I know i have not posted since August..so please bear with me  I have so much to catch up on now..I now have a job..lots of things have changed in the family.

Monica has a new job..she loves it!!

Rick has a girlfriend..I love her..she is like us!

Tammy my niece has become my best friend...being adults changes family dynamics!

My sister in law has become a saint at family parties..always willing to help in anyway she can..

And the teen age grandchildren are teaching me so much in the middle of the night when they come out of tee agedom and become people...so here we go  from Sept on..lol

There is Gold in those hills!!

I have been looking for something that would add some activity to our camping adventures that we could all partake in. As I have shared I have not wanted this to be something that was virtual (since I am concerned about the ability of the young to relate to real people in real time)....so into the virtual I went  (the internet)..lol

I looked at many avenues that were available in our area..remember this is the woman who now owns a subscription to backpacking  magazine...(LOL Grandpa and I are 60...but Nick likes it..and we do it,.. and as it it turns out ..I love the prep for it...LOL even louder!!)..Each Grandson has such different interests..after all they are their own souls.......which I am so blessed to get to know!!!

As I was exploring the boys different interest for theses trips I found one thing in common..they took us to California's Gold country...what could we all learn and bond from this..and as I said  I went to the web..........

Our next trip is just south of Big Sur...creeks with gold and beaches with jade..now we have an activity!! I still hunted on the web and came across an organization called  Central Valley  Prospectors, and sent a email , do you have classes..do you provide information..do you have resources, or perhaps a mentor...not believing I would hear a thing!!

I was so very very wrong...the very next day I heard by phone from these wonderful people...it seems they had tried to email, but one of the letters of my email address had been lost to cyber space( can anyone identify with this?) ..so the call was made!

Yes we want to help you and your grandchildren...we have a person who is an expert in panning who will be 20 min. from you this Saturday and looking for you..do not worry He will have what to need to get started and ..just bring your water to drink...( in my cynical mind I am thinking...) are you for real!!

Yes these people are for real...and much more then that!  Bill Schoyer was the most and patient teacher we could of ever found..Nancy was was the most professional club leader, with follow- through there is..and the whole cub cares for what we are trying to do!

At our little spot on the River ..Kane was really welcome, and came back on Sunday greeted by name..Mike a new comer like us welcomed him by name...these are people who you do not find in the everyday world...but exceptional people who care....like the ones our country was built on,..  encourage the youth...no name calling...do not whine...have a sense of humor...what great rules to live by....it turns out these are the club rules ....Guess what Grandpa and I ...are joining

As Mom came to pick Kane up...his glitter flakes of gold were sent home with him to show his Brothers..I know from them no value will be placed on this..but I know for Kane this was the  week-end  that will never be lost!!!

Thank-You..C.V.P.

Grandma D.

If others of you are looking in Central Cali for a family activity...please google Central Valley Prospectors  and send them an email   ..they will not fail to help you!!! they have sure helped us!!1

It has been a year..some insights into Granparenthood

It has been a little over a year since we have lost Dave...and 6 completed camping trips since our decision to inject ourselves into our Grandchildren' s lives.  I have to say this has brought me some great insights and some humbling experiences..lol

I have had a philosophy since becoming a Grandparent, that has been especially  tested since March when we started this..

I feel that parenting and grand parenting is a lot like baking a birthday cake. Parents( Mom's especially but Dad's also must measure flour, sugar, etc....mix it just the right amount of time and then place into a carefully watched oven to bake until just the moment, when an adult who is ready to be a functioning part of society is pulled from this oven....A grand parent on the other hand is to mix all the sweet stuff together and slather it over the top!!!.

Children and birthday cakes need the sweet stuff to make being an adult and a cake complete!!!

On our last camping trip to Yosemite Grandpa and I found pure Magic in taking one child with a friend..the boys need a vacation from each other and we selfishly do not want to be remembered as referee's or dictators!!!

This trip was magic from finding swimming holes on the Merced river to watching  a meteor shower our last night in camp!

But on all these trips, the morning we break camp..something happens to the boys. They are tired..it is too much work..why to we have to do X?..I now wonder if  this is breaking the magic that has been created or
has  the baking powder been measured correctly..has the temperature in the oven been watched close enough...as a person who has baked..and blew it at times..it is hard not to ask..Heaven knows I made plenty of  mistakes baking my cakes!!!

But now the frosting belongs to Grandpa and I... and we plan on spreading it thick!!!!!!!!

On into the future.. with more camping trips....more insights..and the blessing of Family..and cakes and frosting..

Grandma D

P.S. to anyone who made comments on any posts that I have made in the past and then revised or deleted..I cherish your comments and have kept them in my personal files..but my husband has asked me to keep anything that is said in this blog very positive since the boys will have this as a dairy after we have joined Dave

You are all special to me, and I have used your words of wisdom..Thank you!.

Point Reyes Backpacking..or lost in the Magic

What a trip we have just finished..our backpacking trip to Point Reyes National Seashore, this was the first backpacking trip for the Grandsons. We had a 5 mile hike to our campsite..but with a hike like this who would notice the distance?

