A Day Of Art / Smoked Meats / Lake Tahoe

Song:  Heaven On Earth

Artist:  Hilary Stagg

Yesterday...

my elder sister and her husband...

and my mother and I...

 decided to visit a photo art gallery at Heavenly Valley...

Lake Tahoe.

We, of course, could not take any photos of the art...

but, there were some impressive photo enlargements of various landscapes...

mostly of Lake Tahoe.

I talked with one of the artists in the gallery.

Although his photos were very impressive...

what had impressed me most was the internal happiness

I could see in all of his expressions...

and hear in his voice.

He was living out his dream of capturing the beauty of the outdoors...

of living right at the doorstep of nature (He also lived in Reno)...

and making a living doing what he loved doing most.

It is being able to express a creative passion which allows

a person to really connect with others...

across generations and all borders...

and even time...

as the works will live long after the artist.

Knowing what makes us most happy in life...

and doing it...

while giving joy to others...

this is living life well.

I was glad for his happiness.

It is always good to see this in others.

It simply validates what is most important in life...

time and again.

Oh yes...

one of THE best ways to prepare meat.

We ate lunch here.

This was THE MOST delicious burger I have had in my life!

It was a 1/2 pound smoked hamburger, with chedder...

and topped off with about a 1/2 pound of slow cooked smoked pulled pork...

and I had my choice of BBQ sauces to soak them with.

By the gods...

this was THE MOST JUICY and FLAVORFUL burger I have ever had.

I am going to try to make my own at home...

it was SOOO good.

James (my elder sister's husband) had a pulled pork sandwich...

my sister had a bowl of excellent chili with smoked pulled pork inside...

and my mother had the slow cooked and smoked beef brisket.

All of our meals were excellent.

We now have a favorite spot to eat at Heavenly Valley.

Afterwards...

I just drove up the West perimeter of Lake Tahoe...

and we stopped at a lookout point to walk around and take photos.

The air was so fresh and clean.

My mother wears her...

what essentially are...

mukluks...

during the cooler seasons.  :) 

My mother had a good time.

She loved seeing the photo gallery...

eating the delicious meal...

and walking around in nature.

Lake Tahoe is one of our favorite places to go for a short peaceful drive in the mountains.

It makes for a perfect short day trip to unwind...

eat great food...

feel peaceful in serene settings...

and all within a short drive from Reno.

Every time we come back from one of our mountain outings...

my mother had had such a fun time...

she exclaims how much she loves her house in Reno...

as we are driving up the mountainside towards her home.

She absolutely loves the ease upon which we may see so much of nature...

just a short drive away.

At anytime...

we can just get up and go...

with no hassle, fuss, or muss...

and all (except for eating out)...

for just the price of gas!

----------------

I am on the last chapter of my first book

(although it will include a rather lengthly epilogue).

I have been taking lots of photos...

and I am able to play my bass flute more often now...

getting out to the mountains often...

and seeing my mother smile like a child while being surrounded by nature.

I am constantly scanning the skies for interesting cloud formations...

hoping for storms to take photos of...

and living my dreams doing it all...

and enjoying all the good times with my family.

My wife and son are very happy and doing well where they are.

My son is chasing his passions and dreams.

Life is good!

-------

As I am just shy of 60 years old...

I have, perhaps...

20 - 30 years of life left.

I shall continue to live life to the fullest

by consistently enjoying the great simple pleasures of life.

I am having the time of my life enjoying the mountains and lakes...

taking pictures of landscapes and of sunrises and sunsets...

and of exploring my creative passions in life...

that of writing stories and music...

and playing my bass flute.

This is what I had envisioned my life to be like in retirement.

I am living out my dreams...

and all for very little cost.

Make your sacrifices early in life...

so you may fully enjoy your golden years.

IT IS ALL WORTH IT!