Got Mono?

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Some people describe seasons by their weather: precipitation, temperature, wind. We describe Sierra Nevada weather in terms of insects and other natural phenomena. Sure, there's snow in winter. Spring we describe in terms of which wildflowers are in bloom at various elevations. Then comes summer, the seasons of bugs. Yep, summer offers more than one insect season. We generally measure it in terms of mosquitoes and yellowjackets, our main nemeses.

Last week's adventure up Helms Meadow was clearly during the height of mosquito season. While meadows are typically rife with the bloodsuckers, the peak of the season brings mosquitoes out on sunny patches, even into breezy spots, anywhere within eyeshot of a meadow.

Yellowjacket season typically follows close on the heels of mosquito season. So as we returned to the Sierra this past week for a few more days in paradise, I expected to battle with the biters for my meats and sweets.

We lucked out.

Mono offered only a handful of mosquitoes - I came home with one bite, the girls with none, after four days in camp. And the yellowjackets steered entirely clear. BONUS!

The nieces and nephews may argue the point. They attracted all sorts of critters I'd never seen before. One was nipped by a big insect that looked strangely like a very large dragonfly, but it was well after dark and the critter seemed attracted to the camp light. Another night brought a visit from a scorpion - my first such sighting in several years camping in this area.

The river level was ideal for floating with (and sometimes without) kids. The river water was downright frigid, but the hot springs made up for it. The kids had some fantastic fishing luck. And our traditional hike to Doris Lake was lovely. It was great having so many water safe kids up there this time; made for a much more relaxing day for all involved. And my brother and I capped off the experience by jumping from Eagle Rock, my highest jump ever and certainly the highest jump I will ever make intentionally. At 55 feet, it was downright scary, but exhilarating and particularly fun when jumped side by side with him. Sadly, there is no photographic evidence of the jump, and many of the kids didn't see it (we weren't even sure we were going to do it when we hiked up there, though Bro's done it on a couple of other occasions).

Now home to rest, and wrap up loose ends, and pack.

Book Review by E: "The Starving Time: Elizabeth's Diary Book Two, Jamestown, Virginia 1609" (Patricia Hermes)

This book is is one in the "My America" series, which is like the "Dear America" series but for younger readers. Both series are historical fiction about various periods in American history told in diary form. I've read almost all of the "Dear America" series and a couple of the "My America" series, so I thought I'd like this book as soon as I picked it up.

"The Starving Time" is the diary of a fictional girl named Elizabeth. It represents the period of history after the "Mayflower" passengers arrived in America. It's a story about the challenges the Pilgrims faced and the hope that carried them through a winter of hunger, disease and death.


I like historical fiction and I like this time period in particular because I find it interesting. Boys might be interested in this book, but there are probably more appropriate books for boys about this time period. For similar stories told from a boy's perspective, check out the "My Name Is America" series.

Book Review by V & E: "The Amulet of Komondor" (Adam Osterweil)

V says: "The Amulet of Komondor" is a really good book. It's a fictional story about a computer game that's based off a card game, but when you turn on the computer game, you get sucked into it so you're actually the person in there. So you can feel yourself and you're not just seeing the game on the screen. You're surrounded: surround sound, surround sight. I think I liked it because it's an adventure that drew me in. You can't judge the story by it's name and cover because the title doesn't sound that great. I picked up the book because we were in a hurry to leave the library and I was just grabbing books off the shelves. I randomly grabbed this one up, and I'm glad I did.

This book is good for boys and girls who are interested in adventures. The dragon on the cover makes you think it might be a dragon story, but the dragon is just a small part of the story. The story includes fighting (mostly just odd magical spells), magical creatures and monsters who call each other names that might not be appropriate for younger kids. (I'm 8.) There are some big words, but not a lot.

E says: I really liked this story because it was captivating and unique and very imaginative. There are boyfriends and girlfriends in the story, but that's not critical to the story. It had some good plot twists and it would be difficult to compare with any other book because it's so much different from anything I've ever read. It's fiction, but it could go with science fiction. Both boys and girls would enjoy this book because it follows both a boy and a girl. The writing is for a lower reading level, but the story makes up for it.