use real butter

We are now two for two on lodging that has boasted high-speed wireless internet to find that it is neither high-speed nor (in some cases) wireless. It makes for some painfully slow uploading of photos from the trip, so forgive me if my posts are getting brief on text after waiting far too long to get the pics up. We just don’t have the time.

I promise to answer comments when time permits – probably after we return home. But to answer some of the inquiries about my photos… yes, I do sell them. If you are interested in purchasing, contact me via email (see the About page for addy) and I’ll give you pricing info, etc. I haven’t had the time or energy to get a proper commercial site set up just yet, but it is in the works.

Now… where are we? We are currently in Lee Vining on the eastern side of Yosemite National Park. The Eastern Sierra is where it’s at for us. I first fell in love with backcountry wilderness in the Sierra Nevada. It’s a large mountain range with hundreds of miles of trails, days from the nearest road. Jeremy and I have spent several years exploring these mountains and we are still discovering new trails, new destinations, new wonders here. This morning we hiked out over Piute Pass after an overnight to Desolation Lake where I spent the wee hours of the morning shooting the Perseids meteor shower. I can’t process those images on my laptop, so you’ll have to wait for the results just like me when I get home. It’s hot here. We knew that. But it is worth it to get back into familiar terrain and smell the forests, the willows, the sage brush, the streams.

Monday morning, we left Pasadena at 4 am and drove to the ranger station in Lone Pine to secure a permit. Because flying with backpacking stoves has become a complete hassle (nearly impossible, really), we tend to make our short summer backpacks cold – as in stoveless or non-cook. We popped by a favorite bakery along the 395 corridor and scored some lovely ham and cheese croissants, then headed for the trail where we packed our gear and set off at noon – far later than we ever like to start.

**Jump for more butter**

Recipe: pistachio chocolate chip blondies

We are heading out of So Cal and into my favorite place in the world.

But to round out the weekend, I will have to be quick. Saturday afternoon we drove south to visit with two of my favorite bloggers: Todd and Diane of White on Rice Couple! It is the first time we’ve met in person, but I really felt they were kindred spirits already. They welcomed us into their beautiful home, Sierra wanted me to chuck the ball and Dante sniffed my crotch. Hi-larious dogs, I know Kaweah and Sierra would be bffs. Oh, and when I say “beautiful” to describe their home, it is an understatement. Stunning? Gorgeous? Breath-taking? Magazine-worthy? Words don’t do it justice. It’s a HOME, not a house (must include fabulous yards). It shows great love and care and attention to detail yet it isn’t a museum piece, it’s usable and lived in and HOME, you know what I mean? And that is a reflection of Todd and Diane – people with real substance and sincerity. I just wanted to pack them up and take them home with us (the dogs too).

**Jump for more butter**

Up by 4 am and out the door by 5 am.

Did you unplug x, y, and z?

Oh, did you finish the milk?

and you took the trash out?

…

I miss Kaweah already.

Miss Weah is having her own little vacay at the doggie hotel where she gets to run around and play with 20 other well-behaved pups. There are puppy cams online so that we can check on her from time to time. We noticed that she likes to follow the human staff around (probably to beg for treats) on occasion. Looks like she is having fun.

We landed at LAX yesterday morning after flying across the sprawling expanse that is the Los Angeles basin. There are a lot of people here.