THE EPISTLE

March. 2019

We would like to welcome Mr. Samuel Levi Lindor to the world and our family. Weighing in at 7 pounds, 4 ounces, this gentleman is the proud son of daughter Amy and husband Vance. He takes his place as # 11 in our grandchildren hit parade, and # 8 of their children. No, that was not a typo.

Computer blues

Last month, I wrote that I was writing the Epistle on a silly tablet. Criminy, we had been without our computer for 18 days after the hard drive crashed. This is France, you know, and few people are available to work on a US computer and put it back together so that things will be in English. US English. Not French or British English.

Given a choice, and I was not, I would have preferrred to be without power or water. After 18 days, I was going through DT's. Finally we found someone who was able to put Humpty Dumpty back together again and here we are. For the record, we have had an off site backup system called Carbonite (there are others) that we knew that 'someday' we would need to save our butts when it would all go to hell in a hand basket and we would need to return every document, picture and video we have accumulated since All Gore invented the internet.

France: the adventure

When we are in North America, we often miss news of happenings in Europe and elsewhere. Like the demonstrations that have been going on here, for instance. France, according to government statistics, has about 10,000 demonstrations a year. Few are prohibited by the government but all require pre-approval from the authorities. The government believes that they act as a sort of safety valve, allowing people to vent their frustrations over all manner of issues, blow off steam and then return to whatever they were doing in the first place. No harm, no foul.

The largest current series of demonstrations involve the "yellow vests". This began as a protest over higher gasoline taxes slated to support environmental global warming programs of sorts. Protesters wear the yellow safety vests required by all vehicle occupants in the event of a breakdown or accident, as a visual tie into the issue.

As in all demonstrations, trouble makers and anarchists of all stripes join in, set cars on fire and smash business storefront windows in support of other causes. The government dispatched thousands of military and police to quell the troublemakers, people got hurt and some were killed. Meanwhile, the government assumed things would settle down and would go back to normal once the folks got it out of their system.

Problem is that this has been the 18th week-end in a row that the demonstrations have raised cane all over the country. Meanwhile, a huge number of vehicles on the road sport the yellow vests on their dashboards in a not so subtle support to the cause.

US? Well, we are aware that we are tourists with a house here, guests in the country (as we are in Canada) with no right to vote so we keep our opinions to ourselves. Still...
If that was not enough, right across the pond is the debacle that is occurring in the UK (England), with the Brexit meltdown. (They are leaving the European Union) It makes the worse of our dysfunctional US politics look like a walk in the park. High drama and interesting times.

Meanwhile, we went to a concert to think happy thoughts

See us on Netflix!

I have strutted our stuff many times in these pages with puff pieces written or filmed at the island, in California or here in Europe. Well, we inadvertedly came across a new one. We were watching a program called "Charly Luxton's homes by the Mediterranean" on Netflix when on season 1, episode two (there is only one season) where they were describing how magnificent the French Riviere is (it is a TV program after all) and claimed that fully 1/3 of all international tourism comes to this area.

Then, 4 minutes and 30 seconds into the program, they feature a villa in our town called 'Les Issambres" across the bay from St Tropez. The kicker is that we can see the villa they featured from our terrace and the announcer gloated over the view that includes our home in the shot. If you are subscribed to Netflix, you can see it here: https://www.netflix.com/watch/81023647

Maybe I should have gotten that Ferrari after all....

Venice Carnival

A year ago, our great friends, Ian and Lyne, decided to join us in Venice Italy this year for the internationally acclaimed Carnival. Think Mardi Gras on steroids. We have been to both, and Mardi Gras is more of a hard drinking party atmosphere whereas the Venice Carnival is more of a theatrical extravaganza. Some people rent elegant elaborate costumes (reportedly at up to a $1000. a day) to join the festivities.

Costumes for rent. You too can be Cleopatra.

Lyne and Janice with the 4 compadres

The view out of our bedroom window

We booked a place to stay in the center of the action a year ahead, knowing that there would be very limited availability as the time drew near. They flew in from Canada and made their way back to their home here in France when it was all over.

Practicing for my first sermon. Now if I only had a congregation to listen.

