Getting down & dirty in Yosemite

Colin's been traveling to his family's cabin in Yosemite ever since he was a little kid. For the last few years he's talked nonstop about this magical place he spent his summers but given our overseas situation, I hadn't been able to get up there, that is until this past week.

Now before I go any further, you have to know this cabin is miles from anywhere (you really need an SUV to get in), and even comes with it's very own outhouse and outdoor shower. That's right! Colin had the pleasure of taking our good friend James up there over Memorial Day last year while they were training in nearby Fallon. When I heard they had to park and walk the remaining mile due to snow only to arrive to a broken heater; *sigh* you can imagine my disappointment not to have been able to spend the weekend there.

Well we chose to come up a little later this year and to my delight, made it all the way to the cabin with very little trouble! After an evening celebrating with the rest of the neighbors over good ole' spaghetti and meatballs we spent the next day raking piles and piles of pine needles that had blanketed the property over the past year. Considering the cabin sits at about 6,800 feet elevation I got my workout in for the day! Sadly I must have caught something lovely as I spent our second night and third day in bed with the flu, no 4th of July for me! I can't think of anything more fun than having to sit on the porch of the outhouse all night with just a flashlight knowing there are bears snoozing in the woods. I'll spare you the details but Colin can attest that I told him at one point I just wanted to keel over and die. Good grief flu!

Fortunately it was a 24 hour bug and I was refreshed and ready to tackle an 8.5 mile hike along the perimeter of Yosemite Valley the next day. Can't say if it was the 9,000 foot elevation or my recovering immune system but I've run 1/2 marathons that were easier. My hunky husband hoofed through it like it was a mere walk in the park. I guess his Eagle Scout days paid off. Still I trooped along in the heat through a 4,000 foot descent (and a 500 foot climb thrown in for kicks) as we gazed at the GORGEOUS waterfalls that are setting records for the valley this year. The pictures don't do much justice but I'll do what I can to share my experiences with you.

Yosemite Falls 

Colin & Aunt Sharon

 A view from the beginning of our 4 1/2 hour, 8 mile, 4,000 foot descending hike. Easy peasy.

Taking a lunch break on the Merced River

 Nevada Falls

 Holy Steps! 

On the Mist Trail descending from Nevada Falls to Vernal Falls

Nevada Falls

Steep scary overlook of Vernal Falls

We took this rather quickly as the mist from the waterfall soaked us (and it felt great!)

 I'm thinking he's rather fond of having his picture taken as he posed on cue. 

Base of Yosemite Falls after our 8.5 mile hike. Yay!

On Friday Colin and I took his sister Desiree for some sightseeing and hiking. Once again, more stunning views that attract people from all over the US, Asia and Europe. 

 Colin & Desiree

Our main activity was a 3 mile hike to the top of Lembert Dome. With lots of rivers and creeks to cross it ended with a fun climb up the rock that makes up the Dome. The view was AMAZING!

Taken from the top of Lembert Dome: 9,400 feet

I could have sat up there all day!

Tenaya Lake at 8,100 feet.

Chilly!

More rock climbing. =)

All in all it was a pretty fun week. I haven't seen such amazing waterfalls since I visited Switzerland 11 years ago. If you have a chance to check them out this summer, go for it. For now I'll get back to laundry. I think our clothes and shoes collected about a pound of dirt during the trip. =)

Such Creativity!

So I'm back from Yosemite but while I compile my pictures I thought I'd share this awesome post from my Guam friend, Peyton. She has inspired me to become a little more creative with my sewing skills...and it gave me a little laugh this morning!

Attacking the Mending Pile

It's Tutu Cute!

My latest tutu. 

Go Navy!

Flowers, Family & Food...Oh My!

