Last rose of 04
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Monday, November 29, 2004
Thanksgiving 2004
We had a very full weekend with a dinner for Myra and Van Williams, their daughter Robin and David Heeks, and Ethan and Kelly at home on Wednesday, a day on Kelly's aunt and uncle's ranch near Llano on Thursday, a feast in Dallas at the Mintons on Friday, a 87th birthday bash for Lorn at the Rummels Saturday noon, and dinner with the Mintons and Warren and Susan Johnson that night.
Sunday, November 28, 2004
Saturday, November 27, 2004
Celebrating 87 years
Lorn wore a 'special' crown created by Lowry to celebrate his birthday while Etha reads the poignant and funny cards.
Friday, November 26, 2004
Coffee on Minton's Patio
After a huge dinner the gang repaired to the patio out back for coffee and conversation. We had a chance to catch up on everyone's life, and Kelly got to know Ethan's cousins and their partners.
Cousins
Are they really this happy or is it the wine?
Dustin and Lowry, Kelly and Ethan, Jake and Sara
Thursday, November 25, 2004
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Thanksgiving with Mildred and John
We spent the day out at her brother's ranch near Llano for talk, feasting and relaxation.
Monday, November 15, 2004
Purple America 2004
Here is an analysis of the vote in each county for the 2004 election. For county information go to http://interactive2.usgs.gov/faq/list_faq_by_category/get_answer.asp?id=785
Sunday, November 14, 2004
Creek flood
It rained over five inches on November 13th and the creek overflowed its banks rising to the bottom of the steps leading up to the meadow. By the next day it had fallen to the level in this picture, covering the stepping stones crossing the creek.
Thursday, November 11, 2004
Monday, November 08, 2004
A fun trip to Reno
We spent a long weekend in and around Reno, Nevada to attend the wedding of Mark and Erin Kitchen. Ethan was the best man, and he did a good job. We were seated at Mark's family table and enjoyed talking with his parents, Larrie and Julie. We dined on prime rib and drank wine and danced with all the younger generation, and we enjoyed getting to know Erin's parents, Dan and Denise. In our free time we drove over to Lake Tahoe, up to the Donner Memorial Museum by way of Mount Rose, had a picnic at Donner Lake, and enjoyed the views from Donner Pass. We wished we had brought our skis since several of the higher runs were open. We discovered Truckee, CA, a little one-street rail town where extra steam locomotives once were coupled to haul the heavy freight trains over the Sierras. The old roundhouse has been converted into a diner.
Breakfast overlooking Truckee River in Reno
The view from the hotel restaurant where we had breakfast each morning. The special was 4 eggs, 4 sausages and 4 pancakes for $2.99. We split the fare and added a fruit bowl or orange juice. The food was unusually good and inexpensive. Of course, we had to walk through the casino to reach the restaurant.
Casino in Reno
The hotel casino was in a huge ersatz Italianate room off the lobby. The noise and smoke was oppressive, and the serious gamblers sitting there at all hours was depressing.
Sunday, November 07, 2004
CA Zephyr in Truckee, CA
The California Zephyr on a run from San Francisco to Chicago (3 days and two nights). It has just come over Donner Pass for a quick stop in Truckee.
Donner Pass Bridge
First snow on I-80 crossing the pass between Truckee and Soda Springs, California
Donner Lake from Pass
Looking east from the top of the pass over Donner Lake into Nevada. The Donner Party camped on the far end of the lake when over 20 feet of snow made it impossible to climb over the pass. Only half of the group survived the winter.
Snow at Donner Pass
Over 6000 Chinese laborers bored through solid granite to complete the transcontinental railroad through the mountains.
UP Freight clearing snowshed on Donner Pass
The location of the hardest tunnel digging on the 1868 first transcontinental rail line. We watched a long westbound freight climb slowly up to the pass.
Kelly and Ethan
We had a very good time at the wedding reception and caught this cute picture of our favorite young couple.
Saturday, November 06, 2004
T at Donner Memorial
At Donner Memorial Park we walked through the early first snow of the season on a nature trail around the site where the Donner Party spent the brutal winter of 1846-47 in three crudely constructed cabins and two tents. Recounting that tragic time: "The 81 members of the Donner Party 25 men, 15 women and 41 children, including six nursing infants were now huddled miserably in two makeshift winter camps. The Breens and their seven children took over an abandoned shack not far from Truckee Lake (now Donner Lake). Peggy Breen did what she could to calm the younger children. Lewis Keseberg built a rough lean-to for his family against one side of the Breen shack. Nearby, the Eddys crowded into a hastily constructed log cabin with the Murphys, the Fosters and the Pikes. A second drafty cabin housed the family of Franklin Graves at one end and Margaret Reed and her four children at the other. Six miles away, on Alder Creek, the two Donner families huddled in tents where the storm had caught them." (PBS film: The Donner Party: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/donner/)
Lake Tahoe
The deep water colors in Lake Tahoe are hard to believe! Squaw Valley ski runs are across the lake.
Friday, November 05, 2004
Our meadow from air
On takeoff from Austin we flew over our valley; ours is the third house from the left.
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