home sweet home

Bob and I do love to hit the road, but also love to get on the road that leads to home. Tucked into our own bedlast night, I finally slept like a rock. Funny thing happened at bedtime--Gracie decided we were finally worthy of her presence, and for the first time, laid on top of me and purred! I guess that absence does make the heart grow fonder! Or maybe she sensed that we had just spent time with her real parents, so was willing to move our relationship to the next level. Anyway, she does appear to have fared well in our absence, with the kind attention of our neighbor across the way.

Big problem going on here that is really really bugging me--I CAN'T FIND MY CAMERA! I know I had it in my hand in the hotel room on the last night of vacation, I sort of remember putting it into the zipper bag with cords, chargers, etc., inside a duffle bag, but it is nowhere to be found now. I suppose it could have fallen out or my memory could be faulty. I should have just left it in my carry-on, but had grown tired of carrying so much stuff around for days and decided to skip any Kodak moments onthe trip home. It could have been stolen, but that would be sort of odd because it really isn't any sort of special camera. A Canon digital Elph, perfect for what I need, and very useful. The kids gave it to me for Mother's Day 2 years ago and it lead to the purchase of my trusty MacBook because it wasn't very compatible with the pc stuff we had. And have I mentioned how much I love my MacBook? Not really sure what I did without it! Anyway, I am going to give it a day or 2 in case the camera surfaces in the umpteenth search of every nook and cranny of our travel gear, but I am not hopeful that it will turn up.

I was going to show you some additional pictures of the last night of our trip and also the fabric and yarn souvenirs that I brought home, but can't do that. In the meantime, I have some pictures to share that feature some of the lovely horticultural delights of northern CA--

All the hydrangeas there are the lovely shades of lavender. Here at home, I have great hydrangeas blooming, but they are white/creamy/pale green unless the soil is treated with an acidic additive.

These giant redwoods were the view from the hot tub on the deck of the rental house we stayed in while in Sonoma County. They are huge (but not part of the giant redwoods) and so dense in many areas.

Pretty little geranium leaves with beautiful coloration, at the Gary Farrell winery.

Lavendar blossoms attracting busy bees.

Now back to work! Very much on my mind is the fact that yesterday, Brita and Ben vacated their apartment and started the drive from San Francisco to Minneapolis. A tiring and stressful time for them until they get settled into their next home. San Francisco has been a wonderful home for them, and an essential element in their lives since that is where they met and found their lives together. I only hope that this next phase will be equally wonderful! It is starting to sink into my thinking that they will be nearby and we can actually see them without fitting it into travel plans! Woo-hoo!