Just a Thought Series ~ October 8, 1976

Full moon cradled

In a pin cushion sky

 

Cradled Moon

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Autumn's subtle ways

Warm the soul

Night air surrounds me

Like a hug

The crackle of a warm fire

Bakes my toes

Campfire
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The mystery of a season change

Forever intrigues me
Creative juices
Are once again nudging their way
out of the box

A Perfect Day for a Parade ~ Sept 2, 2012

The Petaluma National All-Stars enthralled baseball audiences around the world for a couple of weeks in August at the Little League World Series. From the special section in the Press Democrat:

"Their remarkable mix of aplomb, quality play, and vibrant enthusiasm coalesced into a series of stirring comebacks that captured the nation. This was the sport at it's most elemental, stripped of the adult trappings of money, ego and posturing and highlighted instead by innocence, joy and camaraderie."

These are middle schoolers, ages 12-13; who never quit, never lost focus, made incredible plays and new friends from around the world. We watched the National Playoff against Goodlettsville, TN when we were visiting friends in Arcata. News up there comes from the ABC affiliate in Los Angeles. Though Petaluma lost the game in extra innings the two sportscasters said "this was the best game in the known universe today" and we had to agree.  

 

Today we went to Petaluma to participate in the parade honoring these kids. We had lunch outdoors on the river at Dempseys Brew Pub and then walked over the bridge to the parade route packed with an estimated 20,000 fans.

 

 

Vintage war planes did a flyover and there were two confetti cannons from the Superbowl going off every time they introduced a player. It was quite a scene. Fortunately we got there early enough to find some shade across the street from McNears. 

     

Once the parade was over everyone stepped off the sidewalks and walked en masse down the middle of Petaluma Boulevard North to Walnut Park. I don't think there was an available square inch of lawn for standing or sitting. 

 

We stayed long enough to get some bottled water and then toddled back to the car grinning from ear to ear. Home to a cool breeze from the coast and some world class chili leftovers from our friend Linda who spent a couple of days visiting before she headed out this morning for home. Sonoma County is very proud of this little group of ambassadors! They have inspired a whole crop of youngsters to believe in themselves ~ look out world there's a new posse in town.  

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!  

Wednesday Wonders ~ August 26, 2012

On a delightful morning stroll
along the Mad River near Blue Lake, CA
we find a number of these little guys
along the waterline.
They're about 5/8" long.



Wednesday Wonder

A brief moment in time

Glass Beach

Fort Bragg, CA

Rango Meets the Renaissance Faire ~ Aug 19, 2012

I wish I could record my dreams as they are unfolding. Sometimes I remember the essence of having had a dream, and other times I remember vivid details for little awhile. I jumped out of bed this morning and bounded into the living room where Rod was trying to read the paper. I forced my way into his consciousness with a sort of verbal speed read of the dream to help me remember details. He looked up from the paper and just smiled.  

It never ceases to amaze me how our brains put seemingly unconnected experiences together in the world of dreams. We watched Rango Friday night, a delightful animated story with Johnny Depp as the lead character, out to find the "Spirit of the West" and save the town of Dirt. 

Rango

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Yesterday we participated in a fully costumed, mini version of the Much Ado About Sebastopol Renaissance Faire at La Bodega to help raise awareness of the upcoming Faire in September at Ives Park.

2011 Faire

I'm walking down the dusty main street of an old frontier town. Two other travellers join me along the way and we move from the prairie to high desert, to forests dense with foliage and streams. We start to climb and move into a steep canyon. We hear a soft noise and look up to a shelf on a canyon wall and see a small cabin with no front (like a shadow box). Watching us from the perch are an owl, a griffin and a cat who are no doubt guardians of the realm. Though no words are spoken we seem to have permission to proceed.

Verdantis, Keeper of the Earth

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Balancing Act

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Further into the forest we come upon a large manor house. The front door is open and we step into the doorway to see if anyone is home. A man and woman in Elizabethan costumes are laughing and chasing each other around the great room with goblets in hand. They see us and invite us in to join the revelry. Once we are inside, the house appears to be high in a tree. It slowly rotates on a geared apparatus and stops at seven different points. 

