2014 Deb's WEST COAST Drive 8 - California Home

Lisa met me at the door with warm hugs. By her side were the newest family members. Olivia or Livvy is a black and white Boston terrier. Elvis is a black and white German shorthaired pointer. Unlike most jumpy pups, both are sweet and gentle.

Lisa and hubby, Tom, are members of our old coast side gang. Lisa and I are well known for our saling (not sailing) excursions. That is garage sale-ing. Most Saturdays we would take to the road north to check the sales out on the east side of Highway One and then back down the west side. We got the best deals in town and often cajoled each other into buying stuff we did not really need.

On the other hand, OUR yearly garage sale was infamous. We had soooo much good stuff (some of it recycled from what we had purchased at other garage sales). It was hard to leave without a full shopping bag. On Sunday, everything was 1/2 off at noon and that almost always cleaned us out.

Mike would keep us well-lubed throughout the day with mimosas and made the lunch time burrito run to Tres Amigos Taqueria. One year Mike had too much home brewed beer on hand, so he offered a free glass of beer with every purchase. That year was particularly profitable. 

I also admire Lisa's party planning skills. Her annual New Year's brunch was not to be missed. It was the premier social event of the coast side with picture perfect table settings and a scrumptious spread of gourmet delights. And she the perfect hostess.

On the other hand, rough and tumble Captain Tom runs a charter sports fishing business out of Princeton Harbor. His 53-foot boat, the Huli Cat (means barb-b-qued cat!!) was in the movie Chasing Maverick's with Gerard Butler and Elisabeth Shue. You absolutely must watch the extraordinary footage from the movie here (YouTube).

Tom and the Huli Cat have experienced many "firsts" in his expeditions, including the first catch of a giant Humboldt squid and the first great white shark viewing on a charter trip to the Farallon Islands.

Tom is also an avid nature and ecology supporter. His charter business includes cruises involving whale watching, bird watching, and oceanic research. There is much to be learned and enjoyed on the Huli website. Once Tom took myself, my cousin, and my Uncle's Bill's ashes out for an ash scattering at sea. I remember we poured a bottle of my Uncle's favorite Spanish wine in at the same time as a final toast to his life.

Tom was out on the boat, so after a quick chit-chat, I suggested Lisa and I run to the Miramar Beach Restaurant (website), for old times sake. This is a popular destination for locals as well as other-side-of-the-hill visitors. It is so popular now that they have valet (free) parking to make sure only patrons park in their tiny lot.

This is a spot Mike, coast side friends, and I frequented often when we lived here. Since we left town it is quite expanded, inside and out. Now you can walk all the way around the bar  (instead of three sides) because the building was blown out on one side. Then a huge outside patio with fire pits was added. 

Lisa and I cozied up to the bar. She had a Cosmo and I hard a Long Island iced tea. We shared artichoke cakes (after all this area of Cal is the Artichoke Capitol of the World) and cheesy bread. The piano man played tunes nearby and the surf roared up on the boulders just outside. You could hear and smell and see the Pacific Ocean. What could be better? Not much, except I was really missing Mike.

Next stop was our friend Carole's. She and her hubby built a spectacular home pretty much from scratch that overlooks the Pacific. It is not your little ticky-tacky place, but one filled with odd angles, much wood, lots of windows, an expansive outdoor deck, and many quirky details. See the ocean out the windows?

Inside overflows with art, and artsy and musical objects. One table was filled with paints, colored pencils and sketches depicting a study in emotions. Another area displayed wooden guitars and bits and pieces of guitars being fabricated. It is like a mini-museum of interesting "stuff." I always enjoy a visit here. Something new to see every time. And good wine, too!

Back to L&T's we sat on the wooden balcony enjoying the view of the ocean and harbor while we waited for Captain Tom to return. Once he was freshened up, we decided on Pasta Moon (website) for dinner. This is another ol' fave.

Thank goodness we had a res, as it was overflowing even on a Sunday evening. We started with cocktails  ... and why not! Then got right into a bottle of wine and good eats. I had eggplant parmigiana, Lisa had peppardella pancetta, and Tom had the fish special. All wonderful. We shared a sesame seed spongecake a la mode dessert as we shared memories from the past and news of the present.

After a leisurely meal, Tom gave a little tour of Princeton Harbor and the new things there. We rode to the end of the pier and saw Pillar Point with its necklace of lights. On the other side of that point is where the super surf of Maverick's Wave (website) runs.

