Besides the coast, the mountains and the wildlife in my area, there are also the vegetable fields. Twenty Five minutes away over the Monterey Hills, is the Salinas Valley of Monterey County. It is known as the California Salad Bowl. Everything you can imagine is grown here. Grown for all of us to enjoy. It is another place in which I like to visit, think, admire and enjoy. I know this may sound funny, but I like the scent of the soil and various odors that linger in the air from the growing produce. During a sunset, the glimmering light shines on the water that is sprayed on the freshly plowed soil. I drove out of my way to see the sunset shining through the water sprinklers. I needed to relax and go back in time.


The manure (as funny as it sounds) reminds me of when I was a kid. My Dad had a large garden and we all had to dig, plant, water and pick what we grew. Tomatoes, Onions, Carrots, Peas, Green Beans, Bell Peppers, Cilantro, Lettuce and Corn. There were veggies all year round. If my Dad could grow potatoes he would have, but our soil wasn't deep or dark enough. I used to grow a small veggie garden when I lived in AZ for a few years. I find that I do not have time for a garden here. I guess I should get off of my ass......lol

I was talking to a Mom about her daughter of 10 years old. The short story is that her daughter refuses to wear the hand me down clothes of her sisters. She told me that she is at her wits end about asking her to wear the clothes. No matter how many times she asks, her daughter refuses.

Ask? WTH? Within my family, the only two siblings who ever got new clothes were the two oldest sisters and my younger brother. All of the girls clothes were passed on down to the rest of the girls. I ended up with hand hand hand hand me downs.........lol. Getting clothes from all of them was dreadful but necessary. That is how it was. My Dad didn't ask me if I wanted to wear them, they were just handed to me. The only new clothing items I ever received were my undergarments. My Dad couldn't afford to buy me new clothes of my own until I was 16 yrs old. It was this way in all of the families in the neighbourhood.
Hell! Sometimes the clothes were shared from the other families on the cul-de-sac. Each family had enough kids to trade with. That is how it was. I did the same with my sons and not once did they complain. It wasn't until my 2nd son became bigger than the 1st son that I stopped.

Well....................

**Miss "I played dumb while twirling my hair as I looked innocent and parked in marked parking spots" was fired due to her incompetence. Oh well, she wasn't in my section.
**A new Captain arrived. In the meeting he said that he looked forward to working with me and had heard about my sense of humour. Good God that man is in trouble...lol
**There were close to 300 work emails waiting for me. Geez Louise! There is a reason assistants were created...lol
**The humming bird chicks were killed by the neighbours cat. I am anti cat right now and am planning a glock attack. (j/k)...maybe.
**A new guy moved into the next apartment. There are only 4 apartments in my building, so it is easy to see new tenants and everyone is so nice. He said he had heard I was a cutie...lol. What a flirt! He was also damn fine! But I didn't let on to that.
**The cost of paying for a paper grocery bag went up to 75 cents. I shall start carrying the milk in my bra when I forget the green bag at home.
**My blood orange lilies (Liberty Hydes) bloomed while I was away. From tiny bulbs to this.


Life goes on even though we think it stands still while we are away. Taking time off and leaving our daily grind behind is a pleasure, but discovering what we missed during our departure can be a joy, a giggle, a surprise or a shock. Either way, they are emotions that we need in our lives. It would be dull without them.

I think we all love getting wet! Wouldn't you agree? Naked or in my bikinis, I am always in the water.
I cannot live without a pool or the beach. I will seek them out if they are not around me.
And don't get me started on my long baby oil baths.

Playing in the pool during my holiday. The water was crisp and cool.


After the day in the sun, it was time to relax and drench the girls in a warm baby oil bath.
I love to keep my body soft and it makes me feel so sexy.


The next day it was time for the spa. I spent the day hiking in Yorba Linda, so my bones needed the rest.


And of course I ended the day with a sunlit bath. Nothing soothes me more than to have the sun shining through a bay window as I gaze upon the sky and kick back.


Get me wet and I am always a happy camper.

I hope that everyone visited all of the other players.
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Those 6 words mean a great deal to everyone who serves or have served in the military.
The men and women in service feel these words every day. Today I visited the War Memorial in Salinas and honoured the men and women who not only lost their lives, are still MIA, were wounded and to those who survive as best as they can during and after service. I also honour those closest to me.
My Dad was in the Navy, Former Father in Law was an Air Force Pilot, Both brothers were in the Army and one of those brothers died in Viet Nam, My nephew was in the Marine Corps, My Nephew in Law is in the Navy, The Ex is a decorated full service former Marine, Several of my friends are still in the Middle East and some of my friends lost their lives in Iraq. All of them are a part of my life. Any and all military service members deserve all of the respect that I can give them.

