We’re on a little roadtrip

Hello, friends. We’ve been beach-bound for a few days, traveling through the mountains and forests of Northern California. This morning, we woke up on the foggy Oregon coastline, and I’m loving it. It’s a nice change in atmosphere from the heat at home. I woke up early and read under piles of quilts, drank coffee while watching the mist on the water and already prepped tonight’s dinner: Corned beef and cabbage with carrots and red potatoes. The tide is on its way out, which means there will be good shell-collecting in a bit. I hope you have a lovely week. Here are just a few snaps from the road. xoxo

Five Senses … Tuesday

This past weekend, it was hot. Really, really hot. So I had a little “staycation” and made the decision to settle in Friday after work and not leave for anything — not for morning coffee, not to replace the milk, not to buy more pool reading at the drugstore — until it was time to go back to work Monday morning. It was the best decision, ever.

Here is a little Five Senses Tuesday, where I reflect on the past few days … of pool time, relaxation, heat and stunning views. xoxo

Tasting:
So much summer freshness: cilantro/cabbage/lime/toasted sesame oil salads; tomato/Cous Cous/toasted almond/spinach/asparagus/vinaigrette salads; coconut milk/dark chocolate/Greek yogurt parfaits; pasta/spinach/tomato salads. Coffee from a machine in the wall that read my mind, ground beans and was always good.

Feeling:
A pool heated by the sun on a 107-degree day. The shower burning my back where I missed with the sunblock. So lucky that people trust my friend Maggie and I to take care of their lovely animals and homes. In love with an old Aussie new to my world. Relaxed for hours and hours with books and magazines on the poolside. Unexpected tired when I slept through the whole movie that night in the cabana.

Smelling:
Turkey burgers on the grill. Sunblock on my face.

Hearing:
Horses in the pasture. A few new bands on Spotify. The dull of noise from the bottom of the pool.

Seeing:
The sun in my eyes. Flip-flop tan lines on my feet. Gorgeous pink sunsets. Reflections in the pond.

Morning ritual: Doggie walk to the pond.Loving the morning light lately.A lot of light reading.The light at night is pretty good, too.

Right now

Right now:

An expected forecast of 112. Coffee and cocoa early. Internet-ing by the pool. Early morning pooch pond swims. A coffee machine that reads my mind and grounds beans and froths milk, built into the wall. Rolling hills seen over the edge of an infinity pool. Last night’s cilantro and cabbage salad and skinny margaritas. She & Him and Lulu and the Lampshades on Spotify. That summery aroma of sunscreen. Post-swim movie (and nap). A canvas bag packed with pool reading. A swimsuit uniform, 18 hours a day.

That’s how Maggie and I are getting through this weekend’s heat wave. What are you doing?

See you soon!

Thanks, Monica : )

Winding roads that lead to Berkeley

I adore these mosaics on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley.

I’ve been spending more time writing about people and things in the East Bay. It’s been fun taking freeway exits I wouldn’t normally take as a tourist and meeting people who make a living and their real life there. This weekend, I met some fun peeps in the Oakland Hills for an interview. They told me which twists and turns to take and which hills to climb to get to the very top for a super-cali-fragilistic view of San Francisco and the Bay. I didn’t make it all the way to the top, because somewhere along the way I took a turn for Berkeley. Three miles laters, that’s where I ended up. Right here.

This is a teensy tiny view of Telegraph Avenue on a Sunday afternoon.

Donkeys & Mules | Parade and Rodeo of Bishop

Yesterday I shared here about camp at Mule Days, the super fun and not-so-serious rodeo for mules and donkeys I went to over Memorial Day weekend. Here are a few shots from the grandstand and sidewalk as we watched the parade. I love those donkeys when they’re all done up:Aunt Jo and I, and our hand stamps to get in to the arena.There were amazing beards all over the place:
I loved the setting, mountains on both sides.The chariot races are hilarious.Don’t try to tell a donkey he needs to go faster:Cutest little covered wagon:Aunt Jo givin’ some lovin’ to a Hall-of-Famer:I’m so going to make a bikini for Zipper, one of my aunt’s sassy donkeys:Things got a little weird:My favorite was when they did the packing scramble. All of the donkeys and horses were let loose, leaving the people to round up their groups of six mules and one horse. Once they were all together, they had to get all the gear loaded up, too.And then there was the parade. Time to get up close and personal.I loved this little miniature donkey named Blossom:My aunt helped start Wild Ass Women back in the day:This chick is awesome. She shows her mule, brahma bull and zebra at the same time:Fresh ground mule: 10 cents a pound:Love this hippie chick and the mule’s bell bottoms:And just like that, it was all over. Until next year …

In camp with the mule boys | Bishop Mule Days

There were pirates and mule skinners. Beer can holsters and plastic wine glasses. Belt buckles and all sorts of straw hats. Hot cakes and venison and pots with beans ‘n’ weenies. Giant bags of warm kettle corn, gooey monkey bread in a Dutch oven and our new favorite broccoli salad.

There was laughter from the crowd. Bikini-donning donkeys; and men, too. There was braying all day, and cozy sleep all night. Movies (and satellite TV in the camper!) between mule shows, as well shopping and wheel-spinning and parade-watchin’ with the best of ‘em. There were welcoming smiles and fun storytelling and big bear hugs, too.