It was foggy and cool. The very opposite of the last couple of days in Ashland and Chico. Not sure which I like better.



Back at T&L's, Tom hit the hay for an early morning appointment. Lisa and I did our usual girl talk'n'talk well into the night with a little port and port filled chocolates. Ummm good. All of it. Her, me, port, dogs at our feet, the sea view, life at its best.

2014 Deb's WEST COAST Drive 7 - The Way Home to HMB

Today's stats:

- Departure time 10am

- Temp in Chico 82 degrees

- Miles driven 216

- Driving time 4.5 hours

- Temp in El Granada CA 70 degrees

- HMB airport altitude 66 feet above sea level (sloping down to sea level)

- HMB attitude...laid back, beachy, refreshing, natural 

Today's haps:

Not many photos today because Mike made me promise not to take any photos while driving. So I hope you can picture things in your mind, if I do a decent job of writing.

Last night we had discussed the horrible drive, especially on a Sunday afternoon, from Chico over the Bay Bridge through San Francisco down Devil's Slide to El Granada (just a few miles north of Half Moon Bay (HMB). Jon turned me on to a route through Hayward, crossing the San Mateo Bridge instead. It was a bit longer, but much less stressful traffic-wise.

Once toast and coffee were downed and good-byes were done, I headed for home (at least the place we called home for 20+ years). The first miles were on a 2-lane blacktop, our fave kind of driving. I passed grape arbors, fruit and nut orchards, animal farms, and green trees growing in golden fields along the way.

Today I finally found a radio station with my kind of music--KUBA out of Yuba City CA--playing classic rock like Four Seasons, Neil Young, Rod Stewart, Rolling Stones, Rev Al Green, Doobie Brothers, Eagles, Doors, Men at Work, Eurythmics, etc. I cranked it up and barreled onto the first of the series of freeways I would drive today. I was feeling like a Honky Tonk Woman.

Actually, I just tuned in on my computer to KUBA and am rockin' it out as I write this. "Layla" was the first tun playing. 

Again, passing exits for old hangouts Mike and I enjoyed--Clear Lake, Granzella's Olive Store (before it was chic) and Cafe, wine country, Nut Tree in Vacaville, Berkeley, the Bay Bridge.

On this journey I would not cross the bay at the Bay Bridge though. Instead I maneuvered my way from freeway to freeway to the more southern San Mateo Bridge. The toll was now $5 for a car. The temp was now 70 degrees. The fog was present but light. The aroma of the salty sea air was making me swoon with pleasure. A few sailboats were coordinating with the heavy breeze. My heart rate lowered. I was HAPPY! Couldn't BE more happy, unless Mike was by my side.

The SM bridge is Highway 92 and that goes from Hayward to Highway One, the California Coast Highway. Once I reached Crystal Springs Reservoir, it was a slow back-up of cruisers craving the nature and nurture of the coast side. This was to be expected on a sunny Sunday afternoon and did not disappoint. It gave me more time to rubberneck our old stomping grounds.

I remembered every nuance of the twisty turny 2-laner over the Santa Cruz Mountains. The seven mile drive does not really go over a mountain, as compared to the Sierras. But it high enough to meet the evergreen tree line and rate "beware of falling rock" signs. It was exciting to anticipate what was new around the next curve, but there were not a lot of changes "over the hill."

Things had changed, however, once I hit the flatland at the bottom of the west side of the hill. It had been 11 years since we'd lived here, so many additions had materialized. I was glad to see the Half Moon Bay Nursery was still there.

This is where I learned to love opera. On my many shopping trips there, they always played opera inside the greenhouses and outside in the gardens. In this calm, plant and flower infused atmosphere it seemed natural to listen to opera. Then I bought some opera "mix" tapes for home and I was hooked. To this day I especially enjoy opera when cooking or eating a good meal. I'm always shocked when an Italian restaurant is playing anything besides opera (or Sinatra) for background music.

There were a number of equestrian schools now. The metal sculpture shop selling life-size or bigger-than-life animals (elephant, horse, tigers, deer, eagles, etc) was still there. In addition there was a similar business selling metal sculpture dinosaurs!! The Pumpkin Patch et al was still there, but expanded. (How could they fit even more stuff into that little plot of land?) Even in August there was a crowd of children playing there. The tree-trunk chainsaw wood sculpture place was still there. The Obester Winery was now the Nebbia Winery.

