La storia d'amore di Puccini tra Rodolfo e Mimi

Once more, I was sitting in a cherry seat at Asbury Memorial Church, this time C-1.

Once more, I was attending an event for this year's SVF-9, the final live event for me.

Once more, I was treated to an opera by Puccini, one of my favorites of all such writers.

This time, "La bohème" had been chosen, presented in an abridged form that kept it to one act, with four scenes.

I'm glad I chose my unicorn mask for this outing; a fanciful and romantic face covering, for this fanciful and romantic tale of love!

I've never seen the story in its full version, but of course I was familiar with it.

Peter Lake was here, as he had been last year, reprising his role as the Rodolfo, the in-love and lovesick writer and sweetheart of Mimi, pairing him again with Liz Lang, allowing her to show off her theatrical talents.

The role of his roommate, Marcello the painter, featured Jean Carlos Rodriguez, a new artist last year, who has certainly blossomed quite nicely!

That one's on-again, off-again lady love, the flirtatious Musetta, with Angela De Venuto proving to all, once again, that she has serious comedic chops!
Leo Radosavljevic and Marciano Gladić rounded out the sextet, as Colline (played by the other last year) and Schaunard, respectively, friends of Rodolfo and Marcello.

I had remembered to bring my glasses this time, but I was seated close enough to the screens that I didn't need them - yeah!

Thanks to more than half a lifetime of watching foreign films, I was able to bounce quickly over to the translations and then back to the action on the stage, so I missed none of the evolution of the love story...

and the struggle of staying together with money problems all the time...

and the struggle of staying together when one is very ill and the other helpless to aid...

and the eventual return of the two to each other's arms...

for one last embrace.

Oh, yes, my eyes were tearing up as Musetta had barged in, announcing that Mimi was down in the street, struggling to get up the stairs to see Rodolfo...

and, still, when vain Musetta rushes off to sell her jewelry for medicine and a doctor...

and, again, when she returns with Marcello, the pair having procured not only those items but also a muff to warm Mimi's cold hands...

and beyond, as Schaunard notices Mimi is not sleeping, but dead.

Wow.

As I was wiping the tears from my eyes, I saw Marijan doing the same.

Nice to know I had such good company for this final evening.

Bravo, my dears, bravo!

they say the neon lights are bright on...

All together now!

We all know this song -

and ya gotta sing it loud and proud -

"Broadway"!!!
No, those aren't lights of the noble gas shining on the stage at Asbury Memorial Church.

SVF-9 is recording tonight's concert, as this is to be streamed-for-pay later.

Not everyone could be here, especially since the pandemic has ramped back up, as bad, and worse, than it ever was, and hospitals are again full.

Due to limited seats, the 6 PM show was sold out; however, I was so very fortunate to be able to scoop up a Rush ticket for the 8 PM show!

I was even granted a premium seat in the 4th row!

Super fabulous!

Fourteen songs, most from Broadway shows I never heard of ("Bright Star"; "Aspects of Love"; "Six"; "Saturday Night") or will most likely never see ("Hamilton"; "Bandstand"; "Ragtime"), though there were several that I was rather familiar with, either from the movie versions, local theatre productions, or from the God On Broadway series here at AMC ("Hello Dolly"; "Carousel"; "Les Miserables"; "Guys And Dolls"; "Twelfth Night"). 

What's that?

I've only listed twelve musicals?

That's because there were two songs not from that source!

"When You're A Singer", a parody of "When You're An Addams", was first heard by me last fall, when Savannah VOICE gave us a parody of "Hocus Pocus"!!!

Then, it had seven men; tonight's version had 3 of that 7, plus one new; respectively, they were Carlton Moe, Peter Lake, Leo Radosavljevic, and the new 4th was Eric Sebek, with all cavorting and hamming it up, as they should!

Utterly hilarious!

Then there's the song written specifically for Kelli O'Hara, "They Don't Let You In The Opera (If You're A Country Star)" - and, no, I'm not familiar with her at all, nor this song, which could easily have been penned for the charming Kentuckian, Emily Yocum Black, who sang it for us tonight, pantomiming throughout!

Such great fun!

