McNeice

High Sierra Century

2011-09-19T12:01:00.000-07:00

We rode the High Sierra Century last weekend. It was amazingly beautiful. Here's a picture of the girls (Darrin rode too) at the end of the ride. We were missing two of our regular riders due to surgery recovery, but we all plan to be there together next year!

School Supplies

2011-08-22T09:27:00.001-07:00

"Someone on the school board must work for Office Max"

~James McNeice, 21 August 2011

We don't have to purchase too much, but there was a request from his teacher that we buy some ruled note paper. Prompting the quote above.

17th of August 2011. First day of 4th grade - 2011/12 school year.

Happy Fourth of July!

2011-07-07T14:47:00.000-07:00

We celebrated the 4th with two evenings of fireworks. Kirkwood staged their event on Sunday and we enjoyed them with some friends and family. Not too crowded and sweet fireworks. On Monday we joined our friend and neighbor on his boat and watched the South Lake Tahoe event on the water. The finale was truly amazing. What a treat!

Happy 9th Birthday, James!

2011-07-07T14:40:00.001-07:00

James celebrated his 9th birthday at the local pool again. He loves the slide and diving board. The Darth Vader pinata only survived ONE whack with the light saber, but I don't think the kids minded too much. We ate his ice cream cake before the pizza so that it wouldn't be liquid cake.

Last day of school

2011-05-28T07:25:00.001-07:00

James had his last day of school on May 27th. He is excited to have the whole summer off. He plans to stay up all night tonight watching television to celebrate. Next year he will be in 4th grade. There is a great teacher that we hope James gets next year. She teaches a 4/5 split grade that lets students learn at their own pace. James will love the self-paced math and I am sure we will hear about how many modules he has completed compared to his friends. But for now, let the fun begin!

James relaxing on a rock outside the Te Papa museum in Wellington NZ.

2011-04-27T08:07:00.000-07:00

Chile in Summer

2011-03-31T06:50:00.000-07:00

In February we went to Chile for a week. It was a long, 10 hour flight from Dallas to Santiago. We drove South from Santiago through the vineyards and agricultural area which is very similar to the central valley in California. No wonder we get all our fruit and veg from Chile in the winter. We stayed near Lake Villarrica in some small cabins and went hiking, swimming, and exploring during our week there. We plan to go back next year before our visas expire.

Snow Boarding at Home

2011-02-24T06:42:00.000-08:00

We had a few inches of snow on the ground on Wednesday so James tried his snowboard. Here is a video of him going down the hill below our house. He is doing very well with a 10 dollar snowboard.

I can not seem to get the movie to load on Blogger, so here is the link.

Go Ski Racer, GO!

2011-02-07T11:48:00.000-08:00

New Hat!

2011-02-01T17:36:00.001-08:00

Little Chef

2011-02-01T17:34:00.001-08:00

Ski Jump

2011-02-01T17:13:00.000-08:00

James is doing well on the slopes. Here is a video of him going over a jump. Unfortunately you can not see the little side kick he does in the air. Maybe once I get better with the camera one day. The weather in November and December was fantastic. We got a lot of snow. Then January came and we got very little. We have slowed down our number of ski days till we get some more snow. The good news is both Jaimie and James have more than 10 days on the hill.

Our day in the Snow!

2010-11-18T11:09:00.000-08:00

Last week we went to South Lake Tahoe for Veterans Day. We also went to Hope Valley to play in the snow and a Pray for Snow party that evening. Lucky Jamesy won a T-shirt, Hat, and Toque!

Trick-i-nator 9000

2010-11-06T07:30:00.000-07:00

For Halloween James was a robot, The Trick-i-nator 9000.

Early Release Day

2010-08-30T18:46:00.000-07:00

School got out at 1:10 today for "Teacher Coordination", so we took James and a friend, Kim, to the lake. They rode their bikes, swam, fished, and generally played. We took real good care of them. Watched them like a hawk.

Third Grade-First Day

2010-08-18T06:39:00.001-07:00

First day photo of our Third grader. 49.5 tall and is 54 pounds. School started last Wednesday, August 11th. His teacher is Mrs. Chiusano. She seems to be very nice and has a love for the outdoors and fishing. She has taught for more than 20 years, so she should be getting the hang of it soon. James told his Grandma Mary that his favorite part of school was the ending bell!

Barney Lake

2010-07-19T10:57:00.000-07:00

We went to Twin Lakes to camp for the weekend. On Saturday we hiked to Barney Lake with some friends. It was a beautiful area and a great hike.

Tahoe hike

2010-06-23T13:11:00.000-07:00

We hiked up Mt Rose today. We were stopped by snow less than a mile up
the trail. We detoured to this spot to have lunch.

Summer solstice tounge

2010-06-22T21:37:00.001-07:00

On Saturday the 19th we went toast Summer Solstice Festival on the
American river for a day of relaxing and listening to music. It was
very pleasant.

First kayaking of 2010

2010-06-22T16:15:00.000-07:00

James took his first paddle today. He had fun.

