A day by the lake

We spent the day by on of the lakes close to the Sierras, trying to cool off in the lukewarm water. We came early before the real heat - and the wind. When the sun got hotter and the wind came on, blowing in smoke from the numerous fires around Northern California, we packed up our "base" camp and headed home for cleaner, cooler indoor AC-air.

At this lake, which is part of the California National Park system, you can drive your car all the way down to the water, which is sort of practical with all the coolers, umbrellas, inflatable things, and chairs that every normal American family bring to the beach (and so do we, we have learned how to do a real day by the lake). Every now and then the rangers, in cars or by horse, come by to check on the activities, making sure the cars are not too close to the water edge, that no alcohol is being consumed and that people behave according to the rules.

Our base camp by the lake right before we started packing up.
The haze across the lake is smoke from the numerous fires.

The rangers are checking up by horse. No, it's not our car in the picture.
We don't drive a pick-up. We haven't become that americanized yet.