Visits & Fires

I've been very remiss in updating this blog but we have had a busy two weeks. First Ken & Janice came by for a six-day visit on their way up to Oregon. It was great to see them again and we were able to get in some pegs & jokers games during the evening. Then our daughter D and her kids C & J came up for a three-day visit. Of course it's always great to see family and the kids are growing so big! They also really like Ken & Janice so they have lots of fun. They went on the obligatory shopping trips into Mendocino but their favorite activity is going out to the beach...although campfires and making s'mores are also popular. It was sad to see them go but they were all missing dad. We had a lot of fun with them! I am including some beach pictures with this blog posting. Janice had much more presence of mind to take pictures during the visit, so you can see more photos on their blog. There is a link to that down this page a bit. The last picture of this post is of Jack & Jackie who just started kayaking and love it.

And speaking of fires, we are very nearly surrounded by wildfires up here. The last count was that there were 107 active wildfires going on in Mendocino county as of yesterday. Luckily none of them are too close to us here on the coast, and the ocean breezes keep most of the smoke inland but the locals are still concerned. We took a quick shopping trip over to Ukiah yesterday and the amount of smoke in the air there is incredible. There are currently three areas within about twenty miles of us that are under an evacuation advisory...meaning grab your valuables and be ready to go on a moments notice.

In spite of the smoke, ain't life grand?
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Point Cabrillo Walk

The paved walkway going down to the light station

Point Cabrillo Light Station

The area where the Frolic ran aground

One of the three lightkeeper houses on the grounds

Gary felt energetic this morning so he decided to walk from our campground down to the Point Cabrillo Light Station...and back of course. It was a gorgeous sunny morning and the wind was not yet howling like it has been in the afternoons.

Point Cabrillo hosted a pivotal moment in North Coast history when the barque (sailing ship) Frolic went aground in the small bay just north of the lighthouse in 1850. The shipwreck caused Jerome Ford to be sent north by his employer to try and salvage some of the valuable cargo. The ship's crew had pretty well salvaged most of the valuables and what they didn't get, the local Pomo Indians did (some being seen wearing bright colored silk wraps). Mr. Ford was not successful with the ship but he was shown the huge redwood trees up the Big River. Being a lumber man, he reported his findings to his employer who in turn started working on setting up the first large scale lumber operation in Mendocino. This operation was the life blood of the local economy until the 1930's. Jerome Ford was honored by the California State legislature in the 1970's by being named the founder of Mendocino, about the same time Mendocino was placed on the National Historic Register.

Speaking of being honored...we are being honored by two sets of special visitors over the next ten days. Our very good friends, Ken & Janice, are coming on Friday for a weeks visit. Then, while they are still here, our daughter and her two children are coming for a two or three day visit. We are really looking forward to their visits.

Ain't life grand?
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Living History Field Trips

Cecile gives Ford House tours and sometimes runs the butter churning

A parent volunteer playing hoop games with the kids

The butter churning station with Mrs. Ford supervising

Biscuit making

Doing the laundry

Pat B. runs the corn husk doll making station

A parent volunteer helping with the marbles games

Every year for the past few years it gets pretty busy around the Ford House in late May and early June. Local schools come visit us for 'Living History Field trips'. The kids get a chance to not only see how things were done back in the 1800's but actually get to participate in the specific activities. Those activities include butter churning, biscuit making, laundry washing, making corn-husk dolls and playing old-time childrens games. They only have about ten minutes at each activity but it gives them a good idea of how people lived way back when. Most of them are from the second through the fifth grades and seem to enjoy themselves.

It was much sunnier and a little warmer today...but still pretty windy. It's still beautiful!

Ain't life grand?
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Still Chilly in Mendocino

We got the fire going early

Looking up Big River on a blustery day

Goat Island and the mouth of Big River

Main St Mendocino with Portuguese Beach in the foreground

We seem to be cooking out more this year than last. Perhaps we're having more fires because it's colder here than normal or perhaps it's because we probably won't be back here for the next few years. Last night was no exception. We had a roaring fire which we grilled vegetables and chicken on, after the fire burned down a bit of course. We are really enjoying grilling veggies over the fire. We bought a neat grilling pan and some grilling baskets on our recent trip up to Eureka and they are getting a workout. We didn't stay out too late but had a nice meal.

This morning it was very cold and blustery...we even got a measurable amount of rain early on. It stayed cool and overcast all day but I was still able to get out for a little walk and some picture taking. Even on overcast days it is still beautiful up here.

Ain't Life Grand?
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