July Continued, and the Rest of our Tahoe Summer

Our youngest grandchild, Naomi, helping with camp check.

Rob's birthday celebration lasted from Tuesday, July 18, through Sunday, July 23, with various family coming and going.

    When I finished my last blog post I had intended to do a blog post about our shed fire before continuing with a blog about the Tahoe summer. I had been thinking philosophically about what the fire and its aftermath means and thought I'd write about my thoughts, but it's already September, the fire happened July 20, and we've just been cleared by the insurance company to clean up the mess, and we've barely begun to submit the itemization of the contents of and around the shed that were destroyed by the fire. In July I was feeling like the fire was a minor "blip," but I guess it's a bit more than that. State Farm, our insurance company, is excellent, but settling a claim like this takes time. The delay in cleanup is really a protection for us as we awaited State Farm's decision on a bid submitted by a contractor. If we were to dispute a settlement, we wouldn't have the proof of what was destroyed if we cleaned up the area too quickly. State Farm has settled on the building and clean up costs so we can schedule cleanup - hopefully in the next week or so. 
    After the cleanup five trees need to come down, and of course we need to finish itemizing all the contents - there sure were a lot, and we keep remembering more things. Then we'll need to replace all the things we keep going to get "out of the shed." A fire like this is kind of like a "Come as you are Party." Some things that should be in the shed weren't because they hadn't been put away, and some things that were in the shed we think, why was that there? In the end it is all just stuff, and our insurance company will take good care of us, but we still have a lot of work to do!

Looking in the basement of the shed.

    The first Claims Specialist we were assigned to told us to submit pictures of the "damaged items." He admitted this was the first claim he had ever processed that involved the total loss of a building. When I asked him if he'd ever seen a building that had burned to the ground he admitted he had not, and I assured him that when he came out to see our loss he would understand why getting pictures of damaged items could be a challenge. In this picture you can see the tank from an air compressor, but there are no pictures of things like burned up tarps and melted ice chests.

We think this was the toaster oven we know was in the shed.

Here are the remnants of 5 bicycles.

And here are the runners of a Flexible Flyer sled.

    I'm not sure when my father bought this sled, but I think it was probably when I was a child. Some years before he died he told me we could keep it at our place as long as we took good care of it. Hmmm... This is something we'll replace, and I think we'll keep the runners as a souvenir. The first thing that struck us all emotionally was the loss of a plywood Santa Claus that Rob's father had made in the 1950s. My father had also made one just like it. I don't know what happened to the one my father made, but the one Rob's father made had been displayed in front of the San Bruno house most Christmas seasons with the last time being 2021 before Rob and his sister sold the house in 2022. We brought it up to our Colfax house, and of course it was in the shed.

    The shed fire, along with a contractor working on our house to paint it and replace the front deck, meant I or we went down to Colfax almost every week the rest of the summer which meant I didn't get in as many long hikes, or kayak paddles as I had planned, but we still enjoyed our Lake Tahoe summer with exceptional weather and clear skies.

Rob playing a story telling game with granddaughter Avi.

What happened to Avi?

Actually this is special affects makeup. Avi loves makeup of all kinds!

Naomi next to Honey, the pelt of a bear used to teach about the Black Bears at Lake Tahoe.

There were three granddaughters at our campground on Friday, July 21, when there was a campfire program, but Naomi was the only one who wanted to go. She got to help teach about the bears.

Son Shawn and granddaughter Naomi digging a hole at the beach.

Were they digging for treasure?

3, maybe 4, dogs on a float while we were are the beach.

    The woman whose red hat and her feet are visible in this picture had 4 little white dogs camping with her at Eagle Point Campground. She rode around with all four dogs on her bicycle - two in a basket in the front, one in a basket on the back and one in a carrier strapped to her chest. Quite the conversation piece! (Dogs aren't allowed at the beach, but she wasn't near us, and I wasn't wearing my vest so I chose to ignore it.)

When it was time to leave the beach Rob transported the three grand daughetrs up the 1/2 mile trail to the campground. Being the grandchildren of camp hosts has privileges.

