SEGWAY AT NIGHT

When Debra and I took our first ride on a Segway Scooter a few months ago, we saw that night rides were also available. So, we decided to take a ride in the dark last night for about an hour. In addition to using headlights to light our path, we were fortunate to also have a full moon lighting the way.

Eight of us, including the business owner and his wife, crossed the Sundial Bridge in Redding and cruised along the trails at Turtle Bay.

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Before our Segway ride, we spent some time on the Sundial Bridge, which is illuminated from underneath though glass panels. Debra can barely be seen on the left taking a picture

of the Sacramento River.

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The Sacramento River beneath a setting sun.

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Halfway across the bridge, approaching the sundial.

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After crossing the bridge, looking back at the sundial.

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A full moon adorned the sky.

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Crossing the Sundial Bridge on a Segway after dark.

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The whole group.

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THREE ADVENTURES IN ONE

Before we began our three adventures in one, we arose from our slumber in our little red caboose, climbed to the upper seating area, watched the sun continue to rise upon a forested mountain, and sipped our first cup of morning coffee.

Then we checked out of the caboose motel and headed to the Lake Shasta Caverns for what is billed as "Three Adventures in One".

From our seats in the upper section of our caboose, we watch the sun illuminate the tops of the surrounding trees.

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Before finishing our first cup of coffee, the sun brightens the entire hillside.

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The inside view from our perch in the caboose.

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Lake Shasta Caverns
"Three Adventures in One"
A ferry ride across the lake, a bus trip up the hill,
and a tour of the cave.

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We approach the ferry where one group is returning from the cave and where our group is waiting to board the ferry.
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Debra boards the ferry.
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Our ferry boat captain takes us across the lake.

We approach the other side of the lake to the cavern entrance.

After stepping off the ferry and taking a ten-minute bus ride to the cave entrance, we enjoy a spectacular view of the lake. Shown in this photo is the ferry launch on the other side of the lake where our adventure began.

There it is.

The view from the cave entrance also shows the last bridge crossing Lake Shasta along southbound I-5 before reaching Redding.

Debra photographs structures in the cave.

Some of what is seen inside the cave.

Debra pauses for a photo shoot along the trail.

A curtain of stalactites.

The tour included over 600 steps.

Framed by stalactites and tourists.

Caveman and woman.

Walking downhill from the cave exit to the bus.

The ferry returns to take us back across the lake to where our three adventures began.

SLEEPING IN A CABOOSE

Debra and I got out of town yesterday for the last time before fall arrives. We drove for a couple of hours, crossing the California/Oregon border, and ended up at the Railroad Park Resort where we slept in a caboose. It was one our most enjoyable and relaxing motel experiences ever.

Pulling into the parking lot, some of the cabooses are seen ahead while a dining car, where we ate dinner last night, is seen to the right.

Debra's car is parked beside our caboose.

Another view of Debra's car beside our caboose.

A ninety-degree panoramic view shows our caboose, third from the left. Debra's car is still in view from this angle.

(This photo looks better if you click it and wait for it to enlarge.)

Debra and I near the steps leading into the caboose.

View from the entrance. To the right is a steel ladder leading to a sitting area above the rest of the caboose.

Another view, this one facing the entrance.

The ladder and the upper sitting area.

Debra and I utilizing the upper seats.

Although difficult to see because of glare, Debra is looking out of the window to the right in the upper seating area.

Sitting on a rock.

Checking out the pool. The air was hot, but the water was not.

Panoramic view from our seats on the pool patio.

(Click to enlarge.)

Since the water temperature in the pool was too cool for our personal preferences, we decided to work on puzzles instead of swim.

The wheel at our front door.

The Railroad Park Resort includes a restaurant made of historic railroad dining cars.

Debra dines.

Strolling around the grounds after dinner.

Another display of a dilapidated historic railroad car.

ONE THING CALIFORNIA HAS THAT OREGON SHOULD HAVE TOO

70 MPH speed limit signs.

TEN YEARS IN ONE HOUSE

I bought our house exactly ten years ago. The deal closed on August 16, 2000.

At the time that I was house hunting, I wanted two specific things:

(1) A garage with an electric garage door opener. I had never had one before and the idea of getting out of my car on a rainy day and staying dry was appealing.

(2) A master bedroom facing the back yard. I envisioned myself building a deck with a hot tub off the master bedroom. The idea of stepping from the bedroom into hot, swirling, massaging bubbles was appealing. A master bedroom facing the front yard would not have worked.

So, I found a house that met my two demands and have been living in it ever since.

These two windows face the back yard from the master bedroom. The window to the left is near the bed and the window to the right is near the master bath (March 2001).

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I hired a contractor to replace the window near the master bath with a sliding glass door (March 2001).

Once the contractor installed the door, I began

building a deck (April 2001).

Bethany and Daisy helped oversee the project (May 2001).

The deck was completed (May 2001).

The hot tub was installed (May 2001).

After installing the hot tub, I built a cement mowing strip around the lawn (June 2001).

The original patio was too small and needed to be extended further into the yard (April 2006).

I installed the patio framing, then hired a contractor to pour the cement (April 2006).

The patio was completed (May 2006).

A storage shed was needed, so I built the floor before

assembling the shed (March 2007).

The assembling of the shed began (March 2007).

A couple of hours later, the shed was completed (March 2007).

A few months later, we considered a swimming pool (July 2007).

Stakes were placed at the corners of what would be a 12 ft x 24 ft in-ground vinyl pool. The cement mowing strips, which I poured years earlier, were removed and stacked (August 2007).

The pool guy brought in his equipment and dug a hole (August 2007).

The project continued with the installation of galvanized steel walls (August 2007).

The walls were completed (August 2007).

Steps into the pool were installed (August 2007).

Gravel was placed and patio markings were painted on the gravel (August 2007).

The patio was poured (September 2007).

The vinyl liner was installed

and water was added (September 2007).

Preparation was done to add stairs from the pool deck

to the hot tub deck (October 2007).

Forms were placed for building a cement border to extend the patio with red pavers (February 2008).

Cement was poured for both the patio extension and for the mowing strip (February 2008).

Stairs were added to the hot tub deck (March 2008).

Red pavers were waiting to be placed in the newly poured cement forms (March 2008).

A new lawn began to grow beyond the patio (April 2008).

Red pavers began to be placed (April 2008).

The patio was nearly completed except for

a few half-pavers (April 2008).

The patio from another view (April 2008).

The patio was completed and the lawn was

getting thicker (May 2008).

The view from the hot tub deck (May 2008).

Finished and furnished back yard (June 2008).

The view from beside the hot tub (June 2008).

The view from the shed (June 2008).

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And this is how our back yard still looks today, ten years after escrow closed.