An outing--way out--at a California State Park

June 24, 2008

Or: What my friend Edna, who also has MS and I did yesterday,

all day. You all know who the driver was.

We saw: cottontail rabbits, shrews, squirrels, racoons, White

Crown sparrows, vultures, crows, ravens, OAKS, oaks and more

oak trees, California laurel, manzanita, madrones, chaparral,

mimulus flowers, en masse, "Spanish moss," actually a lichen,

one fox, bush lupen plants, and views of most everything.

Then, naively, we drove to San Bautista, the town with

the mission, only to discover that everything, restaurants, all

the stores were closed. It was Monday. So, we headed North

to Gilroy and actually dined at the most amazing Denny's that I

have ever eaten at. (no, this is not an advertisement). Then

we headed back home and stopped at the Berkeley Pier area

to watch the racoons "dining out" --and then I drove Edna home

to her house in Berkeley, and I drove the short distance to my

place in North Oakland. I think I landed at 1:30 a.m.

We took this trip at Edna's expense and visited one of the

some 48 California State Parks scheduled for closure by

the end of the summer to do the decreased value of the

dollar--this is also causing huge cuts in Medicaid nation-wide.

So, as Edna got some extra money, we "blew" some of it

on gasoline, food and just plain enjoyment of nature.

My car, Marco Polo, said that he enjoyed the journey as well.

We engaged in our usual conversation, filled with puns, double

entendres, plays on words, laughing at the absurdity of how

signs are worded, and reading funny license plates, whether

personalized or not.

Edna joins me in sending love to each of you,

n

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