For generations of skiers and riders, the start of winter doesn’t come with the first snowstorm. It arrives with the newest Warren Miller film. For us, the season begins with any opportunity to visit Palisades Tahoe (forever Squaw to me) for a winter event.

SNO-CIETY, the 76th feature from Warren Miller Entertainment, celebrates the culture, community and shared obsession that bind snow lovers everywhere — from backcountry explorers to weekend warriors. The audible enthusiasm in the audience was addictive.
Since Warren Miller’s first film premiered in 1949, his name has become synonymous with the spirit of skiing. Each fall, the release of a new Warren Miller film marks a kind of pilgrimage — a chance for the snow community to gather, relive past adventures and dream about the season ahead.


"This film is a deep dive into the culture behind the sport,” said Josh Haskins, Warren Miller executive producer. “It captures the humor, approachable personalities and memorable moments that make our community so unique. It is a celebration of what binds us together."
For Steve and me, the film gave us the opportunity to return to this special spot, the home of the 1960 Winter Olympics. In prior Winter Olympics the athletes were housed in hotels or billeted with local families. Since no such facilities existed in Squaw Valley 65 years ago, the organizers decided to build the first Olympic Village at the Winter Games. Competitors slept in one of four dormitories and ate together in a dining room. Part of the awesomeness of tonight was the fact that the movie was shown in the actual dining room where athletes from 30 nations ate together for 11 days- making history. I love that!

I did not want to miss this internationally celebrated photographer's homecoming at the Haldan Gallery at Lake Tahoe Community College.

Ian is very forthcoming about the path he took to get to where he is today with his photographic journey beginning here at Lake Tahoe. Diagnosed with dyslexia as a child, he discovered his artistic voice as a young adult in a photography class at LTCC. Using a pinhole camera made from an oatmeal container, Ruhter recognized a mirrored version of his own worldview: inverted, reversed, but profoundly meaningful. “At 26, I finally felt like I was able to speak,” Ruhter recalls.
When the photography world shifted toward digital, Ruhter resisted, searching instead for authenticity in historic processes.

Before looking at any of the works, we were invited to learn more about Ian's process. It came in the form of the wet plate collodion process. Invented in 1851, this photographic process involves pouring a liquid mixture of iodides, bromides, and a solution called collodion over a glass or aluminum plate. The plate is then bathed in silver nitrate, making it light sensitive. The plate must then be quickly exposed and developed in just a few minutes, before the collodion dries and loses sensitivity. Obsessed with perfecting the wet plate collodion process but eager to move from the traditionally small hand held plates to something larger, Ruhter’s epiphany came when he realized he needed to shoot from within the camera to create the size of wet plates he had envisioned. To achieve this Ruhter converted a large delivery truck into a giant mobile camera and traveling darkroom.

The Lake exhibition presents 68 images, including two of the largest wet collodion plates ever made, alongside an exploration of his process.




Ruhter’s work has been exhibited in cultural capitals like Paris, New York, and Los Angeles. But for him, this show is different. “These works are being seen all over the world, but not in the place where they were created,” Ruhter said. “This community helped me so much. I wanted to show it here. I just could never figure out how to bring it home, until now.” Welcome home, Ian. How truly wonderful!

Oh man, we used to go to every ribbon cutting event happening in Lake Tahoe. What fun to begin the tradition again today at Paddle House Brews- Bean, Bubbles, and Beer. 

And what a setting. The firepits were lit. Laughter was heard. The afternoon was magical.
Located a strolling distance from our cabin, we will patronize this coffee place and support the little family who owns it. I think this quote sums up Paddle House, "A small business is not about the owner, but the value it brings to the community around it."

We're back in California after being awake for 21 hours (a first probably since college procrastination years). Travel days are always the toughest especially with Charleston as there are no direct flights there from here.

We made the extra awake time worthwhile by beginning with a breathtakingly beautiful sunrise.

Saying "Goodbye" to our home for the week was difficult. We could not have chosen better. If you ever need a home base for the Charleston area, I highly recommend 808 E. Ashley. Wow.

It is the purveyor of the best, most dense, affordable pastries on the entire Island. I am so glad we didn't discover Bert's at the beginning of this adventure.

Next stop was Dead Low Café for some freshly roasted coffee.
Fueled up, we meandered about Folly, delighting in our last moments. We appreciated the creative use of seashells everywhere.
Adirondacks strategically placed on the pier provided a perfect view of the seashore we had come to love.
How cute are these sand dollar Earthquake ties? Common in the Charleston area, these earthquake bolts are used in old buildings to tie the masonry walls to the timber framing inside, reinforcing them against shaking.

What a clever Little Free Library. It housed treats for humans and their dog companions. Fun stuff.

We left Charleston at 5 PM. We changed planes in Denver and landed at Oakland at 1 AM body time. By the time we were all nestled in our own beds, we'd been on the go for 21 hours. Needless-to-say, we are exhaustedly happy with being home and with the memories we've made. Lin Yutang said it, "No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow".

My 6½ year old granddaughter's dream is to become a falconer. She is frequently seen wearing a glove on her hand with a stuffed owl fasten to it. When my daughter-in-law discovered The Center for Birds of Prey, our plans to visit were kept secret until today. The surprise was rewarded by expressions of true delight.

We began with one of three educational programs offered. The first was the most compelling flight demonstration we've ever seen. For over an hour we were introduced to numerous birds, showcasing what each species has to offer.

We were so impressed by hawks, falcons, owls, eagles, kites, and vultures who performed their natural flying and hunting techniques, providing us with a fascinating insight into their unique evolutionary adaptations. The natural behavior of raptors soaring, gliding, and diving in such close proximity to us was so amazing.

We then headed to Owl Wood where we were given a very informative tour and learned way more about these spectacular creatures than we had hoped!

We discovered more about key avian species as we followed natural paths accentuated with subtle interpretive signage and attractive aviaries housing nearly 50 species of birds of prey from all parts of the world. Wow.




We ended our day of Birds of Prey meeting three different owls. These majestic creatures were so close to us, one even touched my hat in flight. So dang cool!
We also learned about the Avian Conservation Center’s medical clinic operates 365 days a year with support from more than 80 trained and dedicated Volunteer Staff members. This state-of-the-art medical facility treats as many as 1000 injured birds of prey and shorebirds each year. Since its founding, the Center has admitted over 15,000 birds for treatment and release.