Category: Trella Diaries

Thursday July 17th
[No entry]

Wednesday July 16th
[No entry]

Tuesday July 15th
[No entry]

Monday July 14th
To Jazzercise with Kathi and Kris- Don’t see how Kathi keeps it up for 45 minutes. But it looks like fun. Stopped at grocery and I had breakfast when we got home. Typed letter for Ohio and we mailed it (after having three copies made) to Mother, David, Howard & Shop. Bought aluminum sulfate fertilizer 10-0-0 at Paul’s suggestion- 20 lbs $2.25 & I got silvery mist hair color.
After supper Bob, Kathi and I went to Penney’s outlet store but it sure looked like junk to me. Then to another odd lot store “Bobbies”. FAA family that is now here but was also at Fargo- Brownfield- came to visit. She is senior in accounting and raising a family.
Watched “The Caine Mutiny” and I learned the meeting of paranoid! (And understand Bob a little better)
David staying all night with Mike and not a word to Kristi about being in her room at 9:00 as she lolled on Bob’s lap.

Sunday July 13th
Kathi, kids and I headed south on 395 to the Bowers Mansion Park. Kids swimming in beautiful pool at foot of mountain among Ponderosa Pines while Kathi & I toured home. Bowers was the first Comstock Lode millionaire to spend $200,000 building and furnishing mansion in 1864. All furniture around the horn and across the Sierra. But his widow lost it and died penniless in 1903.
Watched kids swim- they do very well- and ate picnic lunch under a tree with Lake Washoe to the east. On to Carson City to the state museum in the Old Mint building. Interesting displays and gorgeous Dat-So-La-Lee Basket. After supper we all went to visit Marie’s family at the ranch 10 miles north of Sparks off Pyramid Lake Road. Beautiful Spanish Springs Valley. Her mother took Kathi and I too lake for birds (Pelicans, Woodcock. Sandpipers, Canada Geese) While Kristi had riding lesson. Toured Marie’s new house.

Saturday July 12th
Breakfast at the Nugget Coffee Shop- pancakes food. Played Gary Oylers $1 in slots- no luck but gave Bob three quarters and won about $12. Picked the kids up and headed north on 395- in Stead interchange left to Old 395 right to dirt road- left up to eight thousand foot top. Wildflowers glorious. Mule’s ears, bluebells, Brodetia, Delphinium, phlox, lupines, phacelia, spring beauties, Sego Lily, paint brush- carpets of them. Many areas of aspen and willow. Had picnic among one group and watched Mountain bluebirds and wrens feed young in knothole nests. The sagebrush scent pervaded the air when crushed and we gathered chartreuse moss from pygmy oaks. Kids used metal detector and found 1965 penny and nails. Only a few others on the mountain. As we came down Bob pointed out the dry lakes to the east north of Stead. I insisted that now there was water in them so we drove over to Red Rock Road and finally down to the white area. I guess waves proved there was water! Stop at Gemco on way back and I got film for $3.75 Kodachrome 64. Better than $6 I paid at Safeway. Picked up Kentucky Fried Chicken and had supper on patio. Beautiful sunset with more of the “flying saucer” clouds we saw all day.

Friday July 11th
Up at 6:30 in order to be at Tahoe City at 9 to rent rubber rafts for a trip down the Truckee River $7 each 5 Mi 3 and 1/2 hours- fun every minute. Saw Dippers, 2 duck families, muskrats. Calm areas, shallow where we got out and pushed (our feet were wet already from leaks in the raft) and the rapids full of rocks. David and I in one Bob, Kathy and Kristi in the other. Somehow in the middle of one rapids I found myself in the river. Immediately thankful I didn’t bring my camera or watch- dumped me to the neck! The last rapids just below Riverside were the hardest and found the best way off is for another raft to bump you. Bussed us back to Tahoe City. I changed to dry clothes (no one else brought a change!!). Around Lake Tahoe to Sugar Pine Point Park- Ate in the sun- toured the Ehrman Mansion- watch kids swim off the dock- counted 300 rings on a downed tree and tried to imagine 50 guests strolling the grounds attended by 230 servants.

Thursday July 10th
Kathi head headache and I cooked beef pot roast supper.
Reading “Chesapeake” new Michener novel.

Wednesday July 9th
Relaxing lazy day. Dunked some of Kathi’s plants and planted the lobelia plants Howard sent. David [Decker] objected to carrying them in his carry-on bag but I overruled him.
Grocery shopping and found black cherries at $0.59 a pound lettuce at $0.39 a head but most things are expensive.
Went to Flower World and met Jim and Marie. Really nice shop and I envy them the lack of supply inventory. Marie invited us to her ranch. Kristi wants to take horseback riding lessons.
I’m sleeping on the new hide-a-bed that was necessary to make room for the new Baldwin Piano. I gave Kathi her to Western-Southern policies that were paid up and she got $1,000 from them. But the piano cost $1,600. When I bought my first in 1947 with my first wedding money it cost $750 [now in possession of David Haldeman]

Tuesday July 8th
Finished packing and was loaded by 9 when Kenny came to pick us up. Flew at 11:05- St Louis temperature 99 & on to Reno arriving 2:15 their time 5:15 our time. Kids hung on Kathi like they’d never let go. Had been 5 weeks since they saw her.
Paul and Goldie invited us over as we arrived.
Kids not too excited about the new bikes or piano or cable TV in their rooms. Kathy’s house so clean and tastefully decorated. New hide-a-bed sofa to make room for piano.
Delicious turkey dinner for the Thanksgivings we’ve missed together. Marge and Mike in to welcome us and we discussed “The Frontiersman”- she’s currently reading it.