Thanksgiving Dinner

2010-06-02T12:55:00.000-07:00

Three chickens and a turkey. Good looking birds, aren't they? Hopefully there's not a rooster in the mix!

Second Grade Family Quilt

2010-06-02T12:43:00.000-07:00

One of James' big projects in second grade was to create a quilt from squares contributed by his family. Darrin sent the pattern out far and wide and lots of family members responded. Here's the finished project. It really turned out beautifully. Thank you all so much.

Last Week of School

2010-06-02T12:39:00.000-07:00

James' class took a field trip to the Cameron Park Pool. It was 50 degrees, but the that didn't stop the kids from swimming. His last day of school was May 28th. Yahoo! He's on his way to third grade now.

Talent Show

2010-05-05T07:13:00.000-07:00

We had a talent show at school the other day. James wanted to do break dancing. He practiced twice during rehearsals. He was tired but did very well. Prior to the show I prepared him for seeing all the people in the audience. He said "I don't get stage fright Daddy!"
http://picasaweb.google.com/dmcneice/20100426?authkey=Gv1sRgCJOz9pn7kuLK7gE#5464678842536383202

Sunday Hike - Woods Lake Loop

2009-08-19T17:38:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-19T17:34:00.001-07:00

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

Sunday Hike Meiss Lake

2009-07-20T21:37:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-06T20:25:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-07-06T20:12:00.001-07:00

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

2009-07-06T20:05:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-12T16:00:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-06-10T12:52:00.000-07:00

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

Last day of school

2009-06-05T11:56:00.001-07:00

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

2009-06-04T07:30:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-02T10:05:00.001-07:00

Buddy Werner Youth Ski League

2009-03-29T18:20:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-17T18:56:00.001-07:00

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

2009-03-10T14:22:00.001-07:00

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

2009-03-02T14:44:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-16T18:45:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-21T06:17:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-07T20:05:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-07T19:56:00.000-08:00

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."

Halloween 2008

2008-11-04T05:02:00.000-08:00

James was going to be a robot for months, a week before halloween he decided he would be a ninja, then Yoda. We had to scramble a bit but Jaimie found a good mask and I made a garment out of a coffee sack. Yoda made his appearance all around town on October 31st.

The 27th Annual American River Festival

2008-09-07T09:52:00.000-07:00

We went to the 27th Annual American River Festival on Saturday afternoon. This year it was expanded with shore activities, more fun for families, as well as more activities and competitions for seasoned and beginning paddlers. It is was a fun day on the water and land! Centered in Henningsen-Lotus Park (HLP), in Lotus, California, land activities included games, food, music, nonprofit and exhibitor booths.

James enjoyed kayaking and a stand up paddling surf board contraption. I tried it a few times and got on fine the first time and fell in many times on later attempts. We had a lot of fun though. Jaimie and I did a Topo Duo race in which we were in a two person kayak and raced another team down the river. We were terrible and the other couple was so far ahead of us that they could not see us at the end of the race. We messed up by having me in the front and it was all we could do to keep straight and get down the river.

First Soccer Game

2008-09-06T18:53:00.000-07:00

James had his first soccer game today. He had a lot of fun and enjoyed himself even though they did not win. The game was at 8:३० am so we had to hustle out of the house early. We brought some snacks and drinks for the team. The sprinklers were on during the game so we had to put traffic cones over the heads. Then they would cycle to the next row and we would run the cones over to that row.

The Tells Peak B-17C Airplane Wreck

2008-09-01T21:42:00.000-07:00

We hiked to the Tells Peak B-17C Airplane Wreck today. It was a great hike out to the site. We went from the Bassi Falls trail side and it was about 6.6 miles round trip. The plane is remarkably well preserved but has been vandalized excessively. We hiked with an Forest Service Archeologist and I think she was surprised at the amount of damage on the plane.

http://www.co.el-dorado.ca.us/stories/B17Crash.html

Right Wing (the largest section): N 38 degrees 54.950'
W 120 degrees 19.802'

Left Wing: N 38 degrees 55.007'
W 120 degrees 19.675'

Tail Section: N 38 degrees 54.798'
W 120 degrees 19.768'

First Grader James McNeice

2008-09-01T21:36:00.000-07:00

James started school on August 18th this year. He missed the first two days of school as we were away on vacation in Yellowstone NP. He started the year with Ms. Cook in a combo K1 class. Then was moved the next week to a straight First Grade class as the school decided they had enough first graders to have another full class. Now he is in Mrs. Smith's class. We are excited about the new year and his great new teacher.

Local Color

2008-07-05T09:14:00.000-07:00

Local Berry Grower and Funny man, Patrick Hoover with an earring...

We went canoeing last Sunday at Slab Creek Resevior. James found a pet and kept it, here Patrick uses it for adornment.

