A fresh new page

Welcome to the new year, 365 days of promise & mystery; all I will ask for is my daily portion of grace to face whatever comes my way, and that I will find contentment in where I find myself at the end of each day.

Yesterday, after a late morning start, we wound our way east towards the mountains, stopping in the little town of Murphys for lunch (a great burger with fresh sweet potato fries) and then up to Calaveras Big Trees State Park, elevation 4000 ft

We bundled up and went out for an hour stroll thru the giant sequoias~ not particularly strenuous, but somewhat hazardous given the six to ten inches of hard-pack snow and ice on the trails.

For the life of me, I could not get any traction in my hikers, and had to hold on to Chris' arm the whole way to avoid another fall~ now that my arm is finally bordering on the functional, I am not about to go thru all that nonsense again!

We continued up Highway 4 until we reached the road closure at Bear Valley Resort, right around 7000 ft; it was approaching sunset, so we took a little stroll to the Hell's Kitchen overlook to watch for the full moon rising thru the clouds (only glimpses and no decent photos), before heading back to our valley home.

After an impromptu gathering at our friends home for games, snacks, and noise makers at midnight, we were home and in bed by 12:30~ gone are the party days and good riddance, I must say! Today is a perfect snuggle-down-at-home day; it is chilly and wet outside, so I think I'll make soup from turkey leftovers and devote my time to my book, knitting, and some football games~ I wonder who is playing?

Weekday Escape

As I mentioned earlier, Chris & I have taken a few excursions with the advent of Autumn, arguably the best season weather-wise in our part of the country. A couple weeks back, he had Friday as one of his days off, so I took a personal holiday so we could visit a new/old attraction in San Francisco.

The California Academy of Science, along with the De Young Museum, have been the center pieces of Golden Gate Park for a number of decades, hosting scores of exhibits & innumerable schoolchildren on fieldtrips~ Chris & I both have memories of visits throughout grade school. Both building were severely damaged by the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake & limped along with patched up repairs for years, until it was determined that they needed to be rebuilt from scratch. In all honesty, I really dislike the design of the new De Young (which reopened in 2005 after 5 years); but the new C.A.S. is a wonder & we’ve been itching to see it since it reopened last year.

The most noticeable feature has to be the Living Roof~ 2 ½ acres of native plants growing over the undulating surface of the roof;

it was rather warm the day we were there & the wild flowers were past their prime, but the gentle breeze from the bay & the buzzing of insects made for a hypnotic visit.

We started in the Rainforest exhibit~ we walked up through four stories of plants, birds, & butterflies;

 

 

looking down into the water of the pond, you could see strange animals sitting on the bottom.

An elevator ride took us down to the new Steinhart Aquarium;

 

Chris & Ranger Ruth had some close encounters with really big fish!

Back on the main level, we entered the African Hall, which housed the classic dioramas from our childhood

 

& then on to the Morrison Planetarium~ where we both managed to doze off during the “Fragile Planet” presentation.

 

After lunch in the Atrium (yummy Spring Rolls & killer cheesecake) & a visit to the gift shop, we took the long way back to the car, hiking through a stand of coastal redwoods that reside in the park

 “It’s this direction~ I’m certain!”

The Park is one of my favorite places in California~ I’m drawn back again & again, finding both new & old sites in this wonderful urban escape; too bad it’s such a pain to drive in the City, otherwise I’d might make the trip more often.

Hitting the Trails

In our little corner of the world, August and September are extremely hectic~ aside from the annual scramble at both our jobs (Chris, the end of vacation season; me, the semi-annual escheat reporting) and the start of school, with the requisite supplies and paperwork, we observe both Chris’ birthday and our wedding anniversary. Those events tend to be skimmed over on the actual days~ a kiss and a wish as we pass each other in the kitchen, but not much else.

This year has been much the same~ just the added excitement of our baby boy starting local community college (with concurrent transportation disarrangement) and the stress of frequent (and so far fruitless) house hunting. One difference was that Chris actually had a couple Saturdays off, so we took advantage one morning a couple weeks ago to check out a new-to-us regional park.

Briones Regional Park is a secluded little gem of hiking trails, tucked in near a large reservoir; there is not much in the way of development~ no snack bars, gift shops, or even ranger stations~ just picnic tables, restrooms, and miles of paths and trails through grassland, trees, and hilltops. Before tackling the “easy” Old Briones Road to Crescent Ridge loop, we brought a picnic lunch to share in the shade (it was still pretty warm, but not scalding), and then donned backpacks with some water bottles, camera, and our new little mascot, Ranger Ruth.

 

 

I first was introduced to the tiny Ranger crew by my friend, Junie Moon, who wrote about her travelling companion, Park Patty; I loved the idea and went online to invite a Ranger to train and travel with us as we explore.

