Day 7: California

After one last breakfast at the hotel with Auntie, Neil drove the children and me back over the mountains to California. (What a help to me!) We said farewell to the refreshing 84-degree weather and mild breezes in Oregon. On the California side of the mountain, we opened the car doors at our lunch stop and said 'hello' to a wall of baking 103-degree heat. Welcome back!

The drive out of Oregon was lovely. Perhaps many haven't heard of Rogue Valley by its name, but much of our country's fruit hales from that well-situated, petite valley nestled in the mountains and in the shadow of Mr. Shasta itself. Fruit grows so well there that the well-known Harry & David gourmet fruit company made its home there and ships its goods all over the country.

Having grown up on the West Coast, in the agricultural valleys, I find so much beauty in the high desert mountains, the thistle plants, and, descending to the valley, the many orchards of olives, nuts, and fruits, the open farm fields, the scrub oaks. I am so fond of the plants here!

The drive home was challenging due to a certain very overtired Miss Crab who napped for all of 45 minutes and spent the rest of the ride complaining and hurling insults: the worst one she knows is "Silly Billy!" but the intent is all there. The winding mountain passes made pulling over an unwise maneuver, so, ultimately, Sally (the beloved dolly) came to sit with Mama in the front seat until Miss Crab could exhibit some extended polite behavior. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Little Girl will do well to get back on routine at home, being much more rested.

I don't want to waste any good pockets of time during this short trip, not knowing how many years will pass before I can return. So, despite our fatigue, an hour and a half after our arrival back at home base, we hopped back in the car . . .

. . . to meet Dad, Lynn, my sister, and my nieces for dinner!

We were served delicious, homemade gourmet grilled pizza (made in a real pizza oven), mixed greens, and fresh figs and strawberries.

Dessert was my dad's homemade ice cream in peach and dark chocolate varieties. His ice cream is the best!

Once again, I suffered Garden Envy as we visited in Lynn's beautiful cottage garden full of native plants as well as fruits and vegetables. What a serene place of rest!