The Shell Family Home

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Brent's 40th Birthday--stepping back through time

2010-11-06T06:24:00.000-07:00

Mary Jackson -- 90th Birthday Celebration

2010-05-03T10:09:00.000-07:00

Mary...known by most as Grandma Jackson celebrated her 90th birthday this Sunday at the home of her daughter Barbara Percival. Mary's 3 daughters (Carole, Barbara and Joyce) along with a host of family (7 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren, 1 great great grandchild) and friends were in attendance. Following are several pictures of the special event.

Shawn and family visit from Colorado Springs

2010-05-03T10:00:00.000-07:00

Shawn and family (Jesse, Jenna, Shanna) flew in from Colorado Springs for a visit with us and to attend Grandma Jackson's 90th birthday celebration. They arrived Thursday afternoon and while here we spent Friday at Magic Mountain, Saturday at the Cabin and Sunday in Riverside celebrating grandma's birthday. Here are several pictures taken during their visit.

Bracken Joins the Athletics

2010-04-03T11:57:00.000-07:00

Bracken is playing with the Athletics this year. Here are some pictures of his fielding, throwing and batting capabilities.

Playday in the snow

2010-01-23T21:16:00.000-08:00

Stephanie, Matt, Bracken, Camden, Ainsley and their neighbors Christine and Baylor drove up Saturday to for a long, almost overnight visit at the cabin to play in the snow left by the most recent storm. When I mentioned almost overnight, I'm referring to the amount of time it took Matt to get out of our ice covered driveway. Here are some pictures showing the amount of snow at the cabin and of everyone at play; a short video as well.

Jacob tries his luck at fishing

2009-12-28T12:39:00.000-08:00

Jacob, our oldest grandchild at 13 wanted to go to the cabin to play in the snow and maybe do some fishing. We first drove to Fern's Lake near the golf course where the grandchildren have fished before, but found it still covered in ice. We didn't have much luck finding soft snow for play either and almost got stuck trying to park on an icy shoulder just off the road to Mount Pinos. We decided to try our luck fishing at the lake in Frazier Park, but no luck there either. We drove back to the cabin where Jacob devoured multiple bowls of clam chowder. Jacob did learn the mechanics of fishing and became very proficient at casting. Jacob also showed us how great he was at playing Yars Revenge on our Atari 2600 (a new gaming system scheduled to be released in early 2010)

Christmas 2009 Decoration Highlights

2009-12-22T05:11:00.000-08:00

Back to two trees this year; one traditional and one SciFi. The SciFi tree is decorated with Star Trek and Star Wars ornaments from the Hallmark Christmas ornament collection. Both Star Trek and Star Wars ornaments are complete series (every ornament issued) and date back to 1991. Bracken and Camden, with help from Grammie, carefully placed each ornament on the tree.

The traditional tree now includes Mom's collection of Ty Beanie Baby Teddy Bears.

Grammie (Joyce) painted the Nativity scene approximatly 30 years ago.

Decorating the Cabin for Christmas

2009-12-13T06:03:00.000-08:00

Bracken, Camden and Ainsley help decorate the cabin for Christmas. We got 10" of snow 5 days earlier (Sunday/Monday) but the rain washed most of it away by this weekends trip.

Stealth CAM

2009-12-08T14:01:00.000-08:00

I recently changed position of our outdoor stealth CAM and this is what was captured.

Annual Pictures of our Grandchildren (Rowley's)

2009-12-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

This year Brent and Melinda's family photos are pictured...from left to right are: Noah, Paige, and Jacob.

Annual Pictures of our Grandchildren (Dahlberg's)

2009-12-04T12:01:00.000-08:00

This year Shawn and Jeff's family photos are pictured...from left to right are: Jenna, Jesse, and Shanna.

Annual Pictures of our Grandchildren (Hay's)

2009-11-25T11:12:00.000-08:00

Each year around Christmas time we receive pictures of our grandchildren. This year Stephanie and Matt's family photos are pictured...from left to right are: Brackcen, Ainsley, and Camden.

