That cannot be??

I cannot believe that it has been a year since I have made a post to this blog! I had good intentions but, as my Grandpa Hawley used to say, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions"! Then again, maybe it says something as to all the exciting things that have happened in this small town over the past year? Well, it has been a good year with some happenings worth sharing.

In February we made a trip to Death Valley NP, Laughlin, NV, Lake Havasu, AZ, and Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, near Las Vegas. We traveled with my brother & wife and had a really good trip. In the summer seasons 2006 & 2007, we served as volunteers at Lassen Volcanic NP, serving as camp hosts at Manzanita Lake Campground. This past year we spent only three weeks filling in on Fourth of July holiday weekend and then finished out the season filling in for the camp host who had to leave two weeks before the end of the season. We will be returning for the 2009 season and are looking forward to another great season.

In June the youngest son was deployed to Afghanistan for a six months tour and has returned home safely. In September, we traveled to Denver for the oldest son's wedding. So great that he has found someone with who to share his life after being a widower for 16 years. We also had a great visit with # 2 son in Colorado Springs, who retired as a Lt Col, USAF, after 23 years. (between me & my wife, we have four sons, 2 each) From Denver, we traveled on to North Dakota and visited the youngest son's wife and almost 2 yr old son while he was over in Afghanistan. Then at Thanksgiving, we had a great visit from #3 son. All in all, a good year for the family.

A bit of sadness in 2008 as our 14 yr old cat, Fargo, unexpectedly died, leaving our 19 yr old, Izzy, by herself. Izzy probably wishes at times that she was still by herself as we adopted a 7 wk old kitten shortly after Fargo's death. Little Bit (aka "Bitsy") has been a real joy to have in the house but mixing a now 20 year old cat with a kitten has its problems. Nothing serious as Izzy has really accepted Bitsy and they get along great, except when Bitsy gets a little too rough when playing.

Well, we are now looking forward to a return trip to Death Valley NP this month and spending time with Bro & wife. I will try to be a 'bit' more regular in posts in the coming months. What would really be nice is to have a few more visits to my blog... I sure am not reaching many people so far & am not knowledgeable enough to get others to even find my blog.

A Bit About Burney, CA

Burney is located some 53 miles northeast of Redding, in Northern California. It is ideally located between Mount Shasta to the north and Mount Lassen (Lassen Volcanic National Park) to the south. Another 100 miles NE of Burney is Lava Beds National Monument, a fascinating place to visit, not only because of the hundreds of Lava Tubes to be explored, but because it is the site of the only Indian War to take place in California. Also, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area lies just a short distance west of Redding. And, not to forget, McArthur-Burney Falls State Park is located just 12 miles from Burney. According To Theodore Roosevelt, Burney Falls is one of the most beautiful falls in America! (See the picture to the right)

Burney sits at about 3200' elevation and is subject to some snow in the winter, which we are experiencing now, and supports a population of around 3200 friendly people. We feel we have really become a part of the community. It is a great place to live. More about Burney later...

OK, Time For My First Post

I have had a lot of confusing fun setting up this Blog. It is not all that hard but not being familiar with terminology requires more research. Unfortunately, when I try to Google something, I get a lot of information in the same terminology that I didn't understand in the beginning. If anyone has a good site, sort of a "Blogging for Dummies", let me know.

For those of you that wish to visit my website: www.cascade-creek.com, I am offering a Free $10.00 Gift Card. Simply click on "Login" and complete the registration. I will be notified and the free gift card will be heading your way.