Vacation and 3rd Chemo

New Hogan

I got to get away for a wonderful six days last week.  First we spend Friday night and Saturday night boating at New Hogan.  We ended up getting a perfect shore camp site.  It was colder than usual for boating, but we still had fun.  There were 12 of us, 8 being boys/men.  It was quite amusing watching the males have an intense rock skipping contest.  After they were done, I tried skipping a rock and it skipped three times!  I wasn't able to do it again.  LOL  I did not try any wakeboarding this time.  My side is not healed up enough to hang on to a rope and be dragged behind the boat.  Next year I will, Lord willing.
From New Hogan, while everyone else went back home, Mike and I drove on to my Dad's house for the night.  Monday morning we took him out to breakfast at Sweetie Pies in Placerville.  This is my favorite resturant to go to for breafast.  After we took Dad back home to Pollock Pines, Mike and I hit the road towards Tahoe.  We made a quick stop at Wrights Lake since it was on the way and the lake calls out to be everytime I am near it.  :)  It was very peaceful there since there were only a handful of campers brave enough to camp this early in the season.  It was so very quiet and we were the only ones out at the lake.  I so wanted to set up my campsite right then!  I will be back in August though and can do so then.



We arrived at Sorenen's Resort in the late afternoon.  The place is very cute and quiet, set against the cliff and many beautiful Quaking Aspens.  Our cottage was the smallest one there - a little studio - but we didn't mind.  It was cozy and perfect. Tuesday we drove to Silver Lake which is a little ways past Kirkwood Ski Resort.  We hiked up to some granite pot holes that were full of river water.  It was interesting to see the perfectly shapped bowls in the granite.  We hike around 2.5 miles.



From there we drove back towards Kirkwood a little ways and decided to hike half way up  part of Thunder Mountain.  It is a 3 mile round trip hike so I said I would to it even though by this time I was tiring out.  It was a straight climb and not an easy one for me.  My lungs burned and my heart raced.  I had to keep stopping so I could catch my breath and bring my heart rate back down.  Mike would sometimes lightly push me from behind to make it easier on me.  I got very frustrated at one point, feeling sorry for myself that I don't have the stamina I once did.  Once we finally made it to our destination we had an amazing view of huge rocks and all of the Kirkwood valley below.

Mike suggested we hike on a little ways for more views.  It was another 1 1/2 miles to the very top of Thunder Mountain.  So we hiked on.  After hiking up and up again, I was so very winded and tired.  Mike said we could turn around and go back.  I said no way,  We started and now we have to finish.  I just can't quit!  I kept thinking about an old man we passed a few years back when we hiked up to Mt. Talac.  To get to the top of Mt. Talac you have to hike over many rocks and boulders.  This old man had very bad knees and used a cane.  He just took it real slow and made it to the very top.  I was quite impressed.  So I just kept thinking to myself - put one foot in front of the other.  It was exhilrating to finally make it the top!  I just love pushing myself and receiving the reward at the other end.  And what a magnificent view.  It's like I was on top of the world!

Wednesday we took it pretty easy. (I was quite sore!)  Mike got his fishing pole out and we went in search of fish.  We drove up to Blue Lakes and began a short hike to Granite Lake.  We quickly nixed that idea after being swarmed with mosquitos, and we did not have any bug spray with us.  So we went back down the valley and found a beautiful and private place to try out his luck.  It was around noon by this time so we called it quits and went back to our cabin for lunch.  After lunch we drove to Markleeville.  Markleeville is a tiny little town with not much to do, so we just drove around sight seeing and then stopped at a nice little river for about an hour to lay out and rest.  Later that evening we found another river to fish in.  It was such a beautiful and peaceful valley with not a sole around.  Mike ended up catching one baby fish and put it back in the river.  I felt so refreshed in my spirit sitting there in that valley.  I couldn't see Mike around the river bend, so it was just me and this huge valley.  I feel closest to God when I am out in His nature and He calmed my soul, gave me rest, and filled me up again. 

We left very early Thursday morning from the resort and headed back to Placerville where we took mom this time to breakfast at Sweetie Pies.  Then it was a whirlwind of a day once we got home.  I had to work four jobs so that I could get caught up before Friday.  I felt ready to face Friday but I dreaded it also.  My stomach gives me away about how I am truly feeling because it always starts hurting the day before.  So yesterday I had my third round of chemo.  Only one more round to go!  I have totally got this!