Big Bear part 3 and SGT Kurt's Big Adventure

So, you probably thought I was safely done with the Big Bear trip but there is still some more to tell. We saw two movies while we were there: Public Enemies with Johnny Depp and The Proposal with Sandra Bullock. If you like old cars and automatic weapons then Public Enemies is the movie for you. I marveled at two things: how well the Thompson submachine guns ran with blanks (nary a jam on camera) and that the actors actually changed magazines during the firefights. The Proposal was enjoyable and fun to watch although I couldn't see Sandra Bullock as the much feared tyrant boss that she was supposed to be. She is too cute to be mean. Mary and I saw her when we were in the audience at a Jay Leno show taping. She was very witty in person and seemed like a really fun person.

Anyway we couldn't stay away from the wild wilderness and on Friday we went for another hike to see The Champion Lodgepole Pine and Castle Rock. All in all the hike turned into an 8 mile walk. The CLP is the tallest lodgepole pine in the area or the west or both. I'm not sure at this point but it was a very tall tree. As always, click on the picture for a larger view.


Mary and Marla at the CLP trailhead

Checking out the corn lillys near the CLP

Proof that Mary has gone off-roading at least once in the Jeep

The view from near Castle Rock of Big Bear Lake

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Now for something completely different.......

SGT Kurt arrived home last night from 3 weeks service in Australia with the CAARNG on joint exercises with the USMC and the Australian Army. The flight from Long Beach took about 18 days but the flight back was a day shorter due to crossing the date line (actually it was about a day or so but it seemed longer). Kurt had many adventures which frequently involved large, ugly and possibly poisonous spiders. His tales of derring-do and Army misadventures rivaled anything Bill Mauldin would have written had he been there. Kurt can tell a story like no one else. He makes me think of my Grandfather who could spin a story and keep me in stitches listening. Another successful adventure for Kurt!