Rick's coming home!

I'm picking up Rick from the airport in the evening on 12/12. I'm very excited for him to be here, and if Weezie knew what was going on, I'm sure she'd be exstatic as well. I've told her several times that 'Daddy' is coming home, but I don't think she quite gets it. I've cleaned the house and made sure I left a few groceries in the fridge for when he gets here. I just wanted you all to know that he's going to be here very, very soon (or is already here—depending on when you're reading this).
The North Coast weather has been pleasant lately. It's in the mid-50s most days, but gets pretty chilly at night. In the 30s or so. A couple weekends ago we had a pretty big wind and rain storm. The tree in front of the house across the street is still lying in the yard. It's a vacation home, so I wonder if the owners even know about it.
I don't know how much I'll be able to write before the new year, things at work are REALLY looking busy for the next couple of weeks. I'll even be working on Christmas Eve and Christmas... Oh, well. Just know that I'll be happy anyway because Rick will be here.

A happy Thanksgiving

Well, I did it. I hosted my very first Thanksgiving dinner. With the assistance of two of my female co-workers, we put together a meal complete with bird, homemade stuffing and gravy and several other yummy side dishes and hot spiced cider. We even stayed up until 2 a.m. the night before making pies. Thursday morning I got up and figured out how to roast the turkey...it was easier than I thought. People arrived at my house for dinner at about 1 p.m. There were six of us, all from the newsroom and all from the Midwest—except one who is from Hawaii.
We had a really great time, but the one thing missing was, of course, Rick. I missed him. But he'll be so impressed with my newly acquired turkey-making skills, I'm sure. He's scheduled to be here on Dec. 12, which is coming up quickly. I can hardly wait!
Initially I had been dreading this Thanksgiving, since I thought I'd probably be home alone, just petting the cat. But it turned out to be a really fun, festive day spent with new friends. And for that I'm thankful.

Oil spill

Just in case people were wondering, the oil spilled in the San Francisco Bay is not expected to reach the shores of Del Norte County. Our environmental reporter looked into it, and her source said that at most, we may find a few oily birds that flocked north to escape the toxic waters, but that they will likely be resilient birds and will do okay.
The whole thing is such a tragedy, and especially now that I know what plethora of wildlife actually live by the sea, it's even sadder. All the pictures of oil-slick sea birds, both dead and alive, just make me feel sick to my stomach. Luckily, our fair shores of (really far) Northern California will stay beautiful (see below) and be a welcoming place for the many marine lives that make it their home.

God's secrets

I was just reading my sister Stephanie's blog post about meandering. Basically, it was about the lost childhood art of wandering and not being guilted by distractions, about enjoying the "journey." Anyway, that was a very simplistic summation of her blog entry, which was prompted by one of her friends' blog entries. So it's like a chain, because it in turn prompted this entry.
Since I moved to California, I've discovered that lost art of wandering and meandering and "doing nothing" in between my "doing somethings." Maybe it's the new environment or maybe it's living alone. Either way, I've learned to be able to just sit and watch stuff. The ocean, birds, trees, rocks, animals...anything!
At first it was hard. I got easily bored. But after about five minutes of sitting and watching the ocean, you really start to *notice* things. At first, it's all the big picture, but then your mind starts to focus on bits and pieces that are more interesting—like groups of birds, sea lions, new plants and flowers, wave patterns, noises, all sorts of things. You start to see things that aren't easily noticable. That's when I feel special that I've noticed them, like God shared a secret with me.
Sometimes I go out to watch the sunset. People come out every night to watch the sunsets along Pebble Beach Drive, which is along the coast and near my house. They are mostly elderly people though. I suppose people begin to remember how to wander, meander and enjoy the journey again when they get older. Hopefully some of us won't wait that long.
(The photo doesn't really have that much to do with my post, but I thought it was beautiful, and it's one of my favorite spots, just minutes from Crescent City.)

