Into the Wild Blue Yonder VI ~ June 7th to June 10th

We've turned the proverbial corner and headed south on Hwy 101. Like two old team mules we knew our way home and the barn was calling. We love to travel but cherish home base and our friends and neighbors. 

Bit by Bit

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We left Lincoln City after breakfast and headed to Bandon for the night. We were hoping to get some walks in along the way, but it was colder than a Witch's Patootie along the coast, 54 degrees and 15-20 mph north winds. Too cold to play outside, so we made it up along the way. We stopped at the venerable Sea Hag Restaurant in Depot Bay for clam chowder (a great warmer upper). Next stops were at a couple of our favorite casinos in Florence and North Bend to play a bit. We didn't walk away with any winnings but logged five miles of walking indoors today.

Explored old town Bandon, visited our favorite kitchen store, Bandon Mercantile (we always find a must have there) and found a new addition to the town's landscape. A visual wake up call I'd say.

Got a good night's sleep drifting off to the sounds of the ocean. After breakfast we once again tried a beach walk, but the winds persisted. I am the original weather wuss and was chilled with 5 layers. Even my Nordic viking was caught off guard so after short walk we got back on the road.

The drive from Bandon to McKinleyville, through Redwood National Park is gorgeous any time of year, we took our time and made a few stops along the way. Got into Blue Lake in the late afternoon, had dinner and called it a night. After breakfast we visited with our friends Tom, Linda and Noah for a bit before we hit the road.

Our neighbors Susi and Carol had been taking care of what we call the "upstairs" of the property: watering the gardens, indoor plants, feeding the wild birds and keeping birdbaths full. I had texted Carol we'd be in a couple of days early, the 10th (which is her son Evan's birthday) instead of the 12th. Little did we know what these two would do. Carol let Susi know we were coming in early and she decided we needed some supplies and asked Carol what we ate. Carol put on her thinking cap for a minute and said "Wait, they haven't pick up recycle yet, let me go check the bin." She came up with a list and Susi had the larder stocked before we got in. These two are the cat's meow. 

The icing on the proverbial cake: Shortly after we got in Evan came over with a little ramekin of cheese cake. He had helped his mom make his birthday cheesecake and invited us over to sing Happy Birthday and share. Home, off the road, food in the refrigerator and cheesecake for dinner. It doesn't get much better than that. 

Just a Thought Series ~ Another Aha Moment ~ August 17, 1978

Ever the child I continue to learn

Though at times 
It's at my own expense

There's an eerie light to the east
A wildfire's child

The air becomes a gossamer shroud

For the dreams of some
New beginnings for others

Though I've seen no flames
It's presence is felt

I am strongly intrigued
By the possibilities of chance

Your words awaken me 
From a jello minded lull

Of the sometimes 
All to consistent coastal fog

Words on timely wings

Thank you for the thoughts

I've been resting, resisting, too long

In a relationship of less than real

How could I have misplaced 
The value of passion

The key to alive

Cutting loose is difficult

But I know my happiness and creativity

Depend on what I do for my self

I was living in Jenner at the time, high up on a hill that overlooked the mouth of the Russian River. The wildfire was the Creighton Ridge fire in Cazadero. There was concern it might crest the ridge, but little chance it would reach Jenner. I do, however, remember laying in bed one night thinking about what I'd grab on short notice.

Who provided the "words on timely wings" that shook me back into renewed consciousness? Momentarily stumped, I went a few pages back in my journal to see if I could find something. The entry for August 15, 1978 had three lines, no doubt excerpted from a book and not my original journals. The initials "TG" at the bottom of the page cleared it all up. Tom is a long time friend who I've know since 1973. He was in the Coast Guard stationed in Maine at the time and we must have been corresponding about what was going on in our lives. The full text is:

"For our one chance lies in expanding that interval, in getting as many pulsations as possible into the given time. Great passions may give us this quickened sense of life, ecstasy and sorrow of love, the various forms of enthusiastic activity, disinterested or otherwise, which come naturally to many of us. Only be sure it is passion — that it does yield you this fruit of a quickened, multiplied consciousness. Of such wisdom, the poetic passion, the desire of beauty, the love of art for its own sake, has most. For art comes to you proposing frankly to give nothing but the highest quality to your moments as they pass, and simply for those moments' sake". 

The words are from Walter Pater (1839-1894), taken from his Conclusions in "The Renaissance." He was an English essayist, writer of fiction, and literary and art critic. He was educated at The Queens College and Oxford. He argues that the most profound and passionate occasions in life, are the instances when, like viewing artwork, we are bombarded with emotion and sensory overload in a mere moment.

Just a Thought Series ~ for Rod on Valentine's Day 2015

This was written not long after I met the love of my life at the Fort Ross Volunteer Fire Department Picnic in Cazadero on May 23, 1981. Rod lived up on the Navarro Ranch the first year we were together so we'd only cross paths on weekends. 

His pup Hazel would jump up into the crate on the back of his Honda 90 and they'd motor a few miles down the hill to the Blue Heron Restaurant in Duncans Mills. Once the bike was locked up under the deck, he and Hazel would come stay with Jessie and me in Sebastopol. He was a best kept secret for months and it drove my girlfriends crazy. 

At work, though hardly working

Some late afternoon daydreams

Toying with my senses and concentration

Sipping spring water 
And kisses from your well

Fingerprints in places rarely touched

There is nothing so amusingly precise
As keeping the Who, What, Where and When 

Ladies at bay

You are a mystery man

Only the sweet Buddha 

Knows my secret

For my smile and my eyes

Speak only and without words

I've changed my plans

For the weekend

May we come play in your meadow

And sleep beneath your stars?