Smoke on the water

2008-07-05T09:03:00.001-07:00

We had a lot of smoke from the fires in California. The local air quality was bad. Here is a view of the lake on the 30th of July where you can hardly see the other side. It has cleared up now even though there are still quite a few fires around. Usually you can see the mountains in the background.

See photo below of a similar view for comparison.

Happy Birthday, James!

2008-07-05T08:59:00.000-07:00

James turned 6 on the 24th of June. We had a party at the pool on the 28th. We invited his classmates and friends. Swam for an hour or so then had lunch, beat the pulp out of a pinata, ate cake, and went to swim some more.

Happy 4th

2008-07-05T08:53:00.000-07:00

James having a good time at Lake Tahoe while we wait for the fireworks. We were a couple of miles from the actual display on Pope Beach. There were thousands of people on the beach. It was great. The reflection on the water was special.

2008-06-09T06:13:00.000-07:00

We went paddling on a lake with some friends yesterday. There was some snow on the ground around the lake in spots, not a lot, but some. The water was about 33 degrees and the air about 70. We met the park ranger and he said it had snowed every day last week. When we got to the lake road into the parking lot was gated so we had to carry the canoe and kayaks in about 300 feet. When we left I took our canoe over the little dam and canoed it down closer to the car since the canoe is so heavy. On the way home we stopped at one of the streams and had lunch. It was a very pleasant day.

Last Day Of Kindergarten

2008-06-09T06:05:00.000-07:00

Well, it is official, we have a First Grader. James had his last day of Kindergarten on Wednesday last week. His first summer break was celebrated by two days of going to the lake, fishing, and playing. We had a great year, a great teacher, and a time. Thanks to all of his classmates and especially his teacher, Mr. Ferris, who has taught children for many years and is so wonderful with them. We could not have asked for a better teacher and were so lucky to have him. James's introduction to school was great and Mr. Ferris laid the foundation for James to love school and enjoy going every day.

Vancouver BC

2008-05-25T16:00:00.000-07:00

Went to Vancouver BC last week to work and visit with my Aunt. We had a nice trip. On one day we went to the Vancouver Aquarium. It is a great aquarium with lots of exhibits and shows. The kids loved it. My cousin came with her two children so it was fun for them as well as us.

Fire on the mountain

2008-05-15T16:24:00.000-07:00

There was a large brush fire about 3 miles from our home. 8 miles on the roads. I was working away and heard sirens going for quite a while. A friend called and asked about the fire and their home. I went down the road to see if their home was ok. All is well, but there was lots of action. Air Tankers, Spotting Plane, Helicopters, lots of Fire Trucks, bull dozers, and many other Cal Fire vehicles.

Map

Tanker

Helicopters

Going in

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-14T08:10:00.000-07:00

We went for a drive south to Amador county to visit Andrae's Bakery in Amador City for breakfast and then we went over to Sutter Creek to visit some of the shops. We had a nice Mother's Day.

I think my mother even had a good time...

Family Affair

2008-04-25T13:47:00.000-07:00

Jaimie's Aunt and Uncle visited us last weekend. We had a great time showing them around the area. We went to a winery, a brewery, Lake Tahoe and Emerald Bay, Tahoe City, South Lake Tahoe, Hope Valley, Silver Lake, Coloma and Jenkinson Lake. It was cool at the house and when we drove by Caples Lake it was still frozen over. Silver Lake was mostly frozen over.

On Sunday after we drove down from Lake Tahoe we were all going to stop at Dante's on the River to celebrate Jaimie's birthday but we had eaten a late lunch and were not hungry at 6 so we decided to go home and have a drink and then go back up. I called at 7:02 to make sure they were open, you know how little local businesses are. Nancy had some phone trouble but eventually called back about 5 minutes later. I asked if they were open and she said they were but were closing early tonight due to no customers (That was what I was afraid of when we went past earlier but no one was hungry enough since we had a late lunch). She asked how soon we could be there and that she didn't want to piss us off, and I said I didn't want to hold them up. So much for Jaimie's birthday dinner.

Jamesy caught a fish

2008-04-02T07:25:00.000-07:00

He likes fishing now. Even though I think he snagged it...
We have gone fishing quite a few times in the past year. Many days we do not catch anything, on rare occasions we do, they are about 6-8" long. James usually gets bored and throws rocks in the water or floats flotillas of twigs.

No, we didn't eat it.

The Crevasse!

2008-03-28T07:44:00.000-07:00

While skiing with James the other day he went off through the trees as usual. I lost site of him and went down the slope a bit. When I finally saw part of him, it was just his helmet and nothing else. I assumed he was in a bit of a low spot. He yelled that he needed help which he never does so I went over to help him. When I got there, he was in a hole that went about 7 to 8 feet down to a small creek. I pulled James out but his skis were down the hole. I was able to get one of them out by hand, but the other was about 5 feet down the hole. I used my ski pole to catch one of the brakes on the ski and get it lodged in the snow so it didn't fall down into the water. As I was pulling James out a ski patrol snowmobile was heading up the hill and I flagged it down. The two guys on it helped me retrieve the ski. One guy slithered down the hole while we held his boots. he grabbed the ski and we pulled him back up ski in hand. He confirmed that the hole had water at the bottom. Thankfully, James did go much further down the hole and all his gear was retrieved.

