Equinox

Today is the first day of spring. The time of the year when the night and the day are the same length. To celebrate the day, the trees are blossoming. Blossoms are fleeting, so enjoy them while they are out.

Camp Fire Aftermath

This afternoon we drove thru the ruins of Paradise, CA. The Camp Fire devastated much of the town and folks are desperately trying to clean up the mess and move on. I took a few pictures. I don’t plan to make many comments...please look at them.

Blossoms

The skies are gray, the rain continues to fall

...but the trees think it’s spring. The blossoms are glorious.

Daffodils

The daffodils are blooming! That’s a big deal because we’ve not had many daffodils the last few years. Daffodils need a lot of winter water and this year we’ve had the winter water. 

I apologize to my friends in the snowy parts of the US.

Not only are daffodils out, the hillsides are covered with emerald green grasses. It sure is pretty this time of year.

The Eighth Blanket

Tonight I finished the 8th blanket of the season. My fingers have been busy.

The colors are not true as this blanket is shades of green...a mint green, medium teal green and deep teal green, separated by a variegated yarn of all those colors. I have no idea why the colors are not true in the picture. Because it’s green, I’ve been calling it Patrick. I started this blanket twice, once with another pattern that did not look right after  12 rows. I tore it out and started all over again. The end product is great and I think a youngster will like it. 

WiFi Names

You can name your personal WiFi network anything you want. At the park where we are staying the WiFi networks have some fun names:
Bear’s iPhone
Not My Cousin Vinnie’s iPhone
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Zombie Emergency Response Team
Mine
Not Yours
It Belongs to Her
Not Free WiFi
GeekSpeek
... and the not very creative Winegard WiFi and Park Free WiFi
It’s humorous to see the titles people name their network. I think we try to top one another. Now, for the big question, can you guess the name of my WiFi network? I promise it’s on the list.

Sunset

We’ve not had pretty sunsets for a few days, but last night was different.

This morning, the rain has returned.

A Fun Name

I’ve been going by this coffee shop for years as it’s next to the Post Office. Only yesterday I figured out the name. I guess I’m slow. It’s really cute play on words.

72 Years Old and Still Strong

I like old cars and I saw a gem of an oldie the other day. A 1947 Ford Woodie

Woodies are not very common, and one that is really pretty is even more uncommon. I talked to the owner and he said the car had 60,000 original miles. It is not restored, but in original condition.

During the 72 years since this beauty rolled off the assembly line, she has had only 2 owners. The first owner lived in Colorado and used her only for summer camping trips. The current owner bought her 5 years ago, and he told me he takes her around town. 

After the Rain

This winter has been pretty wet. When we arrived the lake was 31% of capacity and it looked it. It’s still low, but it’s now 56% of capacity. The lake has 1/4 more water in it now, than when we arrived.

This is the entrance to Harvey’s Cove. While there’s no water in the cove, the water is getting there.

One of the many places where you can sit and look at view the lake is getting more scenic with more water. Don’t get me wrong, the lake has room for more water. The boat ramps are still high and dry and there are many acres of the lake that are filled with bushes and small trees. More rain is needed, but I fear the folks down here have had enough for awhile. 

Happy Valentine’s Day

48 years ago, I became engaged to the other DrC. Happy Valentine’s Day my love!

Crochet Time

Can you spot the newest blanket? It’s the teddy bear one. So far, I’ve made 5 blankets while camped this winter...and I started another one last night. These will go to “Sacramento Blankets for Sacramento Kids” the spin-off chapter of Project Linus. 

Snow in the North Valley

While Southern California has had a lot of rain, Northern California has had more. No matter where, the state needs the water. In the north, the snow level was below 200 feet. That’s very rare. The last time there was snow in the north valley was 2011. Baby it’s cold outside!

Morning on the Lake

It’s morning on the Lake. The campground is quiet. There are a few tenters who have not crawled out of their sleeping bags. The crows are making a racket (like they always do) and the acorn woodpeckers are creating granaries in the trees. There are no boats on the lake as the UCSB rowing team just left. A typical winter morning. For me, it’s the perfect time to look at the peaceful beauty of the place, contemplate my day and enjoy a slice of serenity.

