About Me

The mountains are calling and I must go...Got the t shirt in Georgia one year and this is our calling! We'll see y'all down the road!

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Change of plans, The long way home, Running around today

 Well, as they say "The jello jiggled".  We awoke Monday morning planning to spend the day in San Andreas and see a few antique stores etc while waiting for highway 88 to open on Tuesday. 

It was raining and cold in Jackson. About 0700 as we were getting ready the electricity went out. No blow drier today! LOL. We were on the 2nd floor and found our ceiling was leaking right through the light above and right onto our hoodies, soaking wet so must have been all night long.  I ran to the lobby where they were doing a "grab and go" breakfast.  One girl behind a table giving out breakfast.  Eggs or biscuits and gravy?  Oh so tempting , but I went for the eggs for the two of us. A blueberry muffin and condiments. Better than we've gotten at any hotel in the last two years. They used to do a full breakfast, but guess this is their "no contact". Geez..

About 0740 I got a call from our Daughter in law, Cheryl. They live in Georgetown, Ca and had awoken to snow, no power and trees down all over their property. I think they've got more snow than they have in 18 years they've lived there. There's another storm coming in on Tuesday night, Wednesday morning. 

Out Bryan's garage door :( He's got a "spider web" of 
electrical lines down at the end of his driveway, they can't get
out. Thank goodness for a generator! 

Like Bryan said "at least no one got hurt"

Luckily he moved his truck the night before or it would
have been totaled! 

After talking with them we made the decision to head home, so we'll be ready to help when they need it.  How to get home from Jackson when all the main roads are closed?!  We headed down 88 to the 99 freeway. Headed for Bakersfield, CA. Yep, a long way but easy driving (easy for me to say, since Ken drove it).  About 1430 we were starving so googled Chili's and found one about 14 miles off the freeway in Hanford.  About an hour later we were on our way with full tummies. Haven't been to Chili's in quite a few years, but oh so yummy! 

Passed Bakersfield and ended up in Mojave to spend the night.  We stayed there several years ago, boy has the town grown. The bed was good and after a couple of glasses of champagne it was bedtime. 

Set the alarm for 0400 Tuesday morning to get an early start. About 0630 we headed out. Yeah, we're slow in the am with coffee and catching up with blogging friends :) 

Sunrise out of Mojave, CA (it was 0730)



We headed north on 14, a highway we've never been on before. Very scenic, we both enjoyed it! Eventually it met up with highway 395, one of my/our  favorites in the whole USA. 

When we got to Big Pine we found a restaurant we'd eaten at the last time we had been through there.  YUMMY! 

Love this sign..we will visit this establishment any time we
are in the area! AMERICA!

Big Pine, CA

We headed out towards home. We knew 395 was closed so headed over on Highway 6. We'd been on this road a long time ago, meaning 13+ years! Beautiful drive and then 360 to Mina. Highway 395 was closed between Topaz and Bishop so the traffic was something else heading south!  They were detouring them, lots of cars and semis that were glad to be heading home from the Tahoe area! We got home about 1330. Not bad! 


A lone ranch in the middle of nowhere 


Highway 6


Put our things away, let everyone know we made it home and then time to relax. Ken went to say hi to John and now I have a picture of a fire. Better go get dressed for the  32 feels like 28 degree temp...see ya later! 

Well, it didn't get done last night so I'll finish it up this evening (Wed).  It was a day of running around. We started the morning at Betsy's Big Kitchen in Carson City for a wonderful breakfast.  Reno for Total Wine and REI (we walked out as they required masks, even though Washoe County has a no mask mandate).  We stopped at Raley's in Gardnerville and then Walmart for groceries.  Time to head home another day gone! 

On our way home from Gardnerville this afternoon...




Adam called this evening and he's going to work in Oroville at the state park there until the National Forest job opens again in the spring. Congrats Adam! Nice to be able to go between State Parks and National Forest Service. 

Well, it's Happy Hour with the hubby tonight 😊 Tomorrow should be a stay at home day if all goes as planned! We know how that goes LOL. 


Sunday, December 26, 2021

Christmas 2021, making the rounds, Family time, A visit from a special cousin/niece, You can't get to Nevada from CA!

 

Didn't know the next time we would get this picture of all 5
grandsons! So glad it happened this year!! 
Adam, Mason, Seth, Aaron and Jacob! 
Some handsome young men if I do say so myself 💙💙

Screenshot of a beautiful blanket we got from 
Jacob and Allissa! 💗 Did it make Grandma 
cry?! Yep, I teared up! 




