Twenty views on Interstate 5 and CA 152 10-24/25-17

On Sunday I asked Dee Jacobs if she could take KoKo for a few days, and she said yes!  So, I dropped him off with Dee on Tuesday morning and headed north to visit my friends Mary and Joe. And to drive into Pacific Grove to my most favorite quilt shop -

the fabulous Back Porch Fabrics.

 

It is always hard to get out of the LA basin, crawling through the Pasadena area on the 210 is stressful and sometimes v-e-r-y slow.  But once past Castaic the landscape is very bare and rather craggy.

There wasn't a lot of traffic on Tuesday and I made good time.

The hills have their tawny coloring and are very dry and susceptible to fires.

At this higher elevation it wasn't as hot as Placentia when I left there - 105F.

There is a ranch house amongst the trees.

Up and up with a cloudless sky and rolling hills.  I think the high point is 3000 feet.

This is in the area of Frasier Park, the trees on the right in the distance are around a Highway Rest Stop, the last one I'll see for a while. .

Looking up at the tops of the hills.  Sometimes there will be house at the very peak and I always wonder how the residents get up there.

After the top, the highway goes down through the area called the Grapevine, although it isn't as vine like as it was when I first drove it over 50 years ago.  At the bottom of the downgrade is a wide spot in the road with gas stations and a motel that is called Grapevine.

Down, down, down, winding through the narrow slot in the hills.

There are two truck emergency escape routes where trucks that have lost their brakes can exit into a deep pit filled with gravel.  The road bends upward and the combination of gravel and elevation help stop the truck. 

I was hoping this picture would show the valley in the distance, between the two hills, but it is too hazy out there, it usually is. 

 

That thing that looks like a flag in the middle of the picture is another sign showing the emergency exit.  Beyond in the San Joacquin Valley. 

Somewhere north of the Buttonwillow exit my odometer turned over to 200,000.  I can't remember what the mileage was when I bought the Lexus used, but it seems to me it was about 30,000.  I've driven a lot of miles!

After a night at Harris Ranch, I am still on I-5 North.  Several spots showed where grass fires burned.  I'm always sure that it was a lit cigarette that started these roadside disasters.

This one was quick put out on both sides of the road. 

Just before Santa Nella, which is the largest town I come to since leaving the LA Basin, is the turnoff on CA 152 west toward the ocean.

It is mostly grassy hills with California live oak trees. 

Down and down to the fertile valley where so much of our vegetables are grown.

Where turned off on CA 156, where they were, unfortunately repaving sections of the two lane road.  They make it a one lane road where they are working, with a flagman to let so many cars go one way and then close that lane and divert the opposing cars into that lane.  It was interminable.  At one point I was stopped in front of this boxy house on the right side of the road.  These people like to put statues in their yard, along with the junk, and even have a pair of plastic flamingoes on the right.  There was also a pit bull to go with the chain link fence, but he wandered off before I could take the picture.

This is the view on the opposite side of the road from the house.  All that dark loamy soil has recently been plowed.  At the foot of the hills are farm buildings, farm workers and their vehicles.  I believe the highest peak is Mt Fremont which is a California State Park.

I am with Mary and Joe tonight and will go on to Pacific Grove for a fabric fix tomorrow.

 

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Back Porch Fabrics today 02-25-16

Yes, Mary and I had a fabric fix at Back Porch Fabrics in Pacific Grove.  I know that some of you  will be there this coming week because the Empty Spools Seminar week one starts on Sunday.  Gail Abeloe has some fabulous fabrics for you, tell her hello from Del!  I did deposit a nice bit of change with them and will take pictures of the fabrics tomorrow and post them for you tomorrow night.  I'm really at the point that my fabric library is so large that one room may not hold it much longer.  I need to start making quilts, cull the library or never buy another yard of fabric.  Fat chance!  I bought a few pieces to send to Ruth McDowell as she doesn't get to Back Porch since she has retired. 

We had lunch at The Red House - it was delicious as always.  I had the BLT which must be eaten with a knife and fork it is too large to go in my mouth.  And Mary had the pork tenderloin sandwich on focaccia which she also ate with knife and fork.  We passed on dessert because the servings were to large we couldn't even finish them.  I brought my leftovers home for lunch tomorrow. 

Mary's husband Joe had his surgery on Tuesday and is do very well.  He'll be in the hospital for a while and then in a SNIF nearby.   I hope he will be home when I come up in early April for my class at Empty Spools with Sue Benner.

