A photo essay: the Eastern Sierra

San Joaquin River heading West toward San Francisco

For ten days, we were in the middle of the Eastern Sierra Nevada. For ten days, we saw nothing but crystal clear blue sky during the day, and millions of stars against the deep black velvet canvas during the night. For ten days, we devoured the pine-scented mountain air, soaked in natural hot springs, lived and slept under the big California sky.



Those were some pretty good ten days! (Someone did lose a toe nail, and is recovering from a small fracture. The law of balance made itself known here, as usual).



You would think that during our decade as Californians, we would have frequented this part of the state more often. The truth is, it was pretty far away from the coast. The coast was where we lived and explored and used as our playground. We heard about people and friends who would venture into the steep Eastern Sierra mountains in the winter time with their skis and boards and whatever other winter toys they had. Us? We were quite happy frolicking in tide pools and apple orchards and strawberry fields.


Paddle Boarding in Lake Tahoe

Little did we know what we were missing.



The grandeur of those mountains and everything that came with it!


Mono Lake and its Tufas

Grover Hot Springs, on the other hand, was a place we had discovered and enjoyed for the past few years. It's not too far from the southern part of Lake Tahoe, and very family-friendly with the hot/ cool pools, gentle hiking paths, evening ranger programs fun enough for adults as well as children.



There was, of course, some good camp-eating to be had, right on top of the campfire!



We were happy that the 2,000 miles that now separates Grover Hot Springs and Ohio did not deter us from returning to our favorite campsite this summer.


Bristle Pine cone

More than the mountains and the streams and the waterfalls, we were able to learn and see some interesting places on this trip as well. One of them was Bodie National Historical Park. A "Ghost Town", as it is known. Over 10,000 people lived in Bodie during the gold rush days of the late 1800s. A very pretty ghost town, I'd say.


Bodie National Historical Park

We also hiked in the Bristle Pine Cone forest housing the oldest living organisms on earth (some of the trees are over 4,000 years old and still going). We enjoyed and explored the wonderful salt water of Mono Lake (with more brine shrimp floating about more than you would like to know).

We came back to Ohio, our current home state (which by the way has its own unique beauty as well), full of the beauty that is California.


Bristle Cone Pine Forest

There is so much to see in the world, but I would not be surprised if we find ourselves back there next year, to do it all over again.

Postcards: From The Eastern Sierra Nevada

Greetings all! Just a couple of images from the beginning of our 10-day stay in the Eastern part of the Sierra Nevada. Boy, it's beautiful here!



We have swam in the clear blue lakes that reflect the same color as the big open sky. We have hiked in the ancient forests of the Bristle Cone Pines that if they could talk, would have more than 4,000 years of history to share.



We are still to visit some more sites, and spend some more time in the wilderness. I will come back with more proper stories, and photographs once we have soaked it all in.

Harvest Before Take Off

For the next 10 days, we will be away from our garden. We will miss some ripening of more tomatoes, beans, zucchinis greens, herbs and more. However, it appears that we have had frequent visitors around here who do get to enjoy the bounty for us. To our dismay, naturally.



They are not picky either. They will happily chow on a large green heirloom tomato, or a ripe one...you know...according to their culinary taste at that time. So, we have to not wait for these to ripen on the plants anymore...hence the partly ripe-looking fruits. Oh well.

They are going to have a wonderful feast, these little (bushy tailed rats) beasts! I can only bid them, Bon Appetit!

Simple Pleasures: growing sweet potato vines

Sometimes, it just takes a sweet potato to make one happy. Make that a sweet potato, a few toothpicks, a jar, and some water.



One day last winter during a first-grade drop-off, I saw a meandering green vine at one of the activity tables (I took notice of this, of course, since we had been enduring months of grey, lifelessness of winter). I followed the vine, and found that it ended in a jar filled with water and a forest of tiny white roots.



The kids' class had started it during one of their projects. How simple, I thought, to grow something so beautiful. If the potato were to be planted underground, it would not have quite the same result. Sure it would produce more potatoes, good for the tummy. But to be able to see the roots and the shoots together – the whole plant growing – gives an entirely different benefit.

Seeing this plant gave me inexplicable joy. I left the classroom a bit fuller, happier, and made a note to self that I would start one at home, too.

Simply, what that plant did for me was it fed my soul. And sometimes, that is what one needs more than anything else.

Making Sauerkraut

Between farmers markets and CSA shares, we recently ended up with three heads of cabbage in the kitchen. Cabbage is one of those cruciferous vegetables that is rather versatile, but you've got to plan a bit ahead of time (since most cabbages are rather large heads of tightly folded leaves). A commitment of sort, actually.



I find cabbages quite beautiful to look at and I am always amazed that one tiny seed can become a work of art with patterns and spirals and different shades of green and purple. The best thing about it is that after admiring it, and photographing it, one can eat and benefit from its multitude of nutrients! My kind of vegetable!



We had been dreaming about making our own sauerkraut for a while now, since our exposure to some amazing homemade sauerkraut back at our old farmers market in California. We asked what went into their classic plain kraut and were impressed that the answer was: cabbage and salt.



We went ahead, with a bit of guideline from here, and chopped up our three heads of cabbage. A little sea salt and resting time later, we packaged our first ever sauerkraut jars. They are now living (and growing probiotics) in our basement. Results are to be determined and tested in a couple of weeks. Now... if we can do this, kimchi can't be too far fetched!