Odds and ends

Things are busy as usual in the newspaper business—especially with our short staffing situation. We recently hired three new reporters though, and they begin on Monday! I'm pretty excited, since our two current reporters are having a tough time keeping up with everything. We also have another candidate arriving for the editor's position. Of course, I'm psyched about that, since I'm having a tough time keeping up too. I'm dreaming of 8-hour workdays...
Rick is definitely planning to return to Crescent City when he's done with school in December, and we're looking forward to continuing our Wild West experience. That also means that people have to come and visit us, since we'll be here longer! My publisher is trying to convince me to convince Rick that he should work as an ad salesperson here at the newspaper. (She *really* wants to make sure he gets a job out here right away so I don't leave.) He'll do what he wants, but it's a viable option nonetheless.
Speaking of Rick, he got tested for allergies the other day, and found out that he is certainly allergic to cats. Poor Weezie can't help herself though—she'll always be a cat. We agreed that we can't get rid of her. She's an important member of the Rico family! Rick also found out he's allergic to all kinds of other things too, which explains his recent misery. Poor guy. He was perscribed some meds, and I'm happy to report that he's doing much better now.
No new updates on the fall season here. Weather has been pleasant. Some rain and gorgeous sunshine. I think whale-watching "season" begins this month. I'll have to break out the binoculars.

The changing season

I know it's been a while since I last wrote, but I've been busy with work and relaxing every chance I get. Fall weather is just starting to roll in, and the breezes off the ocean are stronger and more brisk than they were just a couple of weeks ago.
I was actually dreading fall, since it's my favorite time of year in Michigan. I love the leaves, the cool air, the sunshine and all the annual activities that go along with this time of year. I wasn't (and still am not) exactly sure what to expect from fall here on the North Coast.
One thing I've noticed just this week is the vibrancy of the sunsets. They really have kicked it up a notch! They are the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen—like an ever-changing Easter egg between 7 and 8 p.m. I haven't had the chance to really sit and observe the change in seabirds, but I'm looking forward to checking out any new activity...or lack of it.
This photo was captured shortly after the best part of the sunset, but it's still lovely. If I get a better one, I'll switch it out.

Filing a complaint

I can't be the only one who hates it when someone says, "You look tired." Unfortunately, I've been getting that more and more since I've been working longer hours. Just now, as I am ending my work day (which was shorter than usual, I might add) I was on the phone, and a woman said, "You sound tired." Gee, thanks. Maybe I just needed a drink of water or something. I don't feel that tired. Anyway...just a note: Don't tell someone they look tired unless you're trying to annoy them.

On another topic: Did anyone see the lunar eclipse the other night? It began at about 2 a.m. Tuesday morning here in California, so I guess it would have been pretty late/early Tuesday in Michigan. I stayed up to see the very beginning of it, but then I got really tired (and I probably even *looked* tired) and went to bed. I guess it was a sight to see though. The moon was incredibly bright that night. I pulled off to look at the ocean under that bright moonlight. Usually, the ocean and the sky above it is so dark (for obvious reasons), but not that night. It was a crystal clear, but I couldn't even see many stars because of the moon's brightness. It was cool.

Good times

After a whirlwind couple of weeks with my parents here to visit, I'm tired! We had a great time though, and a little tiredness is a small price to pay for a visit from the folks. Actually, I think I tired them out more than I tired myself out : ) We did *almost* everything on my long to-do list, and I think they had a good Northcoast experience.
Just a few of the highlights include: the ocean, redwoods, rivers, a jet boat tour of the Rogue River in Oregon, lighthouses, a picnic on a very scenic overlook, movies, games (Yahtzee and No-peek), sunsets, tidepooling, hikes, the Yurok Tribe's Klamath Salmon Festival, the harbor, seabird-watching, sea lions, a spectacular meteor shower, seafood, stone skipping on the Smith River, Trees of Mystery...and so on...
The photo is us at our picnic on the scenic overlook. I was on my lunch break from work, hence the work clothes.

Toes in the Sand

It's nice to be able to go to the beach any time I want to. This day, I kept seeing sea lions bobbing along near the beach. They would pop their heads up, look at me (and other people on the beach) and then dip back under the water before popping up again. Very cute!

Redwood Hostel

Saturday was my first experience with a hostel—The Redwood Hostel. It's located south of Crescent City about a half-hour away. The building is a historical place, and was celebrating its 100th birthday, while the business was celebrating 20 years as a hostel. (Just in case you don't know what a hostel is, it's like a dorm/hotel for travelers. A bed costs about $20 per night, but you will likely share your room with other people unless you get a family room or something. It's sort of communal living, with a shared bathroom, kitchen, dining room and living room area).
So anyway, The Triplicate did a story on the landmark event, and our photographer booked a gig for his band while he was out there getting photos. So several of us from the newspaper took a trip to the hostel! It was really neat—there were people from all over the country staying there, and some people from out of the country. The building, right on Hwy. 101, is nestled into the side of a hill, all surrounded by vegetation, and it overlooks the ocean and a small beach. It really is picturesque.
There was one older man there whose ancestor was the original owner of the property, and he had a lot of whopping stories to tell about his family and different things that happened around Crescent City. He's still upset at the government for taking his family's home though. The hostel, before it was a hostel, was swallowed up by the National Park Service when they created Redwood National Park. It sat in disrepair for some time before they renovated it (though it still has an "old" feel) and began running it as a youth hostel.
It was a great experience to be there and meet so many different kinds of people.

