Fishing and Bodie

So after the Reunion we went up to the mountains for some time away and fishing. We went to the same place I went to a few weeks ago with the guys, but now I brought the wife. She ended up being quite the good fisherwoman.
Here is Brenda bring'n in the first catch on the first day. Rock Creek lake is stocked with rainbows and we caught all planters, but they were a great time.

Here is Brenda displaying here catch that she later ate for dinner. You can't get more fresh than that.
Here is Brenda chilling out at the homestead. We actually stayed in a campground for a change (we usually go off of some old dirt road with the inevitable bearded gun yeilding redneck at the end). The temperature was great, but if you go 10miles down the hill the change was 30degrees (up to 103).
That is some fresh eating...and good to.

Our new camera takes some great pictures.
Brenda fishing on the upper Owens river above Crowley's lake.
The majestic Convict lake. I guess there was some sort of gunfight between convicts from Carson City here back in the 1880's. Only one guy from the posse died.

Wen stopped by the ghost town of Bodie on the way home. This town is near the Nevada border and is an old gold/silver mining town that in 1878 went from only 20 residents to over 10,000 in 1879. Now that is a boomtown. In 1879 Bodie was the third largest city in CA (tied with Sacramento) and now only has 3 year round residents which are California state park employees. The houses were left in many cases with almost all of the stuff in them and you can see them through the window. This is a must see for anyone going to the eastern Sierras. (they used to mine using mercury and Cyanide so it is also a toxic waste site in certain areas). Today there are about 70 buildings still standing, but that is only about 5% of the total back in the "golden years".

Your classic ghost town two holer. Brenda tried it out...no not really. One of the only two chrches the town had. I think this was quite the rough town back in the day because they had over 60 bars operating in 1879 and no Churches until years later.
Awesome graveyard. No family needs to bring flowers when you have these natural ones around.

Jim, Is this the front axle from on 1915 or 1916 model T.

PS:my family is from Freisland

I'm just carrying on an old, Family tradition

We just got back from our family (De Jong) reunion in Monterey. These are held every three years and a very good time. My great Grandfather, John De Jong, had nine kids and all of their families have been getting together to celebrate the generations of Christian parenting and faithfulness of God since the 70's. I have only been to a few since I lived away from the most of the family for years, but for Brenda this is a whole new experience.
Asilomar is a great venue and here is the view from our house (which was designed by the woman who designed the Hearst Castle).
As some of you may know Brenda and I have a slight family connection. Our great great grandparents are ...well...the same. I know that this may be weird to a large number of people, but when you are dutch and live in a dutch community that is the way it is. We found this great family history album at the reunion that traces the De Jong heritage back to the 1400's and yes has the common link in there. This was up for bidding at the family auction held at the end of the reunion and I figured we had to have it.
PS: we found in the book that the first husband of my great great grandmother on the De Jong side was her first cousin, so we are just carrying on the tradition.
Joke if you want, but we wanted to make sure the good looking and handsome De Jong traits would continue/increase in the next generation.

My brother showing his daughter the starfish.
My grandmother and her immediate family that could make it.
All of the cousins and second cousins (third cousins not present). I was glad that Brenda and I did not fit into the same family picture categories (cousins).

Joel (brother) Missy (his wife) and Brenda and I...and of course the lone cypress.
Grandma De Jong and Delaney (my niece).
The family auction which the proceeds go to the next reunion. We had over 130 people this time and are hoping for more in 2011.

Today we went to the aquarium and of course the kids loved it. We also had a great time.