THIS MORNING

This is what I woke up to this morning: almost 2 inches of snow!! Isn't it almost April?? Surprising what nature has in store for us, isn't it? You can go to bed thinking it "might" rain, and wake up with the world outside all white. Even the weather people didn't predict this. Of course, they hardly EVER get it right, at least in my estimation. I hear today that there is warmth in the center part of the U.S. and also the eastern section of our country. Can I predict that you all will be seeing a bit of a change in the next few days? I think so!! Let me know if I am wrong. Maybe I should be a weather person!!

A WALK IN THE WOODS

NEW BUDS ON THE TREE IN FRONT OF OUR HOUSE. (YOU CAN SEE THE HOUSE THERE ON THE RIGHT--BLURRY IMAGE OF HOUSE AND VW IN FRONT).

LIKE MELANIE I WAS FOCUSING ON THE DETAILS SUNDAY WHEN I WENT FOR MY WALK.

THE INCREDIBLE FORCE OF NATURE--NOTHING CAN STOP IT--IT WILL PUSH RIGHT THROUGH UNTIL IT GETS WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.

SAVED, IF ONLY FOR A BRIEF AMOUNT OF TIME. EVENTUALLY, EVERYTHING DISINTEGRATES AND BECOMES FOOD FOR WHAT COMES NEXT.

I SAW AN ANGEL IN THIS PIECE OF DISINTEGRATING WOOD. DO YOU SEE IT TOO? HER HEAD IS BENT DOWN, LEFT ARM CLOSE TO HER BLOUSE, GREY SKIRT FROM WAIST DOWN TO THE GROUND, WINGS OPENING AT HER BACK. I THINK THAT SHE IS BEAUTIFUL!

YELLOW

CONJURES UP MANY THOUGHTS.

COMPLEXION

DISEASE

RIPE LEMONS OR SUNFLOWERS

JOURNALISM

COLOR BETWEEN GREEN AND ORANGE.

FEVER

MOSQUITO

TUNA

JACK

JACKET

LEGS

AND PAGES.

YES...PAGES.

BETWEEN BEING LOST

AND BEING FOUND

I RESIDE.

I PUSH UP GENTLY,

TIPPING MY HEAD

WHEN I FINALLY ARRIVE.

WILL I TURN YELLOW?

YELL?

OH!

AROUND TOWN

I'm running late tonight and didn't have much planned to post so I thought that I would share Dr. Fox's statues. Dr. Fox is a dentist in Auburn and he has made these incredible works of art. Some have been located around town but these two (actually there are a couple more here too but they are a bit more, shall be say, questionable) are still located next to his office. You can see how large they are based on the comparison with the van located against the building. I guess Dr. Fox got tired of working really small in people's mouths and decided to sculpt something large instead.

LOVE COMES WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT

On Friday morning my 90+ year old Uncle lost his very dear friend who had just turned 88 in February. She was affectionately known to us as Angie.

My Uncle met her at the McBride Senior Center in Vacaville where Angie was taking painting classes. They fell instantly in love and have been an item ever since, which is approximately 3 years. After his wife passed away from a long illness with cancer, my Uncle Cy never thought that he would ever find anyone to share life's precious moments with. But there, in the senior center, he met Angie.

Angie was an avid painter, lived entirely on her own out in the countryside in a house that sat up on a knoll overlooking a beautiful pond. She was self-sufficient and still managed the family business. She had four wonderful children and one lovely granddaughter. When I visited her home yesterday for the first time, I was amazed at how prolific she was with her painting. There were paintings on every wall in every room of the house. Lovely, wonderful paintings filled with flowers and lush scenes. She painted happy paintings. It touched me deeply to see her work. You can see a person's soul in the work they produce on a canvas. Angie was a happy, well-loved, soulful person. I could see it in her paintings. I wanted to take photos of her work but did not think it was appropriate. Maybe some day I will be allowed to share some of her work in my blog.

Until then: I was glad that I got to meet and know you Angie. I thank you for making my Uncle Cy's life joyful and happy. He found love in the winter of his life. He will miss you. He already does. He doesn't know what to do with himself now and feels that he has nothing to live for. You took great care of him and now he is spoiled and lonely without you.