Let's Go Fishing

2009-08-15T21:00:00.000-07:00

Since returning from their vacation at the Sacramento River Delta, Bracken and Camden have been asking when they can go fishing at the cabin again. Well, this weekend was the perfect opportunity as their cousin Noah had a special opportunity to spend 3-4 days with Pop and Grammie while his brother Jake was away at camp and his sister Paige went shopping with Mom. We headed out Saturday morning to pickup Bracken and Camden and arrived at the cabin around 9:00 AM. I rigged up 3 fishing poles, grabbed some bait and off we went to the PMC fishing hole. We were on a mission to catch some catfish. This was Bracken and Camden's second fishing trip with Pop and was Noah's first; all 3 were excited. Our first fishing outing the year before lasted about 10 minutes (short attention span) but this outing produced more excitement (3 boys) and last slightly over 30 minutes. The boy's got several bites...from fish, not mosquitoes but didn't land the big one everyone was hoping to take home. All in all everyone had a lot of fun. We went back to the cabin for lunch and playtime and then headed home. I'm sure they will be talking about the fish trip for sometime to come. Hopefully the next fishing trip will produce FISH.

Dahlberg's at the cabin planting tree

2009-07-09T19:05:00.000-07:00

Grandchildren planting trees at our cabin in PMC has become a tradition. Jesse and Jenna planted pine trees at the cabin during their 2005 visit. This year Shanna planted her tree. You can see that Shanna and her tree are about the same size. Jesse and Jenna pointing out just how much their trees have grown (see before and after pictures below).

Stealth Camera

2009-05-30T18:09:00.000-07:00

In May of this year I purchased and install a StealthCam i590 on a tree facing our cabin. We have a water feature near the front entrance and suspected that wildlife had been using it in the evening to refresh themselves. Here are a few pictures we've captured worth posting. Most have been birds flying by, squirrels, and a raccoon.

Trout fishing opening weekend

2009-05-02T18:32:00.000-07:00

Due to poor fishing last year we decided to take it slow and easy this year; opening day is the last Saturday in April. We started our trip Saturday morning, stopping in Bishop for breakfast. While driving north of Bishop on 395 we noticed numerous boats heading down the hill and commented to each other that it was weird; boats leaving early. Later we found out that there were 35 MPH winds on Lake Crowley Saturday morning making fishing all but impossible. We arrived at Wally's condo in Mammoth Lakes early Saturday afternoon, unpacked and settled in (taking it easy), and headed for Convict Lake which is nearby, for a late afternoon attempt at fishing; no luck. Sunday we headed north and checked out June Lake, Gull Lake and Virginia Lakes. Virginia Lakes were still iced over (ice fishing only). While talking with the owners of Big Rock Resort at June Lake (Stephanie was on the high school swim team with their daughter) we learned that a boat was available for the afternoon. We drove back to Mammoth Lakes to get our gear and have lunch. A few hours later we were fishing on June Lake. It took me 5 hours to catch my limit, nothing to brag about; all small fish. On the way back to the condo we discussed options... get a boat and fish Gull Lake Monday morning or possibly give Crowley Lake a try Monday and fish Gull Lake Tuesday morning. We optted for Crowley. We hit the lake a little after 6:00 AM and fished until 2:00 PM. On average fish at Crowley were bigger than last year and we came off the lake with full limits, not the least of which was a 5.25 lb brown trout caught by Wally; he out fished me that day. Our plan was to head out early Tuesday morning, get a boat and fish Gull Lake, but the weather, namely the wind had other ideas. The wind blew all night and into the morning so we looked at each other and said...better if we just head down the fill and get home early. All in all we had a very good trip. I smoked two large trout Friday and plan to enjoy them this weekend. Sorry... no pictures this trip.

