Monday, August 22, 2011

Bass Lake 2011

I have spent the weekend trying to decide how to do this post.  A week in Bass Lake, no matter how you slice it, is a big treat for me.  I love this place.  We had planned a long time for this trip, and hoped it would be perfect.  It was not.  It was a hard week.  But we did have a lot of fun too.  The kids had an absolute ball!  DIRT. IS. THEIR. THING!!!   They got along great, with a few fights and a few tears thrown in for good measure.  Some were great helpers, and great campers.  Some were not.  Our next trip to Bass Lake will be in a cabin.  On the water.  With a dock.  No more dry camping for a week.  With a lot of people.  Too hard. With that said, let's get to the photos.  I forgot my camera TWO days in a row when packing for the boat the first two days we were there.  Can you believe that?  Me neither.  But I did.  I was so busy packing food, and towels, and suntan lotions, etc...etc...that I just forgot. So I missed some good photos, but the girls got what I missed, I think.
We got a later than usual start this year, and it proved to be a bad decision.  Driving in the heat, in an RV, pulling  a boat, with a caravan of other RV's and boats and cars and people, is never a great idea.  Our trip took 9 1/2 hours.  A little stop for lunch, a longer stop for some trailer repair, and we arrived with a whole day lost.  So by the time we set up camp, we didn't have time to launch boats.  Here we go.
Setting up camp.


The first morning, our nephew Don and his beautiful wife Kaylen arrived, bright and early.  With a box of apple fritters and sprinkled donuts for the kids.  Bless them!!!
We had a great day with them.  The middle generation skied and we spent the entire day on the lake.  Don was a huge help getting the boats launched and registered and into their slips.  Kaylen is always a joy to have around.  The little ones adore her, and she is always upbeat and fun no matter what!  Even in the dirt!  And even when she has a 3 hr. drive ahead of her to go back to their new home in Walnut Creek.  We love and miss them already!!!  SO glad that they came to spend a day with us.  Wish it could have been longer!  As luck would have it, the fun day on the lake with them, was one where I had forgotten to put my camera in my bag! 
That night, while inside the motorhome, I heard a roar, then it came to a stop and as I came outside to see what it was....was pleasantly surprised by this!!!
Our great friends, Tom and Jae came up on their Harley, side car in tow.  They set up their tent and stayed for two nights.  We had a ball with them!  Love these two!!!
On their second night there, we had our "Feast In The Forest."  It was the only night we cooked.  Sort of.  Gennifer had made a P Dub lasagna back at home, and I had made home made spaghetti and meatballs with sauce made from my tomatoes in the garden.  We froze the meals and brought them along.  All I had to do was make a salad and two loaves of french bread, and we were good to go.  You would think. But defrosting took a long time. And then cooking, being in the altitude took a long time.  But eventually, we were all squished onto the table inside the mosquito net, in the dark, laughing and enjoying our "Feast In The Forest."
Here is Jae telling Drew about her piano lessons.  I laughed as I watched her animated version of this going on.
My daughter got some good shots of us lounging at the lake that day, but naturally, this was the second day I forgot to bring my camera on the boat. 
So,we said goodbye to Tom and Jae, and the next day, my Mom and Uncle Chester and Aunt Claylene arrived. 
Oh to find the words that accompany my feelings about having them there with us at my very special place.  You see, it was Uncle Chester and Aunt Claylene, that introduced our family to Bass Lake, some 40 years ago.  We figured out that it was 1971 that we went for the first time, after they had been with some mutual friends, and declared it to be the place to go.....and so we said goodbye to our annual trips to the river.  Magic was made at Bass Lake during these summer trips made with our families and friends.  There were about 7 or 8 different families that began to come along every summer with us.  All of the kids were about the same ages, and the parents were all long time friends.  We stayed for many years at a place on the lake called Lee's Cabins.  Mr. and Mrs. Lee became our friends. They were already quite elderly when we met them, all those years ago.  So when Mr. Lee passed away, and Lee's Cabins were purchased by someone else, we began to find other homes and cabins to rent on the lake.  But the the very best years, were at Lee's.  The minute my Mom and Auntie and Uncle arrived, the magic of MY Bass Lake was with me, and it filled my heart and head with the sweet memories made during my youth coming to this place.  The spirit of my Dad, who was always the life of the party, was with us all, and we enjoyed sharing our memories of our Bass Lake.  And a funny story I want to share with you.  Since my Dad's death, almost 8 years ago, my Mom has been finding pennies, everywhere she goes.  She thinks that they are from my Dad.  My Dad always found pennies when they were together.  Mom has many times, been driving somewhere, and thinking of Dad, and then upon stepping out onto the pavement, she finds a shiny copper penny!!!  This has been going on for years now.  It happens to me too.  I know what you're thinking.  EVERYONE finds pennies on the ground!!  But this is different.  It is in odd places, and often times, RIGHT after talking about Dad, or thinking of him.  So we pull into our campsite, and there strewn ALL over the site....everywhere.....are pennies.  Dozens of them.  I picked them up all week.  And with each dusty penny I found, I could feel him.  My Dad. He was smiling down at us.  Happy to see us in this place we call Our Bass Lake. 
We enjoyed two days on the lake while they were here.  We ate a couple of times at The Forks.  Wow...what a place.  And the memories.......oh my.  Here are a couple of pics of the fun we had while they visited with us.
 THE FORKS!!!
Well that brings us to Wednesday.  I will stop here and share the rest of our week tomorrow.  Time to get Noah ready for school, and me ready for my day.
I finished the last load of laundry last night at 10:00.  Everything is put away, and I am in need of a little rest.  See you tomorrow.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