In the order performed, the songs told a story, painting the varied landscape of love, from lovelorn to new love, from unrequited to shouting from rooftops, from the way it was to the way it is, from love lost to love found again; all the many colors from hopeful romantic to hopeless loser.

Truly, it 'twas like a concert and a musical, done with operatic range!

What a fabulous Friday the 13th!!!

So many thanks, y'all!

See you tomorrow afternoon!

sure gonna miss this boy of summer

This is him, right here.

I'm talking yet again about Bill LeRoy, naturally.

He's my absolute, all-time, favorite of the Savannah Bananas.

Sure, I tend to be partial to catchers, I do.

I like for a man to have a good tush, right?

When I first started coming out to Grayson Stadium with Reggie and Sam, with Jeff up in the booth, it was partly for the rear view.

(Get my pun? Such a sweet little joke!)

Even before I met him, up close and in person, he was Number 1 with me.

(Hey, that's a little joke, too, as that is the number on his jersey.)

I like that he's from Georgia, too, like me.

I like that he has a great sense of humor.

And I love that he is such a team player!

I know this was his last season with the Bananas.

He's been part of the team for four years.

As a college boy of summer, that means he graduated this year and won't be eligible for CPL play in 2022.

That'll certainly be a shame!

At least he'll be able to play in the off-season Breakfast Bowl, like some of the other Bananas that are now playing for the Big Show.

I'll have to be sure to come for those games!

I hope he'll still be wearing this same uniform.

There's a big smiley face on his butt!!!

For all I know, it's been there all along and just haven't been in the right seat to enjoy it... but I doubt it.

For all I know, he may not even be aware it's there, but I'm guessing he does!

I only saw it because Scott got us good seats -

and lefty Hunter Shepherd made the umpire shift over, so full view was granted of Bill's backside -

and I could swear that smiley face was real!

Right here, it even has a huge, open-mouth, grin!

Then again, maybe it's just an illusion from my perspective in the grandstand, and my penchant for firm tushes...

but I say that smile is right there!

As for me, right place, right time!

i thank You, God!

Now, back my attention goes to the game...

3/4 century mark for carolyn!

Happy birthday, mi amiga Carolyn!

Yes, I am well aware that your birthday was the last day of July, but you were out with another friend, so I waited my turn.

After all, we are both busy, vibrant, women!

(smile!)

I'm so glad we were able to hit up Bowtie Barbeque Co. for dinner tonight, too.

I know how much you try to support Savannah's local businesses, especially as we continue life in pandemic mode.

Plus, they have so many veggies you enjoy!

We didn't make it to the movie, but that's okay.

Instead, we had a nice, leisurely meal off a clock.

And we had dessert... that never happens!

Ice cream for you, brownie cake for both of us!

My thanks to my brother, Smitty, for (unknowingly) funding this outing for us!

gift from lane bryant, just for me

Isn't she lovely?!

And get this: the dress even has pockets!!!

It does seem tailor-made for me, does it not?

I could scarce believe it when I saw it listed.

That was on May 31, the last day to use the twenty bucks of birthday money that the store gave me.

I had dutifully gone through the online catalogue, looking to see what new dresses I might be able to add to my closet this time.

This is the only one to strike my fancy.

Described as "Short-Sleeve Babydoll Fit & Flare Dress", it really did sound like they had me in mind, right?

The color, "Blue Geo Print", gave it the allure of the Milky Way galaxy as well as the swirling expanses of the sea and the night sky - wow!

The only issue was the size

It was listed as a good bit smaller than my usual.

Well, hell's belles, I would try it on when it arrived!

Should it not fit, I'd just ship it back, easy peasy.

After all, the price was so good, it was almost like stealing it!

Originally marked as $57.99, the site had it on sale for $29.99...

and me with a $20 'personal sale' discount!

Shipping would have nullified almost all of my discount, so I had it sent to the store in Pooler, at the Tanger Outlet.

That was free, save for my time driving out there and back.
Maybe there would be a movie to tempt me when it came in?

Always that as a possibility!

As fortune would have it, there was not a movie, but I drove out on a Sunday afternoon last month to pick it up once it arrived.

That was the 13th of June.

So, what has brought it to mind?