Life is mysterious, isn't it? People find love when they least expect it and in the most unlikely places. But...they find it! That is what is important. When you give love, you get love. My Uncle Cy loves deeply. He will be turning 91 the end of May. I hope that he continues to find the love in his life that keeps him so vital and alive. Love comes when we least expect it. And it can strike more than once in a person's lifetime.

"The Universe has a violent as well as a harmonious aspect, but it is consistently creative in the larger arc of its development." Thomas Berry

IN LOVING MEMORY

ANGELINA LOMBARDO

FEBRUARY 2, 1922-MARCH 26, 2010

WHAT'S BUGGING YOU?

This moth was recently found in the wine country of Napa, California and because of that and its proximity to Placer County, I was called back into action as a bug trapper! It has been a while since I have done this but they wanted someone with experience so that they wouldn't have to waste valuable time training someone. Apparently, I came highly recommended. I received the message on my answering machine late one afternoon and the next day the job was mine. I guess you never really retire, do you!This European Grape Vine Moth is the first set of traps to go into the field. In two weeks I go back and check to see if anything is in the trap (hopefully not!) and then start setting the next traps out for the citrus orchards.
A trap will go into fruit orchards in Placer County. In this area of California there are vast amounts of orchards for mandarin oranges as well as all the stone fruits. I will be kept very busy for the entire summer.
Meet my other familiar bug friends: Japanese beetle, Medfly, Oriental fruit fly, Gypsy moth, and Mexican fruit fly.



This job will go from March until the end of October and then I will have the next 4-5 months off. I really enjoy this job for a few reasons: the people I work for are really nice and down-to-earth (my supervisor is my daughters' age), I am on my own daily when I am in the field so there are many opportunities to see parts of the county that I have never seen before and hopefully, take some great pictures. I also like the flexibility of the job. I can pick my own hours daily just as long as I get the job done and when I am done: I can leave! I could NEVER do an office job again...ever! The thought of sitting inside a stale building (maybe) looking out of a window, and just basically having a portion of the office with a cubicle does not appeal to me at all. I know there are some people that do these jobs day in and day out but for me, it just would NOT work. So, this is the next best thing to not working in my mind.

I like these kind of seasonal jobs. Just when you're wishing that you didn't have to work any more, the job is over for the season. They give me a county truck to drive on my route so I don't have to use my own vehicle except to get there and back. The hardest part for me is getting up in the morning. I am not a morning person generally. I like to stay up late at night and as such, have gotten adjusted to that sort of schedule. Thank goodness for the DVR! Anything on television that I "need" to watch can be taped until I have the time to watch it at a later date. Oh---modern conveniences---what would we do without them?

REST --- ASSURED

REST DOESN'T COME FROM SLEEPING BUT IT COMES FROM WAKING.

MAGPIE TALES TUESDAY

BRAD OR NAILS?

Look at me-----

spilling out in every direction.

If we talk of Nails

then I am slender (usually pointed)

and am designed to be pounded in.

I can also detect,

expose so as to discredit

or put out a runner.

Look at my nails----

a horny sheath growing

at the end of my fingers

(and toes).

I used to bite these horny sheaths

filled with germs and food

and god-knows-what-else!

If we talk of Brad,

then I am the same thickness

throughout.

I taper in width, however---

slight projection

at the top of one side

instead of a head.

What do you call this "slight" projection?

Slender?

Wire Nail?

I have a barrel-shaped head.

I am not American quality.

I'm in the "company" of

"steal"

AND

"why are?"

Terminated---

Nailed---

His eye on the crack!

Catch me,

trap me,

strike me,

hit me.

I am NAIL

not BRAD.

