We spent a few days carving up dead trees into firewood for Mike's parents, who use a wood-burning stove for heat in the winter.  Believe it or not, I actually helped Mike wrestle some of those giant rounds onto the trailer.  And I had absolutely nothing to do with the flat tire we discovered after he took these pictures. 

When not impersonating lumberjacks, we took hikes in some of Mike's favorite places.  

At Twin Bridges, we panted our way up a steep slope of barren rock to view Horsetail Falls plummeting down the sheer cliffs above us.  These clear, icy waters originate in high Sierra lakes and recklessly plunge thousands of feet to feed the American River below.

While admiring the rushing waters, we disturbed this slinky fellow's nap in the sun.

On another outing, we drove twenty miles up in the mountains to enjoy the peaceful vista of isolated Wright's Lake.  Despite the ramp I'm standing on, no motorized boats are allowed here.

Jenkinson Lake, the local water supply for the town of Pollock Pines, was a frequent hiking destination.  Its scenery and wildlife were a match for many of our more distant excursions, like our recent trip to Glacier National Park.