Well, yesterday I wrote about the physicist and the bounty from him, right?

That's when I realized I had missed bragging on this deal.

(smile!)

The dress fits perfectly, too.

(smile!)

gift from the bfe

"Don't tell me, let me guess - he finally remembered your birthday!"

Nah, not really. He may have thought about the last time we met for lunch, but he didn't actually say the words. He did, though, buy my lunch at The Noodle Bowl, so that was very nice. Oh, and he told me The 'Cole was getting rid of her dvd collection of "Psych" and he had it set aside for me!

"Well, that's very cool! Was that last month?"

 No, it was May 18. We never did get lunch in June, due to my travels.

"Oh, that's too bad. I mean, that you and he didn't get together, not that you were so busy with your holidays in Florida and California. Where did y'all dine today?"

At the Olive Garden, yesterday. That was his treat, too, with both of us scarfing up soup and salad!
We spoke of stars and spectroscopy and some show on youTube called "42nd Street Forever", that just has trailers for grind house films. I need to remember to tell Jim Reed about that.

"Did you tell the physicist about that youTube show Paul and Cathy turned you onto?"

You mean "Absolute History"? But of course! And he had countered with "Drunk History", which uses celebs to re-enact famous events.

"That sounds like it could be humorous..." 

Yeah, I think so, so I'll try to keep it on my radar.

"Did he have the box of videos for you?"

Nah, and, honestly, I forgot to even ask about them. That's okay, I already "got" my 64-1 gift from him... and I got it myself!

"Oh, you mean that trip in early June to Bath & Body Works?"

Exactly! The coupons were in his name, so it's as if he got the smell pretty stuff for me, or gave me a gift certificate for them!

"Yeah, I hadn't thought of it that way. I really like the Japanese Cherry Blossom body lotion, both the way it feels and the delicious aroma!"

Yeah, so do I! That was completely free, too... and I just got his new coupons in the mail, so I'll be sure to bounce out there and get another free body lotion! I won't be getting anything else this time, though. The four foaming hand soaps were not only on sale, but I had a second coupon for an additional discount, courtesy of the bfe. I was nearly out, so that was good timing!

"And what are the four that you choose?"

Kitchen Lemon is the one in the bathroom now and I've been using that since I got it on June 2nd. The other three are Aloe Water, Boardwalk Vanilla Cone, and Sunshine & Lemons. My plan had been to switch them out every month or so, but that hasn't happened yet.

"And just why had you bought four of them, instead of just one?" 

They were on sale, four for $20. Plus, I had a 20% discount from the bfe. Between the two, the deal gave me two free for buying two. Rather nifty to know math!

"Rather nifty indeed! and who do we have here!?"

Alyssa and Leila and Michael! The girls were in town for VBS at Bible Baptist Church, so Michael hung out with me until they were done. Then we all had dinner at Chili's! That was on Monday.

"And what's that? In their hands?"

Those are the souvenirs I bought for them at Jelly Belly! Alyssa  has BB8 and Leila has Chewbacca, my favorite Wookie! Michael really loved that I got them "Star Wars" character tins... as I knew he would! He and I share that love of that science fiction franchise!

"Very nice! And here's Christina Ann!"

So she is! This was from our penultimate Tina Tuesday of the summer. She returns to school on the 26th, sadly, but that's a good thing for her.

"I hear you. Are y'all at Rodeo again?"

You know it! I treated her to lunch, just as I had treated her brother and the twins the night before.

"Good for you! Feeling more financially sound?"

A little, but I also wanted to do her a favor, as she did for me that day. I'd arrived too late for lunch and a movie, so we went grocery shopping... and she had coupons for all of my fruit and veggie purchases! I ended up paying less than six bucks for almost $30 of food! 

"Wow! That's amazing!"

It was! So, my pantry is restocked with canned vegetables and I have cherries, carrots, and onions, too. I'll need to buy milk, of course, but my shopping for the week is done!

"Wonderful! "

Yes, yes it was! Now, I need to skedaddle! Smitty and I are meeting for the quarterly taxes, as well as sales taxes from last month and May. My goal is to get the laundry done before that, so I'm going to be cutting it close.

"Perhaps the clothes can wait until next week?"

