California Dreamin' Day Eight

Morning in the Forest

We slept with the Farmhouse windows open, and I left a crack in the curtains so I could awake to the sound of the morning light. Just as planned, the sweet melody of birds singing their ode to the new day began to drift through the cool crisp air beckoning me to get up. With my “roommates” still sleeping, I quickly got dressed to slip outside so that I might capture images of the magic hour with my camera. As I reached for the door, I remembered the sketch pad and artist supplies from the day before. I also remembered my invitation to Bill to join me in the morning light to capture some of the magic with his new pen and sketch pad. I gently whispered in his ear “You’re missing the magic hour”. His eyes didn’t open but I persisted…“Your sketch pad is waiting for you…” and then I quietly slipped through the door and down the stairs. 

The room at the bottom of the stairs was inviting, a fresh bouquet of sunflowers on the table lit up the room and beckoned me to stay, but I was on a mission. Camera in hand I opened the creaky door and entered the kingdom of Morning in the Forest. This new morning was alive and fresh and I wanted to capture all of it. Gardens in September can begin to look a little worn around the edges, but no matter… I found beauty in every corner, with an occasional humming bird zipping by. It wasn’t long before I sensed I was not alone in the gardens and began to look about. I soon spotted my Honey carrying a stool with artist tools in hand to the far side of the gardens. I smiled at him… pleased that he had decided to act upon my invitation. 

I continued my lark through the garden, taking pics of everything that intrigued me… an elaborate spider web, (thankfully with no spider in sight,) chickens in the hidden coup, (I heard them first,) sweet blossoms unfamiliar to me, and long shots of the gardens and house I had called home for the night. Bill was in his own corner of our morning kingdom busily sketching away with an occasional act of pondering as he held his pinched fingers forward to judge distance and perspective for the image he was creating. I peeked over his shoulder and marveled at the likeness he had created. It was just a beginning, but it was beautiful. Yes, there is an artist inside of my Bill… just begging to be set free. 

A delicious breakfast in a cozy nook and we were soon ready to say our “good-byes” and our “we’ll come again” to both Margie and Bessie the cook, and to the beautiful surroundings that we had found such comfort in.  And then we were off for the next adventure… kayaking up the Big River at high tide, the current and our strokes pushing us ever up stream… Bill and I in a double seated canoe with outriggers and Emilee riding solo in a bright yellow kayak. We paddled up stream for almost an hour and a half and then turned around to come down the river, hoping to take advantage of the changing tide which was soon to begin its descent. Emilee was a trooper but was getting tired, so we had her maneuver her kayak between the pontoons of our canoe catching a ride with us for a while, then letting her solo until she tired again. It was a beautiful morning to be on the river and a grand adventure for the three of us.

Our next destination was Muir Woods National Monument down the coast almost all the way back to San Francisco. We thought it just a couple of hours away but it took the rest of our day to get there. The road from the coast was like a toboggan ride through the trees with tight curves and zig-zagging that was not for the faint of heart. We finally arrived at the Woods just an hour before closing, and I so wanted to linger there. We had just enough time for a brisk walk through the old growth redwood forest before it became dark. It was another adventure from my bucket list… I wanted to walk in the steps of John Muir, an 18^th century botanist whom this forest is named for. He was present when this land was set aside and dedicated as a national monument. Another checked box for me but also a favorite memory sharing the magic of this beautiful forest with Emilee and Bill.

California Dreamin' Day Seven

The Touch of an Artist’s Hand

Day Seven was bound to be fabulous after the disappointments of the day before… and it absolutely was. We were excited for this day from the get-go, as everything we researched about Mendocino invited us to come see. So glad we did. To get there we drove through amazing Redwood forests to the ocean. There lies Mendocino, a beautiful little coastal town, warm and welcoming and surely a step back in time. We checked into the Mendocino Farmhouse, a bed and breakfast tucked away in a redwood forest a couple of miles from town. It was even more enchanting than I dreamed it would be. The house was built in the 70’s for the family to live in, but when the children grew up and moved away, it was converted into a six bedroom bed and breakfast. We were greeted by beautiful country gardens surrounding this lovely old frame home and Margie, the owner of this beautiful country retreat. Our room was spacious and inviting with book shelves filled with books, a fireplace, a King-size bed and a sweet window seat which doubled as a twin size bed… which quickly became Emilee’s nook. From here she caught up on all her days happenings she missed while we were “out of service” with her cell phone. Our own private bathroom across the hall had an old fashioned bath-tub with claw feet. We were the only guests this night so we felt very much at home.  It was exactly what I wanted for this part of our adventure…  a place to relax, soak in nature and simply enjoy. And enjoy we did. 

