From Dad July 31, 2016

Sunday, July 31, 2016

Re:  Letter 84 of 3

Dear Riley:

The week just flew by and it’s hard to believe the family vacation is over.  It was nice to be off the grid and largely disconnected from the electronic world, though I had a lot waiting for me when I got home and it will take a few days to sort through it all.

Yosemite was too grand for words and far more than pictures can convey.  I just felt really small and in my mind couldn’t help but consider the words in Psalms What is man, that thou art mindful of him?  In order to see the grandest vistas we were compelled to brave the unbelievable traffic, crowds of tourists (with full understanding that we were part of the headache imposed on others), and 100 degree weather on the valley floor.  After 45 minutes we were able to extract ourselves from the madness and headed for higher ground where the view was spectacular and the tourist pressure greatly diminished.  Unfortunately the Sequoia forest was closed for renovation so we didn’t get to see the redwoods.  Material for another trip I suppose…

Lake Tahoe was my favorite place and I think I could spend a week there and still not grow tired of it.  The condominium accommodations were comfortable but not plush.  However, the price was an amazing find and the view of the lake from the high vantage point was breathtaking.   Thursday we drove around the entire lake and stopped at every place that caught our fancy…that is…until we wore everyone else out.  Leadelle and I were still game for more but all the swimming and sun took its toll.  The water is like blue topaz and so clear that you can see 60 feet down.  The sand was a coarse non-fouling mosaic that simply screamed for Josie to come and play.  I think she could easily spend 8 hours in the water and sand without little thought or care for anything else.  I think sometime I would like to experience the lake is over a period of several days from a sailboat with sleeping quarters.  Throw out a line, cook up a fish, explore an inlet, and fall asleep under a sky ablaze with stars while rocking to the gentle slap of the waves against the hull.   Yeah.  That would be something.

One of the cool things we did was learn to use our camera to photograph the Milky Way.  Very cool what you can capture with the right equipment readily available and a little attention to detail. 

Well, Mom tells me you’re on so I’ll get this in your mail box.  We pray you’ll see God’s hand in the work, and feel his approval of your offering.  Stay the course and be not weary in well doing.

Love,

Dad