The Journey Continues - Part 2

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Travels With Dex

Leg 2

Theme of the Day: B to BS.

I had a quiet early morning with a cup or two of coffee working on an editing project I’m engaged in until Frank and Connie got up. Then we chatted, Frank made me some oatmeal, I gathered up my stuff that I had scattered all over their house, and sadly said goodbye to two of the most wonderful people you’ll ever meet.

That’s the “B” in The Theme of the Day – Bakersfield.

Drove up the 5, then West across the 46 to Cambria, then up the Coast to Big Sur. That's the “BS” - Big Sur.

The drive was uneventful. I'm listening to a great audio book so the time passed quickly.

Te drive up old Highway 1 teetering along the coast is breathtakingly gorgeous. The problem is that when you’re driving a big fat RV you have to pay a lot more attention to the road than the scenery and you have to go about 20 MPH much of the way. Also, it was so stinkin’ foggy, the “view” was about 3 feet. So I won't try to describe it and I don't got no pictures of it, either. But I'm sure it's breathtakingly gorgeous if you can see it.

Arrived at Fernwood Campground and RV Park about 3:15 or so, got myself leveled and hooked up with water and electricity then took a short hike.

I’ll let the pictures do the talking about where my current home and office is. My words can’t describe where I am....the pics probably wont do it justice, either.

I have 2 problems here that I was sort of concerned about.

First, I barely get cell phone reception. It’s a bar’s worth and I only get connected with Roaming. So the connection isn’t that great. I may have to leave because most of my business is done via phone and this spot may not work for work.

Second, since my Internet connection is via a Sprint Wireless Broadband card, and the reception is so poor, I can’t get online from my spot up backed up to spittin' distance to the Big Sur River.

As to problem #2, the online brochure for this place advertised WiFi. And yes, they have it....but only up at the top of a giant hill by the convenience store and restaurant, i.e., in civilization. I’m going to hike up there in a second, so if you see this at all, assume the WiFi system works OK. If it does, then maybe I can stay here at least a couple of days and go get WiFi several times a day up at the top of the hill and make it work. We’ll see.

Enough from and about me for today. The following is better. Take a look at this:



In Carpinteria the lapping surf lullaby’d me to sleep. Here it will be the rippling of the river. And it is a a sweet, sweet sound. One that I haven't heard in way too many years.


October 15, 2007 - A Taste of Heaven

Those of you who are reading this who know me understand that I am anti-social and reclusive, right?

Last week, in the Santa Barbara area and in Bakersfield, visiting and chatting with old friends, sharing meals with real people, and working hard to at least hold up a little bit of my end of the conversation completely exhausted me. After a wonderful dinner (wonderful because it was one of the “doggy bag” meals that Connie fixed up for me – this one was a scrumptious sautéed in Olive Oil and Butter sliced turkey breast, potato, and broccoli feast -- it’s great, by the way when you’ve got people convinced you’re helpless because they love to take care of you and give you lots of good food and stuff) I was relaxing on the bed with a book (Potshot – a Spenser Crime Novel by Robert B. Parker – I love Spenser and Hawk) and I fell asleep. Not that unusual except....get this....it was 7:30. And didn’t get up until 5:30 this morning.

That socializing stuff can just plain wear you out.

I hiked up to the convenience store early this morning so I could get the WiFi connection and spent a couple of hours doing work stuff. I was working outside and it was about 45 or 50 I guess. Cool, clear, and beautiful.

Came back down to the Mobile Home Office and was delighted to discover that I was getting the WiFi signal down here. That’s a BIG help to me.

Finished up some stuff and took a break for a short hike around the area.

Here are some of the things I saw. These are in no particular order and are, for the most part, self-explanatory. I added a couple of explanations where I thought appropriate.

This one's just a reminder of where I'm situated.

You have to look closely, but this is my MotorHome looking at it from the other side of the river.

Random shots from my morning constitutional.

I tried to give you the feel of the height of the Redwoods in this shot. You can't really tell very ell from this pic, but it's hundreds of feet.