THE STAFF OF LIFE

Recently, our friends Frank and Kathy went on a week-long trip and asked us to watch their cat Winston. Winston is a wonderful cat! He is playful and rolls over for me when I get down on the floor and rub his head, back and tummy. If ever I was to have a cat, Winston would be the kind of cat I would want. Kathy has always had good luck picking cats. Winston is no exception! On their way home they came through Bishop, California. A local favorite in Bishop is Erick Schat's Bakkery--Home of the original Sheepherder bread. (Bakkery is not mis-spelled...it is the way it is on the brochure).

Frank and Kathy brought home three loaves of bread from the "bakkery" for us: an extra sourdough, a 12 grain, and sheepherder bread for which the "bakkery" is famous for. When we got home today with our three loaves I made myself a grilled-cheese on the extra sourdough . I wish you were here to join me because it was just so delicious.

Here's the three loaves fresh from Bishop, California. Below is the brochure for the bread. You can order it on-line and they will ship it to you! I just might have to do that one of these days.
FROM INSIDE THE BROCHURE: "The original Sheepherder Bread (1938) was introduced to the Owens Valley during the California Gold Rush by immigrant Basque sheepherders who missed the bread of their homeland.They shaped loaves of their traditional bread by hand, used stone ovens for baking, and produced the first sheepherder bread. Even today we shape the loaves by hand and bake in the finest European Stone Hearth Ovens. The Original Sheepherder Bread (1938), as well as all other delicious products, are made of only the purest ingredients: Well water from the Sierra, stone ground unbleached flour, and never any chemicals. Just like our bread, our pastries are made with only the finest ingredients. Real butter, grade AA eggs, unbleached flour, cane sugar, and artesian well water. We go to the growers to inspect and purchase our almonds and almond paste, pecans, and walnuts. Please enjoy our high quality delicious products."

Check out their website. Besides bread they offer variety loaves such as banana walnut, blueberry walnut or cranberry walnut as well as rolls, pastries, pound cakes, pullaways, cinnamon loaves, cookies, preserves and honey, Dutch specialties and even such things as peppers, jerky, bread dippers, bread spreads and dips, and candies--even sugar-free gummy bears, peanut brittle, and salt water taffy! I don't think you'd be disappointed, that's for sure!

Thanks Frank and Kathy for the special delivery. I'll think about you every time I take a bite of my wonderful bread for the next week or so. And Winston...convince your Mom and Dad to take another trip so I can come and play with you again. I already miss you.

SUNNY SATURDAY

The title of today's blog is "Sunny Saturday", which it is here in the Sierra Foothills BUT, this photo is not from today. Each Sunday my twin daughters and I have been going on walks together and this shot was taken by my daughter Kimberly on a recent Sunday walk. Isn't it a gorgeous shot of the Sierras? We live in a truly awe-inspiring place. I know that when you live in a place for awhile you tend to take the beauty of it for granted. I know I am guilty of this because if I can just get away for a week or so and then come back, I realize just how really beautiful it is where I live. I really am blessed to live here. This photo is looking east toward Lake Tahoe and Reno, Nevada.

I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and every weekend when I was of driving age, I would get in my car and head for the hills. I always wanted to live in the country. Sure, there are things that I love about the city but most of those things can be accessed any time by a relatively short drive. Living in the Foothills affords me the peace and quiet that I require to make my life comfortable and because it is so centrally located I am within a day's drive to the desert, the mountains, the city, the ocean and even the redwoods. You can't say that about every place. I guess that's why this is a good fit for me.

When I worked at the local hardware store in town people who had just moved to town would invariably find their way to the hardware store. They would need some picture hangers or some paint, or propane for their BBQ's. Maybe even some flowers or seeds for their new garden spaces. It was always amazing to me how people had found our small town.

You really have to want to live here because getting here is not easy. And, generally not for the faint of heart. You have to go down a winding canyon road, cross a river, wind back up a winding canyon road and still have probably 10-15 more miles of two-lane road to travel before you hit "town". But, home is where the heart is, or so they say. One of my friends who also used to live in the Bay Area, knew the minute she laid eyes on this town that this is where she wanted to be. She is a very spiritual person and somehow this place spoke to her. It was that way for me too.

