Busy week 9-6

Larry made us breakfast both days in his teeny place, yummy.

Here we are, a week into September.  Larry has been gone 27 days but it has flown by for me.  Gracie has certainly helped with that for sure.  A week ago Sunday I decided I would go up and see Larry for a couple of days.  He had some stuff here he needed and he requested my chili, so I planned on Monday for cooking and getting ready to go and I would head up to McCloud on Tuesday.  

Monday I cooked a big pot of chili, made two pots of rice, and froze one, froze half of the chili and made zucchini bread and zucchini oat bran muffins to take with me too, oh and cooked up some hamburgers that Larry could just microwave as he wanted them.  I froze the hamburgers and most of the muffins and that way everything stayed nice and cold for the five hours it would take me to get up there.

One of two blackhawks...what a ride those guys would have!

I had enough crap to load up in the truck!  I took Gracie's crate just in case, her car seat/bed, her bag of food,treats, toys, my bag, the computer, the camera, and on and on it went....the food...all seats were loaded.  Gracie did good, she got a little antsy once, but we were nearing a rest area so we were good.  This dogs first month with me and she has certainly been tested!

bear tracks

By the time I got to the helibase south of McCloud they had decided they were moving the helibase up to the snow park, but by morning it had been decided it was being moved to Mott field, the Dunsmuir airport.  So Larry was back late Tuesday night and out early Wednesday morning. 

Dunsmuir botanical park, the light was weird from the smoke

We stayed at the McCloud Lodge, they are pet friendly, Gracie barked at every sound she heard at first and the walkway outside our room was wood deck so the men's boots clomped by and for some reason that first night everyone was up late so Gracie was barking and then woofing low in her throat until about midnight.  No one lowers their voices either...weird to me.

Wednesday Gracie and I spent with Larry in Larry's home away from home, the camper parked next to the helibase trailer at the airport.  The different helicopters were fascinating to watch and it is amazing how delicately they ascend and pick up those buckets and the same when they return.  The touch the bucket down gently, it lays down and then the cable goes down just where they want it and then they lower the bird down and don't land on cable or bucket.  There was a lot of smoke so the "birds" have a lot of down time, but the crew is usually doing maintenance of some kind on them.  Larry has watched them taken apart and put back together.

two air cranes and chinook

We took a walk with Gracie up behind the airport and found a huge lovely patch of wonderful blackberries.  Where there are blackberries there are usually bears and we did see tracks.  After I left Larry saw some really huge tracks and cat tracks too, he got pictures which I'll post later.  We cruised through Dunsmuir for the first time too, we've been past it dozens of times but never had reason to go into it.  It has a lovely park but other then that, not much.

Thursday after Larry was sure everyone was settled in and didn't need him for anything we went up to Mt. Shasta City and walked around for awhile.  Gracie was welcomed into the shops I wanted to browse in which was nice.  She was very well behaved.  

The couple days I was there went by really fast but we were both glad that I made the trip...it's a piece of cake because it was one way and a couple days before heading back...not like when we go get Seth...up and back all in one day...tough.  Gracie was an old pro for the trip back home.  I got home at 12:30 on Friday which gave me some time to rest and get things put away before Gracie's next trial.  

blackhawk returning, they have to get so close
to the water source, amazing work

Andrea and family were coming after they got off work...they got a late start and didn't get here until after midnight.  Andrea and her two boys Ian and Connor, with Scott and two of his daughters, Destiny almost 13 and Nevaeh almost 5.  Gracie did pretty good...she barked at everyone of course, but went ballistic when Scott came in (she has some man issues apparently) and over the weekend she did a little growl at Connor twice, but considering all the noise and getting walked all over the place by different kids and being watching while she ate she did great and melded right into the chaos.

Everyone missed Larry (no one more then me for sure) but we managed.  I gave Destiny a crochet lesson and taught her how to chain and single crochet.  She doesn't give up and was doing really well, with practice she'll be a pro in no time.  Saturday night Scott had taken Ian and Destiny with him to the store and upon returning they were surprised by the very large bear in the street at our driveway.  They came in very excited to have seen a real live bear!  The bear came back the next night and got into the garbage on the street, garbage night of course, and then Monday night the bear had gotten in the garbage again behind the shed where we keep the can.....bad bear.  We never saw it, but they always leave signs.

On Monday Scott and the oldest two kids went on a hike to the river and Andrea did laundry and packed up and I got started on the sheets and cleaning up.  They left about 4:30 for home.  Quite the week.  Tuesday Gracie and I just settled back in, yesterday I washed the car and went to pilates and today I ran errands in Auburn...did a little retail therapy at ROSS, found stuff I've had my eye out for and there it all was!  

Shasta was hard to see through the smoke

heading to the fire again

the cobra

 I have a lot of pictures to post and excuse any typos, grammar and flat out mistakes I made above!  I may not catch them in my re-read.  I have lots more pictures, but I am going to turn into a pumpkin if I don't get to bed!  See ya later!