This takes an explanation for sure. I came across this small stand of 8 or 10 Redwoods. And right in the middle, there was one that was clearly burnt and it's stump or the remainder of it if it's too big to be a "stump" is only about 15 or 20 feet tall. It's the one in the middle with the hole burnt through it at the bottom right side. The interesting thing is that the other trees which, are only a couple of feet away in some cases, remain untouched by fire. How could the one in the middle get essentially burned down and the others weren't touched? The wonders of nature.

Same stand of trees from a little closer. Amazing.

That's it for now.

As you can see, I'm living in a little touch of heaven right now.

October 16, 2007 – Santa Cruz – Raining....

Yes. It’s true. I’m in Santa Cruz and it’s raining.

I know I didn’t give you any warning.

Last night, after I posted the day’s events, I was trying to talk on the phone, be on the Internet, etc. (work stuff, in other words), and my communications links were sort of intermittent and generally a bit frustrating.

So I made the decision as I was falling asleep to move on. The last thing I need is self imposed frustration.

But for the communications, I’d have stayed in Big Sur longer. It is truly magnificent and I’d have loved to just loaf around, hike, explore, and sit out in the woods.

Maybe another time.

The drive to Santa Cruz was uneventful. I would have stopped for some deep fried artichoke hearts – something I’ve never had nor even heard of before -- except I was already effectively past the place when I saw the sign. You can’t stop a big fat heavy Class A motor home going 60 on a dime. Not even on a quarter. I kept a sharp eye out for another deep fried artichoke heart joint and figured I’d find one since I was deep into artichoke growing country, but I didn’t see any more. Oh well.

Maybe another time.

The minute I got here, found my spot, leveled out, off loaded my motorcycle, and plugged in the electrical cord, it started raining and hasn’t stopped yet. I’ve got plenty of rain gear and could hook up the sewer line and water and drive my motorcycle to the market without getting totally saturated (all of which I would have done if it had not been raining), but I’m fine as is and it’s pretty cozy in here with the heater on, a good Internet connection, and a whole slew of bars on my cell phone.

So I’ll finish hooking up and do my other chores tomorrow.

I owe yet another thank you to Connie who, in the large doggy bag she gave me, included a couple of containers of some of her very special delicious home made soup. A big steamy bowl of Connie’s soup is about as good as any dinner you can get at even the biggest, fanciest, most expensive restaurants on earth. I, for one, wouldn’t trade the soup, the motor home, and being on the road for that fancy restaurnat. No contest.

October 17, 2007 – Santa Cruz - Day # 1.5

It rained all night and all morning. I stayed in until 1:00, then finished hooking up the MotorHomeOffice, bundled up, fired up the soaking wet Honda, and went to the market.

It’s called Nob Hill Foods and was the most user friendly, customer service oriented market I’ve ever been in anywhere in the country. 3 separate Baggers asked to help me take my groceries to the car. I don’t think I appear all THAT old and helpless (you’re free to disagree if you want). They just wanted to be helpful. They did it for everyone. And the Checker left her cash register to get me a free, giveaway local paper/guide. Didn’t suggest it and point me to it. She just left her cash register and went over and got it for me. Just to be helpful. The butcher and the produce guy were also uncommonly nice. It’s so different compared to what we’re used to. You better believe I'll do all my grocery shopping there as long as I'm here.

Other than that, I just had a lot of work stuff to do and got a lot of it done today. It was productive.

There is a lot to see and do in and around Santa Cruz and I’m going to try to make some time to do some tourist stuff...probably during the weekend.

No more rain in the forecast (for whatever good that might do). Remember, I’m here partly because there’s a tennis tournament at UC Santa Cruz starting Friday. Actually, I just looked at the draw and my first match is Saturday at 9:00 AM and if I win I have a second match Saturday at 1:30. There are no “Senior” divisions, so I’m entered in the 4.5’s. They don't normally schedule 2 senior singles matches the same day for fear of cardiac occlusion and stroke. No such rule in the NTRP divisions. I’ll probably play an 18 year old or, hopefully, two. I would be willing to bet a fair amount that I’ll be the oldest player in the whole tournament, let alone in my division.

