ENJOYING MOTHER LODE ATTRACTIONS

Good friends, Jose and Norma Tapia,  and my youngest daughter, Virginia, and her kids came up to the Mother Lode for a day to play. The weather was perfect, not hot, not cold, just coolish,  The kids played on the trampoline...

Owen, flying high.

 Nearly three year old Abbie trying for that higher bounce.

 

Theo going for the extreme moves.

Anthony waits his shot at the ball in a game of driveway two-square. Whoever goes out steps aside for the next person in line. That way no one gets overly tired

Everyone wanted to take a walk and see where I heard the singing waters from a previous blog. The water is running, but without much thunder and  low enough to easily cross over the washes on rocks and branches. Its fun to almost get wet while throwing rocks into the culverts. The kids fed the neighbor horses and caught a frog,, which was promptly returned to its puddle.

Before dinner, the two youngest boys managed a wobbly, high structure with stacking blocks while we got the table ready. Before dessert, we caravaned  downtown Murphys to watch the Rail Jam, a new event sponsored by Bear Valley Ski Area,  and the Murphys Hotel.

Snow was brought in and piled from the second floor of the Murphys Hotel into an obstacle course for skiers and snowboarders. The amateur contestants were from eight years to fourteen years old. Down the two story ramp, over the first bridge,

a sharp right and down a slippery, round pipe,

and, a shoot to the finish over the "mail box". Some of the older boys chose to finish on the edges of the blue barrier. Either way, a challenging, fun, competitive race with prizes.

Six year old Anthony confided, "I can do that," as he watched the boarders. In the future, I'm sure he will. On this day, it was enough to play with hunks of dirty snow. But, dainty Abbie...
stuck close to dad and bravely ventured one leg over the rope barrier.