Birthday's Do Travel

Song - Buffalo Soldier by Bob Marley

I know that I have been missing in action lately but I just returned home tonight from a week long trip with my son, Andy and his girlfriend, Ashley as well as me and Mr. B.

We had a blast.

I will send out a post tomorrow with more details but meanwhile, can you guess where we have been?

Mika Musings

 Video - Talking Animals

Mika is one of those wonderful spirits who is happy 99.9% of the time, is a total Tom-Boy, loves to eat, likes to chase squirrels and crows, adores Mr. B and will great anyone with a tail wag.


However if you are new to her, she will great you with a little secret present.  She will follow you around until you notice that she has something in her mouth that she wants to present to you.  Usually it's a leaf, or pebble, an acorn or a little piece of dog turd.  Yup, that's our Tom-Girl.  So beware if you come to visit. I just sayin'.....

Mika & Max watching mom water the front yard

I thought she would miss Max, her best bud for 13 years. But because she lives in the moment she is happy.  Now occasionally I have noticed her looking around the house like something is different and she just can't quite put her paw on it - maybe mom got a new haircut or they painted the living room a different color. As long as she has her food, can get a few hundred hugs per day and can sleep on the bed with Mr. B & me, she is content.

For the last year, I have been taking both Max and Mika to both a great Western Med Vet and to a wonderful Holistic Vet, Dr. Rettig at Alternatives for Animals in Lafayette.  Mika suffers from Westie Lung Disease (Pulmonary Fibrosis) so there have been days when she is struggling to breathe.  Since being on Western meds & Eastern supplements and getting acupuncture every 6 weeks, she is a new girl.

Mika kinda bored with the whole thing but willing to wait it out for a treat at the end

Are we almost done?

Ahhh, good ol' liver treats!

"The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too." - Samuel Butler

Max

Max finally succumbed to kidney failure on Tuesday.  He was a good and proud dog until the very end.  He loved his backyard which he watched over diligently for trespassing squirrels or geese landing in his pool.  Max loved his morning meal with his best friend, Mika.  So much so that he would chase her around the kitchen island and she would in turn chase him until all of the throw rugs were up against the cabinets and finally his food was placed before him.  He also loved his evening strolls around the yard, watching out for mom who was watering plants and standing beside his dad, looking out over the creek habitat.  Miss you bud.

Max

Sept. 7, 1999 - June 25, 2013

"Don't cry because it's over.  Smile because it happened."  -- Dr. Seuss

Woodies on the Wharf 2013

 Song - Surf Medley by Jr. Brown live

Over the weekend Mr. B and I went to the 19th annual Woodies on the Wharf in Santa Cruz.  Although I am not a big car fan, when it comes to something vintage I can enjoy the history and wonder about it's survival up until now.

I spent a lot of time in Santa Cruz during my youth and I remember seeing woodies on Highway 17, with guys piled inside and surf boards on top of their car, on their way to Santa Cruz for a day of surfing.

Above is one that we passed on Friday, heading over the pass on 17 and reminiscent of a day gone by.

There were about 180 woodies there to great us at the end of the wharf. 

It was difficult to take photo's as there were so many people checking out the engine, interior, wood detail, etc.  But Mr. B taught me an exercise in patience that morning.  (yes, I know, hard to believe....) But he would be my lookout and let me know when there was a clearing in the group so I could take my shot with as few people as possible.

Loved the stickers in the windows.  Some were timeless.

They also had a beautiful surf board demonstration with Floyd Smith making handmade surfboards.

Some of the cars were quite old but still in great shape.

Pontiac hood ornament.

Edelbrock was and is famous for making specialized carburetors.  But before you think I really know my car parts....don't get excited, I only know this because my middle son, Jon, works for them in Torrance, CA.

Now who knows what this little handle on the steering wheel is?


Have you ever heard of a Necker Knob?

I have but only because my dear sweet dad had one! 

Wiktionary -
necker's knob (plural necker's knobs)
(idiomatic, slang, dated) A knob attached to the steering wheel of an automobile, especially before the widespread availability of power steering, helping the driver steer with one arm and leaving the other arm free to provide romantic attention to a companion.