I’m trying to find someone to hit with before my first round. I haven't hit since Saturday. No luck yet, although it’s been raining pretty consistently since I arrived so it's been doubly difficult.

I’ll try to get you some pics from around the area tomorrow.

October 19, 2007 – Santa Cruz – Tennis Draught, Chatty Chuck, Advice

Here are a couple of shots driving up Highway 1 from Big Sur. I apologize for the quality but I did these with one hand, through the window, while driving with the other hand, and never taking my eyes off the road lest my Motor Home become a Sunken Ship crashed on the rocks. Ah, the beauty of digital cameras.

Here’s a quick pic of my new digs here in Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz Ranch RV Park. It’s OK for a few days....basically a parking lot. There are a few trees around, but it isn’t Big Sur. No problem though, since it rained the first 24 hours I was here and I haven’t had time to do anything outside to speak of anyway. And the cell and Internet connections are great.


I did the following picture for those of you who think we don’t have Fall Colors in Southern California (well, I guess I might technically be in Northern California....or, perhaps, Central California, but you get the idea). OK, I admit it’s only one stinkin’ tree. But you gotta take your color where you can get it.

Tennis Draught

I’ve got a couple of tennis club people who claim they’re trying to hook me up with some tennis, but no luck yet. My first round in the tournament is tomorrow morning, so I probably have no hope of getting any practice in before my match.

But, in a last ditch effort, yesterday I took a spin to a park where I was advised there could be tennis players hanging out. There were some players playing and they told me I wouldn’t have much luck finding a pick up game around this area, but maybe try the high school.

So I went over to Scotts Valley High. No game for me, but they were having a girls varsity match. Boy, oh boy, oh boy did that bring back a 100 pound sack of memories. Good ones. Great ones.

I hung around for a little bit, chatted up a couple of parents (trying to see if I could find a player to hit with today – NOT to just be social), cornered both coaches to get their advice on finding a hit, and watched the first set of the # 1 singles match. Unless my memory is really bad (which, I admit it might be) these two girls wouldn’t have made the Harbor or CdM varsity teams in the years Vanessa and Chelsea were playing. You gotta remember that they played in an incredible time in Orange County when there was a plethora of great players. And, maybe I’m just prejudiced anyway.

So my tennis playing draught continues. By the way, this may be a good thing since I have an injured groin (it’s been sore since January and never quite heals before I strain it again) and some weird thing going on with my left hip. The hip thing happened the night I was playing Dennis (hi Dennis – hope you’re well) up in Santa Barbara. Having grown up with a play through the pain mentality, I’d have been playing rather than healing if I could have. But I expect the 1 week layoff my be the best thing I’ve done for myself in a while. We’ll see.

Chatty Chuck.

On my starboard side there are a man and woman in a Class C unit who I saw getting in and out of their car a couple of times since I've been here.

Yesterday when I came back from my tennis scouting trip, I was accosted by the next door man, Chuck, or, more aptly, Chatty Chuck.

Chatty Chuck is roughly my age, roughly my height, and roughly 2.5 times my weight. His stomach precedes him by about 3 feet. Every time I’ve seen him he’s been in filthy white shorts being pushed to their limit by his fat thighs and a white undershirt also stretched to the max to cover his massive belly. Know what I mean by “undershirt?” It’s not a tee shirt and not a wife beater, but that really thin undershirt material with really fight arms. You only see it in old movies I think. On Chatty Chuck, it’s a sight to behold, believe me.

So Chatty happens to be outside when I pull up. He immediately comes over, doesn’t introduce himself or say hi or anything, and the conversation went roughly like this:

“Oh, it’s a Honda I”ve been trying to figure out what it was I kind of thought it was an old Triumph It sort of has that look But you know you can put any tank on them and they can change appearance I never had a motorcycle but I always thought they’d be a lot of fun I don’t know how much longer I’ll be here My wife is a nurse and she gets these temporary contract jobs and we just go from place to place wherever she can work Oh my gosh look at this swelling in my arm I don’t know where this comes from but it seems to happen every time I dream about being a POW I think I better go get some cigarettes...”

