Tuesday, October 11, 2011

BACKTRACK TO MENDOCINO-AND SHORT SHEETED

I’ve become accustomed to people referring to our travels as a trip. Since we live on the road for long periods of time to us, it  seems more a journey than a trip. Probably a meaningless distinction to other than road warriors such as we. Getting ready to leave on any “trip” is a major undertaking and I’ve found that returning home is the same thing. Stuff to unload, and re-orient myself to my “other” kitchen, dresser, and where is my…?  Oh, THAT is in the motorhome…and so on.  But, one thing is certain, there is always a surprise waiting for us when we return to Murphys.
On my table was a singing birthday card, tomatoes from sister Karen’s garden, a funny pumpkin,  a bottle of homemade salsa and canned pie apples made by neighbor Jan from my apple trees.  I smiled, knowing, if Jan is afoot, with even a hint of Halloween, something is bound to happen. We went to climb  wearily into bed and.. aha!!   The bed was short-sheeted. I had always heard of short sheeting someone, but didn’t really know what it was.  After fixing the bed,  I went to sleep with a hearty chuckle, and woke minutes later to a ringing phone. How did she know we’d hit the sack so early?  Jan and I shared a good laugh over the phone. She is such a treat to have as a neighbor. Now, I’ve gotta get her back. (This little tit for tat has been going on for years.)

But, I’ve neglected the course of events as we left Fort Bragg and skipped a few short miles south to Mendocino. Even though I dove in these waters, Fort Ross, Pt. Arena in the late 1950′s, I had never hobnobbed about  the town itself.  We started at the Mendocino headlands, Jim particularly looking for telltale signs of the places where The Russians Are Coming was filmed. I was much more interested in a scuba diver just getting outfitted for a dive on the narrow beach below us.
The town’s people are friendly, laid back. I knew it was so. In fact, most of the shops here, including the visitor’s center, don’t open until 11:00 a.m.

One of two medical marijuana shops in town and a medical marijuana users patients rights union. And, they need a union. I did a rant awhile back about the Dr. Rosado, in Calaveras County,  who refused people treatment who had used marijuana legally.  The first article I read in my hometown paper on Monday past was the resignation of  Dr. Rafael Rosado, the medical director of five family medical centers associated with Mark Twain Hospital.  I’m glad he is practicing elsewhere.

Since the stores weren’t open, it was a lively scene around Moody’s Coffee shop and internet cafe. Soccer moms, with strollers and kids, meeting for a cuppa at the sidewalk tables outside. I had a delicious almond pastry with cappuccino. Loved their sign:

What I didn’t know about Mendocino was how artsy it is. And, I needed an art fix. Jim kind of groans a bit when I get in the arts mood, ’cause I gotta have my fix. At Prentice Gallery, luscious flower paintings, and the exciting work of Hillary Eddy who is especially talented in her portrayal  glass.
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They are stunning.

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This Edward Gordon piece looks like a sunny corner of the gallery instead of a painting.

ACM,  Artists Cooperative  Mendocino,  I discovered quality ceramics by Lynne Butler.

Their  theme of Celebrating Botany,  a number of artists featured botanicals, along with jewelry makers and water colorists. Nice show above the Oceans of Quilts store. I was disappointed in the quilts, though beautiful, they are mechanical with the new techniques. They could have been made in a factory.

The shop The Great Put On featuring wearable art I had planned to skip because it was advertised as a place to buy your travel clothes. Huh! This was fantastic, high quality wearable art and I found wonderful stuff in this shop. It may be kitschy for some people, but if you like this sort of stuff, it is thee place to go outside of San Francisco.
There was much to see and do here and I may get to more of it tomorrow, but we  settled into a back street deli and enjoyed a beer and a spinach puff and samosa for me and a sandwich for Jim. I caught my reflection in his sunglasses. Yes, it was a sunny, fun-filled day.

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