Bleat, Yum, Splash, Slurp and Ahhhh.....

Song - You Hit the Wrong Note Billy Goat by Bill Haley and the Comets

 Last Friday, Mr. B and I headed down Hwy. 1 along the California coast to visit Harley Goat Farm on our way to Santa Cruz for Easter weekend.

 Their link is here - Harley Goat Farm

 Yes.....there were lots of baby goats running around and lot's of delicious cheese and body products in their shop. We came home with a few fine goat cheeses'. 

The adult goats are in the photo above and below are the baby goats that are 6 weeks old and being weaned from their parents.

 We drove through fingers of fog......

 

....then out into sunshine again....and back again to heavy fog.

We arrived at the cabin to beautiful sunshine and sat on the deck and relaxed.

For dinner on Friday night we went to Soif (which is French for "thirst") in downtown Santa Cruz where we have eaten several times before. It's a cozy little bistro type restaurant that always has an interesting menu and atmosphere.

We shared a cheese course that had Kikorangi (Blue Cheese-cow) from New Zealand,  Brillat Savarin (Brie-cow) from Lyon, France (yummmmm, yummy, yummy, yum),  Pata Cabra (Chevre-goat) from Spain,  Cabot Clothbound Cheddar (pale yellow cheddar-cow) from Vermont, Manchego El Trigal (sheep) from Spain as well as quince paste, grapes, almonds and toast. Our portions were at lease four times this size but I was so excited that I forgot to take a photo.....

We each had a couple of glasses of wine - Mr. B had Syrah from Northern Rhone which he really liked and I had a Pere et Fils Remoissenet Bourgogne Blanc which was fabulous. We both ordered amazing entrees but once again they were gone before I thought to photograph them.  So now you will just have to go to Soif yourself and try something on their delightful menu!

Saturday morning was sunny and Andy & Ashley came to visit and stay overnight. 

We stopped by our very favorite bakery in Capitola to pick up some breakfast on our way to the beach - Gayle's Bakery & Rosticceria! 

We picked up a bag of savory and sweet treats to-go and headed to Aptos Beach.

 We plopped on a log while looking at this view of the bay and dined with great joy!

We took a nice long walk along the shore and enjoyed dodging the waves as they rolled in.

 Saturday night we had an early Easter dinner as the kids had to head home in the morning to take care of some things. 

It was so nice to spend time together.

Easter morning we had breakfast and our guests took off for home.  Mr. B and I drove up to the lighthouse and watched the surfers for a while.  

The ocean was quiet but a few small waves rolled in but it looked more like

beginners-Easter-break-surfers out there.

Mr. B fixed a door in the cabin that needed attention 

and I planted a flat of white Impatiens in the garden.

In the afternoon our second set of guests arrived - our middle son Jon, his girlfriend Jacque and their puppy Chewy.  We had a lovely visit and late lunch together.

Mr. B and I stayed until Monday at noon as it was another beautiful day and difficult to return home but we will be back!

"You can't stop the waves but you can learn to surf. "

-- Jon Kabat-Zinn

Wet and Wild

Song - Sunset Piper at the Inn at Spanish Bay


 Every night at sunset, there appears a bagpiper to say goodnight to the links at Spanish Bay.  He walks along the 18th hole with the ocean and sunset behind him.  It is a sight to behold.

So several months ago I decided to plan a trip to Carmel with Mr. B for his birthday and to surprise him I invited all of the kids to join us for dinner at Spanish Bay!

The weekend was great....except for the weather and road conditions.  In fact the hotel called me on Friday at noon saying they had no power nor did they have any idea as to when it would be restored so we could cancel. 

But Mr. B is an adventurous sort and decided if we could get food and wine, then we should go!!! Talley Ho....

 By the time we got to our hotel, the power had been restored, however the kids were staying at the Santa Cruz cabin and they didn't have power nor a break in the rain.  The San Lorenzo River was close to flood stage - but Mr. B knew none of this as it was all a big surprise! There were a lot of secret texts going on.

Have you heard that Carmel is a dog friendly town?  And it is, as is our hotel - there were dogs everywhere.  They were rather well behaved too! As we came down the stairs for dinner Friday, at the Cypress Inn, there was my cousin, her husband and their new little four month old Cocker Spaniel, Romeo. They have a home in Carmel Valley and their power had been out all day so they drove into Carmel for dinner and we just bumped into each other! Romeo had a proper neck tie on for dinner - of course.  I told you that they were well behaved!

Meanwhile we had intermittent breaks in the rain & wind in Carmel and spent Saturday shopping and poking in galleries.

We stopped in at the Tuck Box for Scones & Devon cream so we could practice for our upcoming trip to Britain.  Is it cream first then preserves or preserves first then cream?  So many tough decisions in life. It was so windy that the Tuck Box sign had been blown loose!

You can see that I decided to go with Olallieberry preserves first then the cream on my scone and all I can say is - mmmmmmmmmm......mmmmm....mmm...it was a mighty good choice!

Saturday nights dinner at Roy's was a grand surprise for Mr. B but it was freezing outside while waiting for the piper to arrive.  We were seated around a big fire pit with blankets passed around by the waiters but still it was cold and windy.  The picture above is the ocean whipping around that evening and the very top photo is of our piper.  I'm still not sure how his fingers played the bagpipe when it was so cold outside.

Great dinner together where we were warm.  The kids had stopped by Gayle's Bakery in Capitola and brought down a yummy cake - double chocolate with salted caramel.....yummmmmm!