That’s just a small sample. A very small sample. I said not one word. There were no punctuation marks or spaces in his diatribe in which to insert a word....not that I would have wanted to anyway. I avoided all eye contact and tried to keep moving, being as rude as I could force myself to be. But like all the Chatty's I've encountered, he was not in the least deterred and followed me around without a pause in his soliloquy.

So, when he said he needed cigarettes I figured he was going into his RV to get a cigarette, but, lo and behold, luckily, he got in his car to go get cigarettes so I high tailed it into my place and locked the door behind me. If I see the door to his RV opened, I stay inside. If I had a back door, I’d be using that until one of use leaves here.

Sometimes I feel like I’m a magnet for these guys. There’s only so much of this kind of thing that I can take.

Advice? Please.

There are a lot of things I could do here in my limited spare time over the weekend – touristy type things, but based on some input I’ve had, many tourista things that could be fun and/or interesting. Plus, other than visiting friends, a few tennis games, and one short hike in Big Sur, I haven’t done anything but work since leaving So. Cal. So some variety is in order.

So here are a few things, in no particular order, that I’m thinking about and I’d appreciate advice/input/thoughts/suggestions:

1. Ukelele Jam and Sing Along (Visiting Musicians Welcome) – If you know my recent Ukelele experiences, you’ll understand this....if not, it’s too long of a story to relate....but I’m seriously interested in this. It’s not a joke. I just don’t know how to carry my guitar on my motorcycle or if they allow anything except ukes.

2. Roaring Camp Railroads (Historical Village and Small Gauge Steam Trains into the Redwood Forest.

3. Roaring Camp Railroads – Moonlight Dinner Train - Moonlight chuck wagon bbq steak dinner, country music, country and line dancing, and train ride through a redwood forest lit by flashlight.

4. Historic Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk – Historical walking tour, multitude of restaurants, casino, amusements, and 1924 “Giant Dipper” rollercoaster.

5. Monterey Bay Aquarium

6. Santa Cruz Historic Wharf – includes surfing action at “Steamer Lane”

7.Cliff Walk including Historic Lighthouse Point and Surfing Museum – Also reportedly a great place for watching surfing at “Steamer Lane”

8. Harley Davidson Museum

Those are just a few ideas. I have only a limited amount of time over the weekend which will vary depending on my tennis results, so give me your thoughts, please. I want to pick the best of the best. Go to the “Comments” link at just under this entry, click on in, write your comment/suggestion, click the “Other” button, fill in your name (don’t worry about the URL thing) and you’re set and I’ll be grateful for the advice.


October 19, 2007 - Thanks for the Advice

Brian - Saw your comment and really appreciate it. I'll definitely head down to the local surf spot over the weekend.

Half Moon Bay is about an hour north on Highway 1. I'm going to Sonoma probably on Tuesday. The quickest/easiest route is through San Jose, San Francisco, etc.

But, I can certainly just mosey up Highway 1 and stop for coffee or lunch or something there. So, do you think there will still be big surf by Tuesday?

Tanks for responding. I can use all the help I can get. I'll get some pics if I can.


October 21, 2007 – Big Day Yesterday....Santa Cruz

It was a cold, crisp, crystal clear morning. I had my first round in the Slug Tournament (Slugs, believe it or not, are the Mascot/Team Name for UC Santa Cruz sports teams – I have no idea why, but I’m sure you can Google it if you want. Maybe someone will educate us all in a Comment).

Had a great first round match with Juan.

Here’s Juan.
This is after our match. Notice he's not sweating. I was. Know why he’s smiling? You guessed it. He’s young, he’s fast, and he beat me in a 2 ½ hour match, third set tie break.

But what more could you ask for? Great match. Great guy. Fierce competition. Ton of fun. Heart’s working fine. And, a joy to be able to be out there competing hard on such a beautiful day.