The Castle of Morgan

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Looking over what could be described as a porch railing there are herds and flocks of grazing, flying and swimming beasts, the likes of which we've never seen. Each stop on the rotation reveals a different world, all of which seem to be quite peaceful.

The lord of the manor offers us a libation and slices a small piece from a very strange looking fruit or mushroom to brew some tea. The remaining portion starts to grow and change into weird shapes as we watch. At that point we decide it's time to move on, so we thank our hosts and continue the journey.

La Source

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Though I still don't know who my fellow travellers are, the surroundings are looking more familiar. We come upon a spring that seems to flow from a large water pipe in the middle of nowhere. As we follow the creek I realize I'm close to home. It flows through our neighbor Susi's yard, then moves underground down the slope of our land to the neighbor's below. Aha, now I know why the ground is always wet at the bottom of the property.

We are all travellers on these hidden highways. My dreamscapes are often unexplainable but I always enjoy the ride. Many thanks to Etsy artisans who always seem to be able to help me illustrate my journeys. 

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.

Breast Cancer Journey ~ Post Script III

My husband came with me yesterday and waited while I met with my oncologist. It was my first appointment since surgery and radiation treatments for breast cancer 10 months ago. Joyous news ~ there are no signs of cancer in my left breast.

Jump for Joy

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When I came back out to the waiting room to let Rod know, the only thing I could think of was Usain Bolt's classic pose after winning his Olympic races.

Never one to be embarrassed by spontaneous acts of joy, I dropped my purse on the floor and struck the pose. I did get a few sideways glances but Rod, and several others waiting on appointments, burst out laughing. They knew without words what it was all about.  

It's important though, to remember the five year rule of thumb on being considered cancer free. My five years will coincide with the next Summer Olympics so here are my medal goals, 2012 is already in the bag so to speak:

2012 ~ Year I ~ Iron

2013 ~ Year II ~ Copper

2014 ~ Year III ~ Bronze

2015 ~ Year IV ~ Silver

2016 ~ Year V ~ Gold

If you find yourself a member of this club that no one wants to join keep these things in mind. It is important to be your own advocate and believe you will succeed. A cancer diagnosis is only a small part of your life window. Take responsibility for your actions ~ eat well, stay positive, write or talk about it, and exercise. Your friends will fill your sails and provide the occasional kick in the butt as needed.

"Remember

you're braver than you believe

stronger than you seem

and smarter than you think"

Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh

"Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed

is more important than any other one thing"

Abraham Lincoln

Just a Thought Series ~ August 21, 1976

Early morning fog

Blankets the coastal sands

Waves heard but not seen

Diamonds in the spiderwebs

On the porch

In Solitude

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Peaceful here today

No promises to keep

No place to be

Enjoying the solitude

Congratulations ~ You're Our Big Winner ~ August 3, 2012

When I'm out in my studio I always have the radio tuned into 95.9 the KRUSH. One day early last week, listening to the Blues with Bowker, I heard him say something about Blue Wing Blues Festival and be the 5th caller to qualify. On a whim I counted to five and dialed. Lo and behold I'm caller number 5 and in the running for a mystery package, since I hadn't heard all of the lead in.

I came home from my errands run on Thursday morning (2nd) and there's message from the KRUSH "Congratulations, you're our big winner, call in for details". What we won was BBQ dinner and concert tickets for the Blue Wing Blues Festival opening night and overnight accommodations. A spur of the moment adventure is our favorite kind, so we pack Friday morning and head out around noon. First stop is lunch at Cousteau Bakery in Healdsburg. 

Our destination is the historic Tallman Hotel in Upper Lake. It's just our kind of place: small with a colorful history. Despite occupying a prominent position on the main street of town, the hotel property had, for over 40 years, been vacant and uncared for prior to its purchase by Lynne and Bernie Butcher in 2003. With the contributions of local craftsmen they undertook a 2 year restoration, upgrade and expansion. For more about the hotel, it's history and upcoming events go to http://www.tallmanhotel.com ~ it's definitely worth a visit.

Our room is one of the upstairs garden rooms with a porch that looks over the shaded venue between the main hotel and the Blue Wing Saloon. Rooms are decorated in period style and very comfortable.

