Make Your Own Wreath

Tis the Season for Wreaths, so why buy one pre-made when you can make one that will be uniquely yours. With just a few items from the store or gun range you can make your front door stand out from the neighbors. The first wreath was made last year using a plain wreath and spent shot shells. The second was made with a length of garland purchase at Wally World. I feel kinda silly even posting about this because it's so simple and easy. The fact that I hadn't done either of these til the last 2 years says to me that while easy it might not come as an idea to some including myself. So pardon my lacking of detailed instructions because there really isn't much to it.

Shotgun Shell Wreath

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Items Needed

•  Spent shot shells of varying color. Winchester typically uses red shell, Remington typically green. Different gauge shells also adds to the look
•  Hot Glue Gun and Glue
• One bare wreath

Directions

1. Go Shooting with some buddies and save all your shells.
2. Glue Shells to wreath. That's it, no need to over think this folks just shoot then glue. The order however is pretty important. I wouldn't recommend glue then shoot.

Traditional Wreath

We made the wreath below with a $2.00 section of garland I purchased at Wally World. My wife and daughter made some felt ornaments for it as well. The wreath was made by making a circle the size we wanted the wrapping the remaining section of garland around the circle. Add your own decorations like mini candy canes or ornaments

Hidden History at Folsom Lake

For those of use that were not around before 1955 what lies beneath the waters of Folsom Lake is mystery. The Folsom Dam was finished in 1955 and with it's completion miles of river were lost as were the historical sites that now are part of Folsom Lake. The lake is currently at only 25% of capacity and that has exposed many areas that are typically well under the surface.  Some of the sites include the former town of Mormon Island, the original Salmon Falls Bridge and the dam site of a dam dating to the 1860's.

Old Salmon Falls Bridge

We set out for the Old Salmon Falls bridge after parking off of Salmon Falls Road at Falcon Crest. I'm cheap and the 10 minutes of additional walking is well worth avoiding a $10 day use fee. After parking the car walk into the day use area and the bridge will become visible. Don't try to find a trail, it's usually underwater so you can probably figure out why there isn't one. We pretended to be walking under water, and the girls loved the wide open space to explore.  On our way we passed old foundations and crossed a creek running towards the river. We really just scratched the surface of what is out there to find a see.

Foundation at Salmon Falls 1918

Once we reached the bridge the girls explored some more and enjoyed the nice set that an old abutment made. Having never seen this section of river before it became a lake it was very neat. It's unfortunate that the lake is this low but it provided a very cool place to walk around and explore. Unfortunately it seems that these sites are exposed and accessible more than they used to be. While it may not be good for boating it's great for hiking. I hope to make it back for some more exploring before the lake covers them once again you should too.

Walking across the bridge