Turn Left Go West ~ July 02, 2013

This morning was day seven of the heat wave that has been squatting on California. The only place to be has been indoors with the fans cranked up. However, by now we're both chomping at the bit for some exercise.

Bit by Bit

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Rod suggests the coast and walk on the beach. I worked in Bodega Bay for 33 years and one thing for sure if it's between April and August it's going to be windy and cold. Never ones to shrink from a shear possibility we throw layers and a picnic in the car, turn left and go west. It was 85 degrees when we departed Sebastopol at 11am.

First stop is Doran Beach. With our Sonoma County Park Pass we got to pull out of a long line and go right in. Well it was simply stunning, clear, 64 degrees and barely a breeze. Picnic on a beachside bench and then a 2 mile walk down to the Jetty and back.

Sand trees.

Jetty Boy 

About 1:30 we left Doran and headed north to Wright's Beach. In the mid 1970's friends lived in 3 cabins down by the old cypress at the south end of the beach. They were rented with the understanding they would one day be torn down. It was a sad day when it finally happened but there are tales that will never be forgotten.

One afternoon, when the tide was fairly low, several of us walked to a spot between these two rocks to watch the wave action. To our amazement a whale came up between them and looked right at us. We stood in stunned silence for a second or two. Too bad it was in the days before cell phones.

Death Rock, Wright's Beach

Rod took this picture of me to prove I was, in fact, in shirt sleeves, in July, in Bodega Bay.

North again and then east on Hwy 116 for the trip home. We stopped in Duncan's Mills for ice cream. It was 88 by the time we got to Forestville. Closer to Sebastopol we noticed wind in the trees. By the time we got home it was 72 and the wind was clocking 20 miles an hour. The natural air conditioner that graces us most summers was finally back. I got to sleep under a blanket last night.

Top of the Second ~ June 23-25, 2013

Early Sunday afternoon and off to San Francisco for TACE II and a return visit to the flat we rented in May. It turned out to be a rainy day so instead of a 2 mile walk, we spent the afternoon curled up reading with a couple of breaks for sustenance. Two doors up we discovered Say Cheese and picked up some scrumptious goodies for an indoor picnic.

Around dusk we toddled a little further up Cole Street to Zazie's for dinner. It's amazing to have so many choices within walking distance. I'm beginning to understand why some folks like living in the City.

Monday was going to start early so we hit the hay about 9:30. I don't know if I mentioned it but the flat is over a restaurant. We had expectations for a certain amount of noise at closing time but we definitely weren't expecting construction, breaking glass and furniture being moved between 10pm and 2am. So much for a good night's rest!

A little aha moment at UCSF heading up in the elevator Monday morning. A gentleman with a dolly holding 3 boxes got on the elevator and someone at the rear asked what was in the boxes. He told us two kidneys and a liver. Three people were going to get a new lease on life today.

Window Lit Flowers

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Second TACE went much better, no nausea or pain this time. At my doc's suggestion I brought my own jammies and was able to dodge a second episode of the RASH. Shoulder pain and semi-sleepless nights seem the worst of it.

The irony of hospitals is that they are supposed to be quiet. There are signs on all the doors that say "Shhh" but each one has an automatic closer that slams it shut. Go figure!

Shhh

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The recovery room is like a 16 bed dorm with curtains separating patients. There are alarms, announcements, medical staff and cleaning crews working day and night. Nurses dutifully wake you up every three hours to check on one thing or another. There are dramas and laughter, conversations in animated tones and different languages. It's like you've been dropped into parallel universe for 24 hours: educational, thought provoking and at times entertaining. Sleep is not really an option, but reading and cat napping will get you through the proverbial night.

Quimby Cat Napping

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The drive home Tuesday was delightful, the world washed from two days of rain. We got back to the cross street just below our driveway and found a fire truck parked across the road. We were told we couldn't go through because there was a tree down on Lynch Road. We told him we could see our driveway and there was no tree down between here and there. No matter, he had his orders. This doesn't make my day. We head for the grocery store to pick up some supplies and head back. There is another truck blocking the road this time. I told Rod to pull the "my wife just got out of the hospital card" and sure enough the young man let us through. Home at last.

