Going East

It's that time of year when we pack up the RV and go east. 

This year we are more heavily packed as we have stuff for a European cruise and another big camping trip. Watch this space for pictures.

Our first stop was Reno. That's Mt. Rose in the background and she has more snow on her than I've seen in a long time. The big tall building in the mid-ground is the Atlantis Casino which is about 20 stories tall...that gives a good idea how tall Mt. Rose is as she looms behind the city.

Today we climbed the two big passes...Golconda and Emigrant on I-80. It felt like we were on the top of the world, but it was only 6,114 feet. Given that, the snow level was down to 6,000 feet. We have driven this route for many many years, and it's rare to see this much snow. The west had a wet winter. The rivers are swollen but we have not seen signs of recent flooding. 

I wonder what is in store once we get into Idaho?

 

Number 8

The blanket that took forever! I started it right after Easter and 3 weeks later it's done! Rarely does it take me that long to mke a blanket! As a consolation it's pretty and very cosy. A Project Linus child will like it a lot.

SouthWest

This past weekend I flew to LAX on SouthWest. The airline industry has received bad press recently, and rightly so, yet I only have praise to report. On Friday morning, I was part of a group of 3 women, 2 in wheelchairs. The nice folks at the airport bent over backwards to help my wheeled companions. Upon arrival in LAX, the reception was exactly the same. On Sunday, my wheelchair group increased to three. Again, the folks treated us as valued clients as we were wheeled thru a myriad of lines and airport construction. A clot of 3 wheelchairs is very awkward to work around...yet the nice folks at SouthWest helped us with a cheerful smile. Back at our home airport, we received the same treatment.  SouthWest Airlines personnel were courteous, friendly, and helpful. Kudos to them for a job well done. United--American--please look to the low cost leader for a good flying experience.  Thank you SouthWest!

My Dad

Today my father would be 106 years old. The earliest picture of have of him was taken in 1918 

When he was 7 and his brother was 5. They had just legally immigrated from Italy. At that time, my grandfather had to sign a form that PROMISED his wife and two children would NEVER be a burden to the United States. They never were. My dad was an American and very proud to be one. 

This is my dad in his early 20s. He's riding his favortie horse, Blackjack. As he reached his mid-80s he was ailing, but he wanted to live long enough to see the turn of the century in 2000 which he did! He passed away in July when he was 89. The day he passed away my first book series was published...he was so proud that his "little girl" was an author as well as a professor. The immigrant did well. Happy Birthday Daddy you are always in my thoughts and dreams.

Lake Oroville

A lot has been written about Lake Oroville recently. It's the lake that belongs to the Dam that has a huge hole in the spillway. In addition to that problem the secondary spillway was never paved so that when it was used this year, for the first time ever, it started to erode very quickly. So, after years of drought where the lake was low (which I have documented in this blog) folks did not think that the spillways would cause any problems. With the record rain we had this winter, the faulty spillways caused major problems, including the evacuation of 100,000 folks downstream. Right now, the spillways are being repaired, albeit behind "closed doors" as the public are not allowed anywhere near the area to take a look at what is being done. The public can see the Lake where the water levels are pretty high. 

This picture was taken near one of the boat ramps, Lime Saddle, and it shows the level of the water. It's not up to the tip-top as room is needed for winter run-off in the coming months. There's room for that additional water now. It's really good to see the blue wet stuff in the lake instead of tall weeds and way too much shoreline.

 

Back to Blankets

I took a break from blankets to make a score of Easter Bunnies. I'm back to crocheting blankets again. I finally finished an aqua/lavender creation for Project Linus. This is my eighth blanket for the year.

I hope they will take it as it does have some "holes" in it. Apparently some places will only take donated quilts saying they are easier to wash and do not get caught in "stuff." Given that, I will make fewer holey blankets. 

 

It's Easter

Happy Easter Everyone!

 

Cherokee

200 years ago Spanish explorers found gold on the south side of Table Mountain. Fifty years later Welsh miners and a group of Cherokees from Oklahoma mined the area and struck it rich. A hydraulic gold mining industry developed that employed folks around the clock for almost 30 years.

The miners created a city, which, during the boom of the 1890s, boasted a population in the thousands. They found gold and diamonds and lived quite well. Thomas Edison owned one of the mines, and he made sure the area had electricity. President Rutherford B. Hayes and his wife visited Cherokee, as it was that famous.  Today the town has less than 70 residents. The old mining days are gone, but the hobbyist can still find some gold and diamonds in the area.

