake Loop

On Sunday we went to brunch at Kit Carson Lodge and had a wonderful breakfast. Then we went for a hike at Woods Lake Campground. The loop takes you from Woods Lake to Round Lake and Winnemucca Lake then back to Woods Lake. We had a great time and were glad that our friend joined us.

More photos

First day of school 2009/10

On Thursday August 13th, James started school again. he is now in Grade 2. Class of 2020. Mark your calendars!

Sunday Hike Meiss Lake

On Sunday we hiked to Meiss Lake. It was a beautiful day and the temperature was 75-80 degrees. We really enjoyed the hike in this area as it was one of the most beautiful we have done. One drawback was the clouds of flies and mosquitoes the size of dragonflies. We ran into a guy camping near Meiss Lake who was wearing pants, a long sleeve shirt, gloves, and a bug net on his head at noon, if that gives you any indication of how bad they were. He mentioned that we needed to clear out of there by 4 pm, as the mosquitoes get bad. It was around noon, so I can not imagine what we we would look like if we stayed. Sort of a human raisin, I presume.

As we attempted to cross the Truckee river headwaters, our fully protected friend told us we needed to take a different path which led us through swamp and bog to the lake. I wish we had just followed the Pacific Crest Trail around to the lake as our pre-hike research showed. When we left we met some really voracios mosquitoes. I felt like I had Malaria, Dengue Fever, Ebola, and Tourettes all in one they were so bad. Great to get home and shower.

Hike photos

Hiking 2009

On Sunday we went to Silver Lake to hike to the potholes formed by the Silver Fork of the American River. We stopped to have a picnic lunch and let the critter roam a bit. After lunch we went to Caples Lake to fish for a few hours. I caught a few, one that was the size of my finger, a 7 inch one, and a 10 inch one. James was not happy as he didn't catch any. Since he caught 5 the last time we were out and I caught only one, I did not feel too bad for him...

Happy 4th!

On July 4th, James was in the Pollock Pines Parade with his Pirates t-ball team. He walked about a mile on the parade route tossing candy and having a good time. We had a float that we thought the kids could ride in, but the league killed our plans for that just before the parade. All of the town was out for the 4th. It was a great day.

Happy 7th Birthday James McNeice

On July 3rd we had Jamesy's birthday party at our local hangout, Jack Russell Brewing co. We invited some of Jamesy's classmates and friends and had some snacks and cake. The kids played a few games, ran around, broke open a pinata, and generally had a good time.

Paris at Night

Today we went to Notre Dame and the Crypt. Strolled to Rue de Rossier for lunch. Then had a beer at Place de Vasques and relaxed a bit. This evening we went to the Eiffel Tower and then Troccadero across the river from the tower.

City of Lights!

James with the Eiffel Tower in the background taken at the Arc de Triumph

Last day of school

Jamesy is on his way to second grade. He had another wonderful year at Pinewood with Mrs. Smith. Summer vacation, yahoo!!

James joined us on his second overnight backpacking trip. We hiked in about 2 1/2 miles to a beautiful stream and camped next to it. James inherited an external frame pack from our friend's daughter. He carried his own sleeping bag, clothes and snacks. He complained some going in, but he hiked out with a few rest breaks and that's about it.
He also carried in his new super soaker gun. That made for hours of entertainment and lots of wet clothing and shoes!

The Swine of the Aporkalypse

Buddy Werner Youth Ski League

We had a great weekend skiing around Lake Tahoe. On Saturday we drove to Northstar and skied there with some friends. Our Sierra at Tahoe season pass is now good for Northstar too, it was nice to try out another local (2 hours away) ski area. We spent the night at Granlibakken Resort where we enjoyed the pool and hot tub. Woke up to another beautiful day of skiing. Bright sunshine and wonderful conditions. On Sunday we had Jamesy's last Buddy Werner Youth Ski Day and Race. James won a trophy, "Buddy Werner Youth Ski League
1st Place - 2009
Boys 6-8 Pre Race Division"
And also a medal
"Coach's Choice Award 2009
Buddy Werner Youth Ski League"
For most improvement!

He was very happy and we are proud of him!

See more photos of our weekend at http://picasaweb.google.com/dmcneice/20090327
and
http://picasaweb.google.com/dmcneice/20090328

Emails

James took the camera and made this self portrait. More photos here.

I just realized that folks have been responding to the postings we have here but they go to my gmail account, which I check every few months. I have switched the email address so I hope we get them on a more timely manner now. Sorry for the lack of response in the past.

James at his Buddy Werner Ski Club

James had a great time at his Buddy Werner Ski Club race the other day. He is really doing well on the timed races. The coach for his team is great and takes the kids on challenging terrain. Since James is 6 years old I have to ski with him so that he can be on the team. The kids are supposed to be 7 to be on Buddy Werner. I enjoy it because we get to ski every Sunday.

Here is James starting out at the top of the course.

Here is the team photo.

Our Cub Scout

James had his Cub Scout Pinewood Derby Car Race on Saturday. He won a couple races and then lost out. The police cruiser just could not keep up with the speeders on the track. You can see the car on the track in the photo at right.

The next day James said he had a really good time at the races. He is a good sport and enjoys the Cub Scouts. We are proud of him.

Super Reader

James took a book along while we went wine tasting yesterday. That's the first time he ever entertained himself on an outing with a book that he read himself. Wow!

At the Aquarium

We made a quick trip to Monterey this weekend. JF loved the aquarium but mostly he loved digging in the sand on the beach. He cried when we headed home because he wanted to play a little more. We had beautiful weather and stayed in a neat place (Asilomar Conference Center) in Pacific Grove. It was sort of like staying on the North Shore of Oahu, in that we were out of the craziness in Monterey. We were able to ride our bikes to the aquarium, so we didn't have to worry about parking. A happy little get away.

West Virginia Visit

We had a great visit to West Virginia. We celebrated Chris and Keely's wedding and enjoyed our stay in the West Wing with Dave, Nicole and the rest of the crew.

Skiing at Kirkwood

We enjoyed our first winter day at Kirkwood. Mr. Super Skier wanted to take the lift that had a skull and crossbones and said "Experts Only."