I'll need to return to UCSF for a third TACE on July 23rd. Certainly hope that's the last one. Seems like life has been on hold since January.

On Being an Advocate ~ June 21, 2013

One thing this little excursion into the health care system has taught me is that it's critical to be your own advocate. Kaiser and UCSF are world class institutions but that doesn't mean that things can't get lost in translation, transition, or Timbuktu. I have an awesome medical team, but regardless of the expertise represented, you need to find your voice and speak up. Telling me no or I don't know is not an option.

We Can Do It

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It's akin to herding cats or cattle, to make sure everyone is on the same page, headed in the same direction. As Will Rogers once said "If you're ridin' ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it's still there".

Long Shot

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So whether you're looking after yourself, a friend, or family take the bull by the horns, do some research and educate yourself. If you're not satisfied with an answer take it up the chain of command. 

What I find most amusing is that the watchwords and catch phrases of my youth have come full circle and make as much sense now as they did then: assume nothing, ask questions, take notes, question authority, be a squeaky wheel and persevere. Who knew?

The Art of Giving and Other Thoughts ~ June 17, 2013

In Fall of 2009 I did a three part series called the Art of Giving. In the last few days readers have checked out one of the posts. I realized, after a quick glance, that the links no longer exist so I took a few minutes to update the trio. This of course got me to thinking and I've decided to expand on the series, to give my readers some ideas and food for thought for the coming seasons.

 

Inspire Me

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A lot has changed for me in the last four years and that in turn has changed my perspective, the lens through which I see the world. All of it has been documented in my blog but the gist of it is: don't waste time on the unimportant shit, appreciate the little things, choose your attitude, and cherish your friends.

 

Friendship is Wealth

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Now go play outside. Unplug from all things electronic and share yourself with the world, one on one. We're off for a picnic and a walk in the park.





Album of the Heart ~ Dec 26, 1873

 

An Epic

Pleasant Recollections

 

Oh! Flora,

Do you remember the evening,

When we departed for Mirasole's Academy?

Be when it may, it has found a place

Where precious things can ne'r erase

Mine that deep fathomless spot I claim

Flora in that ever thine abode you may maintain.

 

Tell the world that night can ne'r be recalled!

Me in heart does awaken such a truth

Shall we enjoy many eve in happy calm.

I can not doubt that the stars proclaim all in sooth.

Wait and we will more good things disclose

For all you will believe, being of such reality,

Thee no other shall find there, much enclosed;

Do say yes! when you hear of so a faithful immortality!

 

I believe you can not doubt in your heart;

Will all be mine if you so pleasant words still define;

Be what they will they came to pass and not to part

Thine such real thoughts truly have great incline.

 

And when we at tea did depart home ward bound,

That moment filled us with many sweet recollections of the past;

Forever shall in our future life such pleasant thoughts still resound

Too great is our life after experience of such a cast!

 

Good Flora:
Yours forever:

Charles W. Lieb
Friday Evening, December 26, 1873

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

According to the Online Archives of California (OAC) Mirasole's Academy was in San Francisco, circa 1870's. My friend Margo Metegrano found a reference under California Business Ephemera that it may have been a dance school.

The lithograph is from the Album of the Heart. The accompanying quote "Catch the white-handed nymph in shady places. To woo sweet kisses from averted faces" is from the poem "Sleep and Poetry" by John Keats, where he talks of the gods Flora and Pan. What I find truly interesting is that Flora was but 14 years old in 1873.


Rolling Thunder Review ~ June 10, 2013

The weatherman said something about chance of thunderstorms and maybe a little rain. It was cloudy and windy when we took off for a walk late Sunday afternoon. We laughed about timing and figured if anything happened it would be just after we got home. Well, not exactly.

About 1:20am this morning a blinding flash and loudest thunder I ever heard sat me straight up in bed. These light shows are pretty rare around here and aren't to be missed, so we put on robes and toddled out onto the covered porch. Another great reason to have a pair of oak rockers!