In HMB town, much looked the same. A few more coffee shops. Twice as Nice (at Half the Price) had expanded to most of its little shopping center, except Sam's breakfast joint. A natural grocery store took over the old (what was it?) store. New neighborhoods appeared along Highway One going north to El Granada. Surfer's Beach was teaming with waders, sun-bathers, and surfers wearing wet suits in the chilled water.

I drove by L&R's. No changes there. Windows covered. Wondered if I should stop, but last time we visited they did not return our calls so I was reluctant to bother them. Hoping L is doing well. Thinking of S&L also, but just can't fit everyone in.

Now back up the hill to near the top of El G and into the welcome arms of my good friend, Lisa.

2014 Deb's WEST COAST Drive 6 - Here Chico Chico

Today's stats:

- Departed Ashland at 9:56am

- Altitude in Ashland 1949

- Highest altitude today and highest elevation on
I-5 Siskiyou Mountain Summit at 4,310

- Highest temp I noticed 101 degrees in
Shasta City (seemed way hotter at the dam) & Chico 95 degrees

- Drove about 208 miles, with 3-1/2 hours actual driving time

Today's haps:

I woke at 7am to a lovely morning. The sun was shining and the 70 degree temp was just right. I checked out of my motel and drove the two miles to downtown Ashland for a walk-about before heading farther south.

I parked near the Ashland Springs Hotel, so took a peek inside. The last time we were here it was closed for a complete reno. They had done a fine job. (I actually tried to book here on this trip, but there was a 2-night minimum.)

I took our usual window shopping route, down and back up the main street. At the end of that "trail" was a lively farmer's market. Veggies, flowers, cheeses, handmade products, all for sale. I picked up some fresh red and black raspberries to take on to Jon and Lora's (hoping they would last and they did).

A harpist and guitarist were strumming at either end of the block to enhance the ambiance. There was also a guy with two goats sitting on the sidewalk. He said I could take their photo if I would just ask him. I moved on instead. Coffee, at this point, was more pressing.

On to our ol' standby, Water Street Cafe. We stopped here 14 years ago when they first opened. Still there. Yay!

They have an outdoor seating arrangement on the corner. Best place to sip and people watch. Kind of hippy-ish. What's so funny is our fave coffee shop in Kalamazoo is also named Water Street Cafe. I picked up a medium soy latte and opted for a stroll in Lithia Park.

Even at this time of the morning it was teaming was kids, bicyclers, runners, readers, people walking their pups, tweeting birds, friends meeting and greeting. The stream flowed nicely down the rapids.

I spotted a sign saying "Black bear sighting" and what to do if you came across one. It brought me back to reality--this is a little burg (population about 20,000) in the middle of a big forest. Darn! Had to move on from one of my fave places in the U.S.

Just 14 miles from Ashland to the California border. Last stop in Ashland was an attempt at side trip to the top of Mount Ashland (didn't make it to the top). First stop in California was the agriculture inspection station. I had forgotten about that when I bought the berries. I toyed with the idea of "forgetting" I bought the berries, but came to my senses and declared them. The agent smiled and advised, "No problem. We're mostly looking for citrus, cherries, and mangos." I breezed through, glad I kept my moral compass.

Two things I did see of note along the way. You know how as a kid (and sometimes even now) you'd roll down that car window and moo to cows standing out in the field. They'd always look back. Well, I saw a metal sculpture of two huge cows mooing toward the interstate. I had to laugh. Then I saw an ad for the "State of Jefferson." This refers to the effort of some folks to break up the great state of California into six states, one of them being the State of Jefferson. I can't imagine! Hope it never happens...maybe 2 states (north and south Cal), but that's it.

Again on I-5, I passed places with old memories--Yreka, Weed, Mt. Lassen, McCLoud, Dunsmuir (recovered site of a huge oil spill in 1991), and Lake Shasta City. I saw the signs for Shasta Dam (website and Wikipedia) and, as I had never done so before, decided to make a pit stop at the visitor center. It was about seven miles off I-5, but I had a little time to spare.