 Daddy!!! Or maybe I should say MOM!  I am shocked at you two!!

The beauty of the wood was amazing both inside & out.

 

Does anyone remember these canvas bags hanging from cars?  Desert Bags.......for you young people out there, it carried water for the car so if your car overheated (and they often did) you had water handy when ever you needed it.  I am beginning to feel very old.....

This was one of my favorites.  I loved the color, the white walls and the outside sun visor - very sweet.  Mmmm.  It could hold a lot of painting supplies.....

My quote for the day is.....

For more information on Woodies on the Wharf - http://www.santacruzwoodies.com/june-22-2013-woodies-on-the-wharf/

Make a Wish and Blow

 Song - Birthday by Paul McCartney

My 60th birthday was on Sunday, June 9th! I reminded Mr. B that I didn't like big parties and at the last minute I decided we would head up to Tahoe which is the place I go to fill my soul. It was the best decision ever!

Thank you to my two cousins, Patty & Kari who now own the family cabin for sharing it with us! They recently had a beautiful new deck added and it was lovely to sit out there in the early morning and late afternoons.

I went up on Thursday with our two pups and the rest of the family came up on Friday night. I left a little later than I had planned.....you know how that goes.....just one more plant to water, one more load of laundry, oh yeah I should pay a few bills, got to pick up the dogs Rx before we leave, empty the garbage, and paintings needed to be dropped of at the gallery, etc.

But as soon as I smelled the pines in the Sierras, I was ready to relax and play.

I did my meditation out in the forest early Friday morning while listening to the various song birds and the breeze gently fluttering the Aspen trees around the cabin. There were millions of Spring wildflowers sprouting up all around.

At 9 am it was already warming up, which is unusual for Tahoe. I did some sketching and walked the dogs and did a little reading.  By 3 I headed for the beach and stayed until 6. I brought some wine in an empty water bottle, which leaked out in my bag.  The wine was floating around in a supermarket plastic bag and for one sec I thought about re-pouring it back into the bottle (as it was a rather expensive wine and one of my favorites - Frank Family), but as my son said later that that would of just felt desperate!! So I settled on reading and swimming.

The "boys of summer" were there to great me.

I headed home and cooked dinner for the family who arrived safely at around 8.

Saturday we spent the entire day at the beach and most of us returned to the cabin that night looking and feeling like red lobsters.  Even those that used sunscreen, missed a few choice spots!

Ashley, Andy & Tyler with Mt. Tallac in the background

 Some guys next to us had buried a large beach ball and were doing flips off of it. So fun to watch and I was glad no one broke anything - like their neck!!!

Mr. B had make lakeside reservations at Sunnyside for dinner.  It was an incredible evening of food, wine, family and glorious weather.

Andy & Ashley at Sunnyside dock

Tyler hamming it for the camera

When we returned to the cabin late that night we walked out to a clearing to look at the stars.  Tyler and I saw a shooting star within a few minutes! Then we headed inside for a friendly game of Canasta that lasted until 2am!

Sunday we were all too "beached out" so we drove to the ranger station where they were having a festival around what is native to the Lake Tahoe area.

Apparently bats are native......

Then we drove up to Fallen Leaf Lake Lodge for lunch out on the deck.

But see that one little cloud up there?



Looks pretty innocent huh?

Just you wait!

After a yummy lunch we drove up to the falls and Lilly Lake.

The only photo I have of all of us together on my birthday and it came out blurry - sorry.

Can you see that a few more clouds are gathering?

Lilly Lake

St. Francis of the Mountains

The kids all headed back to the Bay Area from there while Mr. B and I went back to the cabin to read & paint and snuggle the pups.

Mr. B poured me a nice glass of Chianti Classico while I stared a new painting.  To see the progress click HERE


While on the deck, the weather had turned to large dark clouds even though it was still warm outside.  The rolling thunder was continuous through the afternoon and evening.

That evening we had a lovely dinner at Scusa, a wonderful Italian restaurant nearby.

Monday I set up on the deck to paint and got in a few hours before the rains came.  We had a cozy day inside the cabin and around 3 decided to head home.