 The boys did wonderfully with the loaded backpacks, Kane took every small path down to the creek and discovered banana slugs, feathers, made wishes on butterflies as they flew by, causing Kane and I to fall way behind the others! I told Kane I would carry his pack for him so we could catch up to Grandpa. When we did catch up, Grandpa with concern asked why we were so far behind? I just answered we were lost in the Magic!!

 The trail is long but mostly level all along Bear Valley trail , the trail junction to glen camp is shortly up the path which will be the last mile and a half we need to go. By now Nick and Jordan are way ahead of us and were told to wait at the trail juction for us before going on.

At the Gen trail loop junction everything changes, we are no longer on a nice level path wide enough for us to walk side by side, we are now on a very very steep path going up hill, and uphill and uphill. The trail is only wide enough in places for one step in front of another and I keep thinking we must be getting close..but no we just keep going up hill. Now I know I need to stop and catch my breath, the boys are way ahead of us, Kane has handed his backpack to me because he is tired and then proceeds to run up the hill to catch up with his brothers. Grandpa is happy to stop and catch his breath me me and we are both soaking wet with sweat! I am glad as a senior citizen that I have built my endurance with the backpack up because if I had not I think I would of just sat down at this point and said this is far enough!!

 We finally see the sign to head to the campground which is going to head down hill...Thank you Lord, of coarse the boys are already there waiting for us, they have not complained, wined or even made a negative comment so far so my heart is swelling with pride, and I can see from Grandpa's face he is also!

 
We had campsite 1 in Glen camp, it was beautiful!! A large Oak which looked like a Forest Gump tree hung over the entrance, plenty of room for the tents and sat on the hill side, just up from the water and bathrooms( well not really a bathroom, pit toilets..but what can you do..lol)

 The boys pitched right in to get everything set up and to tell you the truth at this point we saw no signs of wear and tear on any of them from the hike or carrying the packs, just relief that were were finally here.

 Kane and Nick learned about mess kits and back packing stoves..dried food and the importance of water. Kane was so interested in everything that was happening and how we were going to make his favorite soup for dinner. How he could be hungry I do not know...he ate the entire way up to camp, only stopping to drink water and then ate again, cliff bars, tiger milk bars, raisins, hard candy, fruit snacks, peanuts, and he had eaten the entire way up in the car, and had lunch just before we started...but he is a growing boy!!! Jordan has now had the opportunity to look wild life eye-to eye  first wild turkeys..then Elk..then bear..then deer and now bob-cats and fox..we will see what else the future brings.

 When dust started everyone was ready to crash, Jordan first ,Nick and Kane. Kane was not very  happy he had to share our tent, he wanted to sleep with with his brothers...but in a small backpacking tent 2 boys who are almost 6 feet tall fill the tent..so sorry Buddy, you are with us.

Morning was a great time to watch Kane in action, he was everywhere..to other camp-sites..he knows no strangers, filling water bottles for the day's hike for us, and asking when he can wake up the Brothers..he was ready to go!!!

We decided to hike down to Wildcat  camp, where there was a beach, it would only be a 5 mile round trip so we could have lunch there and play in the surf before heading back to camp, the trail turned out to be challenging, as you can see from the overlook in the picture below...as always the older boys were ahead and Kane, Grandpa and I brought up the rear. Nick was great about falling back to encourage Kane when  he could see he needed it! I guess there are 2 ways at looking at hiking with a group, it can be a team sport or a competition...I was blessed to see how each worked on this trip and I vote for team..it seemed to be more fun!

We made our way down to the beach , only to be greeted by signs telling us to stay away from the surf..stay away from the cliffs, and stay away from the seals...what did we come for then!! we ate lunch on a long, Kane was able to find all the parts of a crab to put back together, a small creek was running into the ocean so we cooled off in that which Kane enjoyed playing in and Jordan took a nap on a log.

 Now I like beaches a lot..but to bring 3 boys on a hike like this and then remind them they can do very little of what is fun seemed like a great waste and very unfair to me..but then life is not fair and does not come with do-overs, so perhaps there was a lesson here that was learned by all.

 Again, what goes down must go back up...and up..and up...and up. At one point, again with the older boys far ahead..Kane just sat down and said he was going no further..so we took a break, I asked him to look over the cliff edge, which he did and was inspired to move forward!! We had come so much further then he thought and he was pretty proud of it!!!

Soon Kane was falling behind..Grandpa wanted to get to the top of the hill where there was shade and a great place to rest..so he turned to Kane with resolve to tell Kane to march on..only to see Kane staring up in wonder and amazement as one of the floating seeds was passing over the trail and his head. Grandpa just turned back ahead with the same look of amazement that as an adult you can only have when you see the world through the eyes of a child..my only comment was..did you get lost in the magic?

 We finally made it to the top of the mountain for a break...and just ahead was the trail junction and the Brothers waiting for us. Now it was time for a decision..since we were slower then the brothers , Grandpa decided to give them a choice, we had talked with campers at wildcat and knew to take the coast trail back was a half mile longer but much..much easier, or they could go back the way we came( which was not easy).
Jordan looked at Grandpa and asked which we would be taking, Grandpa said the coast trail..He said I will go back the way we came, Nick looked at everyone and decided to support Jordan..so off they went and my prayers with them..lol..it was a hard trail.