Click image to enlarge.

The Snow King on his throne.

Look who is riding a bike!

2008-03-24T07:05:00.001-07:00

On Sunday we took the training wheels off Jamesy's bike, he rode it on a dirt trail a few times and then we took him over to the parking lot to try that. He did great and didn't fall once. He was so good at it. I guess the scooter helped him learn to balance and now he is just scooting around like a mad man. He had fun but got tired after 30 minutes of doing laps. When he took off his helmet he said he was sweating in his hair.

Thawed OUT!

2008-02-06T09:56:00.000-08:00

We left Pollock Pines for Hawaii. Talk about two VERY different places. When we got up to leave home there was a foot of fresh snow overnight. That was on top of the foot we received in the last two days. The snow plow had plowed us in and the berm was about 3 feet tall. I spent about 15 minutes shoveling us out that morning at 4 am. It was 26 degrees. Here in Hawaii it is 78 degrees and the trade winds are blowing. It has rained off and on with brief periods of sun. It is very relaxing and enjoyable. On Monday we hiked along the North Shore to hidden beach. It was a great hike along the ocean and the weather was wonderful. A bit of drizzle but mostly sun and a few clouds. We (James and I) went snorkeling Tuesday and saw some great fish and a small green sea turtle. There were some larger sea turtle on the sand basking in the sun and more out in the water.

More Photos of Hawaii

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

2008-02-02T16:13:00.000-08:00

Well, it is snowing today. Again. We have had snow 11 out of the last 12 days. I guess I deserve it. Wanted out of Texas so bad the snow god is rewarding me with a superb year. James and I went skiing on Wednesday, January 30th as his school was closed due to slippery road conditions. We took advantage of the slippery and had a great time. The school was also closed on the previous Wednesday for the same reason. I had an appointment then, so James stayed with his Grandmother. We have made the best of it as much as possible. We go sledding, snowboarding, and skiing as much as we can. James is doing real well skiing and likes to jump little jumps and even some big ones that scare me. He is rather fearless and goes where ever he likes. We have a great time skiing as a family.

Here is a video of James going over a jump.

Skiing on the 3 Day Weekend to honor Martin Luther King, Jr.

2008-01-23T05:30:00.001-08:00

On the 3 Day Weekend to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. we had friends visit from Dallas. I used to work with David. He brought his wife and children out and we went to wineries, fine dining (The Forester), and skiing. David is an awesome skier and kicked butt on the slopes. I have never seen someone from Oklahoma ski so well.

Sledding

2008-01-14T06:38:00.001-08:00

Last weekend we had no power due to strong storms in the area. We took advantage of the snow to go sledding. The kids had a blast. We went with a friend from Jamesy's class and her parents. They brought some mulled wine and we stood around and watched the kids slide down the hill.

We camped out in the house that weekend. The power went out on Friday at around noon and came back on about 3pm Sunday. On Sunday, to take our minds off hoping we would have power again we went skiing. When we came home we had power again, we were elated!

SKIING

2007-12-10T06:56:00.000-08:00

Sierra at Tahoe, our local ski area opened this weekend and we were very excited. In September We bought season passes for the family not sure if James would like it enough to benefit from the season pass. James loved it and actually said "this is awesome!" as we were going up the lift. He didn't want to leave at 3:00 but I talked him into it. We were beat. We had gone skiing in New Hampshire at McIntyre Ski Area a couple years ago and he seemed to like it, but it was raining and he was a bit young and got frustrated.

We started late at about 10 or so in the morning, we went up to the top of the mountain and took a long run down, it took us a while and it was slow going. For the rest of the day we mostly stayed on the bunny slope and let him get a feel for the skis and get his confidence up. Later in the day he wanted to try the big slope again. After we did that run again, he remarked at how much faster he did it the second time compared to the first. We did the long run a few times and then called it a day. Very impressed at how James had progressed. He was in awe of the big kids who were doing jumps and tricks on their snow boards. One time we rode up the lift with a 9 year old who offered to take James down the terrain park, but James declined. He wanted to get a bit more experience before he did any tricks, I do not think it will be long before he does venture off to the park. He was jumping a bit as we went down the slopes as it was and this was only his second day on skis.

When we were in New Hampshire, we purchased a TrySki by Techno-Synthetic that helps keep the ski tips together and the learning skier with wedging so they can stop. This helped James a lot and gave him the confidence he needed to enjoy himself. Other parents had asked about it and we were glad we had it. I am not sure if the ones that are softer would be better, they may allow the ski tips to cross causing more difficulty in learning.

