A Very Hot Day In The City

I had a wonderful time when Jess visited recently.  One of those days we drove to the city and spent the day there.  When I was growing up, this town was a small country town, with not many attractions, but now it's a big city with a mall, restaurants, and shops of every kind.  The streets are getting so crowded, and with the temps being in the 100's, it made it very uncomfortable.  I also drove to the city last week with my son, so I will combine both of these days on this post today.  We first stopped at our favorite cafe' and had something to eat.  Then, we walked along main street and went inside a few shops.  We drove to the other side of town, and went to all my favorite shops, World Market, Barnes & Noble, and others.  Jess and Nel have always loved the bookstores, and I appreciate the cafes within the bookstores.  The Barnes & Noble cafe' had a cozy vibe, and we sat for awhile to get out of the heat - it was 97 degrees that day.  Uncle b. bought Francesca a specialty milkshake - Vanilla Bean Frappuccino.  When me and my son drove to the city last week, it was very hot, 115 degrees...not pleasant weather at all.  I browsed through an eclectic shop and then we went to Target, where I found some soft furry slippers in a blush color.  They will be nice this winter.  Here's a few photos from our fun day spent in the city.

Let the world busy themselves with events and celebrations.  I'm quite content having the pure innocence of a baby nestled in my arms.

 ~Sheri

The Sculpture Park

Continuing with Jess' visit, we had many outings on her five-day stay, and one of those days we drove over to the Sculpture Park to see the giant whimsical characters.  The sculptures are created from discarded scrap materials, and the artists, two brothers, shapes them into life.  Among them were the Tin Man, the bright green Inchworm, the Cat, the Aliens and their UFO, and my favorite, the Giraffe.  This sculpture was grand, and you can see how tall it was with Francesca standing next to it.  So, here's some of the delightful sculptures we saw on the warm Summer day.

When we got home, I made a big pot of spaghetti and salad, and Jess shared the bread she bought, which was so good that it went in a day.  We also had a glass of wine that night after dinner.  I've had these blue wine glasses forever.  They look gypsy to me. 

Jess fixed my Netflix on the big screen, so we saw lots of shows when she was here.  She hadn't seen the Virgin River Christmas episodes, so we enjoyed watching them.  Yes, I sometimes watch Christmas shows in the Summer.  ; )   

My neighbors keep telling me to go see the sculptures, so now I can tell them I did!  I'd love to hear which sculpture was your favorite.

~Sheri

A Hike At The Waterfalls

Jess came to visit me last week, and she stayed for five days!  We had an adventure every day, and drove a lot, walked a lot, and ate a lot.  It was good for her to spend some time in the mountains, as she's on summer break right now from teaching elementary school kids, and that can be a tiring and demanding job.  Over the next few weeks, I will share with you all that we did, and I'll start with our visit to the waterfalls, which are on the outskirts of my town.  Uncle b. joined us, and that made it more special.  Come along and see the stunning waterfalls in northern California.

The trail to the waterfalls was closed at the time, but we were able to walk another route to see them.  It was a nice day, and the weather was just right.

A lovely twisted old tree.

There is a creek also - the water flows from an underground spring near the falls, which flows into the lake.  It's almost as pretty as the falls.

A sentimental bench.

Alongside the creek, there is a wooden railing, and there are many carvings on it from people passing through.  This one said Tommy dear, and me and Jess loved it, as my dad's name was Tommy, and my brother-in-law, who is buried up here, is also named Tommy.

We stumbled on the Pacific Crest Trail, and talked with a young man from The Netherlands that was hiking the trail.  He was so nice and friendly, and it's always interesting when we come across people from other countries when they are taking this journey.

This hollow tree was very cool.

And a black butterfly was unusually pretty.

The Steller's Jay stopped by for a minute, but didn't stay long enough to get a good picture.

This is a bit of information about the pines in California, and the fires that we frequently get here.

Charlie Brown Christmas tree.

Anther view of the falls from a different angle.

Afterwards, we went inside the gift store and browsed, and I bought some huckleberry honey to go with my bisquits.

  When we got home, we were all craving Chinese food, so we dined at the restaurant and ate the most delicious meal.  Jess really enjoyed the food - Kung Pao Chicken, white rice, Chicken Chow Mein, Wontons, and Fried Shrimp.  It was a great day.

~Sheri