Lake Tahoe Golf Course

Played with Frank today at the Lake Tahoe Golf Course.

The crowds are beginning to fade as summer comes to an end here.

Beautiful day with temperatures in the low 70s.

Busy Day

Played tennis this morning with Joel (brain cancer survivor), Lee (still runs a business back in Wisconsin), and Dan the Fireman (retired). Temperatures this morning when we started was 39 degrees, but the sun was out. No problem with a sweatshirt, windbreaker, and fleece vest!

Followed by lunch and putting practice at Tahoe Edgewood Golf Course with Marc (financial guru) and Frank (entrepreneur)!

Meanwhile, Barb out for the afternoon playing Mah Jongg with (and, I'm guessing who will be there) Judi D, Judy S, Jane, Lee, Judy R, and Carol.

Refreshing

If you like November weather in August, then you'd find today's weather very refreshing!

Low tonight in the 30s. High today in the 50s.

Whatever happened to summer?

Cosmo

On the way to the casino today, we stopped for lunch at Sprouts, one of our favorite health food restaurants.

Barb is pictured here with her new friend, Cosmo, whose owners rolled up in a Hummer and unloaded Cosmo!

Cosmo is seen resting here on a (too small for him) dog bed that was also in the Hummer.

Bike Ride to John & Amy's

This morning while Barb was playing tennis with her senior lady friends (and John Adams, who likes to hang out with them!) I rode my bike on a hilly off-road trail through the woods from Lake Tahoe up to the Angora Lake area which was devastated by fire a few years ago to see the home Frank and Judi's son, John, and his wife Amy built to replace their fire-damaged home.

Golf at Eagle Valley

Today, Barb and I played golf with one of our Lake Tahoe friends, Ruby.

Frank was unable to join us because his daughter was visiting from San Diego.

On the fourth hole, a coyote guarded my ball on the fairway until I could drive up to it.

After our round, lunch was served by our favorite waitress, Kat.

Interesting Water Craft

When I took a walk out back of our condo, I spotted this unique looking water craft.

It looks like something out of a science fiction movie.

Apparently, the operator is able to remove underwater growth that clogs the boat slips as well as the channel leading out to the open lake.

Library

Tuesday morning was devoted to errands . . .

Here is Barb in front of the South Lake Tahoe Library.

Monday Tennis in the Keys

Played three sets of great tennis this morning with Joel, Bud, and Dan the Fireman here in the Keys.

No pictures available as some of these men may be in "Witness Protection!"

Brunch With Tim and Alisa

Sunday morning before heading back to South Lake Tahoe, we were treated to a fabulous french toast brunch. Tim made his secret recipe french toast topped with fresh berries! Good job, Tim!

Dinner With Nancy and Steve and the Kids

Tonight we had dinner with Nancy and Steve and the kids at a wonderful Italian restaurant in downtown Berkeley, not far from the University.

In this picture, you can tell I had too much vino!

San Francisco

This morning Barb and I left our car at the motel in Berkeley and walked to the Bart (Bay Area Rapid Transit) station around the corner and took the train under the bay into San Francisco.

We hiked up some hills to the symbolic entrance to Chinatown, where we followed an hour-long walking tour that Barb found on the Internet. In Chinatown, we walked up and down steep streets, visited many of the shops and enjoyed the unique architecture of the area. We visited a fortune cookie factory where we saw a woman stuffing and folding fortune cookies.

Next, we walked to Fisherman's Wharf where we enjoyed clam chowder and San Francisco sourdough bread (Can't get bread like this back home!) and a view of the harbor.

Finally, we bought one-day passes for the cable cars and took both the Hyde and Powell lines and the California - Van Ness lines. The latter took us through Nob hill. Our final stop let us off at the Embarcadero where we caught the Bart back to Berkeley.

Berkeley, CA

Drove from Lake Tahoe today to Berkeley, California. Nice drive through the mountains at first. Then heavy traffic through Sacramento.

After a light snack at a favorite little spot David showed us last time we were here a few years ago, we returned to another of our favorite places here, the Berkeley Horticultural Nursery.

Lake Village Tennis

This morning I got to play two sets of tennis with some very good players at Lake Village: Marc, Bob, Chuck, Dr. George, and RJ. Chuck, at 80 years of age, still plays gigs as a drummer. I'm not sure why they call George, "Dr. George!" RJ would play ten sets of tennis in a day if he could find enough other players. Bob drives fast cars and towers over everyone else on the court. Marc is like a jack rabbit covering the net. Nothing gets by him and his angle shots are punishing. All in all, a great group of players.

Lake Tahoe Golf Course

Today Frank and I played golf up here in Lake Tahoe. This course is more complex than the one we play in Carson Valley.

Beautiful sunny day, somewhat breezy.

We were paired with a father & son who were visiting here for a week from Santa Cruz.

Ladies Tennis

This morning Barb played tennis with some of her tennis friends.

Four of the six courts in the Tahoe Keys are within walking distance of our condo.

Echo Lakes Hike

One of our favorite hikes on the Pacific Crest Trail, Echo Lakes, takes us along the north side of two lakes joined by a narrow passage.

Vistas along the trail about 200 feet above the lower lake are spectacular.

Many hikers take a water taxi from the Echo Chalet at the east end of the lower lake to the west end of the upper lake and then hike back. We chose to hike both ways for a total of 5.8 miles.

Lots of hikers including a group of 86 kids from the Berkeley, California area!

Library Bike Ride

Today's bike ride took me through woods, across worn out bridges, and on back roads to the library.

Brrrr

39 degrees outside this morning as we leave to play golf!

No Tennis Today

Unusual for this area, we had about two hours of rain late yesterday afternoon as a storm moved through. So the tennis courts were wet this morning. Will try again on Wednesday.

Substituted a bike ride to Pope Beach on which I discovered a possible "hidden" trail directly from the Tahoe Keys to the beach parking lot. Will have to explore further on another bike ride.

Inception

Time out yesterday from outdoor activities to take in a terrific movie called INCEPTION.

This mind-bending thriller, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, is not for everyone.

If you are looking to relax at the movies, I don't recommend this one!!! If you are into "lucid dreams" this movie is for you!

Fallen Leaf Lake Bike Ride

This morning while Barb played tennis with some of her friends, I took a 17-mile bicycle trip from here to Fallen Leaf Lake and back. While the elevation change was only 600 feet, the ride seems steeper.

Most of the ride was along Fallen Leaf Road which at times is too narrow for two-way auto traffic. It's interesting to see cars pull off to the side enough to let traffic pass without pulling off so far as to plunge into the lake!

Friday News

This morning I played "Big Boy" tennis at Lake Village with Marc Spellman (from Florida) and two other guys, one they call "Dr. George" --- not sure why, and a fellow named Chris who travels to Vegas periodically to give seminars on how to get the best vacation deals.

Barbara is playing Mah Jongg with the gang this afternoon.

I just gave the Prius a bath!

Eagle Valley

Yesterday, Barb and I played golf at Eagle Valley with Frank. Joe Blackmer, who was supposed to join us, is recovering from a back injury. We are hoping he will be able to return next week.

Playing at Eagle Valley is unique in that we break after nine holes for lunch in the clubhouse and then play the back nine. Slightly cooler than usual, the high temp hit only 95 degrees.

As we stood on the 18th green a small "twister" kicked up, tossing around a garbage can and various pieces of trash near the clubhouse. As it headed toward us, Frank ducked behind his golf cart while Barb and I watched it pass to the west of where we were standing. Unfortunately, my camera was in my golf bag and not accessible.