Sunday, August 18, 2013

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

23 comments:

Pammy Sue said...

Fun, fun, fun! I love to see your Big Bear excursions!

Mereknits said...

How fun, and the weather looks amazing. I think you should make a witch quilt, I loved that one. have a wonderful day with all of your friends.
Meredith

pembrokeshire lass said...

What a lovely day....filled with all sorts of lovelies and, to crown it off, time with old friends! Hope the rest of your trip goes as well and thanks for letting us come along. Joan

Unknown said...

You have so many wonderful friends...it's great to see you all get together in such a beautiful place! You look adorable!

Home Meadows said...

Sounds like a wonderful trip and I hope your hubby finds "Walter" (On Golden Pond is a classic). Nice photos of you and your friends. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Heather

Kelli said...

Looks like a great weekend.
Love the beautiful quilts...I really like the Santa one. I have some beautiful quilts my mom made for me.

Dawn said...

What fun, I just smile when I read your posts. I love the quilt that looks like a house exposed to all the rooms. What a clever idea:)

Sunny Simple Life said...

That bear quilt is awesome. Love the color. You have had a nice weekend. Bet you hate when fall comes and you have to put the boat away. Who is watching the chickies at home?

sweetpea family said...

What a fun trip with lovely friends - thanks for sharing X

Jeanna said...

Sounds like another great time at the lake. So nice for you to have so many friends and 'long-time' ones at that.

Really enjoyed seeing the pics from the quilt show. That bear quilt is beautiful!

Thanks for sharing your stories of Bear Lake :)

Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces said...

Looks like the best kind of weekend, Kris! Great photos!

Deb~in~Denver said...

Sounds like a fabulous weekend! So glad you were able to meet up with so many of your friends, always fun to catch-up. Beautiful pictures, thanks for sharing! It feels like we were right there on the water with you!

Deb

Susanne Tyree said...

I like the quilt with the house, all the busy stuff going on in it makes my head swim just thinking someone made that. If it was appliqued then there are many hours devoted to that one. On that one the little quilts hanging in the yard are so cute. So glad you had a great weekend with friends. I can sure tell you love those times spent at Big Bear.
(((HUGS))) Susanne :)

Astri said...

Oh my - quilts, fishing and friends...that is a fun combo!

Betsy said...

Such a wonderful time at Big Bear. The quilt show looks like a wonderful time and so does the discovery museum. And to see friends from so long ago...how perfect! It sounds like an absolutely fantastic weekend. One to remember and cherish,
Blessings,
Betsy

Holly said...

So great that you have such an amazing place to enjoy the beautiful weather and friends. Great pics Kris!

priscilla said...

Great photos of your weekend ! So nice you got to see all your friends !

Debbie said...

oh Kris everything about this day sounds soo fun. I was just telling my husband yesterday, the mountains are calling me. I think we might head up there soon. MAYBE labor day week-end for that other quilt show?? who knows... It is always soo relaxing and pretty up there. Glad you had a good time with your friends!

Teresa Kasner said...

Hi Kris - we've both been lake-ing it! I love all the friendship that you have there, just wonderful! I just did a big post of photos of our lake camping trip. I hope people don't mind all the pix. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

Pam said...

Those quilts are great!! What a wonderful time with friends. Big Bear is beautiful. It reminds me of my husband's hometown, McCall, Idaho.

Val said...

Looks like great times had by all.

Gracie Saylor said...

Friends and fish and fun!!! I especially enjoyed the lake photos and Jeep's jubilant look with his catch :) Glad you all had fun and you enjoyed a quilt show, too, Kris!
xx Gracie

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

I loved seeing the quilts and the nature center! The Big Bear quilt was fabulous!