A funny thing happened while I was at our car. During lunch I put our skis in the pod, a guy was walking by looking at me and he finally said, "I like your car, man!". It is the base model Subaru Outback wagon with a Thule Cargo "pod" on the roof. I thought nothing of it until we were leaving and the fella next to us asked if our car was all wheel drive and whether it had snow tires. All Subaru's are full time AWD but it only has all weather tires on it. He had a Ford 150 pickup. Seems to be a popular car among skiers.

Thanksgiving

2007-12-03T20:45:00.001-08:00

Vacation

2007-12-03T19:14:00.000-08:00

We drove to Las Vegas last Monday for my work. I had an installation start on Tuesday so we all drove down. After visiting the site we left NV and headed to Zion National Park for a couple days and then over to Bryce Canyon National Park. We had visited these parks about ten years ago so it was nice to go back and take James to see them. While we were in Bryce it snowed and made the place very pretty.

( More photos )

Snow!

2007-11-11T18:43:00.000-08:00

Around noon today we left the house to go fishing, we got to the local lake and saw the snow on the mountains, we decided to go check it out instead.

Fall is here

2007-10-29T08:08:00.000-07:00

11:00 AM 10/27/2007 It has been a wonderful fall here. We have enjoyed the change of seasons. The area around us is mostly pine trees but we have noticed many deciduous trees now that the changing colors have made them more visible. This weekend, since Jaimie and I both had something to do on Sunday, we took our hike on Saturday instead. We chose to hike the Thunder Mountain Trail. It is a very nice hike and one of the most spectacular that we have done. We only went up part of the way as James was whining the whole time and we stared late. We left the house about noon and did not get to the trail head until about 1. With the shorter days and whining kid, we knew we could not make it the 7 miles round trip in time. We average about one mile per hour with James. The hike is a steady uphill for the first mile and a half, fairly steep grade up the trail. The weather was perfect and the temperature was about 55 degrees.

(See our latest photos)

22/23 September

2007-09-24T09:22:00.000-07:00

We had some friends visit for the weekend. On Friday, we went to Jack Russell Brewery and has a couple beers and let James play in the yard.

On Saturday we went to the farmers market which we often do on Saturdays. Then went to a local diner for breakfast. After that, we went to local winery to taste their wines and then came home and got ready for dinner at Taste, in Plymouth, CA. The meal was very good and we had a great time. On the drive over we stopped at Bray Vineyards and tried their wines. I liked almost every one they served. We bought a bottle and sat under a tree and had a few glasses and enjoyed the view. Then at a quarter to 6 we headed off to dinner.

On Sunday it was raining a bit so we did a driving tour of the mountains. We went up Mormon Emigrant Trail (NF-5) towards highway 88 near Kirkwood ski area. We stopped at Silver Lake/Plasse's Resort and looked around the lake. Then we drove into Kit Carson Lodge and walked around there for a few minutes. Then it was back in the car and we went over to Kirkwood. There was a lot of snow up on the peaks there, I was excited. The first snow fall at Sierra at Tahoe, the local ski area came on Wednesday, the 19th of September. That was the first day of precipitation we have had all summer. It rained off and on all morning Sunday and it did not clear off until we got close to Lake Tahoe. There had been some motorcycle rally in Nevada and there were hundreds of motorcycles riding in the rain down the mountain. I was not the least bit jealous in that weather. 36 to 40 degrees and a light rain, no thanks. For lunch we stopped at Sprouts in South Lake Tahoe which is a great place to eat. Probably our favorite in South Lake Tahoe.

Anyone reading this?

2007-09-23T21:02:00.000-07:00

If you see this, please email me and let me know so I know to keep updating it. If only one person is reading it, I can email them directly.

Darrin

Airshow

2007-08-26T06:57:00.000-07:00

On Saturday morning we drove up to Lake Tahoe for the airshow. We took our bikes so we could ride to the airshow since we were not sure how busy or where the parking was. As it turned out, there was a lot of parking and not many people at all. It was a very nice airshow and there were a lot of military planes there. James loved the Hercules C-130 and stayed in it for a long time. The rear drop gate of the plane was open for you to go into the cargo hold and see the inside, then you could go up into the cockpit. It was real neat.

After the airshow we went to get something to eat, then we went down to Camp Richardson for an ice cream. From there we went to Pope Beach to play in the sand for a while. The water was so cold, but James had a good time making a sand castle and burying some other children's father in the sand. We rode our bikes down to the beach, so after that we went for a bike ride along the Tahoe Lake Trail. James has been on his bike a few times here, but where we live is so hilly, it is hard to do it much. We were impressed by his riding ability and we rode for about 4 miles. He had a couple of spills and after the last one, where he was going a bit too fast, he got up and was holding his tummy. We were a bit concerned as he fell flat on the ground on top of the bike right into a pile of pine needles. When he got back on his bike he stated, "I guess that is why I shouldn't be cruising along like that".

A few days ago, James asked me "Why do they put luggage in the tummy of the plane?" It was so cute to hear that terminology used for a plane.

