A Trip to the Beach

Enough of the snow and cold, let's go to the beach!

The week before Christmas we actually had the chance to do that. We drove to the San Francisco area to visit my brother who was traveling and my husband's sister and her family. The weather was a bit rainy, but it was a lot warmer than where we had come from.

One afternoon we headed out to the beach to check out the tidal pools. We had checked when the low tide would be and fortunately it worked out for us to go when it was low tide, and it was a particularly low tide. That made it extra fun to see what's out there.

It was a short walk from the parking area down to the beach. Then we went down some stairs and had the tidal area right in front of us to explore.

We took Emma in her stroller, which wasn't the best choice, but it worked out for part of the time.

I loved it that my nieces, who have grown up in California, are still fascinated by all the cool creatures that live along the shoreline.

It felt like we were on a scavenger hunt, with each find bringing oohs and ahs.

The stroller was left behind at the edge of the rocks, and Emma was toted in my husband's arms. He stopped to look at Ruby's find. I'm not sure he knew what to think.

It was a strange little creature.

My brother enjoyed the coast. And he enjoyed getting away from the office!

We continued going farther and farther out on the rocks. We descended down into the middle tidal zone and found some starfish and anemones.

Look, everyone!

This seriously wasn't a posed photo, but it sure turned out well. The overcast day made all the bright colors really stand out. The rain made the creek running through the tidal area muddy, but that didn't detract from our viewing.

Nearby we found some places where just the salt water was trapped and found some beautiful anemones.

Ruby was good at finding things! She found a crab shell and had fun posing with it.

Emma certainly didn't know what to make of all this. It was her first visit to the ocean.

After awhile, we decided it was time to play on the beach. After all, digging in sand is so much fun. For all ages!

Emma knows what to do with sand, although this sand was a bit wetter than what she's accustomed to.

Sand is for eating! At least one time. After one mouthful she decided that was enough and didn't put more in her mouth.

Sigh.

I think that's progress.

Art on the beach.

Lola was doing some serious digging.

And then it was time to play with Emma and see if she would walk. She did well taking assisted steps.

High stepping on the beach.

Emma thought walking with her aunt was terrific!

Eventually the rain started coming down hard and we decided it was time to go. It was a great excursion, and one we will remember fondly!

A Trip to the Black Hole

One late afternoon in the not-too-distant past, I decided it would be fun to load up the kids and head out towards the fields and see what my husband was up to. The afternoon light was gorgeous, and it felt great to be out of the house.

We couldn't find my husband (he was out shuttling farm equipment), but we decided to enjoy our time outside and go on a little adventure trip.

We drove up one of the two-track roads until I spotted an interesting looking hole in the hillside. Usually I look at those holes and say, "I should go check that out some day."

That day I decided it was "some day." It was the day to go check it out.

So we piled out of the van.

We weren't at all prepared. I didn't have the baby carrier for Emma and I didn't have a flashlight. The hole was so far away you can't even see it in the photo above.

But we had a snack and we had gumption.

What else do you really need?

I say that the kids are easily distracted by what's around them, but I have to admit that I was, too. I really liked how this Indian rice grass looked in the afternoon light with the faded autumn vegetation around it.

We're getting closer, but you still can't see much of the hole in the rocks. Henry was happy to run around. Can you see him?

It was nice when we started getting to rock, the walking was easier and it just felt more adventurous.


Desert Boy and I took turns leading. He didn't like all the bushes in the way, but he had been promised a snack when we reached the hole, so he kept going.

It got steeper and more interesting.

And then I couldn't resist racing ahead so I could get a photo before the sun disappeared behind the mountains.

Whenever that happens, Desert Boy asks, "Is the earth turning?"

You betcha.

Desert Boy did a good job getting up the steep parts.

Even though he was wearing his cowboy boots on the wrong feet.

Some of the climb was a hand-and-foot scramble.

The hole was big, and little Desert Girl makes it look even bigger. However, it didn't go back far. Oh, well, now we know.

We had our snack and everyone was happy.

We enjoyed the last rays of the setting sun.

Then it was time for the long hike back to the van. But before we left the rocks, we spotted something else...

...another cave!

We will return to explore some more someday. And eat more snacks.

Checking out Hogum

I've been wanting to check out the ghost town of Hogum for a while, and we finally made it over there today. It's located near Osceola, a mining town that was started in 1872 and expanded to a tent city of over 1,500 souls.

In 1889, rumor spread that gold had been found four miles away. Miners rushed there, only to find that all the claims had been staked. Disgusted, they said, "Only a few have hogged them." The name Hogum stuck. (Source: Effie Read's 1965 White Pine Lang Syne).

Hogum was never a big place like Osceola. In fact, the peak population approached 50. Nevertheless, the area is criss-crossed with numerous roads. We were a bit surprised when a good road we were on suddenly ended in a pile of recently graded dirt. There had been no sign warning us that it was a dead end road.

We climbed out of the truck and went over the pile of dirt.

Then we saw why the road had been 'dozed. A huge sinkhole had opened up in the middle of the road.

That would have been an unhappy surprise if it caved in while driving over it.

I saw a DANGER Unsafe Mine - Stay Out-Stay Alive sign nearby and went over to investigate. It was one of the entrances into the mine.

It was clear that the old wooden support beams were no longer doing their job. Huge amounts of soil and rocks had caved in.

I'm not sure how many entrances the mine originally had, but now it had several.

While my husband kept track of the kids, I wandered around and was amazed by all the open pits.

Fortunately all the ones I saw had signs near them. The holes went straight down into the black abyss. I don't know how far down they went down, but it was farther than I would want to fall!

The top twenty feet or so looked like rather loose gravel, cobbles, and soil. I don't think I would be brave enough to be a miner and go digging in that loose material. I'm not sure what was deeper than that--I didn't want to lean over the edge or get anywhere near it.

There were some cultural remnants scattered among the pits, like this rock wall.

I liked this tin can. Originally it pulled open, but now it's rusted shut. There were lots of tin cans scattered around. The miners obviously were more interested in finding gold than where they put their garbage.

All that was left standing of this building was the door frame. I tried to do an artistic photo, but it didn't work out right. Maybe another time...

Another open shaft.

Although most of the area was obviously no longer mined, some of it is. There were big no trespassing signs and even a Beware of Dog, so we turned around and didn't go up to the current mine. It looked like there is at least one private residence in Hogum, complete with a huge satellite dish. Electric and telephone wires go up into the area, so if you are mining, I guess you can do it in comfort.

We found a good spot for a picnic lunch. Eating outside is always more fun that eating inside if you're a kid. (I have to include a kid shot to keep the grandparents happy!)

We wandered around a little more and found some fun gravel to walk on. The views were great, and it's a place we'd go back to again to look around some more.

If you go, just watch out for all those deep pits! They were a little freaky. And this is coming from someone who normally loves pits--but pits in solid rock, not in loose ground!