Fall Fun

 We did our best to have some fall fun this weekend despite the pandemic.   The days are definitely getting shorter and cooler.  The kids carved their halloween pumpkins this weekend.   Neither chose a traditional jack-o-lantern face.   Instead, Ethan carved a jail (symbolic of the pandemic, perhaps?) and Alaina carved a pumpkin on her pumpkin.

  

They did a pretty good job doing it mostly without adult interference and even cleaned up their mess (mostly).   Win!

We also made my seasonal favorite, caramel apples.  I always think about the "taffy apple" days at my elementary school--where we could pre-order caramel apples and bring them home at the end of the school day.   Loved them then--and now!   I had upgraded them by adding sprinkles--and they were delicious.

So, no hayrides or pumpkin patches, but, still some home fun.

Our Pandemic Purchase

Well, this was a big weekend for our family: we closed on a vacation home in Lake Tahoe!  Now, if you would have asked me a year ago if I would ever buy a second home I would have laughed.  Certainly, this was never something I wanted to do, mostly because I love traveling to new places when I have time off of work.   Jason, on the other hand, has always waned a home in Lake Tahoe.   So, in this sense, the pandemic has been a big win for him.  CoVID certainly helped convince me that having a home away from home--a place that is easy and safe to travel to--is a good thing.   And since I don't foresee big trips anytime soon, it seemed like a good time to take the plunge.

When house-hunting, we looked all over the Tahoe area, but ultimately bought a home in an area called Serene Lakes, which is just west of the Donner Summit.    This area has two advantages: 1. It is about 30 minutes closer to our home in Marin than most other vacation areas and 2. It is super quiet (serene, really) and low key, which I something that was important to us.   It also is home to North America's largest cross-country ski resort, and a big downhill ski resort called Sugarbowl.   Plus a ton of hiking and biking trails for the summer.

 

Our cabin (name forthcoming, but I am thinking Pandemic Purchase might be pretty good!), is a rustic but charming house in the woods.   We are about a 10 minute walk from the lake itself which has a nice swimming beach and storage for non-motorized boats (the house came with a canoe!).   

  

Anyhow, we spent our first weekend up there--and I have to say it was lovely.   Cozy, quiet, and really beautiful.  I feel so fortunate that we were able to do this.   

Visitors Welcome!!

Some pictures from the week

 Well, it has been another special week of smoky home schooling.

Here is an assignment that Alaina "turned in" on how to behave appropriately during Zoom School.   Who would have ever thought?!?!?!?

Our School district is going to start very limited in-person school on Monday, 4-5 kids per grade.   What a joke.   There is a lot of challenges with the teachers union and it is unclear if/when either of my kids will get back to in person school.   Ugh.

Smoke: It has been another smoky week with another huge fire breaking out in the wine country last weekend.   Here is a blurry picture of the full orange moon I saw this week.

And here is a picture of the best air quality we have had all week, yesterday.   Blue sky, hooray!   But still lots of smoke too.

So, yes, it is a tough time to live here.   Our next-door neighbors announced this week that they (and their 4 kids) have decided to move to South Carolina (!).   I think that people are really feeling frustrated with everything....and looking for alternatives.   I am trying to stay positive and convince myself that at least the fires will go out soon--it is supposed to rain next weekend.  We will see.