I admire the courage of anyone who puts aside their own thoughts of safety in order to protect my daily life and freedoms.

My long journey is over. I had a wonderful time seeing my sons on their birthdays, visiting dear friends, laughing with strangers that I met along the way, making new memories and remembering the times I had with others. I laughed a lot and at times I cried. All in all it was well worth the long drive.

But I am home now. this is always a welcome site when I leave this beautiful lil town in which I lay my head.


And that I did. My bedroom is my sanctuary and my bed is my saviour. My head hit the pillows and I let out such a sigh of relief, I may have awakened my neighbour.


After I woke up, I grinned at the site from my balcony. The cool ocean breeze on my face and the sounds of barking seals and sea birds was a welcome site and sound.


Then I went downstairs to get the mail and another site caught my eyes. She was giving me a welcome home grin. You just never know when the deer will pop out of no where. But they sure are beautiful to look at and admire.


One of my favorite views was waiting for me. Sipping tea on the water front across from my home. Thank you Mother Nature. I do appreciate your artistry.


I didn't do much today, but I did visit the "Wet Me Down" blog challenge entries. All I can say is that you are just too great for words. It's time to rest again. I will blog my entries for the challenge later. My bed is calling me again.

xo

Driving the winding roads in the mountains alone is frustrating..lol. I always seem to look around me instead of what is in front of me. There is so much of natures wonder to gaze upon. Next time I want someone else to do the driving.

Of course there are some detours that are worth it. I took 40 minutes out of my time to stop by Solvang. Solvang is a Danish community of shops, eateries and brilliant horse ranches. You could spend one day in this town and walk away 70 pounds heavier. I have been here before and have my own favorite pastries. The Pistachio Puffs and the Cream Raspberry Almond Ball. The area is surrounded by nut trees so the nuts are fresh and grounded into a cream, then sweetened. WOW!


The road into Solvang is lined with pastures of old ranches that have the greenest areas I have ever seen. I pulled over and ate my pastries under a tree and watched the horses meander about. It is easy to lose track of time here.



As we climb higher the landscape changes. Although green in some areas the hills and mountains turn brown or yellow that are spotted like dots with green trees and bushes. The cows that inhabit this area are not as lucky as the cows along the coast. The coast cows get to eat alfalfa..lol. Why do I love cows so much? I wonder if they would charge me if they knew I had beef jerky in my truck?



How green is the valley? Pretty gosh darn green! Don't feel to bad for the cows up above. This is the valley and the river that they get to visit and hang out when they tire of the ditches and yellow grass. Man did I want to climb the barbed wire and go down there.



As I get closer to home, the scenery becomes wine fields. Hills and hills of grape vineyards as far as the eye can see. I took a walk through one of the vineyards one day. If you ever get the chance to do so, you will be amazed at how many spiders are crawling on them. The growers leave the spiders alone because they kill the pests.


Have you ever heard of the El Camino Real Bells? They were created in 1769. There are 550 bells that line the drive from San Diego through Los Angeles, the beach cities, the mountains and all the way up to San Francisco. They were created to mark the way for the indians to find the missions, pueblos and presidios for the travelers. The El Camino Bells were named for the original name but it was also called "Kings Highway" and it is now called Highway 1 and Highway 101.


There ends the history lesson. I could say more about the bells, but it would take up too much room.........lol.

Well peeps, I am almost home. It has been a very busy time for me. I already miss my sons.

I left Sunset Beach about 10 this a.m. I dilly dallied along PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) through Long Beach, Seal Beach, Redondo, Zuma and Malibu. I decided that I wanted to sit on a particular section of Malibu called Leo Carillo State Beach. It is a small cove down below the cliffs. My sons and I spent summer days here. But then again, where didn't we spend summer days along the coast?...lol.


Although it is a fantastic private section of the coast, it is a bit tricky getting to the water. A big must if you want to walk along the shore is to wear water moccasins. The shore is full of large rocks, stones and boulders. You cannot go running from the sand and dive into the surf.


