We have been blest with a brief respite from what appeared to be the early onset of winter, and the temperatures were in the mid 70s the past two afternoons! Since there has already been a few significant cold snaps, we are surrounded by the rich colors of fall, particularly golden maples, red dogwoods and brilliant yellow willows. This is one of the best parts of living in the Sierras... fall colors up and down the hill for several months. Wishing you an equally lovely weekend!
From the beach in Capitola last Saturday.....
Hope you are having a lovely, late summer weekend.... school starts for me next week, so mine will be a tiny bit bittersweet.
I have been silent all week, I realize... once again too far from computers to get a proper post slapped together. I volunteered at the Nevada County Fair on Thursday morning, with fellow members of the Foothill Fibers Guild, and got a lot of spinning done. Yesterday was spent working at the LYS, visiting the dentist and hair stylist, and even bottling up our first batch of homebrew!
I will be processing my fair photos over the weekend, as well as those of knitting and spinning progress, but have an early childhood education training to attend today (nice teacher, good knitting time: I'm happy). I did want to share one of the sky views that makes me love the Sierras so much, taken about a week and a half ago when DH and I got a chance to visit some favorite parts of our big backyard:
The view west from Perazzo Meadows... have a wonderful summer weekend!
I haven't had a good sky photo to post since June 21st, when lightening fires struck across California, setting something like 3,000 fires and filling the air with smoke for weeks. Now, there is still a bit of haze drifting north from the Yosemite fire, but I finally can report a full week of blue skies. In celebration, I have several photos to share from my cousin's ranch in Newcastle, where she, her sister and seven collected children and grandchildren gathered for dinner one night last week....
Here, the sun is setting to the west, over the driveway up to her house, bordered on either side by pastures where she raises grass-fed beef, just as her father did before her, and on the same land where my great aunt and uncle raised orchard fruits between 1920 and the late 1940s. It gives my heart great solace to know that her sis can bring her four grandchildren here every summer to experience the same joys that we all did as children.
picking blackberries, swimming in the concrete pool built by my Uncle John, who never had children of his own, but made sure his nieces and nephews all learned to swim.
bottle-feeding an orphan calf.... and playing with the dogs.
This is Beau, my cousin's cow-herding Corgi... we all love him.
Happy summer weekend, dear ones...
This is how my view of the sky has looked all week... sometimes even denser. A woe of a different sort, and one that I hope will not plague us all summer.
Here's hoping your Saturday Sky is much prettier.
Today's photo was taken of the sky in early evening at Stephanie's on Thursday as I arrived for Knit Night... the evening is lasting so much longer and the light so soft, that I can finally, truly believe summer is almost here. Her view stretches out east into the Sierras and is framed with towering oaks... very peaceful and inspiring.
I hope you are happily busy with a weekend full of spring activities, including outings, gardening, and of course, celebrating Mother's Day!
From my mountain heart to my dear blogland friends I send this beautiful, heart-expanding view from the old highway looking down off Donner Summit to the lake... it may be spring in other places, but not here, not yet, and I am one who rejoices in feeling the warm sun while gliding across the snow.
Instead of heading off before dawn yesterday morning to Stitches West with Rhodie and Stephanie, I was on my way through some rather messy roadway over Yuba Pass to the Sierra Valley for a meeting... I had decided after getting sick a few weeks ago that I had too much to catch up in my daily life of work, school and fibers to leave for a few days, even with the allure of meeting fellow bloggers Suzann and Erica at the hugest fiber event on the west coast.... it was all just too overwhelming to figure out how to fit in, and my sinuses are still hurting and wearing me down, even though I am on the road to recovery (illness has hit our region pretty hard though!). I was lucky to get to spend the hour and a half driving time each way passing through glorious winter scenery, with more snow in the valley than usual. I saw a large flock of Canada geese sitting on top of the snow and wondered what they would find to eat, but they seem to seek out the small creeks and marshy areas, and the Sierra Valley has several great thermal spots where birds can huddle next to warm water... good thing as more snow fell overnight! Stay warm and happily knitting inside a few more weeks:)
In between storms, we are getting some wonderful winter sunsets....
This photo was taken in the glorious light of 
winter's early, early evening... only a few more days until the Winter Solstice and the light begins to return!
I hope your winter weekend is going well and that your holiday preparations are fun and festive rather than stressful!
