Archive for September, 2009

Fall is here!

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009

Sunday was at least 100 degrees without any breeze at all.  Monday was maybe 80 with a very nice breeze and today was flat windy! and it may have gotten into the low 70’s!  Everyone here is so excited cause we actually got to wear sweatshirts last night while sitting out enjoying the sunset! 

I am loving California and will miss it when we leave.

Delta Tour

Sunday, September 27th, 2009

Boating on the Delta has been so much fun.  Today we took our friends, Barb & Brian out on the delta for some more exploring.  The water is at its best this time of year and hardly anyone is out enjoying it. 

Barb & Brians1st trip on the Delta

Barb & Brians1st trip on the Delta

You never know what you will see in the Delta and today was no different.  We were cruising down the San Joaquin River and this beautiful boat comes right up the river towards us.  It was beautiful and the captain was very accomodating as we made circles around it to get photos and the whole crew waved and sounded their horn.

Steamership

We also came across this old tractor that looked like when they were building a levee it either got overtaken by water or died and they just left it.

deltatractor

We went past Lost Isle which use to be the happen’ spot on the Delta and it is closed with fencing all around to keep people off the island. 

A hoppin' place

A hoppin' place

lostisle1

This place use to be so crowded with every type of boater on a Saturday afternoon looking for a good time.  They had great food, good music and then of course there was the bar!  Most weekends you had to park your boat by tying to the last boat and climb through boats to find the dock.  I guess the economy is affecting our recreation all the way through!

Willapa Ferry

Willapa Ferry

willapaferry2

The grand entrance to the Willapa

The grand entrance to the Willapa

We found this really cool ferry that had be left in the delta.  Paul, Brian, & Barb went aboard to explore and found the name of the ferry.  It has a long history, first starting in San Francisco and then to Seattle.  It is sinking into the Delta after failed attempts to sell it on EBay.  Its name was Willapa.

And that my friends is a great day here in the Sacramento Delta Region!

Come on in, the water is great!

Come on in, the water is great!

Boating Weekend

Monday, September 21st, 2009

AmyDadboating

The weather has been really hot so we decided on Friday to rent a patio boat and take a spin around the Delta.  Amy was here and joined us for a few hours before she had to head back to San Jose to her “real” life.  She tells us we are living in fantasy land  – Yes and the problem with that is?  After Amy left Paul and I decided to arm ourselves with a map and really try to see some more of the Delta.  We boated into the deepwater channel which was so calm that water skiing would have been great.  The water is still fairly warm and we stopped often for a swim.  Duke is learning to enjoy the boat mostly except he really doesn’t like the sun so he spends a lot of time moving around to stay in the shade!

All smiles!!!

All smiles!!!

 That was Friday and Saturday friends invited us to spend the evening with them on their houseboat anchored out in the Delta somewhere!  I love doing this as we have gotten to spend many nights on the river with my parents.  It is so peaceful on the river where you are mostly alone except for the occasional boat also anchored in the distance.  We drove to Discovery Bay where their home is and met their new puppy, Hanz which is a 4 month old Dutch Shephard ball of energy!  Duke the usually very mellow dog that is NEVER agressive decided this puppy was way to busy and noisy and he was not going to have any of it on a boat with very close quarters! It made for a stressful day/night but we had crates and the dogs were given many opportunities to interact which by Sunday morning was not happening anymore – oh well, I always say “he is a dog, I am not sure how he will react”.

We drove the houseboat out into a very large body of water called Mildred Island which is not an island as it is a huge lake.  When we arrived to anchor there were many small boats nearby that would head out by dark and we were mostly alone.  On the way out we had to call ahead to 2 bridges to open and let us pass.  One was a draw bridge and the other was one that moves the roadway to the side on a pivot to open to large vessels.

Orwood Draw Bridge

Orwood Draw Bridge

Paul was really excited to watch the bridges open up for him to pass through and on our way in he got to radio the control tower to raise the bridges for us.  I also got to do something I have been wanting to try, Kayaking.  This Kayak had petals so you could petal and row which really made it way easier not to tire sooo  quickly!

Kayak

 

Boating is very much like RVing except when you are anchored you can’t get to land without taking a boat and trying to find land which in the Delta is extremely sparse!  Duke really would prefer land and Paul had to take him for a boat ride at low tide.  Sunday am, the plumbing also went on the fritz and I thought I was going to need a trip to find a beach.  The problem was it was high tide and no beaches were in sight!  They got the plumbing fixed for us humans however Duke had to wait until we returned to the marina about 1 pm.  He went about 18 hours without relief!  Stubborn dog, we had astro turf which the puppy used frequently!

