A Visit To The Lake And Other Things

 My county is widely considered one of the most stunning and scenic areas of northern California.  It offers us mountain peaks, serene lakes, and lush forests.  I make it a point to visit nature in my town, but I wanted to see the lake at the start of fall, which is on the outskirts of my town.  My son came with me, and I'm glad, as there are mountain lions and other animals lurking in the wild.  We first got a breakfast burrito and a coffee and then drove over to the lake.  It was as pretty as I remember it last time, and here's a few pics.

Not sure what these red berries were, but they looked like a Christmas card.  *thank you, Shug, for identifying it as the Pyracantha bush.    

The other side of the lake.

The fall leaves were changing color, and were much more vibrant at the lake than anywhere in town.

This is the dock area facing the sun.

The waterfalls are very close to the lake, so I wanted to go there next, but the parking lot was full when we arrived.  So, do you think I would leave without seeing the falls?  Nope, I know the side roads and shortcuts in every town I've lived in, and managed to see these majestic falls once again.  I'll have to return this autumn because the area I drove through I could only see the falls through the trees.  Very pretty though.

School Picture Day!  When Nel showed me this picture of Mia it reminded me so much of the dress I wore on picture day in third grade.

I know, what was my eight-year-old self thinking back then?  I wanted a pixie cut really bad, and my mom agreed to chop all my hair off.  She was good that way; she always let me express myself with clothes and hairstyles.  When I was a child, I had blondish-brown hair.  This was my favorite dress, and I think my mom got it at JC Penney for that first week of school.

You know, I've tried many coffee brands over the years, and I always come back to Starbuck's.  The House Blend, French Roast, and Pike Place Roast are my favorites.

Some fun facts about Starbucks:

*It is the largest coffeehouse chain in the world, and operates in more than 80 countries  worldwide.

*When the first store opened in Seattle in 1971, it sold whole-bean coffee and equipment.  They did not sell their first latte until 1983.

*The Twin-Tailed Mermaid: the famous logo features a siren from Greek mythology.

*The first Starbuck's holiday cup debuted in 1997.  And it was purple, not red.

*The famous Pumpkin Spice Latte was invented in 2003.

Nel and Jess and I always get excited when the new holiday cups come out.

It was a fun week.  I met brother-in-law at the Chinese Restaurant.  I don't know if I was hungry or what, but it was exceptional this time - spicy soup, kung pow chicken, rice, egg roll, crab with cream cheese wonton, chow mein, and coke.  Then, I headed over to the new boutique in town.  They have a nice clothing line and good quality, but most of the sweaters were cropped, and I don't care for cropped tops.  How 'bout you?

  Some pretties in town.  Isn't it funny how daisies remind me of my mom when I don't remember her particularly liking them?

After that third-grade pixie cut, I've had long hair ever since.

~Welcome October~