"Poppies.....Poppies...Poppies will put them to sleep!"

 Went out hiking to Garland Ranch this last weekend.  A few shots..the wild flowers are in full bloom.

Greysen doing his best Toto impersonation

Happy Dogs in the Lupin

Izze in The Pastures of Heaven

Sorry not much blogging...lots going on.  Upheaval and changes in my life.  Trying to find a new normal and awaiting to hear what additional changes are in my future.  Just putting it out to the universe..I need certain employment that comes with financial stability and a comfortable place to live.  If anyone wants to send prayers or good energy my way I would appreciate it.  I will eventually share..in the meantime beach walks and time with the dogs is healing.

Merry Christmas

Our annual Christmas sojourn to the beach took place on Sunday.  As you can see it was windy and rainy...but we love the beach.  Even a bad beach day is a good one!  Merry Christmas to all!

Pirates Ye Be Warned

So on Sunday Thing 2 and I went sailing on The Lady Washington a 2 masted Brig who was featured in The Pirates of the Caribbean Curse of the Black Pearl as the HMS Interceptor,  What an AMAZING experience!!  A 3 hour tour and you are more than welcome to help the crew sweat the lines and rig the sails.  The ship is based out of Aberdeen WA and sails up and down the west coast doing hands on educational programs.  Crewed mostly by volunteers...Thing 2 thinks he might want to give their program a try.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Jamie Oliver's Milk Braised Chicken

Chicken as it goes in the oven

Chicken out of the oven

Hmmmm was this Yummy!!!  Easy...lovely comfort food.  Next time I would use less sage.  But Thing 2 and even my Mother just loved it.   I served it with roasted red potatoes and broccolini.

Recipe found here:  http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chicken-recipes/chicken-in-milk

Dessert was cupcakes from The Buttery in Santa Cruz.

Cairns go Psycho!!!! Hitchcock style!

Old McCray Hotel...now Sunshine  Villa

On Saturday we went to Sunshine Villa with MBDTC to give a training demo to the residents.  Sunshine Villa is a retirement home.....but originally belonged to the Kittredge Family and then latter became the McCray Hotel...which stood abandoned and derelict for many years.  Used as a drug house and rumored to have been used by Satanists for their rituals...it supposedly was an inspiration for the Bates Family home in the movie Psycho.  Can't say if this is true..but it sure looks the part.  Also Hitchcock's family had a home in nearby Scots Valley and he lived in Carmel...so it is possible he saw the house.  In the 1980's it was restored to a B&B and the proprietors son says he saw ghosts there.  The staff at the retirement home also say they have experienced  unexplained phenomena and cold spots.  No ghosties for us though!  Just a fun demo!

Very much alive Sunshine Villa residents!

Greysen

Izze

MBDTC Dogs!

Psycho Cairns on the "Bates" front porch

Mrs. Bates is that you?

Just a bit of trivia....Alfred Hitchcock was a terrier man himself.  Although his favored breed was the Sealyham Terrier.  Guess he couldn't get them all right.   You can see Hitchcock's Sealyhams in his cameo in "The Birds", which was also inspired by an event that occurred in Santa Cruz.  

PS Maybe we did see a Ghost.  My friend thinks she see's a women looking out at the Cairns on the porch....Hmmm  Creepy!

War Horse

Thing 2 & I went up to The City to see War Horse at the Curran.  AMAZING!  The staging and the horse puppets were breath taking.  Well acted!  Story a bit simple ...but it did not need to be complicated  Ending was well pat; but, this is a show based upon a child's picture book that depicts the horrors of war and such an ending is fitting.  I can totally see why it won a Tony Award.

Meet me under the Clock at the St. Francis

Union Square

Cable Car

Golden Gate

Alcatraz

We also visited the Walt Disney Family History Museum.  Very lovely museum that provides some insight into Disney's background and personal life.  We did not plan nearly enough time here.  So will be back.  Photos only allowed in the lobby areas....so unfortunately none of the scale model of Disneyland.

Mary Blair inspired floor....love it!