87 - 30 - 40 thru 11 thousand years ago

Song - Say Goodbye to Hollywood by Billy Joel

Several birthday were celebrated in February.....

Mom turned 87 and still looks and acts 67!  We drove out to Tomales and had lunch outside on the deck at Nick's Cove. It was a glorious day!

The bartender there was making up some drinks and photographing them on the railing.  He was just going to dump it after the photo shoot so mom & I volunteered to be taste testers! The beautiful green rolling hills and farm animals were like my mom said "it's almost like going to Europe!".

 My middle son, Jon turned 30 on the 28th!  Yipes......just when did that happen! So Mr. B and I drove down to LA to spend a few days with him.

Almond trees blooming along Hwy. 5

Power lines that seemed to go on forever

The Grapevine at noon

Jon & Mr. B

 For his birthday we got tickets to see Eckhart Tolle and Deepak Chopra at the Shrine Auditorium on Saturday night.

Waiting at the Shrine

Jon and I were delighted but Mr. B wasn't too sure about all of that mombo-jumbo stuff.

It was amazing!  Both Eckhart & Deepak shared such great information that I thought my head would explode. I could tell that Jon was taking it all in and getting it too!  Believe me there was a lot to "get".  When we left, Mr. B said he was amazed as well and followed most of what they said.  He also looks forward to learning more about awakening to a higher consciousness.

The next day we went to the beach and while Mr. B and Jon took a long walk, I stayed behind to take some photo's of the surfers as it was a "high wave advisory" and a beautiful day! I didn't know it at the time but I was coming down with a cold so I was feeling low energy. I had also seen a whale at Manhattan Beach the day before and I was hoping to get another glimpse!

After the beach we headed into old town Torrance to one of our favorite breakfast places and dined on the sidewalk.

As we headed to north-central Hollywood, I realized that this was the night of the Academy Awards.  Streets were blocked off right and left but lucky for us Jon was driving and he had an app on his phone that told him the quickest route.....well actually it was Morgan Freeman's voice on Waze that told us with authority what the best route was!

The wild animals at La Brea Tar Pits that are being excavated are roughly 40 - 11 thousand years old - that would be the Pleistocene period and it really is surrounded by downtown!

Replica of a mamma getting sucked into the tar and daddy & baby watching helplessly

 There were big bubbles coming up in the above tar pond which I though was just a touch Disneyland-ish but then was told that they are real methane gas bubbles.

These are the real bones that they have uncovered.  An early form of Camel and an adult & baby American Mastodon.  I even got to touch a Saber Toothed Cat skull that a guy was bringing out for display.  Mr. B and Jon were not so anxious to touch it but I was dumbstruck and probably had a fever that was affecting my thought process.

We had a wonderful dinner at a favorite Indian restaurant near where Jon used to live.  Monday Jon had to work so after a tearful goodbye, Mr. B and I headed home.  We did pass some beautiful wildflowers.....

And after a few warm days, the Almond trees looked like they were snowing.....

"In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you." --Deepak Chopra

In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you. Deepak Chopra
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/d/deepak_chopra.html

In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you. Deepak Chopra
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/d/deepak_chopra.html

Surfing in Tahoe?

Song - Say Hey (I Love You) Giants Version by Michael Franti & Spearhead

Just returned from a weekend wedding in Lake Tahoe.  My nephew Paul got married on Saturday and it was a wild & crazy day.....weather-wise!

Friday afternoon and evening were beautiful at the Lake.  We sat out on the deck and enjoyed the evening stars.  Chilly but clear and calm.

Saturday morning we woke to high winds.  The pine trees were thrashing against the cabin.

We visited with my beautiful parents, enjoyed the fall color, went to breakfast and then a drive.

My parents were in Tahoe for the wedding as well!

 


Due to the winds the waves were big for Lake Tahoe.

Then guess what we saw?????

Ashley dipping her toes in the ice cold water!  Burrrrr.......


AND


Surfers on the Lake!

Until this moment, I had only heard that sometimes you (not me but you!) can surf the Lake.

I personally was amazed!

Mr. B, Andy & Ashley, and Jon all voted to return to the cabin to light a fire and play Canasta with Tyler!

Out of 8 boxes of cards we could only find 1 that was complete.

So then guess what happened?

Yep.....it began to rain, then snow.  It was majestically beautiful!



And oh so very romantic for the wedding.............


.....except the bride and groom were planning on getting married outside!



But as the 4:00pm wedding time began to roll around, the sky parted and sunshine showed it's sweet little face.  I think Mother Nature heard the brides prayers!

The staff set the chairs up on the dock and lit the heat lamps.

Then guess what happened?

Grandma Betty and Grandma Tillie came out as the "flower girls"!

And the beautiful, happy bride Katie and her father came down the isle.

Sunset on Saturday night.



Sunday morning we woke to a warm and calm day.  Go figure!


A GIANT footnote about the wedding:

Now, my nephew and his dad (my brother) are Giant fans, so since the wedding was being held during game 4 of the World Series, they were kind enough to leave a TV on in a separate room so those of us that just couldn't stand the torture could occasionally peek!  It was a great win and wedding!

Thanks Paul & Katie!

Thanks Giants!


“I don’t have a great answer for that (inspirational speeches),” Pence said. “I’ve read a ton of books. Not one in particular, but I consciously try to find the good in everything in every situation that happens. Was it Voltaire who said, ‘I choose to be happy because it’s good for my health”? Why not? Even through some of the toughest things that’ll ever happen to you, there’s something that makes you stronger, something you can reframe to make it good. It’s what I believe. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but it makes me feel better.” --Hunter Pence (a Giant star!)

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