It's Summertime!

This is a welcoming sight.
This means that summer is indeed here.
Officially that doesn't happen until June 21 st.
But for our family, seeing this trailer down at the campsite in SoHum (which is short for Southern Humboldt for those of you who are new to reading this post!) means that it is officially summer for us!
Each year we move our traveling home down to the Redwoods so that we can indulge ourselves in the warm summer like weather that seems to evade the northern parts of the county. When the fog remains as thick as a wool blanket for a good part of the summer months over the coastal cities, the inland valleys receive an abundance of sun for most of that time. So being the sunseeker that I am, I seek and I find. And I find it in SoHum.

Of course, set up takes some time. Seems like Gus winds up doing most of the hard work! The ground is not always level since there isn't a concrete slab or anything fancy like that. Sometimes finding a level spot isn't easy. It's kind of like moving furniture around in the living room.....it takes a few tries before you settle in on just the right set up. So after several repositioning attempts and Gus' eternal patience with me, we got it settled. Did I forget to mention how hot it was?

WM had the pleasure of setting up his tent. I had great fun telling him stories of how hard it was to set up a tent in the "old days." Tents that were made of 1/4 inch canvas that weighed about a hundred pounds, poles with no labels on them that had to be snapped together in just the right order to get the thing erect! I can still see the sweat pouring off of my father's face after wrestling with our old family tent for what seemed to be hours! I had to remind WM how easy he has it with these poles with elastic in them that only require a few minutes to put in place. He asked me if I had to walk for miles in the snow barefoot to get to school, too! Smart alec! (is that even spelled right!?).


And my job was to direct the entire ordeal from my chair. It had to look good as well as be level guys, come on!

But in the end, isn't this worth all that sweat and hard effort? We think so and I'm sure they appreciate it too!

Above Humboldt

Today I climbed a mountain. A mountain called Monument. When the morning sun is beaming through my eastern facing windows and the village life gets too close, I head for the hills. This is where my I can give my being a much needed rest. I stood there on that mountain that gazes down upon my town amazed at the beauty and wonder that laid before me. The carefully organized little town of Scotia, the rolling hills of Hydesville, the friendly town of Fortuna set next to the path of the Eel River which makes its way leisurely down to the Pacific Ocean all were visible. Even the Humboldt Bay was clearly in view in the far distance. WOW! I had never before beheld such a view of this area! The day was what I like to call a "turquoise" day, when the sky and the ocean are that incredible shade of blue that just draws you into it. The kind of day that demands that you get out and experience its fullness. Days like this are little pieces of heaven that break off and land here just for us to enjoy. God likes to give us a glimpse of His world. That's what I told my kids, anyway! The road that lay before me beckoned me to its summit and there I stood, gazing down upon the day. I love Humboldt county. So many areas to explore, so many places to get away from town and just get quiet.