Monday 4th August 2014….My Mum’s Birthday!!!!

My Mum would have been 95 years young today……..I know I write this every year on this day but it is always same she was the best person and greatest Mum to have Malc and I were so lucky!!!!!

Judging by my clothes around 1972 in Bermuda!!!!

Isn’t she beautiful!!!!

My first day as a police officer in Sheffield 1968!!!

 

Had a great sleep and Caron and John and I had a great breakfast and an hour chatting before John went to work and Caron went hiking with Haley and Ryan and Stella came over and we said good bye and I was on the road again!!!

I really have to thank Stella, Caron, Pauline and Ashley and John for taking me in as a part of their family we all had some great days thank you so much!!!!

I did a 350km drive to Indio, California…this one is for you Janet!!!!

 

 

where I had booked this beautiful casita on the airbnb website….45 dollars!!!!!!

Notice anything different about Little Bluey!!!

The casita is so great and the owners have thought of everything from luxurious bath robe to fruit bottled water breakfast cereal a fridge and freezer, Microwave just all so tastefully done!!!!  I still have not met the owners we have e mailed and they left me the key and it is now 9m!!!

It is really hot so I just laid on the bed listened to music and just relaxed for a couple of hours before going to the mall to buy a couple of things and came back and fixed a great sandwich and now going to have a long Epsom salt bath…….

I want to do a 4 hour hike in the morning before I continue the drive to Tucson about 500km and get there early evening….

 

