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The boys and I took a drive up to Kennedy Meadows yesterday. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen the forest quite so green. It was a lovely day, the temperature at Kennedy Meadows was a comfortable 79°, with intermittent sun and clouds.

I must admit that I had my doubts about even making it that far up the hill. The clouds that hovered overhead looked angry and threatened to send showers at any moment but the hard rains never came. A light sprinkle was all, then the sun came out to warm our faces once again. It was almost magical.

The traffic in Twain Harte is an entirely different matter. It’s almost as if we picked up and moved back to Modesto, okay, so I exaggerate just a little but let me tell you, the traffic is nasty. It is almost as if these bay area folks pack up their vehicles to make the drive up to the mountain and forget their brains at home. Can’t find a place to park, no problem. We’ll just park on the side of the road. Never mind that most streets have no “side of the road,” so these crazy folk, just park in the street anyway. I guess they figure no one will notice.

Don’t you just love getting behind that weekend warrior, who has decided to take the travel trailer out of mothballs. This is the guy who drives in the fast lane, down the mountain and refuses to let anyone go around him or better yet, just takes his half out of the middle of the road.

Their offspring of course follows close behind, riding their skateboards down the center of Fuller Road, around blind curves, with no regard to the deer and motorists who must also share the road.  I’ve seen several near-misses that made my heart skip a beat or two.

It broke my heart to see the tiny baby fawn laying dead in the middle of Twain Harte Drive. I wonder if the driver who hit the baby even bothered to check to see, if it was still alive? It was so tiny, probably only days old.

The boys were delighted to find a tiny little tree frog in the river, at Columns of the Giants, near Dardanelle. The tiny frog seemed to enjoy being held by my nephew. It was almost as if he was refusing to leave when he was set free. It’s been ages since I had seen any butterflies but we saw several up the mountain yesterday.

It was nice to see hikers in the woods and those who tent camp and take time to really enjoy their surroundings. The longer I live here, the more I hate to see the majestic mountains tamed by civilization. I have a great respect for the animals that make the Stanislaus National Forest their home. I watched in amazement as a group of fire ants scurried about their business, oblivious to the fact that I was so big and powerful that I could take several out with one firmly planted foot. I left them to their business all too aware that at least some of them would make a terrific meal for some hungry animal soon enough.

It was a lovely day and we learned a lot from the mountains and the rivers. We can’t wait to do it again.  October can’t get here soon enough. Give me a quiet fall day anytime.

Heading up to Twain Harte for the weekend? Be prepared. My first visit to Twain Harte was during the Twain Harte Summer Festival, there were people everywhere. The 33rd annual Twain Harte Summer Arts and Wine Festival will take place Saturday and Sunday in downtown Twain Harte.

You are sure to find something for everyone; young and old alike. The festival helps support our local volunteer fire department, so be sure to head up to Twain Harte bring the kids and enjoy the festivities. For more information pick up your free copy of the “Weekender,” published by The Union Democrat. You can find them at local businesses in Twain Harte and Sonora, turn to page 3.

I know it’s Memorial Day weekend and am proud of the men in my own family who have served in the military but  I’ve had my eye on Father’s Day. I want to teach my son the importance of giving honor to his father.

Quiet Time Coupon

I had such a lovely Mother’s Day with my family. I am so- hoping for an encore. This Father’s Day, we’ve invited the grandparents to our newly found treasure, the Willow Steakhouse & Saloon in Jamestown, CA. I really believe this restaurant is one of Tuolumne Counties best kept secrets.

We ordered the Steak and Lobster for our Entrée; a moderate portion of - grilled to perfection – Australian Rock Lobster tail, accompanied by – I believe it was Filet Mignon (I have a menu here somewhere, I’ll check on that).

In my wildest dreams, I would never have thought such an excellet cuisine could be found, in such rustic surroundings. If you are looking for a romantic rendezvous, this is not it. The room was rather loud at times but I rather enjoyed our cozy little booth, which gave us an illusion of privacy. I didn’t seem to mind or notice, until it was time to leave.

I ordered a Strawberry Daquiri, the men had raspberry tea, the drinks were acceptable. The highlight of my trip followed with warm sour dough bread served with cheese fondue that enjoyed way too much of and I would do it again in a New York minute. I tried to recreate it here at home — it was a total disaster. I called to see if I can order the cheese fondue to go. I am happy to report, I can and I will — very soon.

By the time the clam chowder arrived at the table, we were all wondering how we were ever going to make it to the entree. We were determined so, we  pressed on. The clam chowder had a delightful flavor, possibly from the onion, it had a lot of onion. The flavor was perfect but the texture wasn’t to my liking. The men devoured theirs and half of mine. It was great with the sour dough bread, which I had seconds on – of course.

I’ve been putting together some colorful Father’s Day coupons for the kids to give to dad. It’s a neat little novelty that we pull out at our house from time to time. It’s easy to get caught up in the wear and tear of daily life. These coupons are a gift not only to the father but for the son as well. We can never give our children enough of our time. I’ll post a link, when I have the page up. You will find a sample here.

Be sure you are creating some lasting memories this Father’s Day with the kids. Nothing can tear apart a strong family. We’ve weathered some rocky waters in our 13-years together and to be sure we’ll weather a few more along the way. We all need the good times to carry us through the bad ones.

I’ve also been adding to my growing list of Father’s Day links. Be sure to check them out.