Life update

For those of you who don't know yet, Rick is back in Michigan, and he just started working at Allstate, selling health insurance. He'll start his last class in August, and then he'll finally be a college grad! Yeah! We're sad to be apart, but we talk every day (several times a day). Once he finishes with school, we'll make the decision of where to live (California or Michigan) depending on his job status. We'd like to start a family while we're still young! : )
I'm livin' la vida sola, but am suddenly very busy with work, as my boss (editor) was just fired last week. That makes me in charge of the newsroom for the time being (interim editor!). It's stressful, but possible.
I'm looking forward to my parents' visit in August. I've made a laundry list of things for us to do. I hope they're ready to be kept busy (except while I'm at work - then they're on their own). Just FYI: The next post is new too. I guess I was feeling ambitious today.

Boy Scout Trail

Those Boy Scouts sure know how to pick a trail through the woods. Last weekend, I went on a long(ish) hike with a co-worker (Hilary) and another co-worker's (Cornelia's) husband. Cornelia has trouble walking, but her husband likes to hike now and then, so Hilary and I invited him to come with us. The three of us chose the Boy Scout Trail, which winds through old growth redwoods just east of Crescent City. The map says there is a Boy Scout tree somewhere along the way, so we were keeping our eyes peeled for it. We got to the end of the trail, which is a little waterfall, and we never saw the tree. But on our way back to the trailhead, we noticed a little path that led away from the main path. We just thought it went nowhere, but as we passed it, we noticed a very large tree that could probably be gotten to by taking that little side trail. So we doubled back and took the side trail to this very large tree, and lo-and-behold, it was the Boy Scout tree! It was the largest redwood tree I've ever seen. We sat down on a little nature-made bench to rest for a few minutes and look at the tree. The moss that was growing on it was an amazing shade of green. So fresh and bright - almost neon. All the greens in the forest are that color. The newer ferns on the forest floor are a shade of green that seems almost fake. It was a good hike, but my muscles were complaining loud and clear for the next few days. (The sign on the tree says "BOY SCOUT TREE")

Mingling with the masses

Last week was Crescent City's Street Fair, which basically consists of stores open later with specials, giveaways and special activities for kids. I volunteered to sit out front of the Daily Triplicate office and hand out free packets of wildflower seeds and free papers and maps. My publisher, Michele, came out and snapped this shot of me waiting for folks to walk by. People did come by, this was just during a lull. It was a fine day with sunshine and a pleasant breeze. When I was finished with my task outside, I was hustled back to my little desk and computer in the back, windowless room. (It's not as bad as I make it sound...usually).

Call of the Wild

Rick and I are animal lovers, as many of you know, and we had a couple of exciting animal encounters recently. The first is shown in the photo. We woke up early the other morning (a rare occurance since I work late nights) and I looked out the back sliding glass doors as I do every day when I get up. I was surprised to see a young buck next to our fruit tree just munching away at the lower branches. We were thrilled that he chose our little backyard for his breakfast, but we were also curious as to where he came from and where he would eventually go when he was finished. We live in a residential area, and land-bound wildlife would have to travel several blocks to get back to nature. (On the other side of the guard rail in the background of the photo is ocean) Anyway, we don't know what happened to him, but I assume he got back to the "wild." No signs of him otherwise.

