One Fun Weekend, One Not-So-Much

Weekends need to be longer.  Two days just isn't enough time to decompress from the busy workweek.  We can not wait to be semi-retired.  Free from the mortgage, free from the yard work, free from whatever time constraints we have.  Those of you who are still working likely know what I'm talking about.  We try to squeeze in as much fun during these two days as we can, dreading Monday morning with a passion.

We're just now ending our weekend and it was NOT a fun one.  Let me backup just a couple of days.  Thursday when we left the gym, the truck's starter made an awful a horrendous noise which can not be ignored!  Definitely time to do some automotive work.  As Ron is our mechanic, that meant he would be working on the truck.  For this reason, I'm glad we have a garage and he has the tools and knowledge to save us money.  But I hate when he can't get a break!

I doubt we'll get our core charge back...

up on the jack again

So yesterday Ron spent a good three or four hours under the truck replacing the broken starter and rewiring a few connections.

Today Ron is spending the day working on his computer.  He's our computer guru too.  He thought the new Windows 10 program would be all right.  He installed it maybe two or three weeks ago.  It has been nothing but a headache nightmare for him.  I'm not tech savvy so I'm trying to remember the story as he told it to me.  Basically, his computer became autonomous, seemingly having a life of it's own.  When he installed the program he shut off some of the privacy/program issues that he knew about.  But during the last couple of days he noticed that the computer seemed to turn them back on...  He figured he could uninstall 10 and his computer would be it's old self again.  Didn't happen.  So now he's trying to figure it out.  He's about ready to Shit Can the computer and reformat it, essentially losing all of the information on it.  YUCK!!   

As I'm usually the optimist, I couldn't leave you all with a bad taste in your mouth so I'm also going to tell you about a fun day hike we took with Rufus a couple of weeks ago.  The weather was just as predicted, sunny and mid 60's.  Just right for a light sweater but still needing sunglasses :-)

We had ordered a harness and pack for Rufus from Groundbird Gear.  I heard about her business from a facebook group called Hiking With Dogs.  Bobwhite makes sturdy harnesses and packs custom fit for your dog.  We bought it because we plan to go on more hikes with the little guy and we wanted him to be able to carry a few treats, poop bags (empty of course), and maybe his collapsible water dish.  We couldn't wait to give it a try on a trail.

Rufus didn't even notice the pack but other park visitors sure thought it was cute

 
We drove a short 45 minutes to Hidden Falls park in nearby Auburn, CA.  The drive was easy and ended in a large paved parking lot complete with a row of porta-potties and a few trail head options.  From their website: "Approximately 30 miles of multiple-use trails provide access to scenic views of the riparian habitat along several creeks and to two gorgeous waterfalls. There are informative interpretive panels mounted at various spots along the trails. The park also has areas for picnicking, the fishing is great and there is plenty of open space for enjoying quiet time in a pristine outdoor environment."  We hiked 3 1/2 miles of scenic trails.

We had printed a trail map at the house and had decided to take an easy trail to Hidden Falls.  It was basically a fire road so when we came upon another trail, we took it.  Much better option for us.  The trail was narrow at some areas but it also meandered along a creek which would eventually become a waterfall.  The sound of the creek was relaxing.  Just what my soul needed.

above Hidden Falls

Ron turns to tell me he sees the falls

Hidden Falls

There is an overlook at the falls.  This was our lunch spot.  Rufus enjoyed some treats too.

 

 

After our rest we hiked a bit further, crossed another bridge and went to a second overlook.  The Canyon View Falls were not as impressive so a photo wasn't even taken.  I did take a photo of the bridge.

We got a somewhat late start to the day and we knew the park would be closing in a few hours so we decided to take the easy trail back.

the ranger drove past us, probably on his way to close the upper gates

We can totally understand why this park is a big draw for locals.  It did not disappoint in terms of scenery and trail conditions.  We will be visiting again!

If you're going:
  The entrance fee is FREE.
  Dogs must be on a leash.
  The park is open 365 days per year.
  Hours - open 1/2 hour before sunrise until 1/2 hour after sunset.