Suzy Says

I had a little more research to do, and this time, it took me south to Anderson Valley instead of north to the Village. Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but it was a beautiful day for a drive. The ocean looked like a postcard, and it wasn’t long before I was driving past the ancient, sky-high redwoods, with the sun flickering through the tree tops. I was pleased to see that most of the traffic was heading the other way, though I was pretty much taking my time and admiring the scenery as best I could while navigating the curvy roads.

Not long after leaving Navarro, where I noticed that the store once again has their barbecue up and going, it was time to put on the air conditioning and be grateful for modern conveniences.

My destination was The Madrones, where Megan and I explored a couple of years ago (has it been that long?). It is a beautiful, Mediterranean style enclave:

including accommodations, tasting rooms for local wine, charming shops, and a restaurant with an inviting, shade-dappled terrace:

You enter the restaurant through a little shop filled with quirky treasures:

I have to admit I picked up a treasure of my own, a little porcelain chrysanthemum. I just fell for it and decided it would be the perfect companion for the orange vase in my living room, which it is:

The restaurant is famous for its wood-fired oven and for using high quality local meats and produce. They have a pizza night on Mondays which I would like to check out. Pizza made in a wood-fired oven is the best.

I got a fantastic sandwich: chicken roasted in the wood-fired oven with smoked bacon, aioli, lettuce, pickled carrots, and herbs, all on a house-made roll:

I now want to learn how to make picked carrots. My good friend A, the queen of all things gastronome, has sent me a recipe to try, so stay tuned on that.

On my way home, I stopped in at Gowan’s, where I got apple cider, fresh walnuts and almonds, raspberries, and strawberries. Just up the road, I stopped to take a picture of these classic beauties, reposing peacefully in someone’s yard:

I was glad to get back to the sea breezes of the coast, but I love visiting the Valley, despite its oven-like heat. I love the rolling golden hills, the undulating waves of green vines, and the deep pools of live oaks. It’s a special place.

A YEAR AGO: Adventures in baking.

FIVE YEARS AGO: Enjoying the quilt show. And the fact that we still had Star.

TEN YEARS AGO: Jonathan’s dog-sitting was a little too adventurous, even for him.

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: It’s good when bad neighbors move out.

Oh, dear!

The “low tire pressure” light came on in my car. I have come to learn that this alleged warning sign only comes on when the tire is already in fact flat, or basically dead. I have never once had it come on when there was not a disaster involved.

Fortunately for me, this happened when I was at the gas station near work. I decided that the best thing to do was to take it to the tire shop, which was not yet open, and return later with my keys.

In this, I was correct, because about a block away from the tire shop, I could hear metal on asphalt, never a happy sound or a good sign for a girl’s ever-svelte (and getting svelter) wallet. I barely made it to the tire shop. I rather regretted having a giant pink Kate Spade bag:

full of my laptop, a book, and other things and stuff as well as my lunch as I schlepped to work.

There was much schlepping involved that day, since I had to walk back again to bring them my keys and then return to work, and finally walk over there again after work to pick up Wednesday. They had applied a spare tire, so I had to drive slowly and majestically, trying not to look at the ominous and unnerving “low tire pressure” light on the long drive home. At least it’s tourist season and no one is driving fast.

They ordered a new tire for me and told me that the other ones were healthy, at least for now.

A YEAR AGO: A pretty addition to the bedroom.

FIVE YEARS AGO: Quite possibly the sweetest birthday gift ever. ~Sob!~

TEN YEARS AGO: Our beloved Rob was recovering from his spine surgery.

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Adventures with the Lovely Rita. I still miss her.

TWENTY YEARS AGO: A glamorous and highly enjoyable day. I have not changed in 20 years. I still love all the things in this post. Also, someone recently referred me to me as “a 40 year old girl”, which is encouraging when you’re one year away from 60.

I needed to do a little research for a writing project, so I headed to the Village.

