Completing the catch up...

As I type tonight, hubby is starting the first fire of the cold season.  We had nearly freezing temps last night and we expect the first hard freeze tonight, we picked the last of the green beans, tomatoes and strawberries this week in anticipation.  It is time for soups and stews and chili!!

After our trip to California for the wedding and our visit with son and daughter in law, my friend Anita and I had planned a trip to CA for over a year (son and wedding were a late addition to our calendar this year!) she had a family reunion to attend and one of her long time friend's daughter's wedding.  She doesn't like to drive the whole way alone and I do like to drive and she stays at my moms house with me, uses it as a base of operations and a good time is had by all!

I got a whole extra week with the adorable Lily!  It really was nice to have enough time that she got used to me and was very comfortable playing with the 'other' Grandma that she doesn't see very often.

You can see my mother in the back ground with her sling, she had rotator cuff surgery 2 weeks prior and was/is still in a sling.  It was also nice for me to be able to do a few things for her while we were there, so I felt a little better about not being able to just pop over when she needs a hand, (which doesn't happen very often!)

Don't know what they are but we got the picture on one of our walks downtown Exeter to see the new mural, just so unusual looking.

This was the new mural - fruit packing labels!

This bird of paradise was at the coast, we appreciated the flowers in California, knowing we were going to come home to fall/winter and pretty leaves but no flowers!

We went to the coast at Pismo/Avila for two days and one night.  Our first day there we had beautiful weather, warm but not hot and the ocean breeze.  These birds were waiting for the fishermen cleaning their catch to throw them the 'yucky bits'.  They seemed to eat pretty well

There were several seals playing and swimming along the pier.

Just a perfect day!!!

We also went to see the 'Great American Melodrama' and laughed a lot!  What a fun evening!


On the way home we stopped at the 'Jack Ranch Cafe' and saw the memorial to James Dean who's car accident happened just up the road. (and of course we used the bathrooms - it was, after all, 3 women traveling together!)

This is the quintessential California to me - live oaks and dead grass!  Californians will tell you it is the 'golden hills'!

You are looking west at the Coastal range

This was the top of the pass!!

 

We took a side road through Parkfield which bills itself as the earthquake capitol of the world.  It is on the San Andreas fault line and the sign on the bridge says "you are now entering the North American Plate" from the Pacific Plate.  They have a 6 or greater earthquake every 22 years and it is the most observed seismic area in the world.  The piers on the bridge have moved 5 feet apart since it was built in 1936 due to the creep of the plates!  We decided to take the road north to Coalinga and ended up on a winding, turning, single lane, dirt/rock road that had phenomenal views and made us doubt now and then that we were on a regular road!  We kind of thought maybe we missed a turn!

On the way to California and the way home we spent the night in Reno Nevada and made small contributions to the state in the form of penny and nickel slot machines!  We had a very good time, we are already planning the trip next year!

Need to get busy now - Christmas is 50 days away!!!