Kane, Grandpa and I took the coast trail...what a great choice!!! The views were wonderful..the trail close to flat or gently sloping, in the picture below you can even see the lake trail loop..a must do for future trips!

The views also included Drakes bay, again with an easy, can not wait to see what is around the next bend walk. At this point the pictures stop ..We entered at least a mile of ripe wild black berry vines which the trail was cut through..what can I say..we ate our way along..we tried to say some for the Brothers to taste in an empty water bottle..but eat and eat we did...finally we came out with our last view of the surf and headed on..

 After leaving the black berrys we headed into a forest so thick that no light came through..it reminded me of the wizard of Oz  so much and then on to the camp site...all the boys were asleep well before dark..and morning meant packing out...

 Sunday morning was time after breakfast to pack out, Now Kane has decided he no longer wants to camp with us..we could stay at our house and watch Bat mam..Good idea Grandma? No Kane, Grandma and Grandpa are still going camping..you just do not have to go...yet when he got home he said he had a good time even without batman..lol

 The entire trip I never heard a word of complaint, nothing was too much effort to try.............the measure of a person is not when things are easy like what kind of chips do we have..but when that person is under great stress, without mobile bathrooms, electronics, the kind of soda or food they have..it is when they are in an environment such as this..........Dave would be so very very proud!!!

My Grandsons Rock!!!!!!!!!

Okay..our big backpacking trip is now 2 weeks away..I have to say I am excited! I have practiced walking with my backpack increasing the weight each time. I do not want to be the wuss on this trip, especially since Kane the 5 year old can leave me in the dust!!

REI offers a beginning backpacking class for those of us who have never done a trip like this, what a blessing! I signed Grandpa and I up along with the older boys..called very excited to share this news and was surprised by the reaction. Nick the middle child wanted to know what it cost? I said it was free..he was re leaved and said he would let me know. Jordon said he would let me know. That was 2 weeks ago, I have talked with Mom who said she would let me know! Kane is too young to sit through a late evening talk on backpacking so I have not included him. I have called and called(yes I feel like a nag) and still the same answer. Well it is Sunday and the class is full with a waiting list( how much information in life do you get for free?) So after another round of calls with no answer. Grandpa and I are going to the class..and have even researched the John Muir trail for the late spring..................

..On into the future we go ..................................................................................................................


Grandma D

Sequoia National Park..Bears and Caves!!

We have just finished our latest adventure..and that is what they are turning into. Grandpa and I have very little experience with this camping thing, but we are learning along with the kids..lol!! Last week-end we went to Sequoia National Park with the intention of visiting  Crystal Caves. Now after our last 3 adventures Grandpa and I drove up to the park for the day, a week ahead of time to check everything out..we did this because we have learned our Grandchildren need the security of knowing we know what we are doing! What a difference this made on our trip, I am guessing that teenagers today have no tolerance for inactivity.  That may come from the fact that in a video game do overs are processed with friends online and require no real investment in time or energy, or just may be the impatience of youth, which after a 20 year break of raising them I must of forgotten about.

We headed up after work on a Friday night, kids, us and the trailer( which I am beginning to think we need a name for, other then the turtle shell) actually knowing where we are going this time. We are also heading up with a new game plan..decision making for the older ones creates uncertainty, Kane who is 5 and a natural born leader has no problem with it, but the teenagers have a real issue with this..so only Grandpa and I are leading this trip. what a break and release this turned out to be for Jordan, after all he is always responsible for his brothers until his Mom gets home from work. I should of recognized this much sooner since this was the position Dave was in..but as I said I had a 20 year break from this kind of thing.

We camped in Dorst Creek campground on opening day in space 45, which when we return we will use again. From our other camping adventures I had learned that the "FUN" food being up for grabs is an issue, so each boy had his own basket of fun food limiting any arguments about who got the most chips(yes I know, teens are very protective of this kind of junk food, but as I said I had a 20 year break)!!

The following morning we headed for Crystal Caves after buying our tickets at Lodgepole visitor center, which turned out to be an exciting adventure on it's own. As we are heading down the middle third of a very twisting road a large BEAR dripping wet sprang into the road in front of us, barley giving us enough time to stop, even only we were only going about 15 miles per hour around the curve..The reaction was fantastic!! 

The bear sprang to the middle of the road, sprang to the edge of the road making eye contact with Jordan and then sprang out of sight...what do you say at this point, I no longer had to remind them there was to be no food in the car and when we arrived at Crystal caves they were the first to put our snacks into the bear boxes provided!

Crystal caves is truly something worth seeing if you have the chance..just the hike down to the cave is worthy of experiencing!! Kane was proudly carrying his Junior ranger book and filling it out as we went..but then we got to the caves and silence was all we heard as we entered!

The boys were awe struck, followed directions and vowed that this was the best cave yet!! Kane worked on his Junior Ranger book and made friends with our guide Miles who is a student and working with the caves. 

Now this is becoming the trip of a lifetime..here Miles is talking with Kane who is so proud of learning about the caves and the "up-stairs bat rooms". I so hope Dave is watching his son grow in such self-confidence..He would be so proud!

After the caves finding a place to park became an issue so when we did finally find one we opted to use the shuttles to finish our adventures!