Happy Birthday Stephanie

2009-03-06T02:02:00.000-08:00

Seems like only yesterday our little “China Doll” was born.
She walked at 6 months,
Wouldn’t talk until she could talk full sentences, no matter how hard we tried.
Had to have clothes with pockets,
Loved to sing in kid’s choir,
Loved to dance in dance recitals,
Loved to swim on swim team,
Now all grown up, married to a great guy, she’s a great Mom and now
is watching her own kids grow.
Happy Birthday Stephanie, we love you.

Happy Birthday Camden Jackson Hay

2009-03-03T11:39:00.000-08:00

Today is Camden's 3rd birthday (March 3rd). His birthday celebration began last Saturday (February 28th) when family and friends joined him at the Santa Barbara Zoo. Everyone had a fantastic time and many rode the train around the zoo. Stephanie and Matt had reserved the elephant patio for the party. The elephant patio overlooks the elephant exhibit featuring 2 elephants. There was a special time when zoo staff brought a large lizard for show and tell. Everyone got to pet the lizard. Here are pictures of the patio view and also of Camden's special events. Again...HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAMDEN.

January 30, 1949

2009-01-30T01:00:00.000-08:00

Joyce L. Jackson Born January 30, 1949 St. John's Hospital, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Joyce L. Shell now celebrating her 60th birthday
Visit: http://5hays.blogspot.com/ and http://jpdahlberg.blogspot.com/ for the full story.

Jacob and Noah at the cabin playing in the snow

2009-01-04T13:48:00.000-08:00

This weekend we took Jacob and Noah to the cabin in hopes of them being able to play in the snow. As luck would have it...it was snowing when we arrived. We quickly unpacked and loaded the saucers and sled into the truck. We drove to Mt. Pinos which is about 9 miles up the hill from the cabin. The elevation at the summit is approximately 8,300 feet; it's 5,500 at the cabin. We unloaded the sled and walked up the icy slope. The temperature was 19 degrees so after about 3 or 4 trips up and down we jumped back in the truck to warm up. At the summit we were above the clouds. The skies were blue and the sun was shinning. We headed down the hill to see if we could find some fresh snow. About half way down the hill it was snowing again. We found a place where we could park and get out and play. There was a little over an inch in fresh snow so the boys started making snow angels and making snowballs. Jacob asked if he could eat the snow and Grammie said just as long as it's not yellow snow. Grammie then pointed out some animal tracks in the snow and Jacob said that cool. Jacob asked Grammie what's that...and Grammie replied "that yellow snow." Jacob replied "very cool." We played in the snow for a while then headed back to the cabin to thaw out and have lunch. Here are some pictures of Jacob and Noah having fun.

Happy 40th Birthday Shawn

2008-12-29T22:14:00.000-08:00

Mom writes: Such a special day. I was way, way overdue for you to come and finally everything was coming fast. We had to drive from Hawthorne to Santa Monica. We get to St. John’s Hospital and all the nurses and aides were talking about New Years Eve. I didn’t have a whole lot of time before they took me to the delivery room. When the moment came everyone stopped because you came out looking around and so awake and aware. Bright Eyes! Always interested in everything around you. Everyone commented about how beautiful you were. You are so special. Happy Birthday, Love Mom.

Then...

Now...

Christmas at Pop and Grammie Shell's

2008-12-29T17:39:00.000-08:00

We celebrate our family Christmas on Christmas eve. This year Brent's family (Melinda, Jacob, Paige, Noah) and Stephanie's family (Matt, Bracken, Camden, Ainsley) joined us. Shawn's family (Jeff, Jesse, Jenna, Shanna) couldn't make it due to Jeff's work schedule, although they were able to be with us on Thanksgiving; a special treat. Christmas dinner consisted of 14.5 lbs prime rib, green beans, brussel sprouts, mashed potatoes & gravy, corn, rolls, iced tea, punch, and chocolate cheesecake. Pictured here are the Rowley and Hay children under our Christmas tree.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

