Oooh Exciting Stuff

Yes, it's true. I made an exciting trip to town! Five whole miles! Went to the casino, thinking I'd have one of their prime rib dinners but it was only 4pm (I had scooted out of the campground asap -- even forgot to secure a few things). So I went to Rite-aid for misc. items, and across the street to Safeway for misc. groceries. Indulged myself in a few goodies, like apple turnovers (yum), and some ice cream (peach, and dulce de leche). Having made no friends here, I have only myself to enjoy my birthday with, and I shall.

I've been hearing from all my friends elsewhere, and I love 'em all. Thanks, folks!

Special Day

Happy birthday to me.

Just for Pretty

Today's Pictures

Took myself to town today, mostly to do errands. Got gas (they actually had people who pump for you, and wash the windows). Stopped at Walmart to get a hanging shoe bag and a glass pie plate (to do oven cooking in). Will stop at Safeway later to get real groceries.

Then I thought I would check out the carwash on the south end of town as Ghibli is in dire need of a bath. Overshot it, however, so wound up down on the docks.

This first picture is of some fishing boats. Crescent City is a big area for both shrimp and crab. Many many crab pots piled on the wharf. Here's an arty shot of some of them.
At the far end of the wharf, I found this chainsaw sculpture of a mermaid. The artist carved his name on the back side of the block, otherwise you'd never know as there is no sign of any kind about this statue. Way in the background of the first one is Battery Point Lighthouse on its little island.



















Went off to South Beach, just past Anchor Way at the south end of town. As you can see, there's plenty of fog, and it's coming IN. [I have no idea how this underlining happened and I can't figure out how to make it go away.] [I figured it out. Had to edit the HTML, which I've never done before.]









And finally I saw this rig wandering around the dock area. Touring in style, for sure. Lots of custom work, as you can see.

No News is Good News?

I just haven't been doing anything exciting, and nothing exciting has happened near me, either. Well, except for the dog fight, which lasted all of about 30 seconds, a lab attacked a great dane for no reason and nipped a little chunk. I found that out later. By the time I stood up and looked out the door, the great dane and owner were going off down the path and the lab was being put inside its trailer.

I did errands today and took a few pictures down at the harbor. If I get any good ones, I'll post them later.

So it's work work work for five more weeks. Counting the days.

Valve Stems etc.

Got to the tire place about 10am only to find that they were shorthanded until about noon. Please come back then. So -- how to fill my time. I know! I'll spend money!

First I went to the P.O. and mailed an application. If I get this job, I'll tell you all about it. It'll be another adventure, and on the East Coast.

Then off to Wally World where I got a bigger pot to put my money tree plant in. I wanted a clay pot but they didn't have one in the right size, so I got a round blue embossed ceramic pot. I also wanted some Calgon water softener (really good to put in the black tank to keep it slippery). "You want what? We've got these appliances over here; is that it?" No. Got a rayon hawaiian-style shirt and a swimsuit (both on sale). You'll be pleased to know that I'm discarding a shirt, too (bring one in, take one out).

Then off to Home Depot to find some hooks bigger than the ones I had to hang cups etc over the drainboard. Also got some silver contact paper to attempt to jazz up the interior. I'm so bored with the brown-ness of it all. The cabinet doors have raised edges so I'm thinking about putting the silver paper on the center panel. I'll try one and decide.

Then across the street to the Farmer's Market. Got eggs, squash, carrots, onion (Walla Walla variety, sweet like Vidalias), and red potatoes, all no more than a day old. Will roast them with the t-bone steak and have a feast.

Then to Safeway for more grociers (like the steak and some garlic/herb chips and tomato/mozzarella "salad" and an Asian-style prepared salad).

Finally, it was noon. Off to Les Schwab. It took about 45 minutes, just long for me to do one of my crosswords. They had aired the tires but forgot the airbags, which were down to 30lbs. The whole rig lifted up when they put 60lb in the bags. Driving is once again a pleasure.

Have decided to blow off the kite festival, what with all the walking around I did today, and the hooking and unhooking. Besides, I went to see the Battery Point Lighthouse while stalling around, so have been enough of a tourist. Here's a couple of pics from the beach. It was a nice foggy morning so you can just make out the path to the lighthouse on the island. You have to wait for low tide to walk out there.

Valve Stems Yes!

The parts are in, the parts are in! Will trundle off to town tomorrow and get the tires set. Then I won't have to worry and think before I go anywhere.

Maybe I'll go to the Kite Festival in Brookings OR. It's the largest invitation-only festival in the country, I understand.

Gambling & Drinking & Driving oh my

Took myself off right after work to find the Elk Valley Casino on Howland Hill Road right near town. It's on a Rancheria (tribal administrative area). Finally found it after much going in circles -- there are no signs pointing the way. Got a Player's Card which gives a substantial discount on a prime rib buffet ($10). The line was long so I went to the bar and ordered a gimlet.