Janice and I drove from our place and broke the 8 hour trip with an overnight in Verona, Italy. There we visited the Duomo (Cathedral) built in 1189. It was right down the street from a 1st century Roman theatre. Then, since it was a short walk, we visited both Casa di Giulietta and, minutes away, Casa di Romeo. These, of course, are the 14th century homes of Romeo and Juliet of Shakespeare fame.

Juliet's balcony. While there, I resisted the old platitude of "Romeo, Romeo, where art thou?" "Down here in the bushes, stupid, the ladder broke"

Proclaiming my love to my photographer at what was the entrance (to my right) of Romeo's house

Our return trip was given a breather by spending the day in Cremona Italy, home of the violin museum. Cremona, a World Heritage site, (The 135th one we have visited over the years) has a long history of being the capital in the world of master violin builders who still ply their craft making every component by hand. There were hundreds of rare instruments, but only 6 made by Stradivarious. The highest price paid for one was 45 million dollars at an auction in 2014. Yes, there was an armed guard standing next to the glass encased display I was ogling.

Oh ye of little faith....

February, 2019

On the road again...

It's February, so it is time to hit the road before the bills come due in California. First stop was in Astoria, Oregon to visit daughter Cassie's family.

My roller skating date. Grand daughter Kayla.

Then, I survived a 4th grade lunchroom visit.

Next stop: Anacortes Washington to visit daughter Amy's family.

Hiding inside our inflatable fort in the living room with James.

Janice with Amy who is the director of a home school program

On my way to get a driving lesson from Maddie ..or is it the other way around?

The eagle has landed

Looking out our living and dining rooms at the snow capped French Alps in the distance

I am writing this blog on a goofy little tablet as a result of my laptop taking a dive. All but impossible. The good news is that we got here in one piece and the house is fine.

We spent the first week aclamating to the 9 hour time difference, then got busy with the usual maintenance any house needs after an 8 month absence. We are now bracing ourselves for lot of company that will be showing up in the next few months ahead.

Refinishing the texture on the dining and living room walls.

Taking a break and having lunch in a converted olive pressing mill.

And now, the car story.

Ok, I get it. We are not car people. We have a plain little pick up at the island, a decent but “not rock your world” Honda Accord in California, and an unmentionable here. We bought our car brand new when we first came, but that was 14 years ago. We rode it hard and put it away wet doing all maner of construction, disrespecting it at every turn. It had all of the comfort of sitting on a hard wood bench. Then, we drove it 110,000 miles ( 175,00 km) all over Europe, exploring every corner 4 months at a time.

I figured that driving it only 4 months a year meant that in reality is was only 5 years old, right? Ok, so it was only a cheap entry level car to start with. Big deal. (Our car is a Toyota Yaris Verso, not for sale on the North American market, I think) Except that after 15 years it was not only a beater, but more like a tin can on wheels fit for a high school students first car.

Then, I kept hearing stories about “if we can afford a plane…”Ok, time to repent and get a grown up vehicle. Off we went, scouring every dealership within driving distance. I looked at a few Ferraris and Maseratis but Janice said we could get it if we sold the house in California and the plane. (so that was a non starter.) We settled on a Hyundai Tucson Executive with the so called "ultimate" package that has every option known to man, including a few I did not know existed. (Maybe air conditioning through the fabric of the seats for your hot buns is standard for you, but it is new to us little people) When delivered, it should be a fine addition to our travels, and less of an embarrassment for our guests.

The best part is that I get to keep the plane.

My Valentine date

January, 2019

So many vineyards, so little time.

This month, we had my favorite uncle Pierre and aunt Kimberly come and spend a few days with us before we fly the coop. They live in Phoenix Arizona, a mere two -hour flight from our little airport.

While here, we managed to attend a SpaceX Dragon 9 rocket launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base nearby, where 10 Iridium satellites were put in orbit. A first for both of us, it was awesome. If you are a science or space buff, you too would be impressed with the fact that once again, the first stage of the rocket was safely landed for reuse 7 minutes after takeoff, on a barge in the Pacific. Below is a 1 minute video of the takeoff and the release of the 10 satellites.

https://www.cnbc.com/video/2019/01/11/watch-spacex-launch-and-land-its-first-mission-of-2019.html

We also got to host a luncheon for Janice's mom's friends

Say it isn't so!

