Tide Pool

Back in Seattle where it's still not warm enough for me! But I do enjoy walking along Seattle's man beaches, like this one in Carkeek Park.

One in a million....

I am now back in Seattle after my three-week road trip through California.

Today would have been my late husband's sixty-fourth birthday, but I lost him nearly three years ago. Like the white tulip above, he was truly one in a million.... I'll miss him forever.

Somewhere on Highway 395

Drove 10 hours today from Bishop, California, to Redding, California..... Took this from the car, rested camera on my shoulder..... I feel like I should write a warning like those stuntmen-car ads: "Do not attempt this at home." If it's any consolation, my eyes never left the road, but my camera was looking in the other direction.

See other bridges on Louis La Vache's SUNDAY BRIDGES.

Mule Days, Bishop, California

Mule Days take place every year in Bishop, California, with donkeys, mules, and horses descending on this small town from all over the USA and even Canada. This year's participation was only slightly smaller than usual, given the outbreak of the equine virus, deadly to horses but not mules, although the latter can carry and spread the disease.

See other reflections at James' REFLECTIONS WEEKEND.

SKYWATCH--The Sierra Wave

My friend told me this cloud formation is a Sierra Wave. In any case, it was worth the shot.

See other clouds and skies on SKYWATCH FRIDAY.

Wild irises and tame horses

Am now in Bishop, California, in the Eastern Sierras, visiting another high school friend. This is my third trip to Bishop, and I love it more each time. In this photo you can see the Sierras, some tame horses, and wild irises.

ABC WEDNESDAY "S" is for 'Squadron"

A flock of sheep, a school of fish, and ....a squadron of pelicans? I don't think so, but that's what this formation made me think of.

See other S's on ABC WEDNESDAY.

Sinful

Yes, you're seeing it right. Six layers of sinfully rich chocolate cake. This dessert is a slice of the Mother Lode cake served at Claim Jumper restaurant in Fontana, California, my next stop after Palos Verdes. A friend from my high school and her husband took me there....and no, we didn't order this. Took this shot through the display case.

What do you say? How many calories are here?

Leaving Palos Verdes....

Am on my way out of Palos Verdes, but by car.... Thank you, Tash, of PALOS VERDES DAILY PHOTO for a wonderful, nostalgic stay.

SUNDAY BRIDGES--for dummies....

Back to Sunday Bridges for me, totally by accident. With Tash of PALOS VERDES DAILY PHOTO, I visited a library book sale.

I'm not a card player, so I didn't buy this book, but here it is for you....

See other bridges at Louis La Vache's

SUNDAY BRIDGES.

The Madonna Inn

My very good friend in San Luis Obispo took me to lunch at the city's famous Madonna Inn, which was delicious. Here are some of the Inn's glass drinking goblets.

See other reflections at

REFLECTIONS WEEKEND.

SKYWATCH FRIDAY--Blimp over Palos Verdes

Here I am in Palos Verdes, California, where I'm being graciously hosted by Tash of Palos Verdes Daily Photo. Tash took me for dinner last night at Admiral Risty's by the ocean. What a view....and meal....and a blimp to boot.

See other skies, and perhaps a blimp or two, at

SKYWATCH FRIDAY.

The Mystery Spot

Moving right along on my California visit route. On the way to a friend who lives in San Luis Obispo, I stopped at the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz. A fun place, even though it's really based on an optical illusion rather than 'strange gravitational or magnetic forces'. Waters flow uphill, balls roll upward, tall people become shorter while short ones appear taller...

And when the tour's over you get a free bumper sticker....

ABC WEDNESDAY -R is for Road Trip

Sniff, sniff...leaving Napa and my friends....it was wonderful. Now on to see other friends!

See other R's on ABC WEDNESDAY.

The effects of wine...

Like my friend Isobel, I am a thrift shop junkie. They pull me in like a magnet... I bought a few things in a Napa store, but Isobel lucked out with these wild, wild sandals....

Not Italy....

Not Italy, not even Europe, but close. This is El Castillo, a winery in Saint Helena, California, where our merry group tasted and bought wine.

Wine tasting, of course!