I can’t tell you how much fun I had in this world that is so foreign to me. I’m not a cowgirl or a mule girl. I don’t have real cowgirl boots and the only hat I wore was a rainbow-striped one you’d see on a beach, not at a rodeo. I didn’t understand all the rules or know all the terms. BUT, I do know how to clap hard and holler loud. I know how to fill up a paper plate with potluck spoonfuls, how to use an outhouse and make magic in a Dutch oven. I know how to bullshit with the best of ‘em and sit around with mugs of coffee and cups of bubbly in my hand. In the end, we were all just a bunch of new and old friends, who stretch between Klamath Falls and Yosemite and San Diego, and came together in a campground to celebrate an easy love and camaraderie that was strong from the beginning.

George — our unofficial camp president — always says, “There’s only one way to know if you really liked Mule Days.”

Then he pauses.

“We know you liked it if you come back the next year.”

George, I promise, I’ll be back.

Here are photos from around camp. I’ll share more of the events and animals a little later. And here’s some of what I wrote yesterday on the weekend.

. . . . . . .

This is George. He’s been going to Mule Days for 44 years. Now, he feeds people, and he loves it. At his home near Yosemite, he runs Hillbilly Catering (love it!). Sometime before that, he cooked for John Wayne for two years. His famous tritips, which he’s cooking up here on his massive grill, was John Wayne’s absolute fave:We were surrounded by snow-capped mountains and blue skies.Meet Wayne. He and his wife, Barbara, are pirates. Translation: They built a beautiful pirate ship that they take all around and let kids play on — when they’re not in character at Renaissance fairs. Wayne says kids think he’s Santa, to which he answers, “There’s a big difference between ‘Ho Ho Ho’ and ‘Yo Ho Ho.’” Wayne has some other jokes that I probably shouldn’t share here ; )Someone made venison. I was weirded out, yet I tried. Not bad, but the image of Bambi never left my mind:John. He was our lovely neighbor who taught us how to back up an RV with a gentle pull of the wheel and how a few little gizmos make RV life easier:Love the light:Josh is sort of George’s protege in the camp kitchen. He sliced 12 tritips perfectly and made us fluffy pancakes in the morning:The sun made images in my coffee, and I was highly entertained one morning:It’s Wayne!A cowgirl who loves the classics:Tom, the smiling man with the pipe and beer holster (yep, that’s his):Fiddler Peet joined our camp and played a bit during our first night:And John; Aunt Jo may or may not have hijacked that Bloody Mary from him:Everyone belly-up to the food table:Aunt Jo and I made a monkey bread and cheesy hashbrowns in a Dutch oven one day:During downtime, I watched a Dutch oven, sipped Cab and read a new issue of Anthology magazine:We only ate out once, and it was to feast on an Indian taco:On one of the last nights, I think all leftovers went into this pot. When camping … :Working her magic:Love the old campers and motorhomes:My tired camera and my mascara-less eyes, in the car mirror:Sun sets over camp:

Five Senses Monday

Happy Monday, friends. This past week, I got away and headed to a little town between the desert and the Eastern Sierra Mountains. Have you ever heard of Bishop? I hadn’t either, until my aunt and uncle started talking about Bishop Mule Days about a decade ago. It’s sort of like a rodeo, but less serious and with donkeys and mules.

I decided to join my aunt on this year’s trek and keep the tradition going. It was a wonderful trip, though bittersweet at times, as my uncle passed away this time last year. It made my heart happy to be there, meeting his friends and experiencing a world he enjoyed so much. I learned a little side of him I’d never really known. Hanging with my aunt was also special, and we added our own new twists to the week, like trying out new recipes and having movie nights in her RV — that kind of stuff we don’t find time to do at home.

I’ll share more on Mule Days this week, but now, it’s time for Five Senses Monday. Play along!

Hearing:
Cute little donkeys braying at Bishop Mule Days. Myself asking a lot of questions, like “what’s the difference between a donkey and a mule?” (I was that much of a newby). The casino, loud with families, on a Sunday morning. The truck jug-a-lugging up the mountains with the pretty new fifth-wheel in tow. Stories of pirates and renaissance festivals and the olden days from new, interesting people.

Feeling:
Relaxed after stepping into a new world for nearly a week. Thankful for the small things, like a hot morning shower in a communal shower trailer. Amazed that I was really able to leave everything at home and focus on the moments: new sites, wonderful company, a whole new experience. Proud of my aunt, who never slows down, but sat down and watched three whole movies with me in the RV (feet up and bubbly in hand, of course). Ready for the next vacation. Only anxious to get home to see my Aussie-Chow, who had been shaved while I was away (I may have cried a little to see my fluffy beauty turned into a little sheep … more on that later).

Tasting:
Fluffy morning pancakes cooked on the outdoor grill. Cheesy hash browns baked in a Dutch Oven. Venison for the first time; I couldn’t quite get past the Bambi image, though. An Indian taco.

Seeing:
The landscape change from lush and green to dry and desert. Donkeys and mules everywhere I turned. Cowboys, too.

Smelling:
The sizzling-something on the barbecue constantly. Morning coffee, so lovely. Cinnamon, sugar and butter bubbling under the hot lid.

We drove and drove. To a part of the state I’d never explored. Eventually, the green turned to brown.And then we arrived.We camped among mule peeps and cowboys and people who eat and drink and talk for fun.On the first night, Fiddler Pete joined us for dinner and then played in our camp.At some point, I made a college (if you follow me on Instagram, sorry).We watched lots of stuff, like chariot races.Movie and drinks. In middle of the afternoon.And on the fifth day, we crossed the mountains again.