It is 4:30 a.m. and I just heard from my boss that a run to SF airport has been cancelled. Unfortunately, I was already at the office, because I set the freakin' alarm for 3 instead of 3:30. Oh well, it looks as though I may have the day off because the next run wasn't until the afternoon... And after a trip to the SF airport followed by a run to Tahoe yesterday, a day off won't be unwlecome.
Took last week off and drove to Studio City to help celebrate a friend's 90th birthday. I hadn't been below Bakersfield on I-5 and I was fascinated looking at the changes in the landscape- Kern county on one side of the highway is agricultural and on the other side looks like high desert.
I decided not to drive the Grapevine this time, being unfamiliar with the area BUT next time I drive down I will take that route: I really like roads such as that.
Ohio is drowning and California is on fire.... I drove the birthday lady and her husband home to San Luis Obispo Thursday and west of Simi Valley as 101 turns north, we saw a fire coming up the backside of a very steep hill, the front of which had a lot of homes on it. Sunday when I left, after stopping at Hearst Castle for the third tour, I drove up Highway 1, hoping there was a road over to 101 before the closure. The closure is due to a fire that started Saturday afternoon and had burned 2000 acres (it is now over 26,000 acres). That didn't happen, so I had a nice 60 mile drive roundtrip cutting across on 41 below Hearst Castle. Put me home two hours later than I planned.
On I-5, somewhere in the middle of the state, there were two grass fires in the median strip, then Monday morning I wake to the news that a dry thunder/lightening storm sparked a ton of fires in the northern part of my state. There are over 1000 fires going and the air looks as though it is overcast, though when the sun rises and sets, you KNOW it ain't clouds up there. The air seems a bit clearer, this morning, however there is another storm on the horizon this weekend.
I am hoping and praying the storm simply passes us by, but the odds of that are slim.
Finally got to spend time in the garden yesterday- pulled half the pea plants which were looking really pathetic, cut back the snapdragons and enjoyed a beer while I was doing so. The tomato plants have gone berzerk again and who knew tomatillos got so BIG? The roses are getting ready to put out a second group of blossoms and the artichoke is working on its first fruit. I'm aiming for a potager- at least as year-round as I can get it. The snapdragons help: they stayed green all through the winter and frost, which surprised me. I had no clue they would do so well. The chard is getting ready to spew seeds all over the place and I have radishes, cress and green onions coming up. My brother planted three or four different kinds of seeds before he left on a trip last month: the Chinese mustard was really boring to eat, though the seed pods are intriguing, the green onions are doing well as are the dill and parsnips. There is also a row of something which resembles parsnips, but we know he had four seed packets. He threw the packaging away and I can't find the plot map we had so there is a surprise waiting for us....
Purchased another copy of 'Bread and Tulips' which is a wonderful Italian romantic-comedy. I haven't seen the movie in a few years and it is a lot of fun. I bought a copy a long time ago, without having seen the movie first, because of one of the actors- Bruno Ganz. He is German and I first saw him in Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire which is a stunningly beautiful movie, not to mention thought-provoking. Wings also has another amazing actor- Peter Falk playing himself.... I am waiting for the movie Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day to come out on DVD: another marvelous romantic-comedy, this one with Frances McDormand and Ciaran Hinds.
5:15.... I think I will go home and go back to sleep for a while. I'll know around noon whether I need to come back for the afternoon run. One really nice aspect about my bosses is they think about such things as having me drive 30 minutes one way for a one hour run.
Next month, there's another road-trip in the works, this one with my older sister. We're heading north to Arcata and Eureka. I'm just hoping the roads will be open, otherewise we will be taking a detour: the fires have closed more roads up north.