A Busy Weekend in May

On Saturday and Sunday Morning we attended the local Garden Tour. We took lots of pictures and now have to remember what we were liking about that particular garden.
This garden concept may be doable for us with small developed areas within a natural woodland setting. Of course we loved this huge garden with a surprise around every corner.

I think the boccie ball court is a possibility to replace the old badminton court at the bottom of the yard.

We have put in a few plants in the front. But more work in the front has to be done after the tree man pollards the two horrible trees in the yard. William will then get rid of the high stumps and plant something nicer.

Saturday evening was the Annual Democrats Jefferson/Jackson fundraiser dinner. I baked a pecan pie for the dessert run. I think all had a good time and a good deal of money was raised.

Sunday we had an early soul food dinner at the Hornings with a lovely black eye pea soup. I brought corn bread made with the stone ground corn meal I bought in the Great Smokies and another pecan pie. After dinner we all raced to downtown Grass Valley to attend the tribute to Aretha Franklin at the Center for the Arts. A great time was had by all.

Cinco de Mayo

We finished our little 9,600 mile drive on May 3rd by traveling over the Kingsbury Grade and down to Lake Tahoe. The lushness of the Carson River Valley is so evident from our high perch as we chug up over the grade.We stop at the scenic Emerald Bay rest stop, still closed by snow.And see that Lake Tahoe is still a beautiful blue.
We just happen to arrive at the Bridge Tender for lunch. No fries, we are fried out. But Moose Drool Brown Ale on draft sounds good to Bill. Our meal was great, but we were ready to leave. The waitress had left the bill, but we needed change to pay. We waited. Finally I got up and walked to the bar and caught her as she dashed past.

Home at last.

The plant in the entry is dead so I replace it with a few sprigs of the pink dogwood blooming in the back.Out to lunch on Cinco de Mayo at Amigos & Company. We both enjoy the fish taco lunch special next to the rushing water of Deer Creek. I am smart enough to ask for my Bud Lite in a glass. I may have plebeian taste, but I don't have to advertise it. Bill is happy with Negro Modelo on draft.

Dinner is some very good homemade tortilla soup and pecan pie. The soup was great and the pie was very tasty. I just have to work on the baking technique, so it comes out of the pan easier. I think if I not only spray the pan, but also slightly bake the crust before putting in the filling, it would work.

Why we drive 395

Since a picture is good for 1000 words I'll save time and offer this as a reason for driving 395 as we head home. The valley is dry, but the mountains are lovely. Not so windy today, so the driver is spared some work.We take a loop on 89 up over Monitor Pass.And stop for lunch on a broad paved turnout just below the summit.
Our purpose was to come to Grover Hot Springs.

Nice hot water but too much algae for me. I like the miracle cure mineral combination of Tecopa better. There was a fairly shallow hot water pool and a regular water deep cool pool. We met a couple who came to Sacramento from the Ukraine in the early 90's. They come here 3 or 4 times a year.
After Grover we head down to Minden and dinner at JT Basque Bar and Dining Room. The food is great, as long as you refrain from local specialties like sweetbreads or tripe and pigs foot stew. The service is friendly family style. If you are there for dinner, you get all the courses. Soup, jug of red wine, salad, rice dish, bean dish, entree, fries and dessert. Some locals indulge in too much picon punch and play bar dice too loud. But it is part of the atmosphere.
We just spent the night in the RV park run by the Carson Valley Inn. Nice and simple. And today we will just have a nice drive home around the west shore of Lake Tahoe.

Leaving Las Vegas

Since we are not Las Vegas affectionatos, we left via the highway and headed to Tacopa Hot Springs. But wait, there is the road to China Ranch Date farm. Deeper down in a wash than we remember. Good thing there has been no rain lately. I exit to the friendly advances of the resident weimaraner. It wants to hop in the RV to greet William, but is obedient when he says no. Then some other people come over with a small white fluff dog. The weimaraner wants to make friends and play. The little dog rolls over to play and its oblivious owners keep walking for a bit dragging it in the dust. Hysterical. Everyone else here seems to have come for a date milkshake. We bought some Deglet Noor dates, a small date loaf and some syrup. We have done the tour before so we head on to the hot springs. An hour of soaking in the miracle cure hot springs is good for what ails us.
Refreshed we drive on down the road. The Owens Lake basin looks better every time we see it. The City and County of LA are doing their best, under court order, to rehab their destruction. I still would never live in the town of Keeler.
Not a big flower year in Death Valley, but I would love to stay in the Furnace Creek Inn someday.
A fast drive through Death Valley still marveling at the scenery for the umpteenth time. We tool into the Boulder Creek Resort outside of Lone Pine and settle in to our #12 spot in the shadow of Mt. Whitney.