DIRECTIONS

I was stopped by the side of the highway about 15 miles east of Sonora, checking on a recent "you have a message" beep on my cell, when a motorcycle stops next to my driver's side window.  He seemed like a "normal person" so I rolled the window down enough for him to ask "Is this the road to Mariposa?  I seem to have lost my way back at that last big town." 

"Well sir, if you mean Sonora I am afraid that you missed your turn about 15 miles west of THERE!"  Then I proceeded to tell him what to look for and when to make his left turn to take him to Hiway 120 and from there to Mariposa on Hiway 49.

It got me to thinking how often we set out on a venture without knowing for sure where we are going.  The average person would go to AAA and get a map, or if they are computer savvy "google it" and find the roads to take, the time to allow, and the sights to see on the way!!  THEN THERE ARE THE ADVENTUROUS ONES!!  Like my motorcycle acquaintence, they jump on their trusty steed and see what there is to see, hoping to get to their destination, but knowing that they will experience LIFE in the process!  I would call that TRUST while others might call it irresponsibility.  Perhaps forgetting to check the weather forecast and leaving your slicker and umbrella at home will get you wet, but then again a stop at a neighborhood diner to get out of the rain will yield some new stories, some neighborhood information, a great bowl of minestrone, and quite possibly a chance to be blessed by the experience of getting in out of the rain!

Some things in LIFE do require planning; some things can be left to serendipity.  ENJOY THE RIDE!

HUNTING SEASON

It always amazes me how many folks are "into" hunting.  My father was too busy working to have a hobby that required time away without family, but then again I notice a lot of two and three generation hunting families.  He hadn't served in any military units, did not own a gun of any kind that I knew of,  preferred camping and fishing.  I remember the summer that he attempted to interest me in fishing!  Number one I was supposed to "be quiet" as the fish could "hear me!" and too much talking would scare them away.  Number two I had to bait my own hook, and I suppose gut my own fish if I had stuck around to catch any.  The minute that my reel managed to tangle the fishing line, I was back to my previous activity throwning rocks in the lake!!  I had to move away from the fishermen, but splashing myself, and anyone else that happened to be close by, was definitely more fun than baiting hooks!!

One year we camped where there were rocks just the right angle for use as a slide!  No one had a backside in their jeans by the end of the week!  That rock LOOKED so smooth!  It was a good thing that we always wore our OLD CLOTHES when camping.  Mom was no dummy!! 

Camping was a great family activity and one that a LOT of folks enjoy in our "neck of the woods" here in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.  We had an old umbrella tent and slept in sleeping bags right on the floor of the tent - "take your shoes off, we have to sleep on that floor!" said Mom.  Carrying water, finding wood for the campfire, washing up the dishes (no paper for us!) kept all of us busy and out of some mischief!

I am happy to be of the "I need a bathroom nearby" age that doesn't sleep on the ground anymore.  I paid my dues!  Give me a cabin with indoor plumbing and I will bring the paper plates and briquets for the BBQ!  We did the backpacking trips when we were younger and raising our children and what do they do with THEIR families - RVs complete with kitchens, running water, and carpeting!!  They take their "Little House on the Prairie" with them, even a satelite for TV --  you have to be able to watch the car races and the football games.  They aren't hunters either -- except perhaps finding the most level spot or the correct channel on the TV!  Happy Hunting whatever your style!

FALL is in the air!

A couple of crisp nights this week should get the deer moving so drive carefully if you are coming to look for Autumn leaves on Hiway 108 - Sonora Pass!  The cottonwoods on the east side of Long Barn haven't changed color yet, but it won't be long.  The aspens on Sonora Pass just below the "Golden Staircase" are usually the first in the area to change.  Husband and I enjoyed lunch at Kennedy Meadows last week and a leisurely walk along the Stanislaus River, watching the fly fishermen exercising their skills.  My allergies have improved so much that the alfalfa in the corral areas didn't even make me wheeze, but not sure I am ready for a "horsey ride!"

Anyone planning to book reservations for the December Holiday Week should call me at 1800.514.6777 ASAP.  Anyone wishing to purchase a cabin to use all winter can use the same number - there are still "some" for sale in Strawberry and Cold Springs!  Breathe deep, live large, and cultivate an attitude of gratitude.  It will keep you YOUNG!!

END of SUMMER

It is Labor Day and I am laboring, attempting to get the end of the month bookkeeping done for the owners of the cabins that I manage.  They wait with "bated breath" for their monthly checks.  Interesting term - bated breath - is the root "abate" as in QUIT or maybe from bait, as in bait your hook?  I know some fishermen who breath to fish; they are that passionate about their favorite hobby.  We are certainly in a good location to bait your hook and catch the trout that the State Dept of Fish and Game puts in the So Fork of the Stanislaus.  Do you know that they check the temperature of the water before putting the fish in?  I guess that the trout have a better chance of survival if the temperature is in a certain range.  I wonder what the trout think - do fish think? - going from lolling in a feeding pool at the Moccasin Fish Hatchery to sloushing around in the back of a truck to flopping around in a 5 gallon bucket to swimming in the freedom of the river where no one is tossing feed in daily; they actually have to find it themselves or be food for a larger fish!!  Kinda like going from being a teenager to being an ADULT in an hours time!! 

What a shock that must be - it has been a long time since I experienced that - being responsible for myself for the first time.  I do remember being AMAZED how much of our income went for things like toothpaste, toilet paper, shampoo and FOOD.  Those were the things that I took for granted when I lived at home; they were just there when I needed them.  Like the trout I wasn't thinking!!  It does require planning and TRUST this being an ADULT.