I always have a hard time saying goodbye to Tahoe but I am hoping we will be back in September!

Before the rains

"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have." - Frederick Keonig

Jeanette's Wren Resort

 Song - House Wren Singing

Yesterday afternoon my good friend Jill dropped by for a pool "float" and since it was 100 degrees in the shade, I decided to join her.  Well, one thing led to another and before we knew it we were sipping ice cold Margarita's and planning dinner.  Jill had yummy leftovers from her last nights dinner and fresh  Spring peas! 

We had a blast, catching up on old times & new adventures until about 12:30am when a little house guest decided to make a visit.

The following is the email I sent to Jill this morning......

Welcome to Jeanette's Wren Resort

You bring the dinner & I will provide the *entertainment!

*Entertainment may include all or some of the following-Swimming, 

floating, 

outdoor wood fire, 

margaritas, 

wine, 

hot tub (if operable), 

dog farts, 

discussion of the beginning phases of dry rot then moving into more severe types of rot and then into structural failure (That would be our Cabana Boy - Mr. B - who really knows how to provide his guests with a lively conversation - yawn!), 

a Red Tailed Hawk carrying a big ol' RAT that was still squirming right over our heads just moments after Jill stated that she had never seen a Hawk with a Rat only with a Snake), 

more dog farts, 

dogs wanting to float in the pool with you (even though you are really a cat lover), 

a live Wren flying through the house at midnight which is a sure sign you will die (eventually) while your host tries to capture it with a beach towel and you go screaming for your life from Jeanette's Wren Resort.  

But the real treat is when you are safely home, 
sleep pulling you into the depths of your pillow, 
you will get a wake up call 
where your host will accuse you of stealing her cell phone!

PS - better make sure you have a good attorney before booking a spot at Jeanette's Wren Resort!!!

Click HERE to check for future availability.

I tried for half an hour to catch the sweet little guy last night but he was just too fast for me.  So I woke this morning to a lovely little song from "Buddy". He went sailing outside when I opened up the French doors. Come visit again soon Buddy!!!

"Opie: Cage sure looks awful empty don't it, Paw? Andy: Yes, son, it sure does. But don't the trees seem nice and full" - The Andy Griffith Show

RAY

The Calm Waves at Lake Tahoe

 On May 14th, a wonderful family friend, Ray was seriously injured in a Motocross bike accident. Ray is one of those guys who is a friend to all and has a great heart.  He has a very close family and right now they need some help.



 



If you can, please help out Ray and his family by clicking below to read his full story and make a donation of any amount.

Thank you so much in advance!  --Jeanette

To Donate Click HERE

Close to the Curl

Song - Miserlou by Dick Dale & the Deltones

Mr. B and I headed to Santa Cruz over the long weekend with our two doggies.  We had some work to do on the cabin and we both needed some time to relax.

I even got some painting in!

We took long walks on the beach and collected little shots of nature and people out having fun.  Well, I did the "little shots" while Mr B pretended to pose for me so I could get some good shots of people behind him being "natural".

He also held little critters for me to take pictures of.  Actually, he is a handy little photo assistant!

This is a live Sand Dollar with a Barnacle attached to it.  Poor thing.....  Mr. B wanted to do surgery but I suggested we just throw it back into the water.

We came across all kinds of good finds....shells, jellyfish, crab shells, beautiful kites, Sand Dabs, Pelican's flying in formation, etc.

But the best find was a Longboard Surfing Competition at Steamer Lane!

When we were there, it was the "Grand Masters" heat.  That meant old guys over 60!

Here is the crowd watching the competition out near the lighthouse.

I'm not sure about the point system but apparently you get points for:

• Nose riding, trimming and stalling;
• Walking the board;
• Standard and crouching island pullouts;
• Bottom turns – full rail or from tail;
• Cut backs – drop knee or wide stance / sit down style;
• Top turn or re-entry.

Then this green guy came along and did this......

And this......

 Then he had to get back up again.....

The closer you are to the curl of the wave, the more points.

Then you needed to dismount gracefully..........mmm.....not like this guy!

THE END

“Out of water, I am nothing” --Duke Kahanamoku