Family Weekend

This past Friday was a full day. Bill and I got up, puttered around the house and packed our suitcases. While I did the dishes, located a bunch of sand toys and packed the car, Bill was busy buying a new truck. At 11 am he was the proud owner of a new-to-us 2002 Chevy Truck. I think he said it was 3/4 ton blah blah blah...at least that was how much I understood. What I understand most is that we got an incredible deal on a used US Forest Service Vehicle and it is "Forest Service Green" to match my Chevy Tahoe. He bought it at an on-line auction and we didn't have to drive far to get it as it was just a couple of miles away at the Eureka Forest Service Office. He picked it up on Tuesday.
Back to Friday.....after we bought the truck we headed to Liz's house and picked her and Sydney up. Bill dropped us off at the Scottie Dog Quilt Shop and did the banking. Liz and I each had one small task to finish before we could be gone for 4 days. OOPS...one of the lights in the classroom was out. I got the ladder and the bulbs and Liz tried to change the burnt out bulbs. Double OOPS....it wasn't the bulbs, it was the ballast that was kaput. Quick call to Mr. Scottie Dog....don't just honk for us, please come in. It only took him 10 minutes to get the lights back on. Hurray for Mr. Scottie Dog!!!!
Finally we were on our way to Point Arena on the Mendocino Coast to spend a long weekend with my father and his wife Willie (here's where I draw the line......I hate to refer to Willie as my "Step Mother" because it brings up horrible connotations. I loved my mother dearly, miss her terribly BUT as I told Willie this weekend, "If I can't have my mother, I'm happy to claim her."). They met us at their time-share trade. Aren't they a good looking couple?














The time-shares were interesting. They are new modular units only one room (12') wide. Bill figured it out--they are mobile/modular units and are 12' so that you can truck them in on a regular highway. The place until recently was an RV park. The units were beautifully furnished. They were supposed to sleep us all, but Dad & Willie had their room, Bill and I slept in the living room and Liz & Sydney were good sports and slept on pads in the car....good thing the seats go down in the Tahoe. The weather was unbelievable! High 70's, sunshine. Not at all what you expect mid-November on the N. CA coast. Sydney wore shorts and we played in the sand. We played cards and for once in my life I was the big winner (two nights in a row)!!! We took a day trip to Ft. Brag, a trip to the beach for Sydney to play in the sand and two trips to the Pt. Arena Pier. Sydney loved the little beach there. It is all rocks but full of "treasures." Little bits of

shells, crab claws, beach glass and more. She filled a bucket full to take home. We ate a few meals out---who would expect to eat on

the 2nd floor deck of a restaurant right on the waterfront in mid-November???? Mr. Scottie Dog bar-b-qued some awesome steaks and Willie kept us fed too well. In fact I made her chicken cheese casserole for Stash Pot Pie Club yesterday at the store. Liz should have more pictures so maybe I'll post a couple tomorrow. We had a great time. Thanks Dad & Willie for inviting all of us.