The bands set up on the porch of the hotel and seating (for about 100) is arranged in the shaded courtyard between hotel and saloon. Music starts about 5:45pm and is over by 10pm. We can still party hardy, but not as late as we used to, so this is a great idea. 

Twice as Good 2XG (http://www.twiceasgood.org) opened the show with the blues and had everyone rocking in their seats. About half way through the set, the BBQ fare was laid out and guests got up in sections to serve themselves. Most of us were dancing as we worked our way through the line.

By the time the Zydeco Flames (http://zydecoflames.com) were half way through their set most of the crowd was on their feet dancing. The old knees got a workout, but weren't complaining, dancing is good for the soul and good medicine.

The "Winners" with our host Bernie Butcher

The acoustics and performances were nothing short of amazing. This is a great small venue, along the lines of Sebastopol's Studio E, Rancho Nicasio or Petaluma's Mystic Theater. The final event of the Blue Wing Blues Festival is Labor Day, September 3rd. Might want to put it on your calendar.

After breakfast on Saturday we headed out to Fort Bragg on Hwy 20 for lunch at the North Coast Brewery and headed down the coast for home. It's a beautiful drive and about 30 degrees cooler than Upper Lake. Checked a small flea market on the way out of town and found some treasures. Once home: dinner, a hot tub and early to bed. Sunday we made Gravenstein apple sauce and watched some of the Olympics. A weekend well spent.

A special shout out to the KRUSH and to Diane and George Rawls (Allora Da Car) who donated the tickets that made our weekend.

Just a Thought Series ~ Oct 28, 1975

Child of nature

Daughter to the sea

Warm water woman

So full of love

Feel my movement as a song

The Nereid

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Tears of joy ~ Morning rain

A river finds itself

With the suddeness

Of an autumn sunrise

Watchman Tower Zion National Park

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Gently moving from the hills

To awaken and to nourish

All that it touches

Paths of no resistence

Caressing with subtle fullness

The caverns and smooth curves

Of a mountain
Of a man 

Reaching for the Sun ~ July 25, 2012

I grew up in Mill Valley on the middle ridge of Mt. Tamalpais, a magical mountain to all who climb her slopes. My girlfriends and I spent countless hours in the woods hiking and exploring: fire roads, deer paths, creeks, the old rail bed of the Crookedest Railroad in the World, and the ruins of old inns and cabins that had burned in the 1929 fire. It was better than any modern day amusement park. The only criteria from our parents was to look out for each other and be home by dark.

It continues to be foggy in Stinson Beach so we decide on a trip up Mt. Tam for a picnic and walk. Sure enough we break into sunshine just before we get to the end of the road at the top. Perfect!

Blue sky at last!



The fog hovers to the west, but it's warm on the bench where we have lunch before taking the trail around the crest. The views are spectacular. There is such a simple and serene beauty here it captures the heart. While doing a little research, I found this wonderful poem by poet and artist J.L. Stanley.

Fire Trail at Midnight on Mt. Tam

I walk by starlight

Up the winding fire-trail

Between sandstone and scrub oak,

Up to the edge of a terrible cliff

And listen to the waves break

So far below.

The stars explode here

Away from the city glare,

They skitter and hiss

Making me gasp

As they fall from the sky.

I feel several thousand years

Younger, as I pause,

Closed in and breathless

On this moonless night wondering

When I had forgotten the sea

And the stars and roads that wind slowly.

And if I could believe

This road would lead

To other roads and on and on

It would be enough.

Me thinks the next time we ascend the robes of Tamalpa it will be by the dark of no moon. The State Park closes at dusk but some of my childhood haunts and trails are no doubt still in existence.

All the Way to Lihue? ~ July 24, 2012

It's foggy at Stinson this morning and that calls for a hot breakfast and cribbage before we head out to the garden to weed, water, and prune. We'll no doubt plan an adventure this afternoon.

How doe Lihue fit into the story you ask? Many years ago Rod and I made our first trip to Kauai for a wedding. Our first full day there we drove up to Kee Beach on the NE side of the island and by afternoon we were at Kokee State Park in Waimea Canyon on the NW side of the island. Our hosts were flabbergasted by the great distance we'd travelled. Kauai is about one-third the size of Sonoma County. Our exploratory journey was roughly the equivalent of a round trip between home and the town of Sonoma, no great distance in our book.