We had house-boated on Lake Shasta twice in the 90s with a varied bunch of good buddies. As a matter of fact, as I drove through Shasta City I spotted the old Sentry grocery store where we bought supplies for these "gourmet" trips. All fancied ourselves to be chefs (except me) and some (like Cheryl) were. I didn't see the Beverages And More, but I'm sure it is there also. I recall we bought $400+ of liquor for 7 people plus an occasional house boat guest and ran out halfway though the week!!

I had only seen lake side of the dam (not the water output side). The lake water level had been low when we were there, but now, per docent information, it is at its lowest level since the 1970s. Only a trickle was flowing from the water side into the headwaters of the Sacramento River. I learned some facts and figures, marveled at the construction feats of the project, took a few photos, and continued south again. See the little cars? That's how low it is from the tree line.

After a lot of meandering on business routes through little towns and to the dam, I finally arrived a Jon & Lora's about 3pm. Lora was a little under the weather and Jon was at work weeding in the newly landscaped front garden.  This was their first major project since the last time Mike and I visited, just after they moved there in 2012. It was VERY nice.

Chit-chat started immediately after hugs and kisses. The list of the usual topics were reviewed and re-addressed. Add SR, JR and Unicum to the topics. Again, it was as though we were still neighbors by the seaside near San Francisco CA.

We drank a little wine and decided to do Thai in downtown Chico. It was a place we had been to before. It did not live up to my memory of how wonderful it was, BUT that is one cuisine you cannot find in Kazoo. So it quenched my taste buds for Pad Thai and we left satisfied.

When we returned home, their neighbors Rob and Hmmm? stopped by for a visit. Sweet and fun couple. Then two other gals stopped by with their two dogs. One was a long-haired Dachshund that had had a stroke. He walked with a little sideways giddy-up and was the sweetest thing on earth. One of the gals treated stroke patients as an occupation, so it was the perfect match-up.

This new home is still the "house of excess," a sign Jon in his single days proudly displayed as you walked through the door of his little El Granada bungalow. (I think it's in the garage now.) The evening provided not quite the hype of the ol' days, but we darn near downed a whole liter-size bottle of sake at night.

Needless to say, I slept heartily and thankfully woke up well and ready to roll on down the road south way.

2014 Deb's WEST COAST Drive 5 - Here Chickie Chickie

I was glad that Brooke took over the driving. We had about a 17-mile drive up a nearby mountain road. Although Brookie did a great job, I was still a bit nervous. The road was narrow, windy and steep with plunging drop-offs on the passenger side. It took about 35 minutes to get to our destination.

It reminded me of our daily mountain route from home in Half Moon Bay to work at the San Francisco Airport. Not bad once you learn the nuances of the road, but a little harrowing when it's your first time.

Our destination was WELL worth the scenic drive. Green Springs Inn (definitely check their website) is a rustic/modern resort lying in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument (website or Wikipedia). The junction of two mountain ranges--the Southern Cascades and the Siskiyous--meet here. It was the first national monument set aside solely for the preservation of biodiversity and includes an unusually high variety of species in the geographically small area. The monument also includes the Pacific Crest Trail.

After the geography "lesson," Brooke led me on a 1-mile trek down a dirt road to see all the sights of the resort. First stop was the hen house. This was actually her senior thesis project. Her art specialty is linocut, where you carve out a pattern in linoleum and then print that pattern onto paper.

She wallpapered the hen house, built the egg laying boxes, carted the huge contraption down the 17-mile road to the university, and earned an "A" on her project. Yahoo! She said the chickens seemed to like it, had not destroyed the wallpaper, and did not produce any less eggs. Sounds like a winner to me!

Along the rest of the trail we saw five gorgeous wood homes built by her special guy, Paddy, his dad and some talented friends. Each was unique and custom-designed with lovely vistas, private settings, and luxurious appointments. They are set up for vacation or long-term rentals, but I wouldn't mind moving in permanently.

We also saw the workshop, the pow-wow circle, a wooden yurt conference center (also built by Paddy), the 2-story lodge and matching restaurant with indoor and outdoor dining. I'm sorry to miss the music festival that is playing here tomorrow.

What a spectacular facility for lovers of nature, hikers, researchers, birders (over 200 species), Indian archaeologists, botanists and other outdoorsy folks. Winter with snow outside and a warm cozy fire inside must also be a slice of heaven. A remarkable place...

Next we drove a few miles further down the road to the smallest school district in Oregon. The district has only this one school with 19 K-8 grade students. Brooke will be teaching Art here part-time in September.