It was a beautiful day, with the fog just misting the trees:

On my way in, I stopped by the museum in Little River. It is a modest building, easily missed on a curvy part of the highway. Over its long history, it has served many purposes in our little community, including a place to vote. It was built in the 1800s, and has a remarkable ceiling made of curved pieces cut from a single redwood trunk.

In keeping with my graveyard theme, the museum had an exhibit about the cemetery in Little River, where I have often walked. It is a lovely, peaceful place, and they put in a lot of work to document each grave and find out as much about the occupants as they could. Some were pioneer settlers to this far-flung part of the world. It’s good to know that they are not forgotten.

There were also some historic photos of Hooterville. It never ceases to amaze me that there used to be a bustling lumber mill on the beach under the Hooterville bridge, complete with housing, a hotel, and a store, along with everything needed to mill and ship the mighty coastal redwoods, but there is no sign of any of it now.

When I got to the Village, it was awash in visitors. To be fair, it was a fine summer Saturday, so really, what else would I expect? I did my research as quickly as possible, and popped into the book store to get my birthday gift certificates. I didn’t even bother to pet the Great Catsby, such was my hurry to escape the company of my fellow man. Everyone was in my way as I picked up a few things at the one grocery store, and then a pizza for dinner, even though I had called ahead for the pizza and it was ready and waiting for me.

I couldn’t wait to get out of the Village and back to the Hooterville backwater. You know you are a backwoods-dwelling bumpkin when a bunch of tourists immediately get on your nerves. I couldn’t wait to get back home to the peace and quiet and the kitties.

A YEAR AGO: I never know what I’ll find on my way to work.

FIVE YEARS AGO: Oh, Junapalooza! I miss you!

TEN YEARS AGO: Unboxing the grand old grandfather clock in my old house. I still miss that crazy place.

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Nothing goes better with a B movie than an A class cocktail.

TWENTY YEARS AGO: Haha! Shocked by our neighbor asking for nearly half a million when she was selling her apartment across the hall from us. Our old place is now worth $1.3 million, even though it still has people above, people below, and no parking space. We paid $200,000 for it back in the dark ages. Or maybe the light ages!

Maybe it’s weird, or morbid, but I have always liked walking in cemeteries. They are peaceful places, and make me feel connected to history. It seems I have made several of these faintly macabre strolls over the two decades (and counting) I have been penning this blog, on both coasts, from Sleepy Hollow to closer to home.

The latest morbid meander was in Anchor Bay, while waiting for the Thai restaurant to open. As befits a townlet the size of Anchor Bay (population 340), the cemetery is on the petite side, and oddly (at least to me), it has houses literally pushed up against the graveyard fence. The cemetery was there long before the houses. Perhaps the answer is the stunning graveside view:

While I enjoy meandering through cemeteries, I don’t think I’d have a lot of enthusiasm for living right next to one, view or no view. At least the neighbors would be quiet.

Little Edna has a quite magnificent marker:

Though the leaf at the foot of the stone has cracked with time:

These are quite poignant in their simplicity:

This couple chose a more humorous memorial:

I am pleased to see that Betty is still dancing in this world and not yet in the next.

Some of the graves had animal themes:

I wonder if this person said they’d die when pigs flew:

It looks like Pat, or his family, also had a sense of humor:

It’s nice to see the connection between the long-ago residents and the more recent ones. It must have been challenging living here in the 1800s. It’s still remote; I can’t imagine how remote it must have been when you had to rely on horses to get here and get around. They must have been strong people back then.

On my way home, I finally grabbed a photo of Point Arena from the south:

For some reason, it reminds me of the white cliffs of Dover. And how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful place.

A YEAR AGO: Celebrating my little Clyde’s birthday.

FIVE YEARS AGO: A swarm of bees.

TEN YEARS AGO: Dinner with Erica and Jessica. I miss them.

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Dogs and groceries don’t mix.

TWENTY YEARS AGO: Haha! I thought gas was expensive at $2 a gallon! It’s now over $4.

Cheers to Me!