However, by day two we were thoroughly attuned to island thinking and island time. Our host asked if we could run up to Lihue for something. Our response was "You want us to go all the way to Lihue?" It's a 10 mile drive, but that phrase has stuck with us all these years and it's been uttered many a time when a short trip, for any reason, was involved.

The adventure of the day: a 2.5 mile drive all the way to Bolinas. We discovered the Bolinas Book Exchange, an incredible little used bookstore that is totally on the honor system. The sign over the deposit box reads:

Ordinary Books   $1

Really Good Books   $2

Extraordinary Books   $3

Great Books   $5

Spectacular Books $20

Rod is an avid reader of science fiction and I was looking for books to utilize for my artistic excursion into the world of altered books. We found the mother lode and calculated our 10 books totalled $17, so we deposted $20 in the box and left as happy campers.

A late afternoon walk on the beach netted a shark sighting ~ a fair warning to surfers there be dragons in these here waters.

The Beach Unplugged ~ July 23, 2012

A sweet little staycation close to home to help my cousin with some garden chores at her cabin on Stinson Beach. The place was built by her dad in 1943 and we used to spend time there as kids. The original furniture is still there, faded and threadbare, but a myriad of pillows and throws have created a colorful and comfortable environment: the perfect place to curl up and read on a foggy day or rainy night.

It's delightfully shabby and filled with the memories, laughter and sandy feet of four generations. The shelves overflow with shells and rocks, old books, kids toys and varioius oddities collected at garage sales over the years.



It's a stones throw from the water on a little bluff above the beach. A chaise and a couple of beach chairs sit out on the edge: great place to plant your bum to read or bird watch. 

We get settled and head out for a walk. There's a lot of seaweed on the beach. It's the feathery kind, not the big leaf, thick stemmed stuff. The receding waves have left it in delightful shapes: sea creatures, bucking horses, moose, chickens, and fish. Lesson here ~ never leave home without your camera, you'll miss something.

 Bucking Horse ~ for Paul Zarzyski

 Night Moose ~ Bob Seger ~ for Laura

Gallo De Cielo for Tom Russell

 

Vegie plate and fresh fruit for dinner, the night is for reading. We'll make up the next couple of days as we go: but for sure we'll head up to Mt. Tam for a walk and a picnic. We haven't been to Bolinas in years and may head over there to check out a used book store someone told us about on our walk.

Night falls: curled up in our sleeping bags, the sound of the waves a heart beat and bringer of dreams.

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

Neighbor Susi Has a Green Thumb

Just a Thought Series ~ July 28, 1975

Life is a learning curve and the light bulb just came on again. My journals are filled to the brim with carefully chosen words and gentle thoughts ~ life emerging in robes of rainbow color and velvet softness. But this isn't the real deal. In translation from mind to paper I filter experiences so the words come out smooth and romantic. Ah, ever the Piscean dreamer.

Dreamer

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There's a certain charm to such an outlook, but it keeps you incomplete. I need to leave my experiences unwashed and unedited as I put them to paper: anger and fear, sadness and joy, understanding and confusion, warts and all. 

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

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I've always trusted my intuition and I now realize I can trust others with my thoughts and not worry about what they think. Perhaps wisdom does come with age. I'm finding great joy in these discoveries: the freedom to question, explore, observe and write from the heart not the mind. Consciousness is a constant challenge. It's like running a little farther each day, sometimes a little difficult but you know it's good for body and soul.

~

"Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities. Truth isn't."

Mark Twain

~

"Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”

George Bernard Shaw

The Moveable Feast ~ July 4th, 2012

We live on a little dead end road just outside the city limits of Sebastopol. There are five other families up here in this hilltop roost and Rod decided he wanted to do a pot luck breakfast to start off the 4th on the right foot. Designer pancakes from the griddle with fresh strawberries and the neighbors brought the rest.

Families started showing up around 10am. Chairs and tables were set up under the pear and redwoods. Seems like most of us would sit in one place for awhile and then move to a different seat or spot to visit.

By the afternoon most everyone was still here, some had walked home to take care of chores and come back, others just hung out with us to enjoy the weather and the day.