Sunday we spent walking around Monterey with our son Jon and his friend Jackie.  We had a great lunch and they introduced us to an outdoor granite bench that is warmed from within - they had to tear me away!

Monday we headed home in the pouring rain.  It was a long drive with downed trees, mudslides, road closures, traffic accidents and flooding everywhere.  Mr. B thought he could outsmart them and took several back roads - most made us turn around to only to try to find another route but one worked out great.

We made it home safely and are looking out our back window with our own creek on the rise.

Hope you are warm and dry where every you may live.

" The Carmel is a lovey little river.  It isn't very long but in it's course it has everything a river should have.  It...tumbles down a while, runs through shallows, ...crackles among round boulders,  wanders lazily under sycamores, spills into pools where trout live.  In the winter it becomes a torrent, ... and in the summer it is a place for children to wade in and for fisherman to wander in." 

--John Steinbeck, Cannery Row

PS - at 4 am we had a blasting Emergency Alert on our cell phones - I thought the hotel was on fire but no it was to notify us that the Carmel River was flooding - I guess Mr. Steinbeck didn't have that joy!  We had about 6 alarms on our way home on Sunday notifying us of flooding in our area - thanks - I didn't notice!

Paradise

Song - Scenes From An Italian Restaurant by Billy Joel

 We spent the weekend in Santa Cruz.....

Mr. B & Andy built a gate on the cabin deck for our doggies and kiddies!  Looks great!

Then the carrot was going wine tasting in the afternoon.

Saturday we went to Windy Hill (Windy Oak) and Nicholson.  Both were great!

Then we returned to the cabin for a BBQ.  

Amazingly we stayed up and visited on the deck until after midnight.  

Such a warm weekend!

Very relaxing after a long day of work and a late lunch at Gayle's Bakery in Capitola!

On Sunday morning, I painted, Ashley studied and the guys finished up the gate.

It was a great weekend!

"What wine goes with Capitan Crunch?" - George Carlin

Celebrating in Santa Cruz

Song -  Happy Birthday by the Beatles

My best friend, Jill and I headed to Santa Cruz this last weekend to celebrate her birthday (and it was a biggie too!) But that's all I'm saying.....my lips are sealed!

In our younger years.....

On Saturday morning we headed to my parents cabin in the beautiful Redwood forest about 5 min. North of Santa Cruz.

We unpacked the car and headed out for lunch and to watch the surfers at Steamer Lane.

 There were an awful lot of birds, especially Pelican's flying East in formation.

 They kept flying overhead constantly.  Thousands of them.

Then we were off to Natural Bridges State Park to hopefully see the Monarch Butterflies.

From October through March they rest in the Eucalyptus trees at the park.

At first we just saw a few.

They were happily sunning themselves before they rested for the winter (after all some of them had flown all of the way from Canada!).

There is a wooden walkway that takes you through the forest and towards the Monarch resting area where there is a large deck where you can lay down and watch these beautiful creatures gently float and flutter above.

You try to see where they are landing in the trees.

But when you look around all you see is some dead brown clusters of leaves.

And they move a little and you wonder, is it really bunches of brown leaves......

Actually they are Monarch butterflies hanging together for protection and warmth.

I just wish I could transport you there, it was so amazing, beautiful and relaxing.

And quiet too because we all had on our Butterfly Voices!!!

Jill and I then headed to the mountains for some wine tasting.  In Soquel we went to Bargetto's Winery where she is a club member.  There was a beautiful little creek running by the property and the Pistache tree's were all changing color in the warm fall air.

Thought about getting this one for someone near & dear to my heart.....

We headed into the mountains to do some tasting at Nicholson Winery that is located on the side of a sunny hill filled with grape vines changing color overlooking the ocean.

We sat outside and visited with the owners, the people working there and some of their next door neighbors.   But soon it was time to head home to the cabin & make some dinner.

I had brought down some Tortilla Soup which I had made last week.  We lit a fire, sipped some wine, ate some soup and played Canasta until 2 am!  Yipes!  But it was actually Daylight Savings by then so we REALLY only stayed up until 1.....doesn't that feel better?

On Sunday morning, we headed to Gayle's Bakery in Capitola.  All I can say is YUMM-O.

Try not to drool.....

Jill's sundried tomato Frittata

Jill's semi-heart shaped Latte

My quiche.....

Oh....my, I'm getting ready to go back to Gayle's....soon....maybe tomorow....or tonight!

MMMM...mmmm...so good!

After all of that food we needed a long, long walk.  We headed over to Aptos and walked and walked and walked our little boodies off.  Then Jill took a "power nap" while I meditated and took in some wave action.

Still more and more birds......it was beginning to feel like the Hitchcock movie "The Birds"!

They were up in the sky.....

They were down low to the ground.....

They were in the water......everywhere!!!!

Later on at the cabin, I read that it's the Monterey Bay Pacific Flyway this time of year!

So much for Alfred Hitchcock & Tippi Hedren.

Back to the cabin for a doggie walk and a visit on the deck and figuring out where we were heading for dinner.  And Laili's in downtown Santa Cruz was just the ticket, with wonderful Mediterranean flavors.

But we ate our meal with so much love that I totally forgot to take some photo's.  Next time, I promise.

It was a Lamb shank & Chicken Kabobs......Cilantro Cesare Salad & the Mediterranean Appetizer Platter.  Mika got the lamb bone and she thought she had gone to doggie heaven.

It was a mighty good weekend.

Coming and going.

Happy Birthday dear friend.

The END.




"The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough."  ~Rabindranath Tagore