As we pulled in the school driveway we saw at least six deer wandering around the premises, not bothered by us human visitors. There was a thriving garden project and several buildings that make up the school. Brooke listed a number of ideas she has in mind and is pumped to start teaching. What a way to start a career!

In the miles driving back down the road to Ashland, we saw the "extreme forest fire danger," as well as numerous handmade signs offering thanks to the fire fighters who had been battling local fires. It was so sweet.

Brooke also said each night these guys eat dinner at the Green Springs Inn cafe. I even met Gene Davies, the local fire chief in charge of managing fire issues in this important ecological area, as he waited for them to show up.

Back in Ashland we proceeded to the Peerless Restaurant. I was treating Brooke to a "fancy" dinner there for graduation. Mike and I had been to the Peerless B&B several times years ago and loved it. To this day I use an egg casserole recipe they gave me on our first visit. The B&B looked the same, but I was shocked at the changes in the "cafe."

No longer was it a breakfast joint. Now it is a high end restaurant with elegant indoor and outdoor seating. The pre-theatre dinner crowd (Ashland is known for its Shakespeare Festival - website) had gone, so we were seated in a quiet cove overlooking the patio. This was great cuz we could gab and laugh to our heart's content without bugging anyone else.

The menu was gourmet. Brooke had Caprese salad and mussels. I had the best French onion soup ever and Hawaiian sumotome fish with garlic mashed potatoes and shitake-morel mushroom gravy. We shared nibbles and every bite was delectable.

After stuffing ourselves, we drove around this/her neighborhood and then back to my motel (not particularly worth mentioning). We said our good-byes there. Just too little time.

PS - Paddy, sorry I didn't get a chance to give you a little hug. Thanks for holding Brooke so dear to your heart.

2014 Deb's WEST COAST Drive 4 - On to Ashland

Today's stats:

- Miles driven 246 

- High temp noticed 81 degrees

- Highest altitude noticed 2,130, not sure what pass

Today's haps:

Got up at 6am for coffee and scones, a last minute chat with Auntie, and then off to pick up the rent-a-car at 7:30am. It was a lipstick red Ford Focus. Very cute! I felt so cooool driving it that it shaved a few years off my mental life. The only thing better would have been a red convertible. Dang, why didn't I take a selfie?!

As I was checking the weather outlook for today, I set my phone down on Joan's coffee table. Had to stop back and pick it up (hate those second good-byes). It was on my route to the freeway though, so little time lost.

As I drove along I-5 to Ashland, I saw exit signs that brought back memories of previous trips--Crater Lake, Rogue River, Shady Cove. Roads were twisty-turny, hill'n'dale, but I wheeled it like a pro. Got delayed in traffic for about 45 minutes though as a big rig had overturned off the highway and there was a long back-up.

Got to the southern end of Ashland about 12:30pm. Long time airline buddies Don (Mike worked with him in DTW (Detroit) decades ago) and wife Joy, and their sweet black and white springer spaniel, Chadwick, were settled at a patio table.

Lunch was at Caldera Brewing Company (website). The four inside walls were lined with hundreds (maybe thousands) of brands of beer bottles. Mike and I have an East German (before the unification) pilsner bottle we got in Santa Fe years ago. I may send it to them. It would be a nice addition to their collection.



We four exchanged info as though no time had passed since our last get-together. Updates included mutual airline friends, the Budde family, family news, ailments!!, Segway stories, living in Oregon and Kalamazoo, amongst things. We chatted so vigorously that the waitress returned three times before we could concentrate on the menu. I had a veggie with fresh mozz sandwich (my go-to these days). Very tasty! We ordered and the continued our rambling reminiscences.

Our visit was too short, but sweet. Too quickly they headed back to their lovely home along the Rogue River and I headed to the hotel to meet my niece, Brooke.

I had asked for a ground floor room as I did not have Mike to lug my luggage up stairs. To accommodate that request, they gave me a family room--two bedrooms, two baths, connected by an alley kitchen. Way too big for my needs, but oh well. Could not complain.

I freshened up and my dear niece Brooke picked me up a bit later. She's lived in Ashland for a number of years now and recently graduated Southern Oregon U. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Art. Congrats, Gal, Uncle Mike and I are so proud of you!

