Howdy,

Series note: the days have kind of come and passed—so quickly—but I’ve mentioned briefly in multiple posts about our six days in Santa Cruz and having active snippets to share, so I’m going to follow through on this—even if it’s become so long now that I’m not sure that I’m even that interested in it. (Not the way to intro your piece, for the writing students out there.) It’s been busy, and some minor illness in the family kind of throws things out of whack; we’re blessed it’s a summer schedule right now and we can kind of roll with the inefficient fog as the days rise and recede …

So I’ve lined it out, from what I’ve started (Thursday): Friday; Saturday; Sunday; Monday; Tuesday. Now I’ve just got to write them all.

Now it’s been three weeks ago, but, HEY, we’re done—today’s the last day of the Santa Cruz snippets. It was a good trip—probably a better vacation than it was a series of blog posts: at least now you know about those açaí bowls.

Finally, Tuesday: Tuesday, was, honestly, not that exciting. Yet it was amazing.

Somehow, we spent something like eight hours cleaning the cabin before we left.

You almost have to read that again—I feel like I have to write it again: eight hours! 

How could that even be?

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Howdy,

Series note: the days have kind of come and passed—so quickly—but I’ve mentioned briefly in multiple posts about our six days in Santa Cruz and having active snippets to share, so I’m going to follow through on this—even if it’s become so long now that I’m not sure that I’m even that interested in it. (Not the way to intro your piece, for the writing students out there.) It’s been busy, and some minor illness in the family kind of throws things out of whack; we’re blessed it’s a summer schedule right now and we can kind of roll with the inefficient fog as the days rise and recede …

So I’ve lined it out, from what I’ve started (Thursday): Friday; Saturday; Sunday; Monday; Tuesday. Now I’ve just got to write them all.

Monday: Monday, was Riah’s birthday.

Riah’s birthday day, starting with açaí bowls on a cliff ledge and the sea attacking us with glorious display—and power. POWER. Blew my hat right off! Seriously. Right off my head. Blasted into the air. But that’s a story and description for another time. But man am I glad that …—

So, where were we?

Oh, yeah, that’s where we were!

On the cliff ledge. My cap blasted off my head. It was my San Francisco Giants hat; with the way this season’s been going, I’m surprised it didn’t end up in the drink, sinking to a dark and lonely departure from the upper world.

But let’s rewind, give Riah’s first birthday a little more of it’s due.

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Howdy,

Series note: the days have kind of come and passed—so quickly—but I’ve mentioned briefly in multiple posts about our six days in Santa Cruz and having active snippets to share, so I’m going to follow through on this—even if it’s become so long now that I’m not sure that I’m even that interested in it. (Not the way to intro your piece, for the writing students out there.) It’s been busy, and some minor illness in the family kind of throws things out of whack; we’re blessed it’s a summer schedule right now and we can kind of roll with the inefficient fog as the days rise and recede …

So I’ve lined it out, from what I’ve started (Thursday): Friday; Saturday; Sunday; Monday; Tuesday. Now I’ve just got to write them all.

Sunday: Sunday, was an easy-going, stay-on-campus day (at Mission Springs Conference Center)—use the wonderful space around the beautiful cabin. Keep the going for another day. Well, we sort of pulled that off, also doing a lot that day, in its own way. Also known as, not that easy going.

Let’s see, we …

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Howdy,

Holy Smokes! I just woke up from a four-hour nap.

I told you on Wednesday about our family’s fevers and associated busyness and stress that comes from not feeling well.

That’s why I didn’t get a post up Thursday: and needed a four-hour nap this afternoon. Seriously, 12:15-4:15. (I’m still in a foggy cloud, and posting this right away sounds like a dangerous adventure.)

Now, to go see if temperatures are down and the house and the evening are still standing …

—Batman

Reading. Writing. Napping.

Howdy,

There hasn’t been a lot of writing time today. Not much time at all. My wife is working down her 106 degree (!) temperature from yesterday. Mostly 103-105, with a spike of 106 Tuesday morning, as I scrambled to load us up to leave tent camping in the mountains, and Ibuprofen has been bringing it back to 99-101. She made it in to the hospital (lab) for a strep throat test in the evening, and today the results came back negative. So that’s good. Today’s laying low and trying to stay cool to get cool in these high temps. Yesterday was a 20-hour day for me: and 106 for Sarah. Not even counting the heat.

—Billy

Reading temps lying down

Howdy,

So, yesterday I didn’t get a blog post up, as you may know. I will make no excuses on this (this time), because there are methods for looking ahead, working ahead, and scheduling entries ahead.