We finished with the "trees"...well the trees are okay, but the caves are AWESOME" ..I think when we set up everything after Nov. it will include caves..LOL

The Great Grand Canyon

As I have shared in past post's, we are now camping once a month with our Grandchildren. May was our trip to the Grand Canyon! This is a wonder I have wanted to see all my life and a long week-end seemed to be the perfect time to do so. The original plan was to leave in the wee hours on Saturday and return late Monday night. Now we all know how original plans work out...how ever I did not know they can go from plan A to plan F in a heart beat!!

As it turned out the boys arrived here on Thursday night and we left on Friday morning. It seems that in raising our own boys I had forgotten how up-setting last minute changes of a plan can be when a boy is 15..after all they are starting a life which is slightly removed from the main family and do not always adapt well at the last minute!

We started out well enough..we had the boys, the food( this time I had more then enough) and the travel trailer. I did check the weather before leaving and all 3 web sites did warn about the wind storms taking place along our route..but we get wind here too??  No, we do not get anything like we ran into along our trip!! The wind blew so hard we had to eat in the trailer, push against it walking to the restrooms at rest stops and stop for gas..and gas..and even more gas!!

When you are 3 boys sitting in the back seat a common question is why are we going so slow? Anything over 45 felt like the pick-up and trailer were leaving the ground!!! We were going faster then the trucks and buses but not the small cars hugging the road..shouldn't we be keeping up with them?? We all were happy to stop for the night at a rest stop between Needles Ca. and Kingman Az.

In the morning we are on the road again..early..hoping to get some time before the wind picked back up. As we crossed into Arizona we were thrilled to see the price of gas drop by an entire dollar..good news for a family wondering just how much the bill for the gas was going to be..lol

Finally we arrived at the..Line.. to enter Grand Canyon National Park!! We could see nothing from the entrance but a large plateau and cars, cars, and cars. We entered and headed for our campsite. As we were driving we had to wait for the park service to fell a tree, and a heard of Elk to cross the road, from the back seat comes.." Why are we stopping? I do not want to wait!!" from the red faced frustrated oldest one. I was so impressed with Grandpa, his only reply was " I am not going to run over the man standing at my hood with a stop sign"

After camp is set up and we have had lunch it is time to choose what we are doing for the day..this is where my concerns for the older boys start! The oldest is still pissed about his Thursday night plans being changed, the middle boy like most middle children is the peace keeper and comes up with the plan for the afternoon and K who is 5 is just excited to be out of the car to check out his new environment! For Grandpa and myself..we just want to see the Grand Canyon!!

The park offers a great shuttle service..provides maps and locations, times and information you did not even know you needed. We decide to take the shuttle to the market place, connect with the red shuttle and check out the rim and the points of interest along this route. Then with this information we can make hiking plans for  Sunday( our only full day in the park) and hopefully see the sunset on our way back to camp. Thank you N for a great plan!

So off we went..Our first view of the Canyon was breath taking..there is no way to describe it!! Pictures do not do it justice but it is engraved in my mind now forever. The shuttle drivers are very helpful so we got off at all the points of interest..took our time looking at them and then back on the shuttle we went..However as I shared the oldest was still pissed about his change of plans on Thursday night..so before long he wanted to go back to the campsite..The rest of us agreed ( who wants to continue with some one who is so unhappy, we can always do something else later).

We boarded the shuttle, headed back as he turns to Grandpa with the question of what we are going to do after this. Grandpa looks at me and asks what there is to do..I suggested the free movie at the IMAX at the visitor center. Finally some sign of interest!! " Really" he says. " What is playing? " I reply it is about the Grand Canyon............oh my, this was not the reaction we were hoping for!!!!!!!! Grandpa tells him he is sorry, I also say the same thing ( my concerns are growing). Now he goes off, it really makes him mad that we would say this..he is having fun. Now I know in our Savior's desire for us, and this is not fun..no wonder Mom brought him early..lol

That night as we are settling down, Grandpa comes in to us( I was being taught how to play Texas Hold-em) and says he wants to share some information with us! My fears pick up..was it something that happened that would change our trip..were we going to learn of a problem? No it was a blessing!! Two young college students were trying to camp but the camp ground was full..and he said they could share ours..so he just wanted everyone to be considerate of them being so close! Blessing Blessing Blessing!! Well this was fine with the older boys..they had no interest at all in these people..so on the night went.

In the morning Grandpa and I had a chance to visit with the two girls we shared our spot with..wow, both from Europe, 18 and 19 and students at San Diego..how brave and Independent  they were..and what insights they had about our country and theirs!! To bad the boys slept through it!!

That day the older boys took off to hike on their own and we took K hiking with us..this is the most fun Grandpa and I had. K explored everything from Rocks and feathers to making friends with everyone he met! Then along came Ranger Rick..yes that is his real name..and invited K to become a Junior Ranger!! Oh my, what a honor he held in this hand, the activity book he would need to complete in order to qualify! He shared this with shuttle bus drivers.. museum docents and any one else who would listen to how important this was!! He was going to earn a badge and help protect the park!! He never slowed down, but Grandpa decided he was going to need a snack so back to the visitor  center we went  only to find out we had been gone 5 hours..how could that be..it had gone so quick! My heart so hopes that D in heaven was watching him that afternoon..he would be so happy!

