Jean and I had made arrangements to meet at the tent about 9.a with Omuza Mzizi to do breakfast at the Pro Club on the golf course across the street from the ranch. When we wandered up, Lisa Pavelka and Donna Kato were recovering from the previous night's excursion over coffee and conversation. We were joined by Karen Omodt, Pat Aiken, and Ricki Beth as we lingered awhile. We finally agreed, since we were all that was left of the Sandy Camp guests, it would be grand to end all the fun with breakfast together. We dawdled long enough breakfast became a lunch date so we all enjoyed a nice variety of common fare prepared in outstanding style and flair. Ricki Beth was unable to make it but the rest of us had entirely too much fun. We told tales, Donna and Lisa regaled us with behind the scenes bloopers from their television sessions, we talked about our pets and howled at Donna Kato's description of standing in a huge litter box each morning when she goes to feed, clean and commune with her arabian horses. Pretty petite Donna standing in the barn doorway hollering "Room Service!" or "Housekeeping!" is a giggling visual I will carry with me for years.
We all hit the road around 12.30 and Jean and I toodled off in our rented SUV. We had arrived at the ranch after dark the previous Tuesday and now took our time going down the winding, two lane highway in order to enjoy the wonderful countryside. I was amazed at the changes that had transpired over the quarter century since my last visit to the area. Having been born and raised in the Los Angeles area with relatives spread from San Luis Obispo to San Diego, from Long Beach to Pomona and up to Hesperia, this drive was also a trip down memory lane for me. What I saw with my eyes was overlaid in my mind with what I had seen in younger days and the growth of villages and wasteland into metropolises had me shaking my head in wonder. When we pulled out onto Interstate 15 I told Jean how small Temecula had been back in the 1960s and 1970s. She couldn't visualize it! On our trip home crossing Highway 58 past Tehachapi (the land of Klew who was out of town at the time), I recalled how it was just a handful of shacks tossed carelessly on the mountainside in the same time frame. Now it's a burgeoning city! Ah well, the only thing permanent about the passing of time is change. *crooked smile*
We arrived in Bakersfield and back at Kathi and Karen's lovely home about an hour after dark after a leisurely drive. After visiting a short while, we went to bed early and were joined by their two bassett hounds Peanut and Josephine. What great snuggle bugs!!
The following morning we clayed for awhile with Kathi, shared much of what we learned and again shared a lot of laughter. Kathi and Karen are gracious hostesses and we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. We hit the road again about 12.30p and had another leisurely drive up Interstate 5 then across the coastal range and up to South San Francisco. We finally pulled into Jean's driveway just after dark.
In the last rest stop we pulled into before we left Interstate 5 to cross the coastal range, there was a Japanese tourist on the sidewalk doing tai-chi exercises with his young son. It was way too cute not to take a picture of. He caught us smiling at them and told us they exercise every morning together when they're at home. I gave him a copy of the picture I took (I love digital cameras) and they piled into their car and continued their journey.
At home, while Jean communed with her dog, I unpacked the car and we settled in for a short evening of just zoning out. We watched a little television, caught up on our email and began discussing what we needed to pull out and repack for the class we would be taking with Grant Diffendaffer that weekend. And that, boys and girls, is another story. *big smile*
Intro / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday / Saturday / Sunday / Monday
Home
Polymer Clay Projects
Papermaking
My eStore: Little Shepard's Busy Hands
Email Me
Online Jigsaw Puzzles of my polymer clay projects or
Online Jigsaw Puzzles of photographs I've taken in Oregon
Copyright 2004
Colleen D. Bergeron.
Last revised: November 30, 2004.
