A Snowy Departure

This morning we woke to slate grey skies and sodden ground. During the night I woke a few times and listened to the wind howl outside our window and whistle in the stove pipe of our bedroom wood stove. Sedona whimpered on her bed when the thunder crashed and then we drifted back to sleep. While Brett and I were doing the morning chores, it started to rain and then to sleet. Back in the house for breakfast, the sleet turned to snow. Sloppy, wet flakes at first.




While we packed our suitcases and loaded the car, the sloppy snow got drier and thicker. It started sticking to the ground. We were torn. Part of us was anxious to get on the road and start the long drive up the coast to my parents' house; the other part wanted to stay home and play in the snow.

We picked up Camille at her father's house and headed out of LA. We drove through rain, hail and intermittent dry spots. After stopping to buy cheese at a little market we love in Los Olivos, then for coffee in Santa Maria, we arrived in Baywood Park. We celebrate my father's 80th birthday tomorrow. Brett and I are staying in a little inn a couple blocks away from my parents' house. Kyle and Camille are rolling out their sleeping bags at Grandma and Grandpa's house with their cousins. My sister is doing the same. Brett and I aren't comfortable sleeping on the floor -- our bones hurt -- so we are roughing it with a bed and this view of the bay out of our room.




My sister's husband and their oldest son will come tomorrow morning. My brother and his family arrive either late tonight or tomorrow morning from San Diego. I'll try to remember to take pictures at the party tomorrow.

Tonight, the nine of us that were in town went to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. My dad ordered the deep fried talapia -- a huge fish, fried whole. The outside is crunchy, crispy and the meat is moist and tender. He passed forkfulls around the table.




Tomorrow we party.

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