Instead of leaving the next morning after watching the sunrise we had hoped to see..J informed us he must be back early in order to rest up for his weight lifting on Tuesday..this was not the plan but after the time we had spent hoping he would participate we decided to just get him home!! The wind was at our backs and the only stops were for gas..we had him back by 5 much to his Mother's surprise!!

Our next trip will be to Sequoia National Park where K will be able to earn his next badge and it is his turn to bring a friend..I so look forward to this and if J needs to be on his own I so support that, learning the line between independence and being with others is never easy.............but mostly I have come to respect peace-keepers! There job is not an easy one but done well as N did on this trip is a joy to behold!!

So on into the future we go.........with.concerns... and with the enthusiasm of a 5 year old....thank you boys for quite and adventure!!

Grandma D

Camping has turned into an interesting endeavor to say the least...since we have decided to take D's children once a month. These adventures come with new knowledge and many new challenges to put it mildly. What a preschooler knows a teenager pays no attention to, what a teenager knows becomes something to pattern after, for a preschooler!

We went on our last rip to Pinnacles National Monument. What a blessing..all the boys want to go back and have decided camping is fun when you participate. Grandpa D and I however have different ideas on what would make the trip fun when we started however. Grandpa D decided we should take the most scenic route available to us. This allowed us to see the Central Valleys agricultural base at it's best along with a great lesson on the San Andreas Fault in all it's glory! This trip to our campsite however took almost 5 hours..not un-doable but it was N's turn to bring a friend, so we had 3, 6 foot teenagers in the backseat and a preschooler in front with us, in an older pick-up which had enough seat belts, just not enough room! On Grandpa D's and my way home after dropping the boys off, Grandpa D asked,"is the reason you wanted to stop at all those dumb museums and tourist traps when we traveled with our boys was just because you wanted them out of the car for a few minutes?" WOW! A light bulb monument!!

 When we arrived at he Pinnacles we set up camp, hiked to the Talus caves, what excitement these caves gave the boys, deer, cottontail bunnies, and ants as big as your forefinger were hits along with the raccoon who tried to raid the camps in the middle of the night!

The biggest thing I learned as the only woman on this trip was kitchen duty sucks after dark and there is never enough food! I remember when D and R were teenagers and I owned my own business..I only had time to go to the grocery store once a week. As I was checking out one Sunday both the checker and the person behind me wanted to know if I was buying for an institution...no just a weeks worth of food for 2 teenagers..that same amount of food goes now on a weekend camping trip!!! At the time I had my boys as teenagers I also learned the skills of a 20 minute dinner( yes I watch Rachel Ray and wonder why she takes so long..lol) The 20 minute dinner is required when camping if I also want to hike and play too!

Well this brings me to the point of this  post...We are going to the Grand Canyon..what was going to be 2 nights at the canyon has now turned into a 5 day trip..2 to get there and 2 there and our marathon trip home!
I have been shopping for 2 weeks, been cooking now and prepping for 3 days and am praying the boys remember to bring what they need..

I will post as we continue into the future...D, I miss you so much and hope you are watching  your boys become Men because they are doing a pretty good job so far!!

Grandma D

Almost seemed to happen on cue!

Well we have now returned from our first adventure! we took the tent for the boys and the trailer for all of us who might need it( Grandpa said he would definitively use it). We went one half hour from the boys home, to the lake where we hoped to fish and to hike around our beautiful surroundings. We saw wild turkeys and "real lizards".

K and N went fishing with us as J was very tired and wanted to take a nap..so off the 4 of us headed to procure our dinner. Now fishing with a 4 year old can be an adventure all on its own as we quickly learned! Fishing line constantly tangled, large rocks to aim at the lake and bright red bobbers floating on the rippled surface. Grandpa shared with K who was intent on catching a big-foot that a lot of noise would scare the fish away..so we needed to be quiet! Well as quiet as a boy of 4 can be at least..N wondered off the for a location with out so much commotion. After a couple of hours, no fish and a sun lowering into the west we headed back to camp for a plan B dinner..

the older boys headed for the boulders for some climbing and K to the campground play area where he had made friends earlier in the day. Grandpa and I made the fire and gathered dinner ingredients.

The older boys arrived back, blood on hands and arms..even though I had told them to be careful.Listening to us "older folk" was not on the agenda for the day! K got back and off to the tent they all went for a wrestling match- against the tent walls. "You will dislodge the rain tarp and it is going to rain tonight"..now to be fair there were no clouds in the sky, but the weather website I checked before leaving said it was. Again the wresting started and again the warnings..again the wrestling and this time no warnings from us..experience is always the best teacher!

Dinner was great and after clean-up I headed to the rest rooms and the boys to the tent. When I returned only Grandpa was sitting around the campfire.."Where did the boys go?" I asked with concern. "They are asleep in the tent", he replied..."even K?" I asked. So they were down for the night. Grandpa and I sat by the fire for an hour or so listening for any signs that they would not be asleep, but even the loud cry's of a pack of coyotes did not wake them. So we headed off to the trailer and bed.

