THURSDAY & FRIDAY, AUGUST 20 & 21

THURSDAY & FRIDAY, AUGUST 20 & 21:

      Slow, relaxed days. Cool (in the 60's) both days, and it stayed overcast all day on Thursday. We did some grocery shopping and otherwise just hung out and rested in the RV. Late in the afternoon, it looked as if the sun might make an appearance, so we drove the few miles up Hwy 1 to MacKerricher State Park, which is right on the sea. Took a little walk along a nice boardwalk and enjoyed the waves and rocky coastline.

 

                                                                             

     On Friday, drove down to Mendocino, about 7-8 miles south. Another charming coastal town with lots of artists, galleries, etc. I'd come across an artist whose style I really liked, and was looking for something for the stair landing, so we targeted the gallery which features her work (and sells prints). An employee, and later the owner herself, were both very, very nice and helpful, and helped us make a final selection of the prints we thought we'd be most happy with.

      As we left town, we couldn't help but notice flashy deep pink flowers all around, even in an empty lot. (We later learned they were Amaryllis, or Naked Ladies.)

      Came home, got some lunch, and took advantage of the sun being mostly out and warming things up a bit to visit the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, right up the road less than a mile from us. A gorgeous place, small enough that you can pretty much take it all in within a couple of relaxed hours. Their perennials were at their peak,

 

                                                                  

                                               Whimsical dragon:  "You may pet, but please don't sit on him!"

 
                                               More amaryllis, or Naked Ladies:

as was their specialty dahlia garden.

                                                                      

The garden's signature plant, Rhododendron, are past blooming now, but their pretty foilage was everywhere (as is true here in the RV park). And then there are the quiet forests with redwoods, conifers, & ferns on the path which leads to overlooks of the ocean. 

 

                                                        

 

     Back home, I relaxed while Bill ran up to the local Safeway to pick up some prescriptions, and called about an hour later saying that the truck wouldn't start. We hadn't had any incidents since San Diego! He was just about to get his bike down from the truck to ride home when he tried it again, and it started. I think the advice that the mechanic in Santee gave him about letting the engine set a few moments between turning the key on and hitting the starter is valid . . . but there are still quirks. Anyway, we were just very thankful that this time only took less than an hour to resolve.

      We got out the bar-b-que and started a fire and grilled fresh locally-caught king salmon and veggies. With a salad and warmed-up sourdough bread left over from San Francisco, it made for a delicious meal on a cool, quiet night. It's pitch black now by 8:30. Feels so snug in our RV, surrounded by vegetation and not knowing that another soul is here. This is the perfect park for a cool, coastal, often foggy, atmosphere.

 

                                                                      

      I've been reading my book for the past 2-3 evenings. It's superlative – can't remember when I've read a novel so profound. The themes are huge, the characters totally sympathetic, the setting – France & Germany, alternating, in WWII – depressingly realistic. Even the plot, with its suspense & mystery, has me hooked. And through it all, the language and phrasing and imagery are absolutely exquisite.