Father's Day and Dream Machines ~ June 21, 2015

Happy Father's Day to my favorite motor head, you taught me early to love the sound of a healthy V-8, will miss you always Daddy.

William Griffith Macdonald

So you think you had fun today? We spent most of the morning at the 21st Annual Show and Shine classic car show in Julliard Park in Santa Rosa. A perfect summer day to say the least.

How'd ya like to cruise Route 66 in this bad boy hauling a vintage Airstream Bambi?

When style ruled the road 

 The license plate says "Hemified"

A rag top with credentials

 We loved this puppy but are no longer of the age

where we can to get down into and climb up out of.

 Can you hear me now?

We asked the owner if he'd take a photo of us standing by the car and his response was "You want to get in?" Yeah Baby!

We had a great lunch under the trees at the park and decided on the way back home to hit the Farmers Market in Sebastopol (The peaches and blueberries are perfect right now) and go the the movies. If you haven't read the book or seen the film entitled "The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared" put it on your must do list. 

From Here to There ~ June 12-14, 2014

June 12th ~ Getting on the Road

D-Day is here and the direction is North. What we do and where we end up each day is open to whim, suggestion, and why not. No promises to keep and everything we might need neatly packed in Pearl the Expedition. 

Take off about 8 am and get as far as the strawberry farm on Hwy. 12 before I realize my cell phone is at home. Rats, back we go. Ah, but there is a silver lining. Our neighbors Mike and Carol are getting some trees trimmed while we're gone, what we didn't realize is that it would be today. We get back up to the Rancho and find the tree service there. Rod told them he'd like the chips from the job. So my forgetfulness garnered some unexpected rewards. 

Stopped at Kaiser on the way out of Dodge to renew one of Rod's prescriptions. Did their walking route while waiting and logged 1.4 miles. The Big Chief in Laytonville for lunch and split a cheese burger, fries and a chocolate shake. Road food at it's best and patio dining. Stayed at Blue Lake Casino and spent the evening with friends Tom and Linda in McKinleyville. Had a great visit and one of Linda's awesome dinners: chicken tostadas with a scratch corn salsa made with raw corn, onions, cilantro, lemon, and tomato. 

June 13th ~ The Road to Bandon

Dreams last night and when I went back to sleep each time the solution was 7/11. I don't know what that means except today is Friday the 13th and there is a full moon. First walk of the day at Stone Lagoon, six miles north of Trinidad. We came up over a dune on the way back to parking lot and see my old Jeep's twin (a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 V8). The owner had inherited it from his mom, the quintessential Little Old Lady from Pasadena. It only had 40K miles on it ~ Be still my heart.

Del Norte county still has myriads of wildflowers along the roadside: tiger lilies, Queen Anne's lace, lupine, daisies and the occasional rhododendron. Windy and cloudy on the road, but little or no traffic. Stop at the Chart Room in Crescent City for chowder. This is also Rod's Clam Chowder Tour. He's determined to find the best of the coast.

One of our favorite places to stay is Bandon, OR. We check in at the Best Western, toss our stuff in the room and take off exploring. Spent a couple of hours in old town visiting shops and galleries, then headed out to the lighthouse for a walk. If your a camper then Bullard's Beach State Park is a must.

Bandon Lighthouse

Since I'll be recovering from my transplant surgery on December 21st we decide to have an early Anniversary dinner at Lord Bennett's (dancing to the justification shuffle). It's a place we discovered a couple of years ago. Excellent food and service: we share salad, salmon, pilaf, veggies, stuffed chicken, and the piece de resistance: blueberry/marionberry pie and ice cream. A walk on beach after dinner was definitely in order. We log 3-4 miles of walking today. 

June 14th ~ Roadside Attractions

Summer in Oregon brings a bevy of bodacious vintage automobiles out of their protective cocoons and garages. We see spectacular restorations on the road every day. These puppies were no exception. Rod's fantasizing bringing the Camero home. 

Breakfast in Bandon, a long walk on the beach, and norther we go. First stop is The Mill Casino in Coos Bay for lunch. Great restaurant with a promenade on the Coos River. 

The Mill in Coos Bay

Here we find out about the Oregon Regional Chainsaw Carving Championships in Reedsport and decide it's worth a stop. It's an international four day event. We're here on day three so most of the sculptures have quite a bit of detail. What is remarkable is that they all start with these giant logs that are about 3' in diameter and 8' tall. 

Start with one of these

 Eagle

 Totem

Dragon

Marsh Scene ~ Rod's Favorite

 Archangel ~ The Winner

Thumbing through the AAA Tour Book we discover the Adobe Resort in Yachats. Sounds like a good place to settle in for a couple of days so we head up the road another 50 miles and check in.

Over the Back Fence IV ~ Aug 8, 3013

 Boogie Nights 

 

Over the Back Fence I ~ July 29, 2013

 

Summer Garden Bounty ~ August 30, 2012

Last night's dinner was directly from our Garden of Eatin'.

 

Early Girl, Golden Globe and Chocolate

heirloom tomatoes

lemon cucumbers, carrots 

and a spritz of balsamic vinegar.