UC Santa Cruz may be my favorite college campus. It is literally in the forest. It’s tiered up a hill and when you get to the higher elevations and in a clearing, you’ve got yourself a spectacular ocean view, too.

Here’s a couple of pics to give you the idea, but they really don’t do it justice.

(This one is after my match looking from the parking lot looking west over the courts and out to sea.)

(This one is just a glimpse of campus. There really are buildings and classrooms and places to mold young minds right in the middle of all those trees.)

As I pulled up for my match on my motorcycle, I came to a stop sign and there was a doe and her 2 fawns standing there not 3 feet away. Me and my motorcycle didn’t bother them at all. They didn’t flinch. Immediately across the street were 4 or 5 more deer who also could have cared less that I was there. I bet I could have stopped, dismounted, and petted them. Maybe they’re auditing some classes?

Since I was, unfortunately, done with my tennis day earlier than I had hoped, I took Brian’s advice and headed down to the Light House and Steamers Lane.

Holy Smokes! This is something. Not the Lighthouse....it’s not really worth the bother in my view. But the surfing.

The waves come in and break about 6 to 10 separate times. So you see these groups of surfers. Some close to shore, then another big group further out, then another group further out, and so on. Each break is a smaller so the really big waves are probably close to a mile out from the shore line. I think this is what they call a classic point break so the shape of the land and ocean floor cause the build up of plenty of energy in the surf.

You can get an OK look at all this from the Cliff Walk, which is where I was. It was packed with people. I don’t know where you’d park if you didn’t have a motorcycle....one more reason god invented motorcycles and blessed me with having the good sense to have had one since I was a teenager.

It was so crowded on the cliff, I had to knock down an 87 year old woman to get a place where I could take a few pictures for you guys. I don’t normally knock down old ladies, but she didn’t have a camera that I could see, I doubt she’s writing a TravelBlog, and I did it for you guys....not for me. So if there is any guilt, remorse, or blame, it’s on you. Live with it.

I did not go in the water where the guys were saying it was 8 to 10 feet with occasional sets much bigger than that, nor did I interview all or any of the surfers as to their lineage, work history, surfing experience, etc. But, watching the guys in wet suits carrying surfboards on dry land, here’s an observation. They weren’t young. I was surprised, but would guess the average age of the guys I saw (no women in wet suits) was 35 to 40. Just an observation. Maybe everyone in the water was 16 to 18????

The following pics and the videos below were all done with my little cheap digital camera and I couldn’t get any closer to the action. And, I didn’t even know I could do videos with my camera until yesterday, have no program on my computer that allows me to edit videos at all, have never used YouTube before, and so apologize for the quality....just take them for what they’re worth.

(This is from the cliff looking sort of down into a small cove where you can get in the water. It's about 3/4 of the way out to the bigger surf. You can see a hand rail where there are stairs in the bottom left corner of the picture. It's a popular launching point.)

(This is the other side of the launching cove I mentioned above. That's the City Wharf in the background and way to the left end of the Whart - where the last building is - is the actual shoreline. So you can get an idea how far out we are. The little black dots in the water are groups of surfers at various distances from shore where the waves break.)

(Here are a couple of short videos. Again, excuse the quality, but hey, I'm a virgin at this. And, after you watch the video clips, hit your BACK button rather than exiting out of the YouTube Window.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyDByWLuHCE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXexMNT-7pA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09jknNSR9bc

The next thing on my list was to check out the famous old Santa Cruz Boardwalk, no doubt the biggest of the Santa Cruz tourist attractions. So I headed down there.

Ohmygod. Streets were blocked. Traffic was being directed, re-directed, and diverted. There was a forest of orange traffic cones all over the roads, alleys, and sidewalks.

I, in my infinite wisdom, picked a day to visit the Boardwalk when there was a parade of sorts going on. Not just some ordinary parade, mind you. This was a parade of high school marching bands. And not just a few high school marching bands, mind you. 49 mother lovin’ high school marching bands. No kidding. No exaggeration. 49 marching bands.