How far away was the lightning?  I remember counting as a kid, but wasn't sure how it translated. Guess we're never to old to learn something new. Here's the story from the National Severe Storms Laboratory.

"Lightning heats the air around it to as much as 60,000 degrees, producing sound waves by the quick expansion of the heated air. Since light travels at 186,000 miles per second, you see the lightning the instant it flashes. But sound, including thunder, travels about a mile in five seconds near the ground. If 15 seconds elapse between seeing a lightning bolt and hearing its thunder, the lightning was about three miles away".

Flashes were going off all around us. We saw no ground strikes, but close to 500 were reported. Of the 22 small fires discovered by morning, about half were in Sonoma County. Most of the activity to the north of us, around Healdsburg and Geyserville, was followed by basso profundo, the woofer is all the way up to stun, rumbles. Think about three F-15 jets taking off in the driveway next door.

The flashes overhead were followed by snappy, crisp rolls ~ a celestial bowling alley with all lanes in action. The front yard turned to daylight every 10-15 seconds. We came back inside about 2:30am when it started to quiet down, but we continued to hear rumblings until about 7am.

Check out the photos and blog by local Kent Porter from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. http://weather.blogs.pressdemocrat.com/14120/nocturnal-lightning/

 

Kent Porter

We had watched a Weather Channel special on lightning earlier in the evening so this was Science In Action for us kids. Totally amazing!

Off the Proverbial Grid ~ June 07, 2013

The actual chemoembolization or TACE procedure was the easy part. The aftermath can kind of take the wind out of your sails for a few weeks.

Pain is the most common side effect of the procedure because the blood supply to the tumor is cut off. Also, to control the potential for bleeding, I had to lay flat on my back for at least 4 hours. Due to the fact it hurt too much to move, I was basically in that position for 24 hours. Old spines speak, then scream volumes, when parked in stationary situations for inordinate amounts of time. Spines are made for movement.

Lake Dancer

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Nausea and a slight fever are to be expected. Only with you for a few days, but totally annoying. Fortunately all are readily controlled with antibiotics, anti-nausea and pain medication. And yes, Mabel, they too come with their own side effects. Oh Boy!

Why are there never any good side effects?

Just once I'd like to see a drug commercial that says

May cause extreme awesomeness.

Anonymous

The potential side effects of the procedure, listed on the UCSF and other websites, are totally generic with no hint of the possibilities. I guess they don't want to scare you. However, anyone going through chemotherapy or TACE treatments is already facing a life threatening situation. We are already warriors in our own right so I don't think a few more details are going to scare any of us. 

 

 Valkyrie

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What else can we expect besides the usual suspects? What about the vice clamped on my right shoulder the first week and the hive like rash on my back? Are there naturopathic or other remedies for some of these? It's the little things that can make a difference.

Sleep is one of the keys to healing. I've mastered the art of the cat nap and drop in my tracks whenever I feel the need.



While She Slept

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One of the most important aspects of healing is the power of positive thought. Rod is my rock and I cannot say enough about our posse of friends and neighbors. They have sent energy, humor, flowers, food and thoughts. We've partnered up with one of our neighbors to share the work and the bounty of our large vegetable garden, a win-win for both families.  

I'm back to sleeping through the night and getting stronger everyday. It's taken a couple of weeks to approach normal. I've learned to be patient with myself. The rash on my back is healing, but still looks a little like I got hit with buckshot. My doc thinks it may have been a reaction to the detergent used to wash hospital linens. On her advice I'm bringing a T-shirt and my own sheet for the next session on June 24th. We went to the movies yesterday and for a mile walk today. After two weeks of inactivity, I had to start from scratch, that's been the really hard part.

Amusing aside ~ I seem to have the attention span of a six year old. I'm hoping it's temporary.

Bright note ~ I'm at my high school cheerleading weight of 125 ~ Do you serve belts with those pants?

Once again thanks to Etsy Artisans who create the pictures that speak my words.  

