July 4th weekend

July 4th weekend, we went camping on Donner Summit. JP’s sister and her boyfriend own 300+ acres on the Yuba River, so we headed up there for a couple days. It was nice to go “on vacation” only 25 minutes from home. The Yuba River was perfect for fishing, swimming, and doing long “water hikes”. Stephen and Avian each found real arrowheads while hiking in the granite. Gerard taught the kids how to drive a tractor.     We had a blastRead more

Lava Beds National Monument

Every year on Memorial Day Weekend, the kids and I meet my brother and his family to spend a few days together. The timing falls perfectly right after their return from making maple syrup in Quebec, and before my brother’s smokejumping fire season begins (hopefully before… one year, he was flown out to Alaska immediately after we arrived). This year, JP and I packed up the kids Friday afternoon and hit the road to meet Marcel, Anne, LouLou and Lily, about halfwayRead more