Ah, the wonders of the Internet, and, in a pinch, cell service. However, yesterday I wasn’t scheduled ahead, and I didn’t have Internet, and I didn’t have cell reception (though in all but the remotest of times—places [or unless you have AT&T, apparently]—one could usually sacrifice his space and moment on a mountain and descend back into the ranges of cellular towers). We were camping, enjoying company (actually, we visited as company to those who graciously invited us to join their 25-year-or-so tradition of family and friends campout getaway and hangout.

But we were out of range for AT&T.

I’ve sort of been on the run and out of range since the start of Memorial Day Weekend. Listen to this: May 26-28, camping with The Rock Church near Yosemite National Park and included a trip to Yosemite; June 1-6, Santa Cruz, first as brothers trip and then second half with my Fam; June 11, threw Riah Surf’s first birthday party; June 12-13, took the boys up to Mariposa to visit Epa and Grandma and get extra time with Uncle Casey who was north for awhile (also providing Sarah a bit of a solo retreat); June 14-17, three and a half hour family trip to Los Molinos to visit my dad at Uncle Donnie’s on the Sacramento River, which we employed greatly to beat the heat; and June 18-20, Father’s Day and camping in Long Barn at Pinecrest Lake; and (again), believe it or not, I feel like I’m forgetting stuff—all those gaps in dates.

I don’t know that I’ve ever, EVER, had a stretch quite like that. Sure, I’ve been on extended trips that may have been longer in total (maybe?), but I’m wondering if I’ve, in my lifetime, piled on “vacations”/camping/excursions/etc. in succession as we have these last three-plus weeks. Jet setting like we’re hopping movies over the course of a scorching day (which I’ve never done—but sounded like amazingly endless possibilities when I was a kid and like it would never happen: which it hasn’t). Speaking of scorching days—no, we won’t talk about the heated days in recent times of temperature torture; it’s tough enough that we have to endure, that we should have to rehash and reflect on it here. I mean, 85, 90 degrees in Pinecrest, dipping in the frigid, fresh-ice-melt lake from the sandy beach hosting scattered, but massive, swatches of giant, mountain pines shadow is almost unbearable.

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Howdy,

And Happy Father’s Day!

My boys will say, Happy Father’s Day! which is great and I will share:

Happy Father’s Day! from from blessed dad.

And also Happy Father’s Day! from a grateful son.

Thank you!

—Billy

Reading. Writing. Living.

Howdy,

Yesterday was “back to the house.”

Today is back home.

And, to be honest, all the fun family traveling, camping, cabin-ing, and visiting is putting me further and further behind in my writing, my word count pace.

But, hey, tomorrow is another day. It is good to be home, and we thank God for the blessing of another safe trip and a wonderful opening to an active and enjoyable summer. Good stuff.

I’ll get my words. Lord willing. And family fun as well.

—Billy

Reading. Writing. Driving.

Howdy,

I was all scheduled to continue to write today in my little, mini series on Santa Cruz snippets, but then we spent over seven hours on the river. Really. I watched my boys Tom and Huck on inner tubs and a raft for almost an eight-hour work day this afternoon: except it wasn’t work.

But we were out there a LONG time. A good time.

So, back to the house, I think I’m just going to say today was a good day and call it a night. Some times you can tell when you’re making memories. And maybe boys’ worlds. Tonight’s sweet dreams will be drifting down a snow-melt river …

—Billy

Rafting. Writing. Living.

Howdy,

Series note: the days have kind of come and passed—so quickly—but I’ve mentioned briefly in multiple posts about our six days in Santa Cruz and having active snippets to share.

So I’ve lined it out, from what I’ve started (Thursday): Friday; Saturday; Sunday; Monday; Tuesday. Now I’ve just got to write them all.

Saturday: Saturday, was quick.

Quick to come and quick to go.

Thursday through Saturday was a great trip with my brothers—we call it our “Brothers Trip”—but it went quickly: like fast forward from Thursday to Saturday evening. Time flies when you’re having fun. And we were having fun. You’ve had a chance to read a bit about Thursday and Friday already, and Saturday we made it back to Verve Coffee Roasters and sat around a Jamba Juice outdoor table for close-to-home conversation. (Verve was so busy and loud, because it’s so happening.) Then we also got back to Cafe Brasil for those açaí bowls. I guess we’ve found what we like.

Just to note: I did remember what the Friday morning food was—pancakes, with a egg on top. It was Casey’s contribution to the culinary delights of the getaway. It seems we may get from him an annual introduction to new ways to consume; maybe we’ll call it Casey’s Contribution. Last year, it was bagels with whipped cream cheese, avocado and/or egg, and lemon pepper. The lemon pepper and avocado is a killer combo, and sitting on the cream cheese over an Everything bagel, it’s fabulous. If you’ve never done anything quite like it, you should give it a go—though I know I lost some of you at avocado.

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