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| Avila beach. No, its not my picture, but it is one of our favorite hang out's and its iconic California. |
Fun of the month
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A fun find. A slab of 2000+ year old California Redwood. We all know that each ring represents a year. The fourth brass marker from the center (left of Janice's head) marked the birth of Christ. The last marker on the outer edge was World War 1. Montana de Oro (mountain of gold) park is a great place for cliff walks above the beaches and watching the dolphins jump, whales migrating and sprouting along the horizon. [below] |
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Every year the nearby town of Cambria hosts a scarecrow festival around Halloween. The whole town's merchants and residents get into the act trying to outdo each other with whimsical themes. The scarecrows line both sides of the street for about a mile. Here are a few samples.
In an ongoing attempt to raise our cultural level, we attended the Russian Ballet.
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| For the record, we vehemently deny any and all allegations that we have colluded with them. |
I really love being back in California, but sometimes its a bit like being back in France. The place is great, but some of the things that go on are well...incredible. Take, for instance, our Delhi Sands fly....please! The fly is on the endangered species list and has a lifespan of almost 48 hours but has managed to stall or stop important projects like the construction of a hospital.
Or the attempt to enact a law that would cause people to pay fines or be imprisoned for accidentally scaring, hurting, killing or disrupting the habitat of any animal on the endangered species list. Did you read the part about 'accidentally'?
Or our legislators raising our gas taxes .12c a gallon on top of the highest gas taxes and prices in the nation for road maintenance. Like Canadians, Californians have never heard of a tax they don't immediately fall in love with. There is nothing wrong with California that a little regime change wouldn't fix. Just saying.
WWW.Projectsthatneeddoing.com
This season here is a little different from past ones. We do have a substantial project in the works but we will not see it to its conclusion until next month, I hope. This has left a fair amount of free time between play days to get to things that have been lingering for ages. You know, those kind of things in your 'one of these days' file.
So, after promising to build another linen closet in our upstairs bathroom 30 years ago, I built it this past month. Go me! Then, I remembered when we had our final building inspection 33 years ago, Janice looked like she was 16 months pregnant so the inspector took pity on us and signed off, allowing us to move in. He did though, have me promise to finish the last 6' (2 M) of banister I had built on our circular staircase. He did not specify when.
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A promise is a promise so this past month I put it in. It is in the same spiral circular form, made of Honduran Mahogany with a Peruvian Walnut inlay that I built the rest of the house cabinets out of. We are now legal, and of course it is safer. Most important: Promise made, promise kept. Before I go on beating my chest, there are more of these unfinished 'loose ends' than I will probably ever get to in my lifetime. It won't be from a lack of trying.
I really did love getting back into working with exotic hardwoods, building furniture and furnishings. General construction and building things is great but working with exotic hardwoods is like the difference between flying a real airplane and a model. In the woodworking world, to me it separates the men from the boys.
Speaking of promises, as long as I was at it, I built the bookcase for our bedroom I had promised Janice 30 years ago also. She had been using a cheap one from Ikea awaiting the real deal. Patience is a virtue and she has been nothing if not virtuous. I built it out of 2" (5cm) thick West African Afrormosia and Aboudikro wood (also known as Sapele).
With all these promises kept, I should be called 'Mr. Promise Keeper' as 'Mr. Wonderful' might be a tad premature. Now that the 30 year old promises are kept, I guess I can start working on ones I made 29 years ago.
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| Back yard picnic area |
Not promised but needed nevertheless, was spreading 3000 sf (300sm) of walk-on bark around the landscaping in the ongoing effort to spruce up the place.
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Then, we put a little 'artsy-fartsy' project together. We found these vine wrapped branchy looking things in Sedona Arizona years ago. We had no idea what to do with them and they hibernated in my workshop for years until we finally came up with this. What are they? We haven't a clue. We just though they looked cool.
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Finally, I was instructed to remove the small built in refrigerator out of our master bathroom and build some shelves. I had installed it next to the 2 person Japanese Jacuzzi tub I installed when we built the house and stocked it with whipped cream, chocolate and Champagne in an valiant attempt to keep the romance alive. With 5 kids, it clearly worked. With the romance now self-perpetuating, Janice decided it would be best used in my workshop to keep me hydrated while I worked on her great new ideas.
All in all, just another relaxing month hanging out at home.
Keeping it real
It may seem that we has nothing but good news to share, but that is because by and large, that's all we have. We are constantly looking for something to complain about but can't seem to find anything. We are blessed beyond words, and we know it. In the interest of keeping it real though, I do have a setback of sorts to report.
I recently had an eye test for new prescriptions and was referred to a specialist. Surprising, I thought, since I am bullet proof. After an exhaustive battery of tests, including injecting dye, it turns out that I have wet Macular Degeneration in my left eye. That is the bad kind that can degenerate quickly.
The treatment called for shots in the eye and the doctor said we would begin immediately. "Stick a needle in my eye? No problem" I said. "You will just have to kill me first". For someone who is as phobic to needles as I am, I told him that I would rather have cancer. The idea of getting a needle in my eye was as appealing as getting a shot in my male appendage. I then asked just how drunk I could be to show up for future treatments.
I will have to continue treatments in France and when we return to the island, in the hopes I don't become a one eyed pilot who can only land on the right side...
A year ago, before the election, there were some people who swore that if Donald Trump was elected, they would leave the country. If you know any, you can tell them you have great news.
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The jet is ready and they are now boarding