We purchased the first piece of property that our real estate person showed us. It didn't have any water (we later had a well drilled), it didn't have electricity (we lived with a generator until enough people moved in around us to afford the price) and it didn't have a phone. We lived without a phone for years and were so excited when finally we were able to purchase a bag phone for our car! Remember those? Huge and bulky but they did the trick at the time. They plugged into the cigarette lighter. We still have ours on a shelf in the garage. I guess it will be a relic one of these days (if it already isn't).

My daughters used to be in awe of electric lights when we went to my Mom's. They would stand on the chair and flick the light on and off and on and off marveling at the way the light would turn on. We were using kerosene lights at the time and also a few electric lights if the generator was turned on. For TV we had a AC/DC television plug that we could attach to our car battery. And our refrigerator was run by propane and came out of an RV. Like I said: you really had to WANT to live here to live here.

I haven't really minded what other people would probably consider inconveniences. It makes you appreciate everything that you have and have had to work for. We built our house with our own two hands, every rock, plant and bush has been planted with our own two hands (except for the native stuff that was here when we arrived) and we have enjoyed and planned it all every step of the way. When other people were out having vacations or taking weekend drives, we were chopping and stacking firewood for the winter. I don't think that we have given up all that much though. We have noticed the small things along the way. We have studied the details and know every inch of our property and house. Not everyone can say that.

I don't think that if I had the opportunity to change anything that I would. I think the lifestyle we chose was good for our daughters, it was good for us, and it has been peaceful. We gave up a lot along the way. I quit my job to stay at home with my girls and we didn't have the finer things in life but that stuff wasn't important to us. We had each other. And to this day, that is still true. We are a close-knit family. We talk about everything with each other. I don't think that there are any secrets between any of us. And, we still count of each other to this day. I guess I would have to say that it has not only been a sunny Saturday but a sunny lifetime. I am truly blessed!

MY WISH FOR YOU

Today, Melanie has inspired me immensely. She is off to a retreat for four days and she describes it on her blog. You can read it here. I hope that she is having a wonderful time because the retreat is focused on chanting and practicing kindness, not for herself, but for others. I am honored to know that she is on the east coast, devoting her time to make our world a better place. I know that it has affected me tonight as I read her blog and I am hoping that it affects everyone else that reads it in the same way. Thank you, Melanie. You are a wonderful friend.

I have been saddened lately that I no longer have a long-time friend in my life. But, I realize that the kindness that I thought I was extending was not received as it was intended. I was treated to silence for months; left to try and figure out what I had done to deserve such treatment. It never got sorted out and probably never will. For that I am sorry but I also have realized that no amount of talking to someone that will not discuss issues openly can ever lead to any compromise. And that, ultimately, was what we were going to have to arrive at: a compromise. It was described to me as a debate. No, not a debate, just discussion. Communication requires discussion and questions. So, Melanie has helped me through her article to become aware of how little control I actually have of the problem. And, that it is important to let it and the relationship go.

All I can do is send loving thoughts. I know in my heart that my actions and words were meant only out of love and concern. I admit that my feelings were hurt but I am human and entitled to my feelings and emotions. No one has the right to say that someone doesn't have the right to feel a certain way.

I have been reading some very incredible poetry lately on these blogs. Brian, over at Way Station One writes the most incredible stuff. Yesterday, he brought me to tears with a poem about Breakfast. It was filled with sadness, emotion, regret, and heart-wrenching pain. He really knows how to feel his emotions. Some might say it is not good to put all that "out there" for others to read. I disagree. I think that by writing about all that pain, all that sadness, all that hurt is a catharsis and helps to get it out where it can be examined and sorted out. It is not healthy to keep all that bottled up inside of one's self. Brian: I applaud you for you genuine honesty with your feelings. It is blogs like yours that I look forward to reading because they are filled with what we are all made up of.

Anyone can write fluff blogs; all that general stuff about what they ate for dinner, where they went shopping, what kind of cars they drive, etc. but not everyone can touch the very core of a person's emotions and bring it forth so eloquently. Brian does this in his blog. He is in my blog roll in my sidebar. He does a few group poetry challenges it looks like. I am in one with him that is hosted by Willow. She is another one who is so deep and writes from her soul.

