Seems like this trip is going very quickly! We’ve continued to enjoy the cooler temps and nice breezes. We are getting some smoke and haze from the Dixie Fire (North and West of Tahoe) but there is no smell of smoke or ash. We’ve continued outside activities such as hiking and running. This week we hiked the longer length of the Truckee Marsh trail that we missed the week before.

We cleaned the house in preparation for our weekend guests: an encore of Glenny & Kyle, plus Dacia, Miller, and Makai. As soon as Makai came into the house, he made a beeline for the TV cabinet, found the remote, and turned the set on! Pretty good for someone who hasn’t even reached his 2nd birthday yet.

Kyle spent 22 hours at home, smoking a brisket to perfection, and brought it with him in an insulated cooler. Glenny made quinoa taboule and an amazing broccoli salad. After dinner we sat on the deck until dark and then played board games until late.

Next morning we got up early with packed beverages and lunch and drove to Tahoe City, where we inflated rafts, tied them together, and launched ourselves in one round group to float down the Truckee River. It was warm and sunny, and after an initial period of acclimation, the water felt cool instead of cold. We floated for 3 hours down to where we’d placed a second car. There were a lot of folks rafting, some with equipment rented from the Truckee River Raft Co, and others like us who brought their own kayaks, paddleboards, and rafts of all types. We got to converse with lots of other folks as we passed each other by (sometimes repeatedly). Many stopped in shallow areas to walk around and let the children swim. We were in such a grouping when the cry went up, “Bear!” Sure enough, a large black bear had stopped, poised above the river on a steep bank. There was a tense moment or two, when the bear appeared to waver as regards whether it would continue down the bank to the water. Then he clearly decided there was too much noise and too many people for him to enjoy the water and melted back into the trees.

That night we were treated to another gourmet dinner by Miller and Dacia: Shrimp and Smoked Jalapeño grits by Miller and a freshly baked peach crisp by Dacia. More games and blood-on-the-table poker followed.

On Sunday, Glennis made an amazing egg and sauteed veggies breakfast with bacon and English muffins. The rest of the day was spent lazily, talking on the porch, sword fighting, playing ball and chasing squirrels with Makai. We were sad to see our friends go in the late afternoon back to Folsom. We are already making plans for the 2nd Annual Truckee River Rafting trip.