All About California

Driving through Arizona, then eastern California, was dry and a desert. But when we came over a mountain pass and it turned into full blown spring, I realized that spring has sprung. Shockingly green, colorful wildflowers and a big smile from me.






The almond trees were in full bloom too. Miles and miles and miles of almond trees.


and 'trees' of another sort. Miles of wind turbines.




I know there is controversy over wind turbines but I think we really do need alternative sources and why not use what we already have? I grew up with so much wind that I really hate it. But I still live with wind and if we had a small wind turbine in our back field, I think I wouldn't mind the wind so much.


When I sent out my last newsletter explaining that I would be closed for a couple weeks as I was traveling to California with a friend and her dog, I got an e-mail back from a customer of mine, JJ. She offered to take us to lunch at Harris Ranch. Well it was right on our way, so I took her up on it. We were too late for lunch so she treated us to yummy berry cobbler with home made ice cream. I had never met JJ, the only correspondence prior to this was to send her yarn. But when we met, we gave each other a hug then posed for a picture and another good bye hug. I told Ann that I couldn't see men doing this!


After a good night's sleep at Ann's home away from home in Davis, we wasted no time and on our first full day there we drove (yeah, didn't get enough miles in at 3200!) over the mountain to Napa Valley to sample wines.


We stopped at Paradux first, an offshoot (pun intended) of Duckhorn Vineyards.


It was pouring down rain so we hustled into the relative warmth and light of the tasting room.


Our wine server helped us 'stage' our samplings with their beautiful descriptive cards. Did I mention I LOVE wine!?


We visited Duckhorn Vineyard where Ann's daughter, Abi, works. It has beautiful grounds and the tasting rooms are housed in a lovely building with a very wide porch that takes in the lovely plantings.


Here's Abi, giving us the thumbs up at how great their wines are. She served us sample after sample of various wines and some delicious cheeses and crackers. I could have stayed for hours!


After visiting the wineries, we took in a bit of St. Helena, where Abi lives. Great shops, especially this one that was filled with whacky art, sculptures and adornments.


I couldn't resist taking a pic of this adorable bike. I called this bike Sherbet. (sure bet I could ride this bike around with a smile on my face!) Yeah, spring is in the air! At least in California it was.


We met Ann's husband, Ed at the Palms, an old theater in Winters, near Davis. The Trailerpark Troubadours entertained us for a few hours.


Their raucous rockabilly type music was funny and the lyrics were very amusing, very trailerparky.


Next day, off to Berkeley, to do a little window shopping and visit friends. This amazing 'bouquet' is in Anthropology, a hanging extravaganza of cut plastic bottles to form flowers and suspended from the ceiling. They have the most creative people doing their displays.


I got to see some old friends from the DC area. Jon, Finn and Jen, lovely as always. They live in a great neighborhood that I would have loved to just bike around and look at the architecture of the houses. I really like the fact that people there live in a much smaller home that is so totally charming. I love the Spanish style and the colors and the landscaping and everything!


I thought this was so clever too.


From there I took Bart to my brother and sister-in-laws place in Los Altos. I hadn't seen them in about 5 years so it was good to catch up. These are Jim and Pam's 2 dogs, Jeeves and Opal, who are the most well behaved dogs I've met. When we went walking in a large park on the Stanford campus, they were off leash the entire time, bounding through the tall grass and totally enjoying themselves. But with just a slight whistle, they were at Jim and Pam's sides, sitting at the curb watching traffic whiz by. A command of "Walk with me" got them walking across the busy street right in stride with us, not too fast, not too slow. Pam said with just a few month's training as puppies, you have an entire life of obedient dogs.


We walked through an extensive cactus garden, enjoying the variety of succulents, even when the paths had huge puddles of rain water. It needs to dry out a bit more for these arid loving plants to survive.


I especially liked this one, although I'm not sure what type it is. It has the most remarkable offset patterning on the backside of the leaves or petals or whatever they are.

Road Tripping

I've been having too much fun riding across wide western states and visiting friends and family. I've seen so much and have gotten to catch up with so many friends. We traveled through Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas and stopped in Albuquerque to visit a number of friends.


But first we had to have authentic Mexican food. We were starving and truly enjoyed the chile relleno. This was once a 1960's roadstop, so we were a bit surprised (and delighted) that we walked into a Mexican cafe.


The desert always amazes me. It's really not my type of landscape. I prefer the lushness of the trees and the softer mountains of the east. Growing up in South Dakota, I've had my share of arid landscape. But the desert really is beautiful, even in the winter.


Nancy is my childhood friend, both of us growing up in Dakota and even going away to college together. She now lives in Albuquerque along the foothills of the Sandia Mountains. We hiked a bit along the extensive trail system that meanders immediately behind the new homes in the foothills.