See the Osprey in the tree?

Along the Rubicon Trail on one of my hikes down it.

A woodpecker at the Overlook one early morning in July.

See the woodpecker's red head?

A dragonfly on the front deck railing in Colfax.

Another view of the dragonfly.

See the Hummingbird in the Silk Tree blossoms - Colfax.

Emerald Bay, early evening, July 24.

I have taken hundreds of pictures of this scene, but it's always changing.

Heading to Baldwin Beach, July 25, for an early morning paddle.

There is a Bald Eagle in that tree next to where I am paddling.

A little closer view.

And even closer.

We saw many more Bald Eagles than in past years, but didn't find any nests nearby.

Baldwin Beach, my morning's destination.

My chair set up on the beach.

    I really don't like Baldwin Beach because I associate it with crowds and no shade, but on this west end of the beach it was pretty much deserted, and I found shade a ways back from the shore. A lovely spot for my morning tea that was kept warm in my insulated cup, some reading and journal writing and even some knitting.

This truck definitely looked too big to make it around the very sharp corner just over the ridge from our campsite. This is the corner I go to for good cell phone reception. I started referring to it as the "telephone booth." I just happened to be there checking phone messages when two of these long trucks went around the corner.

Definitely going over the center. Sure glad I wasn't driving up the hill on the other side!

Thick Manzanita Berries.

I've never seen these berries this thick at Tahoe, or anywhere for that matter.

I think the ample supply of Manzanita Berries kept the bears away from our campground for a few weeks, but they came back by the time the campground was nearing its close.

Scary, or should I say creepy, acrylic nails!

Applied by Avi on a trip to Colfax.

On the front porch of a Tahoe City area friend.

Rob working on fence on a trip to Colfax.

The fire department had to cut fences in 7 places in order to get a line around the fire.

Ruth had four goats that had to be temporarily confined to a small area until repairs were made.

Sunset over Emerald Bay, August 1.

Looking north across Emerald Point and Rubicon Point.

Sunset looking East.

More August 1 Sunset over Emerald Bay.

Chipmunk cuteness, early morning, August 2, at the Overlook.

More Chipmunk cuteness.

See the chipmunk in the Manzanita?

Bears aren't the only ones eating these berries.

Osprey in a tree, August 2, along the Rubicon Trail.

Super Moon, morning of August 3.

Over Maggie's Peak.

Sunrise, August 3.

More of the Super moon, August 3.

Emerald Bay in the early morning light, August 3.

Closer to the island later in the morning August 3.

Turkeys near our Colfax property - there is quite the flock here that I see on most visits to our place.

Bluegrass festival at Sugar Pine Point, August 4.

Pine Lodge at Sugar Pine Point State Park, as viewed from a kayak, August 5.

The State Parks offered free guided kayak tours on the weekends this summer, so I took advantage of it and signed up for a lovely guided paddle on a Saturday morning.

A deer at the Overlook!

We see lots of deer in Colfax, but this is the first one I've seen at Eagle Point Campground.

This was early morning and I was first aware of it when I heard noise in the bushes behind me. 

I knew the noise was made by something bigger than a chipmunk - maybe a bear?

I really did expect to see a bear, but no, it was a deer.

More chipmunk cuteness.

An Osprey high in the sky.

There are lots of Osprey at Emerald Bay, many more Osprey than Eagles.

Sunset, August 7.

    

    Wednesday, August 9, the other camp host, Lisa, and I headed out to hike to Lake Aloha from Echo Lake. We tentatively planned to "cheat" on the way back and take the boat taxi across upper and lower Echo Lakes. Without the taxi the hike would be about 11 miles round trip, and the taxi would could out over 2 1/2 miles one way. When we got to Lake Aloha I was thinking we didn't need to take the taxi on the way back, but after a detour to Lake of the Woods, a down and up detour and at least an added mile, the boat taxi felt like a great choice at the end. Our total hike still ended up about 11 miles, but it was really beautiful.

The dam on Echo Lake as we began our hike.

Hiking along the shore of Echo Lake.

A trail sign after we reached the end of the two lakes.

