Suzy Says

Rufus and I went to visit my brother and sister this weekend. They live near the little town of Albion, about 150 miles north of San Francisco. Their houses are a little on the rustic side for Rufus’ taste (bet you thought I’d be the picky one here, didn’t you?), so we stayed at the lovely Fensalden Inn in this pretty room. The inn was a stage coach stop in the 1860’s, and you can still see gunshot holes in the redwood ceiling of the old tavern, now a spacious living and dining room. From this room’s windows there is a spectacular view of the ocean and a garden visited all day long by hummingbirds. Other than the ocean, all you can hear is the wind in the trees and the birds singing. And since it’s about 7 miles from where my brother and sister live, it was the perfect place to stay.

It was a beautiful drive up, not a cloud in the deep blue sky. Across the Bridge into Marin and then into Sonoma County, where things really start getting pretty. Fields were full of glowing pumpkins, the vineyards turning gold and red, their grapes harvested. I love the golden brown of the hills with the live oaks making pools of dark green and much-needed shade, and the tall redwoods that line parts of Highway 128.

The weather was perfect all weekend, clear and in the 80’s during the day, cool and starry at night. On Saturday, we looked around the charming little village of Mendocino. Mendocino was built in the 1800’s and has retained its charm by burying power lines and having any alteration to existing buildings, or proposal to build a new one, approved by its very strict Historical Society (known locally as the “Hysterical Society”). There are no cell phone towers or fast food restaurants, either — nothing to mar the old village’s tranquil beauty, perched on cliffs overlooking the Pacific.

We did some shopping, had lunch at the deli, and walked my brother Jonathan’s dog Jed on the headlands. Walking Jed always involves throwing the ball, which is why my sister Megan keeps a supply of balls (also a towel, thermos of water, and plastic bowl — her “Jed kit”) in the car, and we had a heart-stopping moment when the ball flew over the cliff. We all yelled “No!” at once and Jed stopped. I don’t think she would really have gone over the cliff in pursuit of the ball, but we certainly weren’t going to risk it!

We had a barbecue at Jonathan’s on Saturday night, accompanied with corn we had bought at Gowan’s on the way up, and potatoes from Megan’s garden. Gowan’s has had a produce stand outside Philo for generations. The eldest Gowan, now in his 80’s, still helps to pick apples every Fall, and the family steadfastly refuses to sell their extremely valuable land, in the prime grape-growing area of Anderson Valley, to the wineries.

All the “firsts” are hard, and I’m glad I had Rufus with me for this one. My father loved Albion, and he is everywhere up there. But it was good to be with my family, be happy, and start to build new memories together.