The Little Things ~ May 28, 2013

I'll get to the nitty-gritty, rode hard and put away wet, rest of the story about my TACE Procedure at UCSF in my next post, but today is for celebrating simple pleasures.

Wednesday ~ May 22nd

A splendid day in SF, our airbnb flat (https://www.airbnb.com/) was off the scale. We're going to return there when I have a repeat performance at UCSF in late June. We logged 3 miles around the Cole Valley and Golden Gate Park, discovered a great Thai restaurant called Ploy II on Haight and the Ice Cream Bar across the street from our aerie. We had mint chocolate chip, but did you know there was such a flavor as roasted strawberry and goat cheese? We didn't try it, but the girls sitting next to us said it was amazing.

We spent hours in the late afternoon sun
reading on the chaise under the window

Friday and Saturday ~ May 24th and May 25th

Friday morning we busted out of UCSF and headed to familiar ground. Glad to be home but felt like refried poop. Couldn't get comfortable without anti nausea meds and Oxycodone. They say "better living through chemistry" but this took it to a whole new level. What brought me back to the living was Angel Pagan's walk off, inside the park home run, to win the Colorado game in the 10th.

Open link to watch this little miracle: http://soa.li/MERiuGU

Monday ~ May27th

New critters in the hood. Rod was sitting outside reading when a small herd of young weasels started playing tag around the greenhouse and our sheds. Neighbor Susie caught a couple of them on film.

Tuesday ~ May 28th

We had rain most of the night, a delightful surprise that settled the dust and gave all the plants a bath. Today was my first venture outside since getting home. It was warm so we had coffee and strawberry apple smoothies on the deck. I put on my sandals and toddled about the yard taking pictures. I must be on the mend.

 Potato Tree

 

 When you look out across our pasture

 freshly mown

 you understand why we call it home 

Raindrop Diamonds on Blue Spruce

Now I must pay tribute to the most caring man in the world. He's been at my side through all of this: he makes me laugh, rubs my shoulders, gives me pedicures, makes sure I take my medications, cooks amazing food, and has developed an infinite patience with his slightly cranky bride.

I am blessed beyond words. This afternoon he made a vat of beef stew and sourdough/parmesan biscuits. Be still my heart!

Thursday Treasures ~ May 16, 2013

 

We had to be in Petaluma early this morning for an appointment. After breakfast we decided on a walk at Shollenberger Park. There's a gentle 2.2 mile loop around the marshlands and along the Petaluma River. It is a great place for a leisurely walk and bird watching.



Cinnamon Teals and Tealettes

 

Our list today included: Canadian Geese (they should be renamed Sonoma County Geese as they no longer commute), swans, egrets, redwing blackbirds, stilts, avocets, mallards, cinnamon teals, northern shovelers, white pelicans, bank swallows and greenback swallows.

Album of the Heart ~ Undated Entry

To Miss Flora

Is there one pleasant word or passing thought,

The joy of which you fain would cherish

Then why not here without alloy,

Preserve them where they will not parish

Within the Album.

 



Fond recollections of the past,

Our present troubles oft dispel.

Where e'er in life, our lot be cast,

Kind memory throws her magic spell,

Around the Album.

Would you then from memory's store,

Retain one golden drop of pleasure.

The names, the works, of Friends of Yours

Preserve and ever fondly treasure,

Within the Album.

Gideon

 

The lithograph "Dreaming" is from a painting by Brussels native Joseph Coomans (1816-1889). It's from an book I was given entitled "Famous Pictures" published in 1902. 

 

"The dream of Joseph Coomans' Pompeian maiden is evidently one of those which come by day to young ladies not insensible to the sentiment of love."

 

I just opened the book to a random page and there she was, the perfect vision for the poem to my great grandmother from the mysterious Gideon. 

Album of the Heart Series ~ Dated 1872

This lithograph is the first page of Great Grandmother Flora's commonplace book. The poem below was simply signed by "W". My guess is that it was written by someone in her family. Flora was only 13 at the time and these are definitely words of advice.

