Tahoe Blue

We had so much fun boating up in Tahoe. More so just boating, not so much tubing. The kids had a go at the tube behind the boat. We usually go with them, but they braved it and went together. Knowing this Rod went SUPER slow, so slow that the tube nose dived into the deep blue lake, flipping the kids over the front and towing little Luke upside down cuz we forgot to tell him that big lesson about not holding on or you'll be dragged! Opps. Poor little wet cats. Rod killed the engine, we both dove in, and I took a turn on the tube to cheer them up with silly dismounts.

Here is the video of Luke and Bella taking the plundge off the dock at Tahoe. Luke and Bella are often polar opposite in personalities. Luke said, "That was awesome!" While Bella said, "I'm not doing that again!"

A Day on the Farm

We visited Jess and family out at her place where there are chickens, goats, horses, gardens, orchards, swing sets and a swimming pool. It's always a nice change of pace to just let the kids roam free chasing animals and eating out of the the garden. I'm always convinced I could live the country life and love it!

Dawn Patrol

This was the start of our day.

Cold morning air blowing on us

as we cross to the north side of Lake Tahoe.


It was 5:30am and our boat was 50 yards out at a mooring byou.

Since the shuttle to get your boat didn't start to 8am...

Robyn volunteered to swim out to the boat.

While Robyn volunteered, it was our fine

Captain Rod who took the dip into the 60* water.

Brrrr!!!!

We pulled into Sand Harbor a little before 7am and checked in.

I was the first swimmer.

I figured I could elbow my way through the crowd

a little better than the kind swimmers who invited me on this swim.



The first leg was 30 minutes long.

I enjoyed the sunrise during some backstroke since

we weren't in this for time.

The first rotation was a bit crazy with all the boats.

Ummm... crazy-dangerous.

After each person on the team swam 30 minutes,

we then took turns doing 15 minutes,

then 10 minutes until we reached the other side.


Nora warmed up with home made homeless gloves (very santa cruz) post swim.

Yes she brought guns on the boat. She's a trainer at Cross Fit here in Santa Cruz.

We enjoyed chillin' and talkin' smack to the other boats.

They said things like, "She's going to kick your ass, she's nationally ranked."

We said things like, "She'll kick your ass and she's even missing a leg!"

Which lead me to my almost stuck my foot in my mouth when I saw a man with a paddle for pulling in his hand (a fin for your hand!), just as I was about to ask why he's up for cheating, I glanced down to his MISSING hand. Oh. Gee. Did I feel dumb. Just in my head, but still.

Other boats were out for breaking tan lines, not records.

They were old, she had huge boobs, he had a flat ass.

They were swimming naked.

Oh, I never wanna leave Tahoe. It never fails. It is always so beautiful and grand.

I never tire of the fresh smell of pine in the air or gazing at Mt. Tallac in the distance, and this time staring deep deep into the cobalt blue water with only sun rays changing its shade.

Stay tuned for the movie of Luke jumping off a dock of enormous size!

Escaping Alcatraz

The lady who briefed us onshore of where to swim came over the loud speaker, "Two minutes swimmers. Are you ready?" An uproar of shouting, whistles, and yelps echoed against the fogged up ferry windows as the two story ferry was making it's final turn. We were 100 yards from Alcatraz island. I looked around at the ampt up crowd. Swimmers were jumping up and down, stretching out arms, shaking out their muscles and making final adjustments to their goggles.

"Ten, Nine, Eight..." The boat full of 750 adrenaline filled swimmers began chanting the countdown. People around the perimeter wiped the fogged windows to watch the first swimmers make the plunge into the cold sea filled with kayaks and boats. "Three, two, one..."

All business, in a hurried tone, a man tagged three swimmers, "One, two, three- GO!" The man counted swimmers to step forward for the jump. Beep, beep, beep. They were gone. One by one, swimmers were jumping off and swimming away. I knew I could do the swim, so why not try it without a wetsuit. I believed it was all mental to conquer the cold. Mind over matter. But doubt set in as I heard each beep. I peered out the exit where a beep marked your fate. I just needed to see another non-wetsuit swimmer jump in first to boost my confidence. Just as I was looking, "Two." I was tagged. It was my turn.

His touch awoke me from my doubt and I made the mental shift. I stepped forward and watched my friend, Dotti jump into the white bubbles below. Waiting for her to come up and clear out. I was in game mode. It's on! I jumped. Cold and adrenaline hit my body simultaneously. I was doing it. Swimming in the Bay. Not as bad as I imagined. I can do this I thought. I was turning over my strokes in choppy swell bigger than anything I've ever trained in or experienced. Ok, much different than I imagined, but do-able. I kept swimming.

I quickly learned that I had to both exhale, look for an on-coming wave and inhale or risk inhaling the salty water upon beathing. It was a washing machine in there, causing me to have to pause to sight over the swell and chop to see if I was on target.

Dotti and I made the pack to stay together for the most part cuz we were fairly the same swim speed. I would get a body length or two ahead and tread a bit doing backstroke while I waited to make eyes with her. We would shout to each other where we thought we should be heading for. Swimming ontop of each other a few times from one shift of the wave. It was a trick to keep adjusting your sighting object as you got closer to shore. If we didn't follow the instruction correctly, we could end up under the Golden Gate Bridge within one hour! We errored left. Far left so we wouldn't miss our target.

