Amazing weekend hiking, geocaching, playing with Dad at El Dorado National Forest near Tahoe (not near the burned area). Saturday at Pipi Creek, grooving with the boulders and the foliage and dragonflies. Found a natural swimming hole, Miles stoked to swim and climb the slippery face of a mini-waterfall.
Sunday on the backside of Silver Lake, hiking up to the well-hidden natural treasure Granite Lake, a great stone basin under pristine skies. Found a water snake, which Miles followed along the banks until disappeared with a ripple beneath the surface. Lunch on the banks of nearby Hidden Lake, watching postcard reflections dance in the afternoon heat.
Had some excellent geocaching adventures. Saturday evening, traipsing through thickets with M, running out of time, Miles held up a thick stick: “Daddy, what’s this funny log?” Noticed the saw mark around the middle, and had him pull one end. Cacher had hollowed out just enough space for a medicine bottle containing a log book and pencil. So creative. Would I have found it without M’s help?
Sunday thought we were getting close to Minkalo Cliffs cache, when the GPSr started pointing uphill. Realized we’d have to backtrack and scale a butte overlooking Silver Lake. Gorgeous. Got to the cliff edge and found the compass pointing down again. That’s when I realized some climbing was involved. “Remember, no one is forcing you to do this,” said the cache page. Decided to go for it. 20 ft. down, found an ammo box wedged into a crack. Yelled the prizes down to Miles, who was hanging out in the trees with Amy. Left a travel bug that had originated in Hawaii and was asking to be left at Tahoe views… only to find later that evening that it already done a Tahoe circuit and was headed back for Hawaii. Heh – that’s the game.
Total recharge of a weekend. Ready for anything.
My weekend was spent with David and Emma, my 6 and 3 nephew and niece I had never met. Know that recharge feeling.
OK, so I got the best compliment of my life.
Monday my nephew David came home from school. He wanted to color. My sister got the crayons and paper.
David was very intent. He carefully drew his picture, using almost every crayon in the box. When done, he told my sister, “That’s Uncle Kurt.”
“Wow, you used a lot of different crayons, David.”
“Mommy, Uncle Kurt is *very* colorful.”
A six year old boy calling me “very colorful” trumps any raise, bonus, performance review, etc. Brilliant.
That’s beautiful. When it comes from a kid, you *know* they mean it.