 

 

The 2 ½ mile loop first took us along a tree-lined road, which then led through a valley filled with grazing land, where we had a little adventure. We strolled past a number of cows with their calves; apparently, this pair thought we were fascinating, because they began to follow us, pursued by their vigilant mother.

 

 

After about a quarter mile, they were distracted by the creek and wandered away from the path, but Momma continued to trail along behind us and started to become vocal~ I was wondering if she was lecturing us for leading her children astray. Looking forward, we could see another cow standing across the road, looking intently at us and making a grunting noise; this is the point we realize that this wasn’t a cow, but a bull~ and we were standing between him and one of his harem. We had several tense minutes as we stood stock-still in the road and scoped out escape routes in case he lost his temper; fortunately, the day was becoming warm and the creek was a more attractive destination then chasing a couple humans across the fields, though the bull continued to verbally abuse us as he headed off.

The next segment of the hike was up a steep trail leading to the ridge; happily, it was completely shaded by the trees, but remained a challenging climb~ I’d take 75 to 100 steps, and then rest a couple minutes to catch my breath. The pay-off was a large live oak to rest under and this stunning view.

 

 

 

We refreshed ourselves with apples, crackers, and lots of water, before tackling the trail down the other side and back to our car. As we packed up to leave, a very weary and well-behaved German Sheppard plopped herself down in the shade of the tree to wait for her companions; we met them several yards down the trail~ the first people we had seen all afternoon~ and it turns out it was a couple men that Chris knew through work! They hadn’t seen each other for some time, so we stood on the road for 15 minutes while they caught up on work and local news, until the strong sun sent us all off in search of shade.

 

 

We wended our way down another steep grade, past the Archery Club grounds, across a meadow and creek, and back around to the picnic area, parking lot, and thankfully, the restrooms.

 

 

All and all, it was a nice day, and I look forward to going back~ though most likely, we’ll wait until Spring when the hills will be green and the temperatures quite a bit cooler!

 

High time for some good stuff

As part of our "Let's make certain we are connected before the last child moves out" program, Chris & I have been going out walking in the evenings, both for exercise & for talking the day over (of course, there isn't alot of talking going on in my case- he walks so much faster then I do, I don't have enough breath to walk and talk), & scouting out some local easy hikes to do on the weekends.

Last Sunday, we played hooky from church & headed over to Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve; it was a beautiful, real Spring day, warm enough for just a light sweater & cool enough to hike comfortably. We toured the former coal & silica mines, abandoned since the late 1940's- it would be a great place to hang out in the heat of summer, since it never gets over 62 degrees inside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then it was off on a "gentle" trek up to the ridge, with the plan of coming down through Rose Hill Cemetery; my dear husband slightly miscalculated our fitness level, as well as the route & distance to the cemetery, so we called it a journey about halfway there & went back to the valley floor in search of lunch.

 

 

 

 

 

We're already scouting out the next hike in a couple weeks (if the weather cooperates), possibly back to Tilden Park (where we went back in January), Sunol Regional Wilderness (near the ranch where Chris works occationally), or up to Mount Diablo for the wildflowers.

January drifts

Day slides into evening, night dissolves into morning, and before I know it, another week has past.

We decided to postpone the adventures in San Francisco until the weather is less precarious. Instead, Chris and I went out for brunch at Mimi’s Café on our way to Tilden Regional Park in Berkeley; this was my old stomping grounds growing up- the end of our street was a service entrance into one part of the park- and it had been years since we’d been there.

We wandered around the Botanic Garden, following winding paths and experiencing the stark beauty of winter plants; I found myself drawn to the bare Manzanita trees, thickets of ferns, and groves of coastal redwoods.

After a visit to the Little Farm to greet the residents, we took a meandering hike up to and around Jewel Lake, and then stopped off on the way home to take in the view at Inspiration Point.

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Sam made it back from Snow Camp in good health, but missing a vital “appendage”- his cell phone. Fortunately for him, a staff member found it in one of the cabins while cleaning up and forwarded it by mail; he’s been experiencing a severe case of disconnection and has learned why Mom tells him to log his phone numbers in Outlook, just in case.

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Monday afternoon was my friend’s memorial service; the turnout surprised her family, but not those of us who came to know Kathy after she moved to town. The chapel was standing room only, filled with customers, students, business owners, council members, Coast Guard auxiliary, and many friends; six rows were filled with just knitters and I’m certain we emptied a full large box of tissues in our pew alone. The reception afterward was equally well attended- so much so that I didn’t get a chance to speak with any of the children; fortunately, we are having an old-fashioned wake tomorrow at a friend’s home and will be putting together a Remembrance Book, filled with our stories and tributes, to give to the eldest daughter. The fate of the store is up in the air; Kathy died without a will, so until probate is completed, the doors remain closed to business. Providentially, the owner of the quilting store down the street has offered the use of her back room to the Friday night knitting group; one of my concerns was that we would drift apart without our anchor Kathy, but everyone seems committed to continuing what she unwittingly started nearly six years ago.