Time has marched on, and Cherokee is just about forgotten except for a few relics from it's "rich" past.

Table Mountain

A great place to see wildflowers in our area is Table Mountain, not too far from Oroville Dam. We took a ride there this weekend, and we were treated to a nice display of yellow, purple and white wildflowers. Only problem--everyone from the area was there too. I was able to get some pictures without a crowd of my closest friends...I hope you enjoy them ...

The mountain is truly flat and the fields seem to spread for miles in all directions.

Tiny yellow flowers coat the mountaintop

A narrow road soon leads you to...

...a meadow with trees in the background and a gleaming patch of yellow meadowfoam...

It's all good!

 

A Chorus Line...

Meet the chorus line of bunnies...I wonder if Mom Bunny (on the right) is teaching her little rabbits all about being Easter Bunnies. Two more were added tonight as I had some bunny requests. They were camera shy, but I'll try to sneak a picture of them tomorrow. 

 

Charlotte Arrived

Back in November, when we were on the Prisendam, I made several baby blankets...including this one for our tablemate's great-grandchild-to-be. The baby, Charlotte, was born March 24...

...and here she is wrapped in her special teddy bear blanket. These blankets do travel as they live in Louisiana and I made it while we were on the Amazon. 

And even more...

A few more bunnies have joined the "herd" and a few were given away. Soon they will all be hopping over to my friends where they will bring some Easter Joy. I've branched out and made a couple of Easter Eggs too.

FYI--the appropriate collective for a group of rabbits is "herd." And a herd of rabbits live in a warren. My house has definitely become a "wabbit warren." 

More Bunnies

The bunnies are doing what bunnies do...multiply. 

There are 2 tribes...and I'm having too much fun making them...one or two a night! Happy Easter everyone!

 

4 Stars for Beauty and the Beast

I saw Beauty and the Beast this afternoon. Disney has created an interesting interpretation of the fairy tale. I came out of the movie smiling and happy. There were some surprises, which is why I gave the movie only 4 stars instead of five.  Emma Watson (she played Belle aka Beauty) is portrayed as a handsome girl who is good and sweet and caring, but not your classic "beauty." One of the lessons the fairy tale tries to teach is that beauty is more than outward appearances. Hence, if you are looking for a gorgeous Beauty to sweep you off your feet, keep on looking as it's not there.  In addition, if you are looking for a story that takes place in a tiny provincial town in medieval France, you will be surprised that the inhabitants of that village are not French. The cast is a multicultural group with alternative lifestyles. Surprise, it's the 21st century so Disney had to modernize things.   Lastly, I did not realize the movie was a musical. There is some dialogue, but like Les Miserables, a lot of the dialogue is sung. It works...but it was a surprise to me.  The story is wonderful. The fancy dress French costumes are glorious. Beast is truly a beast and kind of scary. There are some classic  Disney-type scenes that take your breath away. The ending is as it should be. Along with creating a wonderful movie, Disney added an unneeded social statement to a fairy tale that already teaches a good lesson. 

Bunnies

My niece asked me if I could crochet this Easter Bunny...

 I looked at the pattern and decided it was the most complicated piece of crochet I've ever seen! That's some statement as I've been crocheting since I was 7! But I was given a challenge so I started lookinng for patterns I could do. I  found one that I modified and it was still cute. To date I've made 2

One has "button" eyes while the other has child-proof embroidered eyes. I think I'll make a few more, because, like Bugs Bunny says, rabbits are good at multiplying! 

Lucky Seven

The seventh Project Linus blanket for 2017 is done! I've been calling it "Stained Glass." 

The colors are not showing well--the pinkish stripe is actually lavender and the light blue-gray strip is turquoise. It's big enough for a twin bed and that's why it took me so long to finish it...plus the fact that I made a huge mistake and I had to tear out 11 rows to make it right. I tend to make mistakes when I'm sleepy

.

Is it Spring?

I don't want to count my chickens...but I think spring is coming? There are all sorts of clues, even if Daylight Savings Time has not yet started. The hillsides are covered with a green felt of grasses and 

...there are a few daffodils in my garden. They are a surprise as I've not had the daffs bloom in over 5 years. I guess they need water?

The daisies are showing off too! I'm always happy to see them.   

The lavender is starting to send up purple flowerettes that are attracting bees while the redbud has a pink aura about it, but no blossoms yet...sadly, the rock roses are still "asleep." The rains bring the flowers!