At 4 am K was at the door, he wanted in our bed..the boys were snoring to loud for him to sleep he decreed. We were getting up so into our bed he went and soon was snoring loudly. We had our coffee and organized for breakfast. At this time the rain was coming down in buckets!! I said to Grandpa that I should check the tent..grandpa felt we should leave it alone..experience should be the best teacher!

At 8 we woke them up..they came across the short distance to the trailer for breakfast and were soaking wet from the trip. All the boys brought their backpacks..but no change of clothes were with the teenagers, not even dry socks! We put them in blankets and all enjoyed our breakfast.

Our our way back home K from the backseat announced he was hurt and angry with Grandpa! Grandpa had talked with a gentlemen fishing from a boat and scared his fish away! We asked what we could improve upon for our next trip and the first thing that came up was we did not have enough potato chips ! The second was a larger rain fly for the tent, and J said he should bring a change of clothes. ( what a great idea for a weekend trip!)

I sat in the front seat and thanked God, not only for a safe and enjoyable trip..but for the rain, and the small mishaps which almost seemed to happen on cue, and will help our young, perhaps, accept small bits of advice in the future.

Well this is finally the week of our first camping trip, today is K day and he is napping now after helping me to prep the trailer for our first trip. This involved many carry trips to the back acre where we store the trailer, finally whittling down the area where we were stacking all the stuff..to have our pioneer adventures with!

I am confused by the older boys, they have no excitement for this, yes I know they are teenagers, but I must confess it hurts a little! I call them the McDonald's generation . Tell me when it is time to go, pick me up and deliver me back when done. J was told he was the first to bring a friend. Last week I sent him an email reminding him of it and wanted to know if his friend's parents wanted to meet us first before sending their only child off with strangers. Today when I picked K up for our day and after talking to Mom last night he says to me.".is it this weekend? I do not think anything else is going on" Do you want your friend to come? "I will ask today" but J I need to buy enough food to include your friend..I am working the rest of the week, "I will let you know tonight..so the order has not been made yet, but when it is , it must be ready on demand! What are we doing to our children? What happened to planning..anticipation..and fulfillment? I am afraid these are concepts that are no longer valued, and are just in the way of imminent gratification.....

N is going to come out on Friday and help with the prep..not his idea, it was Moms but at least he will participate, perhaps he will enjoy it more, I sure hope so! Our menu depends on a fish catch, but I have also included a back-up plan, not sure they will remember to bring fishing poles..LOL.

As we approach the beginning of this years Odyssey, Grandpa and I look back on our one and only camping trip when we were raising D and R. My parents had moved to the Oregon coast for retirement and we were going on vacation to see their new home. We borrowed a 3 room tent from one of Grandpa's co-workers to camp on the way up with the boys. D was a toddler and R was a baby(about 5 and a half months old). After what seemed like forever we arrived at a campground in the redwoods on the northern coast. We put R in in infant seat under a tree and proceeded to set up camp. Back in those days tents did not have pop-up poles and were not made of nylon..but rather this was a full fledged canvas army tent! By dinner we were exhausted and headed to bed. That was when R decided to begin the process of cutting his first tooth! No ice..no teething ring and no ambosal, just a screaming child in pain! Grandpa loaded D into the car and headed for the closest town..a 70 mile round trip!! I walked R through the campground singing his favorite songs to him, doing what ever I could, including him chewing on my fingers to help him, until Grandpa and D got back. At 5 am we settled down for a nap..by 6 Grandpa and I were back up again to make the fire, coffee and breakfast.

We shared that campground with only one other couple that night...they were starting their honeymoon with just married plastered all over their car! As they were having coffee she said to him "you are right..we should wait a long..long time to have children!!

and so it goes..into the future

The Great Escape

People who do not live in a community..or village as those on the east coast would call it, may not understand the significance of an afternoon like this. a lot has happened today..it is M's Birthday which has so been over shadowed by K's accident this morning at pre-school! Small wonders calls here to tell me K was running full speed, slipped, tripped and put his front teeth through his lip! they do not have Mom's work number could I help..Oh God..yes!!!!

Talk to Mom as she runs from work with fear for her child..talk to Mom after the Doctor visit( they are all going to be okay, including Mom)...then in today's storm I discover that Ceaser..K's dog is gone.........Now I know we have all heard the stories of dogs who travel a thousand miles to get back to their families...is this Ceaser in this storm?? ..tomorrow is K day..he is hurt and will I have to tell him his dog is gone? Hurt? Dead? I do not want to do this!!!

Our friends and neighbors in true Rancho's style hit the road armed with Dog biscuits..leashes and what ever else they are comfortable with to find this precious dog! We cover the neighborhood and after 2 hours I am headed home hoping Ceaser remembers he gets a treat every day at 5!! We are pulling back into our driveway with heavy hearts..to find my best friend and walking partner waiting for us to let us know that she let Ceaser back into our back-yard!!! How do I thank these people enough for not only caring about a dog..but understanding what this means to our Grandchildren....what a wonderful place to raise a family, not just in the present but for generations to come! And thank you Ceaser for understanding this is now home!