All I wanted to do here was watch the surfers and think of fond memories in which I would hang out on my board. When my sons were born they too would be in the water with me, but on boogie boards. The waves were good today.....choice waves....or what they used to say years ago...."tasty"...lol The bad thing about surfing here, is that you have to be careful not to "eat it" too close or you end up diving right into the rocks. Tell me why the waves are worth it here?...lol

I watched one particular surfer.





After I had my enjoyment and my last breath of So. Cal beaches and memories, it was time to hit the road and head on into the mountains. I decided to take the inland route through the winding mountain top roads to get home.


There are numerous mountains to climb and I wonder what we will find? There are some surprises ahead of us. Like possibly a truck from Fords very first models. Abandoned and so old that the entire thing is rusted and deteriorating from time, but still just as beautiful as ever.


It is time to go now. Rest is needed before I haul my bone tired caboose up the mountains and through the woods. See ya soon!

xoxoxox

Traveling with Tighty continues. The hotel was a hoot! It had not been changed since the 60's...lol. The original furniture was in it, along with the tile. It hurt my eyes each time I went into the rest room. All in all it felt cool to know people still find nostalgia beautiful.


Then we walked on over to Woodys Diner. Another institution that still believes in the past and all of it's pleasures. It wasn't a retro diner made to look like the 50's and 60's. This place is still left over from that generation. It still had the original appliances. I asked the man who owned it about the upkeep and he said that there are people who know how to keep the old things running. So I popped a quarter into the machine and listened to "Run Around Sue" and had a real banana malt.


I do know this area and brought the boys here many times for their boogie boarding. This house has been here for over 20 yrs. It is an old water tower that has been turned into a house. I have always loved it!


Let's go and sit on the sand. We are here anyway. The house above just happens to be on the beach, so why not get some sun? Feeling relaxed after the long drive? Me too.


I'm getting hungry. I know you must be too. It has been a long drive. There is an old place here in which Elvis, The Beach Boys, Jan and Dean and Frankie and Annette used to frequent when they were making the beach movies and just hanging out. Don's Beachcomber. It too has not changed. Of course it has a tropical theme.



The sun is starting to set. This is the perfect time to walk along the sand. It's peaceful and the only other people around are the surfers taking that last ride before the sun disappears.



This was the rest of our adventure yesterday after HB. Now it is time to load the truck up and keep heading north. Long Beach and Malibu...here I come!!! On the road again..............lalalalalala

I picked up my first born son (he calls himself that..lol) so we could spend the day together. I took him shopping for a hikers tent. He is going rock climbing in July, so a tent it is! He is a rather short young man of 6'3, so finding a tent was easy......lol


Our next destination is a big favorite. Jan's Health Bar. It used to be called The Health Bar when it was owned by Dick Dale in the 60's. Jan had worked there when she was just 15 yrs old. You can see the group of kids on the wall. The ex had been eating there since he was 15 and knew Jan. I began frequenting the shop when I was 18, then my sons were born into the food as well. They make the best smoothies and sammiches here! Anyhoo, Dick Dale sold the shop to Jan when she was in her 20's and the place of course changed with the times, but not the food. Jan was a surfer and is on the Surfers Walk of Fame in HB. She retired and sold the shop to another employee who had began working there when she was 16. Isn't it just amazing how one generation goes into another. That is my son sitting off to the right in the picture. What a handsome man...lol



After lunch, let's take a walk over to the pier. I spent all my summers here, surfing, flirting with Life Guards, local surfers. I used to swim around the pier and would almost get sucked under the pier...lol. Oh I was such a rebel! One day they were filming the Huntington Beach episode of Baywatch and I was lucky enough to be shown as one of the sun bathers. I had about 30 seconds of fame...lol.


My son isn't much of a beach kid anymore, so after he was done laughing at the Gidgets we hopped in the truck and drove over to the Bolsa Chica Wetlands. It is a protected area for all kinds of sea birds. It has been cut in half due to the greed of the city, but some of it remains due to the protesters spending millions of the own dollars to buy out construction.



There were many birds to snap pictures of, but I don't have a high powered camera like Whoks. Whoks my dear, this would be heaven for you. There is a certain part of the Wet Lands in which you can stand and take pics of the birds hatching.

It was time to drop my son off so he could get ready for the party that his friends are giving him.

I arrived in Sunset Beach around 2:30 and wanted to say hello.

Oh I did do some walking around here too and trust me, I walked you to exhaustion again. Sunset Beach is a throw back to the 50's and 60's. I can't wait to show you the pics. For now, I am off to bed.

Good Night