Good News and Good Visiting

She is so cute! I haven't seen her in person yet, but I can tell from the pictures that she's a unique little beauty, just like her brother Sky! I can't wait to get home and get to know her....and give her mother a lecture for not having her three days sooner. Really! Three days???? I don't think it could have hurt anything to have her three days early so I could have seen her before we left!

We've spent the end of this week in California. On Thursday we delivered in Tule Lake, CA which is just barely in California. It's a few miles across the border from Oregon.

It was a rather rural area, from what we could see. Not a lot there, but down the road from where we delivered, there was a historical marker and we pulled off there to let the girls stretch their legs.

Upon reading the plaque on the marker, we learned that Tule Lake, CA was home to the largest and most controversial of the Japanese American Internment Camps during WWII.

A remnant of one of the less appealing parts of American history.


After delivering and getting some breakfast, we drove north to Lakeview, OR to reload pearlite, which is a type of stone or mineral that the company there was grinding into a course, light material. We loaded up and headed south down the road very much less traveled, at least by us, through northeastern California. It was really pretty!

Eventually the road dipped out into Nevada, taking us through the heart of Reno, and then Carson City, and then back into the mountains and into California again. In the morning we pulled into Escondido, CA, which is between Riverside, and San Diego. We delivered to a place we'd been to before, and the first time we were there it was the kind of place that was difficult to back into. This time we pulled up on the street and my mouth dropped open. My initial thoughts were "they've got to be kidding! Like hell we can back into that!"

But Malcolm, being the most talented driver I've ever met and the "King of Creative Parking" only grumbled a little, and then wiggled his way right into their little tiny alley they had left open for deliveries.

He even had a few inches to spare.

We wind rowed the pearlite out on their lot, with our truck hanging out in the road impeding traffic. I just couldn't wait for a cop to come along and say something. I was planning my speech in which I planned on telling him he was complaining to the wrong people and he ought to be having words with the business owners for not having appropriate facilities. But it all worked out, and we were empty and out of there in little time.
On the bright side, we were first! There were two more trucks due in that day. I have no idea where they were going to put that stuff.

Afterwards, we had nothing to do till the next morning and no where to go. We had intended to drive to Bakersfield, where our reload was, but there was nothing to do there in the mean time, and no where for a truck to go between Escondido and Bakersfield. But WE did have another option, as opposed to all those other trucks out there. Malcolm's aunt and uncle and cousin live in Riverside, and we'd been meaning to stop in and see them sometime, but had never managed to be down there with time to kill. So this was a perfect opportunity. Malcolm called them up and it was perfect timing because it was his uncle's day off. They even made some phone calls and got permission for us to park our truck at the local university near their home.

We spent the morning relaxing in their backyard, catching up and visiting. We'd not seen them in probably about 8 years. Their home is beautiful, so inviting and relaxing. I really pleasant place to be.

For being in the middle of Riverside, CA, we were surprised, pleasantly so, at how private and secluded and quiet it was. I guess just driving through and seeing everything from the road had left us with the impression that it was just a noisy cramped, unpleasant place to be. Just goes to show, you can't always lean on first impressions!

Malcolm's cousin was able to join us later in the morning and we had a wonderful time visiting and laughing. After a really yummy dinner at The Cheesecake Factory, we said our goodbyes and headed north to Bakersfield. But we will definitely be stopping in again for another visit one of these days.

I enjoyed Susan's yard so much! She had so many pretty flowers and shrubs growing, and birds everywhere! There were finches and sparrows galore, hummingbirds zipping around, a pair of fussing mockingbirds that brought back memories of my sweet Tennessee, and this fellow, who had the feathered community up in a stir.

He is a male American Kestrel. Malcolm's uncle had found him struggling to get out of the swimming pool. No telling how he'd managed to take a dive, but Gary rescued him with the pool net and the little raptor spent the morning resting on the lawn chairs. When I got too close for comfort, he flew to the wire's running into the house, and that is where he stayed for the remainder of the day. He had a drooping wing, so he was obviously injured. The wildlife rescue organization that Susan called, said he most likely wouldn't make it if his wing was dropped like that, but there was nothing to be done, so we just let him rest in peace, while we admired him.


Thanks!

OK....had to sneak in one last peak at the baby. I knew what to name Sky right away, but his little sister has me stumped. Maybe I'll have a better idea once I've met her in person.