Our five awesome grandsons with their sweeties..except Adam, Erin was with her family..
Allissa, Jacob, Seth, Holly, Adam, Aaron and Mason 💙

Lori, Russell, Allissa, Jacob, Seth, Holly, Ken, Adam, Adam, Aaron, Mason, Christina
and Eric 💖 The loves of my life! Except Bryan and Cheryl are missing...

This one adds me..


I set the alarm for 0400 on Christmas morning.  Woke Ken at 0410 for coffee.  We left here about 0515 in order to be in Georgetown at 0600.  The lights were on inside and coffee was being drank 😁

So we visited a few minutes and then started opening presents from each other.  A little before 0730 we headed the 9 miles to Eric's house to see what Santa brought. They hadn't started opening yet, so we got to watch them all open their gifts too. 

Ken getting a vest from Bryan

Adam and Erin opening gifts..



Cheryl in the corner there 


Seth and Mason opening gifts..








                                          The Christmas mess! I love it!

About 0830 we headed to Antelope and Russell's house. They had opened their gifts except the ones "Santa" brought.  My mom and dad always signed the gift cards with Santa. I continued that tradition with our kids, and then with the grandkids. Of course now that they're grown they know who Santa is...lol! 

All my pics were blurry but this is the best of the worst..Aaron and Lori

We received some really nice gifts from the kids and grandkids.  We really don't need gifts, just the gift of being together is what's really nice! 💕

We left Russell's and headed to my sister Linda's house to get some of the food I made heated up and ready for company.  It was about 1100 which is the latest I've ever been. We got it done and along with all she had it was a feast!! 

Ken met our son Eric and family at his mom's house for a short visit, but a visit nonetheless. 

Our niece from Tennessee, Jennifer and her daughter Bella came by for a couple of hours and everyone enjoyed seeing them.  We saw them a few years back in Tennessee but our kids haven't seen her in many years. 

Jennifer, Ken and Bella! 

Jennifer talking with Bryan..my sister Linda in background with
her Santa shirt/dress on 💖

Lori, with Aaron and Jacob💙

Mason, Christina, Seth 💗

Adam💙

Our oldest, Bryan and our youngest Russell 💙



Tasha, my sister Wendy's youngest daughter...💙

Jennifer talking with her cousins, Dusty and Jesse 💙

Aaron, Mason, Jenn, Seth, Adam and Jacob💗

Russell, Jennifer, Jesse, Eric 💙


Same picture including Bella..sure loved seeing them both!
💖💖

Miss Cassidy with Allissa 


It rained most of the day and was cold but we enjoyed it anyways.  I was able to get a couple of pictures outside before people started leaving. I never would have thought we'd have all five grandsons together once again but what a blessing! 💖

Ken's sister Diane with Russell...💙

Diane with Aaron 💖

Two Devil Dogs right there! Seth and Russell 💙

Cousins 💙 Jacob (Navy)..Seth (Marines)..



We left around 1600 to head for the hotel in Auburn before it got too dark. Thanks again Linda and Bobby for hosting the family! 💗

This morning (Sunday) we decided not to set the alarm, but I was still up before 0500 and we started coffee around 0515. Took our time getting ready and having some hard boiled eggs for breakfast. We were out of there around 0900. 

Around 0730 there's a knock on the door, a woman who has cookies and a water in her hand.  She tells Ken "to stop yelling" as she's trying to hand him the cookies. Then she says she has bone cancer and is dying. She just wants to die. 

She goes to the office and says we're yelling. Manager comes and says we need to stop. WTH?! Ken explains we're not yelling and there's something wrong with her. He picks up the plate with cookies and later he tells Ken there were pills on the plate along with cookies.  Long story short, she's off her rocker. 

Guess there was a party in another room last night (we didn't hear a thing) and cops were called. So as far as we're concerned our go to place, no longer isn't. Too bad, but I don't know if they're getting a subsidy from the state or what, but this beautiful motel is doing something wrong. 

We left there, Highway 80 and 50 are both closed because of snow. Highway 88 looked like it would have a window that we could get across. Ok let's do it! Bryan and Eric both offered up their homes to stay at, but we wanted to try to get home. 💙

We got through chain control on 88 and the guy said it should be opened at Peddler's Hill in a couple of hours. Great, probably take us that long to get there or so. It was slow going but beautiful. Snow was falling, people were driving nicely. I haven't seen that much snow in a long time. 

