"California dreaming"

 

This is a quick post in case you think I've disappeared!

After a somewhat rough start last Wednesday with flight delays,

changes, and even one missed . . . . . . . . we managed to get on

 board for Seattle, Washington which was not the original plan, and

 after that long five hour plus flight with a cup of water and a packet

 of Biscoff cookies, connected with another two hour flight to our

 destination Sacramento, California! Thankfully our bags arrived, 

always a concern with screwed up journeys, and from then on our

 West Coast visit has been close to perfect . . . . . . but extremely hot.

Mt. Shasta still snow covered from my window seat.

Mt. Shasta from our hotel in Redding, California.

Shasta Lake, California.

California farmland - rice fields, almond, olive and walnut orchards.

Tomorrow we'll be heading home to the East Coast.

More on the journey later.

Prayers for Florida. . . . . . . . . .

We watch the news, we check with friends here who have family and

 friends there. . . . . .sadly not everyone was able to 'escape' and move

 to safer places. Hurricane Irma is so huge she will impact just about the

 entire state of Florida today, tonight, and into tomorrow.

Irma continues her path, ravaging the Florida Keys this morning and now

heading toward the heavily populated west coast of the beautiful 'sunshine state.'

We really have no idea as to how devastating the property damage might

 be, but we sincerely hope there will be no loss of life.

Florida, you are in our prayers today.

Photos of calmer ocean moments taken on other shores during my travels.

The 17-Mile Drive - Monterey to Carmel . . . . . . . .

The LONE CYPRESS - perched over the Pacific for hundreds of years.

Even though Monterey cypress trees prefer the bare, rugged, granite headlands, 

the famous Lone Cypress is a testament to the hardiness of these trees.

It has stood Pacific storms and winds for roughly 250 years. Fences and cables

 now offer added protection in hopes it will live to be 300. 

Pelicans, cormorants. . . . . . . . 

 . . . . . . wildflowers 

. . . . . . . the hummingbird 

. . . . . . . friendly chipmunks, much larger than the ones in our garden!

Bob befriending the wildlife. . . . . . . 

A perfect autumn afternoon along the Pacific coast - warm, fog-free,

 brilliant sunshine, a slight breeze - we were so lucky and appreciated Paula

taking us back to a favorite California coastal drive. . . . . . . .

Carmel's quaint buildings 

. . . . . . with a lovely lunch here at Casanova in the delightful village of Carmel.

California dreaming!

Coming home today. . . . . . . . . .

Hard to leave this beautiful state of California!  Have really enjoyed seeing a lot of new places and being with dear friends. 

City to country - wine country that is!

 Leaving the beautiful city of San Francisco, always hard.

Heading to the Napa and Sonoma Valleys, very easy!

Crossing the Golden Gate and heading north -

- to arrive in what has to be some of the most beautiful countryside in California.

More on visits to wineries - there are about 600 - and great little wine country

 towns later.

San Francisco - Alamo Square. . . . . . . .

So much so see in this wonderful city.

The entire park of Alamo Square is under a massive renovation - no green

 grass remaining, new modern facilities being built, so all closed off right now.

However, the 'painted ladies' still adorn the surrounding hilly streets - and the

 city in the background continues to shimmer in the California light.

Always special - always so west coast.

Easy to leave one's heart!

Angels over the city by the bay. . . . . . . .

A fun morning at the San Carlos Art and Wine Faire.

A California gentleman and his dog taking a coffee break.

Bob snapped Paula and me at the Blue Angels air display - San Francisco Bay -

on a perfect Sunday afternoon.

We are having great time on the west coast. . . . . . . .but sadly the news from

 North Carolina following Hurricane Matthew's visit is very disturbing. 

 Several deaths, much destruction, major flooding, and a million plus homes/businesses

 without power, including our house, and it may not be repaired until October 16. 
Our daughter has gone to remove all the food from our frig/freezer!  

The coast is severe but the storm came far inland also, things are really

 bad in our area.

Heading west away from the hurricane!

 Storm watch at the beach.

 I watched these birds at the North Carolina coast last Autumn ~ I wonder

 how they will fare as Hurricane Matthew wreaks havoc here in the east today.

Bob and I are heading to San Francisco. . . . . . .then spending time in

 Napa and Sonoma wine country with friends, far from storms hopefully.

We'll raise a glass or two to you!