My big sister Rissy (Carissa for the rest of you folks) came down for a visit this weekend to see our new digs. Colin and I have been waiting for company to visit so we could try out various local attractions. Saturday brought us a a visit to the Oceanfront Art Festival followed by dinner at Chix Oyster Bar. On Sunday we found ourselves at Norfolk Botanical Gardens, lunch at Azars, and a visit to Colin's squadron which was all capped off by steak and peach pie on Saturday night with our neighbor Diane and her kidlet (as Colin loves to say) Hannah. Additionally our good friends from Guam, Julie and John came up today for a quick visit with their son Tommy. All in all, a very fun and eventful weekend!

Norfolk Botanical Gardens

 Rissy's first time in the cockpit of a brand spankin' new helicopter (or any helicopter for that matter)

The wait is over!

Well if this were a perfect world I'd wait until we would have finished painting and upgrading before posting new pics of our place but we all know how long that will take. So in the meantime, here is a brief photo tour of a few rooms in our condo!

Our very red kitchen. Still trying to decided if I want to keep it this color. But isn't our new fridge awesome? I am all over the new french door refrigerators!

Living Room: We used two different shades of yellow to complement the chair rail.

Instead of acquiring a new piece of furniture for our TV, we decided to splurge on a built-in entertainment center next month. The shelving you see on the right was installed by the previous owner. For the time being we've learned gorilla storage boxes make great TV stands!

Downstairs 1/2 bath. I've always wanted a purple bathroom. So here it is!

Upstairs Hallway

Colin's Man Room was short lived. I recently took up sewing and needed a place for my sewing machine and all the fun that goes with it. I'd say he still wins the "I love me" award as we were able to fit most of his plaques and Navy memorabilia (one acquires an absurd amount of memorabilia that piles up over the course of their career). I still managed to sneak in my running medals though. :)

Our mismatched guest room. The walls are blue at the moment but when we get the urge to go on another painting spree we'll repaint this room. For now, it's the guest room and ready for visitors!

And that's it for now! We went down to High Point, NC over Memorial Day to purchase bedroom furniture. It should arrive mid-July so I'll be sure to post pics of our bedroom and the finished living room then!

Cheddarific Pooch Treats

So Colin and I don't have kids yet but as many of you probably know, I tend to spoil my dog just a little. Okay a lot. She's my baby and I'm sure that'll change once we have little ones running around. However for now, Cheddar is probably a little too spoiled for her own good. What can I say, she's pretty cute.


I love to cook and one of the things I love to make is dog treats. Mostly because you really can't screw up too badly. Especially when your dog loves to take inventory in the trash can on a regular basis. All dogs do that....right?


So today I made these fabulous treats for the pooper and her current roommate Scooter. While they love to take up residence in the kitchen while I cook, they were particularly intrigued by the smells these gave off this afternoon. Maybe it's the cheese. Maybe it's the oats. Whatever it is they were more than happy to taste test my new creations. So feel free to make these for your furry child. I guarantee they'll love 'em. I can prove it only because these two would never sit on command for anything else. Trust me. I tried.

  

Cheddarific Pooch Treats

Makes approximately 18-24 small biscuits.

1 cup boiling water

1-2 cubes chicken or beef bouillon

1/3 cup margarine or butter, softened

1 cup rolled oats

3 Tbsp brewers yeast

½ cup milk

½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 egg, beaten

¾ cup cornmeal

3 cups flour

  

Preheat oven to 325°. Combine boiling water and bouillon and stir to dissolve bouillon. In a large bowl mix bouillon water, margarine or butter, oats and brewers yeast. Allow mixture to stand for fifteen minutes or until oats have softened and absorbed some of the liquid. Stir in milk, cheese, egg and cornmeal until combined. Stir flour in one cup at a time until dough becomes stiff and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Turn onto a floured surface and roll into a ½” circle. Using cookie cutters of your choice, cut into shapes.

1 egg

2 Tbsp water

¼ cup cheddar cheese, shredded

  

In a small bowl whisk egg and water. Brush egg wash over shapes and sprinkle with a few shreds of cheese.  Line shapes on a greased baking sheet and bake 35-40 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and cheese is crisp. Cool and allow biscuits to sit out overnight to dry. Store in an airtight container and out of sight from counter surfing canines. 

Woof!