Yellow Pine & Lake Tahoe

We finally made the trip to Yellow Pine. I have never felt such peace and quiet and beauty. We had a wonderful time. The harmonica playing was just unbelievable. There was one guy that stood out from all the rest. His name is Dennis Cooper and I bought 2 of his albums. I want to go and spend a winter in Yellow Pine but Larry just laughs at me and says I don't have any idea how cold it is there and we would literally be snowed in for the winter which can be as long as seven months. He really thinks I am kidding but if we had all the wood we needed and supplies it would be great to sit by the fire and go snowmobiling there. The last 35 miles in is on dirt roads. They have to bring in supplies by plane. Larry used to run the hotel and restaurant there and it was so much fun to see where he lived and the places he ran. I met so many of his old friends and was so content listening to the concerts every day. Bill would have loved going there and he would have been blown away by the musicians. We were told where some Huckleberries were growing so on our last day there we climbed the side of a mountain in the rain and started picking. They were very small and it would take all day to get a bunch. Before long it was pouring rain and I started sliding down the mountain and we tried to keep going but it was so bad we finally went back to the Truck. I got enough to freeze in two bags and will probably make syrup out of them. I found a chokecherry bush and threw in a couple of handfuls of chokecherries, so we'll see how that tastes.

I met Shelley in Reno, Nevada before we went to Yellow Pine. We rented a condo. It was just the best and was so good to spend time with her and really talk and laugh. She took me to a great little restaurant for breakfast and they served a Zuccini bread to die for. I think I did nearly duplicate the recipe as Shelley wanted me to try. I sat down and wrote to her from Yellow Pine and then we went to a guys house that had a post office and Larry made sure they stamped it with the Yellow Pine stamp. We also went shopping, of course, and Shelley took me to see some beautiful places. The place, our Condo, was in was about thirty miles from Reno. It was in the woods and they had a very exclusive shopping area like a Swiss Village. Out on our Patios we had the forest. My bedroom was incredible. Shelley let me have the bigger bed and room. We each had a bathroom and upstairs was our living room and kitchen and dining area. We're talking big money here. It was just great. We have decided to make it a yearly thing as with me here in Idaho we don't get to see one another very often unless we make sure we do.

We have a crabapple tree in the back of the yard so Larry picked a can full for me and I went and picked another can full. I washed them and put them in my juicer and finally made some crabapple jelly. The crabapple is supposed to have enough pectin in the fruit itself that you don't have to add any for jelly but it wasn't quite set up and so we will be eating it as jelly and syrup. Next year I am adding the Pectin.

We will be going to the Fair in Boise this week and a Rodeo. We did go to downtown Boise on Wednesday of last week for Alive after Five. They have concerts downtown every Wednesday evening and they are free. It was still very warm, but we sat out on the patio of a restaurant and ate dinner and listened to the music.

We went to some friends of ours for dinner last night. Mary and Ron Ames. He is Darwin's Ames brother. We get together with the four of them and have so much fun. Ron and Mary are active LDS and it is so nice to have a sister in the Gospel for a friend again. I love all of Larry's sisters and family but none of them are LDS and I miss having weekly time with my LDS friends. Mary used to be a Catholic Nun. She is really quite a great person. We have so much fun playing cards with them. Ron reminds me of Dad Willes a lot. Very competitive. But he is the greatest cook in the world and to be invited to their home for dinner is a real treat. They have a booth at the Fair and that is one of the reasons we are going. Ron makes the most delicious pies. His son runs a restaurant in the Provo Town Mall and it is really a good place to eat. His place is up in the Food Court.

We took the boat down to one of the lakes to try the motor, because Larry hasn't had it out in three years. We are going to take it to Corde Alene' in about a month and sleep on it. It has a nice bed and I am so excited to sleep on the water. The motor started up just like it has been running every day. Sounds great. Some of Larry's family live up in Corde Alene' and we will probably stay about two weeks. We have been there once but I am anxious to go again.

I guess Greg and Teresa will not be coming after all to stay with us. Teresa hurt her shoulder and has to have surgery so that keeps them from coming. Pablo and Helen from Texas may still come and we are keeping our fingers crossed. We stayed with them when we were in San Antonio and I just love them. Pablo and Larry are the best of friends and still seem to really care about one another. Helen and I really hit it off well and Pablo cooked us the best breakfast. They are really neat people.

We are having all the sisters and their husbands over for Pork Tacos tomorrow night. Sharon, one of the sisters I finally met yesterday at Garden Valley when we all met to check out a family reunion site for next June. Sharon is from New Orleans and she brought me some cookbooks and a blanket and a fold up vase for flowers for the RV. Man, all of a sudden I have tons of sisters. I have been so embraced in this family and it is always a wonderful time when we all get together. It is great to be so alive and active and doing things with friends and family. I never knew life could be so rich and full. I truely am blessed.

Well, I am going to try to post some pictures this time. I hope they turn out.