I really think that I have only just begun to tap into the wealth of writing in this virtual world. I am so impressed with what I have found so far and I know there is just much more to come. So, follow your hearts everyone. Do what your intuition tells you to do and share you thoughts and emotions. And send some love to those who choose to not be in your lives. It might not change them but it will certainly change you. After all, if you took our emotions away we would just be mammals that cannot reason. Sometimes reason is all we have: reason to live, reason to love, reason to be happy, reason to work, reason to get married, reason to write, reason to sing, reason to go to school, reason to wake up, reason to...There are a million reasons to...

FOURTH STREET WINDOWS

After we ate our wonderful lunch at Spenger's, we drove to Fourth Street which is loaded with stores both great and small. I spotted this tree mural on the way there. Maybe it's just a bunch of leaves instead of a tree. Oh well...it has a shadow of a tree on it from the living tree to the left of it which technically makes it LOOK like a tree with leaves!

A typical telephone pole in the city. This just does NOT happen where I live. I guess that is a good sign or a bad sign, depending on how you look at it. Sometimes it would be fun to have it loaded with information about upcoming events. Other times it is nice to have nothing much going on and not focus on the poles at all but rather have them disappear into the background.

OK----A great furniture store with the great chaise out in front.

The opposite side of the great furniture store.

A wall on the inside of the furniture store. I just love black and whites.

Check out these great lights! Aren't they just too good?

And these..............
And these???? My Mom used to have an aluminum chair like one of these. (How many of you can pronounce 'aluminum'?) Did you know I used to have a friend who absolutely COULD NOT? And it wasn't because she was from England, where they pronounce it Al-U-MIN-IUM either. She just could NOT pronounce that word. I like it when my friends from Canada pronounce things such as schedule. To them it is SHEDS-UAL (Or something kind of like that). Funny how where you live determines how you pronounce things and sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you cannot ever change that. It makes things interesting, doesn't it?

OUT AND ABOUT

Reading my current issue of County Living Magazine tonight I noticed that they have featured Bisbee, Arizona and they list retro places to eat such as The Shady Dell Motor court and they even list the Shady Dell trailer court where you can stay in Airstreams which are outfitted with retro accessories such as board games and percolator coffeepots! I don't think I'd even be able to figure out how to make coffee with a percolator. Give me that "instant button" to push every time...or Starbuck's! This leads me to the next part of our trip to Berkeley on Saturday which was when we went to Spenger's Fish Grotto and ate lunch.
Here's an old photograph that I took a picture of that was hanging in the entrance. All those cars are definitely from the 1950's, right?
Here's a photo of Frank Spenger with the twins. (I'm not sure who the twins are but liked the fact that he and I shared something in common!) If I read it correctly it says that the year was 1912.

A photo of the fish they caught in those days, probably for the restaurant, wouldn't you think?

Here's a photo of President Roosevelt's 40' barge at Mare Island. Some of the lights and gear are on display at the Grotto.

Here's someone that you all will recognize: Jacques Cousteau. It didn't say what year this was. I wonder if he liked the fish and chips at the Grotto!

This is one of my twins and her husband ordering food for lunch.

Here's one of the items you can see on the walls and the ceilings as you look around the room. There is a plethora of things to see. I could have taken many more photos, that's for sure. Such history in this place.

A shot of the inside where you can see the shape of the ceiling, a huge vase behind our table and great lights on the ceilings.

A sign over the bar area.

And finally, some of the ships models that are located throughout the entire place. I think anyone who has an affinity for nautical history would love this place. I wish that I would have had more time to really look around, but alas, we were parked in the parking lot that DIDN'T validate our parking ticket and we still wanted to go browse the shops on 4th Street. Mary Ann from Blue Sky Dreaming, you might recognize some of the stores in tomorrow's post. Or not. It was my first time on 4th Street so I was just overwhelmed at everything that is there. Spent time in Sur la Table, where I purchased a ravioli maker. Has anyone ever made raviolis? I saw Giada make some the other day on the food network and they looked so delicious and easy that the ravioli maker was a must. Can't wait to have my weekend free to try it out. Working 5 days a week is a big adjustment but when an employer comes looking for YOU, you just have to accept. Great things are in store for me. See you on 4th Street tomorrow!