what a great time you had,, thanks for sharing this,, you all look so happy!!

Sinta Renee said...

Love the photos! Looks like you had another amazing vacation with the group!!! I love the story of the pennies... gave me goosebumps!

Holly said...

I've been waiting or this post! Love the pennies! In time, all the hard work, and exhaustion will just be replaced with wonderful memories. Looking forward to seeing and hearing more tomorrow.

Bethany said...

That looks so fun! That's how I feel about where we go for vacation! My sister was trying to convince everyone to go somewhere else next year, but she isn't anymore. I think she felt that yesteryear thing when we were away this year and realized that's where we need to go :)

Sunny Simple Life said...

Very touching post. Doesn't life just zoom past? I hate that about it. I want to go there after seeing all your photos. The water looks so pretty and clear.

Lauri said...

I love the "pennies from heaven" story. I'm sure your dad is watching and loving the family time and memories you all share.

Dawn said...

You have me crying reading about the pennies and your Dad. Great memories, I believe it is your Dad at work here on earth:)

Kristi said...

Awe Kris, I totally teared up reading that part about your Dad. Such great memories.

Great pictures, it looks like such a fun time and you had so many visitors! I love that! Can't wait for part II!!

Sandy said...

That is such a cool story about the pennies! Can't wait to hear about the rest of your week. :)

The Tuscan Home said...

Hi Kris,
I always enjoy your stories and adventures. No matter where you go, or who you're with, you always look to be having a wonderful time. =) You look adorable, by the way! Glad you had a good vacation. Thanks for sharing! XO ~Liz

Tammy said...

Oh my. The pennies got me. Way to make me cry. Looks beautiful up there! I wanna go!

Maryrose said...

lOOKS LIKE THE TRIP WAS ABOVE AND BEYOND YOUR EXPECTATIONS. WELCOME HOME WITH YOUR PENNIES FROM HEAVEN!!!

Linda said...

Great post!! All the thoughts about all the dirt and work will soon be replaced by wonderful memories...and your grandkids will thave those of you just like you do of your childhood...wonderful photos too!!

Unknown said...

What a trip. I can't imagine the 9+ hours with all those cars, boat and an RV. I'm sure you were glad to finally arrive. What a fun campsite, but I'm with you on the cabin next year. A whole week dry camping, well...ok I know... Aren't those family trips fun and it's really in the end all about the memories, laughs, stories, shared with your loved ones. Can't wait for the next set of pics. Oh, and by the way, I love your hat. Perfect for you.

Now, go and get some well deserved rest.

Kate

Pammy Sue said...

I missed you, Kris! Glad y'all are home and had a wonderful trip.

Stacey said...

Erika told me all about the trip :) At least it's another memory for the memory book, even if it wasn't quite what ya'll were expecting :) And, I know exactly what you are talking about with the pennies.. My Grandpa died a few years ago, and we find pennies constanly.. I've even found one in my shower??!! If any of us are stressed about something, a penny appears, and we feel like that's a=our Grandpa's way of letting us know everything is going to be ok.. That's so cool you found them all around camp.. Gives me chills :)

Genn said...

Loved reading about the pennies too.
I didn't know that, but I sure did see a lot of pennies at the campsite! How crazy.
It had to be pennies from heaven.

Great picture of everyone in the tent eating our one real dinner.

Bonnie said...

Looks like so much fun! What a great tradition! I'm sure the kiddos will remember those summers fondly and hopefully take their families there someday. Great pictures!

deb said...

pennys from heaven....priceless!!!

annielizabeth said...

Hi Kris, I believe in the pennies from your dad, that's so special! Loved this post, beautiful!