About two thirds into the swim Dotti told me she wish she had signed up for the naked (non-wetsuit) swim. Just then she ok-ed me to swim ahead and go hard. So it began... I started the competive game of catching the swimmmer ahead of me. Over and over and over again. I would sight someone ahead of me and swim hard to catch them. Once I caught them (won), I would find a new competitor. It was mind over matter for me. I believed it was all mental until about 40 minutes into the swim when my body started doing this weird hot/cold flash up and down my whole body... then I really started to think about hypothermia and what are the first signs of it? I wish I read about hypothermia. Gee, the shoreline was so close. What if I make this far only to have my body quit from cold and I have to throw an arm up to a kayaker?!!

All that swimming allows plenty of thinking time. I started to feel kind of loopy in the head and kept looking around to sight where I was going and suddenly started to feel like I was going nowhere! Dotti wasn't next to me anymore and the swimmers were really dispirsed by this point. What are those first signs of hypothermia... is this really happening to me? I found a swimmer ahead of me and tried with all my might to catch them to prove to myself I really am moving forward. "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming..." I chanted lines from Nemo over and over. Ah I finally caught up to the swimmer. I am moving forward. Mental. It's all mental.

The shoreline seemed to be slipping further away. But I kept swimming, almost on auto piolet now as my body was feeling more and more numb. I locked in on an orange cap ahead of me and followed him into the finish line. Finally, the sea of people where appearing closer. The funneling of swimmers 200 yards wide was narrowing in toward me. We were all swimming for the huge orange bouys. I was getting closer. I saw the man ahead of me stand up. I was almost there. I swam head down until my hands were touching the sandy bottom. At last. Shore. Finding my legs, I crawled to my feet and ran through the sand to the final BEEP.




A volunteer put a medal around my neck. I followed the orange netting to the bag area, only to wander around in a mental daze. I was hot, nausas, and dizzy. Where was Rod and Jenee? I couldn't think. I kept looking for a towel, a parka, something of mine? It all looked the same. I just wanted to rest, but I was mentally uncapable of thinking, so I kept moving cuz that is the last thing I remember consiously telling myself to do about 20 minutes ago in the water.

Scarred by the onset of my out of body experience I was relieved to see smiling faces running toward me peeking over the crowd and waving happily. Excited about my accomplishment they were full of compliments and questions, but all I could do was stare and shake. I wanted to speak but I could only say, "I feel really weird."

Jenee having ran marathons told me to eat and drink, so off she went to find me fuel. Rod pushed liquids in me and I soon came around. Within the hour I was changed, warm, and dry. Ahhhh. I did it. I swam Alcatraz.

Dotti and I met at the food station all bundled up with a glow of pride. With a hand full of bagels, grapes, and a hot drink we went over to the wall where results were posted. There it was: 5th place in my division of non-wetsuit female swimmers and 8th place over all. I had gotten 8th in the whole event for the swim portion. Wow. I was proud, but I know I was slow at a lot of points.... so I can't wait to swim even harder next year since Rod is dying to swim it now!

Waiting in line to check in.

The crowd of swimmers loading onto the ferry. Rod was tempted to board the ferry and swim in his underwear with us to just do it! I'm tempted to sign up in 2010 with him.

Can you find Dotti and I?? Hint: I'm in the green.




HUGE frickin' fright ship passing through where we were
going to be swimming in 20 minutes!


Special Thanks to Dotti-
Thanks friend for taking the plunge with me!

Summer Madness

I've finally finished switching over from Nikon to Canon. Sorry Nikon folk.

Anyway, after a couple months off the photo sessions, I should be getting some more post up. Check out my photo link on the right for the wedding two weeks ago. I have a couple more coming up too, so stay tuned. I'd love to shoot your family if you're in Santa Cruz/ Bay Area- spread the word!



Meanwhile, VBS is over so we are hard up for some summer fun. Today we hit up the $1- Yes, that's right only one dollar per person for a summer flick at the Capitol theaters in San Jose! Today the 10am showing was Space Chimps.

Next week, Spongebob Squarpants- pass. I can't quite pin Mr. Squarepants for any direct offenses, but somewhere in my bones I know he's not age appropriate for my kids. After that Veggie Tales- And so on.... all the way through the end of summer. I love the budget friendly minded people who think of mommy's like me over the summer.

Other free fun is the bendy people... uhhh, or Cirque Magnifique people at the Boardwalk on M- Th at noon and 3pm. Then there is the Jr. Ranger program at the state beach on Thursday mornings- sounds very cool learning about the local ecosystems and history.

I thought I'd catch up on making albums and finishing those darn quilts I ambitiously started, but by the time I get the house cleaned and myself showered, the fog has lifted and it's summer time outside. Hmmmm..... maybe next winter.

Tomorrow, Bella and I get to attend a friends Mehendi gathering where we should come home with some interpretation of this on us from henna:

You will certainly see pictures. I can't wait to be steeped in someone elses culture! She marries on Friday in San Francisco at the Yatch Club. Should be a nice view of Alcatraz... the island I signed up to swim from in about a week. Eeeeek!