Our first in-our-home guests (post-COVID) who weren't family, were our Temecula neighbor Caylie, her darling little girls, and her Mom.

In April 2021, our sweet neighbor lost her husband, Vista firefighter Andy, to a rare and aggressive form of melanoma that took him just three months after he was diagnosed. He was only 33 years old. Sharing this loss continues to break my heart.

Over the four days that our special guests were here, we tried to share as much of our "happy place" with these girls as we could, making magic Tahoe moments for us all. As a parting gift, we were given this incredibly special can of beer.

Belching Beaver Brewery created True Grit, an India Pale Ale, last year in collaboration with Vista firefighters, to raise money for Andy's family. The can reads, "We would like to salute Andy, his wife Caylie, and his daughters Lily and Grace. Cheers today and always to the man who stood in the arena with us, who did everything with enthusiasm, and who taught every one of us what it means to live life."

During her grieving, Caylie took action and founded the new nonprofit Andy Valenta Melanoma Foundation (AVMF). The foundation’s goal is to spread awareness and provide free, annual melanoma skin checks for firefighters who have a higher rate of cancer than adults in other occupations. She hopes that through AVMF, "her late husband’s name will be remembered not for how he died but for how his foundation saves future lives." So powerful and so emotional. Caylie is one very special woman. What a timely opportunity to be able to host them here in magical Lake Tahoe during this time in their lives.

In a spontaneous moment, everything aligned for Jenny and I to get onto the Lake and it was wonderful.

How could I resist? "Come see wild animals at the library! Wild Things always brings a great assortment of wild animals and shares about their habitat and history. Bring the whole family for this outdoor performance. Sponsored by South Lake Tahoe Optimists Club."

Wanting to share our favorite beach spot with our Temecula guests, Caylie, her girls, and her mom, Rhonda, we went to D.L. Bliss State Park.

How could we resist the invitation to join Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care for its weekly Wildlife Wednesday? The intriguing topic, Wolves: True Facts and Their Importance to the Ecosystem.

He told the inspiring story about a wolf, tagged as OR-7, who, in 2011. traveled over 4,500 miles making his way from Oregon into California as a lone wolf looking for a mate.

When he stepped foot into California, he was the first wild wolf in our state since 1924. OR-7, nicknamed Journey, traveled back into Oregon, found a mate, and started the Rogue family group.

He and his mate had five litters between 2014 and 2018. Journey and his mate paved the way for a population of wild wolves in California. Which is a good thing. These indigenous creatures belong here.

All that we learned tonight can't begin to be shared here. BUT we walked away feeling very informed with a greater appreciation of these amazing canids.