Yes!

I won! I won!!  Amazing.  Those of you who rode along with me in the MoHo on the Coast 101 Quilt Run (my very first such experience), and wished me well, are in for some thank you’s.  I won a third prize gift certificate for $50 to spend at will at the sweet little quilt shop in Brookings.  I am happy to say that this was one of my favorite stores of the 14 that  I visited.  I had given up on winning anything except receipts for all the fabric I bought when this little card showed up in the mail yesterday.  Needless to say, I am tickled and already imagining and remembering all those gorgeous fabrics and the great ladies I met in the shop last month.

Lucky me, since we are heading back to Brookings on Sunday morning, and I told Mo that we would have to wait until store opening time on Monday before we travel south to California.  Once again we are going south, looking for sunshine and warmth.  According to the predictions, however, it might be warmer than Rocky Point but probably not much sunnier.  A big storm is dampening the west right now, and it spreads far and wide.

Our plans have shifted back and forth several times, with thoughts of traveling far enough south to the Carizzo Plain to see the amazing wildflower show.  The image on the right is from the internet (I have no idea who to acknowledge here), but it is one I have seen repeatedly when searching for wildflower blooming times in the California springtime.  The Carizzo Plain and the Tremblor Mountains straddle the San Andreas Fault and are a long way from anywhere southeast of Paso Robles and southwest of Bakersfield.

I plugged the plan into Streets and Trips, counted the days, looked at the weather, and looked at the lack of rain and rethought the plan.  Wildflowers on the plain are an ephemeral thing, totally dependent on the timing of rainfall, and this year there has been very little.  Rumor has it there isn’t much blooming  yet. The Carizzo Plain will have to wait for another year. Of course, now that we have ten days to get away, it is raining.  Of course. 

Gas prices being what they are, and timing being what it is, I decided instead that it might be time to go see Pinnacles National Monument.  Merikay was there recently and took some great photos.  Mo was there many years ago when she lived near Half Moon Bay, but I have never seen it.  Several friends from soil survey have been involved in the soil mapping there as well.  I have read papers, and seen the results of research and study, but now I just want to walk and explore and experience what it has to offer. 

Being a national monument, we knew that Abby couldn’t go on the trails, so planned for a doggie day care in nearby Gilroy for the two days we plan to stay in the park.  The day care seems rather amazing, with no cages, just lots of beds and toys and other friendly dogs in a big doggie park kind of environment. 

Last week I wasn’t working, but of course Mo and I had some big projects waiting for a non-working, non-traveling week.  We finished the painting project started last year at this time and completed our office, and mud room and back entry halls.

In the early mornings I worked on the baby blanket I am knitting for Mo’s new grand niece born just after her birthday and took one long afternoon to pull out the sewing machine.  When Maryruth and I had our girls weekend last fall, we bought fabric and patterns at the quilt shop in Chico, but of course Maryruth doesn’t quilt.  I am making this diamond lattice table runner for her. As simple as it looks, it still is a bit of a challenge for me as a newbie, but I am having so much fun with it.  It amazes me how all these little puzzle pieces actually turn into something.

This week was a working week for me again, and Mo managed to finish painting her entire big bathroom while I plunked away on the computer.  It is Friday!!  I shut down NASIS for the last time this evening and won’t look at it again for ten days.  Poured myself a glass of wine and took a deep breath.  Tomorrow we will brave whatever the weather gods have in store for us over the Highway 140 pass to go to Medford for the day.  Our destination: the annual Cheese Festival at the Rogue Creamery and of course an opportunistic Costo Run as well.  Gotta stock up for our Sunday exit to sunny…er…rainy California.