Only if I plan to go commando... and that ain't hap'nin', captain!

"LOL! Your first niece would love that you used her saying!"

Sho' 'nuff! Later, tater!

"Later, gator!"

candy factory with cathy!

One good thing about being retired?

Watching other people work!

That's what Cathy and I did today for almost two hours at the Jelly Belly Factory out in Fairfield.

Oh, here's a fun fact: By the time we left there in early afternoon, the temperature was 83 F.

Twenty-five minutes later, and due westward, the temperature was 69 F.

Seriously, I had not dressed for weather affected by the marine layer coming off the Pacific Ocean, as I ran around in shorts and lightweight tops most of my time out here in California.

Note to self: check the forecast before travel!

Anyway, where was I?

Oh, yeah, watching people work!

That's why we were here on a Monday instead of our trial run on Saturday, when even the robots were off.

Did I say robots?

Indeed I did!

Here's one of those fine fellows right here, doing the heavy, repetitive, lifting and shifting, again and again, of those ungainly 25-pound bins of jellybeans.

We stood and watched him for at least five minutes!

We stood around and watched these guys for a while, too.

That man on the upper level was quite friendly, even waving back when he saw me waving at him!

We weren't actually on the factory floor, of course.

I'm sure that even if this wasn't the tail end - hopefully - of the pandemic, the folks wouldn't want the public traipsing around and possibly touching the foodstuffs.

I would have liked to get closer to some of the artwork made from the candies and hanging from the ceiling of the factory.

How cool it would have been to get a selfie with this one, of my Great-great-great-great-and a few more-Uncle, Ben Franklin!

I don't think I would have cared so much for posing with the any of the ones of Ronald Reagan, but I admit it was very cool that he sent some of the jellybeans up to the space station in 1983!

I'm sure the astronauts appreciated that!

As for someone else I'd like to have gotten close to...

well, that would be Elvis, of course!

Such a pity that Marilyn Monroe gets to hang around with him -

get my little joke? -

but I'm on the tour route, separated by glass walls and yards of empty space from the King of Rock'n'Roll.

I wonder...

how much would that piece of art cost?

And how much would it be to fly him home with me?

I guess I'll have to let the Jelly Belly version be!

Not that I left there empty-handed, of course.

I had to buy some of that candy, right?

The popcorn flavor sounded intriguing, as did the multi-pack of five different mixtures... plus the Scotty black licorice!

The two paper hats we wore for the tour, as well as the two bags of 'beans they gifted us with our tour ticket, will find their way into the hands of my nephews in Alabama.

My niece out there, as well as my four blonde great-nieces and CJ, will receive metal candy tins with assorted flavors - something to savor and something to save! 

After admiring all the art and all that walking we did, it sure seemed like it should be lunch time, right?

Cathy knew exactly where to take me, too: Berkeley Bowl!

Apparently, it's a lot like the Dekalb Farmers Market that Sam took me to in Atlanta, except for one thing: California has been much stricter with its COVID precautions.

That meant the cafeteria area of the Bowl was still closed, so there would be no dining-in on this trip.

That was fine, though, as she needed to pick up a few things.

I was amazed at the variety of apricots!

I didn't purchase any of those black velvet beauties, but I found some other foods to try.

This piroshki, for instance, turned out to be a Russian version of a Japanese steamed bun, but with beef inside instead of pork.

That was quite tasty!

The tabouleh was good, too, though it would have been good to have a bit more garlic and parsley.

Those both made a nice late lunch when we got back home about an hour ago.

I'm so glad to have had Cathy all to myself today!

Even better: she didn't have to use a vacation day after all, because the university gave her the day off!

They were a little slow to adopt Juneteenth, but this certainly worked out for us!

(smile!)

the view over here! the view over there!

But first, last, and in-between, there was always Mount Diablo.

No, that's not really so, but it did seem that its massive double peaks were visible along almost every route we took.

Perhaps that was just because Paul kept pointing it out to me - sure that probably had something to do with my seeing it again and again.

Perhaps memories of an earlier trip to see them, and the picnic we had on the peak's flanks, brought it to my attention now.