Canoe Day

2007-08-19T10:34:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we put the canoe on the car and drove up to Silver Lake. It is a nice lake deep in the National Forest and not real busy. It is south of Lake Tahoe and on the south side of Highway 50. The south side gets a lot less traffic than the north side of the highway and is great when the weekend crowds come up as people do not come down that far from Tahoe so it stays relatively quiet. The lake is small but very pretty. There were only a few power boats but lots of paddlers. It was very windy, though, so it made for a hard paddle but very enjoyable. We sat on the shore for a while, ate some lunch, had an adult beverage, watched the birds and boaters, and just enjoyed the day.

The birds we saw at the lake were an eagle and and a pair of osprey. The osprey were fishing the whole day and we saw them hit the water many times. Not sure if they were ever successful in their fishing, but it was neat to see. The eagle flew over and was there only briefly.

First Day Of Kindergarten

2007-08-13T19:41:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of kindergarten.

Uneventful.

James likes his teacher. He says he is a terribly nice guy. We are glad he likes him as we requested him as his teacher. We met his daughter at REI Folsom (Sacramento) and talked with her for a while, she said her father taught in Pollock Pines and she went to school at Pinewood. We decided to ask for him.

James went into his classroom, sat where he was assigned, was called to sit in the circle in the center of the room, he ran to the circle and sat down. We said good by and I gave him a High Five and we left.

James couldnt have been happier.

Kindergarten

2007-08-10T13:10:00.000-07:00

We went to Pinewood Elementary School on Thursday 9th of August, 2007 for an orientation for the incoming Kindergarten class. James will be attending there starting on Monday from 9 am till 3 pm every weekday. Mr Haslam, the principal, gave us a welcome speech in the auditorium when we arrived. It was a rather moving speech and he reminded us that we need to communicate with our children every day. Ask them how their day was and what they did. Good advice, I hope everyone takes it to heart. He also brought the room to tears by telling us that our children will be in the class of 2020, it seems so SOON! I know that everyone says, make sure you spend time with your child, they will be grown before you know it. I tried, but it seems like he is already out the door and off to college.

James's teacher will be Mr. Ferris. he has taught at Pinewood for many years and seems like he will be a fantastic teacher. I think he will offer structure and discipline to the kids yet he understands that learning also takes place outside of the classroom. We actually met his Daughter in REI down in Sacramento a few months ago. She was very nice and helpful and said her Father teaches at Pinewood, well we had to ask for him to be James's teacher.

Sunday, 5th of August 2007

2007-08-06T19:45:00.000-07:00

Jaimie and I went for a hike up to Immigrant Lake on Sunday. It is a nice hike up to the lake and part of the trail follows the shore of much larger Caples Lake. The water is beautiful and clear and has a very picturesque shoreline. Reminds me of the Sechelt Peninsula in British Columbia.

After we left the parking lot for the hike we looped through the lodge we spotted from the other side of the lake while we were hiking. It was a nice place with some small rental cabins on the water called Caples Lake Resort. Quite an adorable place and the lake was nice as there were only a few boats on it and no speed boats like on Jenkinson lake near us.

http://www.capleslakeresort.com/

Sticks

2007-08-06T19:39:00.000-07:00

The other day Jaimie was joking with James Fyffe about beating me with a stick and Jamesy responded, "That's why I collect sticks!"

The back story. Any time we go hiking with James, he collects 3, 4, 5, or more sticks, he will carry as many as he can along with him, asks us to carry some too, and tries to bring them all home. We have since instituted a "One Stick Law" which allows him to transport one of his beloved branches back to the "Twiggery".

Robbery!

2007-08-05T09:27:00.000-07:00

On Thursday night, while we slept evil visited upon our deck. From the beginning. In mid July, Jaimie and James came home with a couple of gold fish. We do not have an aquarium or an air pump so I was concerned about the longevity of the fish in a bowl. That night when we went to sleep I inquired about the fish and Jaimie said they would be fine. The next morning they were swimming upside down and not too fast, if you know what I mean... On Wednesday, we purchased a fish to put in our water garden. On Thursday we bought some fish food for it and on Friday morning I went out to feed the fish. I found the water muddied and the fish gone. The water lily had been pulled out and eaten. The water lily was packaged in some black netting with some rocks in the bottom to weigh it down and coconut fibers around it to protect it and keep it moist (I presume) in transit. All of the lily packaging was scattered over the deck. The lily in the water garden for a few weeks and it had finally sprouted out some shoots. This photo is from our security camera and is who we believe to be the suspect. We have the local police department on the case and hope to apprehend the perp soon.

28 July 2007

2007-07-30T18:44:00.000-07:00

The whole family went with me to King City CA for an adventure. On Friday I was visiting a customer there in King City, then on Saturday we would go to the Gilroy Garlic Festival. As you may know, Gilroy is the Garlic capitol of the world!!!

