Desert Update

Dear friends,

We finally took to the road in the RV one week ago. First night actually sleeping in it was at daughter Leila’s home in San Anselmo (CA) 2/18, Happy’s 76th birthday. (See pics of us all at next morning’s take-off with Mt. Tamalpais in the background.)

The next night we did a “trial run” at a KOA campground in nearby Petaluma, testing all systems, getting easy help from park staff, and slowly feeling some comfort with growing familiarity. Great evening: even cooked first meal over workable stove top…canned corn beef hash! (No pics.)

Next day 2-3 hour drive to Monterrey for 2 nights at beautiful Marina Dunes (see huge dune pics.) 

Spent some time at charming preserved little town of San Juan Bautista, home of best restored of the old CA missions, this one built in 1790s by determined Fermin Lasuen of the Franciscan order, the 15th of 20 Spanish missions.

Rather than exploring again the wonderful attractions of Monterrey & Carmel, we settled down to sort out our new cramped spaces, our belongings, our lost & found items that we grabbed before setting off and our plans for the first weeks ahead. Such focused time for us nomads was critical and satisfying. We are finding it extraordinary to feel so unconnected and free.

Saturday 2/22 — On our drive to Los Angeles down the Big Sur route 1 (see pictures of crashing surf,) we stopped in Santa Barbara/Carpinteria, for a delightful tea with Happy’s Smith classmate Amanda McIntyre, and sadly had to rush off for dinner, night, next day & night, with Happy’s cousins John & Patti Ogden, retired L.A. public school teachers. The RV is working well and H. & P. are getting used to it, even loving its comfort & coziness. Sunday was relaxed before and after fine long visit to extraordinary LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art.) 

Yesterday, 2/24, we arrived at Palm Springs for two days with friends, Wayne Taylor and partner Ron Rogers in their beautiful home. We are being treated like royalty while our dog Luke receives constant attention around the pool and amidst glorious landscaping from their wise and discerning English Bulldog Ella. All of this in the brilliant desert sunshine and with spectacular views upward of the surrounding rock-bound San Jacinto mountains (see pix.) We will explore nearby Joshua Tree National Park tomorrow en route to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park near the Mexican border. Lots more to come...

Lots of love, Happy & Peter

Palm Springs, made vastly more hospitable thanks to Wayne!

Here's a photo of Peter and Happy next to their trusty RV.  They are spending a couple of nights with us before they head off on their further adventures.  They leave tomorrow for Joshua Tree and Anza Borego State Park.  Great fun to see them.

Wayne

En Route!

After an overnight in Leila's driveway and another shakedown overnight cruise near Petaluma, we've headed south!  Here, Happy enjoys coffee in bed with Luke, first morning, near Marina, CA.

Continuing down the coast through the weekend...

Happy Birthday, Happy!

Well, today is Happy's 76th birthday, and, boy, has it been action-packed...


First, Luke woke her up with a celebratory greeting:

Then, he presented her with his culinary gift:

At this point, aware that his dachshund was outshining him, Peter arrived with his own offering:

Having nothing else to occupy him for many years but a careful observation of Peter's work habits, Luke was prepared for Petey's half-baked gesture with the second blow of his 1-2 punch:

At the end of the day though, even Peter's higher on the evolutionary ladder than Luke, so he'd prepared for Luke's cloying little rivalry and upped his game.  Way to go, Peter!

Luke slunk off to lick his wounds, but he didn't stay a party pooper for long.  Come on, Luke, we're limbo-ing, your favorite!

Soon enough, all hard feelings were forgotten, and Luke invited some buddies over for the fiesta:

When he saw the fun Luke and his crew were having, Peter invited his own posse:

...And everyone celebrated late into the night...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HAPPY!

Moving Day!

Only Happy and a few more boxes to load into the truck!

No chance of this crew breaking the china...

Happy?  Happy?!

Genesis

Dear Friends and Relatives,                                                                       January 2014

Whenever, wherever over the last fifty years you have known Peter and Happy, you carry experiences and images of us and you that connect us. Now we give you a new picture to expand the memory.

At age 76 we have recently sold our treasured house in Sausalito and purchased an apartment in an expanding retirement community, now under construction, and ready for our occupancy in November. Spring Lake Village is situated on beautiful land in Sonoma County, an hour north of us.  We move out of this house on February 1.

So what will we do for nine months? We have just purchased a used, cozy, accommodating (on a new scale!) camper van. As we now trim down our belongings, store what is needed for our rooted future, we pare down even more for our coming wheeled 9-month future.

In mid-February we will leave the San Francisco Bay area, head south in CA, see blooming deserts, linger in L.A. and then move across AZ, NM and TX. We will stop to see many of the countless beckoning sites and friends along our zig-zag route. On to New Orleans and a bit more of the deep south, then to hang out with many fellow gray-haired pals around FL. Ahead, Atlanta, the great Smokies, NC mountains, Blue Ridge, Skyline & Shenandoah Drives, Eastern Shore of MD, several stops in PA, Metro NYC, and upward and onward into the familiar northeast. We each have college reunions in western MA late May, and then we prowl among old friends & families in our favorite haunts of New England and environs.

Somewhere we will park the camper van and our trusty dachshund Luke for most of September as we head out of the country. Back in October to begin our meandering way west across the northern states we have traversed several times in the past.

If you want to check in on us during our travels, we will be building a blog of pictures and minimal text that you can access by going to http://interlude76.blogspot.com.

Our current Sausalito mailing address will end February 1, as will our home telephone

(415-332-3955.)  Best to use our new gmail addresses beginning now, and cell phones beginning February 1.

            Happy   abst268@gmail.com ;   Cell Phone:  415-686-4057

            Peter      ptst268@gmail.com ;   Cell Phone:  415-686-4058

            After November 1, 2014 USPS address will be:

                                                              Spring Lake Village

                                                               5555 Montgomery Drive

                                                               Santa Rosa, CA  95409

With love and all good wishes for the New Year.  Don’t be surprised if you hear from us when our route brings us near your neighborhood. We will try to give some warning!     

Happy and Peter