Accidental Road Trip

Last weekend my friend Paula and I made a mad dash up to the cabin.  Paula has worked for Chico State University for 30-plus years...back to school is always crazy for both of us.  We needed to get away and just DEFUSE!  The original plan was to enjoy burgers at the local hot spot, The Outpost on Friday Night, then the annual Community Yard Sale at the Fire Station Saturday and head back home on Monday.  The burgers were great!  We headed back to the cabin, opened up all the doors and windows for the nice breeze and sounds coming up from Butte Creek.  We watched both of the Best Marigold Hotel movies and got a perfect night's sleep.  Up early and off to the Yard Sale.  Now the Fire Department is right across the creek from my cabin BUT to drive there we have a couple mile trip.  Paula grabbed a $20 from her wallet and I grabbed my drivers license and a few bucks and off we went.  I'm sorry to report the Yard Sale was a pitiful sight compared to the years past.  Only a couple folks manning the fundraiser and just a handful of shoppers...AND next to nothing to paw through...it was sad.  I do believe those civic minded/fundraising/organizing/worker bees are getting too old or are now in Heaven and there are no replacements on the horizon. 

The Outpost...This Is NOT My Photo...Found On Another Blog...BUT That Car On The Far Left
Is MINE!!  The Blogger Taking The Photo Was On The Bike! http://thechurchoftheopenroad.blogspot.com/

I found 2 unopened board games, the first of J.A. Jance's Joanna Brady books (I've read them all but the first) and the best of the best: a HUGE complaint jar for me!  Yes folks I have been complaining about everything and everyone at work since my first week back.  Things have been difficult and unlike my normal roll with the punches attitude, I have found myself moaning and groaning so much I couldn't stand the sound of my own voice.  The huge jar/vase just jumped right out at me: The Answer to my Problem.  Paula laughed until she almost need to change her Depends!  A dollar a complaint, yep, that's the deal.  I predict by the end of my school year I'll have enough money in that jar to finance a month in Europe!

SEE!!!  It's Filling Up FAST!

Paula found a filthy kettle/teapot thing she plans on cleaning (we'll see).  When we were walking back to the car to deposit our treasures I noticed some uprooted trees and I had to get a picture...that's when we both realized we had not brought our cameras, Paula didn't have her super duper cell phone and all I had was the cheapy cell phone I use to text my boss at work...well, we'll just see how the photo app works.  While taking pictures and discussing the flood of '97 AND wondering what to do next we had an epiphany: Why not drive the back roads through Humboldt Valley/Summit  to Lake Almanor (for lunch) and then come back to Butte Meadows through Humbug Valley/Summit...an all day trip I had not made in 20+ years...and then in a Jeep...but throw me a challenge and I'm in...that's just the way I roll.

This Bank of Trees Were Uprooted  And Sparked My Interest...And
The Adventure Began.....

My Friend, Paula...or Thelma to My Louise!

Hidden Treasures

Inside Snoop

Oops!  RIGHT OR LEFT??

Hidden Swimming Hole

Beautiful Valley 

Fire Damage From A Couple Years Ago...

Another Angle

Snow Shack...NO SNOW

On The Door of the Snow Shack

We managed to make it to Almanor and to my daughter's Lake Cabin...no one was home (they were down in Chico...where they live) so we stopped at the Copper Kettle in Chester for a quick lunch, filled up with fuel...checked out the Annual Craft Fair (just looked...no purses or $$...just enough for lunch and fuel) and loaded up for our trip back to Butte Meadows.  We were talking and laughing so much I missed the turn and had to loop around and back-track for about 1/2 an hour!!  Goodness we are a couple of silly broads!  We got back to the cabin just before dark (whew) had a quick bite to eat, put on a movie and both quickly fell asleep: WONDERFUL...we both slept until 9:00 a.m. the next morning!

No One Home...Kelly's Lake House

British Shows Rule At The Cabin!