Or, perhaps, it's that little possum hanging on my living room light reminding me of that day so long ago... yes, perhaps!

Our first stop today had been in Benicia, to check out the oils and vinegars at the Sepay Groves store.

What a diverse array of flavors!

My favorite was the blood orange oil!

The oils and vinegars are garnered from five local California groves.

The panoramic view was taken on a side street, just outside a little inn.

How lovely to have that accompany a morning cup of coffee!

After a bit more driving, continuing in a northeasterly direction to Fairfield, we had first thought to visit a candy factory...

but that sounded more like a girls' trip for tomorrow!

Instead, we went down the street to Sonoma Harvest, hoping to check out some tasty oils and vinegars.

And we did!

I liked this roomy place much better than the cramped little store!

And that lemon oil... oh, my, it would be a divine drizzle for ice cream!

Then, back down south to Berkeley, to catch the view before the marine layer returned from wherever it goes to after late morning!

The Lawrence Hall of Science has a webcam so you can watch the fog roll in... then watch it roll away again.

I know, because I watched the 24-hour loop, making note of the few hours in early afternoon when we could see clearly.

Sure enough, at 2 PM, we were there and the city was spread below, crystal clear!

That's the LHOS in the leftmost photo, with the University of California, Berkeley, peeking its white dome into sight.

I wonder if I could make out Mount Diablo from this height and this direction?

Sure, maybe that's what I'm pointing at as Paul and Cathy hang out by the car, admiring the breeze!

And what's that thing in the middle?

That is the actual electromagnet from the very first cyclotron!

It was built by physicist Ernest Lawrence... so, naturally, I had to send that photo to the bfe!

We all realized we were hungry at about the same time.

Down into Berkeley proper we went!

Barcote offered us our introduction to Ethiopian cuisine, as well as to their way of dining without utensils.
I had the house specialty - fish goulash - choosing to eat with the provided spongy bread rolls ... 

very tasty!

Afterward, we drove around past People's Park; it's a shanty town, filled with the many tents and shelters of the area's homeless.

To me, this sight is fairly usual.

The odder sights were the tent towns erected out in the desert, away from shopping centers and suburbs.

Certainly makes me feel blessed to have four walls and a roof.

making a loop in california!

It's Saturday and you know what that means?

Both of my friends were off from work!

This was the first day that I would be in the company of both for nearly the entire time!

So, what to do on this fine day?

Well, a drive into San Francisco was in order, for sure, with a stop in Japantown first on the list.

Cathy was in search of a specific toy for her nephew and that seemed the most likely source.

After that... who knows?

Well, I know, having been out on our route most of the day, right?

Starting with the red balloon, we traveled clockwise along the blue line, ending at Romano's Macaroni Grill for our 6 PM reservation.

What a fabulous adventure!

First things first, though: a good brunch was in order!

Paul and I went to the local farmers' market to see what the possibilities might be.

Oh, my, Rainier cherries!!!

Oh, wow, fresh tamales, too!

He also treated himself to a rhubarb and poison pie and I got two blueberry turnovers for another day.

Then, after our meal, off we went on our expedition into the city!

Japantown reminded me of shops along Gate 2 Street in Okinawa, especially the toy shop with all the characters from the Pokemon movie I watched several times in 2019.

(Hey, Ryan Reynolds was in it!)

The Peace Pagoda was quite lovely and there were a lot of folks soaking up sun and solace in its view... including these two sweetie pies!

Unfortunately, even though we located the Pikachu, and in two different stores, it was far too expensive for an item meant as a toy for a boy.

We hit the pavement, in the car, of course, with Paul taking the route along the historic Fillmore district.

I kept hoping for some jazz in the air, but no such luck.

Another stretch of the legs was in order, and the Fort Mason Center had a craft fair going on - nice!

Well, for me and Cathy it was!

How fun it was to see the seals lounging on the piers amid all the fancy yachts!

What a treat to recognize the movie on the screen as "The Last Waltz", with heart-throb Robbie Robertson!

His voice and his eyes make my heart go pitter pat... and so did the ride Paul took us on next!

Was it a rollercoaster at the Six Flags Discovery Kingdom?

No, we drove past that much later.

