WEDNESDAY WANDERINGS

On Wednesday morning we woke up to a wonderfully sunny day. Having finished the major part of our tiling project and it having to sit, untouched for 24 hours, we decided to take a drive to the Bay Area. We drove through the Napa-Sonoma area and then headed south on Highway 101 to Mill Valley. I used to go to a wonderful craft show in Mill Valley years ago and remember the town being really quaint and woodsy. Nothing seems to have changed there. It is still just as wonderful. If I had the money, I wouldn't mind living in that area because it is close to the ocean yet woodsy and it has a really mild climate. You can grow almost anything there and probably year 'round too! We didn't make it as far as Stinson beach but we did get to Mt. Tamalpais and Muir Beach. Lots of wonderful cliff homes in that area. And roads that have been bolstered because of slides. We even saw a coyote in an open field, just standing there for the longest time. Funny to think of such animals so close to such a big city as San Francisco.

Here's a shot of a bunker close to Muir beach. B's Dad used to man one of these. They are located up and down the coast and had telescopes mounted in them for viewing potential "enemies" coming ashore. Some had telescopes but some had guns mounted in them. World War II was a scary time for lots of people. But people who lived close to a coast felt particularly vulnerable. I remember my Mom talking of black-outs when she was growing up. Can you imagine San Francisco going completely dark?

This is a shot from the top of the mountain looking down at Mill Valley. Does any of this seem familiar to you Katherine? You lived here for many years and are probably very familiar with what I am talking about.

And this is from the same location but looking a little more toward San Francisco. (San Francisco would be on the far right of this photo). In the far back of this photo you can see Mt. Diablo in the haze. It was a wonderful day. We stopped at a really nice deli in Larkspur and bought lunch. It was one of those great markets with wooden floors, lots of cozy colors and a jam-packed parking lot because it was obviously very popular.

Today, as I am writing this, we have almost finished the project. There are so many things to do here before the holidays. I don't know why we decided to do this project before everyone arrives next week but it will be nice to have it somewhat finished before everyone sees it. Some people coming have never seen the house; others are just somewhat familiar with it. Whatever the case, it is now Friday night and it is pouring rain. I am hoping that before next Thursday, the weather decides to lighten up a bit. Thankfully, no one is spending the night here even though quite a few are coming from long distances. It would be nice to be able to shuffle some people outside during the day. I suppose it if does continue to rain, we will have one cozy house. Sixteen people will probably be the most I have ever had for dinner. People don't seem to mind being crowded. Just give them some good food and something to drink and they are happy.