Friends & Food

We love our motorhome and entertaining but sometimes we enjoy access to a very nice, large kitchen where we can bring and prepare food for our friends in their environment, comfortably shall we say.  We spend a fair amount of our 'family time' here in Petaluma where we are now blessed to have our own friends.  We met Phyllis and Bruce in the Elk's Lodge at a 4th of July shindig coming up on 2 years ago.  We connected and have stayed very much in touch ever since.

We decided to keep it simple and brought over some steaks for the grill, my yummy bleu cheese dressing to go on Phyllis' fresh garden greens, potato salad (from Cooking Light), and fresh, white corn on the cob, also cooked on the grill.  Phyllis graciously offered her finest Viansa 2006 vintage merlot, provided the best of Sonoma/Marin County cheeses, and a delicious chocolate cake for dessert.  Bruce, on the other hand, provided entertainment.

So after a wonderful dinner, Bruce brought out his guitar and shared his latest ditties, soon hopefully to be available on Amazon.com.  Honestly folks, his lyrics are brilliantly catchy and his voice so Willy-like!  One tune was his rendition of the Christmas classic, Grandma Got Run Over By a Raindeer, only in Bruce's inimitable fashion and words!

I got to thinking, so many of our friends have followed their passions to a professional level;  Marty on his 3-D Radio broadcast, Suzanne for her Girl Beat movie production, Beth for her geneaology and family history with gourd art thrown in for good measure, and Bruce for his music and lyrics.  Then there's Betty Prange and her photography classes at Yellowstone NP aboard the Yellow Bus, and Soozii, my Facebook friend from Australia's art.  And the many blogs I follow which can be viewed along the right side of this page provide really good reading and photos.  Talent abounds!

River City...

Or... Sacramento, CA, is the general location of our recent travels.  Most of you know that for a few months during the late spring and early summer, we have family time in and around the Bay Area.  World traveler/grandson, Robb and his girlfriend, Helga are visiting mom Stephanie and Gary in Citrus Heights, having recently arrived from Romania, where Helga lives and goes to school studying for her medical degree.

Helga & grandson Robb

When we weren't visiting, we decided to take this opportunity to actually "see" some of the sights of Sacramento, namely the Historic State Capitol Park.  I can't believe we've lived in CA off and on all these years and never visited our state capitol, though we have in many other states.

Capitol Building

 Capitol Park is considered one of the most beautiful State Capitol grounds in the nation.  Covering 40 acres and spanning 12 city blocks, it contains species of plant life from nearly every part of the globe.

The Southern Magnolia is a "notable" tree

We did a self-guided tour of the interior, including the Senate Chambers and galleries of portraits of the former governors.  Arnold apparently has been too busy to sit for his.  This one of Jerry Brown, after his first governorship, is my favorite.

The first "Jerry Brown"!

Looking down on the Senate Chambers

After our Capitol tour, we headed to Old Sacramento which is situated along the Sacramento River, and a popular tourist destination.

Old Sac

Along the Sacramento River

 We decided to take the 40 minute, 6 mile steam-powered train ride, featured at the Railroad Museum.

The steam engine repositioning

Our ride

We passed the golden towers of the Tower Bridge, a vertical lift bridge across the Sacramento River.

Tower Bridge

We waved at cyclists along the way and admired the river traffic.  A great way to spend a few hours in between family visits!

Next time!

Our Anniversary Getaway

We enjoyed Calistoga and the Napa Valley so much last year that we decided to return to celebrate our 17th.  Only this time we're down-scaling the wining and dining and spa treatments and opting instead for just being lazy.  Plus it's very hot, finally, and the pollen level is high.  My usual facial and massage was replaced by a visit to a local acupuncturist who also performs gua sha and cupping with a great neck and shoulder massage.  There is definitely something wrong with this picture and it just may be age related, but you didn't hear me say that!

Good to be here!

Howard, on the other hand, has had his celebratory moments interspersed with periods of being left to read his new Kindle.  Upon arrival and setting up here at the Calistoga RV park, part of the Napa County Fairgrounds complex and a half price Passport America Park, and whilst pulling down all the awnings for much needed shade, there was a loud crash as the awning over the slide-out blew its springs and came crashing down.

Plastic ties to the rescue????

This, my friends, presents a rather serious predicament; i.e., keeping this monstrosity securely furled while subject to wind shear and movement along the highways soon to come.  Plus, to ad insult to injury, the old guy is 11 years old and has suffered rather severe canvas deterioration!  So dear Howard is up at 5:30 a.m., before the temps become unbearable, climbing the ladder, up and down, to the roof of the MH, cutting off the old canvas, and securing the "structure" with the aid of a kazillion plastic ties.  Do those things really work?  I guess we'll find out!  I'm also rather sure we'll be spending some time at Country Coach when we get to Eugene in a couple of weeks!!  Read that $$$$$$.

Culinary Institute in St. Helena

But there is fun on the horizon, or maybe I should say at sunset, as we have reservations tonight at the Greystone Restaurant, located at the Culinary Institute in St. Helena.  We plan to arrive around 5 p.m. for patio seating and good sun exposure on the eastern vineyards and mountains, so there might be a photo op or 5. Thursday night is music in the park.  We'll pick up deli sandwiches and drinks and tote a couple of folding chairs for what surely will be a great, laid-back fun evening and good music.

Our view & dinner were fantastic!

A very happy anniversary!

