It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas......

It's been a jumbled up few days since the last blog entry but I'll try and get it all.

Here at the KOA we had a group from a local Good Sam Club across the way and enjoyed their bean bag games and their company. We talked with several of them and they were wonderful people.



On the way to the store yesterday I stopped near their pet walking area and a view across the fence to the local tributary/bayou/stream/river and took this shot along the fence-line.


And this look at some beautiful Pampas Grass


And the walking area on the other side of the fence.



We drove up to Escondido to see Ed and Jill and stopped at a store to get some clementines where I saw this handicapped sign graced with a "Domestic Enemy" sticker.


And a reminder we were somewhere between Thanksgiving and Christmas.


I took this shot from Jill's Ex-Shop looking up Escondido Blvd.


After a visit with Ed to discuss the complicated world of electronics Scrabble Queen and I said goodbye to Ed and headed back.


and the next day went to Rubio's Fresh again and I admired the landscaping before eating and a trip to the movies to see "Syriana"


We went back to Steven's home to set up the Christmas Tree and David posed as Santa.....


Then Kevin got into the act.


Steven was on his way to film a basketball game for a local TV station but first he set-up the tree in it's stand.


While the home decorations got us in the spirit.


I especially liked the table top town Martha put together complete with snow.


I enjoyed sitting back to watch a tree get decorated for a change and the pros (Martha, David and Kevin) dug right in and finished in record time.


It is a beautifully decorated tree and even added tinsel later to sparkle it up a bit.



Tonight it was a beautiful sunset from Steven and Martha's home.


Chris played Uno solitaire style ...


Samantha ate and read a book until it was time to go to the bay.


We were a little late for the boat parade but the San Diego skyline was as beautiful as I remember it.


Across the bay two hangers at North Island Naval Base glowed in the night.


We drove through Christmas Circle which was beautiful but it was a bit hard to take a night shot in a moving car - but what the heck I added this shaky shot.



Scrabble Score Scrabble Queen 349 ~ The Contender 329 (The queen was behind all the way until the very last play when she made W-I-Z-E-N on a triple word score)

Quote of the Day (today it's two for one) ~

"No one can terrorize a whole nation, unless we are all his accomplices."

and

"Our major obligation is not to mistake slogans for solutions." ~Edward R. Murrow newsman and American Icon whose slogan was another quote and the title of a very good movie now playing "Goodnight and Good Luck"

TGIF on Wednesday

So we went to TGI Friday's on Wednesday on a beautiful day in sunny San Diego.


Of course Friday's is Friday's everywhere with the Red and White awning ands more flair than the average restaurant.


Being southern California of course there was the typical adult skate boarder rolling through the parking lot.


The precious little "JD" was wondering what all the excitement was about.


Bruce, Scrabble Queen's cousin, joined us for the lunch which was very special and sat behind the perfect sign. "Perfect for Everyone on your list. (Even the Naughty Ones)"


Samantha checked out the menu for a gourmet treat.


While Chris played Picasso.


While Kevin tried out his driving skills in the parking lot.


It was a great time seeing Jill, Bruce, Ed and the Viel contingent from the San Diego area.


Steven looked great - healthy and happy and handsome.


Then the cousins stopped for a picture in front of the fitness center.


"The Boulevard" here is El Cajon boulevard and the sign is a landmark in San Diego.


We had a quick errand at the San Diego Zoo.


This gorilla wasn't at the zoo but in a front yard near the KOA where we were camped.


We ended the day at Steven and Martha's home (pictures and blog entry to follow)

Scrabble Score - Scrabble Queen 333 ~ the Contender 349 pulling it out at the very end.

Quote of the Day ~

"If you have men who will only come if they know there is a good road, I don't want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all." ~ David Livingstone quotes (Scottish missionary and explorer, 1813-1874)

Some pictures I missed

Not many words today but a few pictures from the trip so far.

A shed near the top of Siskiyou Pass, California



Scrabble Queen bird watching from the Musemobile in Monterey.


The cemetery behind Mission San Juan Bautista.


Chickens at the corner of 3rd and Mariposa in San Juan Bautista


A crack in the wall at San Miguel Mission.


A flower.



Isaac at Rubio's Fresh Mexican Food


Leaves on a peach tree at Betabel RV Resort


A puddle of oily water at James Dean's Last Stop.


A quilt like the one Scrabble Queen got from her grandmother's skillful hands.


A dining room at the Mariposa Inn


A view across the courtyard in San Juan Bautista


There were no new pictures taken today.

Scrabble Score - Scrabble Queen 298 ~ The Contender 279 another low scoring affair.

Quote of the Day ~

"I am now approaching the end of a long year of rushing around North America........." ~ Annie Proulx (from her Essay A Year of Travel) Annie Proulx wrote one of my favorite stories The Shipping News and the book that is the basis for the Movie Brokeback Mountain the screenplay was written by Diana Ossana and Larry McMurtry and Directed by Ang Lee.

Brigantine, Killer Pizza from Mars and a Grench

We started the day with a nice lunch at the Brigantine, a nice place to eat. Ed and Jill joined us for a nice family feast.



The Brigantine is a nice comfortable place with lots of dark wood and stone.


It's a great combination of natural materials


Even using a maritime light fixture.


Ed was surveying the menu when I took this one.


Outside I had to take this one. I noticed trees that represent what can be found in all parts of the country but rarely together. Colorful Deciduous trees, Conifer and a Palm all in one place ands next to each other.


I got this picture of a cool and typical California strip mall sign.



I loved this Hummer advertising for a marshal arts studio - sooo California...


As was this Christmas Grench standing in the cool winter breeze (Sunny, 72 and 4 mph winds)


Scrabble Score Scrabble Queen 257 ~ The contender 279 in a low scoring match (maybe we lost some of the letter tiles)

Quote of the Day

"If you were a single mom, there's no way to support yourself and your kids by working in a hair salon, ... It's about a woman who decides to go and do what was considered a man's job, but was treated quite horribly for it and decides she has to fight for her rights when everyone thinks she should just shut up and take it." ~Charlize Theron quotes (South African Actress and Producer b.1975)

Big Ed and Champagne Golf

Today was a play day. Scrabble Queen and her sister, Rancher Girl, went shopping while I went golfing with their dad, Big Ed. I wore my tennis shoes (wrong sport) while Big Ed donned his new golf shoes that had never been worn. The scene of the crime was Lawrence Welk Golf Resort.



This community started by Lawrence Welk was begun years ago with the golf course and several condos, it was originally mostly seniors and fans of the bubble king. The grounds and course were very nice....


...with plenty of beautiful trees and mostly green grass.



Overlooking the course were boulder-covered hills with huge homes along the ridge.


Big Ed was troubled by a bad knee but played well with shots like this long one down the middle on the fourth hole....




....and another solid hit on the 7th hole.

I hit a nice drive on this hole (9th) and a long fairway wood onto the right shoulder of the distant green.



On the back nine we came to the Texaco Hole named after the marquee behind the green.


Winding down the hill this was a fun cart path to drive, it was a little like a road race on a tin can.



Great setting for this hole with the boulders backing the green.


This tree behind one of the last greens was huge for the area and like a giant umbrella....


...so I took another picture.


Back at Ed's digs and storing his clubs in the trunk of his car. Ed won by 5 strokes.



Scrabble Score Scrabble Queen (like her father) beat me bad 312 to 289 for the Contender

Quote of the Day ~

"In the game of life it's a good idea to have a few early losses, which relives you of the pressure of trying to maintain an undefeated season." ~ Lee Trevino quotes (American Golf Professional)