Some California country (inn)

After a 4 hour, beautiful drive that, of course, started two hours late and beyond by going into one of those insane markets up in Eureka with all good everything, where I become helplessly enthralled and bewildered by just cheese choices alone (even the liquor store leaves me fairly dazed, with its 20 kinds of different Bloody Mary mix, along with 5 or 8 kinds of tonic, forget asking how many kinds of alcohol; spoiler: the answer is too many) we arrived at the Carrville Inn for our friends' wedding. 

But first, we had to get here. In Dave's awesome new vehicle. Packed with four people and enough gear and clothes that we were carrying air mattresses and giant computers on our laps. Well, except for Dave. 

Half of the trip was along this river. The Mad River. Or the Trinity.
Or maybe something else. It was rushingly beautiful.

There is no shortage of trees or of mountains, but like oceans,
they are all different. 

Surprisingly red dirt out here. I thought we took a wrong turn into Georgia.

Those are not birds, just shot through a speckled windshield.
Speckled. That sounds chirpy, doesn't it?

The longest stretch of straight road there was.
Switchbacks galore. 

Wow. I think we've all said wow a lot around here. Three stories of history and acres of...well, here.

You'll get a lot more interior photos on the link above, people or their stuff filled most of the rooms so I didn't do an ad type shoot. Even with family friends, I wasn't going there. 

It was pretty funny, since Dave brought two dozen eggs from his chickens,
Elijah brought two dozen eggs, Katie brought 2 dozen eggs and the first thing you see on the porch is a very large egg basket with, of course, two dozen eggs from the chickens here.
I need to make a potato tortilla. And a quiche. And scrambled eggs. And...

Incredible roses growing all around the property.

The dining room

The incredible kitchen that we all want. There are labels on everything and I mean EVERY thing. I was looking for a skewer for a Bloody Mary and immediately found one in the cupboard labeled Odds & Ends. There's even a corkscrew drawer. 

Since this won't fit on the houseboat, I could enjoy it without too much lust.

This won't fit on the houseboat either but lust abounded. I am not alone.
Coolest fridge ever.

There are a LOT of rooms on the main floor but somehow we all find our way back into the kitchen. A lot.

This is where I ate my breakfast this morning. This WAS my breakfast this morning.

Of course there is a veranda. Do they say veranda out here? 

The count of dogs has now surpassed the count of babies.
Lots of nice kids and adults too.

 Obviously, there has to be an Iko section. 

Iko picking cherries, with help from Mama

Have you got enough?

Not if I keep eating them!
She even learned how to spit the pits!

Sharing with Tia Sarah

The pool is a big attraction. It's super sunny here, which is beautiful, but warm so even though the pool is too cold for me, no one else seems to care. Marco Polo!

Honeysuckle!!!!

Wow.

And they all smell good!

Bathing beauties

Vrae walking on water 

They were THIS good

The rehearsal has happened, some delicious aroma is wafting through the house, there will be pig on a spit on the delectably diverse menu on tap. Maybe I should make deviled eggs. Hmmmmmmmm.

Have a fink about it Friday. Do something fervently.

California Playing

After two ridiculously delayed flights and one miraculously on time bus ride, California time has arrived!

But the day before I left, I had a classic sighting of John sailing his dinghy out of my bay. John is one of the most self sufficient people I personally know and it's always fun to see him chilled out, sailing along.

San Francisco Bay is always busy. Pleasure boats or boats with a commercial mission are constantly going to and fro, changing the scenery from moment to moment. 

A Chinese junk that caught my attention in an very full marina along the Embarcadero

There are plenty of working ships both active and...not so much

The Golden Gate bridge from another point of view

If I was SURE the bus would have been on time, I'd have packed up on of these babies to go. I always say that. I never do.

The Ferry building. There are SO many ferries to various areas!
Ok, that's all I'll say about that.

There is a Ferry Farmer's Market, an indoor mall sort of place but full of very cool stores and food stops. These oysters got me to stop and they were well worth it. The one I liked the most is called a Totten oyster, farmed in Washington State but from the East Coast. I was looking for Hog Island oysters, a local oyster, but these were a good alternative.

Lots of tour boats too. Feeling a need to see Alcatraz?

The street cars go really fast!

Just some gorgeous flowers

There are a lot of homeless people in this area of the city, sleeping in doorways and benches and apparently, on sculptures. That must have been a potent bottle of champagne. On my way back, there was another person using the same spot, minus the champagne bottle.

Celebrating the famed Dungeness crab

So many of these buildings were once working warehouses, this one still has the flavor.
Free wood. In San Francisco. On the main drag. Wow.

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A park across the street from the water. 

A friend of mine in high school was given this same car when it was brand new.
We had some great times and it brought back some good memories. 

There is nothing quite like the haunting strains of traditional Far Eastern music.
I looked all around and finally saw this man sitting there playing. A stick. A string. A bucket and a bow. He was brilliant. 

An early lunch of homemade crab chowder with a view, which, sorry,
you can't see it! Oops.

The view from the window

Then, it was time to go back to the bus station. The bus really did come on time and made the trip on time! An amazing first. Tomorrow we are heading to a wedding about 4 hours inland from here. It's in a big campground with some cabins and...well, I don't really know, except the area is called the Alps, so I guessing it will be very beautiful. I do know I'm packing every warm thing I own both to wear and bedding wise, because while the days are warm, the nights are cold. I'll see what happens next. So will you.

The photos here are a bit out of order, going between phone and camera photo uploads and having to re-learn the groove of doing the blog, but here you go anyway. 

Have a wondering Wednesday. Do something whimsical!