Oh Yeah!  

Wings Over Wine Country ~ August 18, 2012

Every summer we make a point of attending the Wings Over Wine Country Air Show at the Charles M. Schulz (as in Peanuts and Snoopy) Airport. It's a delightful way to share the day with families, veterans, flying enthusiasts and just plain folk like us who are drawn to vintage war planes, fast and noisy jets, and aerial acrobatics. It's also an in depth living history lesson from award winning announcer Danny "Skytalker" Clisham.

I started the day with a designer pancake from my favorite chef ~ can't decide if it was a Marine Harrier or the F-18 ~ but no matter is tasted great smothered in a cloud of fresh strawberries!

One of the most moving moments is the U.S. Air Force Heritage Flight that pairs a state-of-the-art fighter aircraft, the A10 Warthog in close formation with a vintage P-51.

My favorites are the old war birds from WWII ~ there is something about the sound of those prop driven engines.

Then again, there is something so totally primal about the throaty roar of a Harrier or an F-18 overhead that makes you scream at the top of your lungs and jump up and down. I've gotta get a bigger telephoto lens!

Whatever your favorites are make a point to attend an air show near you, it's a thrill of a lifetime and a chance to thank veterans for their service.

~~~~~~ Wednesday Wonders ~~~~~~

Neighbor Susi Has a Green Thumb

Just a Thought Series ~ June 29, 1976

Sailor, Sailor wed to the sea

Moods forever changing

Unpredictable as a stormy sky

~

A warm breeze caresses her cheek
A cold north wind turns her away

Sometimes soft, sometimes sharp

The ambiguity of a coastal summer day

A Hole in the Sky

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Sailor, Sailor

What's the fear in your heart

That makes it so easy to run
Life so difficult to chart
~

She doesn't ask for changes

Only the chance to be herself
Not some image of your mind
You have no right to redesign

Mermaid Behind Her Mask

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All hearts are not the same

Experience makes each unique
Just know 
She will always be true to herself
Strength will overcome weak

D-Day Approaches ~ Right or Left?

The adventure begins at o'dark thirty on Tuesday morning. We've been watching the weather and due to the haze and heat down near Sequoia and Kings Canyon we're going to head north instead of southeast this trip. The parks are still on the top of our list, but think we'll wait until a storm or two has rolled through and cleared the air, perhaps in the Autumn when leaves are changing and the crowds are back home. This trip we could end up at any of these incredible places or somewhere else altogether.

Falls on North Umpqua River

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Today and tomorrow are the preparation trifecta: pack the rig, soak the gardens and clean the house (there's nothing like coming home to fresh sheets on a real bed after a couple of weeks on the road). We don't consider any of these activities chores, the payoff is the freedom to wander for a couple of weeks or more (Rod gets his August schedule in late July, so if he doesn't have time scheduled the first part of the month we can stay out longer - yeah baby!).

 Oregon Coast 

We'll be ready for any kind of weather Mother Nature chooses to throw at us, but it does seem a bit odd to pack rain gear, long johns and swim suits. The beauty of a motorhome is that you can take whatever you might need and you don't have to pack and unpack every day.

Imnaha Nights

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A little side note: After our last trip to SE Oregon in May I did a spreadsheet on actual costs (fuel, camp fees, food, etc.) and created the same hypothetical trip taking the Honda, staying in lodging and eating out. In spite of the cost of fuel we saved about $500 taking the motorhome. The biggest perk and true value is that we were able to stay in the woods, along rivers and at the ocean.

Rogue River

Fishing gear, cameras, walking sticks, hiking boots and binoculars ~ check! Books, books on CD and music ~ check! Next comes clothes, foodstuffs and systems checks. I'll keep you posted as we go. We may be off the grid for periods of time, but that's half the fun. There is a "follow by email" button on right side of blog, sign up you'll get notified of new posts.

A Sunday Drive on Friday Morning

The paper said it was going to be 93 today, not my cup of tea. Give me 75 and light breeze and I'm a happy camper.

The gardens are still moist from the rains at the end of June and the pasture's been mowed. No chores? After breakfast and cribbage we decide on a local field trip. We'll head to Armstrong Redwoods for a hike in the shade, and if that doesn't do the trick we'll head for Walk On Beach up the coast and post our butts next to the ocean for a few hours and stay cool.

We pack a picnic and head for the woods about 11. Hungry by the time we get there, we eat first and then head up towards Armstrong Tree with the idea of doing the Pool Ridge Trail Loop (about 2.3 miles).

Fungus on a dead fall - Rod called them Turkey Tails

What we had forgotten (we did this hike about 20 years ago - 20 years younger ago) was the 500 foot climb with lots of switch backs. It was like walking up our 45 degree sloped road. Can you spell shin splints? And of course the temperature and humidity climbed as we did. About 1/2 a mile up the trail we looked at each other and shook our heads - not working, so back down the trail we go and head out to the coast.

Hwy 116 has just been repaved, the temperature falls into the 60s as we head west and there is no traffic - the trifecta of awesome. The drive up Hwy 1 is gorgeous. Even though it's July there are copious amounts of spring wildflowers and the hills still show a hint of green. We do have to watch out for the occasional sidehill salmon ~ grazing cattle to you city dwellers. Flights of pelicans are cruising gracefully up the coastline and then drop out of the sky, like wayward missiles, diving for food.