Just a Thought Series ~ April 24, 1976

April 24, 1976

The synchronicity of my life continues to baffle and entertain. I was looking through some of my old journals this afternoon and came upon something I'd written 37 years ago today. It is as timely now as it was then.

April

Prelude to spring

Buds full to bursting

Carpets of color

Tickle fancies and feet

Minutes to hours to days

Ocean's rhythm

Seasons

A continuum

As vital as a heartbeat

Within touch or in solitude

The river runs deep

Knowing this loves exists

Beyond the everyday

Is a simple joy

Worth more than any fortune

Today the words are for my husband Rod, the delightful bear who has surrounded me with love, warmth, laughter, and good food for the last three decades. 





Eating Dirt and other Observations ~ Oct 09, 2012

Some days are made for walking

Autumn leaves, a camera,
woolly clouds, a breeze

Noon beckoned us to the Laguna
for lunch on a shaded bench
birds and squirrels, no sign of cold
content to let the day unfold

A stop at Fircrest for picnic parts

Garlic roasted turkey and Swiss

the choice a cinch

Rod asked for whole wheat bread

It'll get squishy and flat I said

The deli girl smiled and

suggested a whole wheat roll

it'll stand up to condiments and tomatoes

and keep it's soul

The lady next to me laughed

and said you're right

remember squishing Wonderbread into

indistinguishable sights?

The conversation moved on

to how did we survive our youth

No seat belts and leaded paints

roller skates, no helmets

enough to give a mom the faints

We stayed healthy in spite of dangers faced 

no distraction from TV, video or phone

We played outdoors from dawn to dusk,

ate dirt and skinned our bones

Wearing bandaids like medals we regaled

we created our own resistance

and lived to tell the tale 

~~~

Love Strong, Laugh Hard, Be Kind

Just a Thought Series ~ Nov 6, 1974

Living in the mountains

Or flowing with the changing tide

Acadia, Maine

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Its only when to stop your searching

That you find the key to whats inside

 ~

We all need room to grow in

A place in the morning sun

Maroon Bells Sunrise

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And what this love has shown me

Is there's no more need to run

Escape ~ Bald Eagle

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To know love without possession
Is to find an eagle on the wing
It frees your childlike heart
And brings you a soul song to sing

Conversations

I picked up one of my old journals this afternoon and decided I'd share whatever was on the page it opened to. The entry was from October 31, 1975. This is a song I wrote during one of those stages in a relationship when you're questioning why you aren't moving on. A friend put it to music and it was amazing to hear my words brought to life. Because of his sweet gesture I've harbored a lifelong fantasy of hearing it sung by Bonnie Raitt. But, hey a girl can dream!

Conversation

Baby do you ever disagree with what I'm sayin'

Are your thoughts different than mine

Do you know me so well that you're not tryin'

Or can we share more than just the time

I sometimes wonder what you're thinkin'

Questions I have never asked

Are there things being left unspoken

Should I speak or let it pass

Just don't start feeling guilty

For what it is you're thinkin'

If love can't listen to what's inside

Then love's only a ship that's sinkin'

Man is but a mirror

To what it is he feels

He can live his life in fantasy

Or share the thoughts that keep it real

Thoughts for Fathers Day

 

 My Dad and Me Nov 1945

My dad was a quiet force in my life. He taught me how to observe and listen and to take responsibility for my actions. I have always been a tomboy and on annual summer camping trips we'd spend countless hours checking out woods, creeks and rivers. He taught me how to build things when I was a kid and helped me turn my VW bus into a camper when I was in college. He was my mom's true love and a total romantic. I was looking through an old cook book of my mom's (the kind that has an envelope in each section for the recipes you cut out) and found this note under the sandwiches section.

Sweetheart,

This is the best g.. da.. tuna I ever et

so help me, the celery was an inspiration.

I love you, love you, love you, Grif

We rarely think about our parents in their stages of life: as kids or teenagers, first loves, marriage, raising children, retiring and then gaining elder status. My husband and I were talking on the porch last night and realized there are many parallels between my parents and us. They were both artists and happiest outdoors in the garden or on the road. They were total romantics and free spirited soul mates. And like us, even in their 60's, were mischievous and still 27 on the inside.

A salute to Dads everywhere who work hard to get it right even without a guidebook or users manual.

29 Years Ago Today

So have you ever thought about the serendipitous chain of events that led you to your partner in life? My husband Rod and I met 29 years ago today at a music festival in Cazadero, CA but the path started long before that.

Rod and Hazel May 1981

In 1967, my senior year at UCSB, I shared a cabin with a friend named Deanne. Through a friend of hers I met John Madison, an occasional travelling partner and gentle soul wise beyond his years. He taught me alot about myself in the time we shared.

We were on a road trip in the mid 70's and spent a couple of days with a friend of his in Crested Butte, CO. Sharon had grown up in Berkeley and when she found out I was from Sonoma County she told me I had to check out the Fort Ross Volunteer Fire Department Picnic in Cazadero. I filed the information in the back of my brain and didn't give it a second thought until 5 years later when my neighbors in Sebastopol mentioned the gathering was the following week. On a whim I decided to go.

The music and weather were amazing. I didn't know anyone there so I just decided to get up and dance by myself. The next thing you know there is this handsome, ponytailed hippie boy dancing next to me. Three hours later we were still dancing, and 29 years later we continue to dance.

The funny thing is we always remembered the date as being May 26th and celebrated that date for 25 years until I found my ticket to the event a few years ago. So now we celebrate the 23rd and the 26th!

Life is short, don't hesitate when adventures call.