After being drugged and made to drink the Kool Aid...

...I was taken to the Apple indoctrinat ... eh...'re-education' camp.

I won't say that I was forced, but let's just say some kicking and screaming was involved. Not to beat it into the ground, but it is a well-known fact among close friends and family that I have never been a fan of smartphones. Don’t get me wrong, I recognize and appreciate their staggering capabilities but – for me - are not worth the initial cost and ongoing maintenance. Unlike, say…an airplane.

Recently, Janice decided that for her, it was. So, off the Apple store we went to get her a simple iPhone XS. Of course, having come from a flip phone like I have, this required an hour a day in classes for over a week to get a grip on all of its workings. Realistically, I know there will be times I will avail myself to some of its conveniences. It is capable of solving endless problems, just not any I actually have or cannot use a reasonable substitute. After all, I do have a flip phone to call, a camera to take pictures and a GPS in every car to guide me.

OK, except for Siri. If she had been around when I was single, I would have married her in a heartbeat because that chick knows everything! Janice is quite capable of doing almost anything she wants on various devices, and only occasionally asks for a helping hand. Reason enough for me to have joined her in all her classes to keep her company 'just in case'.

My issue with smartphones starts with my not wanting to carry stuff in my hands. I wear no jewelry (watches, rings, necklaces or bracelets) and can barely stand the lumps that my flip phone and wallet make in my pockets. A larger smartphone would be a nonstarter. Then, there is the issue of watching many of their users and not wanting to become like them. Many people seem to become part automatons around their devices. Having a smartphone yourself, you might not have noticed that other users are virtually glued to their screens. They walk around everywhere with them in their hand as though it was a cross between a portable oxygen machine and a security blanket. They text, talk or use them while they drive, walk across the street, in stores, restaurants, waiting for the bus, in the doctor's office, while they socialize, absolutely everywhere. Children have them at the park while they swing. Young lovers ignore each other and stare at their own screens.

We have had visitors in the past who keep their phones on the table next to them while we ate, excusing themselves to 'check' on pointless incoming messages. The message was clear: we were second in importance to their attention, their damn phone was first. Surely I am exaggerating, right? Perhaps, but look around you and see how many inches away you are from your phone? And, how many times you checked it while reading this.

I rest my case.

Our Lighthouse

Founded in 1890, the Point San Luis Light Station has served as the beacon over San Luis Bay for 128 years and is the only surviving Prairie Victorian model lighthouse that remains in existence on the West Coast of the United States. The coast Guard still maintains the light at the station, which blinks every night and is visible up to 17 miles away. Interestingly, Port San Luis was the largest oil exporting port in the world by the 1920's before the Saudis got into the act.

Located 20 minutes away from us, it is one of those treasures that until this month, we never seemed to have the time to visit. Life got in the way and besides, there are things to go see halfway around the world. Silly us, I guess.

New projects

Us? New projects? Duh!

OK, so our season here is ending, and while we have had company for some periods and I was deployed for two weeks, we still made time for a few projects. In between visits and deployments, I tore out carpeting in our master bedroom, office and sunken living room and laid nearly 400 sq feet of Travertine stone flooring, a little over two 3-foot-high pallets full.

Meanwhile, we fell in love with a desk we saw online called a 'river desk'. In my spare time, we found some Walnut live edge wood locally, and built the one of a kind piece of furniture.

As seen in the pic, the idea is that the center of the desk has two 'live edge' pieces of Walnut.

Then you draw a pattern in the shape of the gap in the middle.

Finally, you cut a piece of blue colored glass with a 50,000 PSI water jet to the live edge pattern for the 'river'.

Ta-Da!

The ones we have seen online run in the $3,500 to $5,500 range but this one cost us about $500 in materials. And a little work.... It has been some time since I have been able to devote myself to building exotic hardwood furniture but I really miss it.