The second animal story has to do with our cat, Weezie. It's sort of weird. Rick and I ran an experiment with Weezie. About three times during the past week or two, Rick and I would sing the Mickey Mouse song while laying in bed (at night before we went to sleep) to see if Weezie would come to us. She didn't come when we called to her. I don't know why the Mickey Mouse song was chosen, but it was Rick's choice, probably because he could harmonize in it. (Those are his favorite kinds of songs to sing). So anyway, we would be laying in bed, and call to Weezie, but she wouldn't come. So we would start singing:
M-I-C-K-E-Y, M-O-U-S-E.
Micky Mouse, Mickey Mouse...
...and so on. We always sang the slower, end-of-the-show version. Every time, she would jump onto the bed before we were done with the first Mickey Mouses.
Our conclusion? Weezie's favorite song is the Mickey Mouse song. Makes sense right? Cats like mice. But what's even better is that she only likes it when we sing it. We were like proud parents.

Yard tour

Here are all the loveliest natural features of our yard, front and back. Since there are several photos included here, I'll number them...
1. This big beautiful white flower is also very common around here.
2. We have a fruit tree in the back yard. But we don't know what kind of fruit it is! The tree was in full bloom about a month ago, and now the fruit is starting to grow.
3. This is the rose bush right outside our bathroom window. It's just about ready to bloom!
4. This is the tree in our backyard that is covered with hanging moss.
5. This is a lawn duck that I got from my Grandma Freed's house before she moved. It's happy here, and gets a lot of rain.
6. We have a rhododendron that Susan (Rick's mom) planted in front of our house. The rhododendrons around here are gigantic. Not only are they beautiful, but they've attracted the ants OUT of the kitchen. Susan said she thought they might leave the kitchen if they had a flowering bush out front to preoccupy them. She was right!

A good day

Rick and I went to Battery Point Lighthouse on Thursday morning. Since it was low tide, we could just stroll on out. At high tide, the lighthouse is an island. Rick said he liked seeing the ocean at such a low tide level. It was pretty cool. Once the sun peeked out, you can see how the heat was evaporating the water from the low-tide beach. All that is under water at high tide. My favorite part of the excursion was the purple flowers at the lighthouse. They were everywhere, and they smelled soooo sweet! Just filling the air with a great floral fragrance. I also enjoyed the view of Crescent City from the lighthouse. I included a picture of part of the coastline where you can see part of town. We also stopped at the Marine Mammal Rescue Center, which is right on the way to the lighthouse. There was a group of baby sea lions there, and they were just talking and barking up a storm. They were very cute.
It was such a nice way to spend the morning! I was in a good mood the whole day.

U.S.S. Litter Box

Litter box or space shuttle? (My shoe is next to it for perspective)The other day, Rick and I were discussing the fact that Weezie needed a new litter box. Rick said he would take care of it. I knew he would, because he likes to shop for the cat. So yesterday, I came home from work, and Rick said, "I got the litter box, go look at it!"
I peeked into the little laundry "room" where we keep the litter box, and behold, there was the biggest, shiny, silver litter box I'd ever seen! Five cats could fit comfortably into that box.
Here's the thing...I wasn't surprised that Rick went to the store and came home with the largest, most impressive looking litter box. It's like a Tim Taylor, Home Improvement sort of thing.
The litter box is not an isolated incident. Rick will, 99 percent of the time, buy the most impressive looking thing at the store. It's okay though. Gotta love him! I know Weezie appreciates it.

Beachcombing

Here we are at last, checking out a sunset on Pebble Beach.












Rick and his mom on Mother's Day.











We went to the beach one evening to check out the sunset and do a little beachcombing. Susan found a lot of pretty stones and some shells to take home with her, and Rick found a hiking stick among the piles of driftwood. I just took pictures and helped them look : )

Reunited

Rick and his mom, Susan, arrived on Sunday! Yeah! I was very glad to see them. Rick pulled a usual stunt and called me at about 8 p.m. to tell me that they were about two hours away. Right after I hung up, he knocked on the door! Those of you who know Rick know that's definitly HIM. It was a great suprise though.
On Monday, Susan took Rick and I to pick out a bed (our waterbed mattress sprung a leak before we even got here). She went above and beyond, and bought us some beautiful bedroom furniture. Rick and I have some great moms! (Dads too, but Father's Day isn't until next month)
Unfortunately, I've been overly busy with work this week because my boss is going on vacation for a week beginning Monday (May 14). That means that next week I'll be extremely busy with extra hours too. I really would rather hang out with Rick. He's been busily looking for a job, but has been slowed down some with a nasty ear ache/infection.
Well, I hope to post a photo of Rick and I out here just as soon as I can pin my husband down for a photo.