I'm talking about the streets of San Francisco, and, just like in the tv show, they move up and down like a crazy dragon!

I'm so glad I wasn't driving!

And, as we continued along our circuit, I'm again glad I wasn't driving when we came to the Golden Gate Bridge.

That gave me the chance to enjoy the sight of the fog, already on its roll inward before 5 PM; and to catch this biker as we passed him; and to take photographs to my heart's content of the red beams rising all around us.

Magnificent!

Many thanks, y'all, for playing tourist with me today!

(smile!)

a day with paul at a museum!

That's him, having just admired one of the roadsters on display in the giant showroom of the Blackhawk Museum.

He's never been there before, but knew it had old cars and knows how much I love those, and knows I love to get culture on my birthday...

so, there we were, good on all counts!

He was trying to make sure I had fun and got to see what I wanted while out on the West Coast...

you know, being the most excellent host he is...

but I kept assuring him I was there to see him and Cathy, and maybe do some things they liked to do...

much as we'd done things I liked to do and gone where I liked to go on their visit here.

So, back to the museum, shall we?

(smile!) 

Speaking of things I love, I think I've found a new car!

Sure, it's trapped in a display, out there in Danville, California, but I've laid claim to it with my butterfly tote bag!

Should they ever decide to vacate its space on the floor, this will serve of proof that I've called dibs.

Of course, I don't know how I'll get it over to this coast, but I'll work on a solution when that problem arises.

Hopefully my invention for teaching chemistry to blind students will be bringing in money by then!

(smile!) 

Speaking of students, this was one of my favorite displays in the exhibit on the top floor of the museum.

Inside this time capsule are four models, constructed by fourth-graders from recyclable materials from their homes, of the Spanish missions in the state.

Very awesome, right?

Even more so, to me as a retired teacher, were the two teen girls who were so delighted to see that the project they'd worked on when younger was on display so prominently!

I was truly thrilled to witness that realization!

(smile!)

I also was thrilled with the depiction of famous women in the "Spirit Of The Old West" exhibit, using cardboard dolls clad in the garb of the day - magnificent!

But, after a little more than two hours, Paul and I had saturated senses and needed a break, and sustenance.

This was the perfect spot for both!

A babbling brook alongside while I scarfed down Brussels sprouts with pancetta and he had mac'n'cheese set us right as rain!

(smile!)

Energy recharged, back to the museum we ventured, our tickets still good for the day!

I started with "Art Of Africa", which, though small, had a nice range of wood carvings and musical instruments.

Take this guitar - I am absolutely sure my ex's best friend, who has about a hundred of that type of axe - most assuredly lacks one like this... and would love to add it to his collection.

As for me, I prefer the assortment of metal works above it.

More cowbell, please!

(smile!)

Then I was off to the doubledecker display for the "World Of Nature", drawn in by the aquarium wall... 

where I proceeded to be lost for probably two hours.

I couldn't swear to that, but I know I was there long enough that Paul came in search of me, to let me know he was done with his exploration and was going to take a nap at the car-viewing area on the second floor.

"Take you r time," he'd said...

and so I did.

(smile!)

How could I not love this left wing of the museum?

In addition to the array of marine life mounted to the upper walls, ceiling, and the walls leading down to the lower floor, the under-the-sea mood lighting utterly captivated me.

The enormous lover level display, though, went on and on and on, with so many animals and so many interactive panels...

it was like some cross between a Rainforest Cafe and a zoo!

One wall was full of these goats and sheep, with the most incredible assortment of horn shapes and styles - wow!

(smile!)

I eventually realized that I'd been down there a while - or so my bladder claimed, lol - and resurfaced, admiring the schools of fish as I did so, of course.

"Into China" I headed, planning to do a quick perusal.

Fortunately, it was not a crowded display.

Not with people, I mean, but with art.

I was able to enjoy clay soldiers and carved, cavorting horses, as well as the city built of delightful marble that had been delicately flourished with swirls.

My last stop was the music room, with so many bells and a video of them being played, alongside this quote.

"To educate somebody, you should start with poems, emphasize ceremonies and finish with music."

Confucius, I so agree!

What an excellent note for ending my adventure - and, yes, that pun was intended! 

(smile!)