2008-12-20T19:34:00.000-08:00

The snow storm finally arrived on Monday as predicted and left behind 18-24" of fresh powder. Weather the remainder of the week didn't get above the mid-thirties. Highways and roads were hazardous due to ice and Interstate 5 (I-5) was closed for periods both Monday and Tuesday. However, careful driving, snow tires and 4-wheel drive did the trick (no snow chains required) to get us to the cabin safely. We arrived Friday afternoon and the snow at the cabin was still as fresh as if it had just fallen. Friday afternoon we tried to build a snowman on the patio deck but the snow was not cooperating (too powdery). Friday evening we watched Star Wars V The Empire Strikes Back. Saturday morning was play day in the snow...sliding down the driveway and playing in the snow cover playground while Grammie was getting a haircut. Pictured below: Bracken and Camden at the Christmas tree in the front yard, inside warming up after playing in the snow, and videos of them sliding down the driveway. Everyone had a wonderful time.

Bracken and Camden help decorated the cabin for Christmas

2008-12-14T13:08:00.000-08:00

This weekend we decorated the cabin for Christmas. Bracken and Camden decorated a small Christmas tree. We were hoping for a big snow fall but the big storm was late, not scheduled to arrive until Monday. Grammie noticed that some snow was starting to fall so she walked the boys over to the patio window to watch. Bracken said: "I never knew that snow came from the sky." "I caught snow with my tongue." "I think that is not something that many people see." Camden said: "That's so funny." "I never saw that before." The boys were so excited. We wish the snow fall could have been more, but we're taking the boys back to the cabin again Friday afternoon and we hope that the snow is sufficient to build a snowman. Bracken and Camden have also developed an interest in Star Wars and we played with their Star Wars The Clone Wars figures. We also watched the first Star Wars movie (Star Wars IV The New Hope). Here are some pictures of Bracken and Camden after they decorated the Christmas tree. They also baked some Christmas cookies with help from Grammie.

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-11-27T13:53:00.000-08:00

This year we had the entire immediate family for Thanksgiving (minus my Mom)...that's 9 adults and 9 grandchildren. The challenge this year was not cooking dinner which consisted of 24.6 lbs turkey, 10 lbs mashed potatoes (garlic and regular), 2 types of stuffing, gravy, green beans, sweet potatoes/yams, cornbread muffins, rolls, green salad, cranberry salad, 24 hour salad, herb butter, cranberries, deviled eggs, assorted relish tray, pumpkin pie, chocolate cream pie, carrot cake, punch, ice tea, and coffee. The real challenge was getting 9 grandchildren ranging in age from 7 months to 12 years old to sit still long enough, and facing the camera to get this picture.

Fireplace Mantel

2008-11-09T11:53:00.000-08:00

This weekend we installed a new log mantel above our fireplace at the cabin. The builder of the cabin was suppose to install a split log but instead did nothing more than just a 2" x 6" and some 1" x 3" trim (it's a long story). I'd been toying with the idea of building a mantel myself but always fell short of coming up with a plan or design that would meet my standards of perfection. After about 5 years of living with the 2" x 6" mantel I did a search on eBay for a rustic mantel. I found a master craftsman in Augusta Georgia who makes furniture, including custom made to measure mantels using cedar logs. We communicated back and forth and finally came up with the perfect mantel. After about 5 weeks the mantel was delivered. Several attempts and a lot of help from Joyce to get it positioned just right, we finally got it just where we wanted it. Here are some before and after pictures. Hope you'll agree that the new mantel is a BIG improvement.

Late season trout fishing...not

2008-10-11T19:17:00.000-07:00

The trout season in the high sierra's ends October 31st so we thought it would be nice to get in one last fishing trip before the season closed. We (my fishing partner Wally and I) headed out late Wednesday afternoon for Mammoth Lakes; Wally owns a condo there and it's been our base of operations for many years. As we arrived at the condo we were greeted by a mother bear and her 2 cubs. They appeared to be standing guard over the trash dumpster which fortunately was locked. The picture above is upper and lower twin lakes at Mammoth Lakes and shows just how beautiful it can it be regardless of weather. Our plan was to fish upper twin lake at Bridgeport Thursday and Gull lake (part of the June lake loop) Friday. We rented a boat at upper twin and headed out for a days fishing. Shortly after leaving the boat dock we encountered conditions that made fishing almost impossible. Winds were 30 MPG generating wave and white caps; it was like victory at sea. Little did we know that a major storm was heading our way which would eliminate most all of our earlier plans. Bottom line... winds continued throughout the day and into Friday evening. Temperatures dropped to 18 degrees and there was 4" to 6" of snow everywhere. We headed home Saturday morning stopping just south of Bishop to fish the Owens river. No fish anywhere to be found.

