Caves, Giant trees and bears... Oh my! *Just kidding, we saw no bears

Finally back from the wilderness... Last camping trip of the summer and it was AMAZING. We camped in King's Canyon, kayaked Lake Hume, explored the Sequoia forest and went into the Crystal caverns. I need a vacation from our vacation though. So tired but happy.


http://www.nps.gov/seki/index.htm

The view from 8500+ feet, compliments of four wheel drive and a forest service road near Buck Rock that led to the fire look out.

Top of the world Toad

I'm in  a tree

Hiking

The "vortex' of doom. AKA, a huge stump

Daddy and his Toad

More hiking

The General Grant tree

The land tank (and our "boat") at 9000 feet.

Kayaking....

I'm in a hut

The waterfalls above ground from the caverns

Some of the rock formations

Crystal Caverns

Tuckered out after many days of climbing, hiking and cave exploring

Boole Tree

In a cabin from the 1800's

I <3 p="p" s="s" smore="smore">

Stumping

Daddy and his Toad at Boole Tree

"Look at the view sweetie, turn around' heheheheh

Making grilled cheese over the fire

I climbed into a burn scar in the Boole tree to get this shot

 

Halloween is right around the corner...

Foam core board base, then I began the wire tree. This will eventually have a hang man in it.

 

Hedgie love

Shy Petunia

Rattle Snake

Luckily my husband knows this about me and encourages rather than discourages my morbid tendencies...

So, this snake tried to bite our Wicket and daddy had to kill him. The downside of country living is we get a lot of critters up closer and closer to the house this time of year. In any case, he saved it for me. It is currently in our freezer until we get back next week so I can properly tan the skin and extract the skeleton. I can't wait to make projects with this.

Re-posting from my FB

I have thus far not weighed in the chick-fila thing, I can’t ignore the ridiculous BS I’m seeing any more. I am going to try and do this with as few four letter words as possible. It isn't about free speech. Everyone has the right to say what they want. It is about using money to fund organizations that infringe on others rights that everyone is upset about. If that guy is a bigot, that is his business. He has a right to be a moron, he has a right to not like gay people, he has a right to follow whatever religion he wants just like the rest of us. The fact he donates massive money and uses his company as a sounding board to try and deny other people their civil and constitutional rights that is the issue. If so many people were really concerned about the constitution and rights, they'd be as mad about someone trying to buy the ability to deny a group of people their rights as the rest of us.




Rights are by definition NOT UP TO THE GENERAL CONSENSUS. That is why they are rights and not privileges. I am the wife of a veteran, the sister of an active duty member and the relative and friend of many, many, many more veterans and active duty soldiers. We have had thousands upon thousands of our soldiers fight and die for the rights and freedoms this country was founded on, to try and infringe and deny someone else’s is like spitting in the face of every soldier this country has ever had. . I am angry that they would disrespect what this country stands for so blatantly when so many gave up their lives to defend those values.



The religions most active in this argument preach tolerance, not judging and loving your neighbor as some of their core values. Putting money into trying to deny someone their rights is the most anti-American and anti-Christian thing I can think of and I am embarrassed and ashamed that so many people think it is acceptable in this day and age. Given the teachings of those religions, I suspect people skim the part about all sins being equal (not to mention half the bible which is no longer adhered to because it would get you thrown in jail), because according to the bible judging is just as much a sin as anything else. So, you can ask all the gay people to save you a seat in hell, it will apparently be pretty crowded.



If he had donated money to the KKK, no one would support him now (well maybe skin heads and neo Nazi’s). It is no longer socially acceptable to be openly racist, being openly homophobic still is. But in the 1950's if he'd donated to the KKK he'd be getting the same responses from racists saying he had a right to free speech. It's the EXACT SAME THING, only substitute gay people for black people. If you don’t believe that, look up the arguments against interracial marriage being passed, they are literally WORD FOR WORD what most of the arguments against gay marriage are. The real underlying issue is not freedom of speech, it is socially accepted hate wrapped up to sound pretty for a sound bite.



I am a woman, up until not so long ago we did not have the same rights and protections as men. In many countries we still don’t. I know this and am thankful that people stood up and changed it here so that I don’t have to live with being a second class citizen in my country. Though g-d knows some people are trying to turn back the clock on that, but that is a different rant entirely.



I am Jewish, history has shown time and again what people will allow and condone if a group of people is socially acceptable to hate. The holocaust didn’t happen in a vacuum, it was widely acceptable and expected to treat Jews as less than other people. Dehumanizing another group makes it easier to commit atrocities against them because no one cares and people blame the victim.



I am the product of two people of differing ethnic backgrounds, which up until not so long ago was illegal for them to marry and would have been socially unacceptable as well.



Being all of things, I can see how easily I could have been in the same position as gay people are now, because in another place or time, I would be. How many people supporting this can’t say the same? How many of you, in another place or time, would be socially acceptable to discriminate against? I’m sure you are thankful as I am that you are not, yet you think it acceptable to do to someone else.



Several amazing people I love and respect happen to be gay. I say happens to be because they are people first, who they love or date doesn’t define them no matter how much the media tries to pretend it does. Even if I did not know a single person who was gay, my opinion would be the same. The fact I do makes it more personal for me though.



One of the most important people in my entire life is brilliant, gorgeous, talented, funny, responsible, artistic, loving and a million other wonderful things. He also happens to be gay. The fact that so many people think it nothing more than a right to free speech when it will affect his life appalls and sickens me. Freedom of religion means freedom from religion as well. Everyone has the right to believe whatever they choose, but your right to believe ends at your right to enforce your beliefs on others. If you are against gay marriage, then by all means do not marry a gay person. I’m sure they wouldn’t want to spend time with you anyway. Freedom of speech protects you saying what you want, it is NOT donating money to affect legislation based on your religion that denies other Americans their constitutional & civil rights.

Okay, made it all the way through without cussing. Since we all know that isn’t like me, I guess I will end with "being a bigot makes you a fucking asshole". That is all.