Monday, September 12, 2011
These past 4 days with Mark and Melissa were the best. After departing from Klamath, CA we headed 190 miles southeast to Redding, CA.
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| Spice |
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| Sugar |
We set up camp in a very well manicured RV park and called Melissa right away. They were expecting us to stay at their house but because of the intense heat, 107 degrees, we needed 50 amps of power to run both air conditioners, for the animals all day. They have 30 amps, which would work fine if it weren’t so damn hot outside. Even with the two air conditioners running 24 hrs a day and set to 65, the trailer never got below 78. It was just that hot.
The very first night we headed over to their home, and once again, they fed us. They live on a 6 acre farm. They have cows, a bull, dogs, cats, horses, and a million and one toys. Mark and Mellissa built this house and designed every room. The kitchen is absolutely amazing. They all love to cook. They have two sinks and the stove is in the center island which is surrounded by stools for everyone to gather together. It is incredibly comfortable.
We got to meet their 7 year old son, Colton, and his nanny, Gloria. Gloria had us in stitches. She fits like a glove in their family. Mark and her banter back and forth and it was hysterical. Colton adores her. We also met, Casey, their oldest daughter, and her boyfriend, Jared. Cody, their eldest son, we already knew from the dunes.
I learned how to make salsa from scratch using marks homegrown tomatoes and tomatillos. I learned that stuffed and deep fried jalapeños are my new favorite snack food, ever! Jared showed me how to core them, and stuff them with cream cheese and Casey taught me how to roll them in corn meal and flower and then deep fry them. The jalapeños were also fresh from the garden. Mmmm mmmmm good!!!!
Most all pictures in this blog will be of food, since that’s all we seem to do was gather in Mellissa’s kitchen everyday. We did other things too but neglected to take pictures. Sorry.
One night mark took me for a walk in his pasture. It was probably a really good thing I had a couple of drinks because I walked up to a bull. No kidding. Not less than 3 feet away. He, I was told, doesn’t like people, so he walked away. I did not give chase! I petted several cows. They were extremely docile. It was pitch dark outside except for mark’s flashlight. I had on sandals and stepped in 3 different cow pies. Again, good thing I had a couple of drinks, lol. After washing my feet off with the hose we went back inside, joined the others, and ate some more jalapeños!!!
Friday morning came quick and mark was off work. Yeah, he could play. He works for the CA DOT. Mellissa is a mathematics teacher. She teaches algebra, calculus, trigonometry, geometry, and - if need be - simple math - to people like me, who are clueless without a calculator or Excel. Lol
Friday for the most part Mellissa and I spent doing girlie things. Shopping, manicures, pedicures, and more shopping. That evening Mark grilled ribs for us and yes, we had more jalapeños. . These guys are professional jalapeño eaters. Jared would just pop them in his mouth. No gutting. No cutting. Just ate it like an potato chip. Im not that brave. Dinner was excellent and we had a good time. JR, who we recently met up at the dunes also, came by for dinner along with his wife, Heather
Saturday Tommy and I stayed around camp for most of the day heading over to marks house around 5pm. Much maintenance was needed on the trailer that Tommy took care of for us that morning. Little things like hitches and clasps, but enough of them to where he had a ‘honey do list’.
That evening we all head south to a casino. It was marks 30 yr class reunion. While mark and Mellissa participated in the activities, Tommy and I had dinner in one of the casinos restaurants, called Timbers. It was phenomenal! After dinner, we tried our luck at gambling. Because we were new there they gave us each $15 in play money. Me, being cheap, every time I would win a dollar or even .50 cents, I would cash out. By the time I ran out of my promo money I had $17.50 to cash out. (You can’t cash out promo money, only the winnings).
I was so excited that I just won $17.50 I went straight to the cage to cash in. Yes, I realize I truly only won $2.50, but they GAVE me $15! On the way there Tommy stopped and picked something up off the floor. It was a $100 bill! Wahoo! Now Im really flying high! I sat down at a card table called Pai Chow. It was confusing at first, but now that I understand it, I like it - a lot! I lost $25 dollars there but had a great time learning the game.
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| Grandma Cow |
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| King Arthur |
We decided to see what was going on in the reunion, so we crashed the party. Hee, hee, we had THE BEST time! Mellissa and I danced and danced. They had a great live band. We didn’t know anyone but Mark and Mellissa but fit right in anyway! Mellissa was our DD. She got us all home safe and sound, not that Tommy, Mark, nor I remember the hour long ride! LOL
Sunday morning came and went. I slept until 1pm. The night before (in our drunken stupor), we had made plans to take a ferry boat to an island and then hike up a mountain to these caverns. It is on Shasta Mountain. The boat left at 1pm and, opps, we missed it! Instead we all vegetated on their living room couch and watched the movie Secretariat! Loved it!
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| Casey cooking jalapenos |
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| Gloria and Jared |
We had dinner with several of their friends last night at a Mexican restaurant, and left today. It was a wonderful visit and I truly hope they come to Florida. We only met them 2 weeks ago and yet we feel as if we’ve known them forever. Wonderful, wonderful people. Great, close knit family. We are extremely grateful to have them as friends.
We are now on the road to Napa, CA. The plan is to spend 2 or 3 days in Napa and then move onto San Francisco for 2 or 3 days. Thanks for reading. Have a great week.
We took the trolley up through Chinatown. We got off on Powell Ave. and walked 1 ½ miles - all downhill! The city is up and down and angled very steep. We headed toward Fisherman’s Wharf. First stop at the water was Pier 39. It was fun.
Pier 39 is dedicated for tourist attractions. It is filled with shopping, dining and entertainment. It is truly, completely, the epitome of a tourist trap, yet Tommy was okay with it. The entire San Francisco area is spotlessly clean. Not a piece of paper or gum on the ground.
The food was good and plentiful. We were stuffed. Great clam chowder. We walked around some more after eating but at a much slower pace. Fisherman’s Wharf offers many different things for entertainment. They have a carousel for children, a stage set for Pirates of the Caribbean skits. There are street performers, panning for money, just like Malory Square in Key West, except that they are on the outside of the wharf on public sidewalks. Some of them are pretty good.
We continued to walk and explore to take in all surroundings. We had a fantastic day. We walked back to the port along water frontage on Beach Street. It was a 2.2 mile walk. The weather was beautiful. On the ferry ride over it was a bit foggy. By the time we hit the ground downtown, the sun was out, and the skies were completely clear. We are the luckiest people we know when it comes to the weather and timing of things.
Before we got to the pier where our ferry was to take us back, we stopped and booked a cruise to Alcatraz. We will go there on Sunday and are very excited. They have a self guided tour with headphones to educate you as you go. They also have a cell block tour - creepy - but we will do it!
Once back on the other side of the bay we realized it was rush hour. We decided to stop at a local restaurant just off the boat, and had a glass of wine. It took another 30 minutes to get back to the camper with traffic. After walking Sire, we both collapsed and took a nap for an hour. The day, the walking, the salt air, and I'm sure the wine, all contributed to our need to sleep.