Tall Ships

The Tall-Masted Ships were here this week.This ship is the Hawaiian Chieftain. It's not the movie star ship, because that one came into the harbor second, and it started raining before it got close enough for me to get a good photo. If anyone wants to see photos on the Lady Washington, our photographer was aboard it for a couple of days and got some really neat shots. You can see his photos at http://www.triplicate.com/ladywashington/index.htm, or click on the title of this post (Tall Ships) and it should take you right to that site.
The day the ships came is was a cool and on-and-off rainy day. But now that it is the weekend, the weather is superb and the ocean is turquoise and blue, and it is so neat to look out, just outside the harbor, and see the ships sailing around. They are taking people on "cruises". This last photo, although you can barely see the ships off to the right of the lighthouse, is the view I was talking about.

Welcome home

This is what awaits me every day when I arrive home from work. What does this posture mean? I think she's happy to see me. Weezie has been behaving very well for being left home much of the day during the week. I make sure to play with her when I get home though. If this picture of Weezie didn't make you smile, I don't know what will.
—Laura

Point Saint George

I don't want to start posting too many "nature" photos, but this is the most exciting thing I did on Saturday.
I found this hiking trail that went to the ocean, it was north of town, and it was pretty cool because the waves were larger, and there was no one else around. It's a strange feeling standing next to the ocean without another soul in sight. I swear I could even see the Point St. George Lighthouse in the distance. That lighthouse is eight miles off the coast, and is a bit of a mystery to me—sort of haunting. It was built on a reef that proved pretty treacherous. It caused one of the deadliest shipwrecks to date in 1865 when the Brother Jonathan crashed there. When the lighthouse was built, many men died. It was one of the least sought after assignments for lighthouse keepers. Five keepers died out there, and others suffered mentally. One could see why, since when really fierce storms came through, sometimes waves would reach the 70-foot tall caisson, sending water over top of the lighthouse. (I don't know about you, but that would scare me to death) The lighthouse ceased to operate in 1975, and apparently, nobody has been to that lighthouse in quite a while because of the marine life living out there now.
Well, everyone, that was the Northern California history mini-lesson for the week. Next time, I hope to have something more interesting to write...and I should, because this week is the Tall-Masted Ships Celebration.
Tuesday afternoon two replicas of old ships will be sailing into Crescent City Harbor and staying until Sunday. One of the ships, the Lady Washington, is a movie star. She was featured in "Pirates of the Caribbean" as the Interceptor, and she was also in the movie "Star Trek: Generations" in a holodeck program. The captain of the ship was an adviser for "Pirates" and a double for Orlando Bloom. I'm pretty excited to experience the whole thing!
—Laura

Crescent City Sunset

I grabbed this photo on my way back to work tonight after taking my dinner break. This view is about a block from our house. In the photo, it's high tide. At low tide, you can walk right out to that large stack (rock) in the foreground. The furthest one is called Castle Rock, and it's home to the second largest seabird colony in California. If you check it out earlier in the day, you can see several species of sea lion lounging in front of the rock. Nobody is even allowed close to Castle Rock because of its fragile ecosystem. It's a beauty from the coast nonetheless.
—Laura

Second thoughts (no, not that kind)

Okay, this was NOT my first post, but I did something wrong and lost my original entry. GRRRRR. I can't re-write everything, so I guess the world will never know my first thoughts...sigh...
Here are my *second* thoughts:
The other day, I received my very first care package. It was from Courtney and Marnie (my cousins) and their husbands. I was leaving the house to return to work from my dinner break, and I got so excited when I spotted the box there on my porch that I locked myself out of the house.
Needless to say, I was a little panicked. I walked all around my house, trying to break in. I guess it's good that I wasn't able get in. At least the house is somewhat secure. Then I called Rick (I had my cellphone). He laughed. Very funny, I'm sure.
He gave me the number of our landlady. I called her, but she wasn't home. Fortunately, I had the cell phone number of the landlord, and he answered after many, many rings. He was just a couple houses away, painting, so he came right over and let me in. Whew! That was a close call. I didn't even have the phone number to the Triplicate (work) so I could call and tell them that I was, in fact, coming back that night.
Ah, well. It was all okay, because in the end...I had a package! It was filled with goodies like Sour Patch Kids, Whoppers, Chex Mix, hot chocolate packets and Creme Savers. Yummy! Nothing makes you feel better than a box of junk food.
All's well that ends well...

PS-Rick will be here in about a week and a half! Yeah!
—Laura