On Friday we left the house around 9:30 and headed down to King City. It was a nice drive and I really enjoyed having the family with me. We made it to King City just after 2 pm and checked in to our hotel and then I went on over to the plant. They had some cracks in their system that was allowing hot gas to come out of the end of the turbine. We had a stick with a rag on the end and put it up to one of the cracks and it was gone in a flash. When we were finished, I went back to the hotel and we went swimming and played in the pool for a while and then got ready for dinner. We went to a small mexican restaurant that had no vegetarian food. Jaimie was not to happy. Afterwards we went to Taco Bell and got her something to eat and then went to the hotel to watch a movie.

On Saturday we went up to the Garlic Festival, it was great as there was no traffic at 9:30 in the morning and we were coming from the south where there was no population so we had no trouble getting into the festival. We drove up the main road into it and parked along the road. The walk in was about half a mile and very pleasant. We ate some garlic fries and deep fried artichoke hearts with, you guessed it, garlic... VERY GOOD. Not for Vampires or those who do not like garlic, obviously. Beers were 6 dollars each and not too big, we only had one. We wandered the grounds and checked out the booths and exhibits. There is a lot of garlic themed stuff as well as the usual crap they sell at the state fair and any other festival.

After the festval we drove over to the coast to the beach. Seacliff State Beach - Aptos, CA
was where we went and the beach was nice. James enjoyed the water and met a little girl he played with in a deep pit she had dug. They ran around in in the water and played for a couple hours and then we headed home.

More Pics

21/22 July

2007-07-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we drove down to Sutter Creek to the farmers market there. It was very small and had limited produce. The Placerville one is much better. On the way home we stopped at Andrae's Backery in and got breakfast and some items for lunch. We planned on stopping at a winery on the way home. The drive was very nice and beautiful countryside, rolling hills covered in golden grass and green trees. We stopped at MonteVino winery Plymouth, Amador County, CA www.montevina.com It was very nice and they had a tour at noon so we took the tour, it was interesting seeing the different areas of a winery that are behind the scenes. At the end of the tour you go to the tasting room and they offer you any of the wines they have available. We tried a few wines and then went out to the courtyard to have our lunch.

Sunday was a day of rest. we didnt go anywhere. Jaimie organised the house and put away the last few boxes from the move. I think we are officially settled now.

On Monday I drove Jaimie to the Reno Airport to catch a flight to Chicago. On the way back I attempted to make a few sales calls and had no luck. One place was a house, two were out of business, and the last one was not in the phone book nor could I find an address online. James was napping in the car while I drove around Lake Tahoe looking for these places so it was perfect. By this time it was almost 5 pm so we drove to the south along the shore of Lake Tahoe. I had promised James an ice cream if he was good for my calls and stayed in the car so when we passed an ice cream shop we stopped and got him his treat. We then went on to the beach and played in the sand and swam a bit. It was very nice and the water was crystal clear and very refreshing (ICE COLD).

(More photos)

Camping in July

2007-07-16T05:48:00.000-07:00

On Friday night, 13 July we went east towards Tahoe to go camping in the Eldorado National Forest. We had reconoitered the area in the past and knew an area that looked good. We east from our house on 50 to Kyburz and took the Silver Fork Road towards Mormon Immigrant Trail. We passed a few campgrounds and finally found a spot that looked nice. In the National Forest, you can camp anywhere you want so we found a place along the river that looked nice and just pitched our tent.

On Saturday we went for a hike to Lake Margaret. It was a nice hike through lots of different types of flora and biospheres. We started out in the pine forest, headed through a boggy area, walked through Aspen forest along the creek and then finally reached the lake. It was a beautiful day and the lake was crystal clear. James took a little swim in the water and we had a break to relax for a while. We hiked back to the car and headed towards our camp. James did very well on the hike and some of the other hikers on the trail even noted how good he was for hiking that trail. The trail is 5 miles round trip, so not the longest we have done, but still a good hike for a 5 year old.

When we got back to camp James and I went fishing in one of the pools of water near the camp. We caught a couple trout and James wanted to keep them, as usual, but they were too small. While we were walking along the river, I had heard a rumble and looked for James, he was ahead and just behind some rocks. I thought he had knocked some rocks down the cliff into the river but that was not the case. About 300 yards down the river there was a tree that was falling and it had twisted off its trunk and started to fall. It was a 100 to 120 foot tall tree and it made a terrible sound when if fell. It was quite rotten and when it hit the ground it made a huge crash. The top section exploded apart in a huge cloud of dust and small chunks and the pieces floated away down the river. The lower section of the trunk was still intact and we went down to examine the tree. It was a massive tree and was quite impressive to watch fall. We were glad to not be any closer to it than we were. It may not look impressive from this side of the river but these trees are so big that it takes two or three people to put their arms around the trunks. (More photos)

July 4th 2007 - Lake Tahoe, CA

2007-07-04T16:24:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday evening we went to the North Tahoe Fireworks display last night. It was very pleasant. We went to Kings Beach on Lake Tahoe’s North Shore Tuesday, July 3 where we were able to sit right on the beach and watch the fireworks that were shot off from a barge in the lake. We set off from Pollock Pines around 6 to take a leisurely drive up to Tahoe. We stopped for dinner in a little cafe across the street from Kings Beach and had a nice dinner of fish and chips and veggie burgers. Then we wandered down the street to get James an ice cream and then back to the car to get our chairs, then across the street to the park. It was a great show and the reflection of the fireworks on the water was spectacular. There were many boats out in the water and the sparkling lights and the fireworks were just magical. All in all, a very nice way to celebrate the 4th. There were lots of people, but the crowd was very manageable, when the fireworks were over we were back to our car and on the road home in less than ten minutes.

