Telescope Peak

Happy Birthday to my Baybee!

Photos of our Memorial Day weekend camping trip to scale Telescope Peak for Will's birthday. It was absolutely wonderful.

I love you Will.

To Reach the Peak

We'll be on our way tomorrow morning for a little trip to the peak of a mountain. A getaway from the city to where the air is fresh and clean. I'm looking forward to the hike, to camping under the stars, steaks on the grill, a box of wine, and my baybeee. I'll find me a good straight stick, poke it through a marshmallow and roast it over the campfire.

We used to camp a lot when I was a kid. The Gerkin family from across the street would go too. We'd have pancakes for breakfast. We'd hike and swim. I think I only remember where one campground actually was though. And if I remember it correctly it was in Oregon when I was about 10 years old then. And I remember walking out in to a field of grass when it was dark, away from the campsites, and looking up into the sky. There were a bazillion stars. Being a city kid I was awed by this blanket of stars in the warm inky night sky. Brilliant. And I just looked up, open mouthed and wide eyed.This one's from 1967. That's me in the middle, eating a sammich.

Do You Have This in Green?

Wanting a beanie to keep my head warm on the hike to Telescope Peak next weekend , I suggested a walk up to our local Army Navy Surplus store this weekend, when Will hurrahed the Supply sergeant in Burbank as the place to go.I like the multi colored head gear that is more stylin' than your usual rank and file beanie, but I also love the classics, and nothing beats the basic drab green wool cap.

Inside the shop Will pointed me in the direction of the hats, caps and beanies section where I found rows and rows of head gear. I ruffled through the skull caps, and beanies with embroidered flames, and caps with ear flaps, and soft wooly linings, and beanies with bills, and camo caps in crazy colors.

Then I picked up the drab green wool cap, long enough to pull down over my ears should they get chilled. And that's the one I got. Also picked up a camp mug, bean pot, and a skillet, as well as... a 64' U.S. Parachute, a Czech Sea Bag, a Korean Field Pack and... a Soviet High Altitude Pressure Suit.
Well not those last 4 things, but I coulda.

Jiggy's Sleeping on the Laudnry

Jiggy just loves to saunter up on to the freshly laundered linens for a nap.

Echo Echo Echo, Mountain Mountain Mountain

Busy weekend, but unlike last Sunday (spent at work), I'm here with my baby hanging around the house, our family of animals in some state of proximity. Shadow curled up on the rug in the library. She follows me around as I go from here to there and outside to take a look at the condition of my garden. It could use some tending, and I sigh, wishing I had more time to linger there.
Yesterday we went back to the San Gabriel's. This time taking the Sam Merrill Trail that winds and switches its way back and forth and up and around the mountainside to the ruins of the White City on Echo Mountain. We got a late start and the coolness that the overcast mornings would have provided burned off early. The trek was hot. But it was worth it.We explored the mountain that was once a destination in the late 1800's and early 1900's and which remains a destination to hikers and bikers (and birds?) today. A beautifully maintained trail leads to beautiful views and shady groves. On the outskirts of the rubble we discovered the Echo Phone, so we bounced our voices off the mountainside.
I packed us a little lunch of Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, raisins and Sunkist oranges (making Will nearly cry with joy) which we enjoyed at the old picnic area.We continued to pass hikers on their way up, seeing the exhaustion from the heat in their flushed and sweaty faces, but knowing they would be greeted by a little oasis at the top.Later today we'll be taking Will's mother, Casey, to Castaway's for a Mother's Day Brunch. I'm looking forward to seeing her and hearing the latest predicament she's gotten herself into and what outrageousness she may be up to.

And to my Mom, Happy Mother's Day!!!! I love you. XXOO. I think of you every day and I can't wait to see you.

What I had intended to do today and what I had to do today were completely different in every way possible. I'm lucky I got a cup of coffee in before I had to go in to the office to monitor/manage the progress of a project that kept me there until after 6:00 pm.

So, I did NOT get to enjoy a lazy breakfast with my husband. Didn't get to go for a walk anywhere. Didn't get the laundry done. Didn't get to do anything. But at the end of the day the client was happy and reassured that we could get the job done.

When I did get home I took a few moments to decompress (thank you sweetie-pie) and feed the animals before starting dinner. I came across a recipe a couple of weeks ago for a Tomato Garlic & Mussel soup that I have been wanting to try, put the mollusks on my grocery list, but the supermarket wasn't carrying any. Yesterday we decided to walked on down to the A Grocery Warehouse to score some of the mollusks. Rather than make the tomato soup part of the soup from scratch I used a carton of the Campbells Select Tomato Basil & Garlic soup and enhanced it with some Seasoned Pepper and garlic'd it up some more with a generous shake of Garlic Salt. Then I got to cleaning, scrubbing and de-bearding the Mussels, and while sipping a glass of red wine, tossed them in to a steaming pan a seasoned chicken broth and sliced garlic cloves. I didn't take any photos, but it was YUM. The soup had an underlying spiciness, the Mussels tender and the garlic infused throughout.

May Day's Great American Boycott

From my office building on the 3300 block of the Wilshire corridor I went down to the street to see the march. The subject for which they march is complicated. It's unfortunate, and it seems that the good, hard-working people are the one's who suffer for those who aren't. I respect all who respect me in return.