norcal

A piece a week – creative time out on vacation

| poppypeach
For the last 10 days we have been on vacation up in the mountains at the amazing Lassen Volcanic National Park for one week where we hiked over 10 miles over the time with the kiddos. We saw thermal springs, an amazing lily pad lake, we hiked uphill for 1 mile or so with a grade of 20% through meadows to this beautiful lake called Ridge Lake, climbed up the side of a volcano, hiked up to Paradise Meadows – a mystical place by a waterfall, saw in Reflection Lake a mirror image of Lassen Peak, saw a lava tube and on our way to Mt Shasta we visited McArthur Burney Falls – so breathtaking that it was named the 8th wonder of the world by Theodore Roosevelt.

We are now living in a Yurt by Mt Shasta such a relaxing end to our time up north in California. It is an incredible place to visit and oh so peaceful! I am inspired to own a yurt in the future after experiencing the energy of living in one for the last 4 days. It is now raining and the sound of the rain and sitting under the tree in the rain watching the clouds and hummingbirds – I am happy as a clam!
By Reflection Lake at Lassen Volcanic National Park
Kiddos in Lilypad Lake
Fishing in Manzanita Lake, Lassen
No catch – boo hop at Manzanita Lake, Lassen Volcanic National Park
A wonderful place to relax – the yurt at Eddy Creek Retreat
Missy eating marionberry ice creat at The Goat Tavern in Mt Shasta
Good times at the Lavender field

A piece a Week – Something Small a Spool Necklace and a Mothers Day sale!

| poppypeach
The last week was crazy busy with a camp trip to Butano State Park on Friday with our Grade 3 class families, teacher and school principal. We had a lot of fun and I have not laughed so much in a very long time. I was laughing so much at our singing around the campfire trying to come up with songs for a campfire guitar?? Anyone have any suggestions?? We did the Beatles, The Eagles, Men at Work (for the token Australians), some European folk songs and ended it all with Oh Sole Mio! 
A Banana Slug strikes a pose

We also did this amazing hike in Butano Creek looking for newts, fish and banana slugs! It was very tricky looking at where to step next and which log to climb on and which rock to hop over – it was quite a workout! In the afternoon we went to the beach to see some waves and get some beach air at Bean Hollow. Pebble Beach at Bean Hollow State Beach felt so wonderful under your feet, it was just like a reflexology massage on many pressure points invigorating the soul or maybe it was just the icy cold surf?! The pebbles felt so good in your hands and the beach reminded me of Agate Beach at Patricks Point State Park way up north near the Oregon border.

An ombre seaweed in effect

Pebbles on the beach

A cairn made by the kiddos

The spool necklace is something I found and pinned on Pinterest a couple of weeks ago when I felt that I wanted a quickie project. So here it is inspired by the colors I was wearing that day – I may add a couple of more spools one day. The spools were given to me by a friend who likes to collect stuff for crafts that she may do “one day?” Lucky for me these now have a new life sitting on a necklace I found somewhere in my beading box.

Spools close up

Goes well with the orange top!

And last but not least a mothers day sale is happening at the http://beehive.coop with lots of special goodies for yourself or your mama. Feel free to shop locally with 5% of all sales going to our local Community Services Agency. And if you are reading this check out the information on my etsy site for a special code for zero shipping.

Some of the goodies available on my etsy site