Notice the PCT and TRT colored signs incorporated into this vinyl sign.

    These colorful symbols used to be metal pieces nailed on to wooden posts, but they were too often stolen for souvenirs. The sign post below shows how the souvenir takers have been foiled with stamps into the wood. I suppose thieves could cut the posts, but that's a lot to carry out conspicuously!

Looking back and down to the Echo Lakes as we climb towards Lake Aloha.

Tamarack Lake

Alex and I camped here on our Tahoe Rim Trail thru hike in 2016.

There were lots of pretty flowers along the way to and from Lake Aloha and Lake of the Woods.

Lake Aloha!

Another view of this unique Desolation Wilderness Lake.

Crystal Range on the west side of Lake Aloha.

This is the part of the Sierra Mountain range that we can see when I hike above our Colfax property.

Another view with Pyramid Peak on the end of the range.

Me and Lisa.

Good bye Lake Aloha for this year.

The dam on Lake Aloha.

Looking down at Lake of the Woods.

I've been to Lake Aloha several times, but never to nearby Lake of the Woods.

Lake of the Woods is really beautiful - and there's Pyramid Peak.

Another view.

And a closer up view of Pyramid Peak.

    We rode the boat taxi back with another hiker who had taken supplies into some folks who were snow boarding some where back on the Crystal Range. This was a lot of snow for August.

    On Thursday, August 10, I joined Katie, a park interpreter, and several other hikers, for a guided hike down the Rubicon Trail. Katie pointed out lots of Osprey nests (7 or 8), and four of them had Ospreys in them. It was nice to take a more leisurely stroll down to the water fall and Vikingsholm, stopping as Katie pointed out things. I'm always rather rushing along.

Ospreys in a nest.

Another view of the same nest.

A different occupied Osprey nest.

On the bridge over Eagle Creek, below the lower water fall.

Eagle Falls, August 10, 2023.

This is really late for the falls to have this much water, and then they got even bigger over Labor 

Day weekend when we got lots of rain.

Squirrel on a rock near Vikingsholm.

Another beautiful early morning view of Emerald Bay and the sky above, August 11.

Sunrise, August 12.

    Saturday, August 12, was Pine Lodge Day at Sugar Pine Point State Park, just 10 or 12 miles north of our campground at Emerald Bay. We headed over for birthday cake celebrating the lodge's 120th birthday, and to enjoy a brief tour of the Lodge. We saw lots of interesting things in the little garden behind the lodge.

Do you see the flying critter?

At first I thought it was a hummingbird, but it was a Striped Sphinx Moth!

A chipmunk posing for us.

A bee on a daisy.

A butterfly and a bee on a daisy.

Back at Emerald Bay on Sunday, August 13.

Early morning reflection of Vikingsholm.

A large green cateprillar on the Eagle Point camp road.

A lizard blending into the road.

Sunrise August 14 as viewed from campsite 29.

August 14, sunrise from the Overlook.

Panorama view.

Looking north from the Overlook.

Mt. Tallac reflecting the rising sun.

And the reflection of the sun over Emerald Bay.

August 14, now seeing the sun come over the mountains to the east.

    All the beautiful clouds in the previous pictures were the result of afternoon thunderstorms that brought a lot of rain to Tahoe.  After several days of the thunderstorms we got significant precipitation from the fringe of Hurricane Hilary. We had some very large flooded areas - so big we had to close some campsites.

Notice the strange pattern in a puddle on Tuesday, August 15?

I have no idea what caused that, but we saw it again after another rain event.

The pollen is still evident on the water surface.

Two Ospreys in a tree along the Rubicon Trail, August 15.

Looking into Emerald Bay at sunrise, August 16 from the Overlook trail.

Sunrise clouds behind the dead trees at the Overlook.

Sun coming up August 16.

Looking north August 16.

August 16, Mt. Tallac with visibly less snow than earlier in the summer.

Another sunrise view, August 16.

And looking into the bay at the reflecting early sunshine.

    On Wednesday, August 16, I headed down to Colfax so I could be there on Thursday morning to assure that granddaughter Avienda made it to the bus stop on her first day of fifth grade. She is so independent now, able to get herself up and to the bus each morning.