With the way Memorial Day fell – closer to my birthday than my sister’s, where it is usually located – I felt like I was hardly working for a little while there. I took time off over the Memorial Day weekend, and my birthday fell conveniently on a Friday, so I took that off, too. Why not?

Also, I am just opposed to working on my birthday, unless I absolutely have to. I figure it’s the one day a year when I should get what I want, no questions asked*. I even left early on my birthday eve, and stopped by Angelika’s place to get my hair cut. It was lovely to sit in her little salon and watch the hummingbirds at the feeder:

And the little quails walking by like little wind-up toys, the plumes on their heads waving in the breeze. I loved my hair:

I always feel better both inside and out after visiting Angelika. There is something about her and the lovely place she lives and works that is just healing to one’s spirit.

On the great day itself, I got up after the sun did – usually I am far ahead of lazy old Sol, though he tends to catch up with me during the summer months – made some coffee, and went back to bed with the coffee and the cats for a while, reading my fan mail and enjoying the peaceful quiet of my house and the beauty of the late spring day unfolding through the many windows.

I set off southwards – I noticed that during my time off, I headed south rather than north, toward the Big Town – and my first stop was at Franny’s Cup & Saucer:

where I got a champagne cupcake with blackberry icing, decorated with rose petals, and a flawless cannelé de Bordeaux. Up next was the Surf Market in Gualala, where I picked up a sandwich and an Orangina to enjoy overlooking the ocean:

Last but not least was Anchor Bay Thai:

Where I picked up the perfect dinner: fresh spring rolls, chicken satay, and Massaman curry. I waited on the patio, which has just a few tables and fairy lights strung around the trees. I have to come back and have dinner there one evening. But on this evening, I brought my fabulous dinner home and enjoyed it with some sparkling pink wine and the sparkling Rear Window. It was a great birthday.

*Of course, I feel that way the other 364 days of the year, but it’s harder to enforce then.

A YEAR AGO: A happy birthday.

FIVE YEARS AGO: Clyde’s birthday. My baby boy.

TEN YEARS AGO: The boys turned one!

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Door to door godliness.

I took a couple of extra days off around the Memorial Day weekend (first long weekend of the summer!), so I had five days off in a row. Doesn’t it seem like it should be five days off and two days on when it comes to work? Especially if you got paid for the five days instead of the two?

A girl can dream.

I am pleased to announce that nothing disastrous happened, as it so often does when I have the temerity to take time off from work. No sudden crowns were necessary, and it was not 5,000 degrees. I appreciated this. Also the simple pleasures, like getting up when it was light outside, and even going to the post office.

The post office is closed when I go to work, and closed when I go home, so it’s not easy for me to get there when it is open. I bought stamps and collected some birthday cards and a package, which contained the latest addition to my collection of cute measuring cups (you can see the cute pear measuring cups in the background):

They are embossed with a pretty design and look like little trophies. On the back of the big one, it says “Number 1 Baker” in raised letters. This is patently untrue, but maybe having cute measuring cups will inspire me to cook more.

I also ventured to the nearby town of Elk:

It was a postcard day, with the Pacific a deep and stunning blue, no fog in sight. The rolling hills have turned their summer gold, and are filled with drifts of pink, white, and purple wildflowers, along with bright orange poppies and nasturtiums. The cows and sheep have new babies, and the air is full of bird song.

I picked up a sandwich at the charming Elk Store:

from its quaint vintage display case:

It was a panini with Swiss cheese, cornichons, and pastrami, and it was delicious. I took it to a picnic table overlooking the ocean:

And enjoyed the view as I enjoyed the sandwich:

Even though it was a holiday weekend, Elk was not crowded, unlike most destinations in this resort area. So that was nice, too. Still, I was glad to get back to my quiet house, where all you can hear is the wind in the trees and the birds singing, to do a little gardening and hang out with the kitties.

A YEAR AGO: A look around the garden at the family estate.

FIVE YEARS AGO: Haha! A rare visit to the post office!

TEN YEARS AGO: Visiting a friend’s garden. I seem to have a couple of themes going this time of year.

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Birthday plans for my birthday week.