Big Bear Vacation

Oh dear, here I said I was getting back to blogging, and I have been absent for nearly two months! Time just gets away from me!  We have had one of the hottest July's on record, here in Southern California where we live.  We escaped one of the hottest weeks, at the end of July, up in our beloved Big Bear. 
Away we go...off like a herd of turtles, as our friend Randy Lasher would say.

We left the town we live in, at about 109 degrees on this day, and arrived at Big Bear, to a torrential downpour, and a cool 75 degrees!  Glorious.  But that blew past quickly, and the heat came back.  Although a good 20 degrees cooler than back home.  Still hot for Big Bear, at about 90 each day...but cool on the water.  We arrived late in the afternoon, and didn't get on the boat the first day. 
I love this photo of our grandson, Noah, sitting on the rocks, watching the beautiful sunset.  The lake is very, very low.  We have camped in the  same spot, when we could fish from our campsite!

This was our new dog, Dukes first time in Big Bear, and only second camping trip with us.  He was a champ!  Such a delight to have along. 

This was his little spot on our site.  He was so content.  And he LOVES the boat!!

We experienced much more wind than usual this time.  But it didn't keep us from having a good time, or enjoying being out on the lake.
Noah has gotten really good at driving the boat.  And this gives Geeps the free hands to set up fishing poles.  I am retired from being a deck hand, and like to spend my time on the back bench seat, under the shade of the bimini top, knitting with my dog at my feet!

A few days after we arrived, our oldest daughter and her husband, and girls arrived to stay in a cabin nearby.  They had planned the trip to celebrate our son in law, Jake's, 40th birthday.  His family all came from Idaho and Oregon too.  Along with several friends and neighbors, and all of our side of the family.  It was a lot of fun.  They rented a pontoon one day, and we side tied in a cove and the kids all had a blast paddle boarding and swimming and tubing. 

Jake's birthday party was held at a local restaurant in The Village.  It was great food, and a really good time.

We keep our cooking simple on our camping trips.  I had brought my fresh tomatoes from the garden, and other veggies to enjoy.  We had some good burgers, and good steaks!  

Noah and I played a lot of Gin Rummy.  He got a few good hands!!

We watched a lot of beautiful sunsets, and did a lot of laying around.  We watched a movie in the trailer every night too. 

I adore the shot of Noah and his Geeps, quietly watching the sun set on our Big Bear Lake.  
We roasted marshmallows of course!

We left a couple days before Gennifer and her family.  So we said our goodbye, and headed down the hill. We were greeted with more triple digit weather, and a very thirsty garden!  I tended the chickens, and did the laundry, and we prepared for our next trip, only a couple of days later.

Big Bear, you never disappoint!!  Thanks for the visit.  Come on back in the next few days or so, to see where we went next.
XO  Kris