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Jessica called; she’s been laid off again (no huge surprise) and has finally decided to leave San Jose. She has moved to Cloverdale- lock, stock, and cat carrier- and is staying with the sister of one of her former boyfriends (don’t ask me- I’ve never understood her relationships) while looking for work. Hope this works out for her- the area around Santa Rosa is one of my favorites, more rural than urban, and I think it will be a good change.

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Work persists on taking up too much of my time and brain power, but happily I have approved vacation time coming- February, I’ll be going to Stitches West for a long weekend, a Garden Club field trip in March, and then a week in June for Sam’s graduation and Robb’s visit from Florida. I also have the week after Christmas scheduled, but I’ll be taking some time in the fall as well- six months is just too long without a break!

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My knitting basket and movie are calling- Sam’s scarf is only half done and I need to start the tote I wanted to make Jessica for her birthday next month; here’s a photo of the apron I made for the last swap I did- what do you think of my model?

A little blue around the edges

Well, it looks like Wednesday has turned into my posting day for the time being; between work & “real life” commitments, time to compose an entry has become difficult to find.

We’re chugging along in the Garden, living day to day, celebrating both the little accomplishments & the big milestones; unfortunately, I find myself wrestling with some persistent disquiet in my spirit. We have always weathered the ups & downs of the economy over the past 20 years with only the occasional flicker of concern, but this time, I’m really uneasy about the prospects of both Chris & I remaining employed.

Since September, my company has laid off five people- one of them a key manager- & is seriously shaving expenses on all fronts. I believe my position is secure enough to be retained until we actually have to close the doors, which is unlikely in the near future but not out of the realm of possibility. More troubling is the fact that Chris works in a recreational industry (motorhome rentals & used wholesale dealer); previous dips in the US economy have been more than offset the volume of international bookings, but now with this truly global financial crisis, we are unsure of how the next year is going to play out. To top all this good news off is the report from the state that the unemployment insurance funds will be insolvent by the end of January.

Now, I’m pretty good at impersonating Scarlett O’Hara- “I’ll think about it tomorrow”- & make a point of avoiding the evening news, the business section of the newspaper, & any discussions about how bad it’s getting; but lately, I’ve been waking in the wee dark hours, beset by troubling dreams & unable to shut my brain off from the continual swirl of “what if’s”. I know it serves no practical purpose, but reason has little power over the fears of midnight. Of course, the dreary weather hasn’t helped:

 

 

This is the view from my car as I drive to work over the past couple of weeks; the fog lifts around noon to cloudy skies, and then descends again in late afternoon.

 

 

So, let’s focus on something else for a bit.

Thanksgiving was pleasantly quiet & uneventful. We drove down to pick up Jessica on our way to dinner with immediate family at Mother’s home in Berkeley. The corporate meal was bountiful & delicious, every one contributing a couple things to the feast; after dinner, we sat around the table exchanging stories, instead of the traditional “perform something if you want dessert” in the living room.

 

Mother was reasonably restrained & having a great time modeling her temporary headgear- she just had a large basal cell carcinoma removed from her scalp & is vain enough to want to cover up the staples. The following is for my 4F buddies- see, her hair really is green J

 

 

 

Friday, Chris & I woke up relatively early (considering we didn’t get home until 1:30 am) to do a fly-by at Bass Pro Shop ($10 jeans) & the fabric store

(a rolling sewing machine tote & wrapping goodies) before settling in to watch football & eat leftovers. Saturday was spent in the foothill town of Sonora, where his mom grew up, attending a Christmas craft & music festival (great music, nice crafts- but nothing I couldn’t live without), then wandering around the old town, poking into the shops & local museums (brought my camera, but didn’t take a single photo!). Sunday was “Hunker Down” day for me, working on knitting projects & finishing the stack of hemming that kept getting put off,

 

 

while the guys went over to the church to serve at the seniors’ Thanksgiving Banquet- Sam even sang a solo with the youth choir (the torch has been passed!)

So, that pretty well wraps up the week.

Oh, except for one little thing.

 

 

This is my baby, taking his driving test.

He passed.

I didn’t get the shot of him clicking his heels.

We went out to celebrate with Orange Chicken, pot stickers, & Wor Wonton soup, while he called

Every

Single

Person

in his address book; I think he’s a little excited.

And, no, I haven’t let go out by himself yet; I think I have enough stress in my live right now.