Walking down the road with her rolling backpack.

Getting on the bus after picking lots of blackberries while waiting.

Back at Tahoe, a rainbow after more rain, August 19.

More of those weird squiggles in the growing puddle/lake, August 22.

See the rain drops in the water?

A moth stuck in the puddle.

A beautiful reflecting pool.

The same puddle on August 24 after the pollen left it.

After the rain on August 22.

        Wednesday, August 23, I decided to do some exploring behind our campsite and down the hill to the lake. There is a very wide trail that follows under utility lines for a ways down the hill, but then the trail deteriorates into a variety of narrower trails, mostly frequented by bears, I think. I wanted to find a way to the lake front houses that are between Emerald Bay State Park and Baldwin Beach. I only walked about a mile and a half total, but I called Rob to pick me up on the highway because I didn't feel like trying to find my way back up the steep hill.

Down by the lake - look at that beautiful water!

A long ago collapsed building that I've seen in previous years.

See the house across Cascade Creek?

The creek was running pretty high and loud this year.

When I explored this area last year I didn't even notice the creek.

Part of a campfire program back at Eagle Point, Friday, August 25.

Sunset sky from the campfire center, August 25.

My chair location at the Overlook where I went virtually every morning.

August 28, almost the full, blue moon.

    Because of all the trips down to Colfax this season, I had only gotten up to my beloved Eagle Lake once this summer. Finally on August 29 I could do it again. I left our campsite before sunrise, headed to the Overlook first, then down the Rubicon Trail to Vikingsholm in Emerald Bay, then up to and across the highway and then up the Eagle Falls Trail to Eagle Lake. It would be about a 10 mile round trip hike.

Before Sunrise, August 29, at the Overlook.

Heading down the Rubicon Trail, with sun reflecting on the tops of the mountains.

Getting close to the bay before the sun has directly hit the water.

Early morning light in the bay.

Osprey in a tree.

"My" mountain reflected in Emerald Bay.

View of Vikingsholm.

Crossing Eagle Creek below Lower Eagle Falls.

Looking down at the Emerald Bay Visitor Center before walking behind Vikingsholm and then up to the highway. I was early enough that I only saw a couple of people.

Upper Eagle Falls on the Eagle Falls Trail.

The tree I had to climb over earlier in the season had finally been cut.

Approaching Eagle Lake.

A glimpse of the lake.

Another glimpse.

Such a beautiful spot!

There were some other people around, but it was early enough to find a spot to sit with no one around.

"My" mountain viewed across Eagle Lake.

After sitting, writing in my journal and reading for a while I turned to see this beauty.

This is the first bear I have ever seen in the wilderness.

It is a female - identified as such because of the tag in her left ear.

Getting ready to move on.

I really loved seeing her here!

My mountain as I prepared to head down the trail and back to camp.

Lake Tahoe and Emerald Bay as viewed from the trail on the way down.

Almost full, super, blue moon, as seen in Colfax, August 29.

Another puzzle complete, except for 3 pieces that didn't come with it.

Sunset looking north from the Overlook, August 31.

Emerald Bay shortly after sunset,  August 31.

After the Blue Moon, September 1, sunrise time at Lake Tahoe.

Over Emerald Bay.

A close up shot.

Sunrise September 1, before the rain began and continued all day.

More September 1, Sunrise.

Sunrise September 2.

Sun coming over the mountains, September 2.

Early morning light on Mt. Tallac, September 2

Emerald Bay - notice the waterfall, full from the previous day's rain.

Trees bathed in light, September 2.

After the rain the day before.

    On Labor Day weekend we had family company in the campground. My sister Theresa, who now lives in Washington State, came down to visit her beloved Lake Tahoe. She split her time between Sugar Pine Point State Park and our campground. Son Shawn, his girls and his friend Cheryl and her sons also camped at Eagle Point Campground. The weekend ended up pretty cold with quite a bit of rain part of the time, but we had a good time.

Bathed in the early morning light, September 2.

A dark and foreboding sky, September 3, early morning.