Pictured below: Leaving snow covered Mammoth Lakes and Wally fishing the Owens river.

Game #1 for the Dragons ends in a tie

2008-09-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year it was Baseball (T-Ball) but now it's the season for Soccer. Bracken plays for the Dragons and this was his 1st game. The game started at 10:15 AM and the mid-day sun came early (97 degrees). Bracken will be 5 next month so at this level of competition there is no score keeping, and the clock runs continuously; every game is a tie. They break every 15 minutes for water and there are 3 breaks per game, including 1/2 time.

Bracken is taking a water break and also a free kick.

Remember to checkout the links under Family Blogs and Photos for additional family pictures and stories. ===>

Long lost relatives share great news

2008-08-31T19:06:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week I connected with my aunt Polly who I hadn't heard from in a few years. She's a young 80 years old, the youngest in my dad’s family of 16 children. She had emailed me several years ago but for whatever reason I had lost her email address. She mentioned that she would be seeing my uncle Carl today at his Baptism. Carl is 86 years old and somehow couldn't remember if he had been baptized or not. A search for records of his baptism turned up nothing. So my uncle decided that regardless if he had been baptized or not he was going to make it happen. Today, in the presence of family and friends, Carl Quinton Shell was baptized by Pastor Bob Shoffner. Pictured here from left to right: his son Phil, daughter's Sara and Carla, wife Nina, my uncle Carl, Senior Pastor Bob Shoffner and Pastor Brian Ballard. This is a record of that special day.

More about my dad's siblings... Of the 16 children, 11 grew to maturity, and 2 remain today. Pictured below are my uncle Carl, and my aunt Polly. Several have mentioned that I look a lot like my uncle Carl; maybe it's the hairline or lack thereof and the moustache, you be the judge. My aunt Polly is an award winning artist. Sparked by a Christmas gift of paints, brushes, a stack of canvases and a request "paint me a picture" from her daughter Donna, she began painting 13 years ago at the young age of 67. See her work at: http://www.oldeenglishart.com/ (Lee Skipper).

The Turtle "Shell" Story

2008-08-30T17:09:00.000-07:00

This week I connected with long lost cousins, aunts, and an uncle on my dad side of the family, originating from North Carolina. When we were kids, every summer just as soon as school was out we'd jump in the car and drive non-stop to Hickory, North Carolina. We initially traveled Route 66, later our travels followed Interstate 40. In those days there was no air conditioning in cars and driving across the California desert wasn't much fun. You carried canvas water bags on your front bumper to reduce the risks of your car overheating. If you were lucky, you had a water cooler hanging out the window or straddling the hump between the front seats. The first trip I remember was in a 1936 Buick coupe. My dad has built a bench that sat between the back seat and the front seats making the rear seat like a bed so we (Ronnie and Johnny) could sleep on the way. I remember one trip very vividly that we took in the summer of 1959. As usual the car was loaded the night before, and the moment school was out we jumped in a 1959 white Buick LeSabre and hit the road. Dad and mom took turns driving and popping no-doze as we only stopped for gas ($.22-.30/gal) and sometimes to pee. We were making good time and while driving through Arkansas dad suddenly slammed on the brakes and jumped out of the car. There was a large turtle crossing the road and dad picked it up and put it in the trunk of the car. Mom asked…what are you going to do with that? Dad replied…we’ll give it to Grandma and she’ll fix it for supper; Mom didn’t realize at the time but dad had put the muddy turtle on her new coat. We arrived in Hickory late at night and the turtle spent the evening in the trunk of the car comfortable on moms coat, not knowing what was in store for him. The next day dad and grandpa retrieved the turtle and cleaned it…making it ready for grandma to cook. Most of us had a taste that day at supper and several said hmmm tastes like chicken, no frog, and then grandpa said I believe I like this almost as much as I like opossum. Dad saved the turtle shell and I still have it on display at our cabin. I was reminded of the story when chatting with my cousin Sara; thanks Sara for the stories and jogging my memory. Our annual visits to Hickory produced some special memories that I'll cherish forever.