Civil War Asides!

The Civil War manifested in Sonoma County as a war between two competing newspaper editors.  The Sonoma Democrat supported the confederacy and the Petaluma Argus supported the Union.  The fierce fighting in print almost led to an actual physical battle after the news of the assassination of President Lincoln in 1865.  Several Petalumans rode to Santa Rosa to wreck the office of the Sonoma Democrat.  Legend has it that when the small invasion force reached the Washoe House Tavern, half-way between the two towns, they stopped for a drink and never did continue their mission!

Civil War in Sonoma County

Santa Rosa was the site of the only casualty when members of the Union Militia got into a skirmish with a volunteer fire company that had confederacy leanings.  Shots were fired and a bullet pierced the window of the Masonic Hall and struck a man causing him to lose sight in one eye.  The gunman was acquitted.

Good friends, Beth and Chris, have just completed an RV rally traveling to many of the Civil War battle sites  around the country, commemorating its 150th anniversary, 2011-2015.  Over our many years of RVing we have visited many locations as well,  like Gettysburg, PA, Fort Sumter near Charleston, SC, and Fort Morgan on Mobile Bay in AL.

My hometown of Durham, NC played quite a pivotal role both before and during the war, being instrumental in shaping national compromise to preserve the Union.  At the time, people here reflected a microcosm of North Carolina’s ambivalence about secession. Free blacks lived much like their white neighbors, some skilled but most just plain dirt farmers, alongside one of the largest plantations in the South.

Our recent visit to the Petaluma Historical Museum was to see the amazing Smithsonian exhibit, Beyond: Visions of Planetary Landscapes.  I'll let the video and slide-show do the talking.  Needless to say it was spectacular.  We then wandered upstairs and learned all the local Petaluma history, thus the Civil War subject!

Agave envy!

There are a number of species of Agave or Century plants, i.e. Aloe and Maguey (think tequila).  The name "century plant" refers to the long time the plant takes to flower. The number of years before flowering occurs depends on the vigor of the individual plant, the richness of the soil and the climate; during these years the plant is storing in its fleshy leaves the nourishment required for the effort of flowering.

....and it's still growing!

This explains why friends Don and Joan were so surprised when, after years of dormancy, this spiny succulent started growing a stalk at the rate of inches per day.  We recently visited them in Ione in the Sierra Nevada foothills or Gold Country as it is known.  They have 5 beautiful acres providing us with parking and glorious views, visits by their flock of wild turkeys and the 30 year old horse who resides in the pasture behind us.

Can't beat this!

 We also have an ulterior motive; putting the finishing touches on our flatscreen TV installation which was started in January!  Don is a former cabinet-maker by profession and has all the tools we need.

We're calling it "done"!

We managed some sight-seeing of the local Amador and Calaveras County towns of Jackson, Sutter Creek and Mokelumne Hill in between the downpours and hailstorms. We also shared some really good meals.

National Hotel in Jackson under renovation

Mokelumne River running wild and rapid!

Local mine tower...this is Gold Country

 My only complaint, and it's a big one, is that this entire area is a Verizon "dead zone"; no phone or internet.  I finally pulled out the wifi antenna we used in Mexico and...voila...a lone, unsecured signal appeared and I grabbed it out of cyberspace, thus allowing me to keep up with my Scrabble games and Facebook friends!

Happy Birthday, Daniel!

Terri with baby Daniel!

Sixteen years ago, June 1st, grandson Daniel was born in Sun Valley, ID.  We were parked at the hospital in Sun Valley in our old Dolphin RV awaiting his arrival.  We had just started our full-time nomad lifestyle, leaving Half Moon Bay on March 1, 1995, after a major storm had passed through with hurricane-force winds.  I remember, we were parked at the Half Moon Bay State Beach, where we just parked to meet the newest grandson, Damien...Daniel's younger brother.  My, how life goes full circle and we're available to be wherever it takes us!

Daniel, Terri & Liliana on Mother's Day

Meet Daniel today; a really smart kid, great grades, good athlete, poor communicator, typical teenager!

A Memorial Weekend!

The mobile home rolled into Sacramento, well Carmichael actually, to spend an adult weekend with daughter Stephanie and hubby Gary.  There were 3 large furry granddogs in attendance but no babies, toddlers, preschoolers or teenagers.  The Elk's Lodge was practically empty on this usually busy holiday.  Hmmm...gas prices/economy keeping folks at home possibly?

Stevi and Gary's Dutch Star MH

Friends admiring their handiwork!

Gary and Stevi have been remodeling their Dutch Star motorhome; completely gutting the inside and replacing carpets, cabinets, fixtures, flooring, window treatments...the works!  They plan to meet us in Port Townsend, WA in August so have a deadline to meet.  We admired the work they had done so far and took off to help pick out carpeting and wood flooring.  Lastly, they will replace the couch and chairs.  I was especially impressed with how the painting over the wall coverings turned out.  What a good idea!

Riley demonstrates boot camp commands!

Trevor enjoys his outing!

We were wined and dined extremely well, lifting nary a finger, or fixing even a side dish.  Then there were the cutthroat games of Mexican Train, especially the night we were joined by friends, Laura and Jim, who are truly "entertaining" and fun to be around.  I laughed so hard I cried!  There were trips to the park so Riley could show off his new command skills learned at puppy boot camp.  He did well and Trevor enjoyed the outing.  We enjoyed a great Memorial Day weekend!