 

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A Driving Day 02-24-16

It turned into a long drive today - a total of nine hours!   The traffic on the 210 Fwy was mostly stop with a little go here and there.  It is supposed to be a 2 hour drive from Placentia to Thousand Oaks, but it took 3 hours this morning.   I met Karen Rips at a nice burger place called Hook Burgers, which I believe is a chain (that I have not heard of before).  My hot chicken sandwich on grilled sourdough was delicious and I think Karen's sandwich was very good also.  The drive from Thousand Oaks to Mary's front door was about 6 hours with heavy traffic all along 101 until Paso Robles where a bunch of cars were lined up in the right turn lane to go off the highway onto 46.  From there on it was pretty much clear sailing.  I stopped in Buellton at the Creation Station because I needed to get out of the car and walk around a bit.  Of course, I had to buy two half yards of fabric; a nice red and a lovely yellow.  And I stopped in Salinas for gas because Mary lives a long way from a gas station and I need to have a pretty full tank before I arrive here. 

Mary's husband Joe had surgery yesterday and is doing very well.  He will be in the hospital in Salinas for a while and then across the street in a SNIF.   Daughter Liz is here from Washington State so she will spend some time with Joe tomorrow and Mary will go into Pacific Grove with me for lunch and a fabric fix at Back Porch.  So, we will be there and at the  Red House for lunch. 

No pictures today, I needed to pay attention with all the traffic and after Paso Robles the sun was too far down in the west to get any good shots.  I'll do better going home. 

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On the Road Again 02-23-16

I saw the first Clivia of the year in the landscaping at my dentist office.  They are so brilliant against the brown and grey caused by the drought.   I always think it is too bad they have no fragrance.

 

 

I'll be off in the morning to see my friends Mary and Joe in San Juan Bautista.  Joe has just had surgery and won't be home while I am there, but I might be able to wave at him from the door to his room.   At any rate, I can keep Mary company when she is not visiting him in the hospital.  Maybe we will even drive to Pacific Grove this trip. 

 

I'll have my laptop with me so I will continue to post.  The SQG newsletter is finished and will be posted on Friday evening or Saturday morning.

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Deer sighting

I know that some of you live places where deer are a big problem, but I have never had them in my neighborhood wherever I have lived.   Other than at Asilomar in Pacific Grove, I only see deer occasionally when  I am here at Mary and Joe's house.  Today a female deer with a fawn came up to drink from the birdbath and stayed for a little nap and a grooming session.  She even cleaned her ears with her hind hooves.   Of course, I had to take pictures out the breakfast room window.   Earlier there were six squirrels chasing each other around and eating the bird's seeds, but they didn't stay still long enough for a picture.

She is just beyond the border fence and has her fawn stashed somewhere close by.

There she is right at the bottom of the bird feeder.

Part of the bathing process.

 

It was very hot here today.  Gilroy ,  which is 18 miles by road, set a record with a temp of 113F and I'm pretty sure it was 100F outside here.  80F inside, but it doesn't seem so hot when I can look outside and see green trees and bushes.

 

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On the road with clouds 06-29-15

I am in San Juan Bautista tonight having driven up mid-day.  Due to construction on I-5 it took me seven hours instead of six.  Both the northbound and southbound traffic was narrowed to one lane  and the backup was interminable.   I took advantage of some of the stops and read some in the novel I am reading, propping the book on the steering wheel so I can see the  tail lights of the cars ahead of me.  One time I read two whole pages before the traffic inched forward a few feet. 

At Kettleman City exit the construction was ended and watch out for people trying to make up  the lost time.  I hit 85 mph and the cars were going past me like missiles.

 

All these wonderful clouds and not a drop of rain.

There is a "thunder boomer" at the V of the mountains.  And then that strange cloud that looks like it was cut with a knife.

And see what happened to it in the next few minutes - slice and dice.

These clouds are birthing tiny baby clouds.

And here is an addition to my photo alphabet - see the H in the lower left corner.  It is laying on its side - a lazy H?

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Saving Water 04-26-15

I'm sure you all know that California is in the midst of a drought and everyone is on restricted water use - Mary and Joe included.  Mary always has lots of flowers and deck boxes on her deck, but now she is limited to things that don't require much water.  The deck boxes are gone, they require too much water.  

 

Geraniums do well and this red is Mary's favorite.  The blue in the middle is a copper Puffin on a stake.

This single pink stands out among the reds.

She has three ivy geraniums from Costco in hanging baskets which Joe can enjoy from his hospital bed.

This one is different with little dark red eyes.

And she has tomatoes just coming on.  Hope it is warm enough to ripen them.

And there is a nice crop of lizards.  There were three on the deck when I was photographing, but the largest one ran and hid.  Not photogenic, I guess.

Lemons ripening on the little lemon tree.  I think Mary uses grey water to keep it going.

There was heavy rain on Friday night, so everything is washed clean and shiny.  Another late spring shower would be welcome. 

