A California Picture Day

Today, I taught HS Spanish.  I didn't actually teach it.  I gave a test.  It wasn't bad.  I also bought the fourth book in the Percy Jackson collection.  Several students planned on attending the movie this evening.  I admit to being a little jealous.

I made another printing of our Transportation Coloring Book.  Sold a few books today.  It's been a good week.  Still, I don't have a lot to write on, so I thought I would share some pictures from when we lived in California.  It is hard to believe we have been back from California for five years now.  We arrived back here on on the 16th or 17th of March, 2005.  FIVE YEARS!  It seems like yesterday.  These photos are of our time there. 

Below is a covered bridge that was in a valley below Paradise, Ca.  There was a Geocache there.  We found it, but in the meantime enjoyed a very nice day near a covered bridge.  

Below is my lovely little niece, probably sometime after we were back, but I still wanted to put it in because she looks like an angel here.  She was about a year old and already charming the shirt off her uncle.  

One Christmas when we had come back to visit, but Father-in-Law decided he wanted to go fishing.  I believe this was Christmas Eve Day of 2004.  Just the two of us went fishing that day.  We were on the Columbia.  It was a good day.  Even though we didn't catch anything.  I have always liked this picture of him.  

One day, Cora and I decided to take a day trip to Yosemite Valley.  On the map it looked like about a 3 hour drive.  I guess we didn't look close enough at the squiggly path of the road, nor did we know that the speed limit was a paltry 35mph at times.  It took us five hours to get there!  Being the two stubborn people we are, we kept going despite the way the hours were flying by and we were not nearing our destination.  We just waited it out.  It is a lovely valley.  Fully worth the drive.  Worth the wait.  (How many times have we heard that during this adoption?  Yeah, I know, but that doesn't make the drive any shorter.)  Don't I have a lovely wife?

This last photo is at another Geocache.  Cora gave me the GPS for our fourth anniversary.  We did a lot of Geocaching during that time.  This particular one was on the East side of Beale AFB.  It had been used by the US Army to train in the attack of Pill Boxes (Armored places where machine guns or artillery was housed).  We took Toby and enjoyed our hike.  I think it was August or September...it was a hot day, either way.  Note the Live Oak in the background.  That particular tree species is a a hallmark of California. 

We had good times there.  I miss it, though, I think it is safe to say Cora does not.  We were far from family, though.  I am glad to be back, and although we don't see my nieces and nephews often, we see them more often than we did down there.  We have more friends up here and I think it safe to say we are more a part of the community here.  Maybe I will return for a short visit one of these days, if only to see the aircraft that I miss so much.  

So, there are some pictures and I still can't believe its almost been five years since we were there.