Summer Fade

Summer is sand in the car, freckles on our skin, sunglasses in photos, evenings at the Boardwalk, long afternoons poolside, sunshine past dinner, the smell of sunscreen, hikes on dusty trails, singing along to pop music, driving with the windows down, hands sticky from peaches, bonfires at dusk, skipping rocks from river banks, popciscles after races, star gazing on your walk home, brightly colored beach towels, waking up in tents, cooking on grills, crisp salads and cool slices of watermelon, thighs stuck to seats, big brimmed hats, grass blades indented on your palms, graham cracker crumbs and tangled wet hair.

We passed this summer in California--at the lake, at the river, in the woods, at the beach . . . It was filled with all the stuff that summer should be.  It was the first summer I didn't get to spend any time in Washington but I feel like we made the most of it.  And luckily, a little bit of home came to me this year (my sisters).  

Below are some photos from my middle sister's visit to Santa Cruz:

Summer was good to me . . .  But there's a chill in the air and it has me giddy. I'm ready for fall--I always am this time of year--for bare branches, steps that crunch, spices in my coffee, zipped up jackets, wet pavement, rainy blue dusks, heat on in the car, pumpkins on porches, piles of gourds in the grocery store  and a thousand other things.  So good bye California summer, I'm sure I'll be missing your pretty face real soon, but till then I'll be bundled up in a sweater and taking my marshmallows in hot cocoa.  

(photos 11 + 12 taken by C)

Summer Camping Trip #2: Rocky Rest, North Yuba River

Towards the middle of July we went on our second camping trip of the summer.  Once again, we drove east.  This time to the Yuba River, and while it was another triple digit weekend in Central California, we made it without any car related incidents.   

There were 11 of us on the trip—eight people and three dogs.  The campsites were shaded and the North Yuba River was just through some trees and down a path.  Upon arriving, we immediately changed into our suits and made a beeline to the river.  We unfolded chairs on the water’s edge and slipped our feet beneath its surface.  Some of us waded out and submerged ourselves in its waters.  Others wandered down river to search out its fish. 

The water was cool and clear.  It contained tadpoles and frogs and snakes(!) and bugs and little fish (and presumably, also, some larger fish who were just not fooled by the casts and flies of our fly fishermen). The bottom of the Yuba was covered in smooth rocks and silty sands worn down by the flow of the river's waters.  Parts of the river ran fast and made you spin around and laugh in your inner tube.  Other parts ran slow and pooled in swimming holes that were perfect for reclining back, closing your eyes and just drifting ...

The camping trip was passed with hiking, swimming, fly fishing, gold panning, shade sitting, trail running, shore talking, chair lounging, rock hopping, doggy paddling and inner tube floating.  Our first full day, we carried our inflatables and chairs and towels to a little swimming hole and spent most of our day around there: exploring its shores, paddling across its width in various floaties and plunging beneath its waters to escape the day's heat.   

On our second day we headed to the South Yuba River.  To get there, we drove down a dusty, narrow road that kept winding and going down and winding and going down and winding until . . . it reached a dead end lined on both sides with parked cars. From there, we hiked (I did a little falling) down a shady path and then scrambled over rocks and rocks until we found another swimming hole suitable for passing an entire afternoon.  

After a couple hours on the South Fork, C and I had to head home (I had to work the next day) . . . but  I think we probably both left a little part of our hearts on the Yuba.  

Some photos our trip:

Up River.

Rapids and Rocks.

Lil Froggie Friend.

Straight Down.

River Gradients.

Friends Floating the River.

Spinning By.

Buckwheat and C on Float the Yuba.

Buckwheat Would Rather Brave the River than be Separated from C.

Back to the Swimming Hole.

In the Sun.

Lounging.

And Drifting . . .

Crossing the Swimming Hole.

Shore Exploration.

Darwin in the Shade.

Views from the Shade.

Dexter in the Shade.

Camouflage.

Back at Camp.

The Bird's Nest.

Buckwheat at Camp.

Evening Light.

Camping is Tuckering.

But it Also Makes You Smile.

Buckwheat Dons Crown.

Views of the South Yuba River.

River Activities.

Departing Views. 

It took me awhile to get this up--mostly because I feel my photos and words don't do it justice.  It was an amazing camping trip with some really good friends.  But I have a feeling will be back ... Until next time, Yuba!

From the Fourth

A couple of months ago my mom and I shared a piece of tres leches cake from the Haute Enchilada in Moss Landing.  It was my first tres leches experience and I was impressed.  So was my mom.  In May, she tried her hand at baking her own tres leches cake--following Martha Stewart's recipe.  The cake received rave reviews. 

Martha's cake is topped with whipped cream and seasonal fruit (like fresh berries) and it immediately came to mind when I started thinking about Fourth of July fare.  In the spirit of red, white and blue desserts, I picked out strawberries, blueberries and blackberries and arranged my berry toppings in the likeness of an American flag.  The cake was definitely tasty but it was a little on the dense side (and incredibly rich!).  Good thing I ran the Firecracker 10k on Fourth of July morning!

Below are a few photos from this year's Fourth:

C & Cake

Red, White and Blueberries

Fourth of July Spirit: Pre-Race and Post Cake Baking (photos from C's phone)               

This year we celebrated Independence Day by running a (hilly) 10k, dressing patriotically, baking and decorating a flag cake, grilling with friends and venturing down to Seabright beach to catch some of the (unauthorized) fireworks which are set off along the water.  I missed celebrating the Fourth on Whidbey Island but I couldn't really complain . . . Food, friends and fireworks--it was a pretty good day!  I hope everyone else had a Happy Fourth! 

Holga Roll 9

Photos from my 9th roll of film taken on my Holga:

Frame 1 - Tahoe Water

Frame 2 - Beach Activities

Frame 3 - Tahoe from Meeks Bay

Frame 4 - C in Tahoe

Frame 5 - Tahoe and Me

Frame 6 - Accidental Double Exposure

Frame 7 - C at Scenic Vista

Frame 10 - Lake Tahoe from Kiva Beach

Frame 12 - Buckwheat at Kiva Beach

This was a roll of Kodak Ektar 100 (my last couple rolls have been Kodak Porta 400).  It happened to be the only roll I had left but I think it ended up being well suited for the subject.  All these photos were taken on our recent trip to Tahoe. This was the first time I've used ISO 100 film on my Holga.  It's nice to know that I can (as long as I switch the exposure to overcast and use it in bright conditions). 

ps: More Tahoe photos can be found here.