Thanks Stella for sending this to me!!!

````````````````
Two guys, one old, one young,
are pushing their carts around Wal-Mart
when they collide.
The old guy says to the young guy,
"Sorry about that. I'm looking for my wife,
and I guess I wasn't paying attention
to where I was going."
The young guy says, "That's OK, it's a coincidence.
I'm looking for my wife, too...
I can't find her and I'm getting a little desperate."
The old guy says, "Well,
maybe I can help you find her...
what does she look like?"
The young guy says,
"Well, she is 27 yrs. old, tall,
with red hair,
blue eyes, is buxom...wearing no bra,
long legs,
and is wearing short shorts.
What does your wife look like?'
To which the old guy says, "Doesn't matter,
--- let's look for yours."

Yashi Kochi!!!!

Sunday 3rd August 2014……Birthdays!!!!

Three of my family were born on this day Tom my great nephew is 10 years old today!!!

Darren has a birthday today as well and I am sure Samantha is treating and spoiling him!!!!!

Peter also has a birthday today….Pete is my cousin Shelia’s husband…

So gentlemen I wish you all a great and special day!!!!

Woke up to rain…..who said it never rains in southern California!!!!

Caron made us all a wonderful breakfast and the plan was for us all to go out on John”s boat around 10am but because of the weather we stayed home and had a rousing game of Monopoly!!!!!

Stella had to go to her house and do some work so the rest of us went down to John’s boat and what a beauty it is!!!!

If you want to know why I am wearing long pants it is because there may have been a chance to go to Stella’s club and watch a polo game which I have never seen and she suggested I wear long pants but because we got a late start never made it so will have to wait till another time to see a game…..

We cruised around the harbor and although it was a bit cloudy it was not cold……the ritual Titanic pose!!!!

Caron has a great eye for good camera shots and she took all the shots of me thanks!!

Michael with his girl friend Berlin and Ashley!!!  Berlin and Michael leave at the end of the month for Peru for work and I wish them safe and happy travels!!!

The girls back on terra firma!!!!

John treated everyone to a wonderful lunch at the Yacht club thank you so much…… Ashley and I in a hamburger eating competition!!!

Pauline, Caron and I were dropped off by the ocean and walked home it was about 3 miles….it was a fun walk on tracks, then the beach then rocks…a good workout!!!!

Caron found me a pilgrim stick!!!

It was a great hike and I was tired and soaked with sweat when we got back and a hot long shower felt so good……

This evening Caron again made some fantastic food and we played another board game till 10.30 pm…..just a fun night!!!

I said good bye to Pauline and Ashley as they leave to go back to LA early in the morning…it was so good seeing them again and it is still hard for me to believe how tall and strong Ashley has become I am so proud of her as she is not only such a talented and dedicated  elite athlete she also is a caring, kind and educated young lady good luck to you!!!!

Also said goodbye to Michael as he leaves to go to work early in the morning and again such a pleasure as he is a great young man with the whole world at his feet!!!

These few days have been very special to me they have taken me in like I am a member of the family all so very kind, considerate and cannot do enough to make my stay so wonderful…so Stella, Caron and John thank you so much for your kindness!!!!

Tomorrow in the morning I continue my road trip towards Tucson it is over 900 km so I shall not do it one day and I have booked on airbnb a small apartment for tomorrow night in Indio, California so hopefully I can get a hike in after I arrive there or on Tuesday morning before I continue my drive to see Linda and Guy in Tucson…..

Hope your weekend was special too…

Yashi Kochi!!

Saturday 2nd August 2014…….life is a beach!!!!

You know me when I see a beach it brings a warm feeling to my heart and around lunch time Stella, Caron and her two sons Michael and Ryan and his girl friend Haley met at the beach!!!!

I have no idea why I am smiling do you!!!!!!!!

Haley and Caron and some old guy!!!!

We had a great time we played Frisbee, swam had a wonderful lunch some beach tennis just a very relaxing afternoon.

Then Stella and Caron and I went to the tennis courts and played for an hour those girls are good must be a family trait!!!!

We had receive news earlier in the afternoon that Pauline who is Stella’ daughter and Ashley who is Pauline's daughter were coming for the weekend.

For new readers here Ashley is my young hero she is 14 years of age and is a very highly ranked tennis player  in the USA and attends the Carson Academy in LA……

I have not seen Ashley and Pauline for over a year so I was so thrilled they were coming and we all met at Caron and John's house……

What a party these folks put on!!!!!

I was totally shocked at how much Ashley has grown she is five feet ten inches and just so tall and beautiful and will not be fifteen years of age till October!!!!!!!!

Ashley and Michael jammin!!!!

After a wonderful dinner we got down to some serious games of spoons!!!!

Ashley and myself fighting over a spoon!!!

left to right

Ashley and her mum Pauline….Haley and Ryan..John and Caron and Michael and Stella!!!!

Now you be the judge who has the nicest legs!!!!!!

Isn’t she a doll!!!!!

We played more  games had ice cream and many laughs what a great family they are and so kind of them to include me as if I was part of that family…thank you!!!!

Ashley I am so very proud of you and so good to see you and your Mum again I know you have a future in tennis and remember that sage advice from this old guy last year…”leave it all on the court”

It was a great day thank you to everyone!!!!

Yashi Kochi!!!!

Friday 1st August 2014….Rabbits, rabbits, rabbits!!!!!

Hard to believe it is August already this year is just flying by a good sign I am getting older…….

It was great to meet up with Stella and funny the last time I saw her was in my casita in SMA in Aril!!!!!

We had dinner and caught up with all our stories since we last saw each other …. talking to someone who had done the Camino was fun and we were amazed at how similar lots of out stories were!!!

This morning we met u with Stella’s daughter Caron, who has just come back from staying with her husband John in my casita for the month of July!!!.

Today was Fiesta day in Santa Barbara and a huge parade took lace at noon enjoy the photos!!!!!

Caron and Stella!!!

 

Check out the hair!!!!!!!  ON THE HORSE!!!!!

Caron and Stella made me take this shot!!!!!

The parade was really great and afterwards we walked down to the waterfront for something to eat…

We saw one of the floats parked so we could not resist!!

Then Stella had been invited to a private Fiesta party and we went and it was really good..everyone so friendly and the entertainment wonderful!!

Then a long walk back to the car and we did not get back to Stella’s house till after 9 o clock…these girls know how to party!!!!!

Nice to see Caron again and look forward to seeing John and their family tomorrow!!!!

Yashi Kochi!!!!