MAGPIE TALES TUESDAY

My hands:

Feel.

Touch.

Scratch backs.

Hold books,

pens,

paint brushes,

needles and thread.

Grasp.

Pinch.

Clench.

Pet animals.

Whisk.

Chop.

Pour food.

Pray.

Reach.

Point fingers at me

and sometimes others

(mostly others---

my fatal flaw.)

Can I change procedures?

Pointing fingers?

With the help of

Other's (hands)

YES!

Hands that

Touch.

Caress.

Reach out.

Finesse.

My hands?

Shape words

such as "I love you"

on one hand.

Speak for me when my mouth

cannot.

Dictate.

Enunciate.

Adjudicate.

Enthusiastically state:

AMELIORATE.

STOREFRONTS

I have been going to Bill's Trading Post since my high school days. It was owned by the relative (Aunt Peggy) of a friend of mine in high school. In those days it was just one space. It now encompasses two rooms adjoined by an opening. I have some really great American Indian jewelry from this place: beautiful rings, sand paintings, weavings, and even a bear fetish which is believed to have power. The bear is the giver of strength and has an arrowhead bundle tied on its back which is an offering for favors already received or hoped for.

A store close to Bill's Trading Post that shows you that I was indeed in Berkeley and Yes! They still do tie-dyed tee shirts----with PEACE SIGNS!!! You can see the Bear sign on one of them. The Cal Bear is the symbol for UC Berkeley.
And last but certainly not least-----------belly bombs (also known as DONUTS). No matter how bad I know they are for me, does that EVER stop me from wanting one or three? How about a dozen? I haven't had a donut in years and I didn't break my streak on this day. A picture is worth a thousand words they say. I just drooled, snapped a photo and walked on by. Next we headed to Spenger's for lunch. A delicious lunch down by the water. I'll post those images tomorrow. In the meantime, enjoy your Monday and a virtual donut on me.

SATURDAY'S ROAD TRIP

When we went to bed on Friday it was pouring rain. But when we woke up on Saturday morning, it was a beautiful day in the neighborhood! So, the four of us loaded up in the car and headed down to Berkeley. My daughter has a friend from U.C. Davis who now lives and works in Berkeley and we had been wanting to go down there for quite some time. We drove to one of my favorite streets that I have been visiting since my late teens: Ashby Street. Ashby Street runs east and west and it is at the eastern end of Ashby that you will find one of my favorite stores. It is "Tail of the Yak" located at 2632 Ashby Avenue in Berkeley, California 94705. Below are some of the photos I took while shopping. Look how incredible this store is decorated!








We had an entirely wonderful day. The weather was absolutely perfect; hardly a cloud in the sky. As we arrived in Berkeley, the view to San Francisco was spectacular. There were sail boats on the water, the skyline was crystal clear so you could see all the details of the buildings clear across the bay, and there wasn't much traffic. I would surmise that most everyone headed up the mountain to the snow. We had our fill of snow in the last few weeks so a trip to the bay was the perfect foil. Tomorrow when I get home from work I will post more pictures from the road trip.

For me the city is filled with such wonder. Living here in the trees, devoid of stimulus such as unique architecture, store-fronts filled with every thing you can imagine, wonderful animals on every corner (we saw so many different kinds of dogs AND cats this day!), and of course, people of ALL sorts of persuasions (remember: we were in Berkeley which has a rich political history, to say the least) has its limitations. You can only take so many photos of trees, shrubs and fungus. But the city...ahhhhhh! That is another story. There were things on every corner that piqued my interest. The Saturday road trip will continue for me for the next few days on my blog which will enable me to do my job AND post. Have a great week everyone. I will be thinking of you. And, remember to check out Willow's Magpie Tales blog on Tuesdays (link on the sidebar). I have found some really great writers over there and it has really been fun for me to be a participant as well.