Pre-Labor Day weekend with Bracken and Camden

2008-08-22T07:52:00.000-07:00

Bracken and Camden come to the cabin often. The boys just love to play, especially in the snow, but this weekend while waiting for winter to arrive, we spent time at the PMC park. Both are fearless when it comes to slides and climbing but the big slide was too hot from the noontime sun. Grammie thought it would be a great idea to bring a ball so the boys were able to practice their soccer skills. Here are a few highlights of this trip to the playground.

After returning from the playground and having lunch the boys helped Pop plant some flowers and plants. We also had a Lego tower building contest which Bracken won.

Willow resting after a long day

2008-08-03T18:40:00.000-07:00

Willow's family (Matt, Stephanie, Bracken, Camden, and Ainsley) took a short 5 day mini-vacation to Flying Flags this week. Grammie and Pop provided lodging and entertainment for Willow while her family was away. Pictured here resting after a busy day.

Visit http://5hays.blogspot.com/2008/09/skunk.html
for Willow's latest adventure.

Gerry & Carole Baxter celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary

2008-08-03T18:16:00.000-07:00

Carole Jackson, a young bride of 16 years, married Gerry Baxter on September 6, 1958, and yesterday Joyce and I drove to Riverside to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Carole is the oldest of 3 daughters born to Kenneth and Mary Jackson (Joyce is the baby). Attending the celebration were 82 close friends and family members. A video chronicling their lives was presented and a reception dinner completed the evening. The event was hosted by Carole and Gerry's oldest daughter Vicki.

Dahlberg and Rowley Children

2008-07-16T08:53:00.000-07:00

A rare moment during our visit when the Dahlberg and Rowley children were all in one place. Shanna missing due to her 1 year doctor's appointment. From right to left...Jesse, Jacob, Jenna, Paige, and Noah.

Shanna's 1st Birthday Party

2008-07-15T18:04:00.000-07:00

Shanna's 1st Birthday Party hosted by Shawn and Jeff at their home. In attendance: Grammie and Pop Shell, Nana and Papa Dahlberg, Shanna's brother Jesse and sister Jenna. Shanna's uncle Brent and aunt Melinda, Jacob, Paige, and Noah. Jeff's brother Todd, his wife Leslie, 4 sons, Levi, Benjamin, Connor, Landon, and a neighbor girl Elisa. A buffet dinner consisting of taco's, burritos, and a fruit salad was served. The video below shows just how much Shanna enjoyed her 1st birthday cake. The picture of the dinner table is what's left after 20 guests feasted at the buffet.

Garden of the gods

2008-07-15T11:23:00.000-07:00

If you're every in Colorado Springs, a must see, aside from Stargate Command at Cheyenne Mountain, is Garden of the gods. Shawn and Jeff played host to this tour of the gardens.

Golfing--Cottonwood Creek, Colorado Springs

2008-07-15T08:22:00.000-07:00

The boys finally rolled out of bed around 8:00 AM this morning so we went to the local disc golf course located at Cottonwood Creek Park. This picture shows Brent and Jeff at the 8th hole. Click on the picture to enlarge and notice that Brent's disc (red) is just leaving his hand heading for what would become a "birdie." They finished the 18 hole course; Brent 5 over par, Jeff 9 over par. This was their 2nd attempt at a very difficult course, according to Brent the Pro a self professed expert on this topic.