On Wednesday we went to the local Fire Department's Pancake Breakfast. It was a nice breakfast and we had a lot to eat. James really liked getting to talk to the firemen and seeing the fire trucks. Later we watched the parade and he got lots of candy and frozen treats from the folks on the floats.

June 23rd and 24th 2007

2007-06-26T09:56:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, Jaimie and I went on a motorcycle ride called a Poker Run while Grandma watched James. The Poker Run was a fund raiser for the Snowline Hospice in Placerville. There were about 250 motorcycles in the run. You ride your motorcycle to 5 different sites and get a card. The person with the best hand wins something, I had a 3, 5, 8, 10 and an Ace, I don't think you win much with that kind of hand...

We normally we hike on Sunday but this weekend we had some kids over for Jamesy's birthday. We had a delicious home-made cake (Jaimie made an outstanding cake once again) and then went to the pool and swam a bit. He got a lot of great gifts and was very excited. He hauled a bag of his loot around all the next day. One of his favorite gifts was a wheelbarrow from his Grandparents Bill and Tina. Here is a photo of James eating his lunch in it.

James is in kindergarten camp this week and next. It is a way for the kids coming in to Kindergarten to get used to the school, make some friends, and learn how to behave before the school year starts. He seems to like it. This is a photo of James on his first day of Kindergarten Camp.

Hiking near Echo Lake 18 June 2007

2007-06-18T07:55:00.000-07:00

We hiked out to the Echo Lake boat taxi on Father's Day. It is a beautiful area and it was quite comfortable with the temperature in the mid 60's when we started out just before noon. The 2.7 mile trip out to the dock took us about 3 hours. The whole hike is 8+ miles and would take about 8-9 hours so we did not go all the way up to Ralston Lake, maybe next time.

James likes to go on our weekly hikes but was a bit slow on this one. He stopped to poke at almost every rock, shrub, tree, stream, etc. that we came to. While it is part of the reason we are out there, it does add considerable time to a hike.

The Echo Lakes area is quite beautiful. Situated in a valley high above Lake Tahoe you have all the beauty of Tahoe with less crowds but more tree huggers...

17 June 2007

2007-06-18T07:48:00.000-07:00

We went to the El Dorado County Fair on Saturday night. We had a great time watching the demolition derby, walking through the exhibits, watching the carnival rides, and seeing all the people. The demolition derby was the epitome of redneck fun. Too bad James didn't like it more.

June 10th. Hiking the Twin Lakes Trail

2007-06-11T10:24:00.001-07:00

On Sunday, June 20th we drove up to Wrights Lake and went on the Twin Lakes Trail. It is 5.4 miles round trip and James hiked the whole trail except for about 5 minutes. On the way we encountered SNOW at about 7800' elevation. The temperature was in the low 60's but with the blazing sun it was very pleasant. We started out around 11 am and finished at 4pm, so about 1 mile per hour. That includes snowball fights, looking at every pool of water, poking sticks in each hole we see, sitting on any interesting rocks, etc.

The Twin Lakes trail (photos) heads up into the Desolation Wilderness and from the photos you can see why it is named so. We enjoyed the hike, but there were a lot of mosquitoes near the bog area. Need to bring a lot of spray the next time.

2nd and 3rd June 2007

2007-06-03T18:51:00.000-07:00

2 June 2007

Breakfast at Sweetie Pie's in Placerville, CA on Saturday, 2 of June 2007. Very nice place and good food.

3 June 2007

We took a drive up Mormon Immigrant Trail NF-5 today. It leads over to 88 near Kirkwood CA. We saw snow on the flanks of some of the mountains.

I asked Jamesy if he want to pelt his daddy with a snowball and he just grinned... We stopped later on a small road and he got his chance.

Jamesy sledding down a small bank of snow. Heaven!

We then backtracked to Silver Fork Road NF-7 where we stopped and took some photos of the Silver Fork of the American River.

Last weekend on May 27th, we went up to Horsetail Falls near Twin Bridges, CA.

Jaimie and James.

Jamesy hiked all the way up to the falls and back. I carried him about 30 feet and he hiked the rest. he did so well on the 2.5 mile trip that we offered him a treat. Of course we told him he does not get a treat every time he hikes. I am sure he will remember the treat and nothing else. He does like hiking now, though. So that is good. And we did not buy him a treat till this weekend.

Horse Tail Falls

Looking across the valley towards Lovers Leap.

More photos