Monday, August 15, 2011

Tuesday in Familiar Ukiah


I'm so excited...I think I've got the photo thing now working for me on the blog.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed to see if this works. Just when I was totally frustrated Saturday afternoon, I checked on line and was able to get back down to Santa Rosa for an hour of coaching time at the Apple Store. Guess I never realized that the words pictures and the word photos mean different things to a computer...now I know better. 

Saturday night was another warm evening and perfect for our last BBQ with Charlie and Mary. Paul watched while CT did the cooking


We sat outside at the campfire till well after midnight talking and reminising over so many things.  It was such a sweet ending to our stay in Healdsburg.

We were up early the next morning since there was so much to pack up and put away in the motor home. Remember when I said Paul had been tinkering on lots of projects??? Well, all that tinkering meant there were tools and supplies almost everywhere. Our goal was to leave at noon but that came and went faster than we realized. Hugs and good byes said to CT and Mary as they went to work, and we tried putting everything back where it belonged. By 2:00 we backed into Chas's yard and hooked up the car for our next short drive to Ukiah only 45 miles away.


Highway 101 was so beautiful with vineyards and golden rolling hills...and very few cars. It was a warm drive but the RV made it up a couple good sized hills, through Cloverdale on into Ukiah. This was a stop planned for several reasons. Paul and I both have cousins here in the Ukiah area we wanted to see and he had spent many summers here at his Grandparents' canyon home so his heart is tied here. We set up our camp at the Elks Lodge just outside of town. Another wonderful location for a 2 night stay.  With only 2 other RVs here it's quiet and comfortable.


We went into town early to the Ukiah Brewery to have some refreshments and a bite to eat. Ukiah has their concerts in the park on Sunday evenings at 6, how lucky for us!  We were excited to see The Robert Cray Band perform for the last concert of the season. Such a huge turnout in a beautiful city park. We kept  scanning the crowd looking for my cousin, MJ, and her husband, Jim, and I couldn't believe that in all those groups of people we actually saw her from a distance and went to join them. Fun evening!

A huge harvest moon was just coming over the mountains to the east as we headed home. Paul kept saying what a kick it was to be sleeping with a view out our window of Doolan Canyon he had spent so many years visiting. The hot day turned wonderfully cool in the night and crisp when we woke up this morning.

So, first thing this morning...with coffee in hand I grabbed the iPad to add some more to the blog. But that eventually led to another change in our tech system as Paul talked to ATT and got our laptop connected to the internet through my iPhone!!!! Yes! That means I can add photos and do the writing all in one process on the laptop which I couldn't do on the iPad. I'm going to LOVE that!

As always, time with any computer tasks takes a while so we didn't get out for a bike ride until about 10:00. But this is such a PERFECT place to bicycle...at least the way I like it: FLAT!!! We rode all around town on the little side streets all the while Paul is telling me about little memories he had from 50 years ago; getting the mail with his Grandma at the Post Office, learning to drive, going to the drag races with his cousin, working at his Uncle's store selling 8 Track tapes.  We tried to connect with his cousin, Alberta, found the house but not her. Hopefully we can try again tomorrow before we leave. Our ride included passing pear orchards that are now being picked right next to our campground.


We dropped the bikes off and packed a lunch to take to Lake Mendocino about 10 min from here.  Such a nice afternoon breeze and a beautiful lake. 

Well, it's now almost 4:30, Paul is at the hardware store...where else..and I'm trying to stay cool. I think it's over 90 degrees. Once he gets back we'll be going out to Potter Valley to have dinner with my cousin MJ and see the construction of their new winery. We're both looking forward to that.

Hope this 2nd entry works! 

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