cookies and big decisions.

I don't know where to start but i'm going to try to spell this all out for whomever still reads this and for myself.  Recently, after a few glasses of wine, I got to thinking about what my life would be if I stayed here in Tahoe for another year, like I have been planning on doing for a few weeks now.  I made the decision to stay but the anxiety about what I am doing with my life didn't go away; it didn't feel like anything was solved or going away, it felt like I might be making a mistake.  Don't get me wrong, I love it here and it is quite possibly the most beautiful place I have ever been in my entire life, but it just doesn't feel quite like the right fit. I love my friends and of course potlucks are amazing, work is going well and I know I would have been content with another year at the conservancy BUT I feel like thats what happens to everyone here...once you get here its easier to stay and barely scrape by money-wise, and make do with the work and social life that you have instead of going in search of better because it is so beautiful here that its intoxicating.  When I go out and look at the mountains and the lake I can't believe I would ever leave this place, its truly an artist's and a photographer's dream!  The only problem is thats its just not me, I just don't fit, and how long am I going to put up with feeling like a square peg in a round hole because its easy and pretty and because so many others feel that same way and have put up with it for years?  I'm a woman of action and when things start to get uncomfortable or less meaningful or no longer ideal I do something about it.  I'm not going to wait for things to become meaningless or even painful before I go, the idea is to leave yourself wanting more, not less.  So its goodbye Tahoe for me, because I do love it here, but thats not enough anymore.  Now when I have a few glasses of wine I feel no anxiety, its sad that I'm going, and I'll miss everyone here terribly, but I know I'm doing what I need to do and I'm blazing a new path and and seeking out new experiences...and it feels right.  This is what I do, I keep looking until I find just what I want and then I go for it, its who I am, young and completely free, following my heart.  It feels right.

Sooooooooo with that said I will be peacing out of beautiful South Lake Tahoe come mid-February and hitting the dusty trail on a second epic cross country road trip...to visit friends and new cities and find out just where I want to go next.  Last night I baked cookies and this morning I got up to watch the sunrise, its time to start living up my last days here.  So here are my cookies, Ultimate High Altitude Chocolate Chip Cookies from this recipe, which came out great because I used a high altitude recipe (it'll be pretty sweet to be able to just bake things again, without fear of collapse or oily mess...).  Here are the resulting cookies:

Yayyyy cookies!  I have tons of them now, even though I made them HUGE soooo if you are in South Lake Tahoe and you want a cookie or 2 gimme a call and i'll be happy to share!  

This morning Matt and I got up at 6:30 to go watch the sunrise at the upper truckee marsh, it was so beautiful but not the best viewing spot, so perhaps tomorrow we'll look for a better one.  Anyway here are my favorite shots from this morning, not bad but I'm still getting used to my new camera and I'm pretty sure I can do better...so stay tuned, I'll definitely be taking more photos in my final weeks here because I want to take as much of the beauty with me as i can!  

First rays of dawn

Sunrise behind the trees and mountains

hey...its me!

Epic shot of Mr. Matt

The sun sneaking over Mount Tallac

Sooooo gorgeous!

Sun kissed mountains and lake and protected Tahoe Yellowcress habitat...this is the only place it grows in the WHOLE WORLD!  sweeeeeeeeeeet.

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day of rest

today was my whole weekend, and man did i need it!  I slept in (all the way until 8:30!) and then I took a little walk to see if I could see the snow (rumors told me that it should be not far up in the mountains).  This is what I saw:

But then later, when I went back out I saw the snowww!  Yep, thats right, snow.  In August.  Ick.  And here it is below, up on the mountain!

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Aloha!

Today we hiked from Echo Summit trailhead to Lake Aloha in the Desolation Wilderness and back, around trip total of about 10 miles.  Aloha is beautiful and I recommend the hike to anyone; coming in from this trailhead is not only beautiful but also less strenuous then the Glen Alpine trailhead and MUCH more beautiful, skirting Upper and Lower Echo lakes for the first 3 or so miles.  We did hit some bits of rain and passing thunderstorms on the way out as well as the way out, but magically, the sky cleared up when we got to the lake and the sun shined for our fabulous swim in those blue waters.  The best part: swimming in Aloha, for sure.  The worst part: the aptly named "mosquito valley," a shaded and moist area where you will be snacked upon by dozens of mosquitoes!

