For almost ten years we have turned Christmas card writing into one of the highlights of celebrating the holidays. We rent a special condo called Sea Walk at Sea Ranch. Winter on the California north coast offers special discount prices and often wonderfully mild weather–first two nights regular rate, third night free.

We spend the first day writing cards at the dining room table in front of a large window with a spectacular ocean view. We take breaks to walk an ocean trail to a favorite log where we sit talking about life, death, the sea, politics, religion, and how out of shape we may feel. This time of year a few tiny flowers gallantly push their colorful petals into view,but they must compete with bright red, yellow, and tan toadstools more at home in the damp cold ground.

This year we drove on a rainy Sunday and took the Sebastopol route so we could eat brunch at The French Restaurant again. The food was as memorable as it had been the last time we ate there. These “get-aways” nourish the sweetness of our relationship.
I recommend them.

The French Garden restaurant

We had been planning our latest get-away for awhile–a two night trip to Gualala, a small town on the gorgeous California North Coast. Over the years that magical part of the world has become our get-away haven. Again, nature smiled on us. Mild sunshine wiped out the cold rainy weather we had been having. Walking beside the ocean with no jackets, we soaked up the warmth and the beauty of the ocean storing it in our memories for the coming winter.

We have a number of choices for routes to our destination. Last spring we chose to go through Sebastopol. On the west side of town we passed a restaurant called The French Garden. We stopped for lunch and the exquisite food was a delightful surprise. I had the best beet salad I have ever eaten. This trip we planned to arrive at The French Garden for brunch. We were not disappointed. I savored each mouthful of the seafood and spinach quiche. I have never eaten a better quiche. The restaurant grows most of their food at a nearby farm.

This trip has been a time of renewal of intense love, energy, and gratitude for every day of life we have together.

We just got back today from another get-away, our time to relax, talk, read, and talk some more. Here is my description:

Immersing ourselves in the beauty
of a high mountain valley
Big bushes, not quite trees,
gather to protect the marshes
Birds, ground squirrels, and
bunnies play in the grass
Big fancy houses pretending
to be old farmhouses catch our eyes
Three-car garages guard
the new kings of the land.

Hot springs caught in pools
bring storytellers together
from all over the world
Soul mates watch the moon rise
as they share with each other
what life is teaching.

The monsoon season brings fierce thunderstorms and heavy rains that paint the Arizona desert green in August. The magnificent Tucson Marriott hotel sits on a hill overlooking the city and this surprising resurrection of life in the usually arid vegetation.

Everett and I spent a memorable night at this grand resort mecca. We sat out on the large terrace watching the city lights appear in the distance while listening to guitarist, Gabriel Romo Francisco, play his guitar. As we listened a road runner stopped by to see what we were eating. We will never forget this very special night or our morning hike in the desert through the saguaro and other cacti bursting with blooms.

Often when I wish Eric lived closer to us, I realize he has broadened our world by sharing his love of the desert. We always look forward to the two times a year we see him. How else would we have seen a mother coyote trotting along the desert trail with two pups or a road runner curiously skipping around the Marriott terrace?

Visiting our son in Tucson, Arizona prompted another lovers’ get-away. We decided to go through Tioga Pass, something neither of us had done. We marveled at the high mountain lakes and sheer granite walls that cradled them. We ate our lunch at crystal blue Tenaya Lake where patches of snow reminded us that this high country had no passable roads for much of the year.

Brooks and streams criss-cross lush green Tuolomne Meadows and collect in small ponds and lakes. We spent that night in Bishop. At a one-of-a-kind restaurant called Whiskey Creek we had chicken stuffed with artichokes and creamed spinach served with rice and asparagus. Very good!

We made our lunch each morning before leaving. Thursday’s lunch we ate while delayed by road construction on desert highway 247 south of Barstow. We spent that night with long-time friends in Palm Springs.

More tomorrow.

Saturday night we stayed in a “studio” room at a river resort in Graeagle. That meant the bed was in the wall and we had to take it down. Mooing cows woke us in the morning. We spent the day going from one stunning lake to another, fishing some, but mostly scouting. What a joyous day filling up with the splendor to carry home with us.

That night we found a place with a balcony overlooking the roaring Truckee River swiftly flowing through rugged canyons. We climbed down to the river and found a couple of chairs at the water’s edge. Ev caught a fish while I sat writing.

Friendly people met us at these serene get-away places. Campgrounds, river resorts, and lakes level people. We all share the peace, beauty, and tranquility that enable us to feel joy in the present and let go of responsibility for tomorrow.

All of this joy shared with my soul mate! Who could ask for anything more! Long live unconditional love!

Tiny Alturas, the largest town in Modoc County, usually rolls up the streets well before midnight. Classmates, who had gathered for a high school reunion (classes 1951-1968), celebrated under a full moon most of the night. We felt like joining them. We asked John, our motel manager, about possible fishing lakes. He told us how to get to two small lakes-Blue Lake and Clear Lake.

We left Alturas early Saturday morning, turned left off of Hi.395 at Likely, a little town, maybe 75 population. Drove about 12 miles to a bridge, turned right, drove 5 or 6 more miles until we reached a fork in the road. We ended up at a pristine mountain lake where the only sounds came from forest creatures. It reminded me of the awesome silence of backpacking in our younger days.

Shallows along the shore made bait fishing difficult, but I watched in amazement as a beaver swam through my fishing line only a few feet from me. Later, a loon proudly showed off 12 babies as they swam close enough for us to take their picture.

We set out to find Clear Lake. Drove over gravel and rocks with cows beside the rocky road peering curiously at us. The game warden warned us to be careful, because this is wilderness area and the narrow gravel road goes along steep cliffs. We had to give up finding Clear Lake. We agreed this side trip was a great throw-back to our backpacking days, but without the packs. Our car did suffer some, I am afraid.

Four days of just going north to explore the northeast corner of California. Starting point: Fair Oaks on Thursday, July 22nd. We decided to go Hw.65 through Marysville to Hw.70 and Lake Oroville. Then up the Feather River Canyon to beautiful Lake Almanor. The first night we spent in Chester at a Best Western motel.

The nest morning we drove to Hw.89 north through Lassen Ntl. Park. Gorgeous yellow snow flowers blended with green meadows and vegetation alongside the large patches of snow that were reluctant to give way to summer.

We stayed on 89 to Burney Falls about six miles north of Hi.299. We had heard that it was spectacular and we weren’t disappointed. It could be as world famous as Yosemite Falls, Niagara Falls, and others. From there we turned east on 299 headed for the largest town in Modoc County, Alturas. I had no idea there were still roads in California where travelers rarely meet a car and no cars overtake you. We traveled past farms, through mountain passes and large fertile valleys. PURE SERENITY!

A get-away to Sea Ranch over the years has taken us out of the many distractions of our every day life and given us the chance to return to the simplicity of first love with its exciting conversations unburdened by deadlines and responsibilities. This kind of return to the sea never grows old.

We have just returned from a two night trip unlike any other. We left our cosmetic case sitting on the dresser in our bedroom. It contained the medications that go along with this season of our lives, but we managed to survive.

I read Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s “Gift from the Sea”, a beautiful book I have had on my bookshelf for years and had never read. In the next few days I will share some of her wisdom regarding relationship. Look for it right here.