2014 Deb's WEST COAST Drive 3 - The Rest of the Day in Salem

After experiencing a plethora (I love that word for some crazy reason) of emotions, we were starved. Joan had found a fabulous little restaurant nearby called Word of Mouth Neighborhood Bistro (website). She also heard there was usually a long wait, but worth it. It was a little gray cottage converted to a cozy cafe with about 30 seats and, surprisingly, a full bar. 

Yes, we did have a wait of about 35 minutes, but we sat on comfortably padded benches on the inside porch. There were little sayings displayed around like "Every sixty seconds you spend angry, upset or mad, is a full minute of happiness you'll never get back" and "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?" These got you into conversations which helped pass the time. Before we knew it we were seated in a private little alcove.

And, yes, the wait was worth it. Service was great and everything on the menu sounded good. Joan ordered a chicken breast sandwich with fries. I got the huge ciabatta bread sandwich stacked with fresh mozzarella, veggies and avocado. Instead of fries, I got wild mushroom soup (I think the best I ever ate). I downed every bite. It was so delish and I could not bear to leave a crumb behind even though I was stuffed.

Joan had just moved here in May, so we explored downtown Salem together. It is about a 4x4 block area with old and new buildings mixed together. I particularly liked the US Bank (above), previously the Ladd & Bush Bank Building (1870). We also discovered the old Reed's Opera House and the Pentacle live arts theatre. 

We stopped in a number of little shops--a pastry store called The Little Cannoli (bought dessert for later) and a book and gift store (got a travel pill case). Among others, we browsed Lilli's kitchenware store, a handmade soap shop and

a great second-hand store.

Then Joan offered a driving tour of some other landmarks downtown--the library, the farmer's market, the museum, the building my cousin Kristan works in, and some of the Willamette University campus.

Salem is the capitol of Oregon, so we drove by the lovely capitol building. It is constructed of white/gray marble, looking a bit like a wedding cake, and topped with the gold statue of the Oregon Pioneer. It is a combination of Greek, Egyptian and Art Deco style and was completed in 1938.

We took a break and went back to the apartment. Sammy was ready for some playtime. He does not meow, but kind of squalls. Never heard anything like that before. Sounds like he is hurting or ready to throw a hair ball, but that is just his normal sound. He is an 18-pound short haired tabby, but has almost a flat nose like a Persian. It's a crazy combo of cat attributes, but a lovey kitty.

We had a date with Kristan (K&J's daughter and my cousin) and her hubby, Lee, at 6pm. Their cats were a first meeting warmer upper to the conversation. I met Daisy (white with black mustache), Zoe (black with white mustache) and Sable (an older blind tortie). The two young ones were hilarious, tumbling around in a big black and white ball of fur.

In no time we quickly got into a family gabfest. Lots of stories about Uncle Kit (he didn't come on this visit), K&L's kids and grandkids, family vacations, trips to the beach, rock tumbling, crabbing and fishing, Disneyland, and much much more. It was soooo fun to meet and get to know new family. I felt right at home in their home.

I don't know much about baseball, history or stats, so I hope my memory serves me right. Lee Langley (stats) played semi-pro and pro baseball in his sports heyday. He pitched and was a switch hitter with the minor league team Class A Salem Volcanos (website), which was affiliated with the San Francisco Giants.

He was drafted by the LA Dodgers in 1986. Unfortunately he took a line drive to his right eye which cut short his blossoming professional career.

I knew it was true when I noticed a plug of  tobakky in Lee's cheek, but then ... he broke out his official baseball cards and two championship rings. THAT was a thrill for me to see. I took his photo for posterity.

I missed seeing K&L's kids and grandkids, but they recently became empty nesters. Just the two of them in the household for the first time in MANY years. I had to give them a yahoo on that one.

Back home we enjoyed an antipasti dinner which included basil from Auntie's balcony garden, fresh mozzarella, rich balsamic vinegar, artichoke hearts, purple ciopollini onions, red peppers, a variety of olives, hummus, crackers, bread and the porcini infused salt we had purchased yesterday. We topped it off with wine, and cookies from the Italian bakery downtown. It was heaven!

A little TV in the background. A little more gabbing. Then a little dreaming.

2014 Deb's WEST COAST Drive 2 - Where's Uncle Kit?

Woke up at 6:15am, still merging into the 3-hour time zone difference. Joan had coffee and berry and lemon scones ready for a morning snack. Then we spent the next few hours catching up on family gossip.

