Want to see some pictures from our Shasta trip???

OK, cool, I am finally doing this! This may be the last time I come up for air before the school year begins, but hopefully not.

I want to report that David and I are not having any crying babies until 2012 (I'm only 33...we've got time). Instead, we have decided that we will take advantage of our current lack of kids by touring the natural wonders of California for the next couple of years in what we're calling the Lakes, Rivers, Mountains, Forests and Deserts Tour.

We had our first adventure not so long ago.

David's been longing to visit Mt. Shasta for awhile now, but since I was the one making the camping reservations, I booked us a good-looking site at Lake Shasta instead (it's hot up there!). I figured that two natural features of the Earth with the same name couldn't be that far apart. I also didn't bother to consult the atlas because it was buried in a junk pile in the car.

As usual, we left 5 hours later than we wanted to and paid the price in traffic. Kind of a long drive...we had to play 20 questions for three hours or something crazy like that. And it was hot, really hot, so said the car's thermometer, but we weren't feeling it because we were utlizing that modern convenience called air conditioning.

At long last, we arrived at Bailey Cove, conveniently located next to I-5. Ah, yes, our first lake experience was about to be had! So what if the trucks were loud! So what if it was too hot to breathe! We were about to dive into the cool refreshing waters of Lake Shasta!

NOT!

We asked the closest campers how to get to the lake because it wasn't where it should have been! They kind of looked at us funny, but suggested that if we walked quite a ways, we would indeed find some water.

We walked and walked and finally noticed that we were walking into an ugly wasteland reminiscent of a bauxite mine. Then it hit us! This used to be Lake Shasta!!!

Needless to say, we did not get to go swimming in Lake Shasta. And the evening only got better when we were visited by a bear at dinner time (we couldn't see him, but he was definitely there!) It was really scary to fall asleep that night. I couldn't help thinking of how weird it would be if we got gobbled up by a hungry bear in a place that was well within earshot of trucks, cars and trains zooming by. I mean, if you are going to get eaten by a bear, shouldn't it be deep in the wilderness away from all signs of civilization? Not on the banks of a parched man-made resevoir while your neighbors doze nearby in their RV!

Anyway, the bear decided not to eat us, so we thanked the Universe and opted to move on to Mt. Shasta.

We lucked out and found an awesome campground called Fowlers, which is right on the McCloud River. Our campsite was perfect! Only $15! And this time, the background noises were the sounds of a rushing waterfall and the squeals of delight from folks jumping off cliffs into deep pools in the river.

We hiked in a sacred meadow still harvested by native americans, drove as far as you are allowed to go on Mt. Shasta, visited an awesome, fearsome waterfall by night, and trekked to the mecca of swimming holes.

What started out badly ended beutifully!

We'll keep you posted on the next stop on our tour de nature!

Keenan has decided to change his style. Here's a before and after shot.

Ok so i think i finally figured it out. Well for those of you who haven't already heard I am no longer going to Regis, but UC Merced instead. So I will still be around on weekends for Friday dinners. Hopefully I don't get any late Friday classes. I must say the summer is going faster than expected.