Our friend, Kae, is changing up her life a bit and moving to Mexico for an amazing adventure.

What a wonderful night it was, hosting this party and meeting new friends!



The gathering was a Who's Who of South Lake Tahoe. Wow!

While the air was full of fragrance and sweet Reggae beats, there was a certain amount of melancholy knowing this was the grand finale of this summer's wonderful Thursday night concert series.

 The art being created was very thematic. 

Rocker-T + The Fyah Line brought everyone to their feet. We were so jammin mon!
"Brooklyn’s Rocker-T plays conscious dancehall reggae music."
Needless-to-say, people watching was incredibly interesting.

A large group of South Lake Tahoe friends gathered for a night at the Ranch.

We arrived early for a tour of the Dangberg home and grounds.
 
And we picnicked in history. What a great gathering of friends (old and new).


Cindy Southerland began, and ended, her Chautauqua of Annie H. Martin: The First Woman to Head a U.S. Treasury Facility, the Assay Office at Carson City as herself. Interestingly, in addition to performing as a Chautauquan, she is a historian and the author of the book Cemeteries of Carson City and Carson Valley.
For almost an hour, Cindy introduced us to Annie Hudnall Martin's life, from her birth in 1857 to her death in 1928. And what a life it was! Unlike the Anne H. Martin of woman’s suffrage fame, Annie Hudnall Martin was decidedly anti-suffrage (this prompted a great deal of discussion at the conclusion of Cindy's presentation).  We learned that Annie was the first kindergarten teacher in Nevada. After thirteen years of teaching, she purchased the Carson Daily News and served as its editor. She then secured a job as a clerk at the Assay Office, eventually being appointed as the first woman to serve as Superintendent by President Warren G. Harding. In addition to her career-minded pursuits, Annie served as organist for the Presbyterian Church for 40 years, played for inmates at the Nevada State Prison on holidays, enjoyed traveling, taking photographs, writing and even raised her great nephew during the last years of her life.
There is something so magical about learning history in such a historical setting.

Birding is an extra special activity that makes you forget everything and really focus on the here and now. To bird, with one's awesome friend, while kayaking is nirvana.

This Ibis was my favorite. And look at the darling bird next to him in flight. So wonderful.
This young Coot had the coolest feet.
 So very peaceful.



 I love the stillness captured in this photo.


 

I have made this several times and just had to share it. Enjoy its ease and deliciousness.

Ingredients
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 1/4 cups chopped yellow onion (1 medium)
1 1/4 cups chopped red bell pepper (1 medium)
3 cloves garlic , minced
1 1/2 cups dry quinoa
2 1/4 cups vegetable broth
1 (14.5 oz) can tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups frozen corn (I use a can of corn with green chilies in it, drained)
1 1/2 cups cheddar or Monterey Jack , or Mexican blend cheese
For serving
Diced avocados , diced Roma tomatoes, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, chopped green onions (optional)
Instructions
1. Heat canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper and saute 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer. Pour mixture into a slow cooker.
2. Stir in quinoa, vegetable broth, canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder and cumin and season wtih salt and pepper to taste.
3. Cover and cook on HIGH heat about 2 hours 45 minutes - 3 hours 15 minutes (cook time can vary because all slow cookers cook a little differently so just keep an eye on it near the end to make sure it's neither getting soggy or drying out near the edges).
4. Add corn, black beans and pinto beans and toss mixture. Even top then sprinkle with cheese. Cover and cook until heated through and cheese has melted about 10 - 15 minutes longer. Serve warm with desired toppings.
5. Recipe source: inspired by Chelsea's Messy Apron and Damn Delicious

Our day began in Emerald Bay and a tour of Vikingsholm.

This was our view during our lakeside picnic lunch.
And this was a little guy who wished he could join us!
We there found ourselves at the Tallac Historic Site. Over century ago, this special locale held the "Grandest Resort in the World" and the summer retreats for three of San Francisco Bay Area's socially elite families. Today the remains of the resort and the restored estates attract many thousands of visitors annually to recapture this bygone and significant era in Tahoe's history. The Tallac Historic Site offers something for everyone. Many paths and most buildings are accessible. We thoroughly enjoyed our explore!
Our first (and last stop) as at the Baldwin Estate (1921), once the hideaway for Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin's granddaughter, Dextra. Today the main building is the Baldwin Museum and Educational Center for the Site. Within the 4000 square foot log cabin are exhibits on the legacy of the famiy and the significance of the Native American Washoe Tribe who came before. We watched the thirteen-minute introductory video so Laurie could learn more about it all. It was very informative.
Next we strolled to the Pope Estate (1894), the oldest estate and the largest of the three estates. We enjoyed the quiet of the arboretum with its non-native plants, waterfall, pond, and gazebo. Oh and we just had to hug this Giant Sequoia.


This was the first time I had been to the first of Dextra's cabins (lived in while the big estate was being built). This darling lakeside cabin had a wonderful exhibit on The Women of Tahoe and their contributions to the development of the Basin. I vowed to come back and learn more about each of the amazing women but for today, my focus was only on Ethel Agness Joslin Vernon.
Ethel learned of the Lake Tahoe area in a school geography class and later was hired at The Tahoe Tavern (1909). There she met Clarence William Vernon and married him on October 5, 1911, in Truckee. Their honeymoon was a 23 day trip around Lake Tahoe in a rowboat. Ethel was a poet, photographer, and artist. She wrote Indian lore and poetry for the Los Angeles Times. In Tahoe, she began writing for newspapers like the Sacramento Bee, Auburn Journal, and Sierra Sun. In 1944, she published her first book, A Voice from the Mountain Top and in 1953, she began to publish her own poetry magazine, Through the Rainbow Gate. And if that was amazing enough, she showed her artistry in the weaving of pine needle baskets. Her craftsmanship was displayed all over the United States and parts of Europe. Many of her baskets are still on exhibit at the Gatekeeper's Museum in Tahoe City. Wow. I so need to know more.
Laurie wasn't here long enough to see and do all I had hoped. Oh well, there's always next time. I 💜 Lake Tahoe! It does a soul good.