"Trip" down memory lane

Our vacation trip to CA was so fun and so great for so many reasons. What I did not expect was how much it made me feel like a little girl. Shafter, the little town outside of Bakersfield where Jay and Ilene live, the temperature, the rural community... it felt almost like Colusa! Jay and Ilene live in the middle of the pistachio orchard. We took a walk town by the canal to go fishing the first day we were there. We walked by a row of walnut trees. Do you guys remember the smell of Walnut Trees? I do think I even realized that they had a smell!!! I stuck my face in the leaves and branches (getting my face all dusty dirty in the process) and inhaled. Whoosh- I felt like I was back on the church property (and funny thing is I was since the church owns the farm down there). Do remember picking the walnuts and breaking them open while trying to keep the nut as big and whole as possible? And the cotton mouth you get from eating it? Dad- what can you tell us about the walnut orchard there. Were the members supposed to care for it and sell the nuts? How did that work and what happened to it?

And speaking of the branch- Jay and Ilene attend a branch in Wasco. I sat down in the little chapel and looked over to my right and there was Bro. Clark (Sr.) It looked just like him other than Bro. Clark Sr. is now dead. But the profile was spot on. It was crazy! And then- did you know they still sell Thrifty ice cream?! I was so tempted to buy it at the counter in order to get that round cylinder scoop of ice cream but instead Ilene and I bought a half gallon and a box of Thrifty cones to take home to the men who stayed with the kids. I bought mint 'n chip. That was the kind I always ordered (although bubble gum was a close second because you not only got ice cream but after sucking off the gum balls and saving them until the end... you got bubble gum too). I remember always wishing I could get 2 or 3 scoops. The rich people bought that. I remember it costing $0.35 for a single scoop. Is that right Mom and Dad?Remember the trip back to Colusa in 1990 (is that right?) when we stopped at Morro Beach and played with the sea weed that had washed up on the beach? There is a photo of me with the sea weed on my head. It was crazy to go back there (that was where we stayed the night in that little hotel- it's on our blog) and now as an adult with three children of my own. Could it really have been 18 years ago? This picture below is from Pismo beach. Allie LOVES the ocean and Luke started to really play this time around. Wesley crawled around in the surf a little too. I think one or two of the bigs waves got him and scared him. That is also why his shorts are off.
A few more shots from Yosemite National Park.
One of my favorite parts of Yosemite was visiting the Sequoia groves. What HUGE and majestic trees. Jason and I commented after about how almost sacred and spiritual that place was. Ok, maybe not "almost". These trees are thousands of years old. The things they have witnessed.... wow. We were literally standing among giants- the largest living organisms on earth. Jason is standing next the one that fell over in like 1983.

Let me just mention again the fall colors. They were BEAUTIFUL! Notice the yellow-yellow, orange-orange.
The above shot is just after crossing the bridge on the trail to Vernal Falls. A little refueling station. And of course a little boy who had to test each water spigot.Sunset on El Capitán. And my capitán.
So many more pictures to share.... so little time.