HEARST CASTLE ROAD TRIP (Day 2 of 3)

After a full day of driving yesterday, I pretty much passed out on a motel mattress last night and woke up this morning well rested and ready to tour a castle.  

Debra and I arrived at the castle at 9:30 a.m. this morning and stayed on the grounds for five hours, touring most of the buildings.  At 2:30 p.m. our aching feet were glad that our third and final tour was over.

We left the castle and drove about 100 slow but scenic miles along California's beautiful coastal Highway 1, arriving in Monterey where we checked into a hotel before we complete the final leg of our road trip tomorrow.

Waking up this morning to coffee and to a shrimp omelette at the San Simeon Lodge.

Before arriving at the castle, we stopped along Highway 1 at a spot where we could see the castle atop a mountain.  
The location of the castle is not clearly visible in this photo, but it was clear to the naked eye from the road.

There it is!

After arriving at the entrance to the park, we tried taking another photo with the castle in the background.
Again, what was clear in person was not clear in this photo.

There it is!

Real restrooms were not available.

These were available, with a wonderful inside view of something other than a clean, white, porcelain bowl.

From the park entrance, a six-mile bus ride took us to the castle.  The bus was slightly delayed because
it had to stop for a herd of Barbary sheep crossing the road.

Our first of three tours was led by our first tour guide, Beverly, who was well-informed and who shared
many interesting historical facts throughout the tour.

Beverly instructs us in one of the rooms.

The first tour, the Grand Rooms Tour, ended in Hearst's private theater.  There we were able to watch some of his home movies which showed some of his guests, such as Charlie Chaplin, Harpo Marx, Clark Gable, and Mary Pickford. 

Debra and I stand beside the Neptune Pool which is now empty due to the current drought.

Everything in the castle was a display of art, including walls and ceilings.

During our tour, the main building was being re-roofed for only the second time in its history and the first time since 1960.  The project is nearly complete and the scaffolding is now in the process of being removed.

Mr. Hearst's private library.

Mr. Hearst's guest quarters for men included this sitting room with a fireplace (shown beside Debra) and with a sleeping loft (top of photo) accessed by circular stairs (shown at left beneath the loft).

The kitchen.

The indoor Roman pool.

The bus ride back down the hill.

We were there.

HEARST CASTLE ROAD TRIP (Day 1 of 3)

It's been awhile since Debra and I have gotten away for a road trip together.  In fact, it's been about five years since our last road trip.

We left the house this morning just before 7:00 a.m , set the trip odometer to zero, drove for about 11 1/2 hours (including stops), covered over 500 miles and ended our day at the San Simeon Lodge around 6:30 p.m. this evening.  After checking in at the lodge, we walked across the street to the beach so we could inhale some fresh, ocean air.  Also, we wanted to walk instead of sit because it currently hurts to sit.

Tomorrow we leave the lodge and head to the castle where we will go on three separate tours: The Grand Rooms Tour, the Cottages and Kitchen Tour and the Upstairs Suites Tour.  

After that, we'll head north along the coastal highway to Monterey, where we will spend one more night before driving home.

7:00 a.m.

6:30 p.m.

Standing across the street from the San Simeon Lodge with the Pacific Ocean behind us.

The lodge shown in the background behind two weary travelers.

RAMBLIN' ROSES

A troublesome strip of earth between the patio and the fence has seen many failed attempts at growth.  Wishing for colorful flowers, everything that has been planted along this stretch has died.

Except for miniature roses.

And they haven't done all that well.  The problem has been drainage.  Even after digging holes and filling them with potting soil, the surrounding dirt and the dirt beneath the potting soil is clay. The clay prevents drainage, causing plants to eventually die.

So, I decided to solve the problem by moving the roses into clay pots, placing the pots on cement pavers and ignoring the clay issue completely.  

Time will tell if this effort will work, but I have a feeling the roses will thrive now that the water can drain from the soil.