A blended family of 5-4 humans and the DOG

As I shared in my introduction, after we all lost D. he left a blended family of 4 persons and Ceaser the Dog. When D first got sick and I was going to his home to help out I shared with Grandpa that we would need to bring Ceaser to live with us..they were all to busy to care for him and he would need some attention. Grandpa said NO..NO..NO.. when D was so sick he was here with us I said again we need to bring Ceaser. In defense of Grandpa I have to say we had developed a different lifestyle as empty nesters! We now had an English cottage back yard complete with Koi ponds, flowers and all the wonderful grooming items that you see on HGTV early morning shows. yes we have a dog..also 3 cats(courtesy of D) chickens with a lot of stock next door. This is the typical Rancho's lifestyle we have enjoyed for years. Our Dog Cassie arrived as a bottle fed stock puppy and follows commands ..like all the noble dogs before her, children first, stock second with a mind to protect them all!

Grandpa gave in when he was at the kids house helping to prepare for their move to a smaller, less maintenance residence. it was Grandpa's job to take down the swing set and the trampoline. Now K knew they were going to move..and was excited about his new home! as Grandpa worked on the swing set K. came to the back yard and asked what he was doing. Grandpa shared that there was no room at his new home but that we would set it up at our place for him. The same thing happened with the trampoline with the same answer...Ceaser came and laid his head in K's lap and K said but my Ceaser can come with me! Grandpa had to share that they could not have Ceaser at the new house...K pulled his baseball cap down to cover his face with crocodile tears running down his face...and said okay Grandpa...

Ceaser now lives with us, K is here 2 days a week to play with him..Grandpa and I play daily, but he must be an outside dog, as I shared he knows 2 commands, sit and lay..does not know to come..does not know stop, and the one game he knows to play...chase and catch the cats!! This is not a game any of my animals know how to play or want to, so we are now investigating in the building of a dog-run so all are safe when we leave on the camping trips we have so fondly planned for..

Into the future we go...with still more to prepare for, plan and carry-out

the best laid plans Vs. recreation.gov

As I have shared in a previous post we are planning on some camping adventures with our grandsons! Needless to say we are all very into this and have spent hours on the "net" exploring the possibilities. Should we tent camp? Take our new( much older trailer, which has now been at the R.V. doctors for over 2 weeks)? Should we visit state parks, or National Parks, recreation areas or B.L.M. lands? So many possibilities with so many decisions.

We have decided to to try them all, so we have researched where we want to go, and seen the pictures of the different campsites on line and made a game plan. It all started out so smooth...our first adventure is very close and will include a combination of tent and trailer, this is happening at the end of the month. The second is a tent only site at the end of April at Pinnacles National Monument,that should give us a taste of true camping, the 3rd comes in May with a trip to the Grand Canyon which is very exciting, over memorial day weekend and no trouble to book at all! All of this was done online with Recreation.gov, the National park service reservation web site.

Now it has been a long winter so we have had so much time to dream and plan, all of us researching where to go in June and Yosemite seemed to be a great choice. We got online and looked at hundreds of campsites in several campgrounds ..picked out our favorites and then tried to book. As so many people other than us know, this is not an easy task. Recreation.gov said I had to wait until 7 am on Feb.15th to do this. That morning I woke, showered and opened the website with our desired campsite number and a second choice site just in case, logged in and was told it was 6:58 and I had to wait until 7 to do this. Not only that but a list of helpful suggestions was posted to help with this process. What process?? I have been using this website with out issue for weeks..what could be so hard about this?

Only when you are new to something as complicated as a camping spot in Yosemite can you be so uninformed as to the challenges that await! I entered our spot, the process began...unavailable!! I entered spot number 2..process began, results unavailable..did a 3rd try for any spot...process..unavailable..the park was booked!!! It was now 7:08 and I was informed to come back in March and try again...are they serious???

We are going to Kings Canyon in June..this was the option for a national park in California in June and to tell the truth I am glad to have it!!! I am not trying in March for July..the national park service says this is the highest traffic month of the year for Yosemite so we will wait until fall!

We have also booked for July at the Point Reyes National Seashore, N shared that he wanted to camp like the pioneers did so Grandpa and I found a place that we could pack in. Now this truly shows how in "in today" we have become with our teen age grandsons. I found the picture of the campsite we wanted, Grandpa says it looks great! I said it says 5 for the walk in, "what does that mean?"Grandpa D. says must mean 5 min. book it... so I did.

We shared this with N. who said great, BUT upon further research since... 5 means MILES!!! we are booked, we are going, K. will be 5 by then so we will see what happens. We are doing research on back-packs, again this will mean more stuff!

So we go into the future requiring more stuff........again, only very lightweight this time!

A family journey: Wednesday is K Day

A family journey: Wednesday is K Day: Wednesday is K day, each week I pick him up because his Mother has no coverage for him on that day. This happens to be my favorite day of th...

Wednesday is K Day

Wednesday is K day, each week I pick him up because his Mother has no coverage for him on that day. This happens to be my favorite day of the week, I am off from work, all my friends know this day is special and we have a ritual. We run errands on the way from his town to mine, sometimes we stop at the feed store, he is very welcome there! There are horse shoes, baby chickens and a host of other things that a 4 year old finds fascinating. We also go to the 99 cent store, now anyone who teaches Sunday school or works in a day care or especially a grandparent knows the value of a dollar store.