Finally, we had a little something that we have had in storage in my workshop for over 20 years. We bought it in Sedona Arizona on a family trip with the kids, knowing that we would do 'something' with it but not knowing exactly what. After many reinventions, the decision was to display it how it wanted to be all along: a Saguaro Cactus tree skeleton.

The 'drip' pan below it is a 3-foot wide (1M), heavy cast solid Bronze 'Urhli' bowl from India. Typically, it served as a ceremonial feeding vessel for a large group, allowing those around it to reach in and scoop a portion of its contents onto their plate. It currently serves as the world’s most expensive drip pan.

I wish I could say that this was the only project we have had tucked away for decades awaiting completion, but alas, it is not. Take our 3000-gallon Chardonnay wine cask that we will eventually turn into a sauna for instance...

Life in Arroyo Grande

On a lighter note, I often like to share pictures or videos of where we live because the areas are so cool and it is hard to explain to friends who have not been. I have found a new one of this area that I wanted to share. Virtually everything you see in the video below is within 10 minutes of our house, so we are there often.

OK, so I have made a few pointed remarks in the past about living in California but here are some tongue in cheek aspects attributed to us by others.

You're from California if...

1. You make over $300,000 and still can't afford a house.

2. You take a bus and are shocked at two people are carrying on a conversation in English.

3. Your child's 3rd-grade teacher has purple hair, a nose ring, and is named Flower.

4. You can't remember . . . is pot illegal?

5. You've been to a baby shower that has two mothers and a sperm donor.

6. A really great parking space can totally move you to tears.

7. Gas costs $1.50 per gallon more than anywhere else in the U.S.

8. Your car insurance costs as much as your house payment.

9. You can't remember . . . is pot illegal?

10. It's barely sprinkling rain and there's a report on every news station: "STORM WATCH."

11. You pass an elementary school playground and the children are all busy with their cell phones.

12. HEY!!!! Is pot illegal????

13. Both you AND your dog have therapists, psychics, personal trainers and cosmetic surgeons.

14. The Terminator was your governor.

15. If you drive illegally, they take your driver's license. If you’re here illegally, they want to give you one.

Just living the dream

December, 2018

Incoming.....

Morro Bay where Art and Barb contemplated the life of the rich and famous.

This was a very fun month as we had Canadian friends (and fellow pilot) Art and Barb come all the way from the Canadian frozen north to visit us for the better part of a week. We visited many of the obligatory local sights, and had great fun for the time they had available.

Outside the prison I worked at for 30 years

Art and I tearing up the miles of sand dunes at the beach near our house

Disaster talk

Last month, I wrote of my first deployment to New Bern, North Carolina. I didn't want to write a book so I saved some of the details for now. Some have asked what it was like and about the living / working conditions. Team Rubicon is a volunteer organization manned by mostly veterans so it has a distinctly military flavor to it. No one salutes, there are no ranks but it is heavily laden with military lingo which veterans are familiar with or pick up in a hurry.

Mobile command center with satellite uplinks and a few of the equipment trailers. Brown mess tents are in the background

The FOB (forward operating base) is where we all live, eat, shower and have all of our equipment inside the WIRE (chain link enclosure to keep all our stuff secure). The mess tent is self-explanatory but at the end of the day we DECON (decontaminate or clean) all the tools, restock and get ourselves ready for the next day. Strike teams are 6-man (person) teams that work together and travel in a fleet of rented extended cab pick-ups to the homes assigned to us by IC (incident commander). Meanwhile, LOGS (logistic people) prepare meals, sharpen tools, acquire anything needed to keep the strike teams going.

Sleeping trailers and showers

The food was superb, but the toilets were porta potties (pretty rough at 3 AM in the rain when it is 39 degrees). I got moved from the exercise room of the fire department to a small co-ed trailer with 16 people inside. Cordwood comes to mind.

The work was straight forward. We would set out in 6 man strike teams after breakfast and a briefing, to a home by 8 AM. Probably half were mobile homes and half conventional homes. Many had no insurance and one told me he had $30,000 of insurance on his house. I was struck by the fact that I had more insurance on my car than he had on his house. A good part of the surrounding communities had 3 out of 4 of its residents living below the poverty line...before the flood.

