Caleb at the Truckee Invitational on September 25th competing with 150 other varsity cross country runners.
About halfway through the race and still smiling.
Very proud of our high school senior. Seems like everything he does he excels at.
Looking pretty good after running 5K (approximately 3.1 miles) in 20 minutes.
Living in Nevada has a number of perks one of which are many venues to see concerts. The band Styx has always been a favorite of Bob's and has also become a favorite of Hannah's as well. The band was playing on the 16th at the Silver Legacy in Reno which created a perfect opportunity for Dad and Daughter to have a wonderful date night together.
The concert was great and, for a group of "old rockers", they were amazing. We had a lot of fun.
Early in the morning on September 11th Bob and Lisa headed into Reno to enjoy the annual Great Reno Balloon Race. The event is the worlds largest and lasts three days. It really is a wonderful sight to see and a lot of fun.
In total there were about 100 balloons participating in the event.
It was a beautiful, clear day and all the bright colors stood out brilliantly against the perfect blue sky.
This balloon meant a bit more than it normally would have because of all the fires we endured over the summer. It was great to have "Smokey" floating in a clear sky.
September 4th was an exciting day for our almost 18 year old son Caleb as he and Bob finalized the purchase of his new car, a 2017 Subaru Outback. It worked out great as our neighbor was selling this great car at the same time we were starting to look for one for Caleb. It is in great shape with low miles and is even a limited edition. What a blessing for all of us!
Caleb with his new car! What a wonderful high school senior we have.
On August 19th Bob, Hannah, and Hannah's boyfriend, Tristan Bailey, set out on an epic hike in Yosemite National Park to climb the Cable Route on Half Dome. This panoramic photo was taken on their way to Half Dome and includes Half Dome on the left, then Mount Broderick, Liberty Cap and Nevada Falls. What a spectacular place.
For a full write up and pictures of this hike, make sure to visit our Yosemite Half Dome hiking page.
Bob with Tristan and Hannah at Olmsted Point with Half Dome in the distance. This picture was taken the day before their hike when they drove into the park to check conditions in the park as the smoke from so many devastating fires in the Sierra's created some question whether it would be wise to go at all. As you can see in this picture the conditions weren't too bad, but unfortunately they didn't get better. The hike turned out to be great, but the views were compromised. Again, visit our Yosemite Half Dome hiking page for the full story.
Beautiful Vernal Falls as seen from the Mist Trail
On August 20th Caleb (on far right) participated in the "Douglas Class Race" at Lampe Park in Gardnerville, Nevada. It was his first cross country meet of the year, he was very competitive and did quite well.
Lisa with our tall son after his race.
The race was more difficult this year because of all the fires in the area and the poor air quality. In fact, they had to push up the start of the races and then end them early because another wave of smoke was rolling in. Although it was challenging, Caleb was very pleased with his first race as a senior at Sierra Lutheran High School.
Caleb heading out the door on August 13th for his first day of school as a senior at Sierra Lutheran High School.
Hannah getting ready on August 23rd for her first day as a junior at the University of Nevada, Reno. Her major is in Geography with an emphasis in Environmental Policy and Management and a minor in Writing.
The first week of August we made a trip to Montana to visit both Lisa's parents in Great Falls and to be with Grandma Potts for a Community Memorial of Bob's Dad who passed away on October 27th last year from COVID-19. Because of all the travel and group restrictions that were in place last year, this is something Bob and his brothers really wanted to do for their Mom, extended family and the broad reaching community that Bob's Dad, Herb Potts, had touched over his 90 year life. The Memorial was held on Sunday the 8th, but it turned out to be a wonderful, multi-day reunion affair as well.
Visit our Fall Family web page for more narrative, pictures, and a link to the actual graveside service held for Grandpa (Herb) Potts.
Grandma Potts expressing her heartfelt thanks to family members for coming out to celebrate the life of her wonderful husband of 64 years.
A large contingent of "the cousins" along with Bob and his brothers.
There were many nephews and nieces on both sides of the family that made up the Memorial Reunion.
One of the most enjoyable things that Herb Potts and his boys (Bob, Dave, Jim and Andy) did over the years was to go out on a Saturday afternoon and shoot clay pigeons.
In memory of their Dad (and just to have fun), Bob and his brothers took their sons and son-in-law's out to a friend's field on Saturday, August 7th and shot over 500 clay pigeons. What a blast (literally) and great way to reunite "the boys" and their boys.
Alex Potts, Jim's son, taking another one down.
Shotguns lined up by three grandsons.
Caleb, the youngest of the cousins, launching a clay pigeon for Bob, behind, to take out.
Bob and his brothers with their sons after an amazing day holding up a tradition that their Dad and Grandad started years ago.
What a Memorial, what a Reunion.
After all that shooting everyone was ready for lunch, and having it together was the perfect way to punctuate an already perfect time together -- what fun!
The cemetery in Churchill Montana where Herb Potts rests.
Grandma Potts' home in Churchill, Montana.
Before his passing Grandpa Potts did a great job making sure Grandma would be taken care of if he went first.
Beautiful Zinnias in Grandma's front yard. Grandma loves flowers and can really grow them.
Visiting Lisa's parents in Great Falls. We had dinner at a local family favorite pizza place.
While in Great Falls we made a shopping trip to Scheels sporting goods where a Dall Sheep taken by Lisa's Dad is on display.