February already?

Well, looking back over the posts so far this year has me thinking. We are busying our thoughts with the construction projects ahead, there are a number of them to prioritize and line up...the pool, the brick patio and stone wall that needs repointing, new insulation in the addition. Which ones will we get to, which ones will have to wait another year?

We've had Jesse out for a look under the house - you can't make that adventure during the summer, but in the cold of February it is pretty safe, at least from reptiles. We're waiting for his report, which will tell us the state of the post and beam system under the addition. It is likely that there will be some new tasks out of this. For one thing, we know that the under-house insulation is installed paper side down, and will have to be replaced.

We have been talking to a number of friends about the cabin and the potential for visits and hiking. In the midst of the cold weather (unfortunately, no snow here in Alexandria yet) it is great to be thinking this way already. I've got a number of hikes in mind this year, and need to put some thinking in on a great destination hike, like the Old Rag hike last November and the Half Dome in 2005. Starting easy this year, though, with some of the kindler, gentler trailheads off of Skyline Drive.

After catching a little bit of the Pebble Beach golf tourney on TV today, I reread the Robinson Jeffers poem from the January 2 post. Decided to google "Pico Blanco" - apparently it is owned by the Boy Scouts. Also, it led me to browse the Ventana Wilderness, here is a related site....http://www.ventanawild.org/ ...been a while since I have been in that part of California. I need to talk to Mary about a vacation out that way soon, taking in Monterrey and Carmel, along with Big Sur.

A couple of photos to break the winter monotony....here is a photo of the Carmel beach, fond memories of that place from my DLI days at Monterey, and the Bixby Bridge, down in Big Sur - just before the Ventana Wilderness, in fact.