After checking into the Farmhouse we drove the mile and a half into town… a quaint little village filled with happy people. We walked from shop to shop browsing their wares and talking to the shopkeepers. These folks are a friendly bunch. (Wish we had pass along cards.) We arrived there later than we’d hoped and didn’t have time to see everything we wanted as many of the shops began to close around 5:00. Main Street Square had garden paths and walkways interconnecting each shop. It wasn’t long before we realized just about everything was closing up.  Dad had his eye on an art gallery but to our dismay, it closed right at five. 

As we meandered through the corridors of gardens and shops, I spied a small little shop tucked away in a corner with paintings on the walls begging us to come see. This little town boasts to be an artist’s mecca, and this seemed to be one of those artist’s haven. My eye was drawn to a beautiful country garden image that touched this gardener’s heart. As I beckoned Bill and Em to come see, a voice from the tiny loft above invited us to enjoy her artwork. As we looked up toward the sound of her voice, a woman began her descent down a spiral staircase, eager to greet admirers of her art. She was an eclectic soul, as I imagine most artists are. We began a delightful discussion with Suzie and I asked her what medium she painted in… the colors were bright, definitely not oil paint, too much detail for watercolors.  She led me in a guessing game until I gave up… “Pastels” she said with a sparkle in her eye. She then proceeded to tell us how she one day tried pastels and has been using that medium ever since. 

I felt to share with her that my husband is a closet artist, that his father was an artist and painted beautiful landscapes. I also shared that I am a gardener and we’ve always said that someday Bill will be my Monet and will paint beautiful images of the gardens I create. ”I have something for you” she spoke as she crossed the room to a little corner. There she picked a small box, opened it and began to explain the contents… a field watercolor kit complete with watercolors, a brush, a sponge, a quality sketch pad and an Indian ink sketch pen…all the supplies that a budding artist would need to get started. 

I loved the look in Bill’s eyes as she explained each article and how to use them. “I’ve seen my Dad do that” he offered several times. This was not a chance encounter… she was put in our path to bless our lives, to bless Bill’s life. He had a wonderful exchange with this sweet woman as she taught him the basics of how to begin. With newfound skills in his pocket, all that remains is for him to paint the images he sees in his heart.  We left Suzie and her art gallery with not only art supplies but a promise that I would keep in touch with her regarding this budding artist’s progress.  Somehow, I feel within my soul that this was a most important moment.

Califronia Dreamin' Day Six

A Day of Disappointment 

We hit the road at 6 a.m. to travel up north to ride the Skunk Train. My research had us salivating over the opportunity to ride an old steam locomotive through the Redwoods. We had experienced a similar train adventure in Colorado several years ago and were exited to do it again. Imagine our disappointment (and that of most of the passengers) when we realized we were instead riding in a 1925 carriage train that looked more like a big old bus on rails than it did a train. Their no refund policy had us all paying a pretty penny for a four hour ride on a stuffy old “bus” with only a few windows that actually opened. We felt like we were on a prison bus/train. The scenery was far less than spectacular, however the lady conductor was quick to point out the points of interest as we came across them… a wooden beam where the mail bag was hung that they could reach out and grab as the train passed… an 800 year old redwood tree that you could only catch a ten second glimpse of from our side window, the KOA campground where the residents were surely paid to wave and smile as we passed by… and there were others, but those were certainly the highlights. Beware of a train called SKUNK. 

We decided that we were close enough to the actual Redwoods that we would continue driving north to travel on the Avenue of the Giants. We took a detour to drive through a 2000 year old redwood tree that was a fun diversion even though it was a real tourist trap. Pics to be posted someday. Our flashy red Ford (that we want to take home with us) was commercial perfect. Ford should buy the pic from us. We arrived at the Ave of Giants about 5:00 pm, a slow windy road that delivers a magical trip through the forest. This did not disappoint. However, the fact that we only had time to drive it and not hike it was a major disappointment. I found myself snapping pictures from the car hoping to capture a bit of the majesty and beauty of those simply amazing trees as the light filtered through them. It was hard to leave them but we had a long ways to go before we reached our bed.

We discovered that a day of riding is more tiring than a day of hiking and we went to bed exhausted, hoping for a better day tomorrow.

California Dreamin' Day Five

Beautiful Day of Rest

I have always found great joy in the Sabbath Day. Even when the kids were small and their Daddy was gone all day being a Bishop or Bishopric member… (which was actually most of my life).  I love the change a day of worship brings to my day… and to me! This Sabbath was no different in that regard. What was different was that our arms were filled with sweet little grandkiddos.  All the world is brighter with little ones in tow.