The Miniature

 

Two pages back, Dear Flora, 

A miniature. Behold!

 

The morn of life, the Aurora

Where two hearts are now unrolled.

The man has seized with pleasure,

The lockets from the maid,

While the casket, where the treasure

In safety once was laid

Is still in her own keeping

As hopeful now she waits,

While in each bosom sleeping

The thoughts that seal both fates.

 

So Flora is your young life,

Your heart a treasure shrined,

Will guard you mid the dangers rife

In you the true path find.

 

Go seek this path, this treasure,

To learn where you may rove,

Make life a Holy pleasure

And win a mother's love,

No richer Boon to child e'er given

than Mother's love

A Gift from Heaven
 

The world without will spread it's snare

Wherever you may roam.

Trust not the world, tis false. Beware!

Your Safety ~ Mother ~ Home

 

Then if in future years you bear

The name of Wife and Mother,

Your mother's Counsels you will wear,

No need to seek another.
 

For round you like a radiant Crown

It's shield and guard will be

A source of Joy that you will own

Through life and in Eternity

The Game is Afoot ~ May 10, 2013

I was notified on April 22nd that I'd been accepted into the UCSF Liver Transplant Program. I'm at the end of a long line of folks waiting for a new liver, but I am in line.

Since my diagnosis in January I'd been having a problem with insomnia, something I'd never experienced before. The mind just keeps grinding away on nothing in particular so falling asleep and staying asleep became a nightly challenge. 

Since receiving word of my listing I've been sleeping like a baby. Sometimes stress is not always obvious until it manifests itself physically. Knowing what's ahead has made a huge difference. I didn't realize how big the elephant in the room was until he left the building. It's amazing what some good news and a little rest will do for your energy level, outlook, and sense of humor.

The Sunlit Tree

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It could be 15 months to 2 years before I reach the top of the transplant list so interventional therapy is my first stop. On May 23rd I'm having a transarterial chemoembolization or TACE done at UCSF. My first overnight ever in a hospital. Oh Boy!

What it's all about:

Tumors thrive on highly oxygenated blood from the hepatic artery and blocking that supply may slow it's growth or kill it. For me this treatment is a bridging therapy to keep my tumor within eligible size parameters. It's a minimally invasive procedure performed by an interventional radiologist.

• First, a chemotherapeutic agent is injected, via a delivery catheter, into the hepatic artery that provides the blood supply for the tumor.  Localized delivery of the agent, rather than systemic, drastically reduces the toxicity and side effects associated with chemotherapy. Amen to that!

• Second, embolize or block the hepatic artery by infusing it with blocking agents, delivered through the same catheter. The dual effect is to poison the tumor and to cut off the oxygen-rich blood supply essential to its growth. The embolization of the tumor also increases the effectiveness of the chemotherapy, creating a synergistic effect between the two.

I've always been one to get up in the morning and choose a positive attitude. Nothing's going to change that. As far as I'm concerned this cancer is only a speed bump and I still rule the road!

Fairy ~ Magic and Mischief

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We look at this time as a gift for exploring the world around us. We're ready for whatever is ahead. Right now we're planning on spending a great deal of time on blue highways in the months to come. Ruby and the Lily Pad are pointed north for the first adventure in late May.


Field Trips

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Once again I must thank the brilliant minds of Etsy artisans who have always had the right stuff, no matter what the theme, when it comes to illustrating my blog.



Album of the Heart ~ March of 1874

 

Here is one leaf reserved for me

Among all the sweet memorials free;

And here my simple song might tell

The feelings thou must guess so well.

 

But could I thus, within thy mind,

One little vacant corner find,

Where no impression yet is seen,

Where no memorial yet has been,

Oh! It should be my sweetest care

To write my name forever there!

