Write My Life

Caught up? What does that mean? I can’t remember the last time I really felt caught up. August and September flew by in a big blur. Now, here I am in that world of “caught up.” It feels kinda strange.

Now I have time here are some of the things I am doing:

• scrapbooking
• reading “Goose Girl” by Shannon Hale
• writing in the present on my blog
• working in the school library
• playing fetch with Merlin and cuddling with Arthur
• chatting and commenting on scrapbook web sites

Who knows how long it will last, but I am enjoying it immensely.

When the “regular” returns, we often forget to note it. Looking at a photograph of Merlin and Jennifer together reminds me of the fact that Merlin is back to his “regular” self. No longer is he beset with back problems and aches that troubled him last spring. Instead he is enjoying life (maybe with a little less stamina predictable for any dog approaching 13-years-old), fetching his ball and running in circles. I’m so thankful for his return to health.

Once again, it is that time of year again…time to shop for clothes, time to pack lunches and time to get up early in the morning. Off to school…

Jennifer returns to Orion for 2nd grade. A new teacher, some new classmates and a new room should make it an interesting year.

Jaclyn encounters more new than she cares to experience for 6th grade. A new school, a new schedule (changing classes!), new teachers (several of them!), new friends, and new challenges – just to name a few. “New” is not a favorite word for Jaclyn. She enjoys the familiar and the predictable, not a life turned upside down. We pray ceaselessly for Jaclyn during her transition to middle school.

Jackie ended summer with a weekend of parties.

One of the parties was an all-girl party at our house. Jackie invited several friends for the afternoon to work on putting on the American Girl play, “A War of the Homefront.” It was probably the easiest party and get together I have ever had at my house. They worked on their parts and devised costumes from our dress-up box. What an easy, fun group of girls!

For Jackie’s role in the party, she planned most of the activities and roles. Instead of being a character in the play she acted as director and cinematographer.

White cascades of water flowed down Eagle Creek. We scrambled on the rocks of the hiking path next to the falls. Each step brought us a new view of the cascades. Its beauty prompted me to stop and take photographs over and over again. Here are a series of shots from the top meadows, along the cascading falls and then at the high point of the falls.

Us.
Here we are enjoying the hike along Eagle Falls Trail.

Mosquitoes.
Here are the mosquitoes enjoying us enjoy the Eagle Falls Trail.

It was a beautiful trail but the mosquitoes were well fed.

We joined the Gudan family on the search for a swimming hole. We didn’t know its exact location but were given some directions. In the end, we didn’t find the swimming hole, but we did find Battle Creek, just west of Mineral, CA. Ken, Mike and the children waded in the water and walked along the creek. Jackie thoroughly enjoyed this wet adventure.

It’s not every day we witness the earth’s geothermal activity. At Bumpass Hell, we saw bubbling mudpots, steaming fumeroles and boiling water.

Visiting the sulphar areas at Lassen Volcanic National Park takes 3 senses:

• Smell: rotten egg smell of hydrogen sulphide coming from hot vents

• Sight: steam and white clay tinted yellow, tan, or pink by minerals, chiefly iron oxide

• Sound: Bubbling mudpots

August 12, 2006

Along with us 4 other families visited Lassen Volcanic National Park together. First we visited Sulphur Works then we hiked the Bumpass Hell trail. We made a long procession of tourists with 15 people!