Monday, June 29, 2020

Adventures Are a Girl's Best Friend!

Readers Note:  Andi here today, wanting to share my gratitude.

Brain cancer is...

 ...making a certain spouse very happy. 

Darrell knows the way to my heart.   Not fancy cars.  Not diamonds.*  Adventures!

Today he found his way straight to my heart (yet again) with a Pacific Coast Trail Adventure.

Darrell knows and appreciates the fact that I crave walks and hikes with new sights, and he knows that I (because of Summer and the book Wild), like millions of others, have a keen interest (let's call it) in the Pacific Crest Trail.

My plan for today was to head back up the Cougar Crest Trail and see a little more of the PCT where the trails join at the top of the ridge, about two miles up. We've enjoyed Cougar Crest a few times, as we did in this post last winter. 

But Darrell came up with a better plan that (a) kept us away from the sizable crowds that regularly enjoy Cougar Crest and (b) got us to the PCT faster so that we could spend more time exploring the trail proper.

So...yesterday he turned my iPhone and me loose on the adventure hunt.   I found that there is a PCT trailhead at Onyx Summit (25 miles back toward Redlands on Hwy 38; fun fact:  It's the highest mountain pass in southern California). 

This morning started early with an emergency array change because one array broke down early.  Poor thing.  Then we let the home team know our plans (Thanks Brady!  Thanks Christine!), and out we went.  We hiked four miles out and hit an elevation of 8,700 feet before turning back.  It was perfect!  We saw zero other hikers, and the views were great.  Here are a few:

Mt. San Gorgonio?  Still a little snow.

Facing roughly toward Big Bear.

Snack Time.


Trail Marker
Thank you, Darrell Guillaume, for embracing me and what makes me happy.
I love you.


*I am not saying I don't like fancy cars or diamonds.  If you have extras, send them my way. I will take good care of them.

Celebrating Alex and Tiana

More love is in the air today.  It's the wedding anniversary of Tiana and Alex Guillaume!  Tiana became a daughter of our hearts when she and Alex started dating as undergrads at Cal.  We remember when English major Alex told macrobiology major Tiana that he wanted to become a physician.   We don't think she even blinked.  She just helped him line up his prerequisites.  After they graduated, we had the pleasure of their company in our home while they prepared for medical school.  Off they went to Florida then Pennsylvania before returning to So Cal (thank goodness!). 

We are fortunate parents indeed to have had so many adventures with Alex and Tiana.  In this two-minute slide show, you'll Alex and Tiana and their people in places like Berkeley, Fullerton, Mexico, Hawaii, England, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Arizona. 


Alex and Tiana, we celebrate you and the way you work hard to make life happen...while enjoying adventures along the way.  We love you.  Happy Anniversary.

Video photo credits:  Several people, including professionals, have photos in this show.

Today's PCT Blooms 

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