 

Top Hat

I just watched the 1935 musical, Top Hat, starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The movie focuses on a case of mistaken identity but the "story" is all about dancing. Classic Hollywood dancing. Fred looks incredible in his top hat and tails...and Ginger steals the show with her fancy wardrobe, including her fantastic feather and satin dress that she wears in the Dancing Cheek to Cheek scene. That's the best!  The movie is fraught with stereotypes, lack of story line, really bad sets, and a predictable plot. Don't get me wrong...the "story" is awful. But, you don't see a Fred and Ginger movie for the story...you see it for the dancing. I think Top Hat has some of the best dancing from the era. It's a great "feel good" movie. I'm still smiling. If you have a chance to see it for the nth time (where N is a big number) see it...and I'm sure you will have a happy grin on your face too.  

After the Rain

We have been getting a fair share of rain this winter and now we are getting ready for spring. The ponds and lakes are filled as they should be. 

This little stock pond is filled to capacity. 

One pond away, our permanent winter guests, this pair of Canada Geese, are getting ready for this year's batch of babies.

...and then there are the glorious reflections.

...and daffodils.

...and daisies. There are probably more surprises after the rain.

 

Priyo’s Baby

Remember I made a bunch of baby blankets on the last cruise? Today I received a picture of one of the babies...his name is Chiko and he came before the blanket arrived. His dad gets off the ship in May and that's when he will get the blanket.  

And Then The Rains Came...

After several drought years, we have had some rain. I'm sure you have heard about it in the news if you have not experienced it for yourself. When we arrived at Lake Cachuma on the last day of 2016 the lake was at 7% and falling

I'm happy to report that the local news folks are saying the lake is at 50%. This is great news. 

The "new" boat ramp is still high and dry (see the large chunks of concrete below---they weigh down the ramp...)

...but the old boat ramp 

Actually has some water along the bottom. There's a date (1963) written at the base of the ramp and it was covered today. That's good news. 

Here's another view of the new boat ramp...and it's still laying on the dry land like a collapsed snake. BUT look at the rest of the lake...there's actually water in it.

This is my "benchmark" picture site as I look at this view all the time. Today there is water in the foreground! 

All this bodes well for the water supply for Santa Barbara. In the next few days we will be driving north and we'll get to see how the rest of the state has "filled" up. 

 

 

Blanket 6

After a false start where I made two HUGE mistakes, I'm pleased to say I've finished the sixth Blanket of the year. 

This is possibly the most complicated pattern in my repertoire. This time I made it in mossy green, lavender and winter white. It's very subtle, yet pretty. It's soft, cozy and large (big enough for a twin bed). It will be donated to Project Linus where a teenager will find it cuddly and warm.

(In case you are wondering...we had about 20 hours of rain yesterday which is perfect weather for crocheting)

 

Blossoms

After the heavy rain the trees have started to blossom. Spring comes early to this part of the world.

The blooms are illusive -- here today and gone tomorrow.

Disc Golf

For the past several weeks, the folks at the Park have been working on project. Park personnel  

Created trapezoid-shaped forms and filled them with cement. The project started slowly as it rained and they could not work, but the rain stopped and more cement pads were laid. About a week ago, I spotted a team creating a new trapezoid pad and I asked what they were making and I was told they were making a Disc Golf Course. I asked the obvious question...What's Disc Golf?

He told me it is a game played with Frisbees and then he continued pouring cement.

This weekend, these turned up. There are 18 of them and they are baskets.

Apparently Disc Golf is a big sport...and Lake Cachuma is going to have a humdinger of a DG Course. The object of the game is to throw a frisbee from the trapezoid pad to the basket in the fewest number of throws. After completing 18 holes, the person with the lowest score wins. It might be a lot of fun...but even more fun is enjoying the beautiful location. Go to DiscGolf.com for more information about this sport.

 

From Last Year

Here's the baby that goes with a blanket I made last summer. Shes's 2 months old and pretty in pink!

Blanket 5 and a Boo-Boo

I finished the fifth blanket of the year last night. It's made of "leftover" yarn from previous blankets. I think the colors go together well!

Then I started the next blanket while I was looking at an episode of Murdoch Mysteries...

And this is how far I got before I realized I made not one but two errors in the first row! I restarted the blanket this morning and the second attempt is good! The pattern I'm using is very complicated and I should have been concentrating on the pattern instead of the story! 

Four

The fourth blanket is ready for Easter (so I've been calling it Pasquale -- Italian for Easter)  with muted tones of green, blue and lavender. The picture makes it appear 

brighter than it really is. I think it will be a good blanket for a young teen girl. 

Vetch

After the rain the vetch is beginning to grow. I liked this little flower as it looked back at me.