I don’t know where you’d park if you didn’t have a motorcycle....one more reason god invented motorcycles and blessed me with having the good sense to have had one since I was a teenager.

So guess what....the entire Boardwalk area was jam packed. Figure 49 bands, 30 members per band, 2 parents and at least 1 sibling per band member, and you’ve got a whole stew pot full of people over-crowding the area. I really had my heart set on taking a “thrill ride” on a roller coaster (wooden) that was build in 1924. But the line was way too long even for may patient nature.

And, as I was wandering around constantly being jostled by rude tourists and band members and their groupies, imagine my surprise when I ran into 2 people who look EXACTLY like my daughters, Vanessa and Chelsea.
I have to say that watching a couple of the bands (see below) reminded me of my days as 2nd Chair Trumpet (even though I challenged Ron Halvorson for the 1st Chair position every frickin' week, I remained 2nd Chair) in the La Canada Junior High School Marching Band, Concert Band, Jazz Band, and Orchestra. I thoroughly loved all the hours of practice, the competition, and performing for audiences. Music of any sort is pretty special. I’m grateful that I know something about it. And very sad my high school didn't have a band or orchestra. I definitely would have stuck with it.

(This could be me. He's 1st Chair though.)

So, after high tailing it out of downtown Santa Cruz, I came home and watched the 2nd half of the UCLA-Cal Football Game. Go Bruins, who, I’ve been asked to point out, have a better Pac 10 record than that other school across the city. I forget the name, but you know who I mean.

At 6:30 I headed over to Ben Lomand. That’s not a guy...that’s a town. Seriously. That’s where the Ukelele Jam and Sing Along was scheduled for 7:00. Last thing on my list for yesterday.

At 7:10 I left Ben Lomand. Apparently, the Jam and Sing Along was cancelled. But no one told me. I had even called the Ukelele center yesterday afternoon to get directions and all that. The lady I talked to was very sweet and assured me they’d be having it and gave me excellent directions.

I guess she was either really stupid or lied. I can only hope it was the 87 year old I knocked down at Steamers. Now that would be justice.



October 22, 2007 – Sant Cruz – Last Day....

This will be my last day in Santa Cruz. Heading for Sonoma tomorrow.

But yesterday, Sunday, was a really fun day.

It started out with much frustration, though.

I was advised by 4 or 5 guys that I could almost for sure get a tennis game at Cabrillo College. So I bundled up and shot down there, parked, unbundled, and walked over to the courts.

They were having a Junior Tournament there yesterday. No open courts all day.

Ugh. Bad luck.

I got some fresh advice on other places where I “might” find a game, tried them, but no luck.

So I came back, did some work, chatted with my dad, and then headed over to the Roaring Camp Railroad.

(This covered bridge marking the entrance to the Camp, designed in the 1880's, has the distinction of being the shortest covered bridge in the U.S. - a dubious distinction, at best.)


This was a very fun afternoon for me.

It was a lovely day and a lovely trip into a magnificent redwood forest on a train powered by a real life Shay Steam Locomotive.

It’s gear driven. Designed for power, not speed. Designed to climb steep grades and haul heavy loads of lumber out the forests.

We went up grades as steep as 10%. The engine can haul loads up grades as steep as 13%....the steepest railway grades in the world.

To put that in perspective, the steepest grades that roads can be built at is 6% - so double the steepest hill you’ve ever driven your car on and this little train engine can conquer it while hauling tons of lumber.

(Shay # 1 pulling into the Roaring Camps station.)


(Here she is at the very top of Bear Mountain.)


(The Engineers filling 'er up with water for our trip through the forest. It was a 1 hour and 15 minute excursion. I have a special PRIZE for closest guess, without going over, of the number of gallons of water needed to develop enough steam for our trip. 1 guess per customer. Enter your guess in Comments, below. You're disqualified if you've been on this train.)


One of my burning desires when I left So. Cal. was to spend time in and among the redwoods. Don't know exactly why. I was just being pulled or drawn to the forest. Yesterday was well spent.

