Postponed

Well, it looks like the Payette River will have plenty of time to reload and prepare for a Spring raft. I have postponed my white-water rafting trip for various reasons and have decided to replace it with an excursion to two of my most favorite childhood haunts.

Yosemite National Park

I have not been to Yosemite for many years but I've been aching to go, so... what a better time then NOW!

Yosemite has over 800 miles of hiking trails with at least 9 major waterfalls. There will be plenty to see, experience and photograph.

I will then culminate my trip with a visit to the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains,
also known as 'back home,' and visit the beautiful waterfalls of...
Lake Tahoe.
Happy Trails!

Monday, Monday

After taking some time off from hiking, this morning was inviting - so off we went. North Mountain is not far from my place so we decided to stretch our legs on this mountain for a change. For those of you who do not live in Phoenix, I'm sure all of my pictures of the various mountains look similar or maybe even the same. For those of you who do live in Phoenix... uh, the pics probably also look the same... Haha! Well, these are all different mountains, really! The terrain in Phoenix is not extremely diverse, so you take what you can get and you GET WHAT YOU CAN TAKE (easy-difficult). When you switch up the trails and add some variation they're not too bad. If you want a challenge, there's always a mountain to accommodate your request. As we quickly found out! Stay tuned!

Today's first challenge was Jake's new endeavor. Sally, his girl, had a backpack to carry their water, but being the gentleman that he is, he immediately stepped up and offered to lighten her load and carry it for her.

Uh, well, after we got the pack on Jake and he took the first step, he wished he woulda' kept his snout shut... he was wobbling all over the place trying to balance his load. It was so funny to watch. Jake is an adventure enthusiast at heart and his energy level could challenge anyone I know, so I figured the extra weight might provide him a different challenge and maybe exhaust him a little quicker. Uh, also stay tuned!
So we made it to the top of one of the mountains with little effort, it was not too steep. Jake was much more comfortable with the pack by then. We followed a ledge to an adjacent mountain and one I'd never been on before. Now this was going to be tough. The trail wound upwards, straight up with sharp switchbacks leading to the top. On the way up I noticed a Mom & Dad with their two small daughters over 1/3 of the way up, wowzers... that's a tough hike for little legs. I was extremely impressed with parents that would include their children on their hiking trips (that would totally be me). I walked next to them for a little while and talked to the girls, which couldn't have been older than 6. I then noticed a baggy of 'cheerios' their dad was carrying, I chuckled and they to told me in a very sophisticated manner that the cheerios, WERE NOT FOR THEM. That was their reward if they made it to the top... they were going to feed the squirrels. Awe... simple motivation. This made my day.
We finally made it to the top! Wow, it hurt sooooo good! At the top there's a fence that surrounds a group of transformers. I noticed all the hikers would touch the fence and then turn around and head back down the mountain. I then realized, there's an unwritten rule in an unwritten hiker's manual kept in some unknown place that says you have to touch the fence otherwise you didn't really make it to the top. Haha! So what was I to do?? I touched the fence!
By this time Jake was feeling extremely proud of himself. He KNEW he'd done a good job all the way to the top of the mountain. Besides, everyone was oohing and aweing about how cute he was and blah, blah, blah.... :) So Kathy decided to take yet another trail, except this was not really a trail, it appeared to have been long, long ago, but it was no longer. Hmmm, it seems the road less traveled had a reason for being so.

(Kathy trying to point out the path we just came from.
Most of it's not visible because of the hill in the forefront.
This pic does not do it justice.)

As we began our descent down the mountainside, yes the mountain side... Jake caught a glimpse of a squirrel. Yikes, well, the mountain was EXTREMELY steep and since we were not on a trail there was no telling where we were going except STRAIGHT DOWN! I pulled Jake's leash back in hopes he'd get the command, and luckily he did, otherwise my sliding, would have been rolling in a matter of seconds. I finally had to let go of him because he almost dragged me off the mountain, and though I wanted down, I did not want to go in a whirlwind.

We finally made it down the mountain and I realized how much I appreciated that GIRL'S SCOUT retreat. You know, the one where they teach you to climb down on the sides of your feet so, you are litteraly sideways instead of facing forward. Yep, that's how we made it down - slippin' and slindin' the whole way on the sides of our feet.

Good times!

By the time I got off the mountain, I was warmed up. I decided to go for a run! Jake and I ran open sprint and boy did it feel GOOD!!! The sun was waking up slowly this morning, so it was nice to take advantage of the day before it got too hot.

We skipped our regular bagel run and went to my place for Protein Smoothies instead, a much better alternative.

I then rewarded myself for a job well done!
I went to work!! Not-so-much!!

For those of you that know me, you know there's little in this life that I enjoy more than the simple pleasure of - FRUIT! So today, I stopped and got an assortment for my palette's pleasure. I picked up some fresh: Blackberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Pineapples, Bananas, Oranges, Peaches, Cantoloupes & Watermelons.
YUMMY!! (Haha, this reminds me of someone doubting that I could 'never' eat
'ALL THAT FRUIT' before it went bad... oh, YEAH?!?!)
=)

I then finished off the night with one of my most favorite domestic activities.

COOKING!!
I had been craving Tortilla Soup, so I decided to make some. It was Delicious!!

(I'm not usually a big fan of soup when it's hot outside... but A/C does wonders.)

Well, that's all for me, the rest of the week should be pretty filling.
Haha! =)

Windmill Valley

On the way to California camp this past June, I passed an area which I like to call "Windmill Valley." I'm sure it has a proper name, but I'm not sure what it is. I have seen this many times in the past but I am still impressed by the magnificence of these windmills. I have always wondered how a windmill works, so I researched it. (pics from cell phone while driving, remember camera MIA in ID)

A windmill harnesses wind power to create electricity, but this is solely dependent on the weather and location of the windmill.

(click on the link if you can't read the words)

http://greenimpulse.hit.bg/images/WINDMACHINE1.gif

"Windmills work because they slow down the speed of the wind. The wind flows over the airfoil shaped blades causing lift, like the effect on airplane wings, causing them to turn. The blades are connected to a drive shaft that turns an electric generator to produce electricity." So this is what I found out. The wind is a renewable energy source from which POWER/Electricity can be derived. I think it's so interesting how God has given mankind the mind to understand such complexities and then the innovation to realize it through inventions.
So, if windmills are positioned in the right location, they are connected to a source to capture the energy which is created, then this energy can be translated thus providing power & electricity. Hmmm... it seems we should be like a windmill.

You see, there is POWER in the valley, in the desert, in the winds of life... but we have to be connected to the source. I love the way God reveals himself to us daily. I have continually been reminded that there is strength, power, grace and how every need is supplied (whatever it may be) through God himself if we will stay in the place where we are connected to him. He is the ultimate source of POWER! A windmill can be in the right place but if the line is not connected to the source to capture that power, the system is useless.

(excerpts from Isaiah 40)
Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of he earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in the scales, and the hills in a balance?
Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counselor hath taught him?
With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the paths of judgement, and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding?

To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will you compare unto Him?

Have you not known? have you not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?

It is HE that sitteth upon the circle of the earth... that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in.

To whom will you liken me or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.

"... who walketh upon the wings of the WIND." (Psalms 104:3b)

The answer to ALL of our questions are in HIM alone. We have need of none other! What a privilege and HONOR it is to be connected to the ALMIGHTY in whom is ALL POWER!! He is WORTHY to be trusted.