While the rest of the world was plugged in to their favorite Michael Jackson tunes, Husband and I headed down the coast to escape the heat of the day but we were listening to The Best of Simon and Garfunkle (part of Husband’s Father’s Day swag). It’s a beautiful drive through fields of strawberries, raspberries, artichokes and the the unmistakable odor of brussels sprout fields. There were workers here and there but only a few.
The fog that acts as our natural air conditioning was pushed back to the shore by a high pressure front. It clung right to the edge of the water so that while you had a clear view inland, you could only see a few feet (if that) of the water. We were headed for Our Private Paradise, aka Big Sur. We are typically there in April and I was surprised to see the brilliant display of wild flowers along the coast that had sprung up during May and June. The fog was visibly rising just over the road – it was like driving through a kind of mysterious tunnel. Cafe Kevah was enchanting, as always. The view south that is always so magical was frosted with fog over the water. This is when I found that the battery in my camera was dead. Phooey. It was sweet that 2 different patrons of the cafe offered to take photos of Husband and I and email them to us – nice, huh? Although we declined, I appreciated the thought.
We came back to Pacific Grove and made a short stop at Asolimar for water and potty break for Husband and then parked along the ocean to watch and talk. We bemoaned the closing of a little organic bakery where they had a little reading corner stocked with books and furnished with soft couches. You could sit as long as you liked and on the weekends, there was live music.
At 6, we met Jen and SG at Phil’s in Moss Landing for dinner. We finally found it this time…….:) They had been diving, snorkeling and generally enjoying the beaches and arrived somewhat sunburned but full of the joy that a day spent doing what one loves with people that they love can bestow. We ate well, if in a somewhat chaotic atmosphere.
It’s even hotter today, and in a couple of hours we will escape to the cool and dark of the movies. We are going to see UP in 3-D. I’m not certain, but I think the last 3-D movie I saw was The Creature from the Black Lagoon! I’m ancient and have the skin of the creature now to prove it! We are promised some relief from the heat starting on Monday with the rest of the week promising only 80 degree heat. Every year we have the “air conditioning” talk but so far we are still relying on the attic fan, the insulation we bought some years ago, the double paned windows and smaller circulating fans. At night, we open the windows and turn on the attic fan to cool the interior of the house, then do it again first thing in the morning and close up the house and rely on the smaller fans. Days like these we really miss that big old tree in the back yard that shielded the house from the afternoon sun. We only have 1 big tree now and no patio cover. If we pray to the Gods of Nature, we pray most beseechingly to the Fog.
Well this laptop is hot, so I’ll go get something cool to drink and sit in front of the fan. Later and cooler.