The forest we were traveling through was purchased in the 1860’s for logging. A certain Mr. Walsh bought 360 acres to clear cut. He was excited to make his fortune in lumber. As his plans for stripping the land were being laid, he brought his wife out from the East and planned a romantic picnic for just the 2 of them in a picturesque redwood grove with a breathtaking view.

Mr. Walsh was so excited he couldn’t contain his enthusiasm as they sat beneath the Big Trees enjoying the cool mountain air and the panoramic view. He rambled on about the complications of cutting and then hauling the trees down the mountain to the saw mill. He overflowed with stories about the life they would lead when they were filthy rich beyond imagination.

Mrs. Walsh, being a dutiful wife, listened quietly.

Finally Mr. Walsh breathlessly finished his diatribe and asked her, “what do you think?”

She said, “Sorry, dear, but I forbid you to harm one single magnificent tree in MY FOREST!”

Mr. Walsh, being a dutiful husband, said, “Yes, dear.”

In 1867 Mr. Walsh finished all of the required paperwork and the 360 acre forest became the first virgin stand of coastal redwoods to be protected from logging. It is dedicated exclusively to conservation and education.

Perhaps I was drawn to spend some time in the redwoods as a reminder, in the big scope of things, of my insignificance, frailty, and mortality. Perhaps to gain perspective and insight. Perhaps just for fun.

These trees do not grow anywhere else on Earth -- only along the coastal mountains of northern California. You can't actually describe them in words. At least I don't have the superlatives in my vocabulary to do so. Majestic. Mystical. Stately. Immense. Powerful. Ancient. None do the trick. And no pictures I can take can make you appreciate these trees.

You can only get it by being quietly in the forest and appreciating how they speak, by their continued existence, of patience and endurance and the wonders of nature.

Perhaps Mrs. Walsh "got" that.

They are the tallest trees in the world. 200, 300 feet and more isn't unusual. Imagine a 35 story building and you have the right idea. The tallest tree ever recorded was a 420 foot redwood....chopped down for lumber.

Relatives of our coastal redwoods date back 160 million years -- let me say that again -- 160 million years. They were here when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Our current coastal redwood range dates back 20 million years. I promise the trees are still there. Where are the dinosaurs? Talk about endurance.

Unless cut down for lumber, it is normal for a redwood to live 200 to 800 years. Some are 2,000 years old.

So superlatives don't do the trick. Pictures don't do the trick. The ancient power of the trees is something you just have to experience to appreciate.


(I took the following picture to try to give you a sense of the forest. Sorry, it didn't come out very well, but in 360 acres there are a whole lot of trees. I don't know the monetary value of a tree in Mr. and Mrs. Walsh's day, but today, a mature redwood is worth between $50,000 and $75,000. So count the trees in the hills in the picture below and, to be conservative, multiple by $50,000.)



All I can say is, “Thank you, Mrs. Walsh.”




October 22, 2007 – End Of Last Day In Santa Cruz

I stayed in all day today and was working from about 5:00 AM until around 2:30 PM.

Juan, from the tennis tournament, had given me the names of some guys to try to hit with and I had made a date with one of them, John, to meet at 3:00 at Sky Park. Sky Park is only about 10 minutes from here.

So John and I connected and hit a bit then 2 other guys showed up and we ended up in a good quality, low intensity, very friendly, close and competitve doubles match.

Here’s the Sky Park setting. You can’t complain about a couple of hours of exercise in this environment, can you?

And here are the guys. From left to right: Peter (Unbreakable, Local Knowledge Peter – Peter was my partner and because of his Local Knowledge, I made him take all the difficult shots, which he did admirably); Felix (Felix The Cat – speedy dude – cat-like speed -- he could miss a poach and be off the court on the ad side then somehow make it back to the deuce side to hit a winning shot on the next ball); and, John (John The Baptist – I named him that because I figure they’d be close to the same age – John played high school and college, so I don’t need to tell you how good he is).

I can’t think of a better way to have spent a couple of hours on my last day in Santa Cruz.

Thanks for the game, guys. See you next time I'm in town.