Big Bear

Hello and good Sunday morning!  We are up in Big Bear for the weekend.  There are 7 other couples here with us.  Well, we are not all staying together, but lots of our friends are up here, and we are fishing together, and eating together, and playing together.
There is also a quilt show up here this weekend.  My friend Jae and I have been planning on attending this for weeks.  While all of the others were out fishing, I picked up Jae and headed to the Discovery Center to see the quilts.

It was crowded and we had to park out on the main road and hoof it up to the Discovery Center.  We paid our entry fee, and made it past the raffle booths, filling out dozens of tickets to try our luck at winning, and then proceeded to look at all of the goodies.

There were a lot of whimsical quilts, like the one above, that really tickled my funny bone!!!    We voted for our favorites, and purchased some fun fabric and patterns and books from our local Big Bear Quilt Shop booth.  And then made our way outside the Quilt Show to see what else was going on at The Discovery Center.   If you have not ever been to visit The Discovery Center, I urge you to do so the next time you are in Big Bear.  They have a lot of organized events that are free to the public, and they are all guided by experienced personnel to show you things you may not ever know about this beautiful mountain community.

The Discovery Center is located on the Fawnskin side of the mountain, and is easy to find with signs along the highway to guide you there.  There is going to be an outdoor concert on Labor Day Weekend that we are eager to attend.

Inside the center, there are beautifully designed educational displays to show you the kinds of animals you can find living here, as well and plants, trees, and the like.

We even encountered a BEAR!!!

That big fellow once roamed the forests right here on Big Bear.

The center is filled with educational information on so many things, as well as a beautiful gift shop with wares from local artisans, and photography and maps and something for everyone.  They even have a small cafe if you happen to get hungry.  This is a must see for anyone visiting our local mountain community.
On our way out, we had a nice young man take mine and Jae's photo next to a beautiful quilt that was made by one of the two quilt guilds/sewing clubs here on the mountain.

After spending the morning at the show, we worked up quite an appetite, and went to Blanca's for the best burger on the mountain.  And then joined the boys out on the boat for the rest of the afternoon.
Greg just got a new toy that he was very excited to use.  A fish finder!  So they were after Walter!!  But on our way out to the fishing hole, we stopped off to see some friends of ours who were vacationing nearby.  Mike and Lee have been friends forever.  Mike's younger sister, Nancy was my best friend all through my teen years.  She was the maid of honor in our weddding.  After high school, Nancy moved away to Washington to go to college, and then moved to Virginia with her family.  I only get to see Nancy on rare occasions.  But she has recently moved back home, and she was there with her brother for the weekend.  It was SO fun to see her, and all of the family!!!  We stayed out on their dock for a good hour or so, visiting with all of them.

I had to laugh at one point.  I looked over my shoulder and there was Mike and Greg, sitting on the boat comparing their fishing gear, like a couple of little boys trading baseball cards.

I think Mike made off with one of Greg's new luhrs.

Mike and Lee's oldest daughter, Breanna, was a 10 day old bundle of sweetness on her first public outing at our wedding, 34 years ago.  It was great fun to get to see both of their grown kids, Breanna and David, along with their spouses and kids.  And Lee's sister, who was also great fun to be with.  It sure was a walk down memory lane.  We have so much history with these friends.
Nancy took a picture of the four of us before we scooted away from their dock.

And then we hugged and kissed goodbye, and waved from the boat to Mike and Nancy as we slipped off to the fishing hole.

I love this family, and am so happy that Nancy is back in town!!!!!   Next stop.....fishing hole after Walter!!

Duffy and I were the only ones not fishing.  I was in the back of boat putting out the snacks, and Duffy was waiting for anything he could find to fall to the floor.  He is Tom and Jae's sweet Yellow Lab.

It was hot and gorgeous out on the lake yesterday.  No need for a sweatshirt all day long, and even into the night.  Very unusual for this mountain lake!

And then suddenly, a hook up!!!!!   

"GET THE NET!"   That is my job!

It wasn't Walter, but he was a good one.

We usually release them.  The fun is in the catch.  A photo for bragging rights, and then back into the lake they go.
We put the boat back into the slip just as darkness was beginning to fall.

Went back to the cabin to freshen up and then met up with everyone at Marc and Cheryl's place on the Fawnskin side for pizza and Wii.  I didn't take my camera with me.  We had a very nice time visiting and eating, and Wii playing, and even a little dancing!
A perfect day in Big Bear!!!    Greg and the other guys are all out for the early bite.  I will join them soon for a little lake time before we head back down the hill later today.
See you soon.
XO  Kris