DON'T WE ALWAYS COMPLAIN ?

Incomparable beauty. It snowed in lovely drifts, melted a bit and then continued to pile on the white stuff until it reached about a foot deep. I plunged into clean, undisturbed surfaces to the mail box, and through the yard, quite fascinated by changes wrought to ordinary views. A perfect day to stoke up the wood stove, and hunker down to a project one never has time to do. I wrote a couple letters; examined a half finished scrap book, but couldn't finish it without a copymaker because the storm also brought a power outage.

Managed to fry a couple eggs and heat water for tea on top of the wood stove. While it was pleasant and relaxing, doing without power for five hours is unsettling. It presses home our dependence on computers, electric lights, tools and appliances. Even the gas, on-demand, water heater didn't work without its electric thermostat, nor the portable phones we have that plug in the wall. Hmmm! We're so connected.

In Calaveras County, Bear Valley Ski Area will be gloriously happy, as I was at first. I'm done complaining, I'm just glad the power is back. (And I give Jim a bad time about being a weather whimp.)

HELLS KITCHEN

I've heard it said that the Vista Outlook named Hells Kitchen on Highway 4 above Dorrington is called that because it is a fire chimney. If fire hits that canyon, so the story goes, it will burn clear into Nevada. The canyon sides are steep and machinery has no access. We escaped the 97* heat by traveling to higher elevations and into Hells Kitchen.
At Bear Valley Lodge, in front of the fireplace, we stopped a moment. The lodge has a museum and many interesting photos, one of Monte Wolf near his cabin, and some of the Blood family that first settled there and had a toll station. Mt. Reba is named for Blood's daughter, Reba.
The ski runs have an entirely different beauty in summer.
Our destination was the cooling waters of Lake Alpine. The water level was down- the result of another drought, but the pristine waters and beautiful granite rocks did not disappoint. Richard and Bernice, both managed a hike. The ducks were tame so we knew they were used to being fed. Pat is a bird person and, she raises exotic birds, and they seem to sense that she would feed them. She did!

We arrived at the Logging Museum in Arnold/White Pines in time for me to connect with an old friend, John Hoffstetter who gave us a tour of this wonderful facility with many details and insights of the trade. My guests from Michigan with logging in their background could identify with the Michigan California alliance, a company formed by a Michigander named Stephenson and a California counterpart. The old equipment brings back memories for all of us. My dad logged as well.
Our last stop was Quyle Kilns where Delores Quyle-Mast gave us a tour of the clay making process.