Castle Lake this week

My friend and I knew the temperature was supposed to be over 100 degrees in Mt. Shasta so he and I each got our Sevylor inflatable Kayaks (he has a seagoing one with a clear bottom and that is mostly red and mine is a blue and black one that is bigger and can hold 440 pounds which can hold two large adults or two medium size adults and one or two small children. So, because at altitude I didn't want to be winded using the foot pump to inflate it or feel rushed doing so I took some time in the shade outside the hotel in the back of my pickup truck partially inflating all the chambers one by one with the foot pump.

After launching our boats I was really happy I took the time working inflating every chamber because it was much easier sailing across the lake by my two bladed Kayak paddle. ON the far back side next to the high cliffs people sometimes dive off at up to 30 feet I looked to see if the spring on the back left side was running. It was not which was a little concerning regarding the alpine lake at 6000 feet and all the surrounding ecology this early in the season. But later I realized the underground springs were still running by how cold the water was about 3 feet down some places even when it was 75 degrees or more the top 3 feet (also very highly unusual for this time of year).

Then I spied hundreds of big and small dragonflies. The males seemed to be blue in color and the females gray and they mated as they flew or as they landed on the wild mountain azaleas blooming.

When I smelled the Azaleas up close while I was swimming around the edge of the lake it brought back memories of being 2 months old which was the first time my parents brought me here. Because this place was very special to them in the 1940s even before a paved road was here. They likely found it around the time they were married in 1946 so it was very special place for them too.

So, when they first brought me here at 2 months of age I can still remember the smell of the mountain azaleas blooming about this same time of year all those years ago. They say smell is the most powerful of all our senses from childhood in regard to memories. (Likely in regard to mother's milk and the smell of our mothers.)