Down by the Bay

Time's a flyin' and we're packing in all the fun we can before leaving sunny California. This week we visited UC Davis, the Oakland Temple, the Jelly Belly Factory, and downtown San Francisco. Highlights: free samples (both jelly beans & chocolate!) at the factory, walking on the Golden Gate Bridge, the roses and botanical gardens at Golden Gate Park, and fresh sourdough bread. We took lots of pictures - including lots of skyscrapers for Hannah. Click on any picture below to see the whole album. Enjoy!

Travis Air Force Base

It has been exciting for me to be on base. I am learning all about how the military works. In fact, this experience may teach me responsibility. It turns out that I need my ID to get anywhere. I have been turned away from the grocery store already. I might learn yet to carry my identification (this coming from the woman who almost got thrown into a Colombian slammer for not having her passport on her person and who was also denied a bathroom break in Washington DC because she had no ID).

Views Around Travis AFB

These next pictures we would like to dedicate to Douglas Rene Johnson who made me go to many a distant airplane museum as a teenager. It is a lot more fun to look at planes now. :) Especially the old fighters.

Travis Air Museum

Yosemite National Park

Yesterday we left bright and early (not so bright because it was 5 am) for Yosemite National Park. Our first hike was a 2 mile round trip to Tuolumne Sequia Grove. The trees kept getting bigger and bigger the farther down we went. At one point we measured a tree with a 4 Hackett and 1/2 Ryan diameter. (This is a validated measurement methodology we developed in Smoky Mountain National Park). Little did we know that was a little brother to the Big Berthas we saw. We weren't allowed to measure the biggest ones though because standing on the roots close to the base hurts the plants - at least that's what the sign said. I am willing to bet that hundreds of deer, bears, bobcats et cetera have wondered on the roots in the past 3000 years. Maybe even dinosaurs.

Tuolumne Grove - Giant Sequoias

Our next hike was up to Yosemite Upper Falls. When we got to the trail head Ryan said "There is no where to go but up the cliffs." I thought that couldn't be possible because then it would be a rock climbing route. But it was pretty close, we had 60 switchbacks within the first mile to Columbia Rock. This was a very picturesque hike but very challenging at 7.2 miles with a 2,700 feet elevation gain. My favorite part was climbing all over the boulders at the top, just like it has been since we went goat backpacking as kids. Ryan's favorite part was enjoying the views from the top sitting on said rocks. Just so you know, Yosemite Falls does not exist in August, but there's a really nice river bed. I figure that most people people go up and wonder what is under all the water, but we know.

Yosemite

Sunny California

This weekend Ryan spent a whirlwind 36 hours at home and then left for Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California. All week he has been adjusting to the different climate and culture out there. Luckily, he can listen to some pop Latin music on the radio to remind him of me. Hopefully he will be able to put some pictures up shortly to give you a feel for this base.

I have been coping with Ryan's away rotations by making various types of jam. This week I made strawberry-rhubarb and blackberry-raspberry-strawberry. It has been very therapeutic and keeps me busy at nights. During the day I alternate between statistical analyses, paper writing, dissertation writing and swimming. I prefer the last option.

Great Smoky Mountains

Michelle and I spent 4 days in June hiking up and down (mostly up) the trails of Great Smoky National Park. We saw green mountains, deep vallies, mountain streams with moss-covered rocks, enough rhododendron to last a lifetime, lots of snails, salamanders, and even a bear. It rained on us at least once day, and one time we were lucky enough to pitch our tent in an area that turned into a lake. We learned that critters are more of a threat to bear bags than bears: ours was chewed into every night, no matter where we hung the bag. We are considering buying a steel plated bag to protect our peanuts on future trips. Our legs and shoulders aren't sure they'll ever forgive us, but we can't wait to throw on the packs again! Click on the pictures if you want to see more photos at Shutterfly.com.

3...2...1...Liftoff!

Michelle's in Bristol, TN, and I'm in Omaha, NE, -- a perfect time to start a blog for keeping in touch with each other and everyone else we love! Here are a few photo albums of pictures I've taken while in Omaha. You can watch the slide shows here or click on the "View Album" links for larger viewing and downloading. Stay tuned for more posts and pictures as we get our blogging skills up to par. Enjoy!

ALBUM: Offutt - On Base

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Get your own

ALBUM: Offutt - Off Base

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ALBUM: Winter Quarters Temple & Pioneer Cemetery

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ALBUM: Mormon Trail Museum & Dead Sea Scroll Exhibit

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Here's a map of Omaha for anyone who wants to see where I've been in this fine city. http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=111529931791622035249.000435551b286f2684fc4&ll=41.23806,-95.935364&spn=0.230288,0.462799&z=11&om=1