on this first day of december, the plum pudding, after steaming for five hours, is now completed with the first phase and will be ready to eat in, oh, anywhere four to eight weeks from now… just in time for the holidays!!!

i hesitate to even comment on how quickly this most recent year has flown by, in spite of our attempts at slowing down and appreciating each and every moment, the bad and the good!

we decided to experiment with camping this year. a friend of ours in germany wants to spend a few months in the states traveling every year, and likes to travel in a vw camper van. two years ago, he bought a van, which resides at our house just waiting for his arrival. since i am no longer working (for money, outside the home anyway!), we realized that this would be a perfect opportunity to borrow the van and head for the open road.

february found us traveling south on i-5 heading for the border, spanish phrase book in hand. the mexican border guards just waived us through, we barely slowed down! we got a quick glimpse of the concrete and barbed wire border fence (where are we anyway, time traveling to east germany in the 70s?) and headed down the empty desert road towards san felipe on the sea of cortez.

(click on any of the pictures to see them full size)

we visited friends who own a “weekend” house at the beach on the sea of cortez, where a pod of dolphins serenaded us at breakfast as they were heading up to their morning feeding grounds.

the great blue herons tried to distract us from photographing their giant nests at the top of ancient saguaro cactus, circling around in an elegant dance of flight.

our week in a comfortable bed by the seaside ended all too quickly, and we headed back north, where crossing the border returning to the states was a three hour affair, lines of cars as far as the eye could see.

the camping adventure began that same evening as we searched for a place to park the van and raise the roof, in the dark by the light of the moon – how romantic! and how very cold!

our exploration of anza borrego state park included a dead battery and meeting some very helpful local mechanics who jerry-rigged a non-conforming battery to get us on our way to a beautiful, pristine valley where we camped beneath a million stars with not another soul for miles… no outhouses for miles either… no campfires allowed, and yes, it was freezing! we managed to stay the night in the valley, however only one! the hiking was quite stupendous though!

we couldn’t stop taking photos in joshua tree national park - the granite rock formations and rugged canyons, and the desert “trees” and the big blue skies kept us camping for a few more days.

after sleeping (?) in the van for a week, and deciding it was time to head north, we treated ourselves to lunch in a little café in the town of joshua tree, which was, of course, the best food we’ve ever eaten! the joys of returning to civilization!

we naively thought the weather might have warmed up by may, so we packed up the van and drove south to sunset state beach on monterey bay. we got the best campsite in the campground with 180 degree views of the bay – if only we could have seen it through the fog. we spent more money buying firewood to keep the campfire going 24 hours per day than we did on campsite fees!

the walks on the beach were again quite stupendous though!

for a little change of pace, during the heat of the summer, we decided to do a “small” remodeling job on the house that we have been putting off for fifteen years (we now know why we procrastinated this project…). with some help from our contractor, we built a new entrance and laid bamboo floors in half the house. the refrigerator, the stove, and most everything else we own ended up on the deck and in the garage for a few weeks.

our neighbors and friends fed us during the worst of all the chaos. and believe it or not, we’re still unpacking boxes!

the dust hadn’t even settled, and we needed a vacation, so we hopped in the car (not the van!) directing our sights north to the san juan islands. from the moment of our arrival at the ferry dock in anacortes, we settled into “island time”, slowing down to the leisurely pace of life on the islands. renting cute little vacation cabins on orcas island and san juan island,

we awoke every morning to the sound of the local ferries slowly chugging to their next port of call, while eating the juiciest fresh blackberries picked in the garden of our cottage. we enjoyed the bounty of eating fresh salmon and crab daily, fresh off the boat at the local dock.

we barely had time for hiking, we were so busy sitting in the adirondack chairs watching the sailboats, boats, ferries and seaplanes go by!

in addition to all this island perfection, i topped it off by attending a 3-day taiji “camp” on whidbey island. life doesn’t get any better than joining a group of 30-40 people, practicing taiji on the beach for a few hours per day!

oh, and bim got to go hiking and take photos! doesn’t get any better for him either, other than flying his ultralight!

our route back to california meandered through the greater-seattle area, visiting cousins and friends, spending time catching up and enjoying life!

the clock was ticking and nature was calling and, with some sadness we steered towards home, and a ripening vineyard. which to our great disappointment had not many grapes left to harvest - the hungry birds and the september heat wave having done their job while we were on holiday! the harvest work was quickly finished, the final result less than half the quantity we picked last year. we’re always very relieved that “farming” is only a hobby for us and that we don’t have to rely on it! that’s why there are stores that sell wine!

• 
  
• when i get older, losing my hair
• many years from now
• will you still be sending me a valentine,
• birthday greetings, bottle of wine.
• if i'd been out til quarter to three
• would you lock the door
• will you still feed me, will you still need me
• when i'm sixty four?!

a few friends helped bim celebrate his beatles inspired birthday this november! we enjoyed a few sunny days at the beach as this year draws to a close, our thoughts turn to friends and family, and not for the first time this year! we hope this short story brings you up to date in some small way with our lives. we would love to hear from you! and trust this greeting finds you healthy and peacefully happy,


and that the upcoming year brings more of the same!