She gave me the lowdown on all the family relations and generations of her and Uncle Kit's kin in Oregon. Kit is actually my mother's half brother (both having the same dad, but different moms) and my half uncle (although I never thought of it that way until I wrote this). I met K&J's children at my grandfather's funeral decades ago, but I really did not know or remember them. Now there are the kids, grandkids, and even four great grandkids in the family.

We discussed genealogy lines (for my ancestry.com research). I learned about personalities, interests, connections and family stories. I really got a feel for the folks I would meet later this day and others I would not get the chance to meet. Joan brought all these relatives to life for me. Before today I only knew them through things mentioned in passing in emails or Skype with K&J.

Then I asked of Kit's whereabouts. The last time Mike and I saw him was in Yuma AZ in the fall of 2012. We had taken a long driving trip out west and had some fun-filled days with K&J. It was the only spot we spent more than one night and was the highlight of that trip. It would be the last time to see Uncle. A week or so after we left he went into the hospital and was never able to return home.

I knew he was cremated but not what happened after that. Joan kind of smiled and said he was in the bedroom closet. "Did I want to see him?" I said, "OK," wondering what I was in for next. She brought out a brown cardboard box about 4"x8"x8" with a photo of Uncle on each side--one of him crabbing and one of him in Disneyland on a family trip. These were two of his favorite things to do.

This gave me the weirdest (good weird) sensation. It felt like Uncle Kit had somehow actually entered the room. It felt strange, but it did not take long to feel right at home with "him" being there. I gave up a few tears at first, but then I felt happy. If Auntie had brought in a plain cardboard box simply labeled with his name, I don't think I would have felt as near at ease or ultimately as at peace in this situation.

Joan said she takes Uncle to family gatherings. The grandkids and greats call him Papa and enjoy having his "presence." They tell him things they wish they could say in person and it all feels quite natural.

The next two paragraphs will probably alienate a bunch of people, but it's how I feel. I really am not sold on the heaven or hell theory, or whatever is in between. Personally I like Ra, the sun god, if there has to be a god. The sun is tangible and has proof of its existence. I mean honestly the sun is a true giver of life. Without it there would be no food, no plants for clothing and shelter, no warmth, no animals or living beings. Dust to dust is more like reality for me. And Uncle just got to his pile of dust a little quicker than he should have.

We don't really know what the reality is after we die. I'm not one to tick all the boxes, do all the required minutia or take all the steps needed to possibly get to one or another religious afterlife. I'd rather live the most best and caring life I can and take the consequences at the end. Whichever god is the real one, if there is a real one, will grant a positive eternity to me or I'll just be a pile of dust. Either way works.

To clarify, this is not to reject any religious ideas or feelings or freedoms. People are passionate about their chosen faith and that is admirable. It's just that each religion is different and I just don't know which way to turn. So I am turning to the basics--nature and goodness.

Oh, well, moving on. I asked Joan to take a photo with my arm around my Uncle. It seemed so right and gave me a happy closure to our relationship. This is the way to fondly remember someone.

For the rest of the visit, Uncle sat on a nearby table enjoying our company. A few times we even spoke to him as if he was really there. I think he was.

2014 Deb's WEST COAST Drive 1 - Air to Oregon

With a 5am wake-up at home and a 7:20am departure from AZO (Kalamazoo MI airport code), I was grumpy (worse than my usual mood at this time of day) and a little excited. I have not flown airline standby for about 5 years, so it felt a little unsettling. And I was by myself this time. As it was more of a girl trip, Mike decided to pass.

Upon check-in the agent said, "It does not look good for non-revving. There was heavy flooding in DTW (Detroit) and things are really messed up. The flight is oversold and we are asking for volunteers to take a later flight." I replied, "It never hurts to try!" As it turned out a group of three had volunteered, there was only one seat left and they did not want to split up. So I got on after all. Good karma and yahoo! It was a quick 1'35" flight to MSP (Minneapolis MN).

I had a 1'15" wait there, so I leisurely walked the super long corridors to the next gate. On my way I browsed the shops including a cool bookstore. I bought some bottled water to take on the flight. The brand advertised it as being NYC tap water. NYC claims to have the best water in the world and now they are bottling it for the rest of the country. It was good.

