Rain

Everyone in our little family unit has been happy the last two days. Friday it was nearly 100 - I don't do hot. Yesterday we had dry lightning. One of these storms we get in our little part of the world once or twice A DECADE. And today we had rain that little know phenomenon in our drought plagued state.

I know we are kind of wimps in the weather area, but there is only so much "nice" weather you can take.

Gold County Part 2

We returned to the Gold Country for a couple more days this past week.

Craig wanted to see an undergroung natural cavern. We went to Black Chasm Cavern in Volcano. We got there at 9 am. No one else was there so we had a private tour with a very young, very nice, tour guide who had only worked there for nine days.

Picture taking

rare helictite



We then drove to Columbia. This has been a state park for decades and both of us remembered it as more touristy when we were there as teenagers (long before we knew each other).

Engine Company No 1 firehouse


Carriages

We stayed in Jackson again but mostly ate in Sutter Creek. We had the most amazing dinner at J&D Steakhouse. Craig had the prime rib that was gigantic. He rated it as one of the best he has had. I had Black and Bleu Steak Salad - Blackened steak and bleu cheese crumbles in a lettuce bed. Including tip - $46.00.

Sutter Creek main street


Sutter Creek - the creek


Of course I had to visit yarn stores. I purchased some recycled silk yarn from Lofty Lou's in Placerville. I picked up some Queensland Sugar Rush and Cascade Eco Alpaca at A Hole Affair in Jackson.

The major downside to the whole trip was that it was hot (high 90s). Had we gone the week before or this weekend it would have been at least 10 degrees color. But we had a swimming pool at the Jackson Lodge where we always stay. It wasn't heated so it reduced your core temperature substantially.

Knitterly Warehouse Sale

This morning was the yearly warehouse sale at Knitterly in Petaluma.

Unfortunately, I was charged for two skeins of Noro Taiyo instead of one, so my bargains weren't so much of a bargin. Oh well.

Marin County Fair 2009

One item from my list of goals for the year was to enter something, anything, in the Marin County Fair. I had entered a couple of cross stitch items several centuries ago. One received a third place ribbon.

This year I entered six items. Only two were completed by the application deadline. I had to create titles, styles and dimensions for the remaining four. It forced me to have a deadline and a format. The two scrapbook pages took days. For reasons unknown to me, I entered two rubber stamp pieces. I hadn't done a full page stamp pieces in years and it was never one of my strong points. My "Stormy Weather" piece was actually a draft and completed from start to finish in about ten minutes two days before deadline.


So image my surprise when I saw a blue ribbon on it.

It took me a while to find my work. The displays were in no real order other than color.

Four were displayed together.

And my lone knitting project was in the Christmas display. There was a pink display where I would have expected it.

Final total:

First and Second Place, Adult Hobbies, Miscellaneous, Rubber Stamping

Third Place, Adult Hobbies, Miscellaneous, Heritage Scrapbooks

Third Place, Adult Hobbies, Miscellaneous, Outdoors Scrapbooks

Third Place, Adult Hobbies, Knitting, Hat or Cap

Fifth Place, Adult Hobbies, Miscellaneous, Paper Arts

Ribbons for all entries - woohoo

Where Did June Go?

Somehow June went by and I missed it.

On the belly dance front, Rising Stars performed at Aneena's student night one of my favorite shows and for the first time at the Marin Art Festival. We sort of have an official photographer. We saw his pictures of us on flickr from Rakkasah West this year and who came to the Festival just to take our pictures.

Craig's Aunt Bea was in town from Boston. Being Puerto Rican, Craig's parents took Bea and the two of us to Sol Food. I worked a block away from Sol Food and we were always ordering takeout. Even if you only get the limeade it is worth the expense.

Last week we took our first vacation in six years! We went to Sacramento to the Aerospace Museum of California, the California Railroad Museum and California Auto Museum (planes, trains and automobiles).

And of course, Suzie Burger located in a converted gas station. At least they spelled the name correctly.

We traveled Highway 49 through the Mother Lode from Auburn to Coulterville. In my continuing support of the LYS, I stopped at Auburn Needleworks in Auburn and By Hand Yarn in Sonora. I did pick up a small skein of alpaca and wool grown, dyed and spun by a local artist, Mountain Lady.

We stayed overnight in Jackson,

did a side trip to Volcano

And also found the Lincoln Highway marked in Vacaville and Auburn.

Model Trains

We went to the Golden State Model Railroad Museum in Point Richmond today.

Sign outside in the parking lot.


Downtown old Oakland representing the trolley system


Oakland Depot


Oakland SP Yard

Altamonte Pass

Somewhere in the Sierras

Fremont

Sun and Fun

Yesterday was a busy day for us. We did an eleven mile bike ride at Rush Creek, went swimming and had dinner at the in-laws.

Views from the bike trail.

We decided to take a rest today. Other than being a little tired and sore, it is foggy and cold today.

I went to the Belly Dancer of the Year this afternoon (plus a bit of shopping at the East Bay art supply stores). This year is a new location in at the Dougherty Valley Performing Arts Center in San Ramon. This is not an area of the East Bay I have been to previously. All new buildings, homes, golf courses, schools and roads. I had to leave early, so I don't know who the winners were. Hopefully, it will be posted soon.