Yesterday there was a group of Airstream trailers wrapping up their weekend party. The silver bullets filled a secluded spot where they could swap stories while camping in the Park. Today they are gone, without leaving a trace they were there. 

 The first flowers of spring are popping out. All is good at the Park.

Red Devil

My latest creation I’ve been calling “Red Devil” for obvious reasons. It’s a combination of 3 different reds—burgundy, cerise and chili—in my favorite zigzag design. I made it with a boy in mind, but frankly, I think boys and girls will like it. It probably will not fit into any decor scheme, but sometimes you just need a bright red blanket. It definitely makes a statement.

Kansas City Barbecue Society

This weekend the Kansas City Barbecue Society is having a competition at the Park. There are over 50 teams vying for the title “best of show.” 

Some have flags or banners that strut their stuff. Some have sponsors but most are “ordinary” folks who like barbecue. The rules of the competition state they have to cook 4 items: ribs, brisket, chicken and pork shoulder/butt. All of the teams have a kitchen. Some have dedicated trailers, others have tents with portable equipment; others have pits that are pulled behind their motor homes—no matter the arrangement, the teams are serious. 

I talked to several of the teams this morning on my walk. All were willing to tell me about their passion for barbecue. Most of the teams participate in 20-30 events during the course of a year. At the park today, the number 1 team in California was competing, and a couple of the folks said they were trying to take away the title. The number 3 team was focused.

No matter who wins, all are having a good time...and the aroma around the campground today is the most amazing smell in the world. 

Mary Poppins Returns

While not “supercalifragilisticexpialidotious” it is pretty good. The first Mary Poppins came out in 1964 and I liked it a lot. Great story based on Travers classic books that I had read as a child. While Disney changed the story a little bit, that was to be expected.  Fast forward half a century and a new Mary Poppins comes to London. The new story takes place 30 years later when she again returns to the same house and family. This Mary Poppins is played by Emily Blunt. Ms. Blunt is good, but her Mary Poppins is a slightly darker version of the magical nanny of the classic story. The children are endearing. Their adventures are fun. And in the end, the problem that Mary came to solve is solved and the family is better off because of her. That’s enough of the spoilers. If you have a chance to see the movie, take it. It’s good clean fun with no 4 letter words, no politics and only a few social statements. 

Divergent

Several years ago we listened to the Divergent trilogy when we were on a road trip. It was interesting and entertaining, even though it portrayed a distopian view of the future. Later the trilogy was made into 3 movies. We saw the first two when they came out, but never got around to seeing the third movie...until 2 days ago. A local store had a sale on the collection so we bought it. Movie 1-Divergent was good. Movie 2-Insurgent was good. Movie 3-Allegiant was bad. The books tied up the loose ends a lot better than the movie did. We were disappointed. It did keep us occupied for 3 nights and then a couple of more days of conversation deconstructing the movies ensued...but the bottom line...Listen to the books, look at movie one and two and forget about movie three.

Ax

It’s an ax...what’s the big deal? Well...do you know how to use an ax? Have you ever used one? Do you own an ax? Have you used an ax recently. This image could have been taken a 1000 years ago or yesterday. I took it yesterday. Somehow a simple ax brings me to the conclude that not everything is wired, online, and electronic. There’s still a need to chop wood and stay warm in our high-tech world.

After the Rain

The rain is over, at least for now. The lake is now boasting 35% full (it was 30% when we got here). That’s a big deal. Today we had a beautiful blue sky day, warm temperatures and no breeze. One of many reasons why we “winter” at the Lake.

This is the way to Harvey’s Cove, which is still free of water...but if we have another week like this one, there might be some puddles in the cove. The Santa Barbara weather-guesser said there might be some more rain on the horizon in about 7 days. We’ll see.

When possible, I like to take pictures of birds. I’m best with “slow” birds — those that sit still for long periods of time — but this egret was not slow. I saw him, aimed the camera and took the picture and then he lifted his great wings and flew away.