…Holdable Balloon (2) – Farmyard Chick (6) – Play Reindeer Antlers – Halloween Balloons (2) – Gold Piggy Bank (4) – Gumball Machine (4) – Rubber Ducky (4)All leftover participation prizes will go to the…
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…myself included… Back in 2002, mere months after The Casita Club began, I took my wife (Debbie) and 4 year old step-daughter (Lilly) on their first camping trip in my Casita. It was an awesome trip, with us heading to the Eastern Sierra area of California, staying at Convict Lake. We used the Casita as a base-camp, while we visited every nook and cranny of the Eastern Sierra and White Mountain ranges. We went off the beaten path and checked out wild horses, old stage coach stops, ghost towns, petrified trees, petroglyphs and so many other places, that I cannot remember. While traveling around, Lilly rode between Debbie and I in my Dodge Ram, while sitting in a child’s booster seat. On one of the days, she forgot her shoes back at camp, so Debbie made her shoes out of duct tape (over her socks). That certainly didn’t slow her down, as we traveled across the desert and met up with folks we will never forget, like an old grizzled miner, named “Tonopah Mike” (can you guess where he lived?), who knew where we could pick-up a pair of “little feet shoes”. That same day, we headed up to an area called, “The Sump”. It is a mountain, that has slowly eroded away, revealing petrified trees at the bottom of the canyon. Well, Lilly had breakfast at the top of “The Sump”, looking down at the spectacular view, from a cliff that fell off into nothing. Across the valley below, was the towering White Mountain range, which is often forgotten because of its bigger brother, the Sierra Nevada. I can’t imagine very many 4 year olds ever getting to experience anything like that. After checking out the view and getting up-close inspections of horned lizards and other desert critters, we headed down to the trees and Lilly leaned up against the stoney “bark” for a picture. It was pretty amazing to think that this tree had been frozen in time and buried by volcanic ash, then reappeared after centuries of rain and wind eroded everything around it. Ironic still, that the tree still stood, where the ash that took its life washed away… I remember getting back to the campground that day and building a big fire so we could warm up after some thunderstorms rolled through and dropped the temperatures. We talked about the day and all we had experienced. It was a great trip and we all dreaded the end of our adventure, when we packed up and headed home. So what’s the point of this “story”? Well, tomorrow we will be leaving Southern California and driving up to Idaho, because that same 4 year old little girl who experienced everything on that trip, is starting a new adventure. We will be taking her to University, to begin her freshman year. That same little girl in the pictures above, is now an Honor student, who has received a full tuition scholarship to study biology, on a Pre-Vet track. Debbie and I knew back in kindergarten, when Lilly wanted to be a veterinarian for Halloween, that she would probably end up in that direction. Her very hard work, her drive and her life-long love of animals, brought her to this point. We have so much faith and belief in her, but it is still an exciting, but scary and sad time. We will miss her, until we see her again. These past 14 years have gone by in a flash, with so many memories that I can barely remember. So, while you are out an about enjoying nature, family and friends, drink it in. Taste it, like a cold glass of water on a blistering hot day. After time, you will remember that moment and for a second, maybe you will be lucky enough to taste it (experience it) again. Stay safe my friends and enjoy what you have! Sincerely, Eric PS: If I am not quick to answer any PMs, or take care of any forum issues, this is why.
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…film club to serve Silence of The Lambs and a nice chianti this HalloweenMark Taylor’s Bristol pub of the week: Her Majesty’s Secret ServiceOnly five of the 10 strong team, featuring both male and…
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In hindsight, maybe it would have been fun to keep the ball. Whatever, says Randy Chevrier. He finally got to live out a lifelong dream. In his 15th CFL season, his 190th game and after the countless times he’s touched the pigskin as the Calgary Stampeders’ longtime long-snapper, the 39-year-old finally got his fist chance to spike th…
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