Hello Everyone–Cactus Kate here writing from the Laguna Nigel Branch of the Orange County library system. It is a place of perfect landscaping–including coifed, buffed and dressed residents plus their dogs–homogenous high end housing and strip malls, endless beaches and warm weather. It is in this rarified dimension I write to recall the past week.
Julian CA
Our Mancos CO friend Gordy surprised us Nov. 19 with a visit to Southern California. He drove out to pick up a vintage cedar-lined canoe. Gordy’s business Timberline Canoes restores vintage water craft. Gordy joined us for a spaghetti dinner in Cafe Marion the following night. He reveled in pie ala modè at Mom’s Pie House in Julian, which is Bill’s favorite as well.
Hemet CA
By Nov.21 we were on the road, heading to my niece Nellie’s rural ranch home in Sage, CA. We love the down-homey-ness of their place, which hosts chickens, a one-winged rooster named Chops, two cats a dog, husband Kevin and daughter Lauren. We love this branch of our family–my late brother Bob’s oldest daughter–and enjoy a flow of good vibrations with them.
We visited our long-time friend Renee–who I met at the same party hosted by Patty Maloney–where I first met Bill on Nov. 10, 1973. Renee now lives in Yucca Valley, and said she’s finally found home after moving 46 times. She has good neighbors and friends. Her youngest sister Shevaun moved nearby a month ago from the Bay area with her dog Lily. We had an enjoyable visit.
Afterwards we met Nellie and Lauren at Los Rios Rancho Apple Farm in Mountain Glen. Like Julian, Mountain Glen is apple country, and the joint was jumping. Delicious tri-tip here, followed by a walk to the adjacent Oak Glen Preserve operated by the Wildlands Conservancy.The conservancy, whose dedication to preserving and promoting natural beauty, includes the entire 114-year-old Los Rios Rancho Apple Farm. We admired the venerable Giant Sequoias planted more than a century ago.
We watched a couple of James Cameron films while staying with Kevin, Nellie and Lauren: The Abyss–which premiered in 1989; and 1997’s Titanic. We had not seen either film, and I was impressed with Cameron’s attention to mechanical and historic detail, his belief that there are benevolent forces beyond our human perception, his eye for authentic portrayal of emotions, and his ability to create suspenseful scenes of water danger.
Carlsbad CA
We left our Hemet family early on Bill’s 70th birthday, Nov. 24. After swimming at a Temecula aquatic center, we met our son Raymo at the Mission San Luis Rey campus in Oceanside. Bill and I are attracted to the beliefs of St. Francis, and this mission still run by Franciscan brothers since 1778 gave us food for the soul. The church, cemetery, gift store and coffee shop surrounded us with the spirit of brotherly love.
That evening Raymo joined us to watch dolphins and surfers in the sunset waves at Carlsbad State Beach.
The following day was spent mostly taking care of business and avoiding traffic and crowds. I felt ‘off-line’ from my usual connection to my higher self, and found I was grumbling about petty things–a way of being I loathe being caught in. It took a return to camp, gazing out at the sunset and dolphins, along with reading I’ll Give You the Sun, by Jandy Nelson to restore my juju.
Laguna Niguel CA
On Nov. 26, my late brother Bob and late Aunt Bertie’s birthdays, Bill and I drove to Laguna Niguel where we swam in the excellent saltwater pool at Crown Point Aquatic Center in Laguna Niguel. Our Whidbey friends Lindsey Mattingly and Pat Troy–who also live on Catalina Island–joined us to celebrate Bill’s and Lindsey’s Sagittarian birthdays. We enjoyed a walk in the city’s botanical gardens representing far away places and nearby.
So, today begins the Thanksgiving holidays, which we’ll spend with our son Raymo, his partner Gino, and their doggy and our canine grandson Rogelio. Signing off from Cactus Kate and Bajada Bill. May your holiday be one of simple pleasures and thankfulness at being alive.
4 Comments
Glad you got to celebrate Bill’s 70th with Raymo!
Happy TG to you both!
Grateful you’re our travel buddies!
In spite of what you said in one of your blogs, I am a frequent reader. I just don’t always comment. 😎 You and Bill are the two luckiest people on earth but I think you must know that. A happy belated birthday to Bill. Ciao!
Good morning Diana. Thank you so much for your kind words. We feel that we get to live the life. We always dreamed of even though it’s very simple. We are so glad that you are a part of our story.