The entry is signed with a simple elegant "E"
 

~~~~~

 

The poem is from Irish poet Thomas Moore (28 May 1779 – 25 February 1852).  He was a man of many talents: a singer, songwriter, novelist and entertainer.  He led an interesting and well traveled life, though not without controversy.

Research reveals that this poem was written in the blank leaf of a "lady's commonplace book". The tradition of keeping a commonplace book is one that goes back for a number of centuries. Essentially it is a book that is used to organize and keep memorabilia that is devoted to a particular subject, a commonplace book often served as a means of family members passing on valuable information from one generation to another. Great grandmother Flora's Album of the Heart is by this definition a commonplace book, a term new to me. 

A Day at the Beach ~ May 1, 2013

We realized Tuesday evening that Wednesday was a free day: no doctor appointments, no promises to keep. It's going to be hot in Sonoma County so  we're thinking a day trip to Santa Cruz fits the bill. It will be cool on the coast and Rod wants more road hours learning the secrets of Ruby the Explorer so there you go!

A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it in ~ Robert Orben

We left home about 9:30am. As soon as we're off the Golden Gate Bridge we turn right and head south through the Presidio. We got into Santa Cruz about noon and decided to check out the Boardwalk. I'd never been there and it'd been decades since Rod's last trip. We parked nearby, had a great lunch El Hermoso Mar and then toddled across the street for a walkabout.

Boardwalk Architecture

 

We didn't know it until we got there, but May 1st is opening day for the summer season. Fortunately for us the park was only partially open due to ongoing repairs and construction. It was great to be able to look around without crowds.  

 

The Coaster to Nowhere ~ still working on this puppy

 

We next walked out to the end of the pier. Families with strollers, itinerant musicians and rafts of seals floating in the sun brought smiles and conversations with strangers.

 

 

There are a number of restaurants and retail shops on the pier, but this one caught our attention. All the five basic food groups, eh? We bought a half pound of dark chocolates: including molasses squares, mixed nuts, and salted caramels.



Oh Baby!

 

 The view at the end of the pier

We started back north about 3:30, but not wanting to get into San Francisco for the commute hour, we decide on a stop at Ana Nuevo State Park. We did a little exploring, but want to take some of the longer trails next time we're in the neighborhood. It's gorgeous and uncrowded midweek.

View from the Pond looking West

 

The Pond

The reserve is home to herons, mallards, kingbirds, pelicans, egrets, black phoebes and yellowthroats to name a few. Ana Nuevo's plants and wildlife depend on this valuable freshwater environment to thrive. In conjunction with adjacent and nearby public lands, the unit permits the protection of important regional ecological corridors.

Cultural resources include the remnants of a prehistoric Native American village site and a number of structures from the 19th century Cascade Ranch which included a creamery. The cow barn was built from remnants of an old pier salvaged after a storm, the timbers are pretty impressive.

The Creamery

Back on the road, the next up was Bob's Produce just south of Pacifica. We'd seen it on the way south. We brought home artichokes, tomatoes, pasilla peppers, melon, squash and a flat of the biggest strawberries I'd ever seen (the kind you see dipped in dark chocolate).

The drive home from San Francisco was smooth and sane. Got back in time to tune in the Giants game and watch them once again pull the fat out of the fire. A great day and an excellent adventure.

Album of the Heart ~ Mar 27, 1880

Hold the presses ~ my friend Margo Metegrano found the rest of the poem and the author. Margo is the driving force behind www.cowboypoetry.com and one of her aims in life is to unite poems with their rightful authors. The poet is Josephine (J.P.) Pollard 1834-1892. She wrote children's books, poetry, hymns and edited magazines. What was written in Flora's journal was but the first half of the poem.

~~~~~~

Another entry from my great grandmother's "Album of the Heart". Sadie Hill was, I believe, a childhood friend. I have tried to research the poem, thinking it may have been transcribed from another source, but to date I have found no reference to it.

"Dear"
 

Romantic Vintage 1880's Postcard

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One little word we oft bestow

The root from which all friendships grow

Which joy and sweetness may impart

If given truly from the heart

 

But if with careless ease it slips

Too frequently o'er honeyed lips

It falls unnoticed to the earth

To any heart of little worth

 

But coming from a heart sincere

And spoken tenderly, how dear

The little word of letters four

Thus consecrated evermore

 

Sadie Hill

 



Album of the Heart ~ May 12, 1881

I recently found an ornate little journal that belonged to my maternal great grandmother, Flora Kidde White Hobson Beals. The entries, from 1871-1882, are from friends, family and teachers .

