We just came down the hill about three hours ago and we have emptied the suitcases while listening to the grinding and roaring of the excavators and other earth moving devices that are shaping the ground work for a 19 house subdivision...immediately behind our back fence. I might be a little bit angry if today was a Saturday. I would be even angrier if it were Sunday; but it's not, it's Monday and it's Labor Day. I'm not angry now...just resigned to the fact that the institutions that created this national holiday, the labor unions, are forgotten and losing strength every year. I have serious doubt that the guy on the 'dozer' that is interrupting my my peaceful afternoon is being paid overtime pay for his efforts.
We spent the past three days at Lake Almanor. It's a medium sized lake and my son-in-law's family has owned a nice two story cabin, that is right on the shore, for at least fifty years. They have a nice deck right off the living room and they have purchased a new dock for fishing, swimming and a place to tie up a boat. The dock has wheels so they can push the dock out as the level of the lake decreases. And it's gone down about 20', measured laterally, from where it was when I was last here. The lake's water is used to create power by going through about three powerhouses on its way to the Sacramento River. Everyone living near the lake is anxiously awaiting the promised El Nino winter.
From where I was sitting, the dock, the water level looked fine and I was enjoying a few days of fishing. Not 'catching', just fishing. My grandson was catching while I watched enviously. Okay, I wasn't really envious, I was proud to know he was my grandson and that he enjoyed fishing alongside of an old man.
The lake is only an hour and a half drive to our house but we anticipated a holiday crowd that would slow us down. It turned out to be a nice drive. There were lots of cars ahead and behind us as we made our way through the many curves of this road and yet, the speed was fine and we had just one car that was passing. Sure enough, it was just ninety minutes from door to door.
Our granddaughter, who is currently vacuuming our carpet, even as I type, came down the hill later today and she said that the traffic was terrible and a lot of the delay was caused by cars returning from the Burning Man event in the Nevada desert; the Black Rock Playa. She said they were easily recognized by the fact that they were covered in dust from the windstorms that are almost a daily occurrence on the playa. A friend of mine has gone to the Burning Man twice and she loves it. I am envious! Burning Man is on my Bucket List; my shortlist. I wanted to go, back in the days when it was held on the beach near San Francisco. But life interfered with all of those plans as it often does.
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