Before and after view from the north end of  the patio.

Another before and after view from the north end of the patio.

Before and after view from the south end of the patio.

The view from the glider bench.

"239!"

With Pastor Mark out of town this morning, Ron, our youth pastor, delivered an outstanding message.  During his introductory remarks, Ron acknowledged that yesterday was Independence Day and he posed a fairly tough question to the congregation: 

"How many Independence Days has America celebrated?"

After hearing only the first four words of his question, I instinctively knew what the question would be and I immediately blurted out the answer.

"239!"

"Whoa!  Who said that?!", Ron responded.

Ron brought the message this morning in our beautiful outdoor sanctuary.

I didn't realize at the time that Debra was pointing at me from behind my back.  All I knew was that a bunch of people were staring at me after I shouted out the answer. 

They apparently were awe struck.  Amazed.  Baffled at my ability to subtract 1,776 from 2,015 faster than a computer.

My performance, however, has a simple explanation.

My oldest daughter, Bethany, was a bi-centennial baby, born the year of America's 200th birthday.  So, however old Bethany happens to be at any given time, I simply place a "2" in front of her current age and, presto, that's how many Independence Days America has celebrated.

After the service, everybody went home.

This four-day-old little girl, shown here in 1976, was a bi-centennial baby.

FACEBOOKING THE NEIGHBORHOOD

This morning, as usual, I woke up before the sun woke up.  It's the 4th of July. I have a camera.  I strolled through the neighborhood before sunrise and took a few pictures.

A couple of years ago, I created a Facebook page for our neighborhood:  Oak Valley 55+ Planned Community.  Periodically, I take pictures, create a photo album on this Facebook page, and post the pictures.

Some of the albums have included:

snowfall 

springtime 

autumn 

frosty mornings 

daybreak and 

community viewpoints.

This morning's album is called Oak Valley Independence Day Dawn because it's Independence Day and because my camera saw the neighborhood before the sun saw it.

NOISY NESTERS

It's been quite noisy at our house lately.  Incessant squawking in the backyard. Excessive numbers of annoying black birds.  It sounds like an Alfred Hitchcock movie around here.

The birds are perched everywhere:  On the birch tree above the glider chair, on the roof, on the fence, on the neighbor's roof, on the trumpet vines.

Sitting on our glider chair, looking up through the lattice at a bird perched upon a birch tree.

They also have chased away the hummingbirds that feed outside our living room window.  We prefer the humming to the squawking.  But the humming has gone away.

Yesterday, we found out the reason for the influx of these noisy nuisances.  The birds have built a nest in the trumpet vine about three feet from the hummingbird feeder.  They are aggressive, protective and loud.

I climbed a ladder yesterday to get rid of the nest, but I couldn't.  Baby was already born. Hatched.  Alive.  Compassion compelled me to endure the noise until baby eats enough beak-fed worms, gets strong, and flies away.

  

Risking attack from the surrounding feathered family, I climbed a ladder yesterday and found a newly hatched baby bird.  The head and beak are circled.  I had planned on disposing of the nest, but it was occupied by life, so I left it alone.

Today the baby bird lifted its beak for a slippery meal.  And got it.

To check out our situation, click the play tab below:

BELIEVING IN FISH EMULSION

Our friends, John and Jane, have a beautiful trumpet vine growing in their yard.  Debra and I have three trumpet vines growing in our yard. We planted them just two years ago and they are growing nicely.

But John recommended fertilizing them with fish emulsion.  I believe he said, "Fish emulsion will make your plants explode".

I took John's advice, bought some fish emulsion at The Home Depot, and applied it to our trumpet vines three weeks ago, on June 6th.  A week later, on June 13th, I took a picture of the trumpet vine that grows nearest our glider chair.

Then only thirteen days later, on June 26th, I took another picture.  John was right.  Our plants exploded!

I believe in fish emulsion.

Trumpet vine on June 6th.

Trumpet vine thirteen days later.