It looked quite crowded at the gate. Groan! I hoped my chances were good. Seeing my name "KIL/D" appear on the "cleared for seat" display almost made me jump for joy. It is not often things go as you plan in the airline retiree travel biz.

I had a middle seat but no probs. I was on my way to PDX. When I got to my row I found it was in "comfort" economy, near the aircraft door and with more leg room than some seats further back. Bonus! A sweet little couple actually had the window and aisle, but moved together and offered me the aisle. Can it get any better?

Once I hit PDX (Portland OR), I made my way down to baggage service to claim my bag. Riding down the escalator I spotted my Auntie Joan waiting for me at the bottom. That was a fun surprise, as we had planned to meet curbside once I called her that I was ready. Big smiles and hugs all around.

"Auntie" (I have to laugh) is only four years older than me, so we are more buddies than aunt and niece. A visit to see her and to meet some cousins on that side of the family were the impetus of my whole trip. My dear Uncle Kit passed away over a year ago. I needed a little closure as this was still a very sad thing for me. I thought talking over "stuff" in person with Joan was the best way to find some peace that he was gone.

How the Auntie came about was actually when I started calling Kit, Uncle Kit. At first it was kind of a joke as we are so close in age and he really did not like it. He agonized and discouraged me from calling him that, but after a while he started loving it and then it seemed natural for me to call Joan, Auntie Joan. None of my other Aunts are Auntie, but it fits Joan.

The drive from PDX to Salem OR, where Joan lives, was 49 miles and about an hour drive. Traffic was heavy most of the way. Part of the drive was along the Willamette (kind of like "lam"inate flooring, accent on the second syllable) River near downtown Portland.

Along the way I saw the Rose Garden Stadium (now the Moda Center) where the Portland Trail Blazers play basketball). We passed the Portland Harbor with lots of sailboats and cruisers anchored dockside. There were some cool old bridges crossing the river from the highway side to the downtown side.

There was an iconic neon "Portland Oregon-Old Town" sign with a white reindeer leaping across the top. Later I learned the sign, originally manufactured in 1941, read "White Stag-Sportswear" advertising an apparel company. The sign has a long history of changes, disputes and ownership. In 2010 the City of Portland took over its management and changed to the current verbiage. Joan said during the winter holidays, they give it a red Rudolph nose. I wish I'd had my camera in hand (it was in the trunk), but you can see it and read about its interesting history at: Portland OR white stag sign


Joan's new apartment is decorated much the same as Kit and Joan's home had been in Yuma AZ when Mike and I visited in 2012. Kit had enjoyed tumbling raw agates and other rocks and stones into shiny red and multi colored "jewels." There were also halved geode "eggs" with their ringed crystal centers. There was a wonderful collection of western Indian art and lots of framed family photos.





I renewed my friendship with her cat, Sammy, a sweet brownish tabby with white socks, nose and chin. He came right up to me when I walked in the door which surprised Joan. She said he had never done that before and usually hid under the bed when a visitor arrived. He had a plethora of toys including a stuffed rat, cardboard scratcher, multi-level cat tree, and his favorite tissue paper. Joan says he loves to roll in it, scratch it and toss it around. The attraction must be the noise it makes when it moves.

Joan had bottles of red (a Lazy Bones Winery cab franc) and chilled white Sav Blanc (which I never got to) for me to sip on as I settled myself after the non-rev experience. I sipped and we caught up with the family chit-chat. Next a little shopping excursion.

I needed a lined pad for my blog notes, so we stopped at the drugstore. Then she showed me a fabulous grocery store called Roth's. We bought some antipasti items for the next night's meal and a wild porcini mushroom infused salt. I usually buy this at Williams-Sonoma, but it was less than half their price. Hope it tastes as good.

From there we proceeded to dinner. On the way we saw what looked like a huge puff of a nuclear mushroom cloud. Joan said that it was actually smoke from the latest forest fire. There had been so many this year. Sad...

I had been hankering for a good Mexican meal, so she took me to the La Hacienda Real. It was decorated in Mexican "to the hilt" and the food was splendido. I stuffed myself like a wittle piggy wiggy with guacamole, veggie burrito, black beans and Spanish rice. All was umm-umm good.

By the time we got back to Joan's, we reminisced a bit longer, I drank another glass of wine (good sleeping potion), and I collapsed into bed. It was only 8:30pm Oregon time, but in Michigan it was 11:30pm. I'd had a long day. It was sweet dreams that night.