9:00 church was perfect… always love getting up and going to church... the best way to start a Sunday. The little ones were perfectly reverent during Sacrament Meeting. Especially enjoyed watching Maddie color in my lap. Her technique is to color passionately in long strokes of color filling up each page in a mass of different hues. I watched as she carefully selected each color and wondered what her sweet little mind was thinking as she most definitely had a plan to cover the entire page before moving on. Without words spoken, I selected a green crayon and proceeded to color a small star on the page. I slowly moved the crayon to stay within the lines. I was most interested in watching her eyes follow each stroke. I could sense the light of learning and perhaps a little yearning in her thoughts. After coloring two of the many stars on the page, I gave the crayon to her. Her face lit up as she attempted to duplicate my actions. Not a word was exchanged between the two of us, but it was easy to see that she had learned something new at that very moment… and I had been blessed to be a part of it. She proceeded to color each star on the page with more care and wasn’t at all bothered that the crayon escaped a bit from the lines. What fun it was for this Grandma to see her employ her new found skill to subsequent pages. Her eye was quick to find other patterns to color.

My favorite moment of the morning came as I sat in the back of the Primary room and watched as Breanne dashed over to me with Miles in her arms. She had suddenly realized that I could hold Miles as she led Sharing Time. Usually she and Cason juggle between the two of them as she leads as Primary President and he serves as YM Counselor/Deacon Quorum Advisor/Scoutmaster. Miles and I spent the rest of church bonding.  I actually had two favorite moments… of equal joy was watching as my youngest daughter lead “her class” from the primary room to their classroom. She was asked to teach just as the Primary block began. Not something she felt comfortable accepting, but definitely something she is glad she did. A class of little girls and her niece Aubrey… how much fun that must have been. She ended the class with a photo shoot for instagram. 

The remainder of the day was indeed the perfect day, time to relax and visit, do puzzles and play games. It was Fast Sunday and we broke our fast with a secret recipe of a most delicious  French Toast with Buttermilk syrup that Breanne made for us. Later that night, Cason showed us his skills with grilled chicken sandwiches and grilled corn on the cob. Breanne made a delicious Quinoa Salad and fresh salsa from tomatoes and jalapeno peppers from her garden. We felt like we were in a fancy restaurant with dining on the patio. It was more than delicious.  They could easily open a restaurant.

Prayer, hugs and wet kisses from the girls ended our perfect day of rest. Oh, and a secret photo shoot with those cute girls.  Pics to come later.

California Dreamin' Day Four

Fresh Fruit, Butterflies, Fish and Penguins

You may be wondering… what do Fresh Fruit, Butterflies, Fish and Penguins have in common? Think about it… think about it… ha ha! You’re thinking too hard… it’s really quite easy… it’s what filled our day. And it was delightful! Add to the mix two darling granddaughters and one sweet little grandson and the day was complete.

We began by making our way to the Ferry Building Farmers Market. Each Saturday they host an open air market on the Embarcadero filled with local farmers selling their fresh organic fruit, artisan breads and cheese. Of course they all have samples to give away and it was a tasty treat delight.  A bit of a trick to make it through the crowds but a fun way to spend our morning none the less. As we were walking through the crowds a beautiful butterfly took refuge on my shoulder. Emilee noticed it first… what a sweet treat for me. Breanne shared the thought that a butterfly on your shoulder brings you good luck. I already felt quite lucky just to be with their sweet family.

From there we made our way to the California Academy of Science in the Golden Gate Park. The Park itself is quite amazing with so many places to see and do, but for this day, we chose the Academy of Science… a wonderfully amazing place that fueled our imaginations and filled the remainder of our day. We entered a tropical rainforest filled with birds and butterflies flying freely. They floated through the air with ease unencumbered by our presence. And yes, there really are bright and beautiful sky blue butterflies. I always thought blue butterflies were merely a product of the cinema. I’m sure you can imagine how fun that was for this lover of all thing of nature.

From there we were thrilled to enter an aquarium filled with beautiful tropical fish of all shapes, size and colors. It was fun to watch a diver join the fish and teach us about these beautiful creatures.  My favorite was the seemingly well-choreographed dance that took place when the feeding began. It was quite amazing to watch.

From there we found the African Penguins. I knew from my days of watching Bryan’s kids while they were visiting South Africa that Penguins don’t only live on frozen tundras. This was a beautiful exhibit and we were there just in time to see the penguins fed. Maddie especially loved the penguins. Yesterday she picked a penguin puppet for her birthday present from a cute little puppet store on the wharf. What fun to see real penguins!

We ran out of time before we ran out of things to see, and our San Francisco portion of our trip was coming to an end. A drive over the Golden Gate bridge and a long drive to Sacramento brought us to Cason’s lovely home where we where we will enjoy a beautiful day of rest tomoorow. As we were initially planning our trip we had considered spending this day (Sunday) on a once in a lifetime Whale watching expedition. Just couldn’t make it feel right in our minds… so glad we saw the light. Many days after our choice not to go, we were blessed to find another alternative… stay tuned to find out what that is!