Entertaining, RV style

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

My mom is still here and we don’t know (or care) for how much longer!  My dad dropped her off last week with her 5th wheel to visit for a week and returned to Hanford and put the truck in the shop.  The check engine light came on and he thought he should have it checked- we just drive our cars with the light on! But I guess when you are towing a 36′ home you really should have all systems in good order.  Anyhow he picked the truck up on Tuesday and started driving to Sugar Barge.  The truck wouldn’t run so he returned to the shop and now they have to orde r some parts and it should get fixed this week.

Our RV park is fully booked this weekend and so the Manager had to do so shuffling so that the guests that were to arrive on Wednesday would have a place to park other that in my mom’s driveway!  I guess it worked out cause my mom still can get to her front door!  The good news is my mom gets to stay longer and Amy came today to stay with us for a few days. 

We thought when Amy was here we could get out on the water in a boat again but now Paul is in San Jose visiting our friend, Leo the Dentist!  He has a tooth that has got him taking Vicodin so he needed to have it taken care of – there goes this months BUDGET!

Diners, Drive-ins & Dives

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009
Some Bartenders!

The Food Network was here!

We have always enjoyed the local favorites of the Delta and now we find out they are famous and on TV.  Sunday we took a drive north towards Walnut Grove to have dinner at one of the best restaurants in the Delta Region, Giusti’s.  It is very near where my parents kept their Houseboat for several years so we all have been there and loved the food.  We arrived about 3 pm only to find out the only thing open until 4 was the BAR! and as we entered we saw this small stamped logo near the entrance.  Diners, Drive-ins and Dives is a favorite Food Network show of Paul’s  and one of his dreams is to eat in all the favorites of Guy – well just this last year Guy was in Walnut Grove dining at Giusti’s! 

As I was taking the picture the bartender runs out and jumps into the photo!  He was a character as we only expect from the Delta fine eatery’s.  Duke is not impressed with the logo or the bartender – just throw that ball!

I wasn’t sure I wanted to sit in the Bar for an hour and drink but we decided to have just one drink – he makes a fine Cosmopolitian, almost as good as mine!  Finally at 4 pm the bartender found us on the patio and escorted us to the hostess and then to our dining chairs.

Gusti's

As you can see Giusti’s is not your typical fancy restaurant.  Inside you enter thru the BAR with greetings from many on barstools that wave cause they just figure you are from there or something.  The dining room is complete with checkered tableclothes and some sort of stuffed dead animal watching you eat, but the food is fabulous.  They serve a filet mignon with bleu cheese crumbles that is to die for and all meals come with salad, soup & bread of course.  I had Salmon – no surprise there.  It was such a large portion and the baked potatoe was perfect that after the soup, salad, bread and dinner I needed a couch!

I guess we are experiencing real life!

Saturday, September 12th, 2009

Each day passes without any story telling events and so I don’t have much to keep you up to date on.  My mom is visiting me this week and we are having a great time (outside the heat) just relaxing and talking.  I have been scanning some of her old photos, actually they are old photos from my grandmother and it is fun looking at my dad and his sisters when they were young. 

It has been pretty hot with cool nights but yesterday afternoon the sky started darkening and we had some amazing thunder early this am and now it is raining – love California weather!

Ahhh….

Sunday, September 6th, 2009

PaulDukeNapping

Another week bites the dust

Saturday, September 5th, 2009

Here it is Labor Day Weekend and I am finally getting around to keeping everyone up to date on my where abouts!

Last weekend we went to Fresno and Hanford for a much needed visit to my parents and to see Stephanie’s new apartment.  It was HOT, but that is not news- it is the central valley!  Paul helped Stephanie with some projects to get her settled in that hopefully help with her studies- yea right, we helped install surround sound, a grass area for Allie to pee when Stephanie forgets to let her out and fix her bike so when she is out of money she still has transportation.  I helped organize her closet which looks beautiful now.

Tuesday night we went to the local bar “Tugs” for Taco Tuesday and some pool.  Paul played; I drank margaritas!

This week Paul and I went to San Jose on Wednesday for some work and then out to dinner with friends and to Square Dancing which we hadn’t done since Arizona in February.  It was a little rocky but really fun and I wish we could get out more and go. 

Thursday night was fun- Amy and I went into San Francisco and saw the play “Wicked”  It was really good.  I find it interesting that they can take a very old fairy tale and make it seem like you are watching the story for the first time.  Well worth the time and expense.

Labor Day is a big holiday here on the Delta; a kind of last escape before winter.  The park is full but amazingly quiet.  Lots of drinking and partying.  We are a little on the fringes but it is still fun to watch.  Stephanie came last night to visit for the weekend and we will probably do something fun. 

Have a great Labor Day Weekend.