K knows the value of money, so every time as he selects his gift from Grandma there he asks, between his 2 or 3 choices "how much is this one"? A dollar K, and week after week it goes. This past Wednesday I let him go to the cashier ahead of me proudly holding his own money(along with the dime for tax. Tax is a perplexing issue for a 4 year old, but with only the wisdom of a 4 year old will you accept that Grandma says this is the law( you know like child seats..etc)

Ahead of us was an elderly gentlemen..he greeted us with "what is a white woman doing in the store with a white child?" I know I said this blog was not about social issues etc. but K's reaction to this is the reason I am sharing this with you. He could tell from the tone of this man that his Grandma was not being greeted in the manner he was accustomed too. His reply as I stood in confusion was "Hey Guy!!!" This is weather either I blew it, or since we are working on manners I told this little boy who wanted to defend his Grandmother that the gentlemen was mature and there for we should address him as sir. With that he paid for his purchase and left.

When I approached the cashier she said, "I am so sorry about that". I shared that it is not our problem but his. At the end of the day when I shared this with Grandpa, he asked me the nationality or ethnicity of this gentlemen, I do not know! I stopped seeing people in any other light then how they behaved years ago. so I have decided that I would be useless in any description to a law enforcement artist...

When we got home K played happily with his new purchase and we worked on our camping trailer( I highly suggest this is not a project to attempt with any pre-schooler). Suddenly he was gone! I was on the hunt only to have him show up with his store play money, saying we would need money to camp and wanted to hide it in the trailer..which he did.

As I said in my introduction, Grandpa and I are confused with some of the things we see. Should we be so concerned with with color or money? The point of this "camping" was to learn to rely on ourselves and not let the social issues of the day or money inter fear with this! Or is this just a sign of the times that even pre-schoolers need to learn to deal with?

The Plan

A while back we were playing Would you Rather with the older Grandsons, a great game giving a group of multi-generational members a way to communicate and share values. This has turned out to be important in a world where so many teens communicate by texting rather then talking eye to eye. I have nothing against texting, tweets, face book, all the video games online and off, but I am beginning to think in using so many of these great time savers we are losing some aspects of the art of conversation.

Body language comes to mind in this respect, it adds richness to a conversation that in lost in electronic communication. It also adds a clarity that we are unable to define in a quick tweet, making misunderstandings less frequent.

But back to the point of this post, one of the questions which came up was " Would you rather be lost in the woods and have to fight off a wild animal with your bare hands or have to start a fire with out matches? O.K. I am a little older so I thought this was a no-brain er..and we would all have the same answer. Wrong..I do not play video games which I am ultra-human and can fight wild animals with just the might of my hand held controller..no I am mortal, a line which is evidently blurred for young teens with no experience outside of their well-defined gated communities.

Now starting a fire with out matches would be impossible according to J(age 15) and N(age 13 )Where did this lack of knowledge come from? So as I said I have nothing against technology so off to you- tube we went to discover the many videos posted on how to start a fire without matches!This is where my husband and I developed the plan ...we will take the boys camping once a month, we will get them in the fresh out-doors, commune with nature, have great philosophical conversations and grow closer as a family!So armed with my new America the Beautiful pass , a Christmas gift from my youngest son R, given with a smile and a " are you sure this is want you really want Mom?"I set off on an exploration of possibilities via internet of coarse..lol

Our friends and neighbors who have always supported us in any way they could since we joined this community 33 years ago began showering us with an avalanche of items we would need to rough it. As all of this is making itself known in the corner of what once was my formal dining room. The 4 year old K is really getting into it, when he is here he gathers small twigs for our fire, sleeps in one of the sleeping bags so he can practice and saves empty matchbook covers that is finds in great places like parking lots so his brothers will not have to build fires with out matches or fight wild animals!

We even purchased a small used travel trailer( for roughing it?) for our up-coming adventures. A wonderful couple who live around the corner convinced us we did not want to travel with this precious cargo and not have a clean bathroom with us! I have to wonder during the move to settle the west how those hardy pioneers managed with out a clean bathroom, but then I am sure they did not need air-mattresses, camp stoves, cots, arctic rated sleeping bags, extra long handled implements to roast marshmallows or any of the other items stacking higher in our dining room.

So we have a plan..we have stuff..we are moving into the future...

the beginning starts very close to the middle

OK so now I am starting to share the trials of a multi-generational families story, we are somewhere in the middle..or maybe somewhere close to the end or perhaps God willing at the beginning of a saga of trials and tribulations that only a group of people who truly feel the concept of Family will understand.

Before I start sharing history and personal information I am aware that perhaps no one I know or anyone else for that matter will ever read this but that is okay with me, this is a story of modern America that I think that I need to share..if only with myself..lol

I will give history in the future, but for now I need to say we are in grief,(in the traditional sense of the word, our son who was only 35 passed and left with a blended family of 5..4 persons and a Dog)..more about that later... we see things we do not understand and we have hope and plans for the future, they have nothing to do with politics, current events..but the shaping of the persons who will be our future and the future of the world to come...