Still here......

Just wanted to make sure everyone knew I was OK.  Just a really dull, smokey area of CA I am in right now so not much to report on. I HATED Eureka.  It was nothing like Crescent City like I thought it would be so I skedaddled out of there and added a night to Mt Shasta campground.  Eureka had no trees, no privacy, molded bathrooms, bad neighbors, etc.   And it was the gloomiest weather yet.  Gray ALL day until 5 pm and them only sun for a moment.  So I headed East and then North to Mt Shasta which is a beautiful area.  It's 14162 feet tall and visible for the campground.  I came for an extra night in the cabins but moved to tent site today and will do 3 nights before I decide where to go next.  Unfortunately most of Northern CA is on fire! so that's the main reason I decided to stay longer here.   Heading south will only take me directly into more smoke and campgrounds that have been through fire.  The town of Mt Shasta is close to the Pacific Crest Trail so I have seen more transients and dreadlocks than I have on the entire trip! Some cool shops though. You know me, found 3 good thrift stores and partook!  Also a beautiful lake, Siskiyou that the boys and I have hiked daily.   They have been able to get in which is nice.   I'm starting to get really tired and even though we "sleep" for 10 hrs I am getting these dark circles! Monty's strength continues to increase and some days it is just exhausting to hike him.  All the smells are overwhelming to him and pull us in every direction.  However, I am looking forward to the next few weeks as Lori is flying out! We plan on doing Yosemite and Mammoth Lakes area.  Both look amazing.  THEN Pam and I are flying out to Italy for 15 days!!!!!   We will hit Milan, Lake Como, Florence, Tuscany, Sorrento and then end in Rome.  I think it will truly be a trip of a lifetime for both of us and we are super excited.   I will blog all about it but probably after we return.  Don't want to waste my time in Italy in a room bloggin!!   So that is a small update on us.  Not sure when I will blog next----maybe when something exciting happens!  I've heard this is an area saturated with bears and mountains lions...Good to just find this out today as I have moved into the tent!  But it's all these squirrels that drive us crazy...........