Wednesday, October 31, 2012

(Waving.....)

From where I sit in Berkeley CA (nearly). We have one more day before we fly home.

At least, I do so hope that is the case and that the terrible storm that has been battering the East Coast will have passed, and likewise all the knock-on effects that can ensue. I haven't actually seen any TV news, but I have been reading on line, and it all looks to have been pretty bad.

And in other news of fresh disasters.......those of you who know of Judith Mckenzie, US fibre crafts teacher and author extraordinaire, may not have heard that yesterday her studio burned down, destroying all her equipment and supplies, not to mention work space. She had not even made it back from SOAR.

OK, hiatus for an evening of wine and pizza with visitors from SOAR. So, I won't write more now after all. Hopefully, the trip will go well, and allowing for jet lag recovery I will upload the photos and get cracking on the posts! Thanks for your patience, and a bientot.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Carpe diem

By which I mean, seizing the opportunity to do a quick post to say - I am not lost forever!

Despite my good intentions, I couldn't find the time to do a post before leaving. And since then, Internet access has existed but can be decidedly eccentric!

For instance, after wonderful, potable* travels, we have arrived at Point Reyes Station, and the lovely yurt-type lodging that we have visited before. It has wi-fi. Which seems to let us take turn and turn about to use. Yesterday, The DSM had a connection on the netbook, although by the time I got there, it had diminished to a trickle. Today, I have quite a good signal on the iPad. Quite unfathomable.

I have not taken many photos with the iPad camera, and actually, am not sure just how that works for uploading (learning curve!) to Blogger. So, I am going to post a bit, when I can, and if neccesary do mega illustrated posts when I either have a good signal on the netbook, or - get home!

Let's just say that the trip has been wonderful so far. Las Vegas was much more enjoyable than I had expected, and the drive from there to here, over four days was beautiful in the extreme.

And now, here we are at Point Reyes Station, a little town that I love, and indeed, could live in. It was the weekly Farmers Narket today, so we delayed doing much shopping on the way in yesterday until we had seen what there was on offer. We bought the most luscious ripe tomatoes, sweet onions, baby yellow courgettes, garlic and a huge bunch of purple basil to make a fantastic pasta sauce for supper tonight, also potatoes, a lovely big bunch of rainbow chard that would not look out of place in a vase, and an ORANGE cauliflower. Also local cheese.

And, almost best of all, LOCAL FIBRE. Could not believe my eyes - a stall selling hand spun yarn, and Akers full of roving. Of course, we bought some - a pound of Corriedale, and a pound of a blend of that, alpaca, and, I think, whatever else she had to throw in the mix.

I also passed by the local weaving shop (did I say, U love this place?) which had some great looking batts in the window.......

*I have absolutely no idea what 'potable' is supposed to be - sometime the iPad's predictive thingummy is so bizarre that I am totally defeated. But potable is rather sweet, so it can stay.

The DSM is convinced that he saw a golden eagle today. I did gently point out that the last time we stayed here we convinced ourselves that we were looking at one, only to see it transform in to a turkey vulture at the last minute. But what do I know? It may have been, or there may be one in our future. I will report back!