I met Dagmar when she came for studio tours to buy wool. She moved to New Mexico 2 years ago and we've kept in touch. Now she is participating in a studio tour in Albuquerque, selling her handspun and handknit items.


We left the sun behind and again traveled into snow.


We spent the night near Flagstaff at Vicki and Jay's place, friends of Ann's. Oh, and the Great Dane.


It's good we had the Subaru. Cars were spinning out, but the Sube did just great.


Still snowing. It's hard to believe we could go from feet of snow, not nearly 70 degrees in just a few hours.


Ann and Boomer on Route 66.


Saligman is a kitchy little town right on Route 66. It's a bit past its prime but you can tell it was popular during the 60's. We had a nice lunch at Roadkill Cafe.






Our longest stay on the trip was at Chez Darlene in Lake Havasu, Arizona. My mom has lived here for about 15 years now.


It's really too bad that we live so far apart. We only see each other once or twice a year. She is such a sweetie and I'd love to spend more time with her. But she doesn't like the cold and I'm not about to move to Arizona. We'll just have to use those airplanes more.


It was a thrill to pick fresh oranges right from her tree. This one looks like a 'pear-orange'.


My favorite thing to do here is to hike in this slot canyon right outside of town. The trail goes all the way to the Colorado River but that's a long hike and we didn't have the time. We did have to go down this 10' drop which luckily had this sort of ladder to use. Ann's dog, Boomer, did NOT want to go down the rocks but we got him down by pushing him over the edge and me catching him below. But.... we hiked just a bit further and came upon a pool of water that was 2' deep. Boomer was not amused and we really didn't want to get so wet. So we had to turn around and go UP the slippery rock wall. To say getting a large dog up these rocks was a challenge is an understatement. I got up first and Ann tried to lift Boomer up but he was so scared and just shivering. Ann held him with her head for a bit while I tried to reach down to him, but that didn't work. Luckily there were some other folks in the slot who didn't feel like going through the water so with 4 more people, we were able to lift Boomer up and all was good.


We decided to walk up to the view of the river and were rewarded with seeing the mountain goats who live on the peaks.

On the Road

Rice fields....in Arkansas...who knew?! Miles and miles of rice fields on the flattest land I've ever seen.


Stopping in for an overnight at Ann's friends in Pine Bluff, AK. Ann and George were very gracious southern hosts, plying us with great southern cooking, including cheese grits and tomato aspic.


We heart Love's gas, especially when the empty light comes on.


Still in the snow in Tennessee.


We drove down this gravel road to Bucksnort Trout Ranch, mostly because of its name but also from a tip from Ann's nephew who said it was a great chance to catch trout and have the 'ranch hands' filet it and wrap it up for you. But alas, they were closed....no trout this time of year.


We had to stop at any yarn shop that just happened to be on the way, not too far off our route.


This happens to be one in Virginia (Fibersmyth) that carries Dancing Leaf Farm yarn. It's a great little shop, colorful and well stocked and for an added bonus it has a tea and scone place (Tea and Crumpet) in the next room over.

Snowsover

Garrett was snowed in for a couple days here on the farm and took these shots with his wide angle lens. (more) This is our stand of pines behind our house that used to act as a wind break but the wind broke most of the lower branches and now the drifts just pile up beyond them.


The big dig out.

The sheep were smart and stayed hunkered down in the barn throughout most of the storm. The venture out just a few feet from the barn. With their pointy, skinny legs, it's not easy walking in the 3' - 4' banks of snow.


I've been letting the chickens out of their coop as their chicken run is totally snowed over. They visit the sheep in the barn and I've even seen them lying between 2 sheep. They sneak out to the hay, make a cute little round nest and lay their eggs. The smartest thing I did the day before the storm was to have Jay, the hay guy deliver 75 bales of hay, hauled and stacked. He just made it into the field as the flurries started. I felt so secure having all that hay in the barn (like getting milk and bread in the house!)

As the snow starts melting, this is what is coming off the back barn roof. It's a metal roof and you can see the ridges from the roof in the snow. It's really windy here and this massive 'snow roof' is blowing towards the barn.

But inside, we're all warm and cozy.

Garrett took these pix up in Cumberland when he was snowed in there during the first storm.

Looking down our street.

...and our snow covered home in Cumberland

A Sweet Valentine

This bakery in Cumberland always has over-the-top cakes and confections in their window.


A little nod to the Olympics.


I don't think anyone could actually eat one of these cakes, they look sickenly sweet.

Remember those little valentine's we would stuff into our classmates' decorated boxes when we were in elementary school?! Hoep you all have a great V-Day!