This was after the bartender took a really long time to discover he had a new customer. He failed to ask whether I wanted gin or vodka (gin), finally asked whether I wanted rocks or up (up). Drink finally came in an old-fashioned glass (tsk), had ice in it (had him re-strain it), and tasted terrible. So I drank about half of it and left without leaving a tip.

There's a game machine at each barstool so, after some instruction from a staff member, I played a hand of poker for a dollar. Lost the dollar. Quit. Such a risk taker, I am.

Went in for the buffet, which was very good. Nice rare beef and many sides. Had pleasant tablemates and we discussed all sorts of things.

When I left the casino, I went the other way which becomes a gravel road through the Jedediah Smith Redwoods Forest and the Smith River Rec Area. Some washboarding, tight passages between some of the monster trees, dark, impressive. About 10 miles. Probably not the best thing I could have done for my still split valve stem extender, but what the hell.

Got back to the campground about 7.30 and settled in to watch So You Think You Can Dance. A nice outing.

Fern Canyon

Today, Mary-Anne and Joe picked me up and got to see the KOA I'm working at. We headed 50 miles down the coast to Elk Meadow (we saw a few elk lying in the grass at Elk Prairie but none at the meadow. Then we wended our way on a one-lane unpaved road, wet and muddy from rain, up over some small hills and down to Gold Bluff Beach and along that to the Fern Canyon trailhead, fording a few streams along the way.

Less than a quarter-mile along a nice level trail we entered Fern Canyon, a micro-climate where ferns have grown to cover the walls of the canyon, waving in the breeze, with an active creek along the bottom. Here's a couple of pictures.


Not only was it overcast but it was really really humid, which made it feel really chilly. Interesting experience, though. And this place was filmed by Lucas for use in Star Wars for the Ewok planet.

Joe found a tiny fleck of gold in the stream. This area had a mini-Gold Rush back in the 1890s.

After leaving here, we drove to the Trees of Mystery so they could see the Native American Museum collection.

Back to Crescent City. We were all starving so we wound up at the Chart Room Restaurant. Joe had chili and a vege sandwich. Mary-Anne and I both had the seafood platter, with ling cod, shrimp, and scallops, grilled, fries, coleslaw. Didn't take us long at all to scarf it all down.

We stopped by their motel to get some goodies they'd brought across country for me. The most important was two packages of Newman's Ginger Creme Cookies. I've looked everywhere and the only place I've found them is the Ingles in Asheville. Very odd.

After a stop at Safeway for me to pick up a few grociers, we wended our way back to the KOA. Sat and chatted a bit, took a few photos, hugged, and they went back to town, planning to go across to the Battery Point Lighthouse at low tide.

A very nice day. It was great to see them both. They say they're having a wonderful time and doing lots of silly things. Good!

Visitors

Mary-Anne and Joe Young from Asheville are coming to see me! Well, they're taking a vacation in northern California and I'm at the turnaround point. They flew out today and will spend Thur-Fri-Sat slowly driving north, touristing (new verb) all the way. They'll be here on Sat. afternoon and Sun. They fly home from San Francisco on Tue.

Pretty exciting! I'm looking forward to seeing them. If all goes well, I'll inveigle them into taking me with them to see Fern Canyon, a really primeval place that was filmed for Star Wars.

More later.

Vase of Wood

While staying at Quinn's, her sister's posslq showed me nine vases he'd been making out of wood. I offered to take some photographs so he could put a portfolio together and try to interest a gallery or Gump's Department Store (high-end stuff). Here's one of them. It stands about 2-1/2 to 3 ft high with the lid. Isn't it gorgeous?

Tree Tips

I've been informed by a reader that those new growth tips on redwoods are called "candles." Isn't that cute? And they really do shine.

Oh yeah, no valve stems yet.

And my schedule is now 10.30 to 3.30. Which means that I can get to town before things like the post office closes (it's not open on Sat.). So I'm okay with it.

More RIP

Harve Presnell
operatic baritone, actor. He first came to my attention as the baritone on Carmina Burana (by Orff) with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra (1960). Then he showed up as the costar of The Unsinkable Molly Brown movie in 1964 with Debbie Reynolds (he was 6'4", she is, what, 5'2" or so?), and he sang They Call the Wind Maria in Clint Eastwood's weird musical Paint Your Wagon. He was also the overbearing father-in-law of William Macy in the movie Fargo, and did some other character parts. He was 75. Great voice!

Also, the Chinese man who was the "M. Butterfly" inspiration, living as a woman and seducing a French embassy male worker, who said he never knew his "wife" was really a man.

Oh yeah. Karl Malden, actor. I never liked him particularly, but he was good in The Cincinnati Kid, one of my favorite movies.