I'm so glad that Paul took the day off to share this place with me!

Back we go to his city by the bay, gratefully avoiding the rush hour traffic as we enjoy these views of nature in our magnificent world!

Yes, that was a play on the name of the display I spent the most time in - a little joke!

Here's hoping Cathy has had a successful day of work - after all, she's taking Monday off to be with me!

Bye for now, y'all!

I have different landscapes to enjoy and different air to inhale on this sunny afternoon!

(smile!)

i thank You, God!

ceviche and the sights!

Guess what we did?

We went for a drive!

First, Paul took the three of us along the route I'd walked earlier, letting me know I'd done a 5K - yeah, me!

Then we hit San Pablo Avenue and just kept driving on it... and driving on it... and driving on it...

from their little town to Richmond...

on even farther to Pinole...

and kept on up to Hercules and its refinery.

That last name rang a distant bell with me - oh, wow, this was the source of the Hifax high-molecular-weight linear polyethylene that I'd used in my doctoral research!

What an incredible circumstance, given that I was going through those old papers not even two weeks thence.

(I have to wonder if Andrew has ever been out here and seen this site?)

Along the way, we had stopped for dinner at a new Mexican place, El Agave Azul.

Here's the bonus: it was new to all three of us!

And here's a another bonus: I was the first to post a review of it on Tripadvisor!

Right place, right time! 

After dinner, we'd continued our scenic drive, ending up at Hercules, as I'd mentioned.

(Pay no mind to the map photo, it's just to give a rough idea of where we went.)

Paul pulled over so I could take photographs of the area near the refinery and the bridge and the surrounding hillside, all so different from my saltwater marshes and live oak trees.

The sun was just slipping over the horizon, lending a parting rosy glow as it waved farewell...

absolutely beautiful.

Right place, right time!

i thank You, God.

succulents and a sandwich

This was what greeted me last night as I entered their house!

They had tried to consume all strawberry products before my arrival, but apparently they still had more - wow!

Nice of them to make sure I'd be safe!

I made sure to return the favor by giving their fledgling 'poison' plants a drink when I watered the rest of the back yard.

(smile!)

By the way, Cathy gave me that task, of tending the back yard, partly to make me feel useful.

After all, they are not yet retired, so I would be on my own this first day in town.

No worries!

I needed to stretch my legs after those six hours of air travel yesterday, so a walk around the 'hood was in order.

What's with the photo of the street sign?

Well, I needed to have a trail of bread crumbs to follow so I would be able to return, right?

(smile!)

I admit, I was a little winded, as that point was straight up a winding hill - I was certainly not in Savannah anymore, Toto!

As if to stress that point, this front yard full of succulents was just a few houses down.

Absolutely gorgeous, and with an under-the-sea feel to it, as if those different cacti were some new type of coral!

Several yards along my four-hour excursion featured this carefree plant life - nice!

This was a nice, and unexpected, break along my walk in the sun: a shady Buddhist garden in a side yard.

"May you be safe and protected. 

May you know peace and the causes of peace. 

May all beings everywhere be free."

Such a beautiful sentiment!

And such a tasty sandwich for my lunch!

Mr. Pickle's was new to me, and they proved to have the best pickle ever!

I had it on sourdough, of course... and they even gave me a cookie for dessert!

(smile!)

After checking out the historic (but closed) Contra Costa Florist site and the town's City Hall, I realized it might be time to try to find my way back to the start of my walk.

The street sign photos were a help, but then I took a wrong turn - oh, no!

Not to worry, as I knew to listen for the BART and let it lead me to the station near their house... and it did!

Yeah, me!

When I returned, Cathy tried part of the remaining sandwich, then returned to work on the computer.

I found a game show channel and this was on: a 1987 episode of "Classic Concentration".

Yes, that's Alex Trebek, in the center, as host!

So nice to see him as the healthy 47-year-old he was then.

(smile!) 

I made a mental note of the channel, of course.

One of the nice perks of going out of town is finding television channels that I cannot watch at home, with game shows being my favorite mental 'junk food'.

Soon, Paul will return home from work and we'll have to figure out what's for dinner...

but, for the next little while, I'm snacking on this!

(smile!)