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Driving home 05-04-14

I stayed with my friend Mary in San Juan Bautista for two nights.  Her husband Joe is in a Skilled Nursing Facility for physical therapy and after many months of caring for him at home she is finding herself at loose ends.  I wish I could have stayed longer, maybe I will take another trip up soon.

 

The area around SJBautista is part of the great "veggie garden" of California where so much of the produce eaten in the US is grown.  I was mostly making tracks today, but stopped at the beginning of my drive to take a few pictures.

 

Mary and Joe live up in the hills in a live oak woodland.  Coming down to the flat valley the road goes through rolling hills which this year are as dry as they usually are in August.  These trees are planted around farm houses.

 

Turning from where I took the first picture I see these very large hoops with their covers furled.

 

 

A little further down the road the covers are up shading what appear to be berry bushes.  Why some are covered and some not is a mystery - the covered bushes are thicker and taller than the uncovered.

 

 

Out on Hwy 156 the road curves through fields, gradually rising to go over Pacheco Pass and then down to I-5 and the inland valley. 

 

The drive was almost exactly six hours today, including a coffee stop and another for gas.  Southbound traffic was light with few trucks and I was home at 3:30pm where I promptly took a nap.

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Placentia -Santa Nella First day of Road Trip 04-19-13

First day of my Road Trip to Washington state. It was 82F at my house when I left at 1:30pm and even hotter when I drove through Pasadena on the 210 Fwy. I always run my A/C to counteract the air pollution, but today I turned the thermostat down to counteract the heat! However, the traffic wasn't bad, so it only took 5-1/2 hours to Mary and Joe's in San Juan Bautista. Joe came home from the hospital today - he is so happy to be at HOME - and Mary is happy to have him. He is very pale and thin, but is eating better. I was only there for about thirty minutes and then headed back to I-5, I'll stop longer on the return trip in a couple weeks.

Because of the drought there have not been a lot of wildflowers blooming this year. But I spotted these patches high on the tops of the mountains as I drove the Ridge Route today. They are too far away to identify, but the color makes me think they are California poppies. Click on the picture for an enlargement. I did see quite a lot of wild mustard as I drove further north, but nothing like the fields and fields in a non-drought year. .


Then I saw this view. What on Earth? Looks like something wrapped up in tubular plastic packages. The shape reminds me of the TCQC quilts wrapped on stuffies and covered.

 

And then there was this view. What?

Finally a side ways view - they are fruit trees (peaches?) covered with netting. To keep out the birds? The brown post in the middle is a fence post, but there must be fasteners to keep the net on the trees when the wind blows..

Looks like this farmer needs to so some staking or attaching or his net will blow away.

When I drove up into the hills on the winding road to Mary's the llamas were grazing at the "llama farm" along the way.

  

They have quite a herd now - white, beige, brown and multicolored.

They seem very curious and usually look up if I slow down as I drive past. Guess the Aussies would call them "sticky noses" - I like that expression over "nosey".

Two long driving days ahead because I didn't get away on Thursday. I'll stop and walk around every couple hours and, of course, I will have two more motel nights. Tonight I am Holiday Inn Express in Santa Nella - 45 minutes from Mary and Joe. I didn't stay with them because it would just make more work for Mary - laundry and all. And I might just get away early - not my usual "style" - I have set my alarm!

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Joe's Birthday 09-02-09

Today was very warm and rather sultry and it was also Joe's birthday - not that the two facts have any relation to each other. Just the two more important things. I always like to be up here in San Juan Bautista to celebrate my birthday (yesterday) and Joe's today, but that means that Mary has to prepare two special dinners in a row! She is such a fabulous cook that I suppose she doesn't mind and, of course, Joe and I don't mind a bit. Last evening we had salmon, broccoli, fruit salad and See's candy for dessert - I suppose I was too hungry to photograph the plate!

Here is Joe starting on his birthday dinner. One of his favorite things to eat is lamb chops and they are on my list also, but I rarely cook them for myself, so it is a treat. Joe grilled them outside and they were perfectly done.

And Mary explaining something important.

This is my plate - lamb chop, carrots, baked potato w/a chunk of blue cheese, tomato/radish salad w/Mary's special vinaigrette dressing. Fantastic!

For dessert Mary and I stopped at the Grove Market in Pacific Grove for an olallieberry pie. We thought we would have some for dessert after lunch at The Red House, but they didn't have any today. The waiter called over to the market and had them save one for use - it was the last one! If you ask they will top it with very special homemade vanilla ice cream, however we couldn't carry any of that home with us, so we just had Dreyers Double Vanilla

Rich slightly tart berries and a lovely flaky crust, but fresh berries are only available at certain times of year in most areas. I suspect the berries used for this pie were frozen. The olallieberry is a cross between a loganberry and a youngberry and has been around since the late 1930s. http://www.reference.com/browse/Olallieberry