In most cases, 6 feet of water had entered the homes, meaning that absolutely everything they owned was ruined. We would start by removing all appliances (refrigerators, TV's, ovens, etc, etc), all furniture (beds, sofas, desks, dressers) all clothes, dishes.. absolutely everything they owned, and take it to the curb of the road as they had no sidewalks. Think moving day but everything goes to the dump... someday. I drove one road that had piles of debris about shoulder high, 15 + feet wide on both sides of the road for about 3 miles. It will likely be years before it can be taken away.

One two story home was in a low-lying area and the entire house was 30 feet underwater for nearly 3 days. When we got there, I went to the upstairs bedroom to start removing a dresser and opened a drawer. It was full of water. Following removing all furnishings, we would proceed to tear out all the drywall, insulation (it wicks all the water), ceilings and flooring (carpet, tile, linoleum, wood floors) right to the studs. This was to allow the homeowner to start fresh without all the mold that inevitably sets in. I am at a loss to see where they will get the money.

The nastiest work always included having to don a waterproof Tyvek suit with hard hat and attached work light, safety glasses and multiple layers of waterproof gloves. This allowed me to crawl into the 3-foot-high crawl space in the mud and toxic water (the area is full of chemical plants and pig farms that spilled their contents in the flood water) to remove the insulated ductwork under the house. They too were full of water, which got dumped all over us as we cut them out.

On my third day, I got a battlefield promotion of sorts to lead a damage assessment strike team, since I was the only one on our team who was 'Palantir' computer trained which is required to do the assessments. (Palantir was a program used to find Osama Bin Laden) The data gathered on the work we do translates into a boat load of FEMA funds for the affected communities.

OK, so much for last month's deployment. I am not a disaster junkie, craving to go from one to the next endlessly. Wanting to help but unable to save the world single handedly, I have limited myself to two deployments a year. This month I was asked once again to deploy to Northern California to the fire ravaged areas, to Houston to help with the re-building of 100 homes after last year's disaster there, and to Mexico Beach, Florida, ground zero where hurricane 'Michael' wiped that town off the map. Unable to be in 3 places at once, Florida was it, so off I went to 'Operation Amberjack'.

These folks were having a little trouble reaching their front door

As far as accommodations are concerned, it is best to have low expectations. We were housed in what was a school before hurricane ‘Michael’ had its way with it. It is now a gutted warehouse with all the charm of the inside of a dumpster, and where all 96 of us men and women on this OP slept in the same room the size of a gymnasium. On few nights the outside temperature dipped to 32 degrees and our building was unheated. As best I could figure, my cot was located between the second and third rows of desks in what had been Mrs. Johnson's 3^rd grade classroom.

Words simply fail to describe the level of devastation I saw in this area. I have posted many pics here but it is not the same as seeing it on both sides of the road as you drive for miles on end. I was expecting things to be bad but this was much worse than I thought possible.

Within a 50-mile radius, there were hundreds of thousands of 30 to 50 foot trees that were all snapped like tooth pics at about shoulder height and laying on their side. Everybody’s trees were in their neighbors' yard. In Mexico Beach (ground zero), homes within the first 3 streets of the beach were nowhere to be seen. Only concrete slabs and debris remained. They had simply exploded and parts and pieces either flew in the surrounding neighborhood, in the forest nearby or out to sea.

Further in, most homes were heavily damaged, knocked off their foundations, some laying on their side, some IN the local creek while others stood 8 feet tall as the rooms of the house had simply collapsed under the roof. I saw bed mattresses and clothes imbedded in trees a half mile from any home and metal roofing wrapped completely around a tree. I simply can't see how the place can ever recover. I saw less devastation in Bosnia after a war there.

The place got hit pretty hard with 155 MPH winds (250 KM) (2 MPH below a category 5 hurricane) and 3000 homes and businesses were destroyed. Unlike North Carolina where homes got flooded, these homes became piles of toothpicks. In many cases the only thing still recognizable were the cement foundations.

Below, I will include a number of pics, perhaps more than you are interested in seeing. I took them, so I thought I would simply make them available.