    On this morning Shawn, 10 year old Sophia, 7 year old Naomi, and I would hike to Eagle Lake. But we wouldn't start at the campground like I usually do. We drove to the trailhead a couple of miles away so we would have only about 2 miles round trip. It was too cold to think of swimming, but Shawn brought along fishing gear, thinking they might catch some Rainbow Trout.

Exploring a tree on the way up to Eagle Lake.

Sophia and Naomi exploring before the rain.

Hiding from the first raindrops.

Sophia celebrating the rain while Naomi quickly puts on her rain pants and jacket.

    We did make it to the lake, but the rain really started to come down then so the girls immediately turned around and headed back down the trail. Hopefully next time I take them there it will be sunny and nice!

Back at the Eagle Point Campground Beach.

No, it definitely wasn't warm enough to swim!

Trying to get warm in the sunshine.

Monday morning, September 4, at the Overlook, looking north.

Shawn, me, Naomi, Sophia, Connor, Adam and Cheryl getting ice cream at Camp Richardson,

Theresa and I with Mt. Tallac behind us on a short hike up the Mt. Tallac Trail.

Mt. Tallac as seen from the ridge above Fallen Leaf Lake on the Mt. Tallac Trail.

The last bear of our season.

This poor little guy was probably recently weaned by his mother.

He did get himself into some trouble eating campers food that had been left out.

And he got VERY close to Theresa while she was eating a sandwich, but her little dog scared him up a nearby tree.

Drinking water from the puddle.

Mist over the lake, September 5.

2023 Eagle Point Campground hosts Lisa, Rob, Kathryn and Steve.

It was a great summer working together!

Goodbye Lisa and Steve.

See you next year!

Getting ready for one last paddle on the lake, Tuesday afternoon, September 5.

One last 2023 Lake Tahoe sunrise, September 6.

More sunrise beauty.

Goodbye Emerald Bay until next year.

A squirrel eating a sugar pine cone at campsite 16 on my way back to our campsite.

I think the squirrels knocked down all the cones from this tree over the course of a few weeks.

Here we are, ready to head back to Colfax.

    Now that we are back in Colfax our routine changes some. Most mornings I try to take a walk with Ruth's dog Joy. My favorite early morning walk is down the road and then up to a small canal, along it, and then up again to the top of a ridge where the Weimar Water Company is located. Following are some pictures along the way since we've been back.

Some of the neighborhood turkeys on the way.

A new addition to the neighborhood - a pot bellied pig.

And some goats.

A newly installed trailer on a recently sold property.

For years we have crossed this property to reach the canal where we enjoy walking.

But now someone is getting ready to build a house here.

In this view from their building site you can often see the Sutter Buttes and the Coast Range behind.

A tree broke over the canal trail since the last time I walked here.

Weimar Water Company where I turn around on my 4+ mile morning walks.

The Crystal Range as viewed from the Weimar Water Company.

Back at the house, a teeny tiny lizard.

        In addition to getting ready to clean up the burned up shed and replace it, we have been having a contractor work on our house getting ready to paint it, painting it, installing some new windows and doors and rain gutter, replacing a deck that collapsed and installing some new electric circuits for the motor home and Ruth's new electric car. We are in the midst of quite a construction zone. But it should all be great when it's done! The house is now almost 42 years old - still seems like the "new" house to us. 42 years ago the previous house, that we thought as old when we bought it in 1977, burned to the ground. We realize this house is now at least as old as that house, built in the 1940s,  was in 1981.

The sagging underpinnings of the deck.

The rotten support that collapsed.

New deck materials in preparation to be installed.

Notice the pretty new grey and white paint.

View of the trench for the electric line going to where we usually park the RV.

    For the rest of September, at least, we will be on the Colfax property, or at least Rob will. This Monday, September 11, I will be flying to Maine to participate in a six day canoe trip with our son Scott - details of that to come in my next blog installment. In the meantime, Rob gets time with Strauss and Elsie in between helping with shed fire cleanup, etc.

Elsie stalking Daphne through the door.

Strauss after napping on a chair.