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

Wiped Out

 Song - Pipeline by Stevie Ray Vaughan & Dick Dale

Valentine's Day is Mr. B's birthday, so with the long Presidents weekend, we decided to head on down to Santa Cruz for a few days to celebrate and relax.

The weather was just exceptional - in the mid 70's and clear as can be.

We took long walks on the beach every morning.

Stopped in at Gayle's bakery a few times.

Just to "smell" the wonderful pastries and goodies that she and her staff make! (wink....)

We watched the surfers enjoying the waves.

 We called this guy "Spidy" as he was dressed in Spiderman colors and he was quite the trickster!







And the Sandpipers were enjoying the waves as well......

 

In they go, run, run, run, run, and.....

...out they come, run, run, run, run!

 

 

 



We also found a little "honey bee" enjoying the waves too....well as long as they didn't catch her!


We enjoyed several new restaurants that were incredible.  Soif is a Wine Bar & Restaurant that had an excellent menu and Laili which is Silk Road/Mediterian food.  Both were wonderful &  Mmmmm.....can not wait to go back!



Andy and Ashley joined us for a few days and we went wine tasting.....

 

 

 

Both Nickelson and Alfaro Wineries were fun and beautiful late in the day.  They are both just little family run wineries but friendly and served some very good wines.



Saturday morning we headed to Natural Bridges to watch the Monarch butterflies fly North....

I guess with the weather being so warm they had taken off several days ago but there were still a few dancing in the air with eachother and basking in the warm sunlight.

.....good talks,

breakfast on the Wharf,

crab & spaghetti at the cabin for Saturday's dinner

and lot's of laughter!

 

I have never seen seals piled up like this, have you?  Usually they are under the Wharf barking or basking in the sunshine.

Do you know why they are doing this???

 

Raise your flipper if you know the answer.....

 

 

 

Luckily Ashley (who is now a Kindergarten teacher) was an Fourth grade teacher last year and provided us with the answer, which we promptly checked her on because a lot, I mean A LOT, of tall tales get started by Mr. B. but because it was his birthday weekend we tried not to bust him too much.  So we went after sweet Ashley instead.

 

She was right!!!  The seals form a "raft" and hang on to each other so they don't get lost while sleeping or in rough seas.  They hold up their flipper to regulate their body temperature. I guess it's kinda like we do at night, one leg under the covers and the other on top!

 

 

 

  

 

Remember after all.....you are still in Santa Cruz and you know the saying ......

 

 

 

"Surfing soothes me, it's always been a kind of Zen experience for me.  The ocean is so magnifiecent, peaceful and awesome.  The rest of the world disappears for me when I'm on a wave." -- Paul Walker