Our new neighbors, Kathleen and Christian asked us to join them for an afternoon meal so about 3:30 we all toddled down to their place for homemade chili, ribs, pasta salad and cobbler. We had an incredible meal while relaxing on their deck and getting to know their friends up from the Bay Area.

We walked home about 5pm and took a lead from Ruby the Wonder Dog. 

Think we were asleep by 9pm. We missed the fireworks from Santa Rosa, but we'd seen Sebastopol's the night before from Andrea and Steven's porch after smores cooked up on the campfire. Our two day celebration was just one of those magical gatherings that brought friends, food and kids together for a delightfully good time. We're all still talking about it. The consensus is same time next year, starting with the evening smores on the 3rd.

Just a Thought Series ~ Fall 1975 or so

I was rummaging through some old photographs I set aside for my collage and altered book projects. The purpose was to come up with a way to organize the chaos of a unsorted box. During the expedition I rediscovered this photo. The words of the hand carved grave marker have always made me smile: reminding me of my own father. 

A little history: I was on two week road trip to Colorado. We spent a couple of nights in Crested Butte with a friend of my traveling partner. To get to Aspen we decided on a road less traveled and took Kebler Pass towards Redstone. We made a short detour to an old grave yard where I photographed this marker. I've always wanted to know the story behind it so I did a little research this morning. I looked up pioneer graveyards in the area including Ruby and Irwin and found nothing. Not one to give up easily I searched the entire quote and was astounded to find the following:

Cpl. Mervin C. Wheeler was laid to rest in the Old Irwin Cemetery. There is now this permanent marker and his wife, who passed away in August of 2009 is buried next to him. The poem on the marker was written by (or quoted by) their daughter Linda. What a wonderful memorial to a father. There is always more to a story. Look beyond the pictures and the words.

To the Redwoods ~ June 4th-5th, 2012

We're headed for the Smith River on the north coast of California. Hwy 140 out of Lakeview, OR is another great blue highway that takes us west to Grant's Pass where we turn south onto Hwy 199 and head deep into Redwood country. It's about a 280 mile drive. The weather is continually changing: sunshine to a dusting of snow, periodic showers to heavy rain.  There are large ranches in the valleys of SE Oregon. Juniper, pine, and wildflowers dot the landscape. Once back in Redwood country we breathe in the aroma and marvel at the majesty of our north coast forests.

We're in a day early to the Smith River. We have reservations for the 5th-6th but they find us a space for tonight. It's raining cats and dogs but the sound is magnificent. It's late afternoon and we're curled up drinking green tea and reading ~ Rod with Mark Twain and me with a "bodice ripper" from Harlequin called Operation: Midnight Cowboy. I traded it for one of our paper backs at Junipers Lake. It has a cowboy, a redhead and an international terrorist, what more could you ask for?. Tomorrow is supposed to be only 20% chance of rain so Rod's looking forward to some fishing and I'm looking forward to hiking with my camera.

After dinner we set up for the night and continue to read. The lights start dimming. Say what? The rig battery is failing so the pilot light isn't firing on the propane refrigerator. Rod tries to start the generator, but it wouldn't fire until he starts the rig to give it enough juice. We run the generator for about 10 minutes and that seemed to do the trick. We've had the rig plugged in at all our our camp spots, and this is the first attempt at "dry camping" on the trip. We turn off all the lights and get out the battery lantern for the rest of the evening. Now we're sure there is a short somewhere in the system, perhaps damage from the separated tire treads that beat up the underside of the coach on day 2.

We wake up at 5:30 am and Rod 's ready to throw in the towel and head home. He's disappointed in not being able to spend a couple of days fishing on the Smith River. I mention that if we camp at a place where we can plug in we'll be okay. He sees logic in my suggestion and off we go to Trinidad and Emerald Glen Park where we started the trip. Expecting the usual north coast summer weather of cold fog and drizzle, we are oh so pleasantly surprised to find it clear, sunny and about 70 degrees. Perfect!

After lunch we headed for Trinidad Harbor and walked on the beach. Walked back up into town and down a large number of steep steps to the cove on the harbor side. Our knees were barking like harbor seals by the time we got back up the stairs. After that little workout, we're back to camp for a shower, dinner, a movie and early to bed. Home is calling.