I'm home, back in Portland. It's good to be back, and as soon as I unloaded my RV fridge I went to see Celia. I missed her a lot! She has gotten taller and her vocabulary, which was extensive when I left, is even more so. She told me to use two hands when I drive my car. I have a lot to do to get ready to leave for a year! My garden looks like a jungle.

This morning I made the only camping reservations I will make for Alaska - I prefer to stop when I feel like stopping, without deadlines or a schedule. However, vehicles are not allowed into Denali NP past the 15 mile point, unless you have a reservation for Teklanika Camp, which is 29 miles into the park. My reservations are for July 22 for four nights. Below is a photo taken by a friend of a friend, who stayed at Teklanika. I also got a Tek pass which is used on the shuttle buses to reach other areas of the park. There's an advantage of being old; I have a National Park pass (called America the Beautiful) for seniors that lets me camp for $9.25 per night in parks.

On my way back to Portland I drove past Lake Shasta - I don't think I've ever seen the lake full, but this year it is shockingly low. The fingers of the lake are dry, and all the houseboats are in dry dock. I wonder how long it will take for the marine life to recover.

Portland is very green right now. Things are blooming and the gardens in my neighborhood are beautiful!