We get to Peddler's Hill and the cars are stopped. Ok shouldn't be much longer. We wait and finally see cars start turning around. Oh Oh.  Someone told us that they made the call and the highway won't open until Tuesday! It had started snowing harder while we were sitting there. Darn! We turned ourselves around and followed the others.  




Ken had just said that he thought people were driving way too fast for the conditions. Around the corner it was stopped! People were sliding from the road into the snow embankment.  Not sure what happened all the way up front, but this we could see from where we were stopped. People in way too much of a hurry on ice and snow. 




Probably an hour later or so, traffic started moving once again. Much slower this time. 

Didn't have much service while we were sitting there, but Joe (our old neighbor) had called and texted. He knew of our predicament and from Alaska got in touch with the Best Western in Jackson, CA.  He made reservations for us, so we'd have a place to go when we made it back out. From Alaska he's taking care of us 💗

We got here about 1515.  There were a few people in front of us, and then even more behind us! Thank goodness for the reservation or we'd be looking elsewhere! 

We went looking for a restaurant, but with Christmas and a Sunday we didn't really find any. Luckily we had leftovers in the motel so we ate that for dinner. 

We'll see what happens tomorrow, but it doesn't look good. We're thinking we'll play tourist for the day. Hopefully Tuesday we can get home. At least we're retired and not on a schedule this week anyway! A new adventure!! 

Count our blessings every day, but as we know Christmas brings it to light even more. We are so blessed to have this family of ours and our special friends. 

Have a  wonderful evening. 




Friday, December 24, 2021

Steve and Candy visit, A slow drive over the mountain, visiting kids, Foothills Hotel Auburn, CA..

 

Bryan and Cheryl went by to see Grandma (Ken's mom) this 
week..💖💖

It's Friday and we're at the Foothills Motel in Auburn, CA.  Really cute 50's motel that is in the process of being remodeled. We didn't make reservations until we got over the mountain, in case we didn't.  

Doug, this one's for you! 💙


We had company for Tuesday night. Steve and Candy came, we visited and had a nice dinner. John and Karen came to spend some time too! It was a good night! Too short of a visit, but hopefully in the spring or summer they can come back to do some riding. Wednesday they  headed for Steve's  mom and dad's winter place outside of Yuma. 

Steve and Candy getting ready to head to AZ! 💙

Bye you two! Come again! 

I woke up at 0400 this morning to do a little upkeep, then got Ken up at 0430. Power went out at 0500 from an accident so a lot of flashlights were used. We were leaving so didn't want to set out the generator. We left, went to town and discovered we forgot medications and vitamins.  Headed back home to get them. So we were on the road about 0900.  

Beautiful drive going Highway 88 to 89 to 50. Snow, snow, snow! A beautiful drive over the mountain. 4 wheel drive and slow, but gorgeous! A perfect winter wonderland. 😀

Such a beautiful drive! 

There were alot of people going both ways who just "had to"
make the trip...LOL..


Christmas Valley 

Highway 89..

Highway 88..

We got to Bryan's house about 1330 or so. Visited with him, Cheryl, Adam and Erin for a bit.  Bryan mad me a delicious white russian drink. Haven't had one in forever but it was yummy!  Left their gifts there before we left. 

We left there and headed for Eric's house, so visited and dropped off their gifts.  We're planning on seeing them all before we head to my sister's house tomorrow. We like to see what Santa brought them. 😀

After that visit we headed for Auburn and the Foothills Motel, where we are now. Thinking this will be our "go to" when we're in town. Very nice! 

                                                                           This morning's sunrise 
Yep, we've got wind! 

We told John and Karen we were looking for a coat rack..They made us one for our
Christmas gift! It's amazing! Railroad spikes, old barn wood and metal! Can't wait to see it up on the wall!!

Karen found this piece of metal, had John shape it into a heart 💗

The top which is also a shelf..I'm so in love with this gift! 💙

             A few of Christmas's past that I stole from my sister's posting LOL. 

Ken, me, Linda, Wendy, our friend Vivian

Me, Ken's gift Doggie and my sister Linda 

Linda and her baby doll

Santa came! 


Merry Christmas everyone! 💖💖