Walk On Beach is just south of Gualala and the trail allows you to walk along the cliffs at Sea Ranch. Fortunately for us part of the agreement for allowing development of the area was public access.

Walk on Beach trail view

After a walk of about 2 miles we decide it's time for a snack so we head north to Gualala. Here we discover Bones Roadhouse (BBQ, brews and blues music) and split a delicious seafood sampler. In answer to your question ~ no we haven't fallen off the Vegan wagon ~ we are now what Rod calls Flexitarians and occasionally we allow ourselves chicken or seafood. After dining we hit the local bakery for a few cookies for the ride home.

The return trip just as gorgeous and cool, as we head inland towards home the temperature rises, but by the time we hit the driveway it's a reasonable 80 degrees. We read on the porch until dark and then called it a day. A good day!

A Walk in the Park

The sun is out at last, time for a walk in the park, but alas which one? Sonoma County is rich in state and regional parks and home to an unbelievable array of summer to fall celebrations of life. The two major ones this weekend are Peggy Sue's All American Cruise and the Health and Harmony Festival. No matter where you go you'll see cars right out of American Graffiti and humans right out of the 60's Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco. We grew up during those heady times so see no need to join the crowds.

We decide on River Front Park just west of Windsor. You can take the back way from our place and avoid any highways and traffic (our favorite kind of road). We packed at picnic lunch, binoculars and a camera and hit the road about 10:30 this morning.

The park is adjacent to the Russian River and has several good sized "lakes" that were formerly gravel pits. Only one, Lake Benoist, is open to the public right now, but it's a nice 2 mile walk. Bass fishing is said to be good and there is prime Blue Heron habitat on the south side. Most fledglings have left the nest already but we did spy a nest about 80 feet up a dead spar with large Heron chattering up a storm. There are also other winged attractions this time of year: some yellow, some black, some turquoise and some in camouflage gear like this beauty.

Further along the trail we find a bench that looks across the lake to Mount St. Helena. It's a beautiful and peaceful spot to stop for lunch and take a load off.

I was taken by the dedication sign on the bench and the self written obituary placed carefully between the slats. Tom, it seems, was an architect, artist, traveller, outdoorsman, and photographer who lived his life to the fullest and encouraged others to do the same. You gotta love this place.

Change in the Weather

It's mid November on the North Coast of California. In the last week we've experienced everything from 85 degree sunshine with evening cricket serenades, 

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to partly cloudy with chance of showers and awesome sunsets,

Photo from our front porch

to rain and wind,

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and the chance of snow in the foothills tonight.

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Part of the charm of this time of year is seeing what surprises are on the horizon in the morning. Part of the challenge is learning how to dress for it. Now go outside and play!

Thoughtful Tuesday

Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety nine percent perspiration. 

Thomas Edison

The objective was to limb our redwoods up about 15 feet and remove secondary growth and brush for fire safety. Six hours of hacking and hewing has its rewards. The old hammock fits perfectly between to two trees!

July and Blackberries

When I was a kid our entire back fence in Mill Valley was covered with blackberries. My Dad and I would pick every summer and Mom would turn them into jams, jellies and pies.

Our Back Fence Bonanza

I haven't made jam for years, but the extended rains this spring have created a bumper crop of huge berries. I pick every couple of days, lay the berries out on trays in the freezer until they are hard and then slip them into gallon baggies until I have enough for an afternoon jamathon. This July has been really cold and foggy, what do you want to bet the day I decide to spend working over the stove it will be hot? No matter, the middle of this winter I'll have homemade jam for toast, waffles, presents and pancakes. It doesn't get much better than that!

Down Time

Today is July 3rd. My husband, the chef, left for work at 5am and when his day was done he headed to Santa Rosa to watch his friend Michael’s grandsons play baseball this afternoon. I went to work out this morning, came home and tossed a load of laundry in the washer that could be hung out to dry. It's about 80 degrees and breezy. I’ve decided this is a no promises to keep day: time out, game over, no shouldas, just stop and smell the roses, or in our case honeysuckle.

The Cherry Plums are Ready

I’m out in the back yard flopped in a camp chair with my laptop, lunch, water, and a book of poetry and prose given to me this morning by a fellow gym mate. The breeze is whispering through the Redwoods and Monterey pines. The neighbors’ terrier, Ruby, is stalking gophers over the back fence. Two red squirrels are playing tag in our oak tree and I’m watching a hawk ride thermal currents looking for meal. Closing my eyes I can hear a dozen different songbirds commenting on the day.
 

How often do we let the petty of our every days overshadow the beauty in our lives? Stop what you are doing, back away from the computer, put down the dust rag and go outside for an hour or two; find a place in the shade and just observe and listen, I guarantee you’ll be glad you did. Have a safe and happy 4th of July. I am posting this and doing as ordered!