My Favorite Holiday

is the Fourth of July and this year I got to spend it in my favorite spot to celebrate, Mount Shasta! It's also a special time because it's the weekend Markus and I got together.

I'd been "training" for the Fourth of July run prior to coming back to the states, but the altitude, lack of sleep, and general malaise made me decide the two mile run was more my speed.
















Markus, on the other hand, who had not been training, decided since he'd just gotten to the states three days before, was still jet-lagged and hadn't trained at all, that he'd do the 5 mile run.

Two years before on the weekend we got together, we had run the five mile together. I'd been training then, too, and had a slow but decent pace. Markus hadn't trained or exercised for about a year is my guess, since he'd been finishing his Master's. He didn't seem to feel that run too much and apparently it went to his head, and two years later he nearly killed himself. Two days before our wedding, too. He could barely walk for the next two days.

The run is cool. Everyone, and I mean everyone comes out for it.














This is Reed finishing the two mile. Can't you just hear the Chariott's of Fire in the background?

























And here's Pearl, who kicked it up for the camera.














There's music and free food along the course. Though Burger King doesn't really sound good when you're trying to get a little O2 to the lungs.














And the retirement home brings out the residents for a little flag waving action.














I wanted to stay for the raffle, they give away a car every year, but we had to go get to the lake. Luckily, I didn't miss my chance, someone else won as they've done every year I've been in the run.

We skipped the parade (even though I love seeing Smokey the Bear-I think this is the same Bear from my childhood) but couldn't talk the kids into passing up the crappy candy the multitudes of public service vehicles throw out their vehicular windows.














We rented a boat (party barge) at Siskiyou Lake and drove around the lake. It was pretty windy (making for a smoke free day) so it was a little chilly at times but we found a place to jump in. Surprisingly, my heart didn't stop at the temperature of the water. In fact it was quite comfortable! I guess the island living hasn't turned me into a total whimp.


























We could see the fireworks all lined up on the beach. You can also see the action here (credit for the fireworks photo is there).














We had a BBQ at the resort. Joe and Erin brought their garbage can o' beer.














Then we headed up for the best fireworks EVER over the lake. Good friends, good day.