 

 

She was born June 1st, 1859 on Russian Hill in San Francisco, the eldest daughter of Colonel James Monroe White, who came to San Francisco via Cape Horn in 1849 and Sarah Francis Mansfield who joined him in Panama in 1852. They were both originally from Boston.

 



 

I believe this entry from May 12, 1881 is from her mother Sarah (signed Mrs. S.F. White). Flora would have been 22 at the time so my guess is this was a bit of motherly advice.

 

Keep your distance with a stranger

Is a maxim you should know

Keep your eyes upon your neighbor

Be he friend, or be he foe

Keep your money, keep your secrets

Everything you've got that's nice

And you'll have both peace and comfort

If you take this good advice

 

In January, 1894 she and her second husband, Charles W. Beals, purchased what would become the family compound at 237 Summit Avenue in Mill Valley. The price for the 5/8 acre parcel, purchased from the Tamalpais Land and Water Company, was $1,600. I grew up on the property, a magical place to be sure. 

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. 





Shakedown Cruise ~ April 16, 2013

When was the last time you removed everything from your vehicle to see what was there? Our cars have always had a small road box with tools, an emergency kit, and changes of clothes for the primary driver. Sounds simple, but add to that the vast array of stuff accumulated over the years, deemed necessary at one time or another, and you have controlled chaos.

We had to unpack the Jeep (which is for sale) and outfit the Explorer so it seemed reasonable to unload the Honda too. Yesterday morning our entire living room floor was covered with the STUFF out of the two cars. One look and we took it as a sign we needed to THIN IT OUT.

About noon we took a break and did a lap around the vineyard next door, a nice 1.5 mile walk, then came back to fix lunch. We looked at the wasteland we ironically call the "living room" and decided it was time to run away for the afternoon. The perfect time for a shakedown cruise in the Explorer.

North of Bodega Bay, South of Jenner

We headed out to Bodega Bay and up the coast to Gualala for coffee and treats Trink's Café. A springtime weekday is the perfect time to explore the coast on Hwy 1. There were very few cars on the road and wildflowers are everywhere: poppies, lupine, paintbrush, and ceanothus to name a few.

On the return trip we decided to take a road even less traveled: a gravel road that takes off from Hwy. 1 and winds up through forests and the Kruse Rhododendron Gardens. Though it's the right time of year there were few in bloom ~ perhaps it's been too dry a winter.  

Kruse Road

Next spot we come to was at one time the town of Plantation. In the 19th century, the Plantation House, a thirteen room hotel, was built and operated on the current Plantation premises. At the turn of the 20th century, the town  boasted a post office, meeting hall, and a stop on the Wells Fargo Express route. Sadly, the hotel burned down in the 1920’s. In 1952 Abe and Eve Crittenden envisioned another way to share this magical place and transformed it into a farm summer camp for children. The link is www.plantationfarm.com.  

It's the first time we'd been on the Plantation Road in over 30 years. We met at the Ft. Ross Volunteer Fire Department Picnic in Cazadero in May 1981.

A couple of summers later we took off from Rod's place on the Navarro Ranch and headed out for an adventure. Reversing the course we were on today we got to Seaview Road and asked the age old question "shall we turn right or left?". We chose right and ended up in Mendocino for a couple of days. As you can see our travelling style dates back to when we first met. 

One of the reasons I wanted to retrace our steps coming back from Gualala to Cazadero was a sign we saw along the Kruse Road on that trip. At the time the phone lines were buried along the banked roadside.  At various places along the way there were angled wooden bulwarks to hold soil back and protect equipment. Neatly carved into one of them, in official looking lettering, were the words "ET Phone Home". We had just seen the movie laughed ourselves silly. It was no longer there, but what I would have given for a camera at the time! No iPhones in 19 ought 83.