I'm wildly behind. We're halfway through July, and I'm trying to wrap my mind around recapping a couple mid-April Nevada City visits. The last few months have been bustling, which I love, but it's tricky finding in-between-times to write, and let's be real--writing even the silliest bit of nothing takes ages. As the weeks and months go by I get progressively more meh about recounting events that have for me lost some of their sharpness; I realize I'm somewhat obsessive about detail, and slackening memory makes me feel scattered and reluctant and only snowballs the delay. Plus I'm feeling generally verbally rusty and off-rhythm. But my bellyaching about The Trials and Tribulations of The Writing Process is entertaining to no one, least of all me, and I'm hell-bent of preserving via le bloggity some these past months' funtimes, even if it's more picture-y than wordy. I'm up in NC now, hiding from the heat while Romz and his pops get some late-in-the day work done on the porch.
Back to avril: we drove up on a Monday morning, with the plan that we'd hang out a couple days, then I'd take the train back bum-crack Wednesday. I'd work-week in Oakland while Rama remained to porch-project with his dad, then would return by train Sunday evening to spend another couple days before we rolled back down to Oakland together the following Wednesday. And so it was.
El lunes Rama and I lunched at Tacubaya in Berkeley, and, because Fourth Street, I bought myself a very pleasing, reasonably-priced white tunic top at Anthro. After arriving in NC a couple hours later we hit up SPD for some dinner groceries, then the quiche boutique store Kitkitdizzi to shit and gig me further. I bought a mildly pricey (under a hundo) vintage necklace, a long and thick brick-like chain colored between yellow and rose gold which can be wrapped around the neck between one and three times at varying lengths--kind of simple, kind of blang-y. Reallly nice with my new tunic.
Then to the prop, which we walked with Richard so he could show us the healthy swath of overgrowth he'd recently cleared.
Similar to the Point Reyes "Elegant Cat's Ear"--another calochortus, not the elegans but the monophyllus I think.
While the Geroux men talked shop I went and picked some of the "leaf bones" of the previous years wyethia mollis, which are very silvery and intricate and lovely I think.
Not a great pic, but I'm wearing the necklace!
The leaf bones.
I can't remember what we did that evening, or what we ate for dinner, but it looks like we brekked on eggs next morning!
Then it was time to burn one down!
Unlike my previous and first burn-pile, this significantly dryer one of manzanita and buckbrush burned in a blink.
Post-pile Ramz and I rolled into town to buy some puff pastry for our din-plan of chicken (and a veggie) pot-pies, and after paused to snap a few shots of the dogwoods in their glory.
I matched in my new top.
Another uggo shot I feel compelled to include because of my New Necklace. Sigh--I do love new garments and other adornments.
Dinner was a success.
V is for vagitarian.
The next morn I took that early-ass train back to Emeryville and made the happy discovery that it's a ridick doable walk from the station to mi casa. I don't remember too much of my time at home. I do know that on my Friday off I walked a lot in the rain which I love, and also bought a pair of refreshingly affordable, Urban Outfitters ultra-high-waisted black jeans which are comfortably above the muffin, and breathe new life into lots of weird old shirts. I want a dark denim pair too in time.
Come Sunday evening I was so thrilled at the prospect of seeing La Rama, but savored my beloved TGIF train time, snacking on some (truthfully weird) fresh rolls from Summer Summer, listening to music, and trying to get a little writing done while also enjoying my unique perspective on the passing landscape. Toward the end of the ride we went through some kind of partial tunnel that created a strobe-y Willa Wonka-esque effect. I made a super-short video, vertically-framed which Rama always no-nos me about. Whoops. (Also don't know what those purple lights were at the end.)
But then my train travel got less idyllic. Something was blocking the tracks a little ways up, and we were stuck waiting in Rocklin. It was after dark, and there were very few passengers left on the train. After a while the conductor, a nice woman, asked if my pick-up could go to Rocklin instead. I called Ramz who was sitting in his car at the Auburn station. He said he'd head over. A little while later the conductor informed me the tracks had been cleared and the train was able to proceed. She was looking out for me and wanted to make sure my ride had arrived. I called Rama and was panicked to learn he'd had a glitchy phone-map and had gone the opposite way, but was heading to Rocklin now. The woman asked if I was sure I was comfortable waiting alone at the dark station. I said I was (I wasn't--and her clear concern about it did nothing to allay my native fears), and so I exited the train and watched the door close on the conductor's worried face. I perched tensed on the edge of a bench outside the locked station trying to be a human watchtower. Thank goodness Rama arrived within a couple minutes--I was beyond happy to see him on many levels.
We visited the river the next day, though not to swim; it too cold and swollen with the snow-melt to be pleasant or safe. But boy-o was it pretty. So here are a bunch of pictures:
Lots of blowing clouds and rapidly changing light.
I love our selfie fails.
And here are some film pics from the Nikon Richard very kindly gifted me, which Rama was mostly wielding:
Then back to the casa, with some lovely heuchera from the river.
We headed outside, and I stalked Pappy.
Richard and Rama went to assess their proper property line (right now there's a whole patch of meadow their neighbors have on their side of the fence), and I played horse-ball with the P-Man.
Rama did a little poking around in the nursery, and then he and Richard got down to it on clearing some more manzanita, buckbrush, and deadwood. I wandered around picking flowers,
then sorted them out on the ever-pleasing white counter-tops to make a couple bouquets, one for Richard, one for Oakland.
The glorious globe lily.
I love these grasses.
Richard called it a day and came in to shower and pray away the poison oak. I went out to say howdy to Romz, who was still at it hacking down manzanita.
Poundy and I chilled a little by the pond.
Ram finished up and also went in to shower, and then we ambled around to take in the day's considerable progress, Rama with Poundo's beloved horse ball in hand.
Rama
What Rama calls a "bully game"--the breed, not the brute.
And then in for a little pre-dinner nap.
The next morning we woke up on the earlier side to brekkie and pack it on out back to O-town.
One of the bouquets.
We did up some huevos rancheros--gross-looking, great-tasting.
I didn't have too much of my usual "post-vacation" ennui. There was an Anthro package on my bed when we walked in--my birthday dress from my Ma. And Rama made us a magnificent "pear & parsnip" 'za for dinner (no hedgehogs but still damn fine).
The next day I asked Maddy to take a few pictures of me in my new dress with the bouquet I'd made (in front of my favorite wall).
But they were waaay too bride-y. So I held a maine coon instead.
This is the picture that made me realize I need to learn how to properly part my hair when I pull it back.
I crave the get-away, but I do (after the initial ennui) love to be at home as well (even when I walk into a much less tidy domicile than the one I walked out on). It really is, as they say, "all about balance," something I feel the truth in more and more. And it's always nicer to be domestic for a few days when you have your next R-U-N-N O-F-Ting all lined up.