A Birthday Surprise

Song - A Little Help From My Friends by Paul McCartney and Ringo Star

This is my dear friend Jill, who's birthday we celebrated on Saturday.  I knew 2 months ago what I wanted to plan to celebrate but I wanted to keep it a surprise.  So I asked her to reserved the entire day from 9:30 until midnight for me.  I had a car full of blankets, towels, ice chest and 6 special cards.  In each card I placed a "clue" as to what we were going to do in the evening.  And at the final card she needed to unscramble 5 letters and 1 word.  Easy right?

First card - GO

Second - a star

Third - just a funny note about going to a field to watch the stars

Fourth - IN

Fifth - R

Sixth - a more serious card about all of the fun times we have had over our many years of friendship

We went to the beach at Point Reyes first. It was windy but we found a little area in the dunes where we could spread the blanket and be sheltered from the wind.  At this point Jill just had the first two cards - GO STAR

I explained to her that something special was happening that evening with the stars.  I feigned shock that she wasn't aware of the celestial excitement for that evening.  I told her that we would be in a big field watching the stars. TRUTH!

I had made lunch reservations at Nick's Cove on Tomales Bay so she received the next 2 cards there.

I made sure that I had picked out some very mature cards for my sensitive friend!


She now had Clues 1-4......GO STAR IN......and she didn't have a clue as to the answer......the suspense was killing her!  If you know Jill, she is always pulling a rabbit out of her hat so it was fun for me to have the tables turned for a change!

The water was crazy-rough out on the bay while we walked out to the little party shed on the end of the dock.

 We found some shelter behind the building and a lovely couple offered to take our photo.

Here I gave her the "R" card and I thought for sure she would put it all together at that point. Nope.  She is a brilliant nurse and could not unscramble 5 letters....mmm.....early onset dementia perhaps?


As we headed over the hills inland to Sonoma I decided to give her the last card and an extra obvious surprise clue.  Just that morning I had made a CD of this star's songs which I played for her but she just couldn't get past the order she had opened the cards in - GO STAR IN R........

She is singing along with all of the songs from the CD and chatting about how much she would like us to go see this performer the next time he tours California.  We are 3 blocks from the venue and I am thinking that she will soon see a poster or sign for the concert.

So I ask her to please try unscrambling the letters again.......and tears came to her eyes.....I knew she had figured it out at last.

Here we are in Sonoma at The Field of Dreams seeing Ringo Starr......

Those are Ringo's drums in the back with the STAR on them.  In the front is the opening act Pablo Cruz's drums.

Pablo Cruz was fun but it was all about Ringo and His All Star Band tonight (see I told you we would be in a field with star's!)

The sun had set and the lights came on!  Here he comes.....

They played a lot of Ringo's songs but each of the band members is a star in their own right so a lot of other songs where enjoyed.  Ringo is very generous in sharing the spotlight.

Look at those hands fly over his drum set!!!!

Oh, oh......I think he spied me taking photo's with my telephoto lens.....doesn't look too happy.

Yup, looking directly at me.




Me and thousands of other fans taking photos!!!!

Yes, Ringo is a little corny but sometimes we all need corny in our lives.  He was an important musician when I was young so I hold a special place in my heart for each of the Beatles.

Thanks Ringo for the great concert and thanks Jill for the many years of friendship!

from the Jumbo-tron

And remember....

Quote for the day:

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