Looking back at Upper and Lower Echo Lakes

The beautiful Lake Aloha, yes there is still snow at this elevation, no it did not keep us from swimming.

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i'm baaaack!

I know that it has been simply AGES since I updated this thing, and seriously, apologies all around!  I have been working roughly 50 million hours a week and for my first month and a half here I had no internet at home.  I do now though, and as promised, I will continue my challenge!  it may be a little tough to get back in the swing of things but i'll do my best not to let you down again!  First things first, here is some of what you missed:

Early morning fog at our spring training down in Coloma, CA.  All of the pictures of flowers below are ones that I took at our campsite during our week of training:

Sunrise on our second or third to last day in Coloma.

The weekend after spending an 80 degree week in sunny Coloma, we were back in South Lake where we got snowed on some more.  On the way back from a trip down to Carson City, NV to do some shopping   I grabbed this shot of snow clouds over Lake Tahoe from highway 50.  

 I spent the snowy Friday before memorial day painting at Fredericks Cabin on fallen leaf lake.  I couldn't resist snapping a shot of a rather white Mount Tallac sticking its head up into the clouds.

A short hike up to a sweet waterfall and my favorite picture of the day is this little guy, who must have had good luck begging from tourists before since he was not afraid to show off his round little belly to us.  No, i did not feed him, in case you're curious.

The sunset at Fred's after our memorial day BBQ...still quite a bit of snow out there...

Nevada Beach in Stateline, NV.  No place like Tahoe to lay in 80 degree sunshine and stare at snow covered mountains!

This is how I get to work in the morning, or at least its how I had to go when high spring flows flooded the bike trail I usually use.  This is probably one of my favorite commutes ever.

Amazing waders for amazing ladies...somedays i quite enjoy this job.

Upper Truckee Marsh...just another day at work...

Last weekend I got to hang with TBI and go with them on their small plane trip around Tahoe.  I rode shot-gun in a 4 person plane and snapped a few shots of the mountains and Emerald Bay while I was up there.  

This one is the Tahoe Keys, the most unnatural creation I have ever laid eyes one.  Its a neighborhood in which every house has their own boat slip.  Interesting, but unfortunately not great for the environment.  

And finally this one, the beautiful Bear River at my friend Lucy's house, where we camped last night and swam this morning, so yes, as this photo was taken today, it can be considered my first "photo of the day" since I quit sooo soooo long ago.  that means its time for one of these:

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wow...its been so long since i've done that!  how very exciting!  Thats all i've got in me for now, I really should have been in bed HOURS ago.  I have a very very busy week ahead of me, but i'll do my best to keep on top of my photos!

crazy weather!

Today has been a raining, thundering, sunny, cold, warm, wet, crazy, hail-y, ridiculous day.  So here's todays shot of the hailstones in my plants!  i ran out and got all sorts of ice all down my shirt and in my hair, just to bring these little babies into the house and they were already filled with ice.

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fabulously foggy hills

Sunshine and foggy trees, somewhere before Echo Summit on Highway 50...

Snowfall and cliff faces, somewhere after Echo Summit on Highway 50...

These are taken within probably 20 minutes of each other this morning, the only difference between them: 1 or 2 thousand vertical feet.  

California's weird.

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south lake tahoe...aka my soon to be new home

taken from my moving vehicle today on my way down the mountain.  just lovely isn't it?

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Up to Winterland!

I've never lived anywhere quite like this before, where a brief one hour drive will take you up several thousand feet in elevation, to a town where its still winter.  I hopped up to south lake tahoe today, took my photo of the day through my windshield on the way up.  So pretty!

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what the H-E-doublehockeysticks?!?!

sooooooo.....it was 75 last week.  and then this morning....i woke up to this:

Do you think they're going to make it?

oh my pooooor babies!

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