Jesse and Jenna's baptism

2008-07-13T15:45:00.000-07:00

We were very fortunate that our trip to Colorado Springs this year coincided with the baptism of two of our grandchildren (Jesse and Jenna). I'm attaching pictures of the baptism service where their father (Jeff) participated in the baptism. After the service we all went to lunch at the Golden Corral.

Vacation Plans 2008

2008-06-25T17:17:00.000-07:00

This year we're taking a vacation...no joke, we're going to spend a week with Shawn, Jeff, Jesse, Jenna and Shanna in Colorado Springs. We'll be flying from LAX to COS and picking up a rental car upon arrival. Adding to the excitement, Brent, Melinda, Jake, Paige, and Noah will be there at the same time as part of their family vacation. We're looking forward to spending some quality time with the family. If Joyce reminds me to take the camera we'll be posting some new family pictures and sites we visit while in Colorado.

Just may stop by Cheyenne Mountain and checkout Stargate Command

Baby Ainsley April 13, 2008

2008-06-25T09:45:00.001-07:00

Stephanie, Matt, Bracken, and Camden welcome new baby sister Ainsley (Grandchild #9)

Fishing Lake Crowley

2008-04-28T11:53:00.000-07:00

I've been fishing Lake Crowley since I was 11 years old and haven't missed an opening day with the exception of 1964, and 1965 when I was serving in the U.S. Army. Most of my earlier years of fishing were with my Dad and a bunch of his fishing buddies. In those days we camped, slept in tents, and got up early EARLY to head to the lake for the morning fishing. Over the years we gradually progressed from tents to camping in campers, trailers, motorhomes and for the past 10 years we've been in 1st class accommodations at Wally's condo in Mammoth Lakes. In the 50's 60's 70's and 80's we were out on the lake 1 hour before sunrise and back at camp eating breakfast by 7:30 AM with our limits of trout and then some. For the past few years it's a much different story; the fish are smaller and no longer as plentiful. Opening day this year (2008) we hit the lake at 5:00 AM as always and didn't return to the boat dock until 5:00 PM, short of our full limits. It's always fun no matter how many or how few fish are caught. Next year we'll most likely be fishing the June Lake loop (June, Gull, Silver, and Grant lakes) mostly due to the less than spectacular fishing at Crowley Lake.

The pictures posted here are from 1998 at Lake Crowley and 2005 at Convict Lake. My fishing partners today are Wally (a friend from RAND where I worked) and my son Brent and son-in-law Matt (Stephanie's husband). The picture at the top of me holding the 5+ pounder was actually caught by my son Brent. The picture of me holding two 5 pounders; one was caught by me and the other by Wally. We always have enough fish for a good fish dinner opening day evening. There's nothing like cooking and eating the fish you've caught that day.

Early one morning we had two unexpected fishing buddies join us in the parking garage. They were helping unload a truck, just a few spaces from where we were parked.

Christmas 2007

2007-12-25T06:21:00.000-08:00

Our grandchildren gather around the Christmas Tree the night before Christmas.

Ron's retirement from RAND

2007-08-02T10:42:00.000-07:00

Ron retires after 43.5 years with the RAND Corporation, most of which was spent as Director of Computing and Network Operations. Now I'm looking forward to many years of fishing, drinking fine wine (no twist caps or boxes), watching Star Trek, Stargate, etc. and spending time with Joyce, family and friends at the cabin.

Baby Shanna July 15, 2007

2007-07-15T05:59:00.000-07:00

Shawn, Jeff, Jesse, and Jenna welcome new baby sister Shanna (Grandchild #8)

December 2006

2006-12-25T19:13:00.000-08:00

This is our cabin located in Pine Mountain Club, CA. It's only a 50 minute drive from our home. Yes, we do get snow in the winter.

Video of Bracken reading to Camden

2006-09-25T06:03:00.000-07:00

The Rowley's go to jail

2005-10-25T06:15:00.000-07:00

Jacob, Paige and Noah in the Pine Mountain Jail

The Rowley's Winter 2004

2004-11-25T05:05:00.000-08:00

Brent, Melinda, Jacob, Paige, and Noah playing in the snow at the cabin.