July 4th adventure

July 4th Weekend Shannon and I did a little trip up North. We went on the 3rd to Truckee. We were able to stay at our Friends, Vicki and Vince's cabin. Well it was a cabin I had never been to, but more like a huge house. Beautiful place to stay. We are very thankful that they let us stay, it was nice and convenient and saved us a ton for a hotel. We would have camped at the campground but it was dark when we were arriving and then more than a day or so of camping out can get old. This was the first year in years that I was not around for the Danville 4th of July parade, however as I drove through town, there were hundreds of chairs out and ready for the next morning. Its a sight to see all these chairs set up. July 4th we went to the Truckee airport, there is a side that is a glider airport. It got hot pretty fast. Shannon took off around Noon and I went into Truckee. I was just 15 minutes after the Truckee parade so I just barely beat traffic. I had lunch, shopped a little (most stores were closed) then went to the grocery store. I was not sure how long Shannon would be flying. He had a goal of 750 kilometers so I knew I didnt need to be back to get him until 5 or so. I did go back to the airport around 4:30 and socialized a little. Shannon had a good flying day but it wasn't a great day. He only made it about 300 km so no where near his goal. He came back really happy and very hungry. We wanted to try to get to the fireworks somewhere that night. There were fireworks in Tahoe City, South Shore (huge) and Donner lake. So we went to the only place we could find open, Pizza and then to Kings Beach to sit and watch fireworks. One of the other glider pilots joined us, Sebastian, as he was up in Truckee on his own. It was fun, a little far away for fireworks but weather was great.

July 5th we went back to the airport and it was getting hot early. When I left I really didn't know where I would go. It was earlier, about 11 and I knew I had a full day. Shannon was saying the weather looked promising and probably be back more like 6 or 7 that evening. So off I went again into Truckee. Shops were open so I wandered in and out of nearly all the shops on Donner Pass Rd. I also went to the grocery stores and Longs. I needed to find what to take for an appetizer at the picnic we were going to on Saturday and needed a raffle prize. I also took a drive, was planning on going to South Shore but made it to Tahoe City and got sick of traffic. It was a record breaking 100 today in Truckee. I went back to the airport around 5:30. I new it would be a while before Shannon got back because I had seen how the clouds were early in the day and knew it was great soaring weather. So I just hung around and socialized with the people already back and listened to the stories. Shannon had a great flight and returned about 6:15. He had gone 856 km, down passed Mono Lake I think. He came back very happy and excited.

Friday July 6th we headed over to the airport. Shannons owns the glider with someone else and he was going to be taking the glider flying so we had to meet up with him early. Today it was my turn to go fly. We had to take a different glider that has 2 seats. I have not been flying since 2005. It was a great flight. We were heading towards a place north of Reno but didn't get that far as there were thunderstorms and we could see lightning. Apparently the lightning started 5 fires.

Its not easy to get great pictures but here are some I took. It was great to go fly. These pictures are Donner lake, Northstar, Us, and Lake Tahoe and Truckee glider portion of airport both from the air and on land and then an airplane above us. I actually did a video of us landing, let me know if you want to see it. It may make you motion sick. It is funny to watch though.

When we returned, we packed up to head to La Porte where my cabin is, for the festivities on the 7th. We had a full cabin. Uncle Tom went up to the cabin Thursday. We went Friday evening and then not long after we arrived, James and Sarah and Carole arrived. Shannon and I were just beat and went to bed before Amy and Mike arrived. We had a full cabin. Saturday after we all did breakfast, we went down to the picnic grounds for the general meeting and then picnic to follow. Amy and I had volunteered to sell the raffle and food/drink tickets. It was not too much of a crowd this year at the picnic. Next year I will volunteer to bartend. Things went fairly well. It was the first time we had all been up for a picnic together in many years, maybe 16 or more. It was Carole's first time up in about 16 years. So we were all sort of excited to be there and make sure people knew how we were and that we now own the cabin, not Lenore. Well then..........I saw Lenore arrive. Not sure why or what made her do that but that has a long and not so great history. We all handled her very well. I was just waiting for her and Carole to get into it. Anyway, we stayed until Sunday. Shannon and I were the last to leave and we had plans to head to the mining areas and explore. It was great weather and we had a great time. Didn't explore too much. Most the mining areas are from hydrolic mining. We saw an old bridge, old mining equipment, old cemetary and stuff. Then we headed home.

Tami- note how the sunflowers look now compared to when we came home? They are all drying up. (Shannon cut one for me but it was not in a sunflower field it was in a random place with some other crop. ) So that was our trip.

*** Take note that my brother has a new venture, and the link is up at the top right of my blog. **