Napa is wine country, so our happy group of ten 'Aix' friends set off in pursuit of a good glass of wine...of course we found several.

Don't you just love the shirts we had made? "Aix" friends=forever friends.
Well-aged, too.

You're in good hands.

A little sun, a little champagne, and lots of friends. Arrived in Napa for a 43-year reunion with friends I studied with in Aix-en-Provence in '68-69. And our director and his wife made it, too! A votre sante!

SKYWATCH--Oh, those clouds!

Oh, I'd forgotten how beautiful California is....and those puffy white clouds....

I took this while whizzing down I-5...quickly...

Check out other skies on SKYWATCH.

Kicking my heels

California, here I come. I hope I have as much fun as these sheep.

ABC WEDNESDAY--Q is for Quest

Somewhere in the foothills above San Francisco a knight is on a quest, perhaps for this dragon I 'shot' while driving....oh.

See other Q's and perhaps dragons on ABC WEDNESDAY.

Avec Louis Chez Fanny

Today I had the pleasure of finally meeting "Louis La Vache" of Bay Photo! Louis has been a faithful commenter almost since I began my blog three and some years ago, and it was nice for both of us to put a face (other than a cow and a dog) to our blogs.

We had lunch at Chez Fanny in Berkeley. Both of us had a croque-monsieur, cafe au lait, and shared a slice of rhubarb-strawberry pie with creme fraiche.

Merci, Louis, and a la prochaine! (Sorry--don't know how to add accents on some of the French words I've used!)

Unisex

I guess this sign on a California rest area restroom shouldn't surprise me; it is in California after all, where the unusual rules. I think it means that a person of the opposite sex may assist someone in a wheelchair in this particular restroom.

I'm so glad to be in warm and sunny California....

CALIFORNIA, here I come!

As reads the plate, Far-out it will indeed be. I've been in the US since early March, since my mother has been having some difficulties which required moving her out of her house, selling things, cleaning up the house, making repairs, doing yard work....little time for me, and I thank all of you faithful readers for your comments. It's all I can do to post a photo, and I am so sorry I have little time to visit your blogs, but will return!

Before all these 'mother' occurred, I had planned to come in the summer and take a three-week road trip to visit various friends in California. Given the circumstances, I moved it up to May, and today I am off! Bibi's coming along, of course; my own trip in the Travels with Charley style.

I took this photo in a pizza restaurant...very good pizza, too.

Not sure how frequently I'll be able to post over the next month, but stay tuned.

Groovy...far-out...

REFLECTIONS WEEKEND-une voiture pour Louis!

Louis La Vache of Bay Photo loves vintage cars, and so I just had to snap this 1950 Packard, which was parked across the street. An Alaskan plate... it's gone now...

See other reflections at NEWTOWN DAILY PHOTO.

SKYWATCH FRIDAY-classic Seattle

Not much imagination involved on this shot; it's classic Seattle. A view of the Space Needle from near my daughter's house. Hand-held...I was so still....and pushed the ISO.

Check out other skies at SKYWATCH.

In the US for a while longer.

Invite your friends for a drink

My daughter treated me to an early Mother's Day excursion to Portland last weekend. I'd never seen fountains like this before. You can invite your friends for a drink, or strike up conversation with a thirsty stranger.

In the US on a pressing family matter.

ABC WEDNESDAY "P" is for "pushmepullyou"

Dr. Doolittle's truck? It does remind me of his pushmepullyou....


See other P's on ABC WEDNESDAY.

In the States on a family matter.

Earning a living

Earning a living or just some spare change, I'm not sure. But I watched this fellow for about a minute until the light changed and off I went.

In US on a family issue.

Shaggy

Cute, huh? And he reminds me that I really need to go get a haircut.... I do my own chin waxing and brows...

Still in US for a family matter.

THEME DAY--Mailboxes

This is the C.S. Wilke house in Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood. It dates from 1898. I love it.

I'll bet the mailman brought the mail directly to their door once-upon-a-time, and didn't place it in the black mailbox to the left of the gate.

I